Interview & Giveaway with Dani Harper, author of the Grim Series

Storm Crossed (Grim, #4)
by: Dani Harper
Series: Grimm
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Release Date: January 9, 2018
Publisher: Montlake
Amazon | Paperback | Goodreads

The latest stand-alone novel in Dani Harper’s Grim Series will delight old and new fans alike, transporting them to the ancient fae realm beneath the modern human world, where magic rules and menace abounds…

Heir to a noble fae house, Trahern is forced to watch helplessly as his twin brother is cruelly changed into a grim—a death dog—as punishment for falling in love with the wrong person. Trahern doesn’t believe love exists, but he will do anything to keep his brother alive—even join the Wild Hunt and ride the night skies of the human world.

Lissy Santiago-Callahan believes in love but has no time for it. She’s busy juggling her career as an academic and her home life as a single mom to a young son with Asperger’s. Her hectic life in sleepy eastern Washington is made even more chaotic with the sudden arrival of a demanding fae and his unusual “dog.”

Mortal and immortal have nothing in common, and the attraction between Lissy and Trahern surprises them both. But when their desire places Lissy and her child in the path of a deadly faery feud, will the connection last, or will their separate worlds prove too great a divide?

Hi Dani. Welcome to Read Your Writes Book Reviews. How are you?
Well-caffeinated, therefore doing great, thanks. Here – I brought a chai tea latte for you too!

Thank you so much. You’re a new-to-me author. Please tell me about your Grim series.
Okay, but I have to warn you. The fae are not cute. They are not little. And they are certainly not nice.

If there’s one thing you should always remember, it’s this:

Never trust a fae!

The fae are cunning, powerful and often cruel. The most beautiful among them are often the most deadly. Hidden far beneath the mortal world, the timeless faery realm plays by its own rules—and those rules can change on a whim. Now and again, the unpredictable residents of that mystical land cross the supernatural threshold…

In the Grim Series, the ancient fae come face-to-face with modern-day humans and discover something far more potent than their strongest magic: love.

Wow. Are the books standalones or are they connected in some way?
The Grim books can be read as standalones – each one focuses on a different couple – but all take place in the same world. There’s a romance that’s specific to each book, and that romance gets resolved. And while it’s true that many characters now recur (I can’t keep them away!), I’ve tried to set things up so that a reader doesn’t get lost if they don’t happen to begin with Book 1.

This likely evolved out of my own reading habits – I admit it, I often read series out of order! (You’re going to spill your latte if you keep cringing like that!)

Lol. Sorry. Please continue.
I’ve had some happy experiences with this, such as the first time I ran across a Black Dagger Brotherhood story by JR Ward. It was Book 5, Lover Unbound, the story of Vishous and Jane. I TOTALLY adored it! What impressed me further was that although this couple’s own story had been resolved, the incredibly amazing world that had been created was still intact, ready for me to explore it further!

So for now at least, the readers of the Grim Series get to enjoy it in whatever order they want. And I say for now because as the series grows, so too does an overarching storyline that connects the books. I’m currently working on Book 5, and my characters continue to surprise me—but then, they’re in charge!

How did you go about creating the world the books are set in?
I have a lifelong passion for myths and legends of all kinds, and a soft spot for faery folklore from the British Isles. My Gramma was born in Wales. The rest of my family roots are Irish and Scottish, with some English sprinkled in. So you can bet that I grew up on an abundance of Celtic stories about the Fair Folk, the Fae, the Sidhe, the Tylwyth Teg and more. I still collect books and stories, old and new, on the subject.

My Grim Series is based largely on Welsh faery lore. The fae come in every shape and size but chief among them is the Tylwyth Teg. Human-like but impossibly beautiful, they live for centuries and wield powerful magic. While some among the fae possess their own sense of honor and practice a form of kindness, most are self-centered, vain, and contemptuous of mortals. ALL ARE DANGEROUS! I’ve stayed true to many details from the old legends (particularly the “dangerous” part), interweaving them with new twists and takes.

For example, is the Faery Realm truly underground as the legends state, or is it simply in another dimension? In the Grim Series, the land of the Tylwyth Teg is vivid and exotic, and even possesses its own sky – and its own moon! Despite its breathtaking wonders, however, this otherworldly realm is full of tricks and traps. As in the ancient myths, kidnapped mortals either cannot find their way out, or forget that they ever lived anywhere else. Time behaves differently in the fae kingdom, and what seems like an hour to the captive might actually be a dozen years. Or a hundred.

It’s been a delight to build this world, although I admit that my characters dictated most of it. (They’re bossy that way….) And the world of the Grim Series continues to grow and evolve, with something new to explore around every corner.

Reading the blurbs for the books a couple of things stood out. Can you tell me what a Grim is? And what is The Wild Hunt?
Those are two BIG questions – and important ones. That’s why I brought a basket of scones to go with our coffee and tea…

Oh my gosh. I love you. Please tell me you have orange scones.
Sure do.

Thank you! Sorry. Please continue.

THE GRIM - The Grim is a legendary canine with many names. In Welsh, it’s often called the gwyllgi. In other UK countries it’s the Black Dog, the Barghest, Black Shuck, Dog of the Twilight, or even the Black Hound of Destiny. It’s said to resemble a giant mastiff, a noble animal which I greatly admire. A grim is a supernatural creature, however, larger than any living dog and often has glowing red or golden eyes.

The story is an old one, dating all the way back to Celtic times in Wales. The Grim or Black Dog is associated with the Fae, and acts as the herald of Death itself – those who see the animal may be destined to die very soon! The dog appears without warning, follows and sometimes even chases people – yet vanishes without a trace. Electrical storms are often associated with the dog’s appearance.

