New Year's Blog Hop

I hope you have a great time during the hop. Book mark sites you want to return to, then head out to enter on all the other hops so you get your contest entries in on all the blogs! Good luck everyone!

PRIZE:   One winner - PDF file of my new short fantasy romance titled The Enchanted Meadow!

MY Contest Rules: 3 things to do:

Leave a comment

Include your email addy (santa.claus at yahoo dot com)

Like my Facebook page at

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

You're done!

Nothing difficult and not a bunch of hoops to jump through. (I don't like it when I have to visit other sites to enter a contest either!) Leave your comment here then begin the hop! Leave my window open, right click on the next blog and open in a new tab. Close that window after you've finished their contest requirements, come back here and right click the next blog.

http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=119669

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

   Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

   http://www.kelleyheckart.com

Out of touch with modern times

A question I often ask myself is why do I prefer to write historical novels over contemporary ones? Most of the popular books are contemporary so I could probably make more money writing in modern settings. It also seems like it would be easier to write a story in a contemporary setting rather than having to research a historical time period. For most writers that’s probably true, but for me with the weird brain it seems more natural for me to write historical novels.

I can relate to certain time periods—from ancient to about the ninth century. I have a special fascination for Dark Age Scotland and Britain. I think it’s because that was a mysterious time in history. Most people think ‘Dark Age’ means that everything turned into chaos and that people were complete savages. Well, some of that may be true, but the true reason the term ‘Dark Age’ is used is because it was a time when nothing was put in writing or at least no written texts have been found during that time period.

Historians and scholars can speculate what happened and piece together some of the information through archaeology, but the truth is we don’t know what happened. That is a great opportunity for a writer to use his/her imagination.

For me it’s easier to research an earlier time period than it is to try and write a novel set in modern times with all the changing technology. All the technology confuses me for some reason. I can’t relate to texting all the time. I have the cheapest, text unfriendly cell phone and rarely send a text. In a romance novel the hero and heroine need to connect. To me that means that they need to actually talk to each other and spend time together. Modern technology pulls people apart, at least in my mind. What better way to connect to a lover than to sit by a fire and gaze into each other’s eyes?

I’ve come to the conclusion that my body is here in the modern world, but my brain is stuck back in time.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/ Check out my long hair hotties!
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

http://kelleyheckart.com/BookShelf.html

http://kelleyheckart.com/TheEnchantedMeadow.html

Long Hair Hottie for December!

This Native American Texan, Christian Kane, is an actor and a singer/songwriter. I remember him as the evil lawyer Lindsey in Angel. Now he is kicking butt and making the ladies swoon on TNT's popular show Leverage.

http://www.tntdrama.com/series/leverage/display/?contentId=43179

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkCAcqQxQajUADMyJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3Dchristian%2Bkane%2Bleverage%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D27&w=400&h=550&imgurl=www.whedonsworld.co.uk%2Fpix%2Finterviews%2F2010%2Fdecember%2Fchristian01.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.whedonsworld.co.uk%2Finterviews%2Fangel%2Fguest%2Fseason1%2F2010%2Fchristian%2Fusaweekend.html&size=10.2+KB&name=Christian+Kane+rocks+on+%26%2339%3BLeverage%26%2339%3B+and+on+new+country+album.&p=christian+kane+leverage&oid=062bcfce394fe4d9ef6fb4396c20d16d&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Christian%2BKane%2Brocks%2Bon%2B%2526%252339%253BLeverage%2526%252339%253B%2Band%2Bon%2Bnew%2Bcountry%2Balbum.&b=0&ni=42&no=27&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12rbbs66p&sigb=13k9tccc3&sigi=1231mmggc&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'

http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Romance—Writing those dreaded sex scenes

I must be weird because I write romance, but I dread having to write sex scenes. I’m not a prude. The time I spent in an all girl hard rock band taught me more than I needed to know about, well, sexually related stuff and made it all seem so normal. I think what I dislike about writing sex scenes is I want to avoid making them too stiff (no, I didn’t mean this as a pun) or too laughable (as in purple prose). No matter what I end up writing in the sex scenes, I can’t read them without giggling.
So, what is the best way to write a sex scene? I try to bring the characters’ personalities into the bedroom scenes and sometimes humor. Real life sex isn’t always perfect so I want to add that bit of realism, but not too much realism that it will turn a romance reader off. The key to a good romance is to have some fantasy for the reader to enjoy because that’s why people read romances—to escape reality.

