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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.
Showing posts with label Paranormal Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paranormal Romance. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Of Water and Dragons #newrelease #historicalfantasyromance

 


 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYB1FGL8

He’s a Roman soldier. She’s an enemy of Rome.

The Romans call the land they want to conquer Caledonia. Nemu calls it home. The half-human, half-water faery has a second chance to save the Celtic people from the Roman legions, but the cost might be too high.

Ambiorix is torn between his duty to Rome and his growing affection for a mystical Caledonian woman. He questions everything he’s been taught about the barbaric Celtic tribes.

Their worlds collide in a fury of fire, blood, and darkness.

˃˃˃ Of Water and Dragons combines the Roman history and Celtic lore of ancient Britain and Scotland, creating an unforgettable story of love and sacrifice.

This is a revised 2nd edition.

Snippet:

The shadow of a large white owl flew near the trees at the edge of the camp, but he knew better. He was certain he saw her face shining in the trees like a tiny moon. I will never forget you, Nemu. Weakness overwhelmed him, and he stumbled. Guards surrounded him, and he lost sight of her, but he sensed she was still there watching over him.

Alas, she would be gone by morning, and the thought of never seeing her again struck his heart with sadness.

***99 cents for a limited time***

YouTube Of Water and Dragons book trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd-dVIk4VOg


Monday, November 09, 2020

Awakening the Fae, Medieval Monday, #MedMonFall20, Excerpt # 8

Welcome to week 8 of Medieval Monday. Escape to another time with handsome knights and Fae kings. #MedMonFall20 Go to the Medieval Romance Lovers FB page for a full list of all the blogs. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1401384450126130/ 

Excerpt snippet #8 Nov. 9

 His perceptive gaze swept over my snug T-shirt, resting for a moment on my breasts, and then he appraised my sleeve tattoo of DC Comics characters on my right arm with a creased brow. He shifted his focus to my face, narrowing in on my nose and eyebrow ring before meeting my eyes.

He jerked his chin toward my hat. “Remove your helmet.”

Helmet? My senses prickled. I took off my baseball cap, stuffed it in my pants pocket, and stood still while he touched the highlighted red tips of my black hair.

“Strange, beautiful coloring, like flames against a moonless night sky.”

I swallowed hard. That was the most romantic line I’d ever heard from a guy. My cheeks grew hot.

 *

AWAKENING THE FAE

SHADOW-WALKERS BOOK 4

(This is a standalone story in the Shadow-walkers series.)

*Erotic paranormal romance*

 

Time can’t separate them, but fate can.

Do you like time travel stories with a hot elven king and lots of twists? The women are the rock stars here, and they command the supernatural alpha males in their lives. Grab a copy now and enter the sexy, scary, and thrilling world of Shadow-walkers. This compelling romance will capture your soul.

She’s the most powerful Shadow-walker…and the most vulnerable.

Dina, the wild, strong-willed drummer for Hecate’s Fury and wearer of the Gateway rune, is thrust back in time where she meets a tall, handsome faery king. Beneath all the beauty of the aes sidhe city lurks a dark, menacing danger, and nothing is as it seems. She may be the only one to help them, but the cost to her is high.

Beware a kiss in moonlight.

Roan may be the only male to tame Dina’s restless spirit, the king’s cold nature both enticing and challenging. However, another covets her Shadow-walker and bruja powers. The rival’s obsession is relentless, his magic difficult to resist, even for a Shadow-walker.

Past and present collide as both males vie for her. Only the power of love and sacrifice can unite her with her true mate.

*

Buy links:

Buy links: Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YYNKSYZ

Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1691908231

Also available in KU

 

Listen to Hecate’s Fury music here: https://www.reverbnation.com/hecatesfury

And on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75YOEjUjM0D8JV6lY2YD5w?si=cfxko5lXSy6jeb0z7CntIw

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

https://www.kelleyheckart.com/shadowwalkers.html

 

*

Saturday, October 12, 2019

New book release! Awakening the Fae, a Shadow-walkers time travel romance

.99 for a limited time. Grab your copy of this captivating paranormal romance now!







