New Year's Eve blog hop winner!

Sorry I am late in posting this. The winner of the Mundania Press gift certificate is Missie. Thanks to everyone that participated in this blog hop and took the time to read my excerpt.

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

Kelley

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Winner of our Holly Jolly Blog Tour!

Well, it seems incredible, but our Holly Jolly Blog Tour has come to an end - for this year anyway! Thank you so much to everyone who visited my blog and took the time to leave a comment - it was great to hear from you and thank you for being part of such a fun, successful tour.
The winner of our drawing for a $50 gift card is: Joye. Congratulations, Joye!
Again, thanks to everyone for getting in the holiday spirit of the Holly Jolly Blog Tour. We hope you'll keep visiting our blogs and reading our books! Happy 2013!

Ann Tracy Marr - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Tracy-Marr/114711658247?ref=ts
Regan Taylor - http://regantaylorsworld.blogspot.com
Christine London - http://www.christinelondon.com
Regina Andrews -  http://worldofgood-gina.blogspot.com/
Angie Dobson – http://www.loveromancesandmore.blogspot.com/
Sharon Poppen - http://poppensthoughtsonwritingandstuff.blogspot.com

Holly Jolly Blog Fest Week 6 with Ann Tracy Marr

Welcome to our winter blog hop, The Holly Jolly Blog Fest. Each week, from December 2 to January 6, six authors answer two holiday related questions.
This week, my guest blogger is Ann Tracy Marr. Ann writes paranormal Regency romances—a fascinating genre.

Blog buddy Ann Tracy Marr writes paranormal Regency romances. She may pretend to be a Christmas bah humbugger, but if she had $150,000 floating around, she would give the twelve gifts of Christmas as prizes for following this blog tour. (She would keep the ten lords a'leaping for herself.) Anyone up for French hens?

Visit her at http://www.AnnTracyMarr.com

So now it is June 2013: what have you accomplished since Christmas 2012?

I am a breast cancer survivor. I had my mammogram and PET scan in April and continue to be cancer free. Chemo brain (remarkably similar to menopausal brain but worse) has gone away. I can remember my phone number now!

Three of the books I have been marketing have been accepted by publishers. One of them is lauded in reviews as more brilliant -- better written -- more insightful -- a better read -- than The Da Vinci Code.

What would you give Santa for Christmas other than cookies and milk? Idea, a heated sleigh blanket.

Let someone else get the blanket. I found this cookie jar for Santa. It will be the star of his collection.

 

Please visit all our wonderful blog hop authors. Leave a comment and be entered to win a fifty dollar gift certificate!

Ann Tracy Marr - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Tracy-Marr/114711658247?ref=ts

Christine London - http://www.christinelondon.com

Regina Andrews -  http://worldofgood-gina.blogspot.com/

Angie Dobson – http://www.loveromancesandmore.blogspot.com/

Sharon Poppen - http://poppensthoughtsonwritingandstuff.blogspot.com

Regan Taylor - http://regantaylorsworld.blogspot.com

Ann, Thank you for visiting my blog.

I am over at Regan Taylor’s blog this week: http://regantaylorsworld.blogspot.com

 

New Year’s Blog Hop: The New Year’s Kiss

My favorite part of a New Year’s Eve celebration is the kiss. It’s all about who you are standing next to when the clock strikes twelve. Stand near the wrong guy and the first kiss of the New Year will be less than spectacular. Stand next to a hottie or someone special and the New Year is off to a heart pounding bang.
 
It seems the New Year’s Eve tradition is more than crushing lips and dizzying sparks. Of course, the kiss loving Romans started the tradition of a kiss at the stroke of midnight. The Romans included kissing at their Solstice and Saturnalia celebrations, which spread to welcome the New Year.

Yes, it really does matter who you are standing next to when midnight arrives on New Year’s Eve—the kiss sets the tone for the New Year. Pick a loved one or someone that will welcome that lip lock. Awkward may not be the best way to start off the New Year. Tip: Alcohol can help loosen up those lips and nerves. So, down a big glass of champagne and plant yourself next to that hunky guy—and pucker up!

Happy New Year!


Blurb:
Two mortals are caught in the midst of the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.

Becuille is a Daughter of Night, servant to the Great Goddess and wielder of Her vengeance. Callileon is a prince of the Hatti, and may be the one she was sent to punish.

