Hi, I’m Dani Harper and I write paranormal romance. That still raises a few eyebrows in my small island town in Alaska, but hey, I was born fascinated with the supernatural. It was hard not to be since all the women in our family seem to be attuned to it. (Maybe the guys are too, but they don’t admit to it). My gramma and my mom have had a number of extrasensory and otherworldly experiences. Myself, and all four of my daughters are sensitive — and apparently my dog is too!
Case in point:Â Scooby the Pug (who is my Official Muse, by the way) always slept with my youngest daughter when she lived at home. When you pet Scooby in his sleep, he automatically stretches out and rolls over on his back so you can pet him even better! My daughter awakened one night because she felt Scooby doing this. She opened her eyes and saw a young bearded man petting the dog! The man looked frightened when he noticed her staring at him, then he backed up and vanished through the closed door.
Since that time, the man appeared several times. Another daughter accidently walked right through him in the hallway! Two other ghosts were discovered to live in our house as well, and we had visual contact as well as the usual cold breezes and thumping around (I slept downstairs, and there was always lots of footsteps above, even when there was nobody home). Plus, the ghosts refused to leave my office door closed, even when I locked it.
We never figured out who the ghosts were, although we did a lot of research. The house was only about 40 years old, with no previous building on the site, so there was no lengthy history there, nor did the ghosts seem to be related to each other. I think the ghosts were pleased with the novelty of finding people who were aware of them. Most likely, they just wanted a little attention.
Kerri Tollbrook, the heroine in my upcoming release, THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT, understands ghosts very well. She counsels the newly departed, helping them come to terms with their state and move on. She’s very successful until she runs into Galen McAllister, who claims he isn’t dead! Is the tall, dark and handsome spirit in denial or under a spell? Kerri’s got until Christmas to solve the riddle and free Galen – or lose him forever.
THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT by Dani Harper
I have to admit that THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT is one of my personal favorites. Perhaps because the first inkling that I was going to write this story occurred when I “overheard” the lead characters arguing in my head! Out of all of my characters, Kerri and Galen have definitely been the most vocal. (And in case you’re wondering, no, I wasn’t hearing ghosts. Believe me, fictional characters are much bossier and demanding!)
THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT came out Dec. 14th from Cobblestone Press. Here’s the link — and you can read the entire first chapter here too!http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/holidayspirit.htm
For more info and excerpts, check my website at www.romancingthewolf.com .
So now it’s YOUR turn. Tell me what interests you about the supernatural or maybe share something that you or someone you know has experienced. If you leave a comment, I’ll enter you in a draw for a download of THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT. I’ll post the winning name right here in the comments area of this blog on Dec. 15th.
PS – If you miss this drawing, don’t despair! There’s more fun to be had! Check out the “Have Yourself a Paranormal Christmas” Romance Authors Web Hunt on my website at http://www.romancingthewolf.com/contests.html There are three prize packages stuffed with books, ebooks, mugs, goodies and more to be won! This contest runs until Dec. 21, 2008.
- About the Author
- Posts in the Past
DANI HARPER is a newspaper editor turned romance writer. A long-time fan of all things paranormal, it was only natural that werewolves, faeries, ghosts and pookas would turn up to populate her stories. Her first full-length novel, Heart of the Winter Wolf, was released in 2007. Other books and novellas have followed!
Dani lives on an island in southeast Alaska with her fisherman husband. Her stories are written on land or at sea, with the help of her Official Muse, Scooby the Pug.
Hi Dani, I love the description of this book and it will probably be the first Cobblestone book I buy. Have to have all you work while I wait for more wolf shifters. I have not had any paranormal experiences. I love to read ghost stories and one of the books I can remember reading as a child was Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park which involved time travel and a ghost. Good luck
Thanks Lindsey! I hadn’t heard of Playing Beatie Bow before so I looked it up — it sounds really interesting.
I love ghosts and shifters both. I have a wolfen book submitted to a publisher right now, waiting with fingers crossed…
Dani
Ghost stories in December… Wow. Okay, I’m game.