By revealing a character’s personality in a sex scene, a writer can show how a character would act or react. For example, a Pict king in my Dark Goddess trilogy is shown enjoying being bitten by my blood drinker heroine, which reveals his wild side. For some humor, I have an ongoing joke with my hero and heroine in my Dark Goddess trilogy—their enthusiasm in the bedchamber breaks many beds.
My biggest challenge is naming all those pesky body parts without sounding too graphic (who knew that cock was a vulgar term for a penis?) or too flowery (her ‘rose petals of love’ won’t do). I also have to keep my terms relevant to the time period I am writing so I can’t use modern slang.

I don’t want all of my sex scenes to sound the same either. Too much caressing, stroking, entwining, writhing and thrusting can get tedious. A change in scenery can help break up the monotony. Or some honey instead of whipped cream. That just gave me an idea. Maybe this isn’t as hard as I thought. All I needed to do was to experiment a bit.

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/ Check out my long hair hotties!
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Three different women, one ancient curse…
http://kelleyheckart.com/winters_requiem.html

Long Hair Hottie for November!

This Hawaiian native, Jason Momoa, is an actor who is probably best known for playing the character of Ronon Dex in the TV series Stargate Atlantis. He has been cast to play the lead in the 2011 remake of Conan the Barbarian. Wow, if this is what a barbarian looks like, bring him on.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJke2rqQxQqycABICJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3Dconan%2Bthe%2Bbarbarian%252C%2Bjason%2Bmomoa%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D1&w=864&h=576&imgurl=0.tqn.com%2Fd%2Fmovies%2F1%2F0%2Fh%2FC%2FX%2Fconan-barbarian-jason-momoa-photo.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmovies.about.com%2Fod%2Fconanthebarbarian%2Fig%2FConan-the-Barbarian-Photos%2FJason-Momoa-Photo.htm&size=162.4+KB&name=Jason+Momoa+photo+from+Conan+the+Barbarian&p=conan+the+barbarian%2C+jason+momoa&oid=18171643a45844dad8e3a6b31e2be7c5&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Jason%2BMomoa%2Bphoto%2Bfrom%2BConan%2Bthe%2BBarbarian&b=0&ni=48&no=1&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=1300ot84j&sigb=13uqc5kmd&sigi=122ot1sjm&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'

http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Writing fiction—don’t forget the Goal, Motivation and Conflict

The GMC or Goal, Motivation and Conflict are the most important ingredients in storytelling and somehow I started a story and forgot all about the GMC. I had my basic idea and characters, but when I started working on the story, I forgot to pin down the three main points. It didn’t take me long to realize that my story had no where to go because my characters had no specific desires or wanted to gain anything and nothing was holding them back. No GMC = no story.

First, the goal is the one thing the main characters want. The goal needs to be something that they want so badly they will do anything to get to that goal. The goal should be important enough for characters to act against.
The motivation is why the characters want what they want—the drive and back-story. Anything is possible for a character as long as the writer explains why to give the reader enough motivation to give the story credibility. The writer needs to know their characters well so that the actions stay in character and are justified and clear to readers. When a character wants something bad enough, the reader will too.
The last piece is conflict—why the characters can’t get what they want, the trouble, tension and roadblocks that are preventing the characters from achieving their goals. Conflict drives the plot and motivates the characters. There are two types of conflict—external and internal. External conflict can be a person, an intolerable situation or an act of God. Internal conflict is inner struggles within the characters.
I find it helpful to have character charts for my main characters. Here is an example of a character chart that I use to help me get to know my characters so I can define their goals, motivation and conflict:
Character Name:
Sun Sign:
Race:
Age:
Height:
Hair Color:
Eye Color:
Skin Color:
Weapons:
Religion or Beliefs:
Dilemma:
Goal:
Motivation:
Conflict:
His secret:
What would destroy him:
What would help him survive and be better:
Bad Trait:
Good Trait:

Happy Writing!

