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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.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Two new reviews for Cat's Curse



I received two new reviews for Cat's Curse. One is a reviewer top pick so I am excited about that one.
Score: 4.50 / 5 - Reviewer Top Pick! This amazing story is very refreshing in the current romance genre.The storyline had a bunch of twists and turns that kept my attention and intrigued me with anticipation. I so wanted to know the outcome of this unlikely romance. Many interesting characters and love triangles make for a refreshing story that is not as neatly tied up as most romance novels of today, but has managed to make me a fan of the author's style. I am eagerly looking forward to reading the next book (Beltaine's Song), Book Two in the Dark Goddess Trilogy, as I have become addicted to the strength, courage and real human facets of the characters in this saga.

Reviewed by: Lydia Ferrari
Link to complete review:
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=5194


I found myself engrossed with how everything evolved. Cardea is an exceedingly winsome heroine. The reader can see her strength and development. I am excited to read the next book.

Rated 3 ½ Tombstones by CeCe at Bitten By Books

Link to complete review:
http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=18196

Beltaine's Song, Book Two in the Dark Goddess Trilogy is coming soon from Awe-Struck!

Friday, January 01, 2010

Long Hair Hottie for January!

I thought I would start the new year off with a special treat. He is not a well known actor, but he sure knows how to make the ladies swoon while riding a horse without a shirt. This Native American Indian hottie was brought to my attention by my online author friend Colleen Love. Colleen sure has an eye for hot guys with long hair. And she writes about some really hot heroes too. http://www.colleenlove.webs.com/

Jay Tavare has been in numerous movies including Cold Mountain, The Missing and Pathfinder. He was also in the popular mini-series Into the West. How could I have overlooked him? Enjoy ladies!
Colleen, if you are reading this, I picked the first picture just for you. :)

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkCHKuwxQEH4A4.6JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DJay%2BTavare%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D6&w=454&h=680&imgurl=thecimmerian.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F01%2Fjay-tavare-2.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecimmerian.com%2Fchallengers-appear-for-the-role-of-conan%2F&size=47.8+KB&name=Jay+Tavare&p=Jay+Tavare&oid=7b74ff706c2c27ac60d378c30b335a11&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Jay%2BTavare&b=0&ni=42&no=6&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=1253cjh85&sigb=136ltcgkh&sigi=11stipqip&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0851610/


Kelley Heckart
'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'
http://www.kelleyheckart.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Monday, December 21, 2009

New Release! Winter Kisses, a sweet holiday treat!



Winter Kisses Anthology by

Barbara Sheridan, Dena Celeste, G.R. Bretz, Kelley Heckart, Nichelle Gregory
Genre: Contemporary, sweet romances, holiday


*Winter Solstice Kiss by Kelley Heckart:*When Brianna decides to attend the Winter solstice masquerade ball, shenever thought she would end up kissing a handsome knight beneath themistletoe, but they part without exchanging names and phone numbers. How will they find each other again?

A Christmas for Carol by Angela Nichelle:Imagine losing the love of your life right before Christmas. It's anightmare Carol Christine Moore had to face two years ago. Unable to copewith the pain of losing her fiancé so unexpectedly, Carol closes off herheart entirely. She puts all of her time and energy into making the coffeeshop she owns with her best friend a success. Consumed with customers andthe daily grind, Carol has convinced herself that she doesn't need anythingor anyone else in her life.But all that changes the day Grant walks into the Cafe Bean.

*Love in the Lights by Dena Celeste:*Abigail Bloch has been away at school for the last few years. Returning toher mother’s home renews her interest and need for the Jewish traditions.Unfortunately, the man who had been her best friend growing up, JoshuaCohen, gives her a chilly reception. Over the course of Chanukah, a timefilled with food and family and friendship, the growing number of flamesmust melt away the hostility and illuminate the love that can grow betweenthem.

*A Schrödinger Christmas – Holly by G. R. Bretz:*She’s the girl who lives in his dreams, but she’s so much more than that.She’s the girl he was supposed to meet, twice. She’s the path he didn’ttake, twice. That was forty years ago and you just can’t go back, except indreams.But it’s Christmas day. Miracles have been known to happen. Who knows? Thethird time just might be the charm.

