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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.

Monday, April 06, 2015

Monday Musings: Kelley’s Misc. pics

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Loki’s first trip and hotel stay. An AZ native, he didn’t like the grass in CA.

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My hubby. Christmas at his mom’s house.

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Frosty. She was fascinated with Loki.

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Christmas trees are so beautiful.

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Me with my family.

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The desert scenery driving home from CA.

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Balloons fill the early morning sky in January in Lake Havasu.

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Loki.

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A quail visits our yard.

Hardisty Christmas 2014_2

Christmas 2014 with my husband’s family.

 

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

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Friday, April 03, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite book

Favorite book: The Horse Goddess by Morgan Llywelyn

Book description:

Troy is in crumbling ruin and Athens is rising far to the south. It is a time when mortal men and women are becoming gods and goddesses as news of their extraordinary adventures sweeps across the land. In this world, Epona, a woman whose life is celebrated in legend, meets Kazhak, a Scythian warrior and prince. Their stormy love affair sends them sweeping across eighth-century Europe, pursued from the Alps to the Ukraine by Kernunnos--a mysterious Druid priest known as the "Shapechanger."

Ms. Llywelyn has been a huge influence on my writing. She has a magical way of blending history with mythology, breathing life into these characters we read about in legends. Highly recommended to fantasy fans and fans of Celtic mythology.

 

 

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

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Wednesday, April 01, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

Balaclava

bal·a·cla·va

noun \ˌba-lə-ˈklä-və, -ˈkla-\

: a warm hat that covers the head, neck, and most of the face

Full Definition of BALACLAVA

:  a knit cap for the head and neck —called also balaclava helmet

See balaclava defined for English-language learners »

Origin of BALACLAVA

Balaclava, Crimea, site of a British encampment during the Crimean War

First Known Use: 1941

 

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

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Monday, March 30, 2015

Monday Musings: AZ Cloud and Jet Stream pics #6

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A jet stream streaks across the twilight sky.

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Feathery pink clouds decorate the sky.

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A dramatic sunset mixed with jet streams.

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Nice texture, almost like shimmering fish scales.

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Layers of colors paint the sky.

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The setting sun turns the clouds a bright pink.

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Angel or Faerie wings span the 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

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Friday, March 27, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite movie

Favorite movie: Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Product Description

Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins star in director Francis Ford Coppola's visually stunning, passionately seductive version of the classic Dracula legend. In BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, Coppola returns to the original source of the Dracula myth, and from that gothic romance, he creates a modern masterpiece. Gary Oldman's metamorphosis as Dracula who grows from old to young, from man to beast is nothing short of amazing. Winona Ryder brings equal intensity to the role of a young beauty who becomes the object of Dracula's devastating desire. Anthony Hopkins co-stars as the famed doctor who dares to believe in Dracula, and then dares to confront him. Opulent, dazzling and utterly irresistible, this is Dracula as you've never seen him. And once you've seen BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, you'll never forget it.

This is one of my favorite versions of Dracula. I thought Gary Oldman did a great job in the starring role, how he changed from young to old. I’m not a Winona Ryder fan. Not sure why, but I never liked her acting, so that was my only disappointment with this movie. This version of Dracula reveals the hidden sexuality in the original story using vivid colors and sensual scenes. Highly recommended for Dracula fans.

 

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

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Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

Balalaika

bal·a·lai·ka

noun \ˌba-lə-ˈlī-kə\

Definition of BALALAIKA

:  a usually 3-stringed instrument of Russian origin with a triangular body played by plucking or strumming

Illustration of BALALAIKA

Origin of BALALAIKA

Russian

First Known Use: 1780

 

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

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Monday, March 23, 2015

Monday Musings: Moon pics #7

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Almost full moon floating above the clouds.

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Taken from the car on our way back from CA. The way the moon

hangs there above the barren desert reminds me of another planet.

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The full moon led us home from CA.

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Full moon at sunset.

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Full moon peeking out from the top of the tree.

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There is a planet shining just to the left of this crescent moon.

 

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

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Friday, March 20, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite new TV series

Favorite new TV Show: 12 Monkeys

Series description: 27 years after a virus wipes out most of humanity, scientists send a man (James Cole) back to 2015 to stop the plague from ever happening. Cole's only lead is a virologist (Dr. Cassandra Railly), who knows the dangerous source of the outbreak.

I loved the movie version with Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt and Madeline Stowe, so I was curious how the SyFy series would handle this story. So far I like what they are doing with it. Time travel opens up a lot of possibilities for storylines.

 

 

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

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Interview of Author Kelley Heckart

Interview of Author Kelley Heckart

Weird Word Wednesday

Bauhinia

bau·hin·ia

noun \bō-ˈi-nē-ə, -ˈhi-, bȯ-\

Definition of BAUHINIA

:  any of a genus (Bauhinia) of leguminous vines, shrubs, and trees of the legume family that grow in tropical and subtropical regions and include some that are grown especially for their fragrant orchid-like flowers

Origin of BAUHINIA

New Latin, from Jean Bauhin †1613 and Gaspard Bauhin†1624 Swiss botanists

First Known Use: 1725

 

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

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Monday, March 16, 2015

Monday Musings: AZ Sunset pics #6

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Dark and fiery hues blend in the twilight sky.

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Softer pink hues float over the golden strokes of the setting sun.

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I like this mix of dark and light clouds floating in the twilight sky.

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These clouds remind me of feathers.

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The sky looks like its on fire.

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I like the silhouette of the trees against the bold reds in the sunset-tinged clouds. 

 

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

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Friday, March 13, 2015

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.


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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

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

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

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Monday, March 09, 2015

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.

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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

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Friday, March 06, 2015

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.

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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

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Wednesday, March 04, 2015

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

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