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

Weird Word Wednesday

Baobab

bao·bab

noun \ˈbau̇-ˌbab, ˈbā-ə-\

Definition of BAOBAB

:  a broad-trunked tropical tree (Adansonia digitata) of the silk-cotton family that is native to Africa and has an edible acidic fruit resembling a gourd and bark used in making paper, cloth, and rope; also :  any of several related trees chiefly of Madagascar and Australia

See baobab defined for kids »

Origin of BAOBAB

New Latin bahobab

First Known Use: 1640

 

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: More Havasu Snow pics

Here are some more pictures from the rare snowfall we had here in Lake Havasu, AZ on New Year’s Eve.

 

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

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite time of day

Twilight

Twilight is considered a magical time because it’s the time between times. As the sun sinks behind the horizon, in the gathering darkness doorways to other realms can be opened and magic cast, that is if you believe in that kind of stuff. But it’s no wonder twilight is considered a magical time since it’s filled with beauty and stillness as the black banner of night engulfs the sun.

 

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!

Weird Word Wednesday

Bagasse

ba·gasse

noun \bə-ˈgas\

Definition of BAGASSE

:  plant residue (as of sugarcane or grapes) left after a product (as juice) has been extracted

Origin of BAGASSE

French

First Known Use: circa 1826

 

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: Jet Streams in a clear AZ sky

Jet streams fill the AZ sky. I think this was sunrise.

A lone jet stream splits the blue sky.

Two jet streams cross in the setting sun.

A crescent moon and a jet stream share the sky.

This jet stream moved so fast I almost missed it.

Forming a straight line in the cloudless sky.

 

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!

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!

Weird Word Wednesday

Bafflegab

baf·fle·gab

noun \ˈba-fəl-ˌgab\

Definition of BAFFLEGAB

: gobbledygook

Examples of BAFFLEGAB

1. <I kept asking the telemarketer what the final cost of the“special offer” was, and all I got was more bafflegab about deferred payments, option to cancel at any point, etc.>

First Known Use of BAFFLEGAB

1952

Related to BAFFLEGAB

Synonyms

gibberish, double-talk, gobbledygook (also gobbledegook),rigmarole (also rigamarole), song and dance

 

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: Playtime

I wrote this a long time ago when we were living in CA and my two dogs, now gone, used to play every night. It’s one of my fondest memories.

Playtime:

It always happens around 7 p.m. each night. I am usually sitting at my computer, writing or surfing the web, when I see something out of the corner of my eye. Looking up, I see Xena, my American Eskimo, and Hercules, my Chihuahua/Dachshund mix, staring at each other from opposite ends of the long hallway. I know what will happen next and I have the best seat in the house to watch it unfold. It amazes me how they communicate by body language or maybe animals have some sort of telepathy. They continue to stare at each other, Xena looking relaxed, Hercules, his body tense, his brown eyes unblinking. She lies on the carpet closet to me, her elegant body perfectly poised. He stands at the far end of the long hallway, head down.

Suddenly, she moves, a white blur running down the hallway straight at him. He runs for cover under the kitchen table mere seconds before she reaches him. I can hear him furiously scratching the carpet with his front paws. She sits down where he once stood, tilting her head in his direction, a curious look on her face and pointed ears twitching. Bolting past her, he races around the couch and down the hall toward me, stopping at the end of the hall, panting. They face each other once again. His body tense, nails digging into the carpet, ready to sprint at a moment’s notice.

Without warning, she moves down the hall like a white flash, toppling him beneath her larger body. She grabs him by the scruff of his neck with her teeth, flinging him around like a rag doll. To someone unused to their play, it looks like she might be hurting him, but he squeals with delight, struggling to get away, pushing at her with his paws. Growling and flashing her fangs, she continues to fling him around, pinning him to the ground.

Finally, she lets him up and casually walks away to sprawl down on the cool tile by the front door, her pink tongue like a lost rose petal on a snow covered ground. He bounds toward her, brushing up against her, biting at the thick fur at her neck. She ignores him, rolling onto her side. He continues to bite and rub against her. Lifting her head, she gently licks his little brown face. He growls but gives in to her. After walking a few feet away, he plops down on the carpet, rolling onto his side, eyes closing.

