About Me

My photo
Writing means different things to me. I'm a storyteller, a book editor, and a songwriter. For me, it's like breathing.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Monday Musings: Too many rules can kill a good story

Don’t have a prologue, don’t use ‘ing’ words, don’t use adverbs, don’t use ‘was’ or ‘were,’ don’t use that, when, once or as—don’t, don’t don’t… Grr. How many writers out there have heard one or more of these? Just about every writing group I’ve been involved with has said all of the above, especially about never having a prologue. I have stories with prologues—published ones. Breaking that rule didn’t seem to hurt me. With all the restrictions, how is a writer supposed to be creative?

It can be stifling to have to follow a bunch of rigid rules. It can also take the feeling out of your story. These words are around for a reason. The key is knowing when to use them and not to overuse. Some stories need a prologue. You do what is right for your story.

Here’s my advice:

Learn the rules but write what feels right and use balance—don’t do too much of one thing. Balance is the key to a well-written story.

I’ve discovered that worrying about the rules too much can take the feeling out of my writing. This is especially true while writing the first draft. In fact, I think some of my earlier writing is better because I wrote more from the heart and worried less about rules. Let it go and let the words flow. Worry about revisions later.

But letting go can be the hardest part. Just take a deep breath and go for it. And don’t ever let anyone tell you that it’s wrong to use any of the above taboo words or techniques.

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Friday, May 15, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a new TV series

Favorite new TV series: The Lizzie Borden Chronicles

This is a new series on LMN. I wasn’t sure about watching it at first because I didn’t see how they could continue it after she allegedly murders her parents, but I decided to check it out. It seems the creators are doing a fictionalized story and portraying her as a serial killer, which is kind of cool. Christina Ricci does a great job and so far I like it.

Series description on IMDb:

Fictionalized account of actual events and people surrounding Lizzie Borden after her controversial acquittal of the double murder of her father and stepmother in 1892.

Stars:

Christina Ricci, Clea DuVall, Cole Hauser

This is the movie that started the series:

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

bialy
noun bi·aly \bē-ˈa-lē\
plural bialys
Definition of BIALY
:  a flat breakfast roll that has a depressed center and is usually covered with onion flakes
Origin of BIALY
Yiddish, short for bialystoker, from bialystoker of Bialystok, city in Poland
First Known Use: 1965

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
TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Monday, May 11, 2015

Interview with Kelley Heckart

Interview with Kelley Heckart

Monday Musings: Shredding the past

You can learn a lot about someone by their bank statements/cleared checks.

I’ve been shredding old records from 1983 on up to 2000 and it’s a tedious job made a little interesting by seeing what I spent and where.

Here’s what I learned:

My priorities have changed. In the 1980s and ’90s, I spent a lot of money on my hair and on clothing (Wilson’s Leather) and very little on food and other necessities.

Things were cheaper then. I only spent 25.00 on cable and 50.00 on food, and only 10.00 co-pays to see the doctor. Gas was cheaper too. Now my cable bill is 74.00, and I pretty much have the same amount of channels I did back then. I’m lucky if I can leave the grocery store now without spending close to 200.00. That one hurts. But some things were more expensive. My car payment was almost what I pay now for a mortgage. And although my co-pays are higher, because of the Affordable Care Act, more medical procedures are covered now, which saves me money.

Some things never change though:

I still spend money on books, though now I purchase ebooks instead of shopping at Borders or B. Dalton. Department stores come and go, some still remain. I used to shop a lot at Mervyns and The Broadway, which no longer exist. Though JC Penney is still around. I shopped at malls back then in stores like The Limited, Wet Seal, Contempo Casuals… Now I shop online at JC Penney or Kohls for sensible clothes, not the sexy outfits I used to buy. LOL

One thing I realized that didn’t occur to me until I sat down and started shredding: A big chunk of my life passed before me and into the shredder.

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Friday, May 08, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite book

Favorite book: Game of Thrones

I’ve been a fan of the HBO series Game of Thrones and decided to read the books. I’m reading the first one titled Game of Thrones and love it. It is so well-written and engaging, it’s hard to put down. The characters are very vivid. I can see why they decided to make a cable series.

