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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.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Weird Word Wednesday

ADAGIO

ada·gio

adverb or adjective \ə-ˈdä-j(ē-ˌ)ō, ä-, -zh(ē-ˌ)ō\

: in a slow manner

Full Definition of ADAGIO

:  at a slow tempo —used chiefly as a direction in music

See adagio defined for English-language learners »

See adagio defined for kids »

Origin of ADAGIO

Italian, from ad to + agio ease

First Known Use: 1683

 

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, April 14, 2014

Friday, April 11, 2014

Favorite Friday

I’m sharing a favorite TV show today.

Vikings on the History Channel

 

I love this show. It is fast-paced and compelling to me. Finally, someone who gets what the Vikings were—family men and women, farmers—normal people. Sure, they invaded England and killed people and stole treasure—some of the Vikings were cold-blooded killers, but most of them were not. My favorite character is the Shield-Maiden Lagertha. She stands up for her beliefs and doesn’t let anyone or any man walk all over her. There is a lot of eye candy for me—muscular men with long hair. Smile One thing I really like about this show is how authentic the settings and people look. They look like they make their clothes out of animal skins. The women wear little or no makeup. 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

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Weird Word Wednesday

AD HOMINEM

1ad ho·mi·nem

adjective \(ˈ)ad-ˈhä-mə-ˌnem, -nəm\

Definition of AD HOMINEM

1
:  appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect
2
: marked by or being an attack on an opponent's character rather than by an answer to the contentions made

Origin of AD HOMINEM

New Latin, literally, to the person

First Known Use: 1598

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, April 07, 2014

Musing Mondays: How to deal with hard to pronounce names in fiction

I read and write books that sometimes have names or terms that are difficult for the average reader to pronounce. If I am writing a story set in a particular time period with real people I am using as characters, strange and difficult names cannot be avoided. I realize this can cause some aggravation for readers and for that, I apologize. But I can’t change historical names.
Since I’ve been reading fantasy and historical fiction most of my life, I have come across more than a few names I couldn’t pronounce. This was before you could Google a random name and probably find the correct pronunciation online. Anyway, I came up with a way to make it easier to read the book without driving myself crazy. I came up with my own way to pronounce the name or word and don’t worry if I am using the correct pronunciation. It’s easy to do and doesn’t throw me out of the story.
As an example, here are two names from Daughter of Night:
King Suppiluliuma: This one is a tough name to pronounce so what I did whenever I came across this name in my book was simply pronounce it like this—Sup il luma.
Becuille: This one is a little tricky so I pronounce this name like this—Be keel.
So, the next time you come across a name or word you can’t pronounce in a book, try this technique instead of giving up on the story.

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.
Daughter_of_Night
http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.html

Friday, April 04, 2014

Favorite Friday

I’m sharing a favorite book today.

The Werelord Thal, A Renaissance werewolf tale

I picked this book because it looked different—set in an unusual place and time period and not like every werewolf story I see. Set in the 1500s in Prague, I found this story interesting and hope this is part of a series because the end left me wondering about Thal’s origins. This was a time when anyone “different” was considered a witch and killed. A lot of innocent people suffered terrible deaths because of this misguided thinking. The only thing that bugged me was the editing could have been better. I found myself pausing many times in places where commas should have been inserted. But overall this was a good book with an engaging story and characters to keep my interest. Highly recommended to readers looking for a different kind of werewolf tale.

 

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

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Weird Word Wednesday

Acequia

ace·quia

noun \ə-ˈsā-kē-ə, ä-\

Definition of ACEQUIA

Southwest

:  an irrigation ditch or canal

Origin of ACEQUIA

Spanish, from Arabic al-sāqiya the irrigation ditch

First Known Use: 1844

 

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, March 31, 2014

Musing Mondays: Pets in our lives

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My two boys. It’s strange how pets come into our lives, usually when you don’t expect it. After we lost Xena, we decided to wait until Herc passed before getting another dog, mainly because he doesn’t get along with other dogs. But when we started pet sitting my niece’s Chihuahua, we discovered how well he fit right into our family, and Herc tolerated him just fine. As if it was meant to be, Loki soon became a permanent part of our family. With his lively personality, he fills that hole left when Xena died.

