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.
Monday, January 05, 2015
Monday Musings: Excerpt #3 from The Bear Goddess PG-13
In Print and Kindle on amazon.com
Release date: 11/9/14
Page Count: 284 in print
ISBN-10: 1502982684
ISBN-13: 978-1502982681
ASIN: B00P74X0WY
Kindle Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P74X0WY
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
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.
Will love be enough to save them?
http://www.kelleyheckart.com/TheBearGoddess.html
He nudged the animal with his bare foot. The boar didn’t move. Convinced it was dead, Kasin faced Callisto. A small amount of blood pooled from a wound in her right side. He knelt next to her and shook her. “Callisto, wake up.”
She let out a soft moan.
He brushed her hair to one side of her face. Dark lashes fluttered against smooth olive skin. Her pink lips fascinated him, looking soft and dew-kissed.
Glancing at the boar whose tusks came within a finger length of goring her in the chest, he realized he had found her just in time. The injury she had received didn’t look like a deep cut. She had lost only a small amount of blood, yet she was unconscious. He searched for other wounds, but found nothing, no bumps or gashes on her head. Why wasn’t she awake?
It was then that he remembered the silver-tipped tusks. He didn’t know if silver in a minor cut could kill a nymph or if the wound had to be a mortal one, but it appeared the silver had poisoned her body.
What was he going to do with her? When he looked down at her, he didn’t see an enemy, only a wounded, vulnerable female. He had been taught to hate Artemis’s nymphs, but the betrayal happened long before his birth. What if everything he had been told was a lie? Doubts plagued him. He couldn’t just leave her to die. Maybe if he had not caused her to lose her spear, she would have been able to defend herself. He wasn’t sure he could help her, but he would do what he could for her.
He scooped her up into his arms and headed back to his camp at the hidden waterfall where he left his clothes, weapons and supplies, and where he had bedding and blankets to make her comfortable.
Moaning, she wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his shoulder.
His body stirred with desire. A dangerous and possibly stupid idea began to form in his mind. If she survived her wound, he would claim her as his war prize.
****
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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
Friday, January 02, 2015
Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite beauty product
Favorite beauty product
Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm
This is the only lip balm that makes my lips soft without leaving behind an unpleasant waxy coating. It also comes in other flavors without the tint. I also use the peppermint one. Highly recommended.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
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
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.
Will love be enough to save them?
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Weird Word Wednesday
AZOTOBACTER
azo·to·bac·ter
noun \ā-ˈzō-tə-ˌbak-tər\
Definition of AZOTOBACTER
: any of a genus (Azotobacter) of large rod-shaped or spherical bacteria occurring in soil and sewage and fixing atmospheric nitrogen
Origin of AZOTOBACTER
New Latin, genus name, from International Scientific Vocabulary azote + New Latin bacterium
First Known Use: 1910
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Monday, December 29, 2014
Monday Musings: Kelley’s misc. pics
Another Godzilla pic. He let me get really close this time, but right after I took this picture, he darted into his den.
Loki patiently waits for me to finish taking pictures outside.
My husband playing a gig at the Twisted Metal Cycle Shop in LHC.
Me and my sister at the Twisted Metal Cycle Shop party.
Me and my husband at the Twisted Metal Cycle Shop party.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.
Will love be enough to save them?
Friday, December 26, 2014
Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite Christmas movie (Drama)
Favorite Christmas movie (Drama)
Three Days
This is one of my favorite Christmas movies. Starring Kristen Davis of Sex in the City fame, this movie is an emotional lesson about taking your significant other for granted when a man loses his wife in a tragic accident. You never know what you have until it’s gone. With the help of an angel, he has three days to prove he’s worthy of a second chance.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
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
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.
Will love be enough to save them?
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Weird Word Wednesday
AZIDO
az·i·do
adjective \ˈa-zə-(ˌ)dō\
Definition of AZIDO
: relating to or containing the monovalent group N3 —often used in combination
Origin of AZIDO
International Scientific Vocabulary azide + -o-
First Known Use: circa 1926
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Monday, December 22, 2014
Monday Musings: AZ Cloud Formations and Jet Streams #5
Sun-kissed clouds.
The upper clouds remind me of wings.
Dramatic clouds fill the sky.
Jet streams form patterns in the sky.
Above the thick clouds covering the setting sun is a jet stream glowing in the twilit sky.
Numerous jet streams pierce the sky below pink wispy clouds.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.
Will love be enough to save them?
Friday, December 19, 2014
Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite funny Christmas movie
Favorite Funny Christmas movie
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
This is my favorite funny Christmas movie. It combines all the aspects of Christmas and the worst that can go wrong while shopping for a Christmas tree, putting up the Christmas lights, preparing the turkey dinner and hosting wacky family members for the holidays. Highly recommended to take the stress out of Christmas.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
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
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.
