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Kindness was in the woman's voice, concern warmed her pale blue eyes. For him. Most people in
his country either pretended not to see the Black Dog or made a hasty departure. They knew
what he was about, what his dark purpose was, and they feared his appearance.
Not Morgan Edwards. She didn't seem to be aware of the significance of his presence, or perhaps
didn't care. Instead, she had consistently noticed him, watched him, even worried about him.
She'd ventured out in a storm to make sure he was all right, not knowing he was unaffected by it.
Offered him food, not knowing he didn't eat. And finally, invited him inside.
Inside. He'd long forgotten what that was like. More than being warm and comfortable, if he had
been able to feel such things. It was the sense of being welcome. Wanted. Curiosity, in itself a
novelty, compelled him to accept the woman's invitation, if only for a moment. He'd watched her
with interest, admired the fearless efficiency in the way she moved. She'd been startled when she
came face to face with him—but she hadn't screamed. He'd been startled, too. Morgan Edwards
was pretty by human standards and almost as finely featured as the Fae themselves. Yet, while
their hair was fine and icy white, hers was thick and glossy, the very color of a newly hulled
chestnut. Her scent had filled his nostrils, crept into his lungs to nestle by his unbeating heart and
warm it. It shouldn't be possible.
He'd vanished then, returned to the elements outside, to the cold and familiar darkness. But a
faint spark had been fanned to life inside him, some emotion he could not name. Emotion was a
stranger, must be a stranger, and yet…
He must not interfere. He was forbidden to interfere. Destiny ruled over life and death, the Tylwyth
Teg had said before charging him with his terrible task. What destiny has decreed, you will
herald. It cannot be altered or defied. Yet, for the first time in centuries, he considered that
perhaps the Fair Ones were wrong.
his country either pretended not to see the Black Dog or made a hasty departure. They knew
what he was about, what his dark purpose was, and they feared his appearance.
Not Morgan Edwards. She didn't seem to be aware of the significance of his presence, or perhaps
didn't care. Instead, she had consistently noticed him, watched him, even worried about him.
She'd ventured out in a storm to make sure he was all right, not knowing he was unaffected by it.
Offered him food, not knowing he didn't eat. And finally, invited him inside.
Inside. He'd long forgotten what that was like. More than being warm and comfortable, if he had
been able to feel such things. It was the sense of being welcome. Wanted. Curiosity, in itself a
novelty, compelled him to accept the woman's invitation, if only for a moment. He'd watched her
with interest, admired the fearless efficiency in the way she moved. She'd been startled when she
came face to face with him—but she hadn't screamed. He'd been startled, too. Morgan Edwards
was pretty by human standards and almost as finely featured as the Fae themselves. Yet, while
their hair was fine and icy white, hers was thick and glossy, the very color of a newly hulled
chestnut. Her scent had filled his nostrils, crept into his lungs to nestle by his unbeating heart and
warm it. It shouldn't be possible.
He'd vanished then, returned to the elements outside, to the cold and familiar darkness. But a
faint spark had been fanned to life inside him, some emotion he could not name. Emotion was a
stranger, must be a stranger, and yet…
He must not interfere. He was forbidden to interfere. Destiny ruled over life and death, the Tylwyth
Teg had said before charging him with his terrible task. What destiny has decreed, you will
herald. It cannot be altered or defied. Yet, for the first time in centuries, he considered that
perhaps the Fair Ones were wrong.
| Samples from A LEAP OF KNOWING by Dani Harper |
| Additional Excerpt |
| Excerpt |
Arms groaning under the weight of too many shopping bags, Kerri Tollbrook stood transfixed in
front of the mall's enormous toy store, her eyes on the animated display of the latest video game
system. Onscreen, a hulking forest troll battled a dragon. Blood shot everywhere as the dragon
bit off the troll's arm, then the troll split the dragon's skull with an axe. A small contingent of
soldiers appeared and sliced at the pair with swords. More blood spurted and pooled.
"Get the kid a bike," said a tall man beside her.
She nodded, still watching the screen in horrified fascination. A flock of gryphons suddenly
swooped down. "Eeyew!" she said as they began messily devouring the soldiers. "My nephew is
convinced that he wants this game for Christmas."
"How old is he?"
"Ten."
"Way too young. Hell, I'm too young. And where's the warm fuzzy feeling in wrapping all that gore
as a Christmas present?"
"I agree with you." Kerri's eyes were still riveted to the screen, but the rest of her couldn't help but
notice that the man had a great voice. Deep, melodic, the kind of voice that vibrated pleasantly
inside her. "Christmas is supposed to be a magical time of year."
"Supposed to be. Not always."
The sudden sadness in the words jolted her into turning away from the window. Her eyes widened
as she looked at the owner of the voice. Not because he was broad-shouldered and powerfully
built. Not because he had the rugged features of an action hero. Not even because his eyes were
an intriguing blend of blue and gold. But because she could see right through him, all the way to
the nineteen-foot Christmas tree on the other end of the brightly-lit mall.
"You're a ghost!"
He looked shocked. "You can see me?"
"What's the big surprise? You didn't react when I could hear you."
"It's not the same. Lots of people hear me, but they usually chalk it up to their own thoughts. I talk
and they think they just had a great idea. But nobody sees me. Why aren't you running away,
screaming?"
Kerri shrugged. "I see the dead all the time. It's what I do."
"It's what you—wait a minute, I'm not dead!"
Instinctively, she glanced around. A couple seated on a bench by the indoor waterfall were
watching her and whispering to each other. Uh-oh. She looked like she was talking to herself
again. At least the noise from the cascading water and the incessant Christmas music from the
sound system likely drowned out what she had been saying. She turned her face back to the
game display, lowering her voice just in case. "We need to continue this without an audience.