When love finds them, they are cursed by the gods and surrounded by tragedy, which even the Fates are powerless to change.

Can two mortals fight the will of the gods?

 

Very short excerpt:

With the servant's help, they dressed Inaras in a warm tunic. He carried her to bed and covered her with warm blankets, stroking her cheek. She closed her eyes, falling asleep. He left her side and sat near the fire to dry his wet clothes, shifting to accommodate his aching balls. The kick she had delivered to his sensitive man parts had been like a kick from an untamed horse. He could not help smiling at her unbridled spirit. The smile faded and he stared into the fire, brooding.

“My lord, I found the pipe.” Zunia handed it to him.

“You may go now, but return at daybreak.”

“Yes, my lord.” She left the room.

He held the smooth clay pipe, feeling rage at the instrument that threatened to destroy the one he loved, but he knew the pipe was not his true enemy. Whatever had driven Inaras to hide behind the poppy demons was the true enemy. Clutching the pipe in his fist, he threw it into the fire. The pipe broke in two pieces. He watched with satisfaction as the flames consumed the evil pipe, crackling and spitting.

Buy links: http://kelleyheckart.com/BookShelf.html

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

For a chance to win a $5.00 Mundania Press gift certificate from me, leave a comment with your email and the correct answer to this question that can be found in the short excerpt above: What did he throw in the fire?  
Below is the list of grand prizes. Leave a comment on this post with your email for a chance to be included in the grand prize drawings. Please note: The large swag pack prize can only be shipped within the U.S.

The link back to main blog hop site where you can find links to all of the participating blogs:
http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/

Holly Jolly Blog Fest week 5 with Angie Dobson

Welcome to our winter blog hop, The Holly Jolly Blog Fest. Each week, from December 2 to January 6, six authors answer two holiday related questions.
This week, my guest blogger is Angie Dobson. Angie is a reviewer for Love Romances and More.

Hey Kelley,
Thanks for playing and being part of the blog Tour! I love getting to know
new readers and telling them more about me as a person and reviewer. I
review for Love Romances and More and have for more than a decade. I am
a dedicated reader, who has great plot ideas but not the talent and
attention span to put them down on paper. I love a print book - I am too
easily distracted for an e-reader - plus my 9 month old daughter LOVES
electronics and I would never get to see it! I am from York, PA and have
one little girl. My husband I both work full time and our life is
currently a chaotic scene that often feels like a sitcom as we adjust from
being a middle age couple to a family of three.

Are any of your books centered around Christmas? Tell us a bit about them
please.

As a reviewer I don't get to pick my topics so much as when and where. If
I were to write a book, I would more likely center it around Easter
though. I love spring and no one else writes about it nearly as much as
Christmas. The other night at dinner they were playing Christmas Carols.
Why do we not have nearly so many for other holidays? As a romance lover,
I would love to have a great Valentine's Day song.

And for the New Year, of course: what are your 5 New Year's
writing/reading resolutions?

Do New Year's Resolutions ever stick? For me 2013 is going to be about
making myself and my daughter happy.
I have a few resolutions, but nothing is set in stone. Today I began
working on one by downloading an app on my phone - I am determined to run
a 5K. I shall try the Couch to 5K program - has anyone done it? Anyone
want to try the program along with me?
I am also resolving to watch a British Television Program called
Eastenders that I love - my husband is British and we live in the States.
I fell in love with the show years ago, and we kept up, but the past 2 years it has
gotten pushed aside as our lives become busier and busier… but I am
determined!! We will get the time and such to watch the recordings my
in-laws help us to get via the Internet!
Lastly I will spend more time working on my career as an Independent
Chocolate Advisor with Lindt Chocolates - probably why I need to learn to
run!
That is it for me folks. Don't forget a comment on the post gets you a
chance to win a $50 gift card to Amazon.com!!

Please visit all our wonderful blog hop authors.

Ann Tracy Marr - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Tracy-Marr/114711658247?ref=ts

Christine London – http://christinelondon.com/

Regan Taylor - http://regantaylorsworld.blogspot.com

Regina Andrews - http://worldofgood-gina.blogspot.com/

Sharon Poppen - http://poppensthoughtsonwritingandstuff.blogspot.com

Thanks, Angie. It was a pleasure having you on my blog.

