Writing historicals

I would classify my books as fantasy/romance, but my stories usually take place in a historical setting. Historical settings are a challenge for me because I can learn from textbooks, but it takes more than that to get the atmosphere right. To help me understand a historical setting, I will read fiction by authors who write in the time period I am trying to re-create. In a way, this is more helpful to me than reading a textbook. I use both methods to get the historical setting as realistic as possible.

Ancient time periods (like in my books) are tricky because there isn't much information to learn from. This is where a vivid imagination comes in handy. I also weigh what I know against what I don't know and find a middle ground by filling in the blanks with the obvious. By doing some detective work and putting myself in their place, I come up with the historical setting. One thing I have learned from studying ancient civilizations: people haven't changed much throughout history, just the technology. By taking away the clutter of machines, televisions and computers, I think about what people did back then. They were in tune with the earth's cycles and they were superstitious about the unknown. Some of these civilizations were very advanced for their time. And sadly, most of these civilizations were destroyed by disease, nature's wrath or warfare with another nation. The wheel keeps turning.

Finding my writing voice

It took me a few years to develop my writing voice. I wrote short stories and I kept a journal--I wrote whenever I could. It finally came to me after I gave in and bared my soul. I didn't care about what other people would think. My editor at Awe-Struck commented that I have an engaging writing style that draws the reader into the story. I was flattered by his positive opinion of my writing because I wasn't trying to be that way. I only achieved this by not thinking too hard about it and letting my voice develop on its own.

I even fought writing romances for many years because I had never really liked reading them. My favorite authors were Stephen King, Ann Rice and Morgan Llywelyn. I always thought romances were silly until I read Diana Gabaldon's outstanding Outlander series in which she incorporates strong character development with sci-fi elements. By combining romance with the elements of fantasy and the supernatural, I developed my own style of romance. Once I accepted that I was going to write romances, everything clicked into place. I like to write unusual romances between two very different people, and I like to infuse fantasy with reality to create a surreal atmosphere filled with human and otherworldly beings.

So, if there are any new writers out there, don't fight yourself--go where your Muse takes you. You just might be surprised by what happens.

Sequel to Of Water and Dragons

I am very excited about my second book, which is a sequel to Of Water and Dragons. I never planned on writing a sequel to this book, but new ideas came to me and I could not resist the call of the Muse. The sequel is titled, RavenWolf, and will focus on the mythology that is a huge part of Scottish and Irish history. Ambiorix and Nemu struggle to stay together, but someone from Nemu's past threatens to tear them apart. Nemu also learns who she was before she was reborn as Nemu. I have created some new characters that I think readers will find interesting. RavenWolf is near completion and I hope to have it published soon. Here is an excerpt from RavenWolf:

The Raven Women surrounded the stone fortress, imprisoning me. I realized that this was the place I had dreamed of. Somewhere nearby though was the land of my mother’s people and the place of their final entombment. A silent tear rolled down my cheek as I thought of the fate of my mother.

Dark stone monoliths jutted out in the distance from the mist-filled water. I watched the sun fall beneath cloud-strewn skies, creating a burst of pink and purple. It should have been a glorious sight to me, but instead of white clouds colored pink and purple, I saw white wings covered in shadow and stained with innocent blood.

Wrapped in large black wings, The Raven Women silently guarded me. I barely glanced at them because I knew I would be ignored. Their presence was oddly comforting to me though.
There was a lot I still did not understand, but this I knew—Mine is the dark face of night, the silver moon my only true friend. Solitude is all I have ever known and will ever know. This I have come to accept as I accept that the sun rises each morning and sets each night in a fiery ball of glory. My only regret is that I should have realized this much sooner…before love.
It is strange how life can change in an instant. Perhaps I should have heeded my dreams, listened to my inner voice. But I have learned that life does not always go the way it was planned. No wonder mortals were so tormented. Of course, the Romans had again played a role in destroying my peaceful existence. But I feared that I was to blame for that. My thoughts whispered to me that there was more for me to learn about my past. By allowing the dark one to bring me here, lost memories had rushed back and I was not the same person I was before. A prisoner, I was alone again, and maybe that was my true destiny. I wanted to place the blame on others, but the truth was, I made my own choices. I could not change what I was. I was foolish to believe it could be done. Maybe I was not meant to live as a human among human beings. And I have learned a secret that has changed me forever. My eyes filled with tears at the memory of what I was and would always be.

