Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
About Me
- Kelley Heckart
- Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Monday Musings: Arizona Jet Stream photos
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Weird Word Wednesday
carabinero
noun ca·ra·bi·ne·ro \ˌker-ə-bə-ˈner-(ˌ)ō, ˌkär-, ˌka-rə-\
Definition of
carabinero
Popularity: Bottom
20% of words
plural
ca·ra·bi·ne·ros
1
: a member of a Spanish national police force
serving especially as frontier guards
2
: a customs or coast guard officer in the
Philippines
Origin of carabinero
Spanish, from
carabina carbine, from French carabine
Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, May 09, 2016
Monday Musings: Moon shots
Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Wednesday, May 04, 2016
Weird Word Wednesday
carabiner
noun car·a·bi·ner
\ˌker-ə-ˈbē-nər, ˌka-rə-\
Definition of
carabiner
Popularity: Bottom
30% of words
: an oblong metal ring with one spring-hinged
side that is used especially in mountain climbing as a connector and to hold a
freely running rope
Variants of carabiner
also kar·a·bi·ner
\ˌker-ə-ˈbē-nər, ˌka-rə-\
Origin of carabiner
German Karabiner,
short for Karabinerhaken, literally, carabineer's hook
Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, May 02, 2016
Monday Musings: A Beltaine's Song excerpt in honor of Beltaine
Prologue
“I give you the
branch (of victory),
Said the crow to the
old woman;
You are as old as the
old grandmother,
Long ago, who ate the
apples.”
‘From Legends of Saints and
Sinners’
Eireann, AD 559
Beltaine.
The word rang
through her mind like a beautiful melody. It was all she remembered.
Under cloudy
skies, she stood inside a circle of stone giants, the earth vibrating beneath
her feet. Touching the weathered stones sparked a familiar sensation inside
her, and she knew this place meant something special to her once. Light mist
swirled around the powerful stones like restless serpents. In her mind’s eye,
she saw cloaked figures moving and chanting inside the circle. Their rich,
joyful voices were lost to her now, the once sacred stones abandoned.
Sighing, she
moved on, wandering the countryside. The clouds parted and summer skies greeted
her with a smile. In the distance, puffy white and gray clouds floated against
a bright blue sky the color of a robin’s egg. A gentle breeze tousled her hair
and the fresh scent of summer, of things fresh and new, brightened her spirits.
Swallowed by rolling green hills clothed in a light mist, she walked without
knowing her destination, pausing when she came to a break in the hills.
Below her sat
clusters of roundhouses and fields surrounded by raths. The earthen walls
surrounded the homes in a protective embrace. Farther away, a jumble of forest
and pasture land rolled to the horizon. Beyond this stretched mixed landscapes
of low mountains, vast bogs, and dense woodlands. She descended the hills,
passing families moving their cows and sheep to the summer pastures high in the
mountains.
All around her,
the earth sang of life. Milk and honey flowed freely in the summer months.
Shimmering fields of wheat sprouted from the well-tended earth, its green
grass-like stalks gradually changing to a ripe golden color.
It was all
familiar and yet foreign to her.
She watched all
of this taking place around her, the men, women, and children going about their
summer chores, smiling, grateful for the blessed time of rebirth. They passed
by her with nary a glance in her direction.
It was as if she
did not exist at all.
While everyone
around her exuded happiness, sorrow filled her heart, and she wandered the
countryside without purpose, lost and alone.
Beltaine's Song is the second book in my Dark Goddess trilogy, set in Dark Age Scotland. A mix of history and mythology, it is filled with spring themes of new beginnings and loss.
For each of them, spring's song has a different meaning.
Now king and queen of the powerful kingdom of Dal Riata,
Aedan and Domelch have more than just Cailleach's wrath to contend with. Aedan
struggles with being a king and being a husband. Domelch struggles with her
beliefs, trying to be the Christian woman Aedan wed, but her heart still thrums
with the voices of old gods. They must battle earthly foes—enemy kings and
traitorous allies. For the first time, the arrival of spring heralds the sound
of a harsh battle horn as their foes close in. Through all this turmoil, can
their love survive?
Gartnait, the first-born son of Aedan and Domelch, has lived
in secrecy most of his young life to escape Cailleach's wrath. Fostered in
Fortriu, he has earned his first mark of manhood and on his way to becoming a
formidable warrior. He grapples with the awakening of his true destiny and the
meaning of the appearance of a beautiful maiden in spring only he can see. Does
she mean to harm him? For him, spring brings with it the promise of new love and
the thrilling sound of the battle horn, putting those he cares about in danger.
***
“Even those who can see
the future cannot be certain that the future they see will not change. One
small ripple can change the future.” –from Beltaine’s Song
The story of Cardea (now
called Domelch) and Aedan mac Gabrain continues…
I’m looking forward to
Book 3, Winter’s Requiem. Review by Jane Li
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.