Book description on amazon.com:

A NEW ORIGINAL SERIES, NOW ON HBO.
Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.
A GAME OF THRONES
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.
Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

Bezel

be·zel

noun \ˈbē-zəl, ˈbe-\

Definition of BEZEL

1

:  a rim that holds a transparent covering (as on a watch, clock, or headlight) or that is rotatable and has special markings (as on a watch)

2

:  the oblique side or face of a cut gem; specifically :  the upper faceted portion of a brilliant projecting from the setting — see brilliant illustration

3

:  a usually metal rim of a piece of jewelry in which an ornament (as a gem) is set

Origin of BEZEL

probably from dialect form of French biseau bezel, from Middle French

First Known Use: 1611

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Monday, May 04, 2015

Monday Musings: AZ Sunsets pics # 7

Some more unique, gorgeous AZ sunsets.

100_1890

100_1898

100_1899

100_1900

100_1901

100_1904

100_1906

100_1922

100_1923

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Friday, May 01, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite cable channel

I wish we could just pick the cable channels we want to watch instead of having to pay for a bunch of ones we never watch. It used to be that way. I only watch a handful of channels. One of my favorite ones is the CW. Right now I watch iZombie, The Originals, Supernatural, Arrow, Beauty & The Beast, The 100, Reign and the newest show, The Messengers. With the exception of Reign, all of these shows have a similar theme--paranormal or Sci-Fi/Fantasy. That's me!

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com        




Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

Bejabbers

be·jab·bers

interjection \bi-ˈja-bərz\

Definition of BEJABBERS

: bejesus

Variants of BEJABBERS

be·jab·bers or be·jee·bers

Origin of BEJABBERS

euphemism for by Jesus

First Known Use: 1890

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Tabby's Nocturnal Nights: New beginnings and spring cleaning

Tabby's Nocturnal Nights: New beginnings and spring cleaning: It’s spring here where I live and everything is blooming, even the cactus plants with their lethal thorns—beauty and danger. Bees are gather...

Monday, April 27, 2015

Monday Musings: AZ Cloud formation pics # 7

100_1891
An eerie light makes the cloud look dark and forbidding.

100_1892
The sunset turns ordinary clouds into something ethereal.

100_1893
Clouds bathed in golden light.

100_1894
Clouds hovering in the brilliance of the setting sun.

100_1895
Red and gold fills the sky.

100_1896
Golden waves.

100_1897
In an instant gold turns to pink.

100_1902
Deep colors contrast with the soft warmer hues.

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
TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Friday, April 24, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a new TV show

Favorite new TV show: iZombie

A medical student finds that being a zombie has its perks, which she uses to assist the police.

Creators:
Diane Ruggiero, Rob Thomas
Stars:

Rose McIver, Malcolm Goodwin, Rahul Kohli

 

So far I really like this new CW show. It’s funny and has serious moments, which reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s refreshing to watch a zombie show that isn’t so dark all the time.

 

 

 

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 22, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

Bawcock

baw·cock

noun \ˈbȯ-ˌkäk\

Definition of BAWCOCK

archaic

:  a fine fellow

Origin of BAWCOCK

French beau coq, from beau fine + coq fellow, cock

First Known Use: 1599

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Monday, April 20, 2015

Monday Musings: Signs of spring in Lake Havasu City, AZ

100_1918

Hummingbird enjoys the warm weather.

 

100_1925

This roadrunner suddenly jumped up on the wall while I was trying to photograph a lizard. I’m pretty sure he was hunting the lizard and didn’t see me. I think I saved the lizard’s life because I frightened the roadrunner as much as he frightened me--he left as fast as he appeared, I barely captured this shot.

 

100_1930

A beautiful cactus bloom—such beauty among such dangerous thorns.

 

100_1931

Palo Verde tree in full bloom.

 

100_1937

Loki enjoying the nice spring weather.

 

100_1941

My first sighting of Godzilla, the desert iguana—maybe. I’m not quite sure if this is Godzilla or his mate, or possibly his offspring. This lizard didn’t look quite as big as Godzilla.

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Friday, April 17, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite fiction book about Celtic Britain

After Rome: A Novel of Celtic Britain by Morgan Llywelyn

Book Description:

After more than four hundred years of Roman rule, the island its conquerors called Britannia was abandoned-left to its own devices as the Roman empire contracted in a futile effort to defend itself from the barbarian hordes encroaching upon its heart. As Britannia falls into anarchy and the city of Viroconium is left undefended, two cousins who remained behind when the imperial forces withdrew pursue very different courses in the ensuing struggle to unite the disparate tribes and factions throughout the land.

