Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
About Me
- Kelley Heckart
- Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Showing posts with label Musing Mondays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Musing Mondays. Show all posts
Monday, June 02, 2014
Musing Mondays: Moon shots
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Monday Musings: Arizona sunsets
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Monday Musings: Taking Aim—Archery
I finally found a hobby/sport that I really love doing—archery. My good friend, who is also a fellow writer, introduced me to it. It’s something we can do together at least once a week and it gets us out of the house.
We both like more traditional target archery without scopes and pulleys. Maybe that’s because we are fantasy writers and like medieval archery. We both write female characters that are archers. Now I can connect better with some of my characters.
I find something meditative about shooting at targets because you have to slow down and take your time to sight the target. The range we use is out in the desert with ravines and beautiful views of the mountains. Archery for me is about getting back to being close to nature and doing something outside instead of being cooped up in front of a laptop all day. I love writing, but I was beginning to lose touch with the outside world. I needed something to do outside.
This is the first time in years that I’ve been excited about something and it feels great to have something to look forward to each week.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Musing Mondays: Spring
Spring is my favorite time of year. The weather is nice and cool, not too hot like in summer, or too cold like in winter. Even our fall can be a bit too warm to enjoy. Spring is perfect. Flowers bloom, bees hum, the quail look for places to nest and my lizards return after winter.
Blacktail, one of the lizards that hangs out in my yard each year is in the upper right corner on the piece of wood. I call him Blacktail because he has a long black tail, which of course can’t be seen here. He was trying to get away from me.
Here is a better shot of Blacktail with his long black tail.
A male Quail looking out for danger for his female that is foraging somewhere below on the ground.
A bird in our Palo Verde tree.
Our Palo Verde tree in full bloom.
Another view of our Palo Verde tree with the blue sky in the background.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, May 05, 2014
Musing Mondays: Excerpt from Daughter of Night, Greek myths, fantasy, PG
Excerpt from Daughter of Night:
She waited, cloaked in shadows, until nightfall when the king and his queen slept.
As soon as darkness fell and the palace rang with silence, she emerged from the shadows. A round central hearth fire glowed with warmth, pulsing and flickering across the shadowed room, performing an ancient dance along the floors and painted walls. The king lay in his bed, the fierce warlord looking so vulnerable as he lay sleeping without his armor or weapons. His queen slept next to him instead of in her own quarters in a sign of her devotion. Sighing, she tried to remember what it was like to feel love.
She crept close to his bed, staring down at his sleeping face. Even in sleep, he looked like the mighty warlord that struck fear in his enemies' hearts. His brow wrinkled as if he wrestled with a nightmare. Perhaps he fought a nightmare of the battlefield, which usually struck the minds of warriors. Pressing her hand to his hot forehead, she rid his dreams of nightmares and entered his dreams with promises of victory and power. Removing her hand, she backed away, becoming one with the shadows again.
The king stirred, moaning in his sleep as the nightmares returned.
His queen woke from his stirring and brushed his hair from his forehead. “My love, would that I could remove your nightmares with a gentle stroke,” she whispered.
Watching the tender exchange with a wistful heart, she wondered what to do with the Dactyl’s essence.Which body will I choose to hide it in?
Blurb for Daughter of Night:
Their destiny began in ancient Anatolia.
Becuille is a Daughter of Night and a servant to the Great Goddess, created to wield Her vengeance. Callileon is a prince of the Hatti, who 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?
Daughter of Night is available in Print, Kindle, Nook and other ebook formats.
Buy links: http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.html
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Musing Mondays: My inspiration for writing historical fantasy romance
I was kind of a strange kid, especially for a girl. I didn’t dream of being a princess getting rescued by a prince. I wanted to be able to take care of myself. My favorite things weren’t dolls or frilly dresses, but swords and forests filled with supernatural creatures like vampires, werewolves and shapeshifting faeries and gods. When I was introduced to myths and characters like Artemis the Huntress, Morrigan the Battle Goddess and the real life, fierce Celtic queen, Boudica, I had found what I was looking for. There are no helpless princesses in this group of females.
My first look into the fascinating world of mythology was in English class when the subject was Greek mythology. I still have my well-worn copy of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology of Greek and Norse myths. I was hooked. Later I became fascinated with the ancient Celts and their myths, most notably King Arthur, the Welsh tales of the Mabinogion and the Irish myths of the Tuatha de Danaan and the Fianna.
My fascination with the ancient Celts has to do with their connection to the faery realm and their mysterious nature—since they were an oral society we really don’t know much about them, but archeological evidence points to a superior society. I like filling in the missing pieces, much like a jigsaw puzzle, and bring to life these long ago, magical places and people that fill our imagination.
