New Release from Awe-Struck--Of Water and Dragons

Of Water and Dragons is now available in ebook format from Awe-Struck.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with ebooks, I will be happy to enlighten you. Ebooks do not take up space in your bookshelves and they are a lot cheaper than print books. You can either read them from your computer monitor in html or pdf format or purchase an ebook reader, which can accept other formats. I just bought an E-Bookwise reader for 115.00 and it takes pretty much all formats except for pdf. A memory card enables storage of numerous books in the reader. Book files can also be stored on your computer. This E-Bookwise reader is about the size of a paperback and you can buy from fictionwise.com, which also has New York Times bestselling books available for download. That is the other positive thing about ebooks--you can download your book and not have to wait 2 weeks for it to be shipped to you. And you save some trees by not buying a print book. See how good they are? Have I convinced you yet?

I know that you are probably thinking that ebook publishers don't publish great books, but I can say from experience that I have read some ebooks that are way better than some of the bestselling NY Times books. For one thing, ebook authors have a little more control over what they write and don't have to stick to a certain formula, which always bugs me about "big publishing houses." Ebook authors can cross genres without being punished for it. For example, my book crosses over into romance, historical, fantasy and erotica. Of Water and Dragons is an unusual romance, not your typical Harlequin Romance. (No offense meant to any Harlequin authors out there) I was able to pick my own cover design, which I know won't happen with a big publisher. The author has very little input over their creative work with a large publishing house. Have I convinced you yet? You can't knock it until you try it. Download one ebook onto your computer to check it out--just make sure it's my book. I'm kidding of course! Psyche!

Happy Reading!

New Review for Of Water and Dragons at Coffee Time Romance

4 Cups! This tales speaks of another time. A time of faeries, soldiers, druids, and magic. Ms. Heckart draws the reader into the pages and enchants them with her words, making them believe for just a little while that they too can call on dragons or control armies. For the time it takes to read this book, we just might have the power to control the universe. Of Water and Dragons is a romance to make you believe again.
Karen MagillReviewer for Coffee Time RomanceReviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books

Coffee Time Romance is another review site for authors who write any type of romance--in any format. I think they have even branched out to other genres like mysteries and non-fiction. They are easy to work with and authors and/or publishers can contact them to request a review. A review is a great way to promote your book even if it isn't a great review. Everyone has their own opinion.

Happy writing!

Writing and stylistic preferences

When writing stories set in historical settings, a writer needs to make a choice between using historically accurate dialogue or dialogue that compromises between modern phrasing and historically accurate words so the readers can best understand the dialogue. This was a choice I had to make and I know I will take some flack for it.

My books, though set in historical settings, are not true historicals. They lean more toward fantasy. To gain a wider range of readers, I have opted for the latter choice. I avoid any modern slang from slipping into the story, but my phrasing is more modern and simple. I admit that I even have a hard time reading a historical novel that uses "historically accurate dialogue." I realize by not sticking to the historically accurate diologue that it could discolor the atmosphere somewhat, but I make up for this by writing detailed descriptions to pull the reader into the story. I realize that some readers (especially those that are sticklers for accuracy and those that read straight historicals) may not agree with my stylistic choice. But maybe these readers would not be interested in my book anyway.

Hopefully, readers will still enjoy my stories. So far I have received favorable reviews. I stick by my choice, but I welcome comments related to this topic.

Editing--overuse of certain words in a ms

As I go about editing my second ms, I realized that I have a bad habit of repeating certain words. This was pointed out to me in my first ms and I thought I had it under control, but obviously not. In my first ms I overused the word "glared." All of my characters "glared" at each other. I went through and substituted some of these words for "stared hard" and "fierce stare." In my second ms I discovered that I am overusing the word "somber." Everyone has "somber" eyes. So I must find other appropriate words to use in place of some of these "somber eyes." I just wanted to point out one thing that everyone should be on the lookout for when editing their ms--do not overuse words. It can pull a reader out of the story and that is never a good thing.

One book I recently read overused the "ly" words. Every sentence had at least two of these, as my editor calls them, "tom swiftlys." Adverbs are nice to use, but they should be used sparingly--(hey, I think I just made a joke), to modify a verb, adjective, or other adverb by describing or limiting to make meaning more exact. I was pulled out of this story many times because of this. And this was a best-selling author! Lucky for her the story was otherwise very interesting and I was able to finish the book.

Happy writing! And remember not to overuse certain words throughout your ms.

The dreaded research

I am in research mode and it is not fun. It is one of those necessary evils of writing. I write romance/fantasy books that are set in historical times. They aren't true to history, but they still need to be historically correct when it comes to people and places. I also write about ancient history, which is even more of a challenge because there are holes in most of the history and experts disagree on timelines and such things. So what does a person do? I read different books on the same subject to get a middle ground on the information. I also read books that are recommended by experts. Amazon.com is a great place to find out about a book before buying it because there is a wealth of information in the customer comments. I buy most of my books because I live in a small town that doesn't have a huge ancient history section. I also conduct research online as well.

Now what to do with all the information that will soon leave my brain? I discovered that if I take some notes while I am reading a book, it helps my brain to retain the information. The only problem with that is I have been writing my notes in whatever notebook happens to be nearby at the time. Bad idea! I can't find what I am looking for. So now I am in the process of typing the notes into the computer and organizing them into categories. I should have done this in the beginning. I am slapping myself right now for being stupid.

Always a Metal Maiden

Long before I started writing books, I played bass and wrote songs in an all female band called Driven Steel. We played in Orange County, CA, L.A. and the Inland Empire in the late 80's to mid 90's. Yes, we had the "big hair" going on at first. My husband and I laugh about that because we lived in a small apartment, and ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches so that we could afford to get our hair done. He was also (still is) a musician, but his "big hair" is long gone. We had our priorities straight--the hair came first when you played in a heavy metal band back then.

Anyway, back to my story. Driven Steel was my life for many years and we played with aggressive passion. We proved that chicks could rock just as hard (and better) than the guys. Though it ended in a bitter cloud, I wouldn't change a thing. It was an awesome experience for me.

It was unfortunate that we broke up, but this was a huge turning point in my life. It turned out that writing lyrics and music would one day lead me to writing books. My roots are in Driven Steel and will always be a part of me--the metal maiden to my fiction chick.

Metal Maidens is an e-zine based in Holland that was and still is a huge supporter of Driven Steel. They recently interviewed us, and it was a pleasure to travel back to the past and reminisce about the good times. The link to this interview is http://www.metalmaidens.com/drivensteelint.htm

Rock on!

Why faeries?

This is a question I often ask myself. I grew up with a fascination with vampires and other creatures of the night so I surprised myself by writing about faeries. Faeries do share some aspects with vampires in that they are both immortal and magical beings. I think I became enamored of faeries because there are so many different kinds and they are more mysterious then vampires. We seem to know where vampires came from, but where did faery lore first take root in people's imagination?

There are numerous legends in Ireland about faeries. People seem to fear the capricious nature of these elusive beings. Some people believe that faeries grew out of a time when people couldn't explain why some things happened in nature. Some also believe that faeries are related to the fallen angel myths. Are they gods or something else? Or just figments of the imagination?
The unknown is what drew me to faeries. I was reading a book on faery lore called A Witches Guide to Faery Folk by Edain McCoy when I came across Ashrays. These water faeries found in Scotland were thought to have been a mythological race cursed to live under the sea. This inspired me to create a story behind this myth. My third book will be a prequel to the whole series. I will take readers on a journey back to ancient Greece and a war between two nations of gods and goddesses.

Some day I may write a vampire story, but for now I am devoted to the faery folk.

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!