Monday Musings: New Release by Kelley Heckart--The Crow Maiden (Greek myths, shapeshifters, romance)

New book release! The Crow Maiden, Greek myths/fantasy/shapeshifters/romance

In Print and Kindle on amazon.com

Book Title: The Crow Maiden

Author: Kelley Heckart

Author website: http://www.kelleyheckart.com

Genre: Greek myths/fantasy/paranormal/shapeshifters/romance

Release date: 1/6/17

Page Count: 180

ISBN- 13:978-1541140615

ISBN- 10:1541140613

ASIN:  B01N1ZBAF1

Kindle Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1ZBAF1

Trade Paperback Buy Link on amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1541140613/

Blurb

The Crow Maiden

Book 3: The Arcadia Series

(The Crow Maiden is a standalone story in the Arcadia Series)

She betrayed her goddess for him…

He betrayed her.

Plotting her revenge is her only solace. Until now.

Nahla is the Crow Maiden, an Arcadian, and once a priestess of Artemis. Now she is a captive, a being who lives in the shadows until her vile master the sorcerer-king Aramon summons her. Another releases her from the Shadowlands, and while he might be the champion she has waited for, the gods must be playing a cruel joke. Her champion is crippled.

An Achaean lord who once ruled a great city, Balin is a broken man. He has lost everything—his kingdom and his family. Revenge consumes him. Although wary of the mysterious, cold-eyed female who appears and claims he summoned her, she may be his only hope to exact vengeance on the king who ruined him, the same man Nahla seeks to destroy.

They are bound by revenge, and soon, both learn they are bound by much more, but the secrets she hides might tear them apart and ruin their only opportunity for vengeance—and their chance to love again.

“Ms. Heckart draws the reader into the pages and enchants them with her words.”

Karen McGill, Coffee Time Romance

Excerpt (PG):

Summoned from the Shadowlands, Nahla landed in a place of encircling darkness. Rays of light too weak to pierce the black shield glowed in the distance. Cold, damp air embraced her, penetrating her clothing and draping her body like a heavy winter cloak.

Footsteps echoed all around. She struggled to come to her senses, fighting disorientation. Seized by a wave of dizziness, she steadied herself on the hard, rough ground beneath her feet. The footsteps grew louder. They approached from the direction of the faint light.

He was coming.

She staggered backward and banged into a hard wall. Her arms extended, she moved to her right. Cold rock scraped her knuckles. She lunged left and grimaced as another firm, unforgiving surface stopped her other hand. Bound there by more than the walls, she waited in the stygian blackness.

Brandishing a torch, her summoner appeared and came toward her at a forceful pace. The fire blinded her, and she barely saw the glint of metal flashing in front of her.

Before she could evade the thrusting weapon, a cold, heavy blade touched her neck. The unfamiliar feel of a sharp blade against her skin made her freeze out of instinct, not because she was afraid of death. Nahla had already died once.

She waited for the weapon to slice through her flesh. A foreboding prickle raised the fine hairs of her nape. Something was different about this summoning. Her master would never kill her. He would never be that kind to her and set her free.

The one who wielded the blade dropped the torch in order to hold the weapon with both hands. The flaming light burned low and sputtered behind him or her, though she sensed whoever had brought her here was male by his leather, un-flowery scent and by the strength he possessed holding the heavy, brutal blade. Shadows concealing her summoner remained, and his deep, ragged breaths spoke of anger and despair.

“Who are you? How did you get in here?” he asked, his voice gruff.

“You summoned me.” She remained guarded, the cold metal still caressing her neck, but excitement fluttered in her stomach at the significance of this unusual summoning.

The silence was palpable, broken only by his now heavy and uneasy breathing. After a few moments, he growled, “If that is so, then you are not what I asked for.”

Desperation, frustration, and anguish filled his voice. She was in the true place. All she knew was death and misery and sorrow.

“I came because I was summoned.”

“Just go away.” He removed the blade from her neck, picked up the fallen, smoking torch, and retreated through the low, narrow opening toward the beckoning glimmers of light from a far away chamber.

She followed him and stepped forward toward the opening. Another dim chamber filled with dust and cobwebs greeted her. Glancing back at the black, unpleasantly cold space she’d landed in, she suppressed a shudder and then ducked into the other brighter, small chamber. Piles of dusty blankets, a war shield, and dull-looking bronze plate armor filled one corner. Nothing about the solemn room looked familiar to her. She walked past uneven rock walls like the ones found in caves. An earthy scent like that of dark, damp places permeated the air. Caves were for creatures like her that roamed in the shadows, the unseen realm between life and death, the place she called the Land of Sorrows, not for humans that had no need of darkness.