What have I done?

How Of Water and Dragons was born

I am often asked how I came up with the idea for Of Water and Dragons. It actually started out as a short story titled, Water, and was a romance/fantasy between two very different people-a human and a faery woman. My Creative Writing teacher encouraged me to turn this short story into a novel. I changed the setting to ancient Britain and Scotland after reading about a significant battle between the Romans and the Celtic tribes. The male character changed to a Roman soldier named Ambiorix. My female character, Nemu, stayed the same. The battle was the perfect way for my two different characters to meet.

The story was built using Roman history and Celtic mythology. I love combining reality with fantasy. I feel that this gives the story a more surreal touch. I am a huge fan of history (boring to most people), but I love to see how people lived in the past, and this is what inspired me to write in an ancient time period. Mythology is also another fascination of mine, especially Celtic mythology. I can't seem to get enough of it and constantly read books dealing with the Celtic myth cycle. Magic and the supernatural is another favorite pastime of mine, and there is some of that influence in this book as well.

The idea for Nemu came to me when I was reading a book on faery lore. I found a description of Ashrays or Water Faeries that lived underwater and melted if sunlight would touch them. This is how Nemu was born. I wanted to show her as a bit naive, but with an inner strength fueled by magic. Her character will continue to grow in the second and third books in this series on Celtic Mythology.

I wanted Ambiorix to be a strong, brave warrior, but also have the heart of a poet. He is probably the most conflicted of the two characters because he is torn between his love for Nemu and his loyalty to Rome. His character goes through more changes in the second book, which reveals his true strengths and weaknesses.

My favorite romances are the ones that are complicated, and I wanted to write a romance with obstacles for the main characters. There is also an unusual love triangle going on in this book, which I didn't plan it at all. It just happened, but it enhanced the story even more. Sometimes when I am writing, my characters seem to take over and write the story for me. I just go with the flow, and let the story take me where it wants to go.

I also incorporated a couple of legends into this story. One was the mysterious disappearance of the Ninth Legion, and the other was the Loch Ness monster legend.
Anyway, that is how Of Water and Dragons was born, and from there I was inspired to turn it into a trilogy.

My book, Of Water and Dragons, is being released May 2006 by Awe-Struck E-Books. Now, I know that most people probably don't read ebooks and I hope that some people might consider this reading option. I have been a firm believer in the printed book. That is until my bookcases have became so overloaded that I can't fit any more books in them. I do not like to get rid of books that I love, and I happen to love lots of books. This was one reason I have turned my attention to ebooks. The other reason is I review for Coffee Time Romance and I read a lot of ebooks for them. Most of these ebooks are very well written. There is a lot of unknow talent out there in the ebook realm. What I like about being an ebook author is that your story isn't butchered by some hotshot editor. I also got to choose my cover art. The creative freedom is what drew me to e-publishing. In my opinion, most of the well-known print books that are out today are too formulaic for my taste. I like to read fresh stories and not the same plots over and over again. So, I hope that people start to discover the hidden gems in ebooks. Ebooks can be read on your computer, printed out, or read on a ebook reader. I am still deciding on which reader I want to buy. Ebooks cost less than print books, too. Please support you ebook authors!

When I do book signings, people ask me how I became a writer. It's a perfectly good question to ask, but I guess I never thought about how I became a writer until someone asked me that question. I don't think anyone just becomes a writer. I think they were always a writer in some way. The writing bug has always been inside of me. I was a musician and a songwriter for many years writing song lyrics and poetry. Also, since the age of four, I have been an avid reader. Then I started writing short stories. After taking a Creative Writing class and joining a Writer's Group, I decided to tackle a novel.

The best advice a teacher gave me was to write all the time. Even if it is just keeping a journal. This helps you to find your "writing voice" which is a very important part of being a writer. And write from your soul.

Happy writing!