AWAKENING THE FAE
SHADOW-WALKERS BOOK 4

(This is a standalone story in the Shadow-walkers series.)

Time can’t separate them, but fate can.
Do you like time travel stories with a hot elven king and lots of twists? The women are the rock stars here, and they command the supernatural alpha males in their lives. Grab a copy now and enter the sexy, scary, and thrilling world of Shadow-walkers. This compelling romance will capture your soul.

She’s the most powerful Shadow-walker…and the most vulnerable.

Dina, the wild, strong-willed drummer for Hecate’s Fury and wearer of the Gateway rune, is thrust back in time where she meets a tall, handsome faery king. Beneath all the beauty of the aes sidhe city lurks a dark, menacing danger, and nothing is as it seems. She may be the only one to help them, but the cost to her is high.

Beware a kiss in moonlight.

Roan may be the only male to tame Dina’s restless spirit, the king’s cold nature both enticing and challenging. However, another covets her Shadow-walker and bruja powers. The rival’s obsession is relentless, his magic difficult to resist, even for a Shadow-walker.

Past and present collide as both males vie for her. Only the power of love and sacrifice can unite her with her true mate.
*
Excerpt:

Damn. If they were LARPing, they took it very seriously and didn’t break from their roles as they dragged me into the woods and out the other side. I gaped at the scene across the stone bridge. A palace and smaller structures built on top of pillars, all made of white stone like they’d been carved there by gods, were nestled beneath the high, rocky, grass-covered cliffs. Sparkling waterfalls flowed down beneath the cliff-side city and emptied into a river. Small trees adorned the landscape and added color to the gleaming white structures. Had I stepped into a fantasy novel?
My captors pushed me toward the bridge spanning the river.
I scowled at them. “Hey, dudes, easy.”
“Walk or I will have you dragged across,” the leader grated between clenched teeth.
I lifted my chin and walked, the two men holding my arms. They led me up marble steps to an arched doorway. The leader stepped ahead of us, motioning for all four men to wait with me. After a few minutes, he reappeared, and then my captors thrust me inside the huge domed building I’d seen across the bridge. Gripping my upper arms in a painful hold, they ushered me down an entryway lined with torches and steered me around a central stone fire pit. They shoved me forward and released me so abruptly I fell to my knees, landing hard on a bearskin rug. I started to stand and was forced back down.
“Kneel before King Roan,” the leader rasped as he pushed on the back of my neck.
My head forcefully bent, I raised my gaze to the shadowed figure in the rear of the large room, glimpsing stone statues of animals and beautiful god-like beings peeking from the alcoves, an array of silvery, life-like etchings glimmering in the dimness.
The king stepped off a carved, pelt-covered wooden throne nestled between the trunks of two oak trees that grew out the curved roof. He came forward. A cold sneer curled his clean-shaven lip. Daylight beamed inside from a high window, illuminating him in a golden splash of light that bathed him in an ethereal radiance. My gaze widened. King Roan was the most beautiful, fiercest-looking man I’d ever seen with long white-blond hair and icy blue-gray eyes beneath thick, dark eyebrows. His skin was like milk. He wore a spotless, long-sleeved, belted purple tunic, dark brown leggings, and a simple but regal silver branch-like headband.
Seriously, where the hell am I? In a Lord of the Rings dream? Because this guy looked like one of the Grey Elves. That had been one powerful joint Selena had given me. Had the person who had paid her to drug me known this—whatever this was—would happen?
The king prodded me with his leather-booted foot. “Who is this? She wears strange clothing.”
Huh, I’m thinking the same thing about you.
The ninja leader unwrapped his headscarf. “We found her inside our barriers.”
“A human breached our barriers?” A slight tone of alarm filled the king’s deep voice.
Human? What?
“I-I don’t know how I arrived here.”
The ninja leader seized the back of my neck, causing shooting pain, and I winced.
“Do not speak to the king unless told to do so,” he growled.
King Roan waved his hand downward. “Release her, Commander.”
He did but roughly pushed my head before he backed off. I turned a glare on the commander, cringed beneath his withering stare, and then faced the king, deciding it might be wise, at least for now, to keep my eyes lowered. These people were acting strange, and my gut was warning me to be careful.
King Roan grunted and put his finger beneath my chin, coaxing me to look at him. “What is your name?”
“Dina.”
His touch produced strange tingles. I quivered beneath his stare, the blue-gray in his eyes flickering and softening for a moment, his jaw set tight.
He quickly withdrew his finger and cleared his throat as if the brief spark of emotion when he’d touched me surprised him. “Rise.”
*