When I was a kid we lived in an old victorian on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. My brothers and my room was at the bottom of the stairs leading up into the attic. Every night we heard foot steps running down the stairs only to open the door to nothing. Years later, long after we moved away, I caught a glimpse of a news broadcast about a home on Queen Anne that was being condemned. It was believed to be haunted and no one would live in it. It was our old house.
Thanks for waving at me today, Dani. I can’t wait to read your book. And best of luck with the one that’s subbed.
I love to watch “Ghost Hunters” on the SciFi channel. I’m a bit of a skeptic, but some of the things that happen on that program are a bit hard to explain! Can’t say I’ve had a paranormal experience myself, but I toured the Mary Todd Lincoln home/museum recently, and the tour guide says that in one of the rooms if you say “Mary Todd” the lights come on automatically. Could be faulty wiring, or could be she’s proud of her museum!
This book does sound fascinating, right up my alley. I like things to do with ghosts – like Ghost Hunters (fave supernatural show ever), Ghost Adventures and Most Haunted – perhaps because I have had experiences with them since I was a child.
Hi Dani, I like the description of this book. It sounds really interesting. I dont really believe in ghosts or the supernatural but I have had some pretty unexplainable things happen a few years ago when my daughter moved back in with me. Music shutting off by itself, songs skipping to something different than what was playing and footsteps showing up on the steps right after I had taken a shower. It wasnt from me I had put my shoes on and the kids were in the living room watching movies.
THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT sounds like another great story. I don’t mind reading about ghosts in books, but I can’t watch any shows with ghosts unless there is someone else with me without getting a little paranoid. The reason behind that is my oldest brother, my sister, my brother-in-law and I all swear that we’ve seen a ghost in our basement. For me, I saw the ghost one night after I had to shower in the downstairs bathroom since the upstairs bathroom was being worked on. When I got out of the shower and looked in the mirror there was a reflection of a man standing behind me. There was nobody there when I turned around. I now refuse to use that bathroom unless it’s some kind of emergency.
Yes I believe in ghost. About 23 years ago, we lived in a 2 level home. Downstairs was 2 bedrooms and a bathroom (this is were we slept). Upstairs was the living room/kitchen, office and bathroom. There was one night that we heard noise from upstairs – voices and walking…My brave husband (deputy sheriff at that time) grabbed his service revover and told me to follow him…stealthly (in his undies and my pjs) we climbed the stairs and found the tv on. Now this tv was an old one…(no remote control – pull on the knob to turn on and manually switch channels). We looked around and found the sliding glass door and all windows tightly locked and NO ONE around….Spooky.
The tv went on quite a few times in the next 1 1/2 that we lived there..we’d just turn off the tv and go back to bed.
The second instance was 5 years ago when I went back east to my nephew’s funeral (I hadn’t seen him since he was 13 he died in his 20’s). It was the night after the funeral, we had all been sitting around telling stories about Sean and remembering what a special young man he was. Everyone left the room to go to the kitchen to get dinner. I was sitting down on the couch and glanced toward the fireplace – there was Sean, smiling and looking at me – he mouthed these words: tell mom I’m okay..I blinked and he was gone. I went to his sister and described what happened (thought maybe I was just making it up to ease my sadness) She asked me what he was wearing..I said jeans and a sweater and described the sweater…She said she believed Sean had been there – That was his favorite sweater (one she had given him)… 😯 I gave his mom the message.
Hi Catherine — your old house sounds fascinating! Thanks so much for the good wishes too.
Hi VL — I love museums! Would really like to see the Mary Todd Lincoln house (that’s the one in Lexington, right?) With a place that old, I admit, it could be the wiring. Those old electrical systems can be a lot scarier than any ghost, LOL!
Hi there Margay — another Ghost Hunters fan! I like the Most Haunted show as well. I watch John Edwards Cross Country as often as possible, plus Medium and Ghost Whisperer.
Hi Lee Anne! I think most people have had strange things happen in their lives, probably more than once. Most of us tend to shrug it off. I believe in ghosts and I still explain things away — the supernatural isn’t my first thought when something happens. But it’s sure my second thought!