All of this inspired me to write historical fantasy. I feel a connection to little known time periods—ancient on up to the Dark Ages, time periods that abound in myth when magic was a real possibility. I can mix my love of the supernatural and mythology with my other love for obscure history and it seems like a natural fit. Otherworldly creatures fit perfectly with time periods that are surrounded in myth and mystery. And when modern life gets too complicated, I look forward to escaping into the places I’ve created.
Kelley’s Links:
Website: http://www.kelleyheckart.com
Blog: http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CelticChick
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
Kelley’s Book Shelf/Buy Links: http://kelleyheckart.com/BookShelf.html
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Musing Mondays: Aphrodite, not the average villain
As the Greek love goddess, most people don’t think of Aphrodite as a villain. That’s why I chose her for my villain in Daughter of Night. She’s actually a much more complicated, powerful goddess then the classical Greek writers would have us think.
The silly, vain Aphrodite that appears in stories written by the classical Greek writers is not a true rendering of this once Great Goddess that was revered on Cyprus. She is comparable to Innana, Hathor, Anat and Ishtar, a love and war goddess. As a fertility goddess, she is a goddess that can give life or take it away. Love and war, life and death. Ancient fertility rites usually involved a human sacrifice, a young man. The tragic story of Adonis, the young shepherd she loved, is associated with the Isis/Osiris legend of Egypt in which the yearly king is sacrificed at the end of his reign.
When the followers of the Sky god (Zeus) invaded Greece, they diminished her status to one of Zeus’s children, but she was really a Titan. Another story of her birth is that she was born when Cronos castrated his father Uranus, but she was really a much older, much more powerful goddess.
I liken her to the Norse god Loki, a bit of a trickster. As my villain, she isn’t evil but she is unpredictable and that’s what makes her so dangerous. My favorite villains are those that aren’t clearly evil, that aren’t intentional about hurting anyone. And as a love and war goddess, Aphrodite fit that profile. In Daughter of Night, Aphrodite is masquerading as the Hittite/Hatti Sun goddess, Arinna. She is trying to find her place in the world again after Zeus and his brothers have taken control of the Heavens, their armies controlling most of Greece. Of course, by trying to gain back her power, she is causing trouble for the other Titans, and mortals.
****
Excerpt from Daughter of Night, historical fantasy romance, Rated PG
“Well, Prince Callileon,” Arinna said with a forced smile, “this is a pleasant surprise.”
He looked at her, grim-faced. “Do not placate me with false sincerity.”
“Perhaps it is time we made peace with one another. I am in a giving mood today.”
“I need a favor from you.” He fidgeted, obviously embarrassed at having to ask her for a favor.
“I am in a giving mood, but why would I grant you a favor?” She arched her brow, enjoying his discomfort.
The lion let out another gentle roar, settling his hungry gaze on Callileon.
Callileon looked at the lion, unblinking.
“You should never stare down a beast such as this. Fortunate for you I just fed him,” she laughed, her tone mocking.
“I am prepared to offer you something in exchange for the favor.”
“What could you possibly offer me? Look around, I am in need of nothing.” She gestured at her lavish quarters.
“It is not a question of need, but one of desire.” His blue eyes gleamed with cleverness.
No wonder Becuille was so enamored of this mortal, she thought with a hint of envy. He had special gifts. Not only was he handsome, but he also possessed bravery and intelligence.
From within his cloak, he pulled out a sheathed dagger. By the glittering stones on the bronze hilt, she already knew it to be a magical weapon. Unsheathing it, he held up the obsidian blade, smooth and gleaming with power. Her breath caught in her throat.
The lion let out a louder roar.
He raised a brow. “You know what this is, do you not?”
She tried to reach for the dagger, but he held it out of her reach. “First you help me get into the temple to see Inaras, then the dagger is yours.”
“You are a prince, you should be able to get into the temple on your own.” She could not take her eyes off the dagger, knowing its purpose to be to house Celmis's soul. With the special dagger in her possession, she could take him anywhere hidden in different bodies.
“No. Zagros will not allow any non-temple personnel to see her, even me.” Anger filled his eyes. “The king is concerned with other matters so I cannot appeal to him. I need to see her now and he cannot bar you entry to the temple. You are temple personnel.”
“Much to his dismay, that is true.” She wanted the dagger. “I will get you into the temple.” Her thoughts turned over, scheming and filled with mischief. She called for Briena. “Find a dress that will fit the prince.”
He gave her a questioning look.
“If you want into the temple, you will have to disguise yourself as a female,” she said, unable to hide her smirk.
“You are enjoying this too much I think.” He looked down at himself. “I doubt I will make a convincing female.”