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

This werewolf romance is only .99 for a limited time

Awakening the Wolf is only .99 for a limited time. Grab your copy now!

If you like sexy werewolf heroes and thrilling murder mysteries, plus passionate love stories, then don't wait to get your discounted copy.

This is a standalone love story within my Shadow-walkers world.


Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Shadow-walkers are here

For my latest series, I decided to draw on my past as a rock and roll bassist for inspiration. It turned out by doing that, I was also inspired to start writing music again with my husband.

My Shadow-walkers series is a mix of Supernatural and Rock Star. The twist is that the girls are the wild rock stars, and they command the supernatural men they love.

This is the only life I know. I never grew up worshiping guys in a band. I wasn't a groupie. I was a musician like them. It would be weird for me to write a series based on bad boy rockers. It had to be about the women of rock. The guys in my series are not wimps, though. They can hold their own against the headstrong females of Hecate's Fury.

Kate, Cyn, Jessie, Dina, and Mickey have come to life in the music I am creating and recording with my husband. Their songs can be found here:

If you like strong, wild, talented women and hunky supernatural men, plus a mix of rock and roll, the paranormal, and hot, passionate romance, then grab the first two books in this series. Each book is a standalone love story in the world I've created.

For more information on Shadow-walkers, click here: 



Monday, March 06, 2017

Monday Musings: The Crow Maiden--Revenge themes in books and movies

Revenge is one of the oldest themes in literature. It’s a huge part of Beowulf when Grendel’s mother decides to seek vengeance against the Danes for killing her son. Then Beowulf kills her in revenge. Shakespeare’s Hamlet also has a revenge theme.
Nothing gets readers’ hearts pounding harder than a good revenge story, especially when a nasty villain is getting just what he deserves. I found a list of the 7 best revenge stories in literature:
1. The Iliad by Homer. This is one of my favorite reads, one that is filled with revenge. Menelaus raises the entire Greek army to get revenge on Paris for stealing his wife, Helen. Achilles gets revenge on Hector for killing his cousin. Even the gods are involved.
2. Carrie by Stephen King. I read this one a long time ago. What’s better than getting revenge on all those nasty kids at high school that tormented you?
3. Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
4. True Grit by Charles Portis. Gotta love the spunk of the teenage girl seeking vengeance for her father’s death.
5. The Princess Bride by William Goldman. “My name in Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” Enough said.
6. Sin City: The Hard Goodbye by Frank Miller. I’m not familiar with this one, but it sounds like a great revenge story.
7. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumos. This might be one of the best planned retaliations of all time. Edmund Dantes was so patient. Maybe this is where “the best things come to those who wait” came from?

The Crow Maiden has a revenge theme with a twist. Nahla to Balin: “We are bound by revenge. What good can come of it?” 