I am on Angie’s blog this week at http://www.loveromancesandmore.blogspot.com/

Holly Jolly Blog Fest Week 4 with Regina Andrews

Welcome to our winter blog hop, The Holly Jolly Blog Fest. Each week, from December 2 to January 6, six authors answer two holiday related questions.
This week, my guest blogger is Regina Andrews who is one of the nicest people I know and a talented writer whose inspirational stories remind people that there can be happy endings.

Hi Kelley, and thank you so much for having me visit your blog this week.
Thanks, everyone for stopping by Kelley's blog to spend a bit of time getting to know me. I am Regina Andrews, Inspirational Author - but that sounds kind of stuffy, don't you think?
Let's try this -- everyone calls me Gina and I love happy endings, I love writing, I love romance and I love God, so naturally I write romance novels with an inspirational point of view. After all, what's life without a good dose of faith to carry us through those times when things are not exactly going the way we'd like them to be? I know I need it, most definitely.
During the day I am lucky enough to have a full-time writing job at a national jewelry company, specializing in high-end designer and Estate pieces - I'm the one writing what you read about all these one-of-a-kind treasures! Just last week, I wrote for a 7.45 ct. t.w. diamond engagement ring priced at $143,000! Now THAT'S a stocking-stuffer! I can only imagine the look on that very lucky lady's face when she opens the box...but I digress, sorry!
In my off time, I volunteer for the blind, work at the local children's hospital and sing my heart out in the church choir. My hubby and I are proud 'parents' of a semi-feral cat named Queenie who really is in charge of the whole house. She loves Christmas -- especially tinsel! -- and so do I, so let's get to the questions and kick off Week 4 of this fun and fabulous "Holly Jolly" blog tour!
How do you manage your writing/reading schedule with all the other activities around the holidays?
That's a wonderful question. I guess first of all, even though I am a disciplined writer, I have learned through experience that, personally, my creativity can't be scheduled. By that I mean while I keep my goals realistic and set deadlines for myself, I also know when to quit if it's just not there. Instead of forcing myself and getting exhausted and frustrated, that time is better spent, for me, daydreaming, re-charging my battery and enjoying life at the moment. So I'll go to a Christmas concert, for example, and thoroughly cleanse my writing palate for one evening, and return the next day (or later that night, usually!) completely renewed. As you can tell, then, I am not the type of writer who sets a daily word count quota. Oh, no.I'm not linear like that - although there are many days when I fervently wish I could be!! For instance, sometimes I'll write a scene, or even a few scenes, and then use them at another point in the book as the plot evolves from my basic outline. From my point of view, I draw a lot of energy and emotion from this time of year and all the activities. They are not distractions, rather, they are inspirations to me. On the one hand, it's such a frenzied, hectic time...and yet, it really is a time for inner reflection. Finding an individual balance between these two extremes enriches the whole season, for me; by extension, my writing also becomes more productive, efficient and enjoyable. I think a motivated writer will get it done, no matter what. It's interesting to hear how others get their work finished. Thank you for asking. :-)



How about traveling during the holidays: do you go visiting or have you in the past? What has that been like? Have there been any absent family members during the holidays ? How has it effected your writing; have you used any of that in your stories?


Oh, this question brings back such wonderful memories. When I was a youngster, we'd have a big Christmas dinner at our house, and then everyone would leave. My parents and sister and brother and I would clean up as dusk fell and then it would get dark (4 o'clock in the afternoon, but it felt like midnight). When everything was all set, my father would pile us all in the car and we'd drive all the way over to my aunt's house across town. This was quite an adventure, because we didn't go out much at night at all. It seemed like it took us forever to get there when I was little...but it not even a ten minute ride! The child's perspective is so different from the adult's, isn't it? Then, when we arrived at my aunt's, there was more feasting, all the cousins and aunts and uncles you hardly saw through the year...and singing around the piano and more silly fun and games. The worst year was when my brother was away in the Air Force in Taiwan. We waited all day for him to call, and when he finally did all we did was cry.
Now, we still stick close to home; my sister and I and our families live very close to each other, just like my mother and her sister, my aunt that we visited. But my parents are gone now, so is my brother, so are my aunt and uncle...yet they live on in our memories and our traditions. I have, in fact, used the theme of absence at Christmas in one of my books, "Glory of the Heart", which is Sterling Lakes Book Four and will be re-released very soon by WEE publishing as an ebook and in print. This book tells the story of how my father was away from my mother during WWII in a fictionalized account of letters found in an attic. Book five of the series, "Reflections of the Heart", which I am completing now, is also set at Christmas and deals with two sisters who are reunited after many years apart.