“Oh, you would be surprised, my young prince,” she laughed.
Briena stuffed his muscled body into the largest dress she could find, placing two round apples over his chest for breasts. The slave girl stifled a laugh and Callileon stared hard at her. She put red ochre on his lips and cheeks and rimmed his eyes with kohl.
The young prince twitched beneath the sharp reed, drawing an amused smile from Arinna. The barbaric Achaean would not be familiar with the kohl reed.
“Do not move or you will lose your eye,” Briena said with caution, dipping the reed into the jar to gather more of the black powder to finish his eyes.
He moved his hand up toward his eyes.
“Do not touch your eyes,” Briena said.
“They burn,” he said, frowning.
“The feeling will go away.”
Arinna studied him with a critical eye. “Well, he is not the most graceful female I have seen, but he is quite comely.” She smiled with amusement.
Briena stifled a laugh behind her hand.
Glowering, he pulled on a hooded cloak, drawing the hood over his face.
****
Daughter of Night: Two mortals are caught up in the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.
Buy links for Daughter of Night:
Mundania Press (in ebook formats and trade paperback):
http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Daughter+of+Night
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Of-Night-ebook/dp/B008OCANEO/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343182822&sr=1-14&keywords=kelley+heckart
Barnes & Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daughter-of-night-kelley-heckart/1112220212?ean=2940015001952
Buy links on author website: http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.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
The silly, vain Aphrodite that appears in stories written by the classical Greek writers is not a true rendering of this once Great Goddess that was revered on Cyprus. She is comparable to Innana, Hathor, Anat and Ishtar, a love and war goddess. As a fertility goddess, she is a goddess that can give life or take it away. Love and war, life and death. Ancient fertility rites usually involved a human sacrifice, a young man. The tragic story of Adonis, the young shepherd she loved, is associated with the Isis/Osiris legend of Egypt in which the yearly king is sacrificed at the end of his reign.
When the followers of the Sky god (Zeus) invaded Greece, they diminished her status to one of Zeus’s children, but she was really a Titan. Another story of her birth is that she was born when Cronos castrated his father Uranus, but she was really a much older, much more powerful goddess.
I liken her to the Norse god Loki, a bit of a trickster. As my villain, she isn’t evil but she is unpredictable and that’s what makes her so dangerous. My favorite villains are those that aren’t clearly evil, that aren’t intentional about hurting anyone. And as a love and war goddess, Aphrodite fit that profile. In Daughter of Night, Aphrodite is masquerading as the Hittite/Hatti Sun goddess, Arinna. She is trying to find her place in the world again after Zeus and his brothers have taken control of the Heavens, their armies controlling most of Greece. Of course, by trying to gain back her power, she is causing trouble for the other Titans, and mortals.
****
Excerpt from Daughter of Night, historical fantasy romance, Rated PG
“Well, Prince Callileon,” Arinna said with a forced smile, “this is a pleasant surprise.”
He looked at her, grim-faced. “Do not placate me with false sincerity.”
“Perhaps it is time we made peace with one another. I am in a giving mood today.”
“I need a favor from you.” He fidgeted, obviously embarrassed at having to ask her for a favor.
“I am in a giving mood, but why would I grant you a favor?” She arched her brow, enjoying his discomfort.
The lion let out another gentle roar, settling his hungry gaze on Callileon.
Callileon looked at the lion, unblinking.
“You should never stare down a beast such as this. Fortunate for you I just fed him,” she laughed, her tone mocking.
“I am prepared to offer you something in exchange for the favor.”
“What could you possibly offer me? Look around, I am in need of nothing.” She gestured at her lavish quarters.
“It is not a question of need, but one of desire.” His blue eyes gleamed with cleverness.
No wonder Becuille was so enamored of this mortal, she thought with a hint of envy. He had special gifts. Not only was he handsome, but he also possessed bravery and intelligence.
From within his cloak, he pulled out a sheathed dagger. By the glittering stones on the bronze hilt, she already knew it to be a magical weapon. Unsheathing it, he held up the obsidian blade, smooth and gleaming with power. Her breath caught in her throat.
The lion let out a louder roar.
He raised a brow. “You know what this is, do you not?”
She tried to reach for the dagger, but he held it out of her reach. “First you help me get into the temple to see Inaras, then the dagger is yours.”
“You are a prince, you should be able to get into the temple on your own.” She could not take her eyes off the dagger, knowing its purpose to be to house Celmis's soul. With the special dagger in her possession, she could take him anywhere hidden in different bodies.
“No. Zagros will not allow any non-temple personnel to see her, even me.” Anger filled his eyes. “The king is concerned with other matters so I cannot appeal to him. I need to see her now and he cannot bar you entry to the temple. You are temple personnel.”