Excerpt (PG-13)
She rummaged through the chest. “You have a comb in here and a mirror and a razor.”
Rolling her eyes, she set those items to the side and continued searching inside the chest. Nahla removed a wide belt made with gold plates as he put on the tunic then strapped on the belt. She stood in front of him holding the razor.
He eyed it with suspicion. “What are you planning to do with that?”
“Trim your beard.” She gestured for him to sit again.
He rubbed the thick hair that had sprouted on his usually clean-shaven face. “I am quite pleased with my beard.”
She put her hands on her hips. “I know how you Hellenes feel about your beards, but you look like the wild goat man who lived in the forest near the temple. He thought the goats talked back to him.”
He peered at her through slitted eyes.
“Sit.” She challenged him with a determined set to her mouth.
“Do not shave it all the way off.” He gave her a hard, warning scowl and sat on the edge of his bed. “I will have you know that I had adopted the Cretan custom of shaving.”
“It is not such a terrible custom. I prefer a man’s face clean and not hidden beneath thick, wiry hair.”
“Do you now? It is my face, and I have grown fond of my thick, wiry hair, but I will allow you to trim it.” He turned a wary glance on the razor. “Only trim it.”
She impatiently raised a delicate brow. “If you continue to halt me, I might decide the entire beard needs to be gone.” She reached down and pulled her dress up to gather the shavings. “Hold my dress like this.”
Sending her a defiant stare, he took hold of her dress. He sat still as she started the first cut. If she shaved off the whole beard, he could grow another, but he didn’t care for a woman telling him what to do.
She stood so close he smelled her flowery scent and felt the warmth emanating from her. His gaze rested on her bare calves, smooth and flawless. He averted his eyes only to discover her breasts close to his face while she worked on his beard. Unable to get the image of her bare, pert, brown-tipped breasts out of his mind, he closed his eyes so she wouldn’t know his carnal thoughts. She hovered in front of him, carefully clipping his beard. Her sweet, natural, womanly perfume was intoxicating.
“There, that should do it.” She lowered the razor.
He opened his eyes and ran his hand along his jawline. She had left a layer of stubble. She held on to her dress and stepped back to admire her work. He wished he could read her mind to know what she truly thought of him.
For a moment, the hardness in her eyes softened, and then she smiled. “I approve of the trimmed beard. Now you look like someone with noble blood.” She backed toward the opening to get rid of his hair shavings. “Shall we eat now? I am starving.”
Her smile brightened her green eyes. His heart thundered inside his chest. This strange woman who had come into his life had him spellbound. His gut tightened. How could a beautiful, passionate woman like Nahla ever desire a defeated, crippled king? The only reason she was here with him was to gain her freedom from Aramon.
Forcing away his unhappy thoughts, he stood and limped toward the food shelf to grab the bread basket. He’d have his revenge soon. Once he was free of her, he could finally move on with his life.
 *



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
 *
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.

Monday, February 27, 2017

Monday Musings: The Crow Maiden--The healing power of the mind

In The Crow Maiden, Nahla is tasked with helping the broken hero heal his terrible leg wound that lamed him. In order to do this she also has to help him heal his mental wounds, the guilt and shame he suffers from not being able to protect his family and his people, but Balin has to want to heal.
When she finds him, he is using wine to suppress his pain, and he is living alone in a cave, an angry, ruined man. Nahla has to push him to be strong, something that causes friction between them at first. I could have had her use magic to heal him, but that would have been way too easy. It had to be a challenge for both of them. Plus, Artemis wanted her to work hard to heal the champion as part of her penance or her wrongdoing.
The mind is very powerful. It can make you strong or it can destroy you. I can attest from personal experience that the mind plays a very important role in healing. Perhaps that’s why I wanted to write a story with a wounded character. I had to overcome my own medical scare that almost left me disabled. If I hadn’t pushed hard to get better, I doubt I would have. I still struggle daily with it. Staying positive is the best way to fight it.