*Christmas Rush by Barbara Sheridan:*Ellie Bouchard died just after formulating a plan to see that her only childRemy would be reunited with the one person he was too stubborn toacknowledge as “The One”.Determined to see her plan through, Ellie will do whatever ittakes—including heavenly blackmail and a few sneaky tricks—to see her sonreunited with his childhood companion, Michael Carson.The stubborn young men don’t make Ellie’s job easy and she puts on one hellof a Christmas Rush to cement their bond before her time between this worldand the next runs out.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Long Hair Hottie for November

My long hair hottie for November is a guy who looks great no matter what his hair looks like, he even looks hot wearing glasses and a funny hat (go figure), but when his hair is long, he really catches my attention. Johnny Depp is my long hair hottie pick this month. I picked out some shots from various movies, but I thought he looked his hottest in Chocolat as the guitar picking gypsy. Mmm...good. I mean, he even made scruffy pirates hot in his role in Pirates of the Caribbean. He just cannot look bad no matter what kind of role he plays.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkCLlvAxQGUIA0yKJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DJohnny%2BDepp%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D8&w=453&h=640&imgurl=3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_TyPaJUpLCI8%2FTDZrlw-7_II%2FAAAAAAAAADM%2Fr0jCjzqnuVg%2Fs1600%2Fjohnny-depp.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhomensgatos-mix.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fjohnny-depp.html&size=93.5+KB&name=Johnny+Depp&p=Johnny+Depp&oid=b3aa598627757b35b9f07c05e0170afd&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Johnny%2BDepp&b=0&ni=42&no=8&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11sku9moi&sigb=1373tcgmg&sigi=12oe4sdth&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://johnnydeppweb.com/gallery/



Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly






Thursday, October 01, 2009

Long Hair Hottie for October

My long hair hottie pic for October is Brad Pitt. He caught my attention in the movie Legends of the Fall with his long flowing locks. His character, Tristan, made it on to my walls and I think I still have a t-shirt with his picture on it. I wear it to bed sometimes, which annoys my husband. I remember how the guys in our group were jealous after the movie. One friend called him, 'Arm Pit.' Not even. And for you Goth girls out there, he was pretty hot as Louis in Interview with the Vampire. I never wanted to be bitten by a vampire more than when I saw the long haired Brad Pitt, flashing his fangs.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJke59vQxQ7m4AyIaJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DBrad%2BPitt%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D6&w=1024&h=768&imgurl=images4.fanpop.com%2Fimage%2Fphotos%2F21100000%2FBrad-Pitt-brad-pitt-21124729-1024-768.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fanpop.com%2Fspots%2Fbrad-pitt%2Fimages%2F21124729%2Ftitle%2Fbrad-pitt-wallpaper&size=132.6+KB&name=Brad+Pitt+-+Brad+Pitt+Wallpaper+%2821124729%29+-+Fanpop+fanclubs.&p=Brad+Pitt&oid=578ba9c0b26acf996f78a00d9b174e87&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Brad%2BPitt%2B-%2BBrad%2BPitt%2BWallpaper%2B%252821124729%2529%2B-%2BFanpop%2Bfanclubs.&b=0&ni=42&no=6&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12feeo269&sigb=135dm31es&sigi=12ij851kk&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/


Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly













Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Long Hair Hottie for September

For the month of September I wanted to pick a personal favorite of mine for this month's long hair hottie. This hot guy was brought to my attention by my husband. I love a guy who knows what I like. Anyway, I didn't even know about Highlander, the Series until my husband told me I should check out the show. And wow, I was hooked, more so because Adrian Paul was so hot and he had long hair, but I also liked the the whole immortality theme to the show. I had two reasons to watch it. My favorite episode is titled 'Mountain Men.' In this episode Duncan McCleod fights in a river without his shirt, revealing his hot, muscular body. I already loved a man with a long sword, but Highlander, the Series made me appreciate a man in a kilt.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkK6hvwxQPjUAm.mJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DAdrian%2BPaul%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D1&w=1024&h=878&imgurl=i243.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff56%2FWmnwaryur%2FAdrianPaul.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blingcheese.com%2Fimage%2Fcode%2F57%2Fadrian%2Bpaul.htm&size=90.9+KB&name=Adrian+Paul+Graphics+Code+%7C+Adrian+Paul+Comments+%26amp%3B+Pictures&p=Adrian+Paul&oid=c041b9aa531c137c7178cbd55369d31a&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Adrian%2BPaul%2BGraphics%2BCode%2B%257C%2BAdrian%2BPaul%2BComments%2B%2526amp%253B%2BPictures&b=0&ni=42&no=1&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11ocuq2rj&sigb=1379pk9qm&sigi=11pnsoopb&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://adrianpaul.net/