Kelley Heckart

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

Three different women, one ancient curse…
http://kelleyheckart.com/winters_requiem.html

Technorati Tags: kelley heckart,writing tips,writing,writing fiction,goal,motivation,conflict,character charts,gmc

Long Hair Hottie for October!

This Australian hottie, Chris Hemsworth, plays the lead in the soon to be released movie, Thor. I don't even need to post pics because the name Thor conjures up the image of a tall, muscular man with long blond hair. But here are the pics anyway. Enjoy, ladies. I will be seeing this movie for sure.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkPc0qgxQJD0AJ3aJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3Dchris%2Bhemsworth%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D21&w=1600&h=1200&imgurl=static.go4celebrity.com%2Fwallpapers%2FChris-Hemsworth%2FChris-Hemsworth-004.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.go4celebrity.com%2Fchris-hemsworth.htm&size=583.5+KB&name=Chris+Hemsworth+%281600x1200%29&p=chris+hemsworth&oid=286efefd8f8410a23959d77394356018&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Chris%2BHemsworth%2B%25281600x1200%2529&b=0&ni=48&no=21&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11ftsn96d&sigb=13cremqk1&sigi=12a5fcjqq&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://www.chris-hemsworth.net/gallery/

Kelley Heckart
'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'
http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Hanging on to Faith

Faith is something you can’t see or feel. Faith is something that only applies to humans, it's something we all need in order to survive. Or to keep us sane.

I’ve scoffed at faith many times. I’m not a religious person. I’m more spiritual so I don’t belong to a church of any kind. I always thought it silly when I heard someone say they had faith that God would provide. Isn’t it our obligation to make things happen for ourselves? But I’ve also had respect for faith claimers when something remarkable happens to me like the pieces of a puzzle coming together at just the right moment when it’s needed. I guess you could even say that things happen for a reason. Maybe that’s the atheist version of faith.

I’ve always associated faith with large religious groups, but I’ve come to realize that anyone can have faith, even those who don’t believe in God. Faith comes in many shapes and sizes. There is faith in oneself, faith in family and friends, faith in the world and faith in a job, hopes or dreams. Faith keeps us going, grasping on to something to help keep us from falling.
I have come close to losing faith in the world, in our government and people in high places that just let everything fall apart. I’ve decided that I just need to keep having faith in myself and my place in the world, and allow things to happen as they happen.

And I’ve learned one important lesson: You can’t control everything and it’s best to let the things you can’t control slip by. Having faith can make this easier.

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/ Check out my long hair hotties!
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Three different women, one ancient curse…
http://kelleyheckart.com/winters_requiem.html

Long Hair Hottie for September!

My pick for September even has a sexy, hero-esque name—Eoin Macken. This Irish hunk used to be a model for Abercrombie and Fitch. He came on my radar when he joined the cast of the popular SyFy television show Merlin as Gwaine. He wears leather and chain mail very well. Ladies, I'm sure you will enjoy this month's pick.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkPfqqgxQiToA5f2JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DEoin%2BMacken%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D2&w=497&h=589&imgurl=trialx.com%2Fcuretalk%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F7%2Ffiles%2F2011%2F04%2Fgcelebrities%2FEoin_Macken-1.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftrialx.com%2Fcelebrities%2F2011%2F07%2F29%2Feoin-macken-images%2F&size=181.1+KB&name=Eoin+Macken+Images&p=Eoin+Macken&oid=e700ac6177429f1f0ff6da98379e6f2c&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Eoin%2BMacken%2BImages&b=0&ni=42&no=2&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11sik5h29&sigb=137qrkmlm&sigi=12nrgietc&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://eoin-macken.com/