Excerpt (PG-13)
Nahla refused to give in. She crossed her arms, her stance firm.
“No more wine and now you are forcing me to have a bath? What does a bath have to do with our alliance?” His scowl deepened.
“Have you smelled yourself lately? I cannot stand to be around you.” She waved her hand to push away the foul odors of stale wine and sweat coming from his body. Somewhere, she hoped, beneath his slovenly, unpleasant manner lurked a warrior and a champion.
He looked down at his rumpled, dirty clothes and wrinkled his nose. “A bath is, perhaps, an excellent idea.”
It was no surprise that his cave home lacked a bathtub. “Is there a river or lake nearby?”
“Yes. Having you bound to me has been highly unpleasant so far,” he grumbled. He grabbed a blanket from a long, flat ledge cut into the wall a few steps from the fire and seized his axe on the way out of the cave.
“I am not here for your pleasure.”
She followed him. A craggy hill greeted her. Yellow and purple orchids sprouted from the cracks of the frowning rock face, lending it beauty. Clusters of scrub grass, bushes, purple hyacinths, and red poppies filled the area in front of the cave.
She was uncertain how her bond to him worked. It seemed that being with Balin was her new waiting place until Aramon summoned her. This was an improvement from the Shadowlands, but this man had some unpleasant habits she hoped to break to turn him into a true champion, one worthy enough to wield Artemis’s great weapon.
He was the one chosen, but she had not seen Aramon’s death, not yet. His death would come at the hand of the one who wielded the goddess’s weapon and that person must be Balin, since she was bound to him.
He turned right and limped down a path lined with tall, sentry-like cypress and thick-needled pine trees that covered the steep-sided gorge in dark green colors that enhanced the bright colors of the orchids, hyacinths, and poppies and deepened the blue of the sky. Fragrant flowers and pine filled the air with wondrous perfume.
The beauty of her surroundings embraced her as she descended the path into the gorge, her step growing lighter. The tranquil greenery and the colorful flowers sparkled in the blend of shadows and light. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the forest and spread warmth through her body. She had the urge to remove her cloak and bask in the sun. Aramon kept her inside his bedchamber unless he sent her on some unpleasant task. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been outside, free to enjoy the sunshine and do as she pleased. Being trapped between the worlds in the Shadowlands was like looking through a doorway, one she longed to step through out into the vibrant world, but her magical bond to Aramon wouldn’t allow her to cross the threshold.
The sound of running water filled the air along with birdsong. She caught herself smiling, something she had rarely done since her captivity. Having this experience of freedom made her more determined to get what she wanted.
The path reached the bottom of the gorge and opened to a small waterfall cascading down the craggy wall into a blue-green pond surrounded by vivid layers of lush plants and poplar trees, sprinkled with vibrant-colored flowers that twinkled like yellow, purple, and blue starlight. Farther down, the pond flowed into a large river lined by white and black poplars. The pale trunks and white twigs gleamed among the dark brown trunks and brown twigs. In the slight breeze, the dark green-gray leaves of the white poplar with a woolly snowy underside flashed among the shiny green leaves of the black. She couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful sight.
“Are you going to watch me bathe or join me?”
She turned toward Balin. He sat on a rock, bare-chested, his impish grin revealing rows of even white teeth. The playful sparkle in his eyes was oddly appealing, much different from the anger she’d seen in them more than once since their meeting.
“Neither.” Though the pond did look inviting. His muscular chest and arms took her by surprise. Given his condition, she had expected him to be flabby.
“Perhaps next time then.” He struggled to remove his leggings.
“Perhaps.” She fought back the urge to assist him. She wouldn’t coddle him, and he wouldn’t want that either.
Naked, he limped toward the pond. She stared at him with her mouth open. Aramon had a firm, strong body, but Balin had the body of a god, tall and golden. His disheveled appearance hid a muscular warrior’s body. He would have been perfect if not for his damaged left leg. A large, ugly, jagged scar marred the back of his thigh and ended below his knee. It was the kind of injury made by a long iron sword, the terrible slashing weapon used by Aramon’s army.
*

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
 *

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.


Monday, February 06, 2017

Monday Musings: The Crow Maiden--A hero and heroine from very different worlds

The Crow Maiden is a story about revenge and overcoming adversity, but it is also about a romance between two very different people.