Will love be enough to save them?
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Weird Word Wednesday
AZEOTROPE
azeo·trope
noun \ˈā-zē-ə-ˌtrōp\
Definition of AZEOTROPE
: a liquid mixture that is characterized by a constant minimum or maximum boiling point which is lower or higher than that of any of the components
Origin of AZEOTROPE
2a- + zeo- (from Greek zein to boil) + -trope something changed, from Greek tropos turn — more at yeast, trope
First Known Use: 1938
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Monday, December 15, 2014
Monday Musings: Moon pics #5
Crescent moon floating in a sea of blue and white.
A moon sliver reflected in my swimming pool.
I like the little patches of clouds in the bottom corner.
An early morning full moon is visible in the sky.
Not a cloud in the sky, just the moon.
Half moon glowing in a black sky.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.
Will love be enough to save them?
Friday, December 12, 2014
Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite gemstone
The Moonstone represents the female essence and is one of my favorite stones. Moonstones come in a variety of colors: milky white, blue, brown, grey, pink, peach and green. Coveted for their luminescent appearance, Moonstones have been used in jewelry since ancient times. The ancient Greeks named the Moonstone for its likeness to the moon’s ethereal silver light and valued it as a talisman for lovers. Romans, Greeks and Egyptians associated moonstones with their lunar deities: Diana, Selene and Isis.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.
Will love be enough to save them?
http://www.kelleyheckart.com/TheBearGoddess.html
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
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Weird Word Wednesday
AYURVEDA
ay·ur·ve·da
noun, often capitalized \ˌī-ər-ˈvā-də, -ˈve-\
Definition of AYURVEDA
: a form of holistic alternative medicine that is the traditional system of medicine of India
— ay·ur·ve·dic adjective often capitalized
Origin of AYURVEDA
Sanskrit āyurvedaḥ, from āyuḥ life, vital power + vedaḥknowledge
First Known Use: 1788
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Monday, December 08, 2014
Monday Musings: AZ Sunsets #5
The sunset seen through our front door window.
I like the blues mixing with the golden layers of the sunset.
Gold blends with pink and blue in the stunning sunset.
Awesome.
I like the way the plant frames the sunset and mountains.
Another awesome sunset.
Each sunset creates a different pattern with layers of color.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.
Will love be enough to save them?
Friday, December 05, 2014
Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite cable series
Favorite Cable series: The Game of Thrones
Oh my god, I love this series. I don’t have HBO so I had to wait for it to be available on Netflix. I can’t believe I haven’t read George R.R. Martin’s book series that is the basis for this Game of Thrones. He writes the type of fantasy I like to read and write. I love everything about this series, the characters, the political intrigues, even the music. It’s hard to pick a favorite character, but so far I like Daenerys and how far she’s come from a timid girl abused by her brother to becoming a strong queen. But I also love Peter Dinklage’s character and have a soft spot in my heart for the young Stark girl who doesn’t want to be a lady but wants to wield a sword—she’s exactly how I was at that age.
Highly recommended for fantasy fans.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Weird Word Wednesday
AYAHUASCA
aya·hua·sca
noun \ˌī-yə-ˈhwäs-kə, -ˈwäs-\
Definition of AYAHUASCA
: a hallucinogenic beverage prepared from the bark of a South American woody vine (Banisteriopsis caapi of the family Malpighiaceae)
Origin of AYAHUASCA
American Spanish
First Known Use: 1949
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Monday, December 01, 2014
Monday Musings: Excerpt 2 from The Bear Goddess, New release by Kelley Heckart
Book Title: The Bear Goddess
Author: Kelley Heckart
Genre: Greek myths/fantasy/shapeshifters/romance
Page Count: 284
ISBN-10: 1502982684
ISBN-13: 978-1502982681
ASIN: B00P74X0WY
Blurb:
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
Callisto, daughter of the great Arcadian King Lycaon and the nymph Maia, has studied all her life to attain the high position of Bear Goddess among the nymphs of Artemis, taking a sacred vow of purity. But when she meets a mysterious man, her life changes forever.
Kasin is a prince among the fierce centaurs and one of few who can take human shape. A follower of Zeus, he is mystified to save a nymph’s life and even worse, to fall in love with an enemy of the centaurs. He is torn between his duty to his people and his love for Callisto.
When the nymphs capture Kasin for their next sacrifice, Callisto cannot allow him to die, but before she can help him escape, they are caught together and their secret connection exposed. Surrounded by armed guards, they manage a daring escape. On the run from the nymphs, danger and betrayal follow Kasin and Callisto. To survive, they must evade a god obsessed with having Callisto for himself as well as others who also want to keep them apart. Will their love for each other be enough to save them?