In Morgan Llywelyn's stunning medieval novel After Rome, passionate, adventurous Dinas recruits followers and dreams of kingship. Thoughtful Cadogan saves a group of citizens when Saxons invade and burn Viroconium, then becomes the reluctant founder and leader of a new community that rises in the wilderness. The two cousins could not be more different, but their parallel stories encapsulate the era of a new civilization struggling to be born in the Middle Ages.

 

My Review:

Not a fantasy, but a real depiction of life in Dark Age Britain

4 Stars

Morgan Llywelyn is one of my favorite authors. That being said, this wasn't my favorite book of hers, but I still enjoyed it. I like how she handles the beginning of the Dark Ages in Britain after the Roman legions leave. There is nothing to tell us what really happened, and her story, how she shows what the people must have endured, is believable enough. Dinas is a flawed main character and that's okay. People aren't perfect. I liked Cadogan better, but he wasn't perfect either. That's probably what I like about Ms. Llywelyn: she keeps it real. What I had a problem with was the comma errors, lots of them. I still recommend this book for historical fantasy readers, especially those interested in Dark Age Britain.

 

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 15, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

Barracoon

bar·ra·coon

noun \ˌber-ə-ˈkün, ˌba-rə-\

Definition of BARRACOON

:  an enclosure or barracks formerly used for temporary confinement of slaves or convicts —often used in plural

Origin of BARRACOON

Spanish barracón, augmentative of barraca hut, from Catalan

First Known Use: 1848

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Monday, April 13, 2015

Monday Musings: Don’t rush to self-publish your book

I’ve been doing some spring cleaning, well, more like a 15-year cleaning, and found my collection of rejection letters from 2000-2004. I forgot I saved them. Curious, I read a couple. Of course, at the time I received the rejections I thought they (magazine editors) didn’t possibly know what they were talking about—there was nothing wrong with my stories. Uh huh. Now I understand why they were rejected—they weren’t very good. Sure, the grammar was good, but there is much more to writing a story than good grammar. So much more. Plus, I was missing something even more important—a professional edit.

This made me think about all the changes that have been made in the book publishing world, how easy it is to slap together a story and self-publish. On one hand, it is a great opportunity for writers. On the other hand, it might cause newbie writers to rush to publish before they have perfected their craft.

If I could give one bit of advice to new writers it would be: don’t rush to get that first book published. Take the time to learn the craft of writing and take the editing process seriously—hire a good editor. If I had done that with my old stories, they just might have been accepted. Or maybe not.

Think twice before publishing that first book. That one is for practice. Write the next one. And work with a good editor. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my first stories were practice for better things to come.

Think of it this way—does an artist sell that first painting? It’s probably not going to be as good as the next one. Or the one after that. Honing your craft, whether it’s creating a painting or a story, takes time. Having a good grasp of grammar isn’t enough. It took years for me to understand all aspects of writing a novel. The important thing is to not give up.

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Friday, April 10, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite book about Druid beliefs

The Druid Way Made Easy by Graeme K. Talboys

The Druid Way Made Easy is separated into three parts. Part I introduces readers to the general history of the Celts; Part II explains briefly the basic tenets of Druidry: The Inner World, The Outer World and the Otherworld; Part III goes over the Organization of the Druid Way, Ceremonial and Ritual Practice and Being Druid in the World; and the book ends with Further Reading, a useful list of books on the Celts and Druids.

This short, enjoyable read is a great introduction to the way of a modern Druid. We will never know details about ancient Druids, but we do know they lived in harmony with nature. They understood the equal importance of the material and spiritual worlds and maintaining a balance between them. I think readers will appreciate the short but detailed explanations of these beliefs. In this chaotic era of extremism, everyone could benefit from the lessons on living in harmony, not just with nature but with ourselves and others. I recommend starting with this book and then selecting some books on the further reading list to deepen your understanding of Druids and their beliefs.

Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Druid-Way-Made-Easy-ebook/dp/B0056A1HLU%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIOJGEB6643FVTU7Q%26tag%3Dwwwobookscom-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0056A1HLU

Moon Books: http://www.moon-books.net/books/druid-way-made-easy-the

 

 

 

 

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 08, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

BALL COCK

ball cock

noun

Definition of BALL COCK

:  an automatic valve whose opening and closing are controlled by a hollow float at the end of a lever

First Known Use of BALL COCK

1790

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad