Mixing History with Fantasy—The Story Behind Of Water and Dragons by Kelley Heckart

Of Water and Dragons started out as a fantasy romance. Later, I decided to turn it into a historical fantasy romance. I chose Roman Britain as the setting and referenced real historical accounts.

One problem I had was that Romans wrote all of the historical references. The Celts were an oral society, so I had nothing in writing from them to use as a reference. Of course the Romans made themselves look good. They called the Celts barbarians, but archaeological evidence doesn’t support this claim.

The Celts lived with the land, and they were fierce warriors. Like the Romans, they worshipped many gods and goddesses. They even invented chain mail and were superior iron workers. Soap was another Celtic invention. Their druids were a priestly caste of doctors, lawyers, astronomers, story keepers, and political advisors. Not barbarian traits in my opinion.

The one weakness they had, however, was inter-tribal fighting. They were no match for Rome’s legions because they refused to join together to fight the one true enemy. This would be their downfall, at least in Briton and most of the world. In what is now called Scotland, Rome was unable to defeat the Celtic tribes there. Possibly because the rougher terrain made it easy for native warriors to ambush a marching army.

I did my research and found a major battle fought in Caledonia (now Scotland) between the Roman legions and the Celts. The Battle of Mons Graupius took place in 83 or 84 AD, but the exact location is a mystery. I set the battle near the Grampian Mountains, one of the possible locations. Though the Roman army was outnumbered, they managed to defeat the Celts and sent them scattering into the forests.

This is how my hero, a Roman soldier, meets the heroine, a half-Fae, half human who lives in the thick woodlands of the Grampian Mountains. She has a dark past involving Roman legions and shies away from human contact, but she decides to help this wounded Roman soldier. He has been taught that the Celtic tribes are barbaric and deserve to be conquered. She opens his eyes. Still, many obstacles stand in the way of any kind of relationship developing between them.

Roman Britain thrived until the Roman legions pulled out in about 383 AD. Despite the way Rome conquered and ruled over the Celtic tribes, they did bring law and order to the land. They brought advanced engineering to Briton like heated bathhouses and sanitation through aqueducts that provided clean water and added drains to keep the streets clean. I wanted to show the differences between how Romans and Roman Celts lived versus the free tribes of Caledonia.

Another historical account I touched on was the disappearance of the Ninth Legion in Caledonia. They virtually disappeared from Rome’s accounts, possibly because having one of their greatest legions defeated by barbaric tribes was a huge disgrace for Rome. Nobody knows what really happened. It’s possible they were transferred to another country to fight for Rome, but as there are no records to verify this, it’s up for debate. My creative version involves dragon magic. Who’s to say it wasn’t druid or Fae magic that made the Ninth Legion disappear?

By mixing history with fantasy, I was able to create a love story that touches on the realities of life in Roman Britain and in the wild lands of Caledonia while also integrating the magic of these people who lived with the land and believed every living creature and everything in nature had a soul. To them the trees were just as alive with pulsing energy as the living creatures with blood and oxygen rushing through their bodies. Beyond the safety of their campfires, the Celts believed there lived unknown beings capable of unbelievable powers, some benevolent, some not. This was a time of magic. Anything was possible.

 

Website: https://www.kelleyheckart.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/kelleyheckart

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYB1FGL8

 

 

 

 

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.

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YouTube Of Water and Dragons book trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd-dVIk4VOg

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History knows him as Aedan the Treacherous, Cat's Curse #PNR #Historical #MFRWSTEAM

New Release! Do you like romance, intrigue, and star-crossed love? A mixture of history and Celtic mythology, Cat’s Curse is an ancient Scotland paranormal romance based on a real Irish king known as Aedan the Treacherous in the Welsh court. Warning: Iron-willed enchantresses, hunky sword-wielding warriors, some violence and steamy sex, more than a little blood-drinking, a complicated love triangle, and lots of passion.

He’s a cursed, exiled Irish prince. She’s a succubus with lost memories. Destiny brought them together. Their dark secrets will tear them apart.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Y6BYMGN

Steamy excerpt:

Cardea climbed on top of him and brushed her naked body along his shaft in a slow, sensual cat-like crawl. His muscles caressed her skin, and she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted another.

“Ye desire to ride the horse.” He chuckled, low and soft. “I thought as much.”

She slid onto him, his length eliciting tremors throughout, the passion and bloodlust building to great heights. The hard lines of his face softened, and his eyes brightened to a joyful blue different from the tormented darkness always present there. He cupped her breasts in his large hands, teasing her nipples to peaks. A blissful shiver rushed from her nipples to her sex.

“I enjoy the view from here.” He grinned at her.

She glided up and down on his hard, sleek shaft, circling her hips to find the point of pleasure. Pleasing shocks coursed through her pelvis, the orgasm cresting. She used her inner muscles to squeeze his length, eliciting a groan from him. It filled her with a sense of power to have such a hold on him if only for a short time.

Aedan’s breathing grew ragged with exertion as his orgasm closed in.

She bent against his chest and found the bulging vein in his neck. Her breasts pressed against his muscled chest in a pleasing crush, their hearts beating as one. The blood pumped in his vein, loud and hypnotic, demanding she drink. She licked his neck, savored the saltiness of his skin, and lost her hold on her emotions. Overpowered by the bloodlust, Cardea’s eyeteeth lengthened with both desire and hunger. Her lower body trembled, giving her the sensation of teetering on the edge of an abyss.

“Cardea,” he whispered in a ragged voice, grasped her hips, and pushed himself deeper within her, his entire length pressing to her core.

Aedan’s body quaked and rocked beneath her, his deep penetration inducing moans and shudders from her. Groaning, he exploded his seed inside of her in a powerful pent-up surge.

His potent orgasm sent her over the edge. She sank her fangs into his neck and drank his warm blood. Overcome with multiple orgasms, she plummeted into the blissful abyss. His life force flowed into her, exhilarating and intimate, linking them together. Just as she reached the bottom of the chasm, she experienced the sensation of being lifted by dark wings, hovering above the clouds in the land of the moon and stars.

Fire engulfed her body, rendering her powerless as if the brilliant sun were about to turn her into ash. His blood tasted sweeter than any she’d ever swallowed. She forgot about everything else, and she could not stop drinking his blood.

“Cardea?” He resisted, and then his struggles weakened.

A sudden clear thought rang inside her head, and she pulled herself away. He lay still, and panic quickened her pulse.

“Aedan? Oh no. Wake up, Aedan!” She shook him hard until he let out a soft groan.

Cardea woke as if from a daze. “What have I done?” she cried.

He’d think she was an animal for feeding on him, and she could not endure the disgusted look he would surely cast upon her.

Before he could recover his senses, she waved her hand over his face. “You will not remember. Sleep now,” she said, speaking in the sorcerers’ tongue, the language of the Romans.

Using her first and second finger, she touched the two holes in his neck and healed them with her magic.

A realization hit her. She’d done more than just touch him and he was still human. Something else troubled her about their dark embrace. A strange feeling had flowed into her mind when she had taken his blood from him.

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