About Me

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

Friday, October 30, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite fairy tale movie

Favorite fairy tale movie: Snow White and the Huntsman
Product Description
From the producer of Alice in Wonderland comes a new vision that turns a legendary tale into an action-adventure epic. The evil Queen Ravenna (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) will rule forever if she can take the life of Snow White (Kristen Stewart), so she dispatches the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to track her down. But the wicked ruler never imagined that the Huntsman would train the girl to become a brave warrior, skilled in the art of war. Filled with intense battles and spectacular visual effects, Snow White & the Huntsman is a thrilling experience that “shouldn’t be missed” – Shawn Edwards, Fox-TV.
************

I really liked this new version of Snow White. It is darker than the original. I loved Chris Hemsworth as the huntsman. Ravenna's outfits were stunning. There were some cool surprises in this version--the way Snow was revived was my favorite one. Highly recommended.


Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

bioassay
      noun bio·as·say \ˌbī-(ˌ)ō-ˈa-ˌsā, -a-ˈsā\
Definition of BIOASSAY

:  determination of the relative strength of a substance (as a drug) by comparing its effect on a test organism with that of a standard preparation
— bio·as·say \-a-ˈsā, -ˈa-ˌsā\ transitive verb
First Known Use of BIOASSAY

1912


Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed

Monday, October 26, 2015

Monday Musings: Arizona Monsoon pics











Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        


Friday, October 23, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite vampire book

Favorite vampire book: 'Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

Book Description:
Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem’s Lot in hopes that exploring the history of the Marsten House, an old mansion long the subject of rumor and speculation, will help him cast out his personal devils and provide inspiration for his new book. But when two young boys venture into the woods, and only one returns alive, Mears begins to realize that something sinister is at work—in fact, his hometown is under siege from forces of darkness far beyond his imagination. And only he, with a small group of allies, can hope to contain the evil that is growing within the borders of this small New England town.

With this, his second novel, Stephen King established himself as an indisputable master of American horror, able to transform the old conceits of the genre into something fresh and all the more frightening for taking place in a familiar, idyllic locale.
**************

This is one of my favorite Stephen King books. I love the way he takes an ordinary town with ordinary people and fills it with something terrifying. Highly recommended for horror and vampire fans.


Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

binaural
      adjective bin·au·ral \(ˌ)bī-ˈnȯr-əl, (ˌ)bi-\
Definition of BINAURAL

1
:  of, relating to, or involving two or both ears
2
:  stereophonic
— bin·au·ral·ly \-ə-lē\ adverb
Origin of BINAURAL

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use: 1861

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed

Monday, October 19, 2015

Monday Musings: Lessons I learned from my dogs

This article was printed in our local newspaper back in July. I decided to share it on my blog because I know there are a lot of pet owners out there.

Lessons I learned from my dogs

Besides loyalty and companionship, dogs have a lot more to offer us. If we take the time to watch and connect with them, we can learn some important lessons.

Having dogs helped me through a dark time when I didn’t know if I would be permanently disabled. Crippled by severe pain, it was easy to give in and stay in a pain-medication fog, but my dogs depended on me to care for them while my husband was at work. So, I forced myself to get up and fight to get better.

My recovery had a lot to do with lessons I learned from my dogs. The first one is perseverance. Animals don’t allow an illness or injury to stop them from enjoying life. One of my dogs hurt her leg and managed just fine by hopping around on three, even chasing rabbits, until her leg healed. In the animal world, only the strong survive and unfortunately, this is also a harsh truth in the human one, a frightening reality I came close to experiencing.

Another important lesson is living in the moment. Dogs know how to relax in the sun and watch birds or sniff the different scents in the air. This reminds me to stop and enjoy a sunset or take in the wildlife in my backyard, to put my troubles aside. I’ve also learned the importance of exercise and play to keep physically and mentally fit. Dogs love to play. I have a nightly ritual with my Chihuahua. We play a game where I try to take his toy (a plush chicken or banana) away from him, if I can. He’s very fast. I come away from this refreshed and ready to work on writing or editing. This also helped me heal because exercise and physical therapy was very important to my recovery and for the regular management of my chronic condition.

My dogs have also taught me the importance of taking breaks, letting me know when it is time to eat or go outside—and always at the same time each day. This routine keeps me from sitting too long at the computer and worsening my back pain. After a break, I return to work, my energy restored.

Dogs have remarkable intuitive abilities. They know when a storm is approaching, when someone is coming home, or whether they like someone or not. This has taught me to listen to my intuition, especially when it came to finding the right occupation and exercise schedule that suited my health issues. I kept trying to do things the way I had before my illness. Once I stopped fighting myself and listened to my gut feeling, everything fell in to place.

The unconditional love dogs offer us might be the most important lesson. They love you regardless of your problems, your physical appearance, or your imperfections. This lesson has helped me strengthen my human relationships.


The lessons I learned from my dogs improved my life in ways I never realized until I opened my eyes and took notice, and I can’t imagine living without at least one dog by my side.



Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        

Friday, October 16, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite historical fantasy book

Favorite historical fantasy book: The Light Bearer by Donna Gillespie
Book description on Amazon.com:

In the harsh wastes of the barbarian north, a child is born on dirt and straw in the rude thatched hall of a Germanic tribal chieftain. She is Auriane, destined to follow the pathway of her tribe’s most revered seeress. But as ruthless Roman invaders plunder her people's lands, burn their crops and kidnap their young men for the imperial army, Auriane is chosen to lead her tribal people in their struggle against the empire.

When the Emperor Domitian crosses the Rhine with four legions, the north’s hope resides in a woman…

And as the only world she has known collapses around her, Auriane is captured and taken to Rome, and into a life of horror and glory no seeress could have foreseen.

In Rome, senator and Stoic humanist Marcus Arrius Julianus rises to the loftiest pinnacles of government. Through wit, daring and brilliant maneuvering, he struggles to check the murderous whims of the increasingly corrupt Emperor Domitian. As a reign of terror begins, Julianus orchestrates a vast plot to assassinate the emperor.

Cultured Marcus Julianus and barbarian Auriane meet — and form a powerful bond across the gulf of their vastly different ways of life.

Domitian condemns Auriane to the arena, where in the halls of a gladiatorial training school she discovers the tribesman who betrayed her people in war. As Julianus’ assassination plot rushes to its cataclysmic conclusion, Auriane must carry out the solemn rite of vengeance before a maddened throng in the Colosseum.

An immediate international bestseller, The Light Bearer is the product of twelve years of research into the history, culture and mythology of classical Rome and the proto-Germanic tribes.
************

I loved this book. It is beautifully written and well-researched. I loved Auriane's strength. Highly recommended to anyone interested in classical Rome and the ancient Germanic tribes.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

bimillenary
      noun bi·mil·le·na·ry \(ˌ)bī-ˈmi-lə-ˌner-ē, -ˌne-rē, ˌbī-mə-ˈle-nə-rē\
Definition of BIMILLENARY

1
:  a period of 2000 years
2
:  a 2000th anniversary
— bimillenary adjective
Variants of BIMILLENARY

bi·mil·le·na·ry or bi·mil·len·ni·al \ˌbī-mə-ˈle-nē-əl\
First Known Use of BIMILLENARY

1850

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed



Monday, October 12, 2015

Monday Musings: Arizona Backyard Wildlife

The quail go to each backyard. One acts as a lookout for the others.

Quail family including the babies.

Quail family visits the backyard.

Baby Godzilla sitting in the same place as mom and dad.

Doves that always visit the backyard.

This little guy scared my husband when it got inside the house. I got him safely back outside.

This quail was either scolding Loki or warning the other quail of a dog.

Loki ignored the scolding.

Another shot of baby Godzilla.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        


Friday, October 09, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite Romans vs. Picts movie

Favorite movie: Centurion
Product Description

AD 117. The Roman Empire stretches from Egypt to Spain, and East as far as the Black Sea. But in northern Britain, the relentless onslaught of conquest has ground to a halt in the face of the guerrilla tactics of an elusive enemy: the savage and terrifying Picts. Quintus Dias (Fassbinder), sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus' (West) legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the earth and destroy their leader Gorlacon. But when the legion is ambushed on unfamiliar ground, and Virilus taken captive, Quintus faces a desperate struggle to keep his small platoon alive behind enemy lines. Enduring the harsh terrain and evading their remorseless Pict pursuers led by the revenge hungry Pict Warrior Etain (Kurylenko), the band of soldiers race to rescue their General and to reach the safety of the Roman frontier.

I really like this movie. My favorite scene is when the Roman legion marches into the mist-filled forest of Caledonia (Scotland) and the Picts attack. It gave me goosebumps. I loved Michael Fassbender as the centurion who survives being captured and pursued by the savage Picts. Olga Kurylenko does a great job as Etain, a frightening Pict warrior driven by revenge against the Roman soldiers. Highly recommended to anyone interested in this time period.


Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

bimbette
      noun bim·bette \ˌbim-ˈbet\
Definition of BIMBETTE

slang
:  an attractive but vacuous woman
Origin of BIMBETTE

bimbo + -ette

First Known Use: 1982

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed

Monday, October 05, 2015

Monday Musings: Sharing some new moon pics










Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        


Friday, October 02, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite fantasy book

Favorite fantasy book: The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
Amazon.com book description:
Tolkien considered THE SILMARILLION his most important work, and, though it was published last and posthumously, this great collection of tales and legends clearly sets the stage for all his other writing. The story of the creation of the world and of the the First Age, this is the ancient drama to which the characters in THE LORD OF THE RINGS look back and in whose events some of them, such as Elrond and Galadriel, took part. The three Silmarils were jewels created by Feanor, most gifted of the Elves. Within them was imprisoned the Light of the Two Trees of Valinor before the Trees themselves were destroyed by Morgoth, the first Dark Lord. Thereafter, the unsullied Light of Valinor lived on only in the Silmarils, but they were seized by Morgoth and set in his crown, which was guarded in the impenetrable fortress of Angband in the north of Middle-earth. THE SILMARILLION is the history of the rebellion of Feanor and his kindred against the gods, their exile from Valinor and return to Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all their heroism, against the great Enemy.

I know I may get some hate emails for this, but I like this better than the other books. lol I loved reading about the history of Middle-earth and the collection of legends that led to The Lord of the Rings. Highly recommended! I need to get the Kindle version.


Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed