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Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite artist

Favorite artist

Jessica Galbreth, fantasy artist

I love her faery art. My favorite painting is The Morrigan.

 

 

http://www.fairiesandfantasy.com/store/Faeries-JG/

 

http://fairyfantasyart.com/jessicagalbreth.html

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Weird Word Wednesday

AXONEME

ax·o·neme

noun \ˈak-sə-ˌnēm\

Definition of AXONEME

:  the fibrillar bundle of a flagellum or cilium that usually consists of nine pairs of microtubules arranged in a ring around a single central pair

ax·o·ne·mal adjective

Origin of AXONEME

Greek axōn axis + nēma thread, from nēn to spin — more atneedle

First Known Use: 1901

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

Monday, November 24, 2014

Monday Musings: The journey to self-publishing

After going the traditional route and having a publisher do all the work of publishing my books, I decided this time around I was going to try self-publishing. Well, it hasn’t been easy and I have a newfound appreciation for my publisher, but I feel more pride in the work I’ve turned out because I had to do everything myself—hiring an editor, a graphic artist to do the book cover and formatting the interior of the book.
I didn’t have much of a problem hiring my own editor and in a way I think this is better than being paired with someone unknown to me, but I’ve had both good and bad experiences with the publisher-assigned editors. This time though I picked a tough editor. She challenged me and I liked that. It made me take a closer look at my story and work to improve it.
The cover design was a challenge for me because I know nothing about designing a cover. Why should I? My publishers always took care of that part of the publishing process. The first covers I planned on using were made by a friend for free, but after I showed them to another friend, who is also an author and graphic artist, I nixed them. And my friend was right—the covers weren’t that good. Now, I am probably one of few who don’t think a cover should make a book. It’s the inside, the story that should make a book. But readers don’t think that way. To them a good book has a good cover and a good story. And they are right, of course. I got lucky and found an awesome cover designer on Fiverr. He opened my eyes to what a great cover looks like.
Finally, I had to tackle the interior formatting of my book. I know a little bit about formatting so I figured it couldn’t be that hard. Wrong again. At first I was going to have a friend format my interior, but then I decided I wanted to learn to do it myself. I picked up some helpful tips and went to work. And it drove me nuts, but I managed to fumble my way through it and I’m satisfied with the results.
Will I self-publish again? Sure, I plan on self-publishing the other 2 books in my Arcadia series. After that, I’m not sure. It depends on how well these books sell and if it’s really worth my time and money to do it myself. I still believe in using a publisher. They really do a lot for us authors. I just wanted to see how well I could do it myself, see if my sales increased or not. I do like the flexibility of setting my own prices and designing the book the way I want it.
If anyone out there is planning on self-publishing, do it right. Hire an editor. I can’t stress this enough. This is probably the most important step in the entire process. Writers cannot see their mistakes. Believe me. I know what I’m talking about. My editor really improved my story and found things I should have seen but didn’t. So, don’t skip this step.
This has definitely been a learning experience for me and opened my eyes to new opportunities.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
TheBearGoddescover_small_final
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…




Friday, November 21, 2014

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite song

Favorite Song

Africa by Toto

 

I am a Toto fan. They are all such great musicians. Africa is one of those songs that if I hear it on the radio while driving in my car, I want to hear it to the end even if I’ve reached my destination. It’s such a beautiful melody, their vocal harmonies are awesome, and who else can sing the words Kilimanjaro and Serengeti so smoothly in a lyric? This song make me want to visit Africa.

 

 

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Weird Word Wednesday

AXENIC

axe·nic

adjective \(ˌ)ā-ˈze-nik, -ˈzē-\

Definition of AXENIC

:  free from other living organisms

axe·ni·cal·ly adverb

Origin of AXENIC

2a- + Greek xenos strange

First Known Use: 1942

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

Monday, November 17, 2014

Monday Musings! New Book Release! The Bear Goddess available now in Print and Kindle on amazon.com

TheBearGoddescover_small_final
Book Title: The Bear Goddess
Author: Kelley Heckart
Genre: Greek myths/fantasy/shapeshifters/romance
Page Count: 284
ISBN-10: 1502982684
ISBN-13: 978-1502982681
ASIN: B00P74X0WY




Blurb:
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
Callisto, daughter of the great Arcadian King Lycaon and the nymph Maia, has studied all her life to attain the high position of Bear Goddess among the nymphs of Artemis, taking a sacred vow of purity. But when she meets a mysterious man, her life changes forever.
Kasin is a prince among the fierce centaurs and one of few who can take human shape. A follower of Zeus, he is mystified to save a nymph’s life and even worse, to fall in love with an enemy of the centaurs. He is torn between his duty to his people and his love for Callisto.
When the nymphs capture Kasin for their next sacrifice, Callisto cannot allow him to die, but before she can help him escape, they are caught together and their secret connection exposed. Surrounded by armed guards, they manage a daring escape. On the run from the nymphs, danger and betrayal follow Kasin and Callisto. To survive, they must evade a god obsessed with having Callisto for himself as well as others who also want to keep them apart. Will their love for each other be enough to save them?
Excerpt:
In a flashing blur of altering limbs, Kasin stood before her, naked from the waist down in his human shape. He pulled on the rest of his clothes.
She held out her bound hands so he could free them.
He studied the chain for a moment, searching for the clasp. “Hmm.” He unbound her hands, inspecting the silver chain. “I have never seen anything like it.”
She frowned. “I am grateful for that,” she said, watching him in wide-eyed wonder.
Raising one eyebrow, he asked, “Why are you giving me that questioning look?”
She raised both of her eyebrows. “When were you going to tell me you are a centaur?”
He crossed his arms over his wide chest. “Never.”
Tightening the blanket around her shoulders, she gave him a hard look. “I do not think I heard you correctly because it sounded like you said you were not planning to tell me your true nature.”
“I knew you would be displeased. You speak so harshly of my people,” he said in a defensive tone.
“And I have good reason to speak thus of your people.” Even if he was different, there were too many stories about the savagery of the centaurs for them all not to be true.
He unfolded his arms. Looking weary, he grasped her shoulders. “I do not want to have a battle with you now. We should rest. Tomorrow we must start before daybreak.”
“Where are we going to go? I have no clothes.” She looked down at the blanket covering her naked body. All she had was her moonstone choker, the only item that remained on her when she shapechanged into animals.
“Yes.” He rubbed the dark stubble on his chin. “I cannot bring you unclothed into a village full of lusty centaurs.”
She glared at him for his arrogant assumption that she would want to go to a centaur village, but she held her tongue, realizing he was only trying to save her life. And she had no desire to start another argument. The events of the night began to weigh on her. She suppressed a yawn.
He pulled off his tunic and then took the blanket from her shoulders. Gently, he dressed her in his tunic.
His baggy tunic hung just below her knees. The short sleeves of his tunic reached to her forearms. Accustomed to her clothing that hugged and flattered her female curves, she wrinkled her brow in disapproval. She stared at him, at his taller, more muscular body that made her seem small even though she was considered tall for a female. “It looks like a lumpy grain sack.”
Tearing a long strip from the blanket, he said, “I am not finished, love.” He fastened the belt around her waist.
His expression of affection left her with a tender sensation beneath her breast. She watched him, her lips forming a pensive smile, enjoying the feel of his hands lightly brushing her as he dressed her and, at the same time, troubled about their dangerous situation. She couldn’t fully comprehend what had happened yet or the consequences of being discovered breaking her vow and then running off with a centaur. This night seemed like a strange dream to her. She wanted to pinch herself to see if she would wake up.
****
Multi-published author Kelley Heckart lives in Arizona with her musician husband, dog and a number of backyard “pets,” including Godzilla the desert iguana. Her stories reflect her passion for ancient and medieval time periods, storytelling and the supernatural. Inspired by the ancient Celts, her tales are filled with fierce warriors, bold women, otherworldly creatures, magic and romance. When not writing, she works as an editor/proofreader and practices target archery. She can be found online at http://www.kelleyheckart.com/
To sign up for my newsletter and receive special notices like new book releases and giveaways only for my subscribers: http://kelleyheckart.com/Contact_Kelley_Page.html

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

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Romance Lives Forever: 5 Easy Questions: Kelley Heckart author The Bear G...