Thank you so much for hosting me, Kelley! You can find out more about me and my list of published books at: www.reginaandrews.com and
http://worldofgood-gina.blogspot.com/
Light of the Heart is now available in Print here: http://www.writers-exchange.com/Light-of-the-Heart.html
* * * *
Please visit all our wonderful blog hop authors. Leave a comment and be automatically entered to win a fifty dollar AMAZON gift certificate!
Ann Tracy Marr - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Tracy-Marr/114711658247?ref=ts
Sharon Poppen - http://poppensthoughtsonwritingandstuff.blogspot.com
Regan Taylor - http://regantaylorsworld.blogspot.com
Regina Andrews - http://worldofgood-gina.blogspot.com/
Angie Dobson – www.loveromancesandmore.blogspot.com
Christine London -- www.christinelondon.com
Thanks for reading. Now leave a comment and then hop over to the other author's sites. Every comment gives you one more chance at winning that 50 dollar gift certificate!!

Thanks, Regina! I can be found over at Ann Tracy Marr’s blog this week.

Holly Jolly Blog Fest Week 3 with Sharon Poppen

Welcome to our winter blog hop, The Holly Jolly Blog Fest. Each week, from December 2 to January 6, six authors answer two holiday related questions.
This week, my guest blogger is Sharon Poppen who is a talented author and also a good friend of mine. We live in the same city and belong to the local writers group. I have had the pleasure of reading Sharon’s stories.
 
Kelley, Thanks for letting me stop by and share some thoughts on your blog this week. It’s always nice to get the opportunity to reach out to new potential readers.
A little about me, usually I write historical romance novels. My first three books focus on strong women in the old west. However, my latest novel ‘Regardless’ is a step in a new direction for me into the sci-fi/gay genre. It’s the story of two men in the future who, against all odds, find themselves in love. As with all my novels, it is very character driven. These characters have many good points, but they can also be very human. By human, I mean they often follow their hearts versus their minds. And, this sometimes brings them to do some naughty things, which make my books adult reading. They are not of the ’50 Shades ….’ naughty, just true to adult relationships.
Now, on to our questions of the week.
Which charity is most deserving of your holiday generosity and why?
I’m probably an old scrooge about holiday generosity when it comes to anonymous donor groups. The word ‘deserving’ makes me curious, so I do a little research before I donate. Almost always, I find that I have friends, friends of friends and sometimes even relatives who need a little boost around this time of year and that is when my holiday generosity kicks in. I’ve needed help in the past and it was always a friend or a relative who came to my rescue so I feel honored to be able to play that help forward now that I’m in a position to do so.
What is your favorite holiday tradition in literature?
It would have to be ‘the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hope that St. Nicholas soon would be there.’ poem by Clement Moore. Those sentiments always bring back happy memories of Christmas Eve’s during my childhood, my children’s childhood and now Christmas with my grandchildren. Every Christmas Eve, I still hang the stocking ‘Santa’ brought me when I was a child and every Christmas morning I find it filled with lots of sweets and several carefully chosen items that ‘someone’ has taken the time to learn that I would enjoy getting.
So, thank you, Kelley, for letting me stop by this week. On my blog www.poppensthoughtsonwritingandstuff.blogspot.com , I am hosting Regina Andrews who has some lovely thoughts on the above questions. You’ll really enjoy meeting this inspirational author. Be sure and leave a comment both here on Kelley’s blog and at my blog to get your name into the drawing for the end of tour $50 Amazon gift certificate.

Other blogs on this Holly Jolly Blog Tour can be found at:
Ann Tracy Marr - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Tracy-Marr/114711658247?ref=ts
Christine London - http://www.christinelondon.com
Regan Taylor - http://regantaylorsworld.blogspot.com
Angie Dobson – http://www.loveromancesandmore.blogspot.com/
Regina Andrews - http://worldofgood-gina.blogspot.com/

I am over at Regina's blog this week. Thanks, Kelley