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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.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite dog breed

Favorite dog breed: Chihuahua

I don’t know why but I love the smaller dogs. I think because they are easier for me to take care of and they can sit on my lap when I work. Chihuahuas are really cool dogs. Ours is a trickster. That’s how he earned his name: Loki.

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He waits patiently for me to finish taking my sunset and/or moon pics

 

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He loves to lay in my husband’s lap. It’s so cute. LOL

 

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Our family Christmas pic for 2014.

 

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Christmas morning 2014. He likes his new toy—a frog.

 

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

New Release!

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

BABASSU

ba·bas·su

noun \ˌbä-bə-ˈsü\

Definition of

:  a tall pinnate-leaved palm (Orbignya phalerata syn. O. barbosiana) of Brazil with hard-shelled nuts yielding a valuable oil

Origin of BABASSU

Portuguese babaçú, from Tupi * i̵βáwasú, from i̵βá fruit + -wasú large

First Known Use: 1917

 

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, January 12, 2015

Monday Musings: AZ Monsoon pics #3

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Monsoon storms turn the sky an eerie pink hue.

 

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A rainbow let in the wake of the monsoon storm.

 

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A sunset against monsoon storm clouds.

 

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The remnants of the monsoon paint the sky.

 

 

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

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

Friday, January 09, 2015

Favorite Friday: A favorite vacation place

Favorite vacation place: Sedona, AZ

Beautiful and magical.

Sedona_Oak Creek Canyon

Oak Creek Canyon

 

Sedona_On top of Devil's Bridge

View from on top of Devil’s Bridge

 

Sedona_Scene from Airport Rd.

View from Airport Rd.

 

Sedona_Kel and Mike jamming

Hiking with hubby and playing music.

 

Sedona_Kel and Ripper

Horseback riding. My horse’s name was Ripper. LOL

 

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

New Release!

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

Wednesday, January 07, 2015

Weird Word Wednesday

AZOOSPERMIA

azo·o·sper·mia

noun \(ˌ)ā-ˌzō-ə-ˈspər-mē-ə\

Definition of AZOOSPERMIA

:  absence of spermatozoa from the seminal fluid

Origin of AZOOSPERMIA

New Latin, from Greek azoos lifeless (from a- 2a- + zōē life) + sperma semen, seed — more at sperm

First Known Use: circa 1881

 

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, January 05, 2015

Monday Musings: Excerpt #3 from The Bear Goddess PG-13

The Bear Goddess, Greek myths/fantasy/shapeshifters/romance
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
TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad
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.
****
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, 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://www.kelleyheckart.com

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

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

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/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Monday, December 29, 2014

Monday Musings: Kelley’s misc. pics

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Another Godzilla pic. He let me get really close this time, but right after I took this picture, he darted into his den.

 

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Loki patiently waits for me to finish taking pictures outside.

 

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My husband playing a gig at the Twisted Metal Cycle Shop in LHC.

 

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Me and my sister at the Twisted Metal Cycle Shop party.

 

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Me and my husband at the Twisted Metal Cycle Shop party.

 

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

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

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://www.kelleyheckart.com

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

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

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/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Monday, December 22, 2014

Monday Musings: AZ Cloud Formations and Jet Streams #5

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Sun-kissed clouds.

 

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The upper clouds remind me of wings.

 

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Dramatic clouds fill the sky.

 

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Jet streams form patterns in the sky.

 

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Above the thick clouds covering the setting sun is a jet stream glowing in the twilit sky.

 

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Numerous jet streams pierce the sky below pink wispy clouds.

 

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

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

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://www.kelleyheckart.com

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

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

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

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/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Monday, December 15, 2014

Monday Musings: Moon pics #5

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Crescent moon floating in a sea of blue and white.

 

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A moon sliver reflected in my swimming pool.

 

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I like the little patches of clouds in the bottom corner.

 

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An early morning full moon is visible in the sky.

 

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Not a cloud in the sky, just the moon.

 

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Half moon glowing in a black sky.

 

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

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

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://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

TheBearGoddess_TRRCoverad

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/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Monday, December 08, 2014

Monday Musings: AZ Sunsets #5

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The sunset seen through our front door window.

 

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I like the blues mixing with the golden layers of the sunset.

 

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Gold blends with pink and blue in the stunning sunset.

 

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Awesome.

 

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I like the way the plant frames the sunset and mountains.

 

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Another awesome sunset.

 

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Each sunset creates a different pattern with layers of color.

 

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

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

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://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

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/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Monday, December 01, 2014

Monday Musings: Excerpt 2 from The Bear Goddess, New release by Kelley Heckart

TheBearGoddescover_small_final
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