Romance Lives Forever: 5 Easy Questions: Kelley Heckart author The Bear G...: The Bear Goddess  5 Easy Questions is an interview is designed to be quick, easy, and fun. Today's guest is Kelley Heckart. Wha...

It is 12:28 pm and I still haven't worked on my new book, the sequel to Of Water and Dragons, which I was supposed to do today. I keep getting side tracked on the internet-setting up this blog is the reason I haven't written one word today. Does this blog count? I will say "yes" and feel good that I am at least writing something today. The good news is I am finding more sites that will review my book, the most recent at www.midwestbookreview.com. Today I sent off one of my books to New Zealand for review on www.loveromances.com. I feel good that I have accomplished something besides the grocery shopping.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite vampire book series

Favorite book series

The Draculia Vampire Trilogy, a vampire series set in the Regency era.

Here is a review I wrote for the 2nd book in this series, Lucifer's Saint: The Vampire Dimitri

What I really liked about this book and the series is that the story is set in a historical setting. I like seeing vampires in non-modern settings. That being said, I'm not a fan of the Regency period so I had to put my feelings about that aside. The characters engaged me and that's what I like in a story. I liked the brooding Dimitri. At times Maia annoyed me with her principles about having to act like lady, but that was because of the time period, so I let it go. I did like her boldness as she stood up to Dimitri. The hero and heroine had a spark between them and I enjoyed watching that grow into love.
I'm not sure I bought the ending though, but I do like the vampire world Ms. Gleason created with her Draculia. At first I wasn't sure about heroes who make a deal with the devil, but it seems to me the devil tricked them into making the deal. I recommend this to readers looking for a different vampire tale and setting.

              

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Weird Word Wednesday

AUTACOID

au·ta·coid

noun \ˈȯ-tə-ˌkȯid\

Definition of AUTACOID

:  a physiologically active substance (as serotonin, bradykinin, or angiotensin) produced by and acting within the body

Origin of AUTACOID

aut- + Greek akos remedy; probably akin to Old Irish ícc cure

First Known Use: 1914

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

Monday, November 10, 2014

Monday Musings: Moon pics #4

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A sliver of moon sparkles in the twilight sky.

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Crescent moon bright against the silhouette below.

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A nearly full moon brightens the blue sky.

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A different angle of the same daylight moon.

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A nearly full moon glows with increasing power in the night sky.

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

Friday, November 07, 2014

Favorite Friday

Favorite song—Hallelujah

This song has such an emotional melody. The first time I heard it was on American Idol. At the time I was working on the first book of my Dark Goddess trilogy and didn’t have any plans to write a trilogy until I heard this song. While listening to Hallelujah, I had this image of a king who first triumphs on the battlefield for many years and then as an older king, he is defeated. Kings rise and kings fall. Inspired, I decided to use this for my story, turning one book into three, and it fit the history of what happened to that particular king.

 

 

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

Thursday, November 06, 2014

Award-winning author Regina Andrews visits today

Regina’s new book is an inspirational romance called The Perfect Proposal.

Award-winning author Regina Andrews, a resident of Providence, Rhode Island, grew up in the seaside village of Barrington, about 20 miles South of Providence. After graduating from Providence College she earned her degree in American Civilization from Brown University. The author of numerous works including romantic fiction, plays, essays and articles, Regina is currently working on The Sterling Lakes Series. Regina is involved in numerous community organizations, and is a radio host for In-Sight, an association for the visually impaired. Her hobbies include travel, museums, theater, reading, chorale singing and gardening. She and her husband share their home with a semi-feral cat named Queen Tiana, whom they rescued from a shelter.

Welcome back to my blog, Regina. What is your new book about?

Thank you so much for inviting me to visit, Kelley. I am delighted to be here. This book is very exciting to me, as it is a re-issue that I am looking forward to having people enjoy.