I am writing a sequel to my first novel and I want it to stand alone. There really isn't any helpful advice on how to accomplish this. At least I haven't found any. So I am working my way through this myself. I think there should be some reference as to what happened before, and some background on the characters in case people have not read the first book. This is a tricky process that's for sure. Once I am finished I will have a professional edit the ms. They should be able to point out if I have missed anything. I hope! But I want to make sure it is right before I even have an editor look at it. It is a slow, tedious process. I love writing! I really do.

My eBay store

I just had a book signing at Hastings Books & Music in Lake Havasu City. It was very successful! December is a good month to do a book signing because people are out looking for Christmas gifts. And don't underestimate the power of the autograph. I am also selling a lot of signed copies on eBay. I have added the link to my eBay store in case anyone wants to check it out.

I also make wall crosses out of driftwood, using crystals, stones and shells to decorate them. On some I burn in Southwest designs or Runes. These crosses are also sold in my eBay store.

On editing my second book: I am looking for sections that need to be rewritten so they "show" instead of "tell" what is going on. I have a bad habit of telling too much when I am in a hurry to write about something. It is better to show what is going on through the eyes of the character, using the five senses. I have spotted one section so far that really bothers me so I am working on that one. My other bad habit is overusing certain words. Overusing words can be distracting to the reader, so it is better not to do this. Use different variations of the word instead so it isn't so obvious.

Happy writing!

New music to write to

I was turned on to this music by Rita and Toine vanPoorten, owners of www.metalmaidens.com. By the way, my old metal band, Driven Steel, will be featured on their website soon. Anyway, back to Blackmore's Night. Ritchie Blackmore was in Deep Purple and Rainbow, and he formed a band with his girlfriend, Candice Night. Their music is what I would call Classical and Celtic flavored. Candice has a beautiful voice that is complemented by Ritchie's flawless classical guitar picking. My favorite song is "Ghost of a Rose." This song has a haunting melody that stirs my soul. In fact, the song has inspired a short story inside of me. I love to write my books to this music. Anyone who likes Loreena McKennitt, Enya or Celtic music would probably like Blackmore's Night.

Ah, the perils of re-writing and editing. I am still working to finish my second book, RavenWolf, which continues the story of Nemu and Ambiorix. The magic she conjured in Of Water and Dragons will come back to haunt them, and Nemu finds out who she was before she was Nemu. All of this will threaten their relationship. Check out my website for an excerpt for RavenWolf.
www.kelleyheckart.com. I hope to have it finished by the middle of 2006, but I am not sure about how I am going to publish it yet. Stay tuned.

More book news: I have a book signing this Saturday, December 3 at the Hastings in Lake Havasu City, AZ.

My interview and review on loveromances.com

I am very pleased with the review I received by Pam at loveromances.com. She did a wonderful job. My interview page is beautifully decorated with a faery border designed by Jessica Galbrieth. It's very cool. So if anyone is interested, just click on the above link to my interview page.

Well, I have finally finished the first draft of my second novel, which I am calling RavenWolf. It continues the story of Nemu and Ambiorix as they stuggle to stay together. They will have to deal with the consequences of the strong magic Nemu called upon at the end of the first novel, Of Water and Dragons. There will also be some secrets revealed about Nemu, and who she was before she was Nemu. I am very excited about it.

Now I have entered the first faze of editing. Editing is my least favorite part of writing so I try to make it as easy as possible. I don't try to edit everything at once because then I tend to miss things. I take it in fazes. This may take a little longer, but I feel that it is better to wait and have a better product. The first thing I did was re-write the beginning, which I felt was not compelling enough. Hey, if it doesn't grab the writer of the story then it needs to be re-written. Then I did a first pass through the entire ms checking for continuity and inconsistencies in the story. This is also where I will check facts and mark areas I want to take another look at to possibly re-write. Then I leave it alone for a few days to let the story sink in.

The next step is to check for the items on my self-editing list. Then I will have a couple of family members proofread it for me. Hopefully I will be finished by the beginning of 2006.

Happy writing!