Holy cow, Karin – I would have screamed the place down! I’m wary of showers to begin with thanks to Alfred Hitchcock, but the mirror thing gives me the creeps because of some horror movies I saw as a kid. Yup, I’d want someone with me too!
It would be great to have a regular ghost. Do they communicate with you?
My father, who lived 700 miles away, was very ill and just barely hanging on in the hospital 11 years ago. I went to bed one night and felt the bed dip next to where I was laying. A hand was placed on my back. Then I heard my father ask me to take care of my mother for him. I looked at him and said I would always take care of mom. The next thing I knew, my dad had disappeared. The telephone rang and it was my mother on the line to tell me my father had just passed away. And no, I was not asleep nor dreaming. It did happen. I sometimes wish I could speak with him again but I know that he has gone on since he knows mom is fine with us.
ewww I got shivers and it is not even cold here!
Kimberly, that was wonderful! 😀 Thanks for sharing that special experience with your nephew. Now, that TV is an interesting phenomenon. I’ve heard that one from a few different people. Maybe ghosts have programs they watch? More likely, it’s a way of getting attention.
Hi Gayle — That’s a lovely story about your father. Thank you! My husband had a similar experience with his.
The ghosts in our house never really said much. We don’t live in that house anymore. We were there for about 7 years before we moved. One of the ghosts went to hang out at my daughter’s house afterwards, but she’s had to be very firm about the noise at times!
Hi Kim, thanks for dropping by! Hope the shivers weren’t too unpleasant. I sometimes think that’s one of the reasons we read ghost stories or tell them around a campfire, because we actually like that shivery feeling on some levels.
I have never had an experience a ghost, nor do I know anyone who has.
I’m looking forward to reading The Holiday Spirit.
The thing I love about paranormal is the fact that it is so much more than what our reality is. I love the fact that everything is more intense, the love, the hate, the power, just everything.
Hi Dani,
It seem this whole subdivision may have experienced paranormal
activity. A couple of blocks over, a family reported seeing a man
in uniform and a woman in an old-style dress. At my sister’s home,
one corner of the living room is freezing cold at all times and a
photograph that used to sit there has been missing for years. One day her daughter was about to change the beds and left the folded linens on the bed. She left the room for a moment and when she returned,the sheets were dangling from the ceiling fan. She called her brother who she had just left in the kitchen to be her witness to the occurrence. My house sits in the middle of the area between
these houses. We have experienced lots of unexplained sounds,
especially footsteps and openings & closings of doors. Our most
frequent visitor, though, only dates back to 1975, the year my sister passed away. We believe that she is the visitor because
she announces her arrival with a “cloud” of her favorite Nina
Ricci perfume!
Pat Cochran
Estella! Glad to see you — thanks for coming over a second time. Thanks for your kind words about The Holiday Spirit, and I hope you enjoy the story.
Hi Dianna! That’s definitely one of the things I enjoy about reading AND writing paranormal stories. There’s such an intensity to everything.
Pat, thanks for sharing those experiences. Great to see you! I understand about the perfume — my great grandmother announces herself with the scent of lilacs, something I would recognize. I remember from my childhood how much she liked lilac perfume and lilac powder!
Hi Dani:
My Mom’s house was haunted too. She always felt that there were two kids there. She would hear music and all. The house is pre civil war. When my Dad moved up state for good everything stopped. (Dad commuted for like 4 years Bronx to Albany and then back. We had an apt. in the Bronx where he worked and he would go up every weekend to my Mom and sister.) Mom was also a senitive, I am too a little. I am an intuitive. Can’t wait to read your new book.
Hi Dani! I love the description of this book. I love ghosts and shifters both, but mainly read about shifters. I have never had an experience a ghost, but do I know someone who had seen one in her parents home. I had own a 1900 century built house that another friend of mine always told me she saw an old couple standing in one of the 2nd floor windows, but I never saw them. When I was a teenager I used to always get a feeling of someones hand on one of my shoulders, when I was by myself in my room.
I love to watch shows dealing with hauntings and ghost. I have been to a couple places that say they are haunted, but never seen or felt anything unusual. I am planning on buy The Holiday Spirit, it sounds like a very interesting story.