Kelley Heckart
'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'
http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Looking forward, not backward

I have always been one to keep moving forward. If I left a job and had the opportunity to return to that job, I declined and decided on a new opportunity. I applied the same rule to boyfriends. If I broke up with a guy and he asked me to give him another chance, I didn’t. Perhaps I was too harsh, but maybe not. Maybe I was right to move on to a new guy, a new experience. I find myself applying this rule to my writing as well.

Now that I have seven novels finished—six published and one contracted, I have been thinking about the next phase in my writing career. One thing I have pondered is whether I should go back and re-write/re-release my first couple of novels. I keep having this thought that I could make them better since I am a more experienced writer now. But my rule of ‘keep moving forward’ is standing in my way. And maybe I should follow my rule.

If I decided to re-write and re-release some of these earlier novels, then precious time and energy that could be used to start and finish a new series and/or new stories would be wasted. A little voice inside my head is telling me to move forward, to put out new stories. I think I should listen to that voice.

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/ Check out my long hair hotties!
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Three different women, one ancient curse…
http://kelleyheckart.com/winters_requiem.html

Technorati Tags: kelley heckart,self-help,life lessons,looking foward,writing

Long Hair Hottie for August!

This British actor, Tom Ellis, is a complete mystery. I found some pictures of him as Cenred, the character he plays in Merlin, but I couldn't find any personal information on him. Not sure why but that is kind of a turn on—a man of mystery. This hot, hunky, mysterious man plays an evil warlord named Cenred in SyFy's Merlin Gotta love those villains, especially dressed in leather and chain mail, wielding not one, but two swords. Wow. Love the smell of leather. Okay, I'm falling into TMI territory here.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkIeTqwxQJ34AXV.JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3Dtom%2Bellis%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D12&w=640&h=427&imgurl=3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TkAStdXhtDs%2FTadqg3dv28I%2FAAAAAAAAAiI%2F3TM_bYqiz4g%2Fs1600%2Ftom%2Bellis_cenred.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fkelleysrealm.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Flong-hair-hottie-for-august.html&size=138+KB&name=Kelley%26%2339%3Bs+Realm+of+Writing%3A+Long+Hair+Hottie+for+August%21&p=tom+ellis&oid=ddfd9677c913b103617edf2512bafb36&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Kelley%2526%252339%253Bs%2BRealm%2Bof%2BWriting%253A%2BLong%2BHair%2BHottie%2Bfor%2BAugust%2521&b=0&ni=48&no=12&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=129s4k6tg&sigb=136u1clsh&sigi=12tr5hk8h&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'
http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Letting go of the past

I admit I like to collects things—knick-knacks and memorabilia from my past. My collecting wasn’t too bad in the beginning, but after 30 plus years of stuff, my house is full. Most of the things I have are worthless to anyone but me. The necklaces and bracelets I’ve kept over the years are pretty or cool, but I don’t wear them anymore. So why do I keep them? I think I hang on to my rocker jewelry because of the memories that are imprinted in the various leather-studded, skull-adorned, snake-shaped jewelry that I used to wear as part of my rock-n-roll persona, a part of my life that no longer exists. A psychiatrist would probably say that I am afraid to let go of that part of my life.

And then there are the numerous crystals and stones that I have collected over the years. Do I need that many rocks? No. I don’t need all the shot glasses and other stuff in my giant curio cabinet either. I remember when I went shopping for this curio cabinet and ended up buying the largest one I could find and easily filled it with stuff. I actually have two curio cabinets—the small one I started out with (and should have stopped with that one) and the gigantic one that the movers could barely get into our house.