This summoning wasn’t true. Only one man could call her forth from the Shadowlands. Was she finally free of her tormentor? No, the bond to her master remained, lingering like a loose tether, but she also sensed she couldn’t travel too far from this stranger. Did this unusual event have anything to do with her constant yearning for the life that had been stolen from her? She could reclaim all she’d lost if she found a champion to kill her creator and master. It had seemed impossible.

Until now…

****

Multi-published author Kelley Heckart lives in Arizona with her musician husband, dog and a number of backyard “pets.” Her stories reflect her passion for ancient and medieval time periods, storytelling and the supernatural. Inspired by the ancient Celts, her tales are filled with fierce warriors, bold women, otherworldly creatures, magic, and romance. When not writing, she works as a freelance editor and practices target archery. She can be found online at http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

To sign up for my newsletter and receive special notices like new book releases and giveaways only for my subscribers: http://kelleyheckart.com/Contact_Kelley_Page.html

Kelley Heckart

Otherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

https://www.facebook.com/kelleyheckartauthor

http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C

Monday Musings: Sharing an excerpt from The Bear Goddess

Resting her head against the edge of the tub, she stared at the sky. Kasin, the Zeus lover, surprisingly treated her gently. She had expected to be brutalized or worse. With the fair skin and height of those imposing men from the northern mountains, he looked like those who worshipped the Sky god above the goddesses, yet he also possessed a temperate manner unlike those brutal, warlike people. She couldn’t imagine living under the rule of the vile centaurs. 

Her skin prickled in response to the cooling water. “I am ready to get out now.”

He appeared, holding his hand over his eyes, and tripped over a branch.

She giggled.

Regaining his balance, he said with some annoyance, “I am glad you find that so amusing.”

“You do not have to close your eyes. Just refrain from staring at anything worth staring at.” She laughed, not sure why she told him that. He made her feel giddy, something that had never happened to her before now in the presence of this man.

Opening his eyes, he kept his gaze lowered as he helped her stand. Keeping his eyes fixed on her lower legs, he wrapped a large cloth around her and then lifted her out of the tub.

Her body didn’t ache as badly as it had before the bath. Gradually, her body was healing.

“How was the bath?” He helped her put on her tunic, which covered her upper body to her mid-thigh.

“It was quite enjoyable. You can look up now if you wish.”

His gaze swept up her body in a way that made her face and body flush. She was entering into a dangerous game, but her vow didn’t seem to apply here so far away from Artemis.

With his help, she pulled on her leggings. His hands felt hot each time he brushed against her bare skin. Her skin tingled beneath his seemingly innocent touch. He hesitated, holding on to her hips a moment longer than was necessary.

The air between them felt like the aftermath of a lightning storm. She had no idea what was happening, but she knew it wasn’t what she should be feeling when in the presence of a man.

****

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

http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite supernatural creature

Sexy Centaurs
When deciding on a romantic lead for my nymph in The Bear Goddess, I knew he had to be a follower of Zeus, and he had to be an enemy of Artemis and her nymphs. At first I was going to make him human, but that didn’t seem exciting enough for such a popular Greek myth. After some brainstorming, I decided to make my hero a centaur but this posed a problem—centaurs are known for their savagery, not to mention they are part horse. So, how was I going to create a likeable centaur and not have uncomfortable romantic scenes? After giving it some thought I came up with an idea—my hero, and a few other centaurs, could take human shape.
This worked for a number of reasons. The centaurs who could take human shape were viewed as outsiders within their centaur community and due to their unusual parentage, had milder personalities than their brutal relatives. This also made a romance between a nymph and a centaur more believable and not weird when it came time to write sex scenes. Plus, it added a level of sexiness for my hero to be something as exciting and dangerous as a centaur but also able to transform into a hunky human. In his centaur body, Kasin is powerful and formidable with a pure black horse body and in his human shape, he is still intimidating but striking and handsome with long black hair and war braids.
As a follower of Zeus, Kasin is a warrior above all else, but he also has some favorite activities he keeps hidden from the rest of the centaurs. One of these is singing. Music, unless it is a battle horn, is not allowed among the fierce centaurs. My hero also likes to take scented baths; another activity frowned upon among the hygienically challenged centaurs. I had to make him attractive to a nymph who bathed often, and I’m sure readers appreciate a clean, well-mannered hero too.
Not all centaurs have to be savage and some can be downright sexy.
****
Short excerpt:
Everything had happened so fast—being caught with Kasin, being bound with silver, Kasin changing into a centaur—Callisto hadn’t had time to absorb the shock of discovering the man she loved was a centaur. Weakened by the silver chain still binding her hands, she couldn’t escape. All she could do was lay helpless in his arms while he galloped with her off into the night.
He came to an abrupt halt at the edge of a steep plateau, searching the darkened forest lit by faint beams of moonlight. The fierce set of his handsome face made her breath catch in her throat. His arms held her in a confident, strong grip. With some hesitancy, she admitted to herself that she found him exciting. He was a centaur, her enemy who she was supposed to hate, but he had never mistreated her and he saved her life once again. She could only stare at him, stunned.