Yes! I love a good ghost story! Any time I travel, I try to find locally published ghost books. I have one for Alaska but can’t seem to find it right now.
I was part of a ghost investigation group about 10 years ago. I worked with a group of psychics and sensitives. Since I had no ‘powers’, I was designated the group skeptic and got to carry the equipment. There was one time we were at a bridge in Bowie, MD and did our investigation outside in the cold, cold dark. There are two versions of the story. Mine is that I slipped like a dork, in the mud. Their story is that I was pushed by unseen hands. Does that count as a paranormal experience? 🙂
Hi Jo Anne – Pre-civil war is a very old house! More history means more ghosts it seems. Although occasionally I wonder if some of the experiences are not so much spirits present as they are a snapshot of the past, almost like a window to another time.
Thanks for stopping by, Becky. I see you like the same two subjects that I do! I have a wolfen book submitted to a publisher right now, hoping it will get a contract. I’d like to re-visit the world I created in THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT, however. I feel like there are more ghostly stories to be told!
Hello ThatBrunette! It’s nice to see you again. You know, there’s a character in one of my other paranormal stories, A LEAP OF KNOWING (Cobblestone Press) who loves to collect books about local ghosts! I spotted an Alaska one the other day too, but will have to wait until after Christmas to get it.
What an interesting experience to work with a group actively investigating the paranormal. Your experience illustrates an important point — sometimes people just WANT to believe, and they interpret things accordingly. If there had been a “push”, I’m confident you’d have felt it, skeptic or no!
What a great story, Dani. It’s a wonder Scooby didn’t react to the ghosts more. Animals tend to be more sensitive to that kind of thing.
I used to work in a pub in London that I swear had ghosts. No one ever saw anything, but lots of weird things happened like the water running in the bath in the middle of the night. All the males who lived in the pub tended to do strange things (quite a few of us lived at the pub) and would wake up finding themselves in the bathroom, running the bath. That part was really strange.
Hi Dani,
I just came across your MySpace in one of the hunts you’re participating in, where you had announced you’d be here.
It could be speculated that the lead characters in your head were just a different reality than what we normally perceive. Gayle and Kimberly, what comfort your stories are.
Julie
I’ve never had any experiences with ghosts, but I still love to read about them. Your story sounds great, I’d love to win a copy!
Hi Shelley – Scooby is an unusually benign creature, that’s for certain. He was very aware when awake, however. When he was with us in the living room of that house, he often appeared to be watching something else and would get up and wander down the empty hallway, stiff-legged and every hair alert.
Wow, the pub story would make a GREAT movie! That’s a little creepy, acting out some ghost’s agenda. Thanks for sharing it!
An interesting take, Julie. Sometimes I can’t help but wonder where on earth some of my characters come from — they tend to pop up very fully-formed and distinct. And yes, I usually “hear” them first before I see them.
I have a friend who says:
If you hear voices, they call you schizophrenic.
If you hear voices and write it down, they call you an author!
Hi Barbara! Thanks so much for coming by. I’ve discovered that I like writing about ghosts as much as reading about them, so I really hope to revisit the world created in The Holiday Spirit.
Hey—Poe’s my man!
Julie
Dani,
I finally finished the Have Yourself a Paranormal Christmas and turned it in.
Thanks for the fun.
Julie
Hi Everyone! I’m a little late posting this on purpose, hoping to give everyone a chance to comment. It’s such a crazy time of year!!! I’ve stood in line at the post office for the last time this week and now I’m officially READY for Christmas. Whew!
BIG THANKS AND HUGS to everyone who commented. It was a lot of fun to hear some of your stories — thanks for sharing them!
The winner of the draw is Becky Ward. 😀 Becky, email me (dani AT romancingthewolf DOT com) and I’ll be glad to send you a download of THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT.
Love ghost stories! Will definitely add yours to my stash!
Scarlet Pumpernickel
http://www.pinkfuzzyslipperwriters.blogspot.com
Hi Dani I have this book and I have to say it was so good.