In its defense, the Grim hasn’t always been threatening, at least, not to the innocent. In some tales, the animal is an instrument of justice, hunting down escaped murderers. A few stories recount incidents where the great beast protected children or guarded lone travelers. Those are the tales that truly captivated my imagination and made me wonder – what if the spectral creature had a conscience and a sense of compassion? What if the Grim didn’t mindlessly follow its mission? What if a Grim wasn’t really a dog at all, but a mortal under a faery curse?

And what if it came to America?

Now you know how the Grim Series began!

Oh my GOSH!! You actually had me on the edge of my seat. Okay. I’m going to be quiet and let you finish.

* * * * *

THE WILD HUNT – Out of all the myths and legends I've read and collected, the tales of the spectral Wild Hunt are my hands-down favorites. A version of the Hunt appears in the lore of many countries, especially in the UK and Europe. Sometimes the Hunt is comprised of faeries, sometimes gods or heroes, and sometimes lost or damned souls. This supernatural band rides across the mortal countryside – even across the sky! – in pursuit of their quarry.

The identity of the Hunt’s leader varies with every legend – Gwyn App Nudd, the Welsh god of the Underworld; Odin, king of the Norse gods; King Arthur and his knights; the Devil and his hounds, just to name a few.

Since the Grim Series novels have Welsh faery legend at their core, it was inevitable that the Wild Hunt would turn up in my stories. Their purpose is to maintain the balance between the fae and human realms. Murderers and betrayers are said to be the lawful prey of the Wild Hunt. They deal out a rough justice to the guilty, often sentencing them to follow behind the Hunt forever – dead or alive.

The leader of the Hunt throughout the Grim Series is Lurien, who commands a fearful amount of magic – and respect. This bold and enigmatic character seems to be one of the Tylwyth Teg, but his long black hair, dark eyes, and somber clothing set him apart from the ethereally beautiful Fair Ones. As in some of the old myths about the Hunt and its leader, Lurien’s powers include summoning the dead to ride with the Hunt when needed, and his preferred weapon is a “light whip”, which can call down lightning. He has a pack of relentless white hounds, the famed Cwn Annwn (coon uh-noon) from Welsh legend.

Okay. I’m sold. The latest book in the series is Storm Crossed. What can you tell me about its characters?
Truthfully, the hero and heroine were unexpected. Lissy and Trahern each had tiny mentions in previous books, but I had no idea that they were going to be the stars of this story. And that’s typical of almost all my writing projects—characters simply pop up one day (honest, it’s like an ambush!) and start talking. And they tend to do that whether it’s a good time or not. I’ve had brand new characters interrupt me while I’m working on a totally different story. I’ve awakened in the morning to discover a new couple arguing with each other in my head. One pair of characters demanded I write about them while I was in Sea-Tac airport. I finished the entire first chapter of a book I hadn’t planned to write before the end of my layover! As for Lissy and Trahern, I learned all kinds of new things about them. And Lissy’s son Fox? He was a total—and delightful—surprise.

I think the back-cover blurb sums it up pretty well:

Heir to a noble fae house, Trahern is forced to watch helplessly as his twin brother is cruelly changed into a Grim—a death dog—as punishment for falling in love with the wrong person. Trahern doesn’t believe love exists, but he will do anything to keep his brother alive—even join the Wild Hunt and ride the night skies of the human world.

Lissy Santiago-Callahan believes in love but has no time for it. She’s busy juggling her career as an academic and her home life as a single mom to a young son with Asperger’s. Her hectic life in sleepy Eastern Washington is made even more chaotic with the sudden arrival of a demanding fae and his unusual “dog.”

Mortal and immortal have nothing in common, and the attraction between Lissy and Trahern surprises them both. But when their desire places Lissy and her child in the path of a deadly faery feud, will the connection last, or will their separate worlds prove too great a divide?

If you were magically transported into one of the books, which book would you hope to land in and why?
Ooh, that’s a tough one! Who would I like to hang out with? What would I like to do? Where would I like to live?

I don’t have to worry about the last question – the books are largely set in eastern Washington state, where I already live. I’m lucky enough to be able to visit Palouse Falls, Steptoe Butte, Spokane Valley, Walla Walla, and many other places featured in the Grim Series anytime I wish. Well, when I’m not writing, that is…

I love the Grim Series’ human characters, and fortunately, they’re all close friends and/or family who get together whenever they can manage it. So I’d like to hang out with them in Brooke’s magic shop, Handcastings, or go camping with them at Palouse Falls. And of course, a few of the fae would be certain to drop by as well, especially one of the series’ most enduring and outrageous characters, Ranyon.

Dani, thank you so much for answering some questions for me.
Anytime. Thanks for inviting me to your blog! There are two scones left—let’s go grab another coffee and tea to go with them. I know a great little shop…

Great. I don’t mind if I do. Thank you.

Purchase Storm Crossed from:

Amazon | Paperback | Goodreads

The Grim Series:

Legend, lore, love, and magic. These are the hallmarks of Dani Harper’s transformational tales of faeries, shape-shifters, ghosts, and more—for a mature audience. 

A former newspaper editor, Dani’s passion for all things supernatural led her to a second career writing fiction. A longtime resident of the Canadian north and southeastern Alaska, she now lives in rural Washington with her retired mountain-man husband. Together they do battle with runaway garden gnomes, rampant fruit trees, and a roving herd of predatory chickens.

Dani Harper is the author of Storm Crossed, Storm Warned, Storm Bound, and Storm Warrior (the Grim Series), as well as First Bite (a Dark Wolf novel) for Montlake Romance. She is also the author of a yuletide ghost story, The Holiday Spirit, plus a popular shape-shifter series that includes Changeling Moon, Changeling Dream, and Changeling Dawn.

Places to find Dani Harper:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon Author Page

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