I thought this was really cool so I have to share it. Someone liked my book a lot, and thinks it would make a great Sci-Fi Channel movie. She even has the cast picked out. I just think it's great that someone is so excited about my book.

To quote Rosie, "Well, I finished Kelley's book on Saturday. Wow! I really read it fast! It is one of those books you just can't put down! It's too interesting! I can't wait for the sequel! I can really see this as a movie! I almost have all the cast picked out. I think Liv Tyler should play Nemu. She was a great elf in Lord of the Rings. She melts my heart when she speaks elvish. She'd be great as a water faery. I think Marcus should be played by that Aussie, Russell Crowe! Yeah. And that tall girl (who played Red Sonja), Bridgit Nielson (if she's not too old) should play Rhonwyn. Haven't got it all picked out yet. I don't know who should play Ambiorix. Brad Pitt doesn't have his emotion, even though he's a good Roman soldier. I like Viggo Mortensen, but I can't see him in a blonde wig. Ambiorix is a blonde. Of course Valeria should be played by Deborah Messing. She's a fussy red-head. Perfect! Cavarinus should be played by Mel Gibson. The general...that's a tough one. A large imposing man, a skilled soldier, and yet thoughful as he's pruning roses in his garden. Sly Stallone fits the part, but you can't UNDERSTAND him! He mumbles. No, he must be intelligent, imposing, yet calm and thoughtful. I don't know.

I'd like to know what Kelley thinks about making it a movie. SciFi Channel would love this story! I've seen many dragon movies , but this story has HEART! Ya know. It's about the people and their struggles, but you could still add some cool special effects. I really haven't been this excited over a story since Lord of the Rings. This book rocks!"

Halloween, or as the ancient Celts called it, Samhain, is my favorite time of the year. There is something magical in the air when the air turns crisp, and the shadows deepen. For the Celts, it was the beginning of the new year celebrated on November 1st. Samhain was a religious celebration and also a time for the tribes to settle any issues for the coming year. It was the smothering of the summer fires, and the entry into the dark winter. It was also the one night of the year when the veil was thin between the land of the living and the land of the dead. Faeries and other spirits would roam the earth coming into contact with mere mortals. Samhain plays a big part in my Celtic stories because it was such a huge part of the ancient Celts.

So, we can thank the ancient Celts for introducing us to Halloween, which we now celebrate with candy and costume parties.

Happy Halloween & Samhain to all!

My book signing at New Age Concepts in Yucca Valley, CA was a huge success! I was very pleased with the turnout and books sales. Bonnie McMillan, the owner of New Age Concepts is a wonderful lady, and I am very grateful to her for her support. What I would like to mention in this blog is that there are other alternatives for book signings at locations other than book stores. My book is a historical romance/fantasy set in ancient Britain, and my main character is a faery woman. That is why I am focusing on New Age Stores that sell faery merchandise. I am not ruling out book stores. I am just widening my options. Authors need to think of the audience for their book, and come up with creative ideas for marketing and book signings. I am also looking into Celtic festivals. Just some stuff to think about when considering where to have a book signing.

Essential writing tool, Elements of Style by William Strunk & E.B. White

My Creative Writing teacher told the class about this book. I still use it as a reference along with my thesaurus and dictionary. There are no exercises in this book, only sound advice for every kind of writer. The Elements of Style is easy to understand and so small it will fit in your purse or pocket. What I really like about this book is that it doesn't blather on and on, it gets to the point quickly and efficiently. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to improve his or her writing style.

My other blog, Purple Haze

I have been revising my second ms, and trying to follow my own advice on self-editing. One thing that really came to mind was the opening. Basically, I thought it sucked. It needed more action to make it more compelling to the reader. If it sucked to me than what would a reader think? The number one most important rule to writing a good ms is that the opening needs to be compelling to draw the reader into the story. Have some friends or family members read your opening to see what they think if you aren't sure.

Happy writing!

Self-Editing Tips

Here are some self-editing tips I would like to pass on to fellow writers.

Tips for Editing Your Manuscript
By Kelley Heckart


Congratulations! You have finished the first draft of your manuscript. Now comes the really fun part of reading through the entire manuscript and checking for typos and other errors.