Besides, I have to put this stuff in the car before my arms get longer." Too bad she couldn't ask
the guy to carry her bags. He looked like he could portage a piano without breaking a sweat. Ah
well, big and strong didn't count for a lot once someone had died. It certainly didn't help them
accept their new reality and move on. Fate must have led the guy to her for help. Her tired feet
protested, but she walked briskly through the mall, anxious to get to the parking lot. The crowds of
trudging shoppers yielded to her determination and made way for her.
"I'm not dead," he said frequently. She didn't dare answer until they'd passed the mall security
guard and left through the double doors.
"Yes, you are!" she whispered fiercely.
"I'm not. Believe me, I'd know if I was."
"You're a disembodied spirit in denial. You're going to make this so much harder for yourself."
"Make what?"
"Crossing over. Moving on. It's what you need to do."
Exasperation showed on his face. "What I need is your help."
front of the mall's enormous toy store, her eyes on the animated display of the latest video game
system. Onscreen, a hulking forest troll battled a dragon. Blood shot everywhere as the dragon
bit off the troll's arm, then the troll split the dragon's skull with an axe. A small contingent of
soldiers appeared and sliced at the pair with swords. More blood spurted and pooled.
"Get the kid a bike," said a tall man beside her.
She nodded, still watching the screen in horrified fascination. A flock of gryphons suddenly
swooped down. "Eeyew!" she said as they began messily devouring the soldiers. "My nephew is
convinced that he wants this game for Christmas."
"How old is he?"
"Ten."
"Way too young. Hell, I'm too young. And where's the warm fuzzy feeling in wrapping all that gore
as a Christmas present?"
"I agree with you." Kerri's eyes were still riveted to the screen, but the rest of her couldn't help but
notice that the man had a great voice. Deep, melodic, the kind of voice that vibrated pleasantly
inside her. "Christmas is supposed to be a magical time of year."
"Supposed to be. Not always."
The sudden sadness in the words jolted her into turning away from the window. Her eyes widened
as she looked at the owner of the voice. Not because he was broad-shouldered and powerfully
built. Not because he had the rugged features of an action hero. Not even because his eyes were
an intriguing blend of blue and gold. But because she could see right through him, all the way to
the nineteen-foot Christmas tree on the other end of the brightly-lit mall.
"You're a ghost!"
He looked shocked. "You can see me?"
"What's the big surprise? You didn't react when I could hear you."
"It's not the same. Lots of people hear me, but they usually chalk it up to their own thoughts. I talk
and they think they just had a great idea. But nobody sees me. Why aren't you running away,
screaming?"
Kerri shrugged. "I see the dead all the time. It's what I do."
"It's what you—wait a minute, I'm not dead!"
Instinctively, she glanced around. A couple seated on a bench by the indoor waterfall were
watching her and whispering to each other. Uh-oh. She looked like she was talking to herself
again. At least the noise from the cascading water and the incessant Christmas music from the
sound system likely drowned out what she had been saying. She turned her face back to the
game display, lowering her voice just in case. "We need to continue this without an audience.
Besides, I have to put this stuff in the car before my arms get longer." Too bad she couldn't ask
the guy to carry her bags. He looked like he could portage a piano without breaking a sweat. Ah
well, big and strong didn't count for a lot once someone had died. It certainly didn't help them
accept their new reality and move on. Fate must have led the guy to her for help. Her tired feet
protested, but she walked briskly through the mall, anxious to get to the parking lot. The crowds of
trudging shoppers yielded to her determination and made way for her.
"I'm not dead," he said frequently. She didn't dare answer until they'd passed the mall security
guard and left through the double doors.
"Yes, you are!" she whispered fiercely.
"I'm not. Believe me, I'd know if I was."
"You're a disembodied spirit in denial. You're going to make this so much harder for yourself."
"Make what?"
"Crossing over. Moving on. It's what you need to do."
Exasperation showed on his face. "What I need is your help."
| THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT by Dani Harper is available as an ebook (it can be downloaded to your computer and read onscreen, as well as on most ebook readers) from Cobblestone Press DIRECT PURCHASE LINK: www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/holidayspirit.htm |
| ... |
| TOP PICK by Night Owl Romance Reviews |
| A LEAP OF KNOWING by Dani Harper is available as an ebook (it can be downloaded to your computer and read onscreen, as well as on most ebook readers) from Cobblestone Press DIRECT PURCHASE LINK: http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/aleapofknowing.htm |
| Sample from THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT by Dani Harper |
| ... |
| Dani Harper brings the magic of Christmas to life..." ParaNormalRomance.org |
| “Blending magic and mayhem into a romantic and sexy novella that you can read again and again” FallenAngelReviews.com |
| SCROLL DOWN for a sample from another story |
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Note: ADULT CONTENT
| Dani Harper writes paranormal romance you can really sink your teeth into... Romance author Dani Harper writes about the paranormal. She specializes in werewolf and shapeshifter romance, adores any love story with a ghost, and is also the author of a paranormal blog, Way Past Normal. Her novels include a new series by Kensington BRAVA: Changeling Moon, Changeling Dream and Changeling Dawn. She is also the author of Heart of the Winter Wolf, A Leap of Knowing, and The Holiday Spirit. Dani Harper is a former newspaper editor turned paranormal author. She credits her discovery of the paranormal romance genre to Christine Feehan's amazing Carpathian series. Dani has many other favorite authors as well, including JR Ward, Karen Chance, Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, Kate Douglas, MaryJanice Davidson, and Katie MacAlister. |
It was only natural that werewolves, faeries, ghosts and other supernatural creatures would turn up to populate my stories.
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| Take the night... |
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