Playtime is over.

 

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!

Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies. Oh My!: The Bear Goddess by Kelley Heckart

The Bear Goddess review (4 stars!): Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies. Oh My!: The Bear Goddess by Kelley Heckart: Book Name: The Bear Goddess Series: Book 1: The Arcadia Bears Author's Name: Kelley Heckart Genre: M/F- Fantasy/Romance Main Char...

Favorite Friday: Favorite past TV series

Xena: Warrior Princess

Storyline on IMDb:

Xena,once known as "Destroyer of Nations," tries to redeem herself by fighting for the greater good. On her quest, she meets Gabrielle, a small town bard hungry for adventure. Together they take down some of the worlds most formidable opponents, even the gods!Written by Willie Nelson Crane Jr

Before we had the kick-ass Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we had Xena, one awesome kick-ass heroine. And she wasn’t the typical heroine; she had a dark past and her story is about redemption. Highly recommended. I’m saving my money to get the complete series.

 

 

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!

Weird Word Wednesday

Badinage

ba·di·nage

noun \ˌba-də-ˈnäzh\

Definition of BADINAGE

:  playful repartee : banter

Examples of BADINAGE

1. <the sophisticated badinage of the characters in plays by Oscar Wilde>

Origin of BADINAGE

French
First Known Use: circa 1658

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: A word about editing

Editors can do some amazing things. They can make your story shine and find the most impossible-to-find errors. But editors are not miracle workers. They can’t possibly catch every single error, especially in just one read through and especially if the manuscript hasn’t gone through more than one stage of editing.

Most writers don’t understand that a manuscript should go through at least 3 editing steps:

1. Line or content edits

2. Copy editing

3. Proofreading

It’s essential for writers to know what they can and can’t accomplish on their own. Some authors can perform one or two of these steps themselves, but having a professional editor, if only to perform copy editing, is important to have another set of eyes look over your story. If hiring a professional is the best way to complete all the edits, a different editor should perform each of these steps in order to have a fresh look at your manuscript. Most important: you can’t expect to skip steps 1 & 2 and have a proofreader catch all the errors. It’s impossible.

Another issue is that most of the grammar rules are ambiguous and decided based on perception. What one editor perceives to be an error, another one does not. Also, fiction writing is different from formal writing. Rules are more relaxed in a fiction story because creative writing is based on author and character voice/style. You can get away with having some incomplete sentences in a work of fiction to add impact to the story world, but not in a business letter or term paper. Picking a fiction editor for your book is important. Otherwise, an editor trained only in formal writing will suck the life right out of your story.

From my personal experience working with editors, great ones and not so great, I can say that they don’t catch every mistake. Even the best ones can’t catch everything. And I don’t blame them for that. Ultimately, it is up to the author to make sure his or her manuscript is error free.

 

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!

Favorite Friday: Favorite past TV show

Highlander

Storyline description on IMDb:

Taken from the film, Highlander, Duncan MacLeod, clansman of Connor in the film also finds he is being stalked by not only other immortals trying to kill him before the time of the gathering, but also a secret society of mortals who call themselves 'The Watchers' and also seem intent on killing him but "The Watchers" observe and record and never interfere. Duncan and the other immortals can only be killed by decapitation and often live for centuries. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

I love this show and have the complete series DVD set. Strangely, my husband turned me on to this show because he knew I would like it. And he was right. Duncan MacLeod is the type of hero I love. He’s not an alpha male, he has morals and he respects women. A lot of the episodes deal with moral issues like: when is it okay to kill someone? It’s this kind of depth that drew me in. But hunky, long-haired Adrian Paul also kept my attention. Another thing I loved about this series was a lot of the guest stars were rock stars like Roger Daltrey and Joan Jett. Mr. Daltrey played an immortal friend of MacCleod and some of the funniest and saddest episodes involved his character. The awesome Ms. Jett played a bad-ass immortal that challenged MacLeod. Highly recommended for fantasy fans, especially if you like hot immortal Scottish heroes with long swords.