http://www.adrianpaul.net/tv/highlander.html


Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly





Monday, August 03, 2009

Long hair hottie for August

My long hair hottie pick for August is Viggo Mortensen, an actor who made women swoon when he appeared as Aragorn in Lord of the Rings. Aragorn possessed the tough heart of a warrior and revealed a romantic side when he waited for the woman (or elf) that won his heart. What woman could resist his strength and tenderness and those flowing locks.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkewSwQxQsmwAho.JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DViggo%2BMortensen%252C%2Baragorn%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D1&w=900&h=892&imgurl=www.thehunkies.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2004%2F10%2FAragorn.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehunkies.com%2Fviggo-mortensen%2F&size=167.3+KB&name=aragorn+on+his+journey+but+what+the+hell+images+of+viggo+mortensen&p=Viggo+Mortensen%2C+aragorn&oid=873416f76d3253c509ca96bfc3958ec9&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=aragorn%2Bon%2Bhis%2Bjourney%2Bbut%2Bwhat%2Bthe%2Bhell%2Bimages%2Bof%2Bviggo%2Bmortensen&b=0&ni=42&no=1&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11a4ks9l6&sigb=13mmdhpsd&sigi=11p1vnule&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://www.lordoftherings.net/film/cast/ca_vmort.html



Friday, July 31, 2009

The History of the Cross




I started making crosses about eight years ago, crafting them from pieces of wood and other things I would find like crystals, stones, shells and feathers. The first cross I made was as a get well gift to my mom who was very ill and in the hospital. My little cross rested on my mom's nightstand and she recovered from her illness. Did the cross I made for her make her better? Maybe, maybe not, but from then on I wanted to keep making crosses. When my mom bought me a wood burning tool, I was so excited. I started making larger crosses with Canadian driftwood, burning in either American Indian symbols, Runes or Neolithic symbols, depending on what style I was making. Crosses have a special meaning to me, a powerful symbol that has existed for many centuries.
Each cross I make is unique. When I look at the blank piece of wood, it speaks to me, it's special energy guiding me toward creating a unique design. The three styles I work with are Southwest, Runes and Goddess. I have gathered a multitude of decorations from amethyst and crystal points, moonstones, turquoise, garnets, carnelians and many other stones to various shells, small dream catchers and other items I come across at swap meets. I am fortunate to live in a place where it is easy and inexpensive to find these items. Each cross I make has a special meaning to me and sometimes it is hard to part with them, but I feel good when I hear a heartwarming story from a buyer. One particular cross I made with a dragon centerpiece was purchased to be placed with a dearly departed friend. My crosses have journeyed all over the U.S. and beyond to the Otherworld. As an artist, that gives me a sense of immortality--long after I am gone my crosses will survive, leaving a part of me behind.
I have posted some information on the history of the cross below:

Crosses were around long before Christianity as the most cherished of religious symbols. It is believed that the ancient Cross symbolized the earth's four directions and the divine center. Spaniards saw Indians worshipping the Cross. The Peruvians and Babylonians had the Maltese Cross. The druids were believed to have made their Cross out of a stem and two branches of the oak tree. Buddhist Crosses are common throughout the East. The Thor's hammer Cross is a well-known Pre-Christian Cross and several deities of ancient Egypt hold a Cross in their hands. Wheeled Crosses are seen on some Pre-Christian stones, possibly as symbols of solar worship.

Ireland is known for its many ancient Crosses. Pre-Christian Crosses have been identified at Dowth and New Grange on the Boyne, Knockmany of Tyrone, Deer Park of Fermanagh, Cloverhill of Sligo and Slieve-ha-Calliagh near Lough Crew of Meath. The ancient faery people of Ireland, the Tuath-de-Danaan, had Crosses that were adorned with snakes, birds and other animals. In the Scottish Highlands, the Fiery Cross, when dipped in goat's blood and flaming, was a message of alarm among the wild tribes. A serpentine figure was often twisted around the Fiery Cross.

The Cross is still a very powerful symbol of faith all over the world.

My crosses can be found on http://www.ebay.com/ by putting wall crosses in the 'find' box and home and garden in the 'in' box. To refine the search, go to the left under Refine Search and specify seller by entering 'havasukelley'




Thursday, July 30, 2009

Daisy of Love Finale

See which mimbo Daisy picked to be her love mate.
http://www.myspace.com/phantomqueen3

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

St. Columba--Druid or Monk?


To announce my new release, I wanted to post something relevant to my story. Cat's Curse is a Celtic historical romance/fantasy set in sixth century Scotland (Alba). I based this story on an actual Irish warlord and many of the minor characters are based on real people. One of those real people is the famous monk, St. Columba, who was a close friend of this Irish king and though a minor character, St. Columba (Columcille) played an important role in the story. Throughout my story and through the entire trilogy, there is the lingering conflict of Christianity versus Paganism, a favorite theme of mine. Having pagan beliefs, it was tempting for me to elevate one over the other, but as a writer, I try not to be biased and tell the story as it is. One challenge I was faced with was—how do I portray a Christian monk?

