Enter a world of enchantment and passion. I am a Historical fantasy/Paranormal romance author, editor, musician, and artist living in Arizona. My latest series is based on my time as a rock and roll bassist. All five books in my Shadow-walkers series are available now on Amazon: Awakening, Awakening the Wolf, Awakening the Vampire, Awakening the Fae, and Awakening the Dragon. This blog is all about writing and other aspects of my life.
About Me
- Kelley Heckart
- Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.
Saturday, February 08, 2014
Exquisite Quills!: Author Interview: Kelley Heckart
Friday, February 07, 2014
Favorite Friday
One of my favorite books is Helen’s Daughter by Laura Gill. Here is the review I posted on Amazon: Historical done right--This story was a believable interpretation of the possible life of the daughter of Helen (of Trojan War). The author mixed history with myth to bring to life a little known time when Mycenaean Greeks (Achaeans) ruled the Peloponnese. What I really appreciated was the way Ms. Gill added historical details without drowning the reader in boring description. Hermione overcame prejudices applied to her because of what happened to her mother. It seems that history chooses to portray strong women as harlots and worse. I like to see stories that draw on the strength of character that these women probably possessed. I highly recommend this story for those readers that love a compelling ancient historical.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Weird word Wednesday
abu·lia
noun \ā-ˈbü-lē-ə, -ˈbyü-, ə-\
Definition of ABULIA
: abnormal lack of ability to act or to make decisions
— abu·lic adjective
Origin of ABULIA
New Latin, from 2a- + Greek boulē will
First Known Use: circa 1864
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Monday, February 03, 2014
Why I don’t like to have teenage girl heroines in my stories
I can say this because I was one—a teenage girl. They are borderline psycho, overly dramatic and make terrible decisions. This is why I don’t like to have teenage girls as heroines in my novels and why I probably won’t write YA.
I couldn’t write a teenage girl heroine without rolling my eyes and wanting to kill her off. A heroine is supposed to be liked by readers. Now maybe if the heroine grew up in a different environment from the spoiled kind of life most teenagers have in the U.S., she might make a good heroine. I’m thinking of Katnis from Hunger Games. She grew up in a dangerous environment where survival was more important than the latest fashion. She had to be levelheaded in order to make sure she survived and to take care of her family.
I wonder if it’s the role models teenagers have that makes most of them so stupid. Especially today with reality shows like the Kardashians and pop stars that flaunt their bodies and their dramatic love lives. And it’s even worse with Facebook and Twitter where people try to out do each other and post every little thought and deed.
Growing up I didn’t have the Internet to tempt me into doing stupid things, but I still did them. I don’t know if it’s just a part of growing up and learning life’s lessons or if I was just rebellious. I’m sure not all teenage girls act crazy like I did, but those memories are stuck in my head and whenever I try to write about teenage heroine, I can’t get past how stupid I was.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Friday, January 31, 2014
Favorite Friday
One of my favorite movies is Gladiator with Russell Crowe. The opening battle scene does a great job of showing the might of the Roman Empire and I think it is the best battle scene. Very powerful imagery. My favorite quote is, “At my signal, unleash Hell.”
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Weird word Wednesday
1abe·ce·dar·i·an
noun \ˌā-bē-(ˌ)sē-ˈder-ē-ən\
Definition of ABECEDARIAN
: one learning the rudiments of something (as the alphabet)
Examples of ABECEDARIAN
1. <abecedarians soon learn that martial arts have a spiritual as well as physical side>
Origin of ABECEDARIAN
Middle English abecedary, from Medieval Latin abecedariumalphabet, from Late Latin, neuter of abecedarius of the alphabet, from the letters a + b + c + d
First Known Use: 1603
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Supernatural—Sam or Dean?
Tabby's Nocturnal Nights: Supernatural—Sam or Dean?: I love the show Supernatural about the two brothers that hunt demons and other dangerous supernatural beings. The brothers, Sam and Dean, co...
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
Two mortals are caught in the midst of the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.
Monday, January 27, 2014
The power of an emotional scene
Emotional scenes can add special moments that resonate with readers, drawing the readers further into the story. Emotional scenes are especially effective in romance novels where emotions are a huge part of the plot.
Before using an emotional scene to grab the audience, it’s best to make the audience care about the characters first. Otherwise, an emotional scene can fall flat. It’s also important to time the emotional scene correctly. Some scenes don’t have the same power to move an audience if the scene happens at the wrong time in the story.
For example, I saw the latest Star Trek movie, Into the Darkness. I loved the first one with the young cast and how the timeline was altered. I thought this was a great way to write some new storylines. Into the Darkness altered the first meeting with Khan, the genetically engineered human that became an enemy of Captain Kirk in the original TV
show and movies. I thought this was okay until the scene where the young Captain Kirk dies the same way Spock died in Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan. When Spock died in The Wrath of Khan, it was a very emotional, powerful scene between Captain Kirk and Spock, two characters that had known each other and had been close friends for about forty years. But when the young Kirk dies in Into the Darkness, the scene didn’t have the same emotional power because these younger characters hardly knew each other and didn’t really like each other. The characters didn’t have time to grow into the close friends they became later. The scene made me uncomfortable because I felt it was forced on the audience.
An emotional scene can do a lot for a story, but it shouldn’t be rushed or forced.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Friday, January 24, 2014
Favorite Friday
I’ve discovered that I don’t like Alpha males as romance heroes. I prefer a hero with a mix of Alpha and Beta, a man that can stand alone and is secure with his sexuality without having to prove his manliness by jumping out of a plane. He isn’t afraid to show his sensitive side either. And most of all, my favorite romance hero has to be kind to animals.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Exquisite Quills!: The Genesis of a Book - Cat's Curse by Kelley Heck...