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Tabby's Nocturnal Nights: Signs of spring as Beltaine draws near
Tabby's Nocturnal Nights: Signs of spring as Beltaine draws near: Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. The hummingbirds are visiting my feeder, the quail babies hide in my yard while their parent...
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Weird Word Wednesday
carabid
noun ca·ra·bid
\ˈker-ə-bəd, ˈka-rə-, kə-ˈra-bəd\
Definition of carabid
Popularity: Bottom
10% of words
: ground beetle
Origin of carabid
ultimately from Greek
karabos horned beetle
Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
Beauty may be the real beast
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, April 25, 2016
Monday Musings: Arizona Cloud Formations #19
Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
Beauty may be the real beast
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Weird Word Wednesday
capacious
adjective ca·pa·cious
\kə-ˈpā-shəs\
Simple Definition of
capacious
Popularity: Bottom
50% of words
: able to hold or
contain a lot : large in capacity
Full Definition of
capacious
: containing or capable of containing a great
deal
ca·pa·cious·ly adverb
ca·pa·cious·ness noun
Examples of capacious
Origin of capacious
Latin capac-, capax
capacious, capable, from Latin capere
Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
Beauty may be the real beast
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Monday Musings: Arizona Sunsets #18
Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
Beauty may be the real beast
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Weird Word Wednesday
caoutchouc
noun caou·tchouc
\ˈkau̇-ˌchu̇k, -ˌchük, -ˌchü\
Definition of
caoutchouc:
Rubber
Origin of caoutchouc
French, from obsolete
Spanish cauchuc (now caucho), probably from a language of Amazonian Peru or
Ecuador
Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
Beauty may be the real beast
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Monday Musings: Do memories reside in your home or do they exist in any place you call home?
I come from a family of gypsies,
not in the sense that we have gypsy blood, though I wouldn’t discount that, but
in the sense that we moved all the time when I was a child, and my parents
continued to move well into my adulthood. They just moved from the dream house
they had built and had no trouble leaving it behind.
How do they do this?
I know so many people who refuse to
leave a home they have lived in for many years because “all of their memories
are in that home.”
Now, you would think that I’d be
like my parents, having moved so much, but I am not. My husband, on the other
hand, who’d lived in the same house since he was born, has no problem moving.
See, I get attached to things. And
I’m having trouble with our latest move. We made the decision to downsize. It’s
for all the right reasons, but I’m having trouble letting go of the home we
lived in for 15 years, the longest I’ve ever lived in any home. There are so
many memories there—good and bad—but for me there is a special energy in that house
and it’s hard for me to leave it behind.
There is the beautiful, large Palo
Verde tree we planted and is what I call, “the tree of life,” because of all
the wildlife that gathers around that tree. There are my desert iguanas, Mr.
and Mrs. Godzilla, I see each year in spring and summer and are more like pets
than wild animals.
There are so many great memories of
my dogs that have since passed away.
There are memories of when we first
moved into the house and how excited and happy we were to be embarking on a new
path in life.
There are also the not-so-good memories
of struggling to get through the Great Recession, but we prevailed, mostly
unscathed, from that troubling time and found hope again.
Will I forget all of that once I
have left that home behind?
I sure hope not.
As I settle into our new home, surrounded
by my possessions and photographs, I sense a new special energy forming like a
familiar, comfortable blanket. I think
it’s clear to me now. My memories live inside me. They are a part of me. I will
still have my old memories and will make new ones here in this place I now call
home.
 |
| This is my new Palo Verde tree. I'm watering it and hoping it will grow to be as large and beautiful as my old tree. |
Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
Beauty may be the real beast
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Wednesday, April 06, 2016
Weird Word Wednesday
calaboose
noun cal·a·boose
\ˈka-lə-ˌbüs\
Definition of
calaboose
Popularity: Bottom
30% of words
: jail; especially : a local jail
Examples of calaboose
Origin of calaboose
Spanish calabozo
dungeon
First Known Use: 1792
Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, April 04, 2016
Monday Musings: An Easter surprise, my hummingbird visitors
I woke up on Easter morning and went about my usual chores, which included watering the Palo Verde tree growing on our back slope. We just moved and I've been a little bummed about leaving my old house with the large, beautiful Palo Verde tree and a multitude of Arizona wildlife, my desert iguanas and all the birds we had visit that tree. This Easter morning was pretty special and a bit magical because as I was watering the tree with the hose, a hummingbird appeared. She buzzed around the water's spray and then she landed. I let the hose rest between the chain links in the fence and hurried to grab my camera. When I returned, she was taking a bath in the water puddles. Then another hummingbird appeared to do the same. I wasn't fast enough to catch both of them, but I managed to get a couple of shots of one. Having the hummingbirds visit me made my day. Even though I will miss my lizards at the old house, it looks like I will have some new backyard wildlife here at the new place.
Easter is all about rebirth and new beginnings. The hummingbirds symbolized this for me.
 |
| This hummingbird appeared on Easter morning.