100_0548


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

Friday, March 28, 2014

Tabby's Nocturnal Nights: Shapeshifting rules

Tabby's Nocturnal Nights: Shapeshifting rules: There are different ways to handle the laws of shapeshifting. I’ve read books where clothes can magically appear when shifting from animal t...

Favorite Friday

One of my favorite animals is the wolf so I will buy just about anything with a wolf on it. I found this cool wolf pendant.

 

 

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

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Weird Word Wednesday

Accipiter

ac·cip·i·ter

noun \ak-ˈsi-pə-tər, ik-\

Definition of ACCIPITER

:  any of a genus (Accipiter) of medium-sized forest-inhabiting hawks that have short broad wings and a long tail and a characteristic flight pattern of several quick flaps and a glide

ac·cip·i·trine adjective or noun

See accipiter defined for kids »

Origin of ACCIPITER

New Latin, genus name, from Latin, hawk

First Known Use: circa 1828

 

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, March 24, 2014

Musing Mondays: Aftermath of winter thunderstorm in AZ

100_0692

We have some dramatic thunderstorms here in Arizona. I caught this rainbow by accident. You can even see the raindrops that hit my camera lens.

100_0696

A sunset just after the thunderstorm that blew through our town in March.

 

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

Friday, March 21, 2014

Favorite Friday

One of my favorite new shows is Helix on SyFy. Set in a research building the Arctic (I think or one of those barren, show-covered places), this show has a stark appearance, which adds to the frightening nature of the story. The music soundtrack choices also add to this atmosphere—songs like Fever and other music that I think of as elevator music are played in just the right, odd places, so that a sexy lighthearted song is played during a terrifying or serious scene. Experiments with viruses have been going on in secret and something has gone wrong so the CDC has to be called in to help find a cure. But what is more frightening than the virus is the people in charge of the experiments. They want to change the world and there is something odd about them—are they aliens or some superior race? A lot of secrets and interesting characters make this a show I look forward to each week so I hope it lasts.

 

 

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

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Stealing His Heart by Ella Jade

I have romance author Ella Jade here at my blog today promoting her new erotic romance release with a blog tour. She is giving away some prizes to three lucky winners.

Thanks so much for hosting me today. I’m thrilled to announce the release of my newest erotic, contemporary romance Stealing His Heart. If you like your men hot, dirty and southern, I may have just the thing for you.

shhavailablenow

When the players take the field this spring come meet my players...

Blurb

Will the bad-boy pitcher strike out when it comes to love?

Shy music teacher Sophia Ballis has sworn off men. After a bad experience with a college jock she decided it was better to be alone than to get burned again. She focused on her education and now her new job at a local private school.

Professional baseball pitcher Paxton Hughes is a player both on and off the field. He's signed to the Kingston Crushers to bring home the coveted championship title. Nothing can get in his way. Serious relationships don't mix with a life on the road and he never loses focus on the game. One-night stands are his specialty for a reason.

While out jogging one spring morning, the two collide, setting their course in motion. Pax is immediately drawn to the unassuming beauty. Sophia is aware of his reputation and decides one night of meaningless sex with the attractive Texas charmer is just what she needs to get over her self-imposed dry spell. Pax has more than a one-night stand on his mind, but will his bad-boy persona and demanding schedule ruin any chances of a happily ever after?

Content Warning: contains explicit sex and adult content

Beachwalk Press Buy Link

StealingHisHeart_Medium

 

Excerpt

“Can I walk you to your car?”

“Thank you.” Sophia got up from the table and took his hand. “I’m parked right out front.”

Pax led her across the dance floor, waving to the few people who were left, and then out to the parking lot.

“It’s that one.” She pointed to her beat-up car, the one she’d bought her freshman year of college. It was used then but it still managed to get her where she needed to go. “Probably not as nice as what you drive.”

He leaned her against the car and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her heart pounded hard against her chest, strumming loud between her ears. She could smell the beer that lingered on his breath. His hazel eyes narrowed as he swiped the tip of his tongue along his top lip before tilting his head.

“I have a feeling I’m going be seeing you in my dreams tonight.” He sighed as he brought his mouth to hers. “Give me something to remember these next few days.”

She nodded as she placed her hands on his broad shoulders and guided him to her, closing any space between them. When his warm lips touched hers, she thought she would explode. A burn coursed through her and settled between her legs. The mild tingling she’d experienced when they danced was nothing compared to the intensity she felt now.