“Much to his dismay, that is true.” She wanted the dagger. “I will get you into the temple.” Her thoughts turned over, scheming and filled with mischief. She called for Briena. “Find a dress that will fit the prince.”
He gave her a questioning look.
“If you want into the temple, you will have to disguise yourself as a female,” she said, unable to hide her smirk.
“You are enjoying this too much I think.” He looked down at himself. “I doubt I will make a convincing female.”
“Oh, you would be surprised, my young prince,” she laughed.
Briena stuffed his muscled body into the largest dress she could find, placing two round apples over his chest for breasts. The slave girl stifled a laugh and Callileon stared hard at her. She put red ochre on his lips and cheeks and rimmed his eyes with kohl.
The young prince twitched beneath the sharp reed, drawing an amused smile from Arinna. The barbaric Achaean would not be familiar with the kohl reed.
“Do not move or you will lose your eye,” Briena said with caution, dipping the reed into the jar to gather more of the black powder to finish his eyes.
He moved his hand up toward his eyes.
“Do not touch your eyes,” Briena said.
“They burn,” he said, frowning.
“The feeling will go away.”
Arinna studied him with a critical eye. “Well, he is not the most graceful female I have seen, but he is quite comely.” She smiled with amusement.
Briena stifled a laugh behind her hand.
Glowering, he pulled on a hooded cloak, drawing the hood over his face.
****
Daughter of Night: Two mortals are caught up in the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.
Buy links for Daughter of Night:
Mundania Press (in ebook formats and trade paperback):
http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Daughter+of+Night
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Of-Night-ebook/dp/B008OCANEO/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343182822&sr=1-14&keywords=kelley+heckart
Barnes & Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daughter-of-night-kelley-heckart/1112220212?ean=2940015001952
Buy links on author website: http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.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
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Musing Mondays: Arizona sunrises and sunsets, cloud formations
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, April 07, 2014
Musing Mondays: How to deal with hard to pronounce names in fiction
I read and write books that sometimes have names or terms that are difficult for the average reader to pronounce. If I am writing a story set in a particular time period with real people I am using as characters, strange and difficult names cannot be avoided. I realize this can cause some aggravation for readers and for that, I apologize. But I can’t change historical names.
Since I’ve been reading fantasy and historical fiction most of my life, I have come across more than a few names I couldn’t pronounce. This was before you could Google a random name and probably find the correct pronunciation online. Anyway, I came up with a way to make it easier to read the book without driving myself crazy. I came up with my own way to pronounce the name or word and don’t worry if I am using the correct pronunciation. It’s easy to do and doesn’t throw me out of the story.
As an example, here are two names from Daughter of Night:
King Suppiluliuma: This one is a tough name to pronounce so what I did whenever I came across this name in my book was simply pronounce it like this—Sup il luma.
Becuille: This one is a little tricky so I pronounce this name like this—Be keel.
So, the next time you come across a name or word you can’t pronounce in a book, try this technique instead of giving up on the story.
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
Two mortals are caught in the midst of the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.
http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.html
Since I’ve been reading fantasy and historical fiction most of my life, I have come across more than a few names I couldn’t pronounce. This was before you could Google a random name and probably find the correct pronunciation online. Anyway, I came up with a way to make it easier to read the book without driving myself crazy. I came up with my own way to pronounce the name or word and don’t worry if I am using the correct pronunciation. It’s easy to do and doesn’t throw me out of the story.
As an example, here are two names from Daughter of Night:
King Suppiluliuma: This one is a tough name to pronounce so what I did whenever I came across this name in my book was simply pronounce it like this—Sup il luma.
Becuille: This one is a little tricky so I pronounce this name like this—Be keel.
So, the next time you come across a name or word you can’t pronounce in a book, try this technique instead of giving up on the story.
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
Two mortals are caught in the midst of the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.
http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.html
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Musing Mondays: Pets in our lives
My two boys. It’s strange how pets come into our lives, usually when you don’t expect it. After we lost Xena, we decided to wait until Herc passed before getting another dog, mainly because he doesn’t get along with other dogs. But when we started pet sitting my niece’s Chihuahua, we discovered how well he fit right into our family, and Herc tolerated him just fine. As if it was meant to be, Loki soon became a permanent part of our family. With his lively personality, he fills that hole left when Xena died.
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
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Musing Mondays: Aftermath of winter thunderstorm in AZ
We have some dramatic thunderstorms here in Arizona. I caught this rainbow by accident. You can even see the raindrops that hit my camera lens.
A sunset just after the thunderstorm that blew through our town in March.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
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