Kelley Heckart
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth &
magic.
|
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Weird Word Wednesday
calabash
noun cal·a·bash
\ˈka-lə-ˌbash\
Definition of
calabash
Popularity: Bottom
30% of words
1
: a tropical American tree (Crescentia cujete)
of the bignonia family; also : its large
hard-shelled globose fruit
2
: gourd; especially : one whose hard shell is used for a utensil
3
: a utensil (as a bottle or dipper) made from
the shell of a calabash
Origin of calabash
French & Spanish;
French calebasse gourd, from Spanish calabaza
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Monday Musings: Arizona cloud formations #18
Line from The Wolf Queen:
He pulled away, his eyes warm and glittering playfully
beneath his heavy brows.
“If you keep doing that, I will need to have you again, my lovely
princess.”
Kelley Heckart,
Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Weird Word Wednesday
cajeput
noun caj·e·put
\ˈka-jə-pət, -ˌpu̇t\
Definition of cajeput
Popularity: Bottom
20% of words
: an Australian and southeast Asian tree
(Melaleuca quinquenervia syn. M. leucadendron) of the myrtle family that yields
a pungent medicinal oil and has been introduced into Florida
Origin of cajeput
ultimately from Malay
kayu putih, from kayu wood, tree + putih white
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, March 21, 2016
Monday Musings: Arizona Sunsets #17
Quote from The Wolf Queen:
“Gods, woman. You are the most stubborn female I have ever
met.”
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Weird Word Wednesday
caipirinha
noun cai·pi·ri·nha
\ˌkī-pə-ˈrēn-yə\
Definition of
caipirinha
Popularity: Bottom
30% of words
: a cocktail consisting of lime, sugar, and rum
Origin of caipirinha
Brazilian Portuguese,
from caipira backwoodsman, rustic
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Me, a Tee-ball coach? Yeah, that’s what I said
I never would have thought I’d end
up coaching Tee-ball. It was the last thing I thought I’d be doing. But here I
am. Coach Kelley. I did it reluctantly to help my dad, who only volunteered to
manage the Tee-ball team because none of the other parents would. And he is a
great grandfather. With all the experience I had as a softball player, I have
the knowledge to teach, but trying to work with a group of four to six-year-olds
is like trying to herd cats. No, I take that back. I think herding cats might
be easier. At least for someone like me who never had any children, only the
four-legged kind.
So, I dusted off my old mitt and
bought a couple of new sports bras and dragged myself to the ball field,
thinking it would be a chore I would have to endure for a few weeks. But these
kids surprised me. It’s turning out to be a fun experience watching them so enthusiastic
about playing ball. And it’s rewarding to give something back to the community
and help shape some future baseball or softball players. There are three girls
on the team, which I like to see, and they are really trying hard. A couple of
them are already hitting the ball better than some of the boys. LOL
Now I look forward to Tee-ball
practice. This old fart is actually enjoying herself.
Quote from The Wolf Queen:
“Gods, woman. You are the most stubborn female I have ever
met.”
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth and magic
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Wednesday, March 09, 2016
Weird Word Wednesday
cahow
noun ca·how
\kə-ˈhau̇\
Definition of cahow
Popularity: Bottom
10% of words
: a dark-colored petrel (Pterodroma cahow)
formerly abundant in Bermuda but now nearly extinct
Origin of cahow
imitative
First Known Use: 1615
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, March 07, 2016
Downsizing is harder than it seems
We made the decision to downsize
last year. Well, my husband wanted to do this more than I did, but after
dragging my feet, I decided it was the right thing to do. That didn’t make it
any easier for me. We went from a 3-bedroom house to a 2-bedroom duplex. Even
after having four garage sales, we still had too much stuff. Physically, this
was the hardest move for both of us. That might be because we are a lot older
now, but it’s not easy trying to fit everything into a smaller place. Whenever we
moved in the past, it was always to a larger home. I think the hardest part was
spending a year sorting and cleaning out all my stuff. The process was so time-consuming
and stressful. It’s difficult deciding what to get rid of and what to keep.
However… I’m discovering that I
didn’t really need all of those things I had and there are many creative ways
to organize a smaller home. Pinterest has been a great help with people sharing
so many great ideas. We are quickly adapting to our new place. After a year of
cleaning out stuff, hosting garage sales (when you start recognizing the people
shopping in your garage, you’ve had too many), and finally moving, I’m looking
forward to new beginnings and moving on with my life.
 |
| The view from our new home.
Quote from The Wolf Queen:
“Tantaus, you Cyclopean idiot,” Niren said, “can you not see
Lycaon is infatuated with the girl?”
|
Otherworldly tales steeped in myth and magic
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Wednesday, March 02, 2016
Weird Word Wednesday
cahoot
noun ca·hoot
\kə-ˈhüt\
Definition of cahoot
Popularity: Bottom
50% of words
: partnership, league —usually used in plural
Origin of cahoot
perhaps from French
cahute cabin, hut
First Known Use: 1829
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Monday Musings: Arizona Sunsets #16
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
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