THE PERFECT PROPOSAL centers on Lindsay Richardson, a quiet elementary school teacher, whose world is turned upside down when she becomes the assistant to Dean Singleton Copley, one of the nation’s most dynamic business leaders in the high-powered corporate world. Lindsay’s father recently died unexpectedly and the school where she was teaching could not allow her time off to take care of her mother, who has Alzheimer’s. Thanks to a chance encounter with one of her father’s friends, businessman Mr. Copley Sr., she is offered a position at his company. When she arrives at work, she discovers she will be working with Dean Jr., the dynamo – not the kindly elder Mr. Copley who knew her father.

This time in her life is a test of her faith, her courage, and her strength. Her questions extend to not knowing what the Lord expects from her regarding her new boss, a dashing bachelor so different from her on the surface. Lindsay begins to see that Dean is scarred from situations in his past. Only faith gives Lindsay the strength to deal with the many challenges of her new position, all her personal crises, and the turmoil in her family life.

ThePerfectProposalcover[5] (1)

Where did you get your inspiration for this novel?

Actually I read an article about a situation like this on the Wedding page of our Sunday paper many years ago. The two met at work and lived happily ever after!

I love “happily ever after” stories. What kind of research did you do for this book?

It was crucial to understand Alzheimer’s disease. There were many questions I had to research, and facts I had to verify. Such as, for example, the matter of a patient wandering away from the house, which is a scene in the book, or the phenomenon of “sundowning”, which also occurs. I tried very hard to treat the entire subject of Alzheimer’s disease and its ripple effect with the utmost respect and dignity. Additionally, I had to research a bit about the various social clubs at Brown University, which involved several enjoyable visits to the University’s facilities.

Did you put real experiences from your research in this story?

At one point I served as a member of the Senior Citizens Governing Board in Rhode Island, and much of my experience from this appointed position could be applied to the subject matter of this book.  The “research” in this case was my actual life experience.

Wow! To use your own experiences is fantastic. You love to write Inspirational Romances. What intrigues you most about writing these love stories?

To me, the most exciting aspect of Inspirational romance, Linda, is that unlike a traditional romance with two main characters - the hero and the heroine, an Inspirational romance actually has three main characters – the hero, the heroine and God. That dynamic creates a fluid, vibrant paradigm that propels the story along without my having to construct it, because it is not just the hero and heroine’s thoughts or the way they relate to each other that propels the plot along. Rather, it is the hero and heroine’s relationship with God in addition to their relationship to each other directly impacts the storyline. And since it is a romance and we can be assured of a positive outcome, the path towards that evolves very naturally in my stories. It is guided by human foibles, triumphs and actions -- all held within the loving heart of God.

ReginaA

To learn more about this author, visit her website at http://www.reginaandrews.com. You’ll find all her books at this site.

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

Weird Word Wednesday

APPANAGE

ap·pa·nage

noun \ˈa-pə-nij\

Definition of APPANAGE

1

a :  a grant (as of land or revenue) made by a sovereign or a legislative body to a dependent member of the royal family or a principal vassal

b :  a property or privilege appropriated to or by a person as something due

2

:  a rightful endowment or adjunct

See appanage defined for kids »

Variants of APPANAGE

ap·pa·nage also a·pa·nage

Examples of APPANAGE

1. use< of the grounds was just one appanage he bestowed upon the caretakers of his estate>

2. <wealthy people who believe that political power is their natural appanage>

Origin of APPANAGE

French apanage, from Old French, from apaner to provide for a younger offspring, from Medieval Latin appanare, from Latin ad- + panis bread — more at food

First Known Use: 1602

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

Monday, November 03, 2014

Monday Musings: AZ Sunset pics #4

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I like the color differences in this sunset—light blue, white clouds, black clouds and orange.

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A fire ball emerges from the cloud bank.

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Looking through my Arizona desert plant.

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The soft edges of the cloud layer resembles fire.

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Another sunset viewed through my Arizona desert plant.

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This striking sunset painted the sky deep, dazzling  shades of red.

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One layer of white cloud hangs above the orange-red sunset.

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The sky looks like it’s on fire.

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This is the same sunset as above with intensifying rays of sunlight shooting up toward the heavens.

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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