 

 

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!

Weird Word Wednesday

Babushka

ba·bush·ka

noun \bə-ˈbüsh-kə, -ˈbu̇sh-, ba-\

Definition of BABUSHKA

1

a :  a usually triangularly folded kerchief for the head

b :  a head covering (as a scarf) resembling a babushka

2

:  an elderly Russian woman

See babushka defined for kids »

Examples of BABUSHKA

1. <an elderly Russian woman with a babushka>

Illustration of BABUSHKA

Origin of BABUSHKA

Russian, grandmother, diminutive of baba old woman

First Known Use: 1938

 

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: Snow in Lake Havasu, AZ and using weather in fiction

We had snow in Lake Havasu, AZ for the first time in 30 years on New Year’s Eve. It was awesome for me. I haven’t been in snow in years. I ran around filled with excitement taking pictures. From an artistic point of view, it was beautiful, but I guess if you have to drive in it, it’s not much fun.

Just about everyone in my desert city posted about the snowfall that was only about an inch or two. My Midwest and East Coast family and friends made fun of us for sure.

But it made me think of how I use weird weather patterns in some of my stories to add some drama to an otherwise drab scene or to force characters together. I’ve had an unusual, early season blizzard that portended a change brought on by an ancient curse in Winter’s Requiem, the third book in my Dark Goddess trilogy. In Beltaine’s Song, the second book in this trilogy, I had a sudden, dramatic thunderstorm that made everyone run for cover and brought characters together that wouldn’t normally be with each other. This technique worked to move the plot forward and add some twists. And in Daughter of Night, a sudden storm brings my hero and heroine together in the stables where they share a tender moment. The was the defining moment that brought them together. I used storms in Of Water and Dragons and Ravenwolf to make the mood dark and frightening.

To all the other writers out there: Have you used weather as a writing tool?

Readers: Is there a favorite weather scene in a book you read?

 

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!

Favorite Friday: Favorite cable TV series

Homeland

Product Description

Hailed as TV's best new drama by critics everywhere, the award-winning HOMELAND* delivers compelling characters, thrilling twists and breathtaking suspense. Carrie Mathison (Golden Glober winner Claire Danes), a brilliant but volatile CIA agent, suspects that a rescued American POW may not be what he seems. Is Marine Sgt. Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) a war hero...or an Al Qaeda sleeper agent plotting a spectacular terrorist attack on U.S. soil? Following her instincts, Mathison will risk everything to uncover the truth - her reputation, her career and even her sanity. Packed with multiple layers and hidden clues, Season One offers something new every time you see it...watch carefully.

I’m watching this with my husband. There are few shows we watch together because he doesn’t care for my fantasy shows with vampires, etc., but both of us like Homeland. One word to describe this series is “intense.” It’s fast-paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended.

 

 

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!

Weird Word Wednesday

BABIRUSA

bab·i·ru·sa

noun \ˌba-bə-ˈrü-sə, ˌbä-\

Definition of BABIRUSA

:  a large wild swine (Babyrousa babyrussa) of Indonesia

Origin of BABIRUSA

Malay, from babi pig + rusa deer

First Known Use: 1673

 

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

Monday Musings: Moon pics #6

I happened to catch this jet stream streaking beneath the moon.

 

A ghost of a moon.

 

A sliver moon in a sea of blue.

 

Bright moon sliver among the wispy clouds.

 

The dark side of the moon is faintly outlined against a twilight sky.

 

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!

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite book

Favorite book: Night Calls by Katharine Eliska Kimbriel

Book description:

"When you have the Gift, your life is not your own."
I was born to a family that harnessed the winds and could read futures in fire and water. Yet my mother kept her secrets.
Then the werewolf came, sharing his madness.
Now it's my turn to keep secrets....
Descended from powerful magic-users, but ignorant of her heritage, young Alfreda Sorensson learns magic and wisdom from her extended family in an alternate early 1800s Michigan Territory.

 

This is Little House on the Prairie with werewolves, vampires, witches and magic. Alfreda is born into a family with special powers and lots of secrets.

 

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!