Most of my information on him came from Adomnan's Life of St. Columba. What I found fascinating is that St. Columba had visions, spoke prophecies and performed miracles. These were well-documented cases. In fact, he picked Aedan (my hero) to be king over his brother because an angel came to Columcille and told him to pick Aedan. He also prophesied that Aedan's older sons would die in battle and his youngest would be king after him.

When I created this character for my story, I didn't want to show him as a pious monk. I thought of him as a monk with a warrior heart. According to one account, St. Columba was forced to leave Ireland (Eirean) because he caused the deaths of three thousand people as the result of his involvement in a battle between his kinsmen and King Diarmait mac Cerbaill. He was exiled to Scotland where he attempted to convert the pagan Picts as his penance for this unfortunate event. For some reason all of this information made me think of him as a monk who followed God, but also would be willing to sacrifice warriors' lives in battle for his beliefs. He is described as a tall, imposing man. And he had to be in good physical shape as a man in his forties to be able to travel into the wild country of northern Scotland to meet with King Bridei. Early Christian warriors followed God because they saw him as the greatest of all warlords with his army of angels at his side. I wondered if maybe some early Christian monks also believed this.

I also saw him as a monk with a druid heart. One interesting bit of information left out in Adomnan's book is that St. Columba was born into a pagan family, which made me wonder just how much pagan beliefs influenced him even after becoming a monk. It seems likely to me that some of the early monks had to be influenced by the teachings of the druids, and in fact, some of these monks may have even been druids at heart in the guise of monks. I'm sure it was dangerous to practice as a druid and it may have been a matter of survival for druids to disguise themselves as monks. St. Columba's island of Iona, where there was a large Christian monastery, used to be a druid sanctuary and highlanders still refer to it as Druid's Isle. I pictured him as a Christian trying to convert pagans to God, but also as man who had some understanding of pagan beliefs and didn't force people to convert. The Irish monks formed what was called Celtic Christianity, which differed from the church in Rome and there are accounts of St. Columba being part of a mysterious community called Culdees that may have included druids. One of the things that made me think he could have been a druid is that he wore his tonsure like that of a druid (from the front of the head in a crescent shape) rather than the Roman tonsure that was a circle on top of the head (representing a halo). This was how the monks in Ireland and Britain wore their tonsures and was one of the disputes between them and Rome. Another interesting thing is Columcille wore white robes, as did other early monks in Ireland and Britain. I am pretty sure druids also wore white robes. We will never know for certain if he was influenced by druid teachings, but all of this gave me something to think about as I created this character for my story.

Another thing that fascinated me was that St. Columba was descended from the powerful Ui Neill clan, the clan that the high kings of Ireland were picked from. Now why would a man turn his back on kingship to be a monk? Maybe he really cared about serving God or maybe he knew that the real power was with the church. Could St. Columba have had another motive for converting the pagan Picts? By converting them he could bring them under Irish rule. It gave me something to think about. The church had all the wealth to back these kings. Some of the early Christian kings were Christian in name only so they could get the support of the powerful church. There was one documented account of Christian Briton kings taking some Irish people as prisoners and making them slaves. The church condemned this act, calling it un-Christian. I also use this approach in my story, having a couple of Christian kings with dubious beliefs. Not everything is all black and white. And that is how I wanted to portray St. Columba—as a man with shades of gray.

Blurb from Cat's Curse:
Cardea, follower of the Great Goddess is cursed to live an eternity as a blood drinker. For centuries she has lived with hate hunting and feeding off humans. Now she finds herself at the end of a sword blade held by the most handsome and arrogant man she has ever met.

Aedan mac Gabrain, prince of Dal Riata and a Christian, trusts no one after suffering a curse that keeps him from touching any females or he will turn into a black cat like his brother. He especially distrusts this strange female who could be the one who cursed his clan since no one knows Cat Anna's true face.

Can two tortured souls find love while battling a dark goddess determined to destroy them?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Though they are drawn to one another they still have some doubt in their hearts, each with dark secrets. Aedan is still uncertain about Cardea and if she is the one who cursed him since no one knows Cat Anna's true face. Kelley

Excerpt from Cat's Curse:

They moved on silent feet by the light of the moon, crossing carpets of fern. Cardea's body thrummed with the magic of the moonlit night, aware of everything around her from night birds watching them with piercing eyes from treetop perches to Aedan’s even breathing, and the sound of his warm blood pulsing through his veins. She always hunted alone, but Aedan felt like a part of her, matching his movements to hers, their even breathing matching the same steady rhythm.