The Bear Goddess on Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P74X0WY
The Bear Goddess Trade Paperback Buy Link on amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Goddess-Book-Arcadia/dp/1502982684/ref=asap_B002BMOQ3C_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415503605&sr=1-7
To read an excerpt from The Bear Goddess, visit my website: http://www.kelleyheckart.com/TheBearGoddess.html
****
Multi-published author Kelley Heckart lives in Arizona with her musician husband, dog and a number of backyard “pets,” including Godzilla the desert iguana. Her stories reflect her passion for ancient and medieval time periods, storytelling and the supernatural. Inspired by the ancient Celts, her tales are filled with fierce warriors, bold women, otherworldly creatures, magic and romance. When not writing, she works as an editor/proofreader and practices target archery. She can be found online at http://www.kelleyheckart.com/
To sign up for my newsletter and receive special notices like new book releases and giveaways only for my subscribers: http://kelleyheckart.com/Contact_Kelley_Page.html
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
Website: http://www.kelleyheckart.com
Blog: http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CelticChick
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite book

Runestone by Don Coldsmith

Book Blurb: They set sail from Norway, two swift-moving longships and their handpicked crews, following the route navigated by the legendary Leif Ericson. But for young shipmaster Nils Thorsson and his fellow Norsemen the real journey begins when they push on into the uncharted continent of Vinland.
There the explorers revel in the chance to penetrate a virgin land -until they trespass on the grounds of a primitive people who have seen enough of the light-hairs' cruelty to believe they are too dangerous to ignore. In one swift dawn raid, they deal with the invaders by letting go a swarm of fiery arrows Only three men from the sailing party escape: the intrepid Nils Thorsson, the hardened seaman Svenson, and an enigmatic native guide called Odin. Now. stranded in the wilderness with their one-eyed guide, Thomson and Svenson know that to survive they must master the ways of war, of the hunt -- and of a proud and fearless people.

This book is based on the mysterious runes found Heavener, Oklahoma. The author creates a plausible story about how those runes may have got there. Highly recommended if you like historical fiction and Vikings.

 

 

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

New Release!

Monday Musings: Excerpt #3 from The Bear Goddess PG-13

The Bear Goddess, Greek myths/fantasy/shapeshifters/romance
In Print and Kindle on amazon.com
Release date: 11/9/14
Page Count: 284 in print
ISBN-10: 1502982684
ISBN-13: 978-1502982681
ASIN: B00P74X0WY
Kindle Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P74X0WY
Trade Paperback Buy Link on amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Goddess-Book-Arcadia/dp/1502982684/ref=asap_B002BMOQ3C_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415503605&sr=1-7
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.
Will love be enough to save them?
http://www.kelleyheckart.com/TheBearGoddess.html

He nudged the animal with his bare foot. The boar didn’t move. Convinced it was dead, Kasin faced Callisto. A small amount of blood pooled from a wound in her right side. He knelt next to her and shook her. “Callisto, wake up.”
She let out a soft moan.
He brushed her hair to one side of her face. Dark lashes fluttered against smooth olive skin. Her pink lips fascinated him, looking soft and dew-kissed.
Glancing at the boar whose tusks came within a finger length of goring her in the chest, he realized he had found her just in time. The injury she had received didn’t look like a deep cut. She had lost only a small amount of blood, yet she was unconscious. He searched for other wounds, but found nothing, no bumps or gashes on her head. Why wasn’t she awake?
It was then that he remembered the silver-tipped tusks. He didn’t know if silver in a minor cut could kill a nymph or if the wound had to be a mortal one, but it appeared the silver had poisoned her body.
What was he going to do with her? When he looked down at her, he didn’t see an enemy, only a wounded, vulnerable female. He had been taught to hate Artemis’s nymphs, but the betrayal happened long before his birth. What if everything he had been told was a lie? Doubts plagued him. He couldn’t just leave her to die. Maybe if he had not caused her to lose her spear, she would have been able to defend herself. He wasn’t sure he could help her, but he would do what he could for her.
He scooped her up into his arms and headed back to his camp at the hidden waterfall where he left his clothes, weapons and supplies, and where he had bedding and blankets to make her comfortable.
Moaning, she wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his shoulder.
His body stirred with desire. A dangerous and possibly stupid idea began to form in his mind. If she survived her wound, he would claim her as his war prize.
****
To sign up for my newsletter and receive special notices like new book releases and giveaways only for my subscribers: http://kelleyheckart.com/Contact_Kelley_Page.html
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

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/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

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