No, I am not surrounded by stacks of boxes or left with tiny pathways to move around my house—at least not yet. After reading about a woman in Las Vegas that was believed to be missing and later found dead under piles of her belongings, and after watching a couple of episodes of Hoarders, I have finally started getting rid of some of my things that I don’t use anymore. By purging some of these things from my past, I feel like I can breathe easier and think more clearly. For the first time, I can find a tank top right away and not have to spend fifteen minutes digging through piles of them to find what I am looking for. I kept a couple of pieces of my rocker jewelry, but got rid of the rest. And I am proud to say that I have an empty drawer in my dresser for the first time in years. The empty drawer is screaming for me to fill it up with stuff, but I’m not listening.
By letting go of the past, I feel a freedom I haven’t felt in a long time.

Kelley Heckart

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

Technorati Tags: kelley heckart,clutter,letting go,articles,self-help,fighting clutter

Long Hair Hottie for July!

This talented Chilean actor, Santiago Cabrera, trained at London's prestigious Drama Center. He had small roles in British television series. His breakthrough role was in the widely popular US show Heroes. I noticed him when he was cast as Lancelot in the popular SyFy series Merlin. This six-foot hunk is hot with or without long hair, but of course I prefer him with longer hair. And he plays a very fine Lancelot, looking awesome wielding a long sword.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkCIJrAxQGkIAz1OJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DSantiago%2BCabrera%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D9&w=683&h=1024&imgurl=greenobles.com%2Fdata_images%2Fsantiago-cabrera%2Fsantiago-cabrera-06.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fgreenobles.com%2Fsantiago-cabrera.html&size=167+KB&name=Santiago+Cabrera+%3A+Photo+%2306&p=Santiago+Cabrera&oid=592aa97993bec57dc61b1b43bb134762&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Santiago%2BCabrera%2B%253A%2BPhoto%2B%252306&b=0&ni=42&no=9&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11b7es9ji&sigb=13crmihup&sigi=123c081kn&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

Kelley Heckart
'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'
http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Are Writer’s Socially Inept?

I’ve been wondering about this lately because I have finally admitted that I am socially inept. Or slightly autistic. I’m not sure which yet. And yes, I am totally serious and not trying to make fun of an illness. I asked my mom about this because I just found my report cards from when I was in pre-school on up to high school. A majority of the teachers said I don’t socialize enough and need to participate in class. I did get really good grades in reading and English. It appears that from an early age, I didn’t like or was unable to socialize well.

The biggest problem I am having lately is making and keeping friends. I guess I shouldn’t say that I don’t know how to make friends. Making friends is easy. It’s trying to keep a friend that boggles my mind. I don’t like to call people because I feel like I am bugging them. But now I think that maybe people think I don’t want to talk to them. And I’m beginning to suspect that I say things that turn people off and I’m not even aware of what exactly I am saying to make people un-friend me. I’m not even sure how I made it this far in life.

I’ve never been a touchy-feely kind of person. I’m pretty sure I’m related to the Vulcan Spock and I have hermit-like tendencies.

But what does all of this have to do with writing? Maybe nothing or maybe writers are naturally drawn to an occupation that doesn’t involve interacting with people.

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/ Check out my long hair hotties!
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Technorati Tags: kelley heckart,writers,reclusive writers,j.d. salinger,edgar allen poe,writers and social skills

Long Hair Hottie for June!

I seem to have stumbled on another wrestler with long hair. For June, my pick is Greg Marasciulo aka Trent Barreta. For all you ladies out there that like Italian men, Trent Barreta can be seen on the SyFy channel on Smackdown. Gotta love the wicked tight pants he wears for wrestling. :)

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkPmjrAxQB3EA9wuJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DTrent%2BBarreta%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D1&w=308&h=384&imgurl=2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_UcF1Et2A30c%2FTOYvUfCaOUI%2FAAAAAAAAD5U%2Fh_UfA_XJQhk%2Fs400%2FTrent-Barreta.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fgwt-wrestling.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Ftrent-barreta.html&size=26.7+KB&name=Trent+Barreta&p=Trent+Barreta&oid=08e6a383a6cf76244bad31ccd3103213&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Trent%2BBarreta&b=0&ni=42&no=1&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11sp4lj8h&sigb=139hk52ii&sigi=12pg20l6o&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://www.wwe.com/superstars/trentbarreta

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

In Fiction: What Happened to Lengthy Descriptions?