The forest vibrated with life all around her, each tree and plant emanating its own gentle heartbeat and scent. A shift in the wind brought a new scent--the scent of blood assailed her senses. A warm-blooded creature stood just ahead of them. Turning to Aedan, she pointed to where the creature waited to forfeit its life. She notched her arrow and moved forward. Nodding, he moved to the right to close the animal in, his spear balanced confidently in his steady hand.

A small meadow came into view. Like a scene from the faery realm, the meadow, bathed in moonlight, radiated a silvery blue glow. Flowers twinkled in the bluish glow, meadow grasses rippled like gentle waves on a loch, and the full Hunter’s Moon filled the skyline, cold and mysterious. A majestic stag stood in the meadow, still as a statue. Nine tines glowed in the eerie light.

Cardea raised her bow, pulling back the bowstring, her hand steady, aware of Aedan waiting for her to take the first shot. Something did not feel true to her. The air seemed to be polluted by a malicious, musky scent. Danger. It seeped into the meadow, curling in invisible smoke-like tendrils around the thick tree trunks.

Out of the corner of her eye, something moved above Aedan, drawing her attention away from the stag. A large wildcat perched on an outstretched oak branch, its body coiled and ready to pounce on Aedan’s unprotected head. Sharp teeth and claws flashed in the darkness of the thick-leaved tree. She pivoted toward Aedan, pointing the arrow in his direction. A look of surprise filled his eyes and his spear arm raised, aiming the spear at her. Cardea let the arrow fly. It roared past Aedan’s head, hitting the wildcat in the heart. The beast slumped over, falling with a loud thud to the ground. The stag bounded out of the meadow and into the dense forest, leaving swaying ferns in its wake.

Aedan looked at her and she could tell by his unquestioning expression that she had earned some of his trust. “That, lass, is why I hunt with my hounds.” Aedan prodded the dead cat with his foot. “This is the largest wildcat I have seen.”

“It would have torn your skull open.” Cardea stood next to Aedan, staring down at the dead beast, surprised that she trembled at the dreadful thought.

“Ye saved my life, lass.”

His tender voice filled her with joy.

“It will make a fine warm pelt for winter,” he remarked. Unsheathing his sword, he handed it to her. He knelt, laying the huge cat on its side. “Ye made the kill. Ye should make the first cut.”

Aedan handed his sword to her, unsheathing a long knife from his belt. A warrior never relinquished his sword to anyone unless he trusted that person.

He trusted her now.

The possibility of finding love after centuries of loneliness seemed more likely now, but why does my heart sing of happiness and then die off with a dour note of sadness? She wanted desperately to tell him her secret, but fear paralyzed her so that she could not get the words out.
Kelley
'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'
http://www.kelleyheckart.com/
http://www.myspace.com/phantomqueen3
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
Cat's Curse, available now from Awe-Struck:
http://www.king-cart.com/Awe-Struck/category=Kelley+Heckart/exact_match=exact

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Flagstaff Celtic festival

It started out as a hot day, much hotter then it should be in Flagstaff, AZ this time of year, but it was much cooler than the 118 degree weather we left back home in Lake Havasu. I enjoy doing book signings at these Celtic festivals, especially watching the guys in kilts. While sitting in my shaded booth, I snapped a few pictures of some of these kilted men. That's how I amuse myself between visiters. One thing I noticed is some of the men looked great until my gaze strayed down to their legs, which sometimes disappointed me with glaring white, skinny legs. Oh well, I guess not all guys can look awesome in a kilt. Now my husband would look great in one. He has awesome, manly legs, one of his best features I think. Too bad the utilikilts they were selling there were like 230.00. Ouch. Too much money for us right now.

My book signing went pretty well. I sold some books and would have sold more if it had stayed dry. In typical Arizona fashion, a summer storm blew in over the mountains and it started pouring. I had to scramble to gather my stuff and put it away out of the rain. The hot day turned very cold for me in my tank top and I regretted leaving my hoodie in the car. Mother Nature took pity and it was a short thunderstorm, but it left the table soaked and my book signing came to an end. It could have been much worse. The wind picked up and the tent rattled, threatening to collapse, but it stayed its ground with the help of some burly men helping to hold it up. They may have been wearing kilts, but I was too busy trying to save my books that I didn't notice. The storm added some unexpected excitement to the otherwise boring day. Thunderstorms always make me nervous and I can't understand why other people seem unaffected by them. Did you know that lightning can strike twenty miles away? Apparently most people don't know this because I watched a bunch of people just standing out in the open.