Excerpt (PG-13):
He should have killed her, but his bronze dagger was powerless against such a being. Only silver could kill a nymph. As soon as he distracted the boar, the giant beast would go after her. That boar with its silver-tipped tusks had been created to kill a nymph.
She opened her eyes and stared outside the opening.
A sudden realization about nymphs came to him. “Why am I being used as bait when you can change into a bird and fly to your spear?”
Her lips tightened. Had she thought he was so stupid he couldn’t tell she was a nymph?
“Not that it is any of your business, but in this instance I cannot use magic.”
He raised one eyebrow. “Why even have such magic when you cannot use it when you need it most?”
She sent him a disapproving look. “You do not have to distract the boar if it frightens you.”
He bristled. “It does not frighten me in the least. In fact, I find it quite a thrill.” Bending, he grabbed a couple of fist-sized rocks, straightened, and looked to Callisto for the signal, unable to believe he was taking orders from a nymph.
She unsheathed her dagger, her eyes taking on a serious, determined look that oddly excited him. “I am ready.”
They exchanged quick, encouraging smiles, like the ones shared between him and his companions before a dangerous hunt or battle. In that moment, he sensed an unexpected bond between them, slight though it was.
He stepped through the opening, hoping the gods smiled upon him, and made a silent promise to give them a generous offering later.
Moving at a deliberate pace, he waited for the boar to see him. Gods, the creature was huge, about the size of a bear. He made sure to walk toward the forest, away from the cave.
The boar looked at him and lowered its head, snorting, a stance Kasin was familiar with. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. To make sure the boar would chase him, he threw the rocks in a quick succession, hitting the beast.
Letting out a ferocious snort, the boar charged.
****
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
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
Friday, November 28, 2014
Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite artist
Favorite artist
Jessica Galbreth, fantasy artist
I love her faery art. My favorite painting is The Morrigan.
http://www.fairiesandfantasy.com/store/Faeries-JG/
http://fairyfantasyart.com/jessicagalbreth.html
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Weird Word Wednesday
AXONEME
ax·o·neme
noun \ˈak-sə-ˌnēm\
Definition of AXONEME
: the fibrillar bundle of a flagellum or cilium that usually consists of nine pairs of microtubules arranged in a ring around a single central pair
— ax·o·ne·mal adjective
Origin of AXONEME
Greek axōn axis + nēma thread, from nēn to spin — more atneedle
First Known Use: 1901
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Monday, November 24, 2014
Monday Musings: The journey to self-publishing
I didn’t have much of a problem hiring my own editor and in a way I think this is better than being paired with someone unknown to me, but I’ve had both good and bad experiences with the publisher-assigned editors. This time though I picked a tough editor. She challenged me and I liked that. It made me take a closer look at my story and work to improve it.
The cover design was a challenge for me because I know nothing about designing a cover. Why should I? My publishers always took care of that part of the publishing process. The first covers I planned on using were made by a friend for free, but after I showed them to another friend, who is also an author and graphic artist, I nixed them. And my friend was right—the covers weren’t that good. Now, I am probably one of few who don’t think a cover should make a book. It’s the inside, the story that should make a book. But readers don’t think that way. To them a good book has a good cover and a good story. And they are right, of course. I got lucky and found an awesome cover designer on Fiverr. He opened my eyes to what a great cover looks like.
Finally, I had to tackle the interior formatting of my book. I know a little bit about formatting so I figured it couldn’t be that hard. Wrong again. At first I was going to have a friend format my interior, but then I decided I wanted to learn to do it myself. I picked up some helpful tips and went to work. And it drove me nuts, but I managed to fumble my way through it and I’m satisfied with the results.
Will I self-publish again? Sure, I plan on self-publishing the other 2 books in my Arcadia series. After that, I’m not sure. It depends on how well these books sell and if it’s really worth my time and money to do it myself. I still believe in using a publisher. They really do a lot for us authors. I just wanted to see how well I could do it myself, see if my sales increased or not. I do like the flexibility of setting my own prices and designing the book the way I want it.
If anyone out there is planning on self-publishing, do it right. Hire an editor. I can’t stress this enough. This is probably the most important step in the entire process. Writers cannot see their mistakes. Believe me. I know what I’m talking about. My editor really improved my story and found things I should have seen but didn’t. So, don’t skip this step.
This has definitely been a learning experience for me and opened my eyes to new opportunities.
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
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
Friday, November 21, 2014
Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite song
Favorite Song
Africa by Toto
I am a Toto fan. They are all such great musicians. Africa is one of those songs that if I hear it on the radio while driving in my car, I want to hear it to the end even if I’ve reached my destination. It’s such a beautiful melody, their vocal harmonies are awesome, and who else can sing the words Kilimanjaro and Serengeti so smoothly in a lyric? This song make me want to visit Africa.
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/