As he deepened the kiss, his tongue massaged hers. Increasing his hold on her hips, he pinned her between the car and his massive thighs. She tightened her grip on him when his erection grazed her center. Every nerve ending in her begged to be satiated. The ache inside her stomach moved lower until the dampness invaded her panties. Her nipples poked against the thin material of her silk bra.

When she moaned into his mouth, he placed one last kiss on her lips before pulling away. He looked at her for a moment, pressing his forehead to hers, as he stuttered a few words.

“That was...well, I’ve never...” He ran his fingers through his hair. “You have me tongue-tied, sugar. That doesn’t happen often.”

Now she wanted to know what else he could do with that tongue.

“You best get in that car and drive away before I...”

She’d never wanted to have a one-night stand more than she did at that very moment. Maggie had said if there was ever a guy to have one with, Pax would be the one. He was a no-strings-attached player. Why hadn’t he asked her to go home with him?

“Be safe driving home.” He reached for the handle and opened her door. “You have some sweet dreams. I know I sure will.”

Sleep? That was the last thing on her mind.

 

About Ella

ellabio1

Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can't be stopped.

Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she's not chasing after her kids, she's busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking. She hopes you'll get lost in her words.

You can connect with her at:

Blog: http://ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ella-Jade-Author/186959391390708?ref=hl

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ellajade1

 

GIVEAWAY

I’m giving away a Bath and Body Works Hand Sanitizer, A Keychain with the cover art and signed swag to three winners throughout the tour. Enter here...

<a id="rc-6c6c725" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6c6c725/

" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll consider adding Stealing His Heart to your TBR pile.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Weird Word Wednesday

Acciaccatura

ac·ciac·ca·tu·ra

noun \(ˌ)ä-ˌchä-kə-ˈtu̇r-ə\

Definition of ACCIACCATURA

:  a discordant note sounded with a principal note or chord and immediately released

Origin of ACCIACCATURA

Italian, literally, crushing

First Known Use: circa 1819

 

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, March 17, 2014

The importance of well-developed characters

I love to read. I’ve been an avid reader since age 4. I enjoy reading different genres, but one element I require in the books I like is lifelike characters, the kind that jump off the page and either make you love them or hate them. The important thing is the characters have to make me feel something for them. If not, I don’t enjoy the book. I like a good plot, but it’s more important to me to have interesting, convincing characters.

How does an author create credible, three-dimensional characters? By showing the characters’ feelings through actions and natural dialogue. By creating real, flawed fictional people, not cookie-cutter, perfect ones. I want the people I read about to laugh, cry, bleed—to act like real people. In real life, people aren’t perfect. They do stupid things. They hurt each other. I want to believe the characters are real and suffering as well as celebrating.

Making character charts and creating backgrounds for characters can help shape them into real people with believable motivations. Authors need to know their characters well so they can bring them to life. I’ve even assigned Sun signs to characters to get an idea of their personalities. Sometimes I create characters based on people I have known. Stories are so much better when the characters stand out. For me, character development is the most important part of a story.

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

Friday, March 14, 2014

Favorite Friday

One of my favorite books is The King’s Daughter by Miriam Newman. Tarabenthia is heir to the crown of Alcinia. Told in first person point of view, she has to make choices between love and her country. This story is compelling and heartbreaking, with one of those endings that lingers after you’ve finished reading it. This is a fantasy, but the nations portrayed in this tale are similar to the ancient nations that shaped history.

 

 

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

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Weird Word Wednesday

Aculeate

acu·le·ate

adjective \ə-ˈkyü-lē-ət\

Definition of ACULEATE

:  relating to or being hymenopterans (as bees, ants, and many wasps) of a division (Aculeata) typically having the ovipositor modified into a stinger

Origin of ACULEATE

Latin aculeatus having stings, from aculeus sting, from acus

First Known Use: 1875

 

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, March 10, 2014

Arizona cloud formations and sunsets

100_0552

 

 

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

Saturday, March 08, 2014

The Snarkology: The Write Pet: Kelley Heckart || DAUGHTER OF NIG...

The Snarkology: The Write Pet: Kelley Heckart || DAUGHTER OF NIG...: I almost didn’t keep Xena. My other dog at that time was old and I sensed he wouldn’t be around much longer. When I (and my husband) a...