I think I may have learned a couple of lessons at this book signing. One is that I need to pack my bag so that I can pull the zipper closed to protect my book marks and other stuff from rain. And I need to bring a jacket of some kind when there is a possibility of rain.










'Timeless tales of romance, conflict and magic'

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Long haired hotties for July

I decided to do something different with my blog and pay homage to a lifelong passion of mine--men with long hair. Every month I will feature a different long haired hottie from music or movies. I would like to start off with the two long haired hotties who filled my early years with joy and many wonderful daydreams. So for the month of July, my featured long haired hotties are David Lee Roth of Van Halen and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. I so enjoyed finding these old pictures of them. It brought back many pleasant memories for me. I like that Robert Plant still has long locks and looks great for his age. He reminds me of a Celtic king. All he needs is a crown and long sword. Yum.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkeuTwQxQwGgAF3iJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DDavid%2BLee%2BRoth%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D24&w=500&h=518&imgurl=userserve-ak.last.fm%2Fserve%2F500%2F53300447%2FDavid%2BLee%2BRoth%2BRoth.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.last.fm%2Fmusic%2FDavid%2BLee%2BRoth%2F%2Bimages%2F53300447&size=33.9+KB&name=David+Lee+Roth+Pictures+%2817+of+36%29+%E2%80%93+Last.fm&p=David+Lee+Roth&oid=a755dfb75132acc1ecf0ad9316a6ec5c&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=David%2BLee%2BRoth%2BPictures%2B%252817%2Bof%2B36%2529%2B%25E2%2580%2593%2BLast.fm&b=0&ni=48&no=24&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11onei7aj&sigb=13butbr2g&sigi=11vn8q28s&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkevDwQxQAikAnFaJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DRobert%2BPlant%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D2&w=738&h=1049&imgurl=4.bp.blogspot.com%2F_ffF2ei-kKXA%2FTEb9MnhVQbI%2FAAAAAAAADVE%2FcbzqQyj7Yuw%2Fs1600%2FRobert-Plant1.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwhat-listen.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Frobert-plant.html&size=99.5+KB&name=Robert+Plant&p=Robert+Plant&oid=d75bc7841cac40ccaabc05a9b8638421&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Robert%2BPlant&b=0&ni=42&no=2&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11pegf5tc&sigb=138grj4so&sigi=12qqrcc0m&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

Monday, July 06, 2009

New Release! Cat's Curse from Kelley Heckart


Kelley's latest Celtic romance release from Awe-Struck is titled Cat's Curse and is the first book in her Dark Goddess trilogy.


Blurb: Cardea, follower of the Great Goddess is cursed to live an eternity as a blood drinker.


Aedan mac Gabrain, prince of Dal Riata and a Christian, trusts no one after suffering a curse that keeps him from touching any females or he will turn into a black cat.
Can two tortured souls find love while battling a dark goddess determined to destroy them?


Daisy of Love

Kelley's Daisy of Love posts can be found on her myspace blog http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll

Check in to see what Daisy and her mimbos are up to each week.

Friday, April 24, 2009

The Art of Kissing

Since I write romances kissing has been something I have often wondered about. Watching Rock of Love has brought it to my attention even more. And it got me thinking.

When I see Bret Michaels coming in for a kiss on one of his lovely stripper/groupie potential love mates, I cringe. Why do I cringe? Because all I see is this big, fat tongue coming out of his open mouth as his lips go in for the kiss. Then I get to hear all the slurping and smacking. Am I the only one grossed out by this? My idea of a great kiss is one that starts off with the lips touching before any tongue comes out. If a big, sloppy tongue is coming at me it better be from one of my dogs, not a guy.

I notice this kind of sloppy kiss is prevalent in movies and television. Why? Does it make the love scene more dramatic? Does Bret Michaels really kiss like that (yuck) or is he trying to perform for the cameras? Are tender, quiet kisses boring? Maybe I am just a fuddy-duddy about it.

What do you consider to be a great kiss? And to all the writers out there—how do you write kissing scenes? Do you want your hero devouring the heroine's face? I suppose it would be comical to have the hero completely suck the face off the heroine. In reality, love scenes are not all perfection. In my soon-to-be released Night's Daughter, the young, inexperienced prince tries to seduce the older, experienced concubine with a sloppy kiss. She gently coaxes him to slow his over eager kisses. I also remember an episode of Sex and the City when a guy kissed Charlotte and totally licked her face. She reacted with disgust. Yuck. It grosses me out just thinking about it.