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Weird Word Wednesday
ab·oma·sum
noun \ˌa-bō-ˈmā-səm\
plural ab·oma·sa
Definition of ABOMASUM
: the fourth compartment of the ruminant stomach that follows the omasum and has a true digestive function — compare rumen, reticulum
— ab·oma·sal adjective
Origin of ABOMASUM
New Latin, from Latin ab- + omasum ox's tripe
First Known Use: circa 1706
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Monday, January 20, 2014
I’m obsessed with clouds
Whenever I see clouds forming in the sky, I grab my camera and run outside. I love the way clouds form different patterns—nature’s artwork. My favorite clouds have differing layers of color reflecting off the sunlight. Sunrise and sunset are the best times for unusual cloud patterns. Thunderstorms offer up some really interesting, menacing shapes.
I just took this one with a moon sliver hanging between the pink wispy clouds at sunset.
We don’t have too many cloudy days here where I live in Arizona. Most days are clear blue skies, but that makes it even more special when the clouds do gather. Once I notice a beautiful cloudy, colored sunrise or sunset, I have to hurry outside with my camera because the colors change in seconds. I’ve missed some great shots because I took too long to get outside.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Friday, January 17, 2014
Favorite Friday
I have been re-watching one of my favorite TV series—Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is one of the best shows ever for so many reasons and it’s one of the few shows that I re-watch. My husband gave me the best Christmas gift ever when he bought me the entire series on DVD. No diamond jewelry for this gal, just some great complex characters, superb storytelling, supernatural creatures and magic, and the perfect mix of humor and darkness to make me happy. It’s hard to name my favorite episodes because there are so many, but the one I watch the most is a Halloween episode, titled “Halloween,” where they become the costumes they wear. And one of the best musical episodes ever is Once More With Feeling. I highly recommend this series.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer-Complete Seasons
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Weird word Wednesday
aardwolf
aard·wolf
noun \-ˌwu̇lf\
plural aard·wolves
Definition of AARDWOLF
: a maned striped nocturnal mammal (Proteles cristatus) of southern and eastern Africa that resembles the related hyenas and feeds chiefly on insects and especially termites
Illustration of AARDWOLF
Origin of AARDWOLF
Afrikaans, from aard + wolf
First Known Use: 1833
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Monday, January 13, 2014
A great self-edit program
I like to self-edit and get my manuscripts as clean as I can before having an editor take a final look. In the past, I’ve used a list to guide me through my self-edits, but this time I used a free site called Edit Minion. I’m glad I used it because I found some words I had been overusing that I hadn’t noticed.
Edit Minion is a basic guide using highlighting to indicate passive voice, adverbs, ending in prepositions, weak words and ‘said’ replacements. Then it lists how many times a word has been used. This basic guide worked for me and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a free self-edit program.
I discovered I use ‘that’ and ‘with’ way too much. I also end a lot of sentences with prepositions.
Editing programs are great for cleaning up your manuscript, but I would recommend using a live editor or proofreader before publishing if you plan to self-publish. There are some errors only a live person can catch.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Friday, January 10, 2014
Favorite Friday
Since winter has arrived with a frosty nip in the air, I thought about some of my favorite things about this time of year. My two most favorite things about winter are drinking hot chocolate and wearing UGG boots. Where I live we don’t have snowy winters, but it still gets cold. I can’t wait for the scorching summers to end so I can stop painting my toenails and just slip my bare feet into my warm, snug UGG boots, sit down and sip some oh-so-awesome hot chocolate. I have one rule: My hot chocolate has to have marshmallows. If it doesn’t have marshmallows, it doesn’t taste the same. Mmm. Now I just need to snuggle with my dogs, I mean my honey, and I’m a happy camper.
Snow on the mountains.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
Weird word Wednesday
abaft
adverb
Definition of ABAFT
: toward or at the stern : aft
Examples of ABAFT
1. <the lookout in the crow's nest warned that there was an enemy frigate abaft and bearing down hard on their ship>
Origin of ABAFT
Middle English, from a- + baft in the rear, from Old Englishbæftan, from be- + æftan behind — more at aft
First Known Use: 15th century
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Monday, January 06, 2014
Cloud formations at sunset in Arizona
Photo by Kelley Heckart
I have a fascination with cloud formations, especially at sunset and sunrise. Here in Arizona we have some amazing sunsets and sunrises.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
Wednesday, January 01, 2014
A new year, a new outlook
Yeah, a new year! I want to be hopeful that 2014 will be a better year than the previous five years, but my pessimistic self won’t allow me to get too excited. I suppose this new year can’t be worse than what we went through after 2008. And things seem to be improving for me (and my husband) but we aren’t out of the black hole yet.
It seems life cannot be planned. Everything that has happened to me in the last thirteen years has been an unpleasant surprise. My life did not turn out the way I had wanted it to be. Some good has come out of these changes, but also some very bad things as well.
Writing saved me from myself, kept me from losing my sanity. Finding an outlet for my frustration, pain and anger was the good that came of my life changes.
The bad, well the bad is something I try to forget. I guess things end up working out somehow, though I’m still struggling a lot with accepting my fate. It’s terrifying not being able to do the things I used to do, to be a different person. But I am lucky to have a husband and a family that understands and sticks by me.
I just hope 2014 is the year that I can finally stop worrying, but then do we ever stop worrying about the future? For what lies in the future, but the unknowable and the inevitable fate of all mortals?
Perhaps the best way to deal with life changes is to think of life as one long, unpredictable adventure and live in the moment. That seems to be the way to live life. Maybe if I had done that all along, I wouldn’t be so bothered by the unexpected.
I didn’t want to make any New Year’s resolutions because I never keep them, but I decided to make a resolution for 2014—to live in the moment.
Happy New Year!
My dogs—living in the moment
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com