Nahla is an Arcadian priestess, and Balin is an Achaean lord. In her world, the Achaeans are the conquerors who forced their patriarchal views on her people. In Balin’s eyes, the Arcadians are barbarians who still practice human sacrifice. There are physical differences, too. She is smaller in stature than his people, with brown skin and black hair. He is tall, blonde, and fair skinned.

Sheltered in her forest temple, Nahla has only viewed the grand seaside Achaean cities from afar. To Balin, the priestesses of Artemis were a complete mystery. And now their very different worlds have collided.

Despite their cultural differences, they share a common enemy. In the ancient Greek world, the Dorians were much more of a threat than the Achaeans who at least allowed the native Arcadians to continue worshipping their own gods. The Dorians didn’t want to compromise with anyone. This unrest in the region began the downfall of the once-mighty Achaeans.

With nothing left to lose and only revenge in his thoughts, Balin forms an alliance with the mysterious priestess. Nahla’s only hope to be free of her cruel master is the champion chosen by Artemis—an Achaean. Gods work in strange ways, it seems.

Despite his dominate ways, Balin shows Nahla respect. She begins to trust him. Nahla’s boldness both enrages and excites Balin. He’s never known such a woman who would dare speak so impudently to him. They may be from very different worlds, but their attraction for one another grows.

It must be true that opposites attract.

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

Excerpt (PG-13)
“Now you know all you need to about me and about Aramon. He destroyed and captured your cities, killed and enslaved your people.” Her lovely mouth tightened into a grave smile. “Do we have an alliance or not?”
Could he trust her? “You can form an alliance with me, someone you know nothing about?”
“I know enough about you, Achaean.”
She offered him that same mysterious smile she’d given him earlier, one that enhanced her remarkable, unusual beauty, even if it was too serious. Aramon had mistreated and tormented her. Perhaps, that was all he needed to know. For now.
“Besides, what have either of us to lose? Arcadia is being destroyed.” Her tone turned bitter. “And everything and everyone we knew and loved is gone because of one man. What more is there to know or think about?”
Her words were so profound and filled with truth. He had his doubts about his ability to do what needed to be done, but he wanted revenge more than anything. Revenge was the only thing keeping him alive.
“We have an alliance.”
She nodded. “Then we must get to work. Aramon could summon me at any time.”
“What do I call you? Do you prefer the ‘Crow Maiden,’ or can I call you ‘Crow’?” He cast her a playful grin, wanting to change her rigid, cold nature. Playfulness was something he hadn’t felt since his crippling injury. He couldn’t explain it. Perhaps it was because she was a challenge, unlike any other woman he’d known.
She didn’t smile. Her eyes took on a reflective light. “Call me Nahla.”
Her name sounded soothing and fit her calm manner that lingered beneath the coldness.
“Nahla, you may call me Balin.” He reached for a clay pitcher of wine that sat on a natural shelf. Some wine might loosen the maiden up. He’d never met such a rigid and cold female. “We should celebrate our alliance.”
She put her hand on his arm to stop him from lifting the pitcher to his lips. “The first thing we must do is get you clearheaded.”
He looked down at the pitcher, his body filled with craving for the numbing drink. “But…”
She reached for the handle. “Give it to me.”
With reluctance, he handed her the pitcher. He watched with rising panic as she poured out the precious wine.
She turned toward him and pursed her lips. “The next thing is a bath, a very long one.”
Impertinent harpy! Bristling, he scowled at her. His changing emotions in regards to this female confused him. One moment, she made him want to smile, and the next, she raised his ire like no other.
Nahla may be the only one who could help him get revenge on Aramon, but Poseidon’s blasted balls! She was infuriating. He clenched his fist and glanced upward. Almighty Poseidon, please give me the strength to not strangle this insolent female.


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

Blurb:
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




Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.



Saturday, January 16, 2016

Review for The Wolf Queen by Long and Short Reviews

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/book-reviews/the-wolf-queen-by-kelley-heckart/

5 stars! Review quote: "A read any paranormal reader could love and one I highly recommend." Click on the above link for the full review.