My favorite kissing scene on television happened between Buffy and Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They are at the bar in the Bronze and Spike stalks away in anger because Buffy refuses to admit her desire for him (she is also feeling hurt because Giles is leaving for England). Then the camera sweeps through the crowded Bronze and rests on a couple making out. It's Spike and Buffy locked in a passionate kiss, a kiss full of angst and desire with the music of Michelle Branch's Goodbye to You playing. The kiss says it all--Buffy wants to stay away from Spike, but a part of her desires him and needs someone to ease her aching heart, her lust for him uncontrollable. Whew, just thinking of that puts a smile on my face. I don't recall hearing any slurping or smacking sounds, or seeing any wayward tongues, but then I think Spike is way sexier than Bret Michaels. I need to watch that episode again. What is your favorite kissing scene? Or least favorite?

For anyone feeling lip-locked challenged, there are websites and books with tips on how to give the perfect kiss.
http://www.love-sessions.com/kissing_art.htm
http://www.kissingtips.com/art-of-kissing/Preludes.php
Here is a kissing quote from http://www.kissingtips.com/:
You may conquer with the sword, but you are conquered by a kiss. -Daniel Heinsius

I want a kiss to conquer me, but not devour me. In faery tales, a kiss is powerful and can make two people fall in love or break an evil curse—think Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. A kiss can make or break a budding relationship. It's the first step to finding out if that special spark exists between two people. So, to all you guys out there, reign in those tongues until the lips touch. And that means you, Bret. Hmmm. I wonder if that is why he is having trouble finding his Rock of Love.

Kelley
http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

P.S. If you want to read more about Bret Michaels, check out my satirical blogs posts on Rock of Love and Rock of Love Bus http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=29034464

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Cheesy love songs--why we love to hate them

I was listening to the Mark and Brian radio show and they were talking about how embarrassing it is to be caught listening to a cheesy love song. It made me think that while these songs are ridiculed by most, we still listen to them and enjoy them. Why? Is it because they make you feel good or maybe invoke some cherished memory?

I even have my favorite cheesy love songs that when they come on the radio in the car, I shut my windows and hope no one can hear them. When I hear one of these songs, I admit to even trying to sing along. It's like a button gets turned on inside of me and I forget to act cool.

Now there are some people who just love this type of music, but I grew up a head banger (for those who aren't familiar, a head banger listens to hard rock/metal & instead of dancing, nods their head along to the beat). My favorite bands are Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and more recently—Flyleaf, Nightwish & Evanescence. I do listen to softer bands like Blackmore's Night, but I am not a fan of Celine Dion, Queen of cheesy love songs, or anyone like that. So while I dislike this type of music, which I think also belongs in the category of elevator music, I cannot turn the station when one of these songs plays.

I looked over the song list for our wedding and strangely none of the top 100 love songs were on that list. Cheesy love songs belong at weddings. I was probably too embarrassed to add them or maybe my husband forbid them. I can't remember that far back. The only songs that come close to being cheesy love songs on our wedding song list are You Were Meant for Me by Jewel, Angel Eyes by Jeff Healy and Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton. Our theme song was If You Don't Know Me By Now by Simply Red because we were together a long time before we decided to get married. I think we were already past that cheesy love song moment in our lives.

What constitutes a cheesy love song? I would say this is a matter of personal taste, any song you are embarrassed to be caught listening to would be a cheesy love song. My favorites are If You Leave Me Now by Chicago, I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston,(although Dolly Parton's version is much better and I would not consider her version cheesy, but that's not the version I listen to), My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion (she has to be on everyone's cheesy love song list), Waiting For a Girl Like You by Foreigner, Wherever You Go by Bryan Adams and anything by Ambrosia.

What are your favorite cheesy love songs? Ah, come on, everyone has a favorite cheesy love song even the big, burly biker dude.

http://%20mag.weddingcentral.com.au/music/songs/love-songs.htm

http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Strange lights in the Lake Havasu skies

There are a lot of strange sightings here in Lake Havasu City, Arizona of the people variety, but recently there have been strange lights spotted in the night skies. I always stare up into the night sky wondering about distant planets and hoping to see something of interest. I am bummed that I keep missing these weird sightings, but one local man was able to photograph them.

http://lukephillips.wordpress.com/2009/01/05/close-encounters/#comments

So far, there has been no explanation as to what these lights are. A UFO expert is supposed to visit and investigate. The military is staying quiet, but they did say they haven't been flying in the southern part of the skies (where the lights were spotted). This area has a history of strange lights in the sky. I guess UFOs like to fly above the desert.