I remember reading thick, five hundred page novels filled with lengthy descriptions that transported the reader to another time or place. The descriptions created the right atmosphere to forget about everything else except the story. I would be enthralled by an exotic location, or glass blowing in ancient Crete and even the art of blacksmithing. Cool stuff, those descriptions. But they seem to be passé in the writing world.
Lately, I have noticed that stories are filled with lots of action and short sentences that move the story along, but leave me feeling jolted, as if I just got off a wild, but short roller coaster ride.

I wonder if this has to do with our society today and how everything moves at such a fast speed. Maybe people just want the meat of the story and the action, but want to pass on all the descriptions because they don’t have time to read a long novel. Another thought I had was that with the rise of ebooks, it seems that ebook readers prefer to read shorter, action-packed stories. In today’s fiction, is there room for lengthy descriptions?
While reading a fast-paced story might appeal to some readers, I still prefer the lengthy descriptions. I want to get lost in a story for an hour or two a day for a couple of weeks, not for only thirty minutes a day for two days. I want to languish in the story and reflect on the characters, not feel like I barely met the characters.
I hope there are still readers and authors that enjoy a longer, descriptive story. I can’t think of anything that’s better for calming a hurried mind except getting lost for a while in a good book.

Kelley Heckart

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

Technorati Tags: kelley heckart,fiction,lengthy descriptions,long novels,writing articles,modern fiction

Long Hair Hottie for May!

For May, I decided to go with someone a little older. Shawn Michaels in an older man with long hair, but since I am 'older' too, I wanted to pick him for all the other 'older' ladies out there. Known in the wrestling world as The Heartbreak Kid, this wrestler still looks damn hot. He still has a rocking hard body from being a pro wrestler from 1988 until 2010.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkes9rQxQ4g0AFSGJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DShawn%2BMichaels%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D2&w=477&h=543&imgurl=www.artinbase.com%2Fslika%2Fbig%2F13103181%2FShawn%2BMichaels%2B%2B39.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.artinbase.com%2Fartist%2F25986%2FShawn%2520Michaels%2F&size=75.4+KB&name=Shawn+Michaels+39&p=Shawn+Michaels&oid=2041388c44fbb6e9a20cb1c0367b9eca&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Shawn%2BMichaels%2B39&b=0&ni=48&no=2&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11np8q853&sigb=13acodu40&sigi=11r05au55&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://www.wwe.com/superstars/hbk

Kelley Heckart
Historical fantasy romance
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Characters with Disabilities or Health Issues

In creating a character for one of my books, I decided to give him migraine headaches. This came about because I started having migraines a couple of years ago and I thought by giving him a health problem, it would add a touch of realism to the character. This character was an invincible king and I wanted to make him seem a little vulnerable to make him more likeable.

Do readers like to read stories with characters that are disabled or have a health issue? I know there are a lot of romances with heroes that are depressed or somewhat mentally scarred from dealing with a painful past, but I don’t see many heroes in romances with physical issues. Some of the heroes I’ve read about had scars, but not any other physical disorders. Beauty and the Beast is a great example of a story with a character that has physical scars. These types of romances are popular, but what about a hero that is crippled?

I would like to see more stories like this. Maybe I will write one. I had an idea for a romance with a crippled hero—he can walk but walks with a pronounced limp and it limits him from doing things he used to do. Being crippled can make a man feel less of a man and I think this is a great concept for a romance—how does he overcome his fears? Or his frustration and anger? How does the heroine help him cope with his disability? This was something that came to mind—what if the heroine caused his crippling injury?