The best way to do this is to print a copy of the manuscript. This may seem like a tedious way to read it, but it is much easier to read from a printed copy than to stare at a glaring computer screen. Make sure you have a red pen to mark any errors you may find.

In addition to checking for typos and other grammatical errors, you want to check for the following:

Compelling openings. You want an opening that will draw the reader into the story.

Strong verbs. Verbs activate sentences. Be careful not to overuse certain words though.

Use all the senses. Using sight, touch, sound, taste and smell in your writing will help to show, and not tell the story, which will improve descriptions.

Showing/not telling. You want the reader to be drawn into your story by use of descriptive sentences. This can be accomplished by the use of all the senses, using dialogue that reveals the personality of a character, showing action with strong verbs, using metaphors, similes and personification (be careful not to overuse these figures of speech). Strong descriptions draw a reader into the story.

Unnecessary words. For example: The dog was running toward the pond. Instead of “was running” use “ran.” The dog ran toward the pond.

Varied sentence structure. Try to vary sentences so they don’t always begin with “He did” or “The.” For example: He stood slowly despite the throbbing in his head. Try this instead: Slowly, he stood despite the throbbing in his head. Just try to vary the sentences so they don’t all begin the same. When you read through your manuscript, make sure that all the sentences in a paragraph flow together.

Expanded moments. Try to trim the fat off of scenes if they seem too redundant and slow the story down.

It also helps to get another opinion. Have a friend read it through. Sometimes another person might see what you cannot. Give it a few days and then read the manuscript again. Keep doing this until there are no more red marks on the paper. Good luck!

I tried unsuccessfully to write using an outline. Instead, I let the characters take the lead. This method seems to work better for me. The story flows better. It feels like magic when everything starts coming together. I am still working out some kinks, but I have a much better feel for what I want to do. I wonder how many writers prefer to write without an outline.

I think that my storytelling improves in the Fall. This is my favorite time of the year. The days grow shorter, the shadows deepen, and the temperature drops-even here in Arizona! There is a certain, kind of dark, mood that settles over me this time of the year. Does anyone else have a favorite time of the year to write?

Amazon Shorts

Here is a great marketing tool for writers to promote their work. Amazon.com is offering Amazon Shorts, which are collections of short stories of fiction, non-fiction, and essays available in electronic format. Authors are welcome to submit their work. For detailed information, please click on the link above that will take you to the main page. I think this is a great way for a writer to get noticed and to promote their other books. Everything helps when it comes to promotion.

Another way to promote books available on Amazon.com is to create a Listamania. You can list your own books, and other books by your favorite authors. The link for this is http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/542566/002-6521005-2888017 Reviewing other books is also a great way to get noticed.

Good luck!

Why did we, as a society, change from a nurturing, live-giving, peaceable society to a war-like, like-taking society that views the taking of life as the ultimate power? Why did the fertile Mother Goddess change into a fierce War Goddess? These are questions that resulted in the book, The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler. I have only read the first chapter so far, but already I can see the parallels in our own modern society. This book is based on archaelogical evidence found in ancient Neolithic societies that points to a matriarchal society where men and women lived as equals. It does raise a lot of questions about how we live as a war-like nation today. As an author this interests me, and my upcoming book will be based on these beliefs. It will be a work of fiction so I will use my own thoughts to come up with the answers to these questions.

This is something that is on my mind, and probably on the minds of everyone in the U.S. The scenes that have been unfolding on t.v. as a result of Hurricane Katrina, and the effects it has had on society there. What really got to me was that most of the people that are still stranded are black, and probably poor people without any transportation. Why weren't these people evacuated by bus prior to the tragedy? Did the city not care about what happened to them? It is very disturbing to think that the poor were left to fend for themselves. Maybe I am wrong(I hope so), but that is the impression I am getting by what I am seeing and hearing on t.v. I don't know what it is like to live in New Orleans so I don't know if there are racial issues involved, but it is unthinkable to have to try to survive in those conditions. And it took way too long for help to get there. Why? I know I am not the only one asking these questions. Anyway, my heart goes out to all those who are going through this horrible experience.