Has anyone else ever seen strange, unexplained lights in the sky?

I saw something strange in the night skies in New Jersey once. It had to be about thirty years ago when I was a teenager. I was sitting in my darkened room listening to rock music and staring outside my window. Not sure why I was doing that. I may have been waiting for my friends to show up so I could sneak out. Anyway, I saw these red lights moving in the sky in erratic movements, not a smooth straight line like an airplane would fly. I never said anything, but other people saw them too so I guess I wasn't hallucinating. At least not at that moment. Hey, it was the late 70s.

I am not sure what to make of it, but the lights do appear to be something paranormal-- kind of like a giant, fiery worm that belongs in a Sci-Fi flick. So far no abductions have been reported. I wonder if I have to worry about that.

Kelley
http://www.kelleyheckart.com

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Tucson Celtic Festival Book Signing


A beautiful sunny day greeted me on Saturday morning for my book signing at the Tucson Celtic festival, but it could have been about ten degrees cooler. A desert rat, I am accustomed to hot weather in the summer, but not in November. I felt sorry for the people dressed in traditional Scottish wear made for the damp, cold Scotland climate, not for desert heat. The hot weather must have made people really thirsty because they ran out of most of the ale by mid-afternoon and by the condition of some of those I spoke to, I think they were the ones who drank all the ale. It made for an interesting day, that's for sure.

This was my third year attending this particular Celtic festival. I enjoy the scenery every year of men striding about in kilts. Even the security officers wear black Utilikilts. Yummy. Oh, and the solemn, commanding mountain range was a beautiful sight to look at too.

This year I signed with best-selling author Amanda Scott. For those not familiar with her, she has written at least fifty books from regencies to Scottish historical novels so you can imagine how nervous I was to be sitting next to her. In fact, I almost cancelled this year because I thought with the sagging economy and Amanda Scott's presence my sales would be lower than previous years. In the end, I decided to attend if only for the promotional opportunity and the chance to meet a best-selling author. I was not sure what kind of person Ms. Scott would be. I wondered if she would be a diva. Well, she turned out to be a really nice lady and I was glad I decided not to wimp out and miss the festival. She even signed a copy of one of her books that I had bought, but had not had the chance to read yet.

It started out slow for me and at first more people approached Amanda making me feel invisible, but things eventually picked up for me. One technique that always works well for me is to hand out bookmarks to people who dare to glance my way. I learned this from another author and it works wonders. I ended up selling more books than previous years and a few people came up to me saying they read my first book and had to have my second book. A couple of them even bought my third book. I was thrilled and Amanda leaned over and said, "That's when you know you are on your way." Cool. I expect more sales will come from all the bookmarks I handed out. Some people were thrilled to know that my books are available on Kindle, which made me happy to know that e-books are gaining popularity.

It turned out to be a wonderful way to spend a Saturday sitting there selling books, watching men in kilts, meeting some fans (even if it was only three or four), talking with a best-selling author, watching men in kilts…

Kelley

Friday, September 26, 2008

Writing Meaningful Sex Scenes in Romances

One thing I have struggled with as a romance writer is trying to write sex scenes that have some significance and are not just thrown in to spice up the story. I like to keep my romantic scenes sensual and not graphic, preferring to leave something to the imagination. After all, a reader wants to use their imagination, right? This has proven to be a challenge because I do not want to write purple prose, but I have managed to avoid this by keeping a balance between the two and avoiding terms deemed too flowery.

Sex scenes like any other scenes should reveal something about the character. Is she shy, bold or somewhere in between? Does he prefer to have control or does he like it when she takes control? Humor is something I like to add to these scenes sometimes to show how characters will react. I recently wrote a sex scene where the bed broke. I think readers can identify with the characters more if reality steps in to the love scenes. It is not all perfection as in life it is not all perfection. By writing scenes where the hero and heroine are most vulnerable, it reveals something about their personality.

The way men and women think in the bedroom are different too. Ladies, how many times do we want our man to stay awake after the coupling only to have him role over and start snoring? Or, what about the man feeling frustration because he still cannot figure out how to please his lady? The time period a story is set in also makes a difference in how characters will act, but I think the above scenarios have been happening in bedrooms for centuries.

It has taken me some practice, but when I write sex scenes between my hero and heroine, I think about each character and pull pieces of their personalities into the scenes. Well-written romantic scenes can reveal a lot about a character and add to the story.

Kelley
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://www.myspace.com/phantomqueen3