This gives a writer a lot to think about.


Kelley Heckart


'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'


http://www.kelleyheckart.com/


http://twitter.com/CelticChick


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

Long Hair Hottie for April!

For the month of April, I picked a personal favorite of mine. This American actor has been on my radar for some time now. Jared Tristan Padelecki grew up in Texas and has appeared in television shows like Gilmore Girls and several Hollywood movies, but he caught my attention when he starred in the CW show called Supernatural. Both of the stars of this show are hot, but only Jared has the long hair requirement to be a pick for my blog. Enjoy!

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkCLYrQxQaDkAeFuJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DJared%2BTristan%2Bpadalecki%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D2&w=470&h=708&imgurl=eyecandy.abzolute.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F07%2F080720jared01.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Feyecandy.abzolute.net%2F2008%2F07%2F22%2Fhappy-birthday-26th-jared-tristan-padalecki%2F&size=69+KB&name=Happy+Birthday+26th+Jared+Tristan+Padalecki&p=Jared+Tristan+padalecki&oid=48b506f66f7e308608bfd1fff3b62830&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Happy%2BBirthday%2B26th%2BJared%2BTristan%2BPadalecki&b=0&ni=42&no=2&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12k4p2n5u&sigb=13jvai0ng&sigi=122ordjpl&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0655585/

Kelley Heckart
Historical fantasy romance
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Writing a Virgin Heroine

I’m trying something different for my latest novel—a virgin heroine. This is a bit challenging for me because all of my heroines so far have been sexually experienced women. This has me a little nervous about this book.
I want to avoid mistakes in creating this kind of character. One thing I want to make sure I do right is writing a realistic scene when she loses her virginity. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Too many times I’ve read books with virgin heroines and that didn’t seem realistic to me because the characters experience the perfect first time sex. Seriously? Not one bit of awkwardness? Or pain? I know what I’m talking about here. Most sexual encounters are imperfect, but for sure the very first time a woman has sex is painful.
I realize that romance books are supposed to be a fantasy for women—the guy is a total hunk and the sex is so hot. And that’s okay with me, but how about putting some reality into at least one sex scene, especially if the heroine is losing her virginity.
And just because she’s a virgin, it doesn’t mean that the character has to be completely innocent and stupid. That’s stereotypical to me. The character I am working on has been trained to wed a king, an enemy king, so she is well versed in the workings of court and her role as a queen. She’s intelligent and strong-willed. But when it comes to love, she is inexperienced—unsure of her feelings and easily charmed by the wrong man. I think most women remember being fooled by a guy at some time in the past because of inexperience.
Who knows, the virgin heroine may end up being my favorite character to create. At the very least I will get to revisit my own past as I recall what it was like being a virgin—if I can remember that far back.

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'

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

Technorati Tags: kelley heckart,writing tips,virgin heroines,writing romances

Long Hair Hottie for March!

I stumbled on this hottie by accident when I decided to check out the new ABC show called Off the Map. I ended up liking the show and one of the main characters (Ben Keeton) played by Aussie actor, Martin Henderson. What is it about these Aussie men that make them so hot? Is it their accents, looks or both? This Aussie hunk has two qualities that I like in a man—long hair and a rugged, unshaved look. Hope you enjoy my March pick as much as I do.



http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkPy3rgxQ.EMAxG6JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DMartin%2BHenderson%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D15&w=667&h=1000&imgurl=i2.listal.com%2Fimage%2F1464520%2F936full-martin-henderson.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.listal.com%2Fviewimage%2F1464520h&size=149.4+KB&name=Martin+Henderson&p=Martin+Henderson&oid=da7a54b2272c0d8a2e93dec5d2dee416&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Martin%2BHenderson&b=0&ni=48&no=15&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=118nb94mq&sigb=13dcng419&sigi=11ob4e91h&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376540/

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

Stepping into the Action

One of the hardest parts of writing a book for me is the beginning. I have to remind myself of this writing rule: ‘never start your story at the beginning.’

Huh?

Exactly what I thought at first.

Then I gave it some thought. How a writer starts the story is really important. A story that starts too slow might lose readers.

Gone are the days when a writer can start a story with pretty prose and no action, and be able to lull readers into the story. Modern stories have to begin with action or at a significant part of the story.

As I was writing a new book I thought about this writing rule, and ended up cutting the first three chapters. Since I already know that beginnings are my weakest point, I took a hard look at this latest WIP and decided it needed to start with more action. The great thing about writing today on a computer is I can always go back and add the three chapters if I want to, but I doubt I will. If I thought the beginning was too slow then readers will certainly think it is slow.

Writing a good story is about making hard choices. A writer needs to be able to step away from the story and take an unbiased look at their work. This isn’t easy to do. I had a hard time with deciding to make changes to the beginning after slaving over the first three chapters. In the end though I decided the changes were necessary to improve the story.

So, get out there and write your heart out, but don’t be afraid to take scissors or that delete button to that beginning.

Happy writing and reading!

Note: In addition to my long hair hotties feature on the 1st of each month, I will also be posting on the 15th of each month about writing tips or life experiences.

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

For some, spring’s song is the sound of a harsh battle horn, for others, new love, for all—certain danger.

My book page at Awe-Struck

http://www.king-cart.com/Awe-Struck/category=Kelley+Heckart/exact_match=exact

Technorati Tags: writing tips,kelley heckart,romance novels,ebooks,editing,story beginnings,starting with action

Long Hair Hottie for February!

For February, I found this Scottish hottie while channel surfing and landed on Smackdown on SyFy. Andrew 'Drew' Galloway is a Scottish professional wrestler signed with the World Wrestling Entertainment where he wrestles on SyFy's Smackdown as Drew McIntyre. While he looks hot in his tight little wrestling shorts, this 6' 5" hunk of Scottish man meat also looks hot in a kilt. I like him better in a kilt. :)

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkP1GrwxQCG4A_TiJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DDrew%2BMcIntyre%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D1&w=292&h=293&imgurl=royalrumbler.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fdrew-mcintyre.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Froyalrumbler.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F01%2F03%2Fentry-31-40%2F&size=31.9+KB&name=Drew+McIntyre&p=Drew+McIntyre&oid=29fbc98e380c47711a8e1ccb57eaca63&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Drew%2BMcIntyre&b=0&ni=42&no=1&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11pkcbdn2&sigb=139vd7v3d&sigi=11qc5r2c9&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

http://www.hey-drew.com/

Kelley Heckart
Historical fantasy romance
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Long Hair Hottie for January!

Welcome to 2011! I thought I would start the new year off with a guy I found by accident while looking through a Phoenix Home & Garden magazine. Who would think to find a long hair hottie like that? I guess me. I'm always on the look out for a new hottie.

The hunky guy for January is from Spain. Of course all the hot ones are from another country. He is Roni Benise a Spanish guitarist with an edgy, exotic sound that is also romantic and sensual. Nice. His bio also describes his music as fiery melodies with high energy rhythms. I like.

Happy New Year!
                                  

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJke7DrwxQAwsARL.JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DRoni%2BBenise%26fr%3Dfp-yie9%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D5&w=322&h=322&imgurl=kvcr.org%2F%7E%2Fmedia%2FImages%2FSBCCD%2FKVCR%2FConcerts%2Ffull%2FBenise%25202010.ashx&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fkvcr.org%2FEvents%2FEvents%2FBenise.aspx&size=16.2+KB&name=Benise&p=Roni+Benise&oid=44ccf8eae314398609387e959f126bc1&fr2=&fr=fp-yie9&tt=Benise&b=0&ni=48&no=5&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=119s229e0&sigb=137rc9m0m&sigi=123gpbrq5&.crumb=3.Kx7Au1.rn

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com