Kelley Heckart's Blog, page 17

Weird Word Wednesday

dyadnoun  dy·ad \ˈdī-ˌad, -əd\Popularity: Bottom 50% of wordsExamples: dyad in a sentence
Definition of dyad1:  pair; specifically, sociology :  two individuals (as husband and wife) maintaining a sociologically significant relationship2genetics :  a meiotic chromosome after separation of the two homologous (see homologous 1a(2)) members of a tetrad3mathematics :  an operator (see operator 3a) indicated by writing the symbols of two vectors (see 1vector 1a) without a dot or cross between (as AB)dyadicplay \dī-ˈa-dik\ adjectivedyadicallyplay \-di-k(ə-)lē\ adverbExamples of dyad in a sentence
Origin and Etymology of dyadLate Latin dyad-, dyas, from Greek, from dyo —see dy-

First Known Use: 1675
Kelley HeckartOtherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.http://www.kelleyheckart.comhttp://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/http://twitter.com/CelticChickhttps://www.facebook.com/kelleyheckartauthorhttp://www.goodreads.com/kheckart Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C

Monday Musings: Jet Stream pictures

Kelley HeckartOtherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.http://www.kelleyheckart.comhttp://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/http://twitter.com/CelticChickhttps://www.facebook.com/kelleyheckartauthorhttp://www.goodreads.com/kheckart Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C

Weird Word Wednesday

dweebnoun \ˈdwēb\Popularity: Bottom 50% of words
Definition of dweebslang:  an unattractive, insignificant, or inept persondweebishplay \ˈdwē-bish\ adjective, slangdweebyplay \-bē\ adjective, slangSee dweeb defined for English-language learnersOrigin and Etymology of dweeborigin unknown

First Known Use: 1964
Kelley HeckartOtherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.http://www.kelleyheckart.comhttp://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/http://twitter.com/CelticChickhttps://www.facebook.com/kelleyheckartauthorhttp://www.goodreads.com/kheckart Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C

Monday Musings: Arizona cloud formation pictures

Kelley HeckartOtherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.http://www.kelleyheckart.comhttp://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/http://twitter.com/CelticChickhttps://www.facebook.com/kelleyheckartauthorhttp://www.goodreads.com/kheckartAmazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C

Weird Word Wednesday

duxellesnoun  dux·elles \ˌdük-ˈsel, (ˌ)dü-ˈsel\Popularity: Bottom 30% of words
Definition of duxelles:  a garnish or stuffing made especially of finely chopped sautéed mushroomsOrigin and Etymology of duxellesLouis Chalon du Blé, Marquis d'Uxelles †1658 French nobleman
First Known Use: 1877
Kelley HeckartOtherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.http://www.kelleyheckart.comhttp://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/http://twitter.com/CelticChickhttps://www.facebook.com/kelleyheckartauthorhttp://www.goodreads.com/kheckart Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C

Monday Musings: A dog's life, The different expressions of Loki

I think most would agree that all of these expressions say one thing: contentment. We can all learn something from dogs and how they are able to live in the moment.








Kelley HeckartOtherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.http://www.kelleyheckart.comhttp://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/http://twitter.com/CelticChickhttps://www.facebook.com/kelleyheckartauthorhttp://www.goodreads.com/kheckart Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C

Weird Word Wednesday

duumvirnoun  du·um·vir \du̇-ˈəm-vər also dyu̇-\Popularity: Bottom 20% of words
Definition of duumvir1:  one of two Roman officers or magistrates constituting a board or court2:  one of two people jointly holding powerduumvirateplay \-və-rət\ nounOrigin and Etymology of duumvirLatin, from duum (genitive of duo two) + vir man

First Known Use: 1600
Kelley HeckartOtherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.http://www.kelleyheckart.comhttp://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/http://twitter.com/CelticChickhttps://www.facebook.com/kelleyheckartauthorhttp://www.goodreads.com/kheckart Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C

Monday Musings: The Crow Maiden--Revenge themes in books and movies

Revenge is one of the oldest themes in literature. It’s a huge part of Beowulfwhen Grendel’s mother decides to seek vengeance against the Danes for killing her son. Then Beowulf kills her in revenge. Shakespeare’s Hamlet also has a revenge theme.Nothing gets readers’ hearts pounding harder than a good revenge story, especially when a nasty villain is getting just what he deserves. I found a list of the 7 best revenge stories in literature: 1. The Iliad by Homer. This is one of my favorite reads, one that is filled with revenge. Menelaus raises the entire Greek army to get revenge on Paris for stealing his wife, Helen. Achilles gets revenge on Hector for killing his cousin. Even the gods are involved.2. Carrie by Stephen King. I read this one a long time ago. What’s better than getting revenge on all those nasty kids at high school that tormented you?3. Hamlet by William Shakespeare.4. True Grit by Charles Portis. Gotta love the spunk of the teenage girl seeking vengeance for her father’s death.5. The Princess Bride by William Goldman. “My name in Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” Enough said.6. Sin City: The Hard Goodbye by Frank Miller. I’m not familiar with this one, but it sounds like a great revenge story.7. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumos. This might be one of the best planned retaliations of all time. Edmund Dantes was so patient. Maybe this is where “the best things come to those who wait” came from?To see the full list: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/the-7-best-revenge-stories-in-literature/
The Crow Maiden has a revenge theme with a twist. Nahla to Balin: “We are bound by revenge. What good can come of it?” 


Excerpt (PG-13)She rummaged through the chest. “You have a comb in here and a mirror and a razor.”Rolling her eyes, she set those items to the side and continued searching inside the chest. Nahla removed a wide belt made with gold plates as he put on the tunic then strapped on the belt. She stood in front of him holding the razor.He eyed it with suspicion. “What are you planning to do with that?”“Trim your beard.” She gestured for him to sit again.He rubbed the thick hair that had sprouted on his usually clean-shaven face. “I am quite pleased with my beard.”She put her hands on her hips. “I know how you Hellenes feel about your beards, but you look like the wild goat man who lived in the forest near the temple. He thought the goats talked back to him.”He peered at her through slitted eyes.“Sit.” She challenged him with a determined set to her mouth.“Do not shave it all the way off.” He gave her a hard, warning scowl and sat on the edge of his bed. “I will have you know that I had adopted the Cretan custom of shaving.”“It is not such a terrible custom. I prefer a man’s face clean and not hidden beneath thick, wiry hair.”“Do you now? It is my face, and I have grown fond of my thick, wiry hair, but I will allow you to trim it.” He turned a wary glance on the razor. “Only trim it.”She impatiently raised a delicate brow. “If you continue to halt me, I might decide the entire beard needs to be gone.” She reached down and pulled her dress up to gather the shavings. “Hold my dress like this.”Sending her a defiant stare, he took hold of her dress. He sat still as she started the first cut. If she shaved off the whole beard, he could grow another, but he didn’t care for a woman telling him what to do.She stood so close he smelled her flowery scent and felt the warmth emanating from her. His gaze rested on her bare calves, smooth and flawless. He averted his eyes only to discover her breasts close to his face while she worked on his beard. Unable to get the image of her bare, pert, brown-tipped breasts out of his mind, he closed his eyes so she wouldn’t know his carnal thoughts. She hovered in front of him, carefully clipping his beard. Her sweet, natural, womanly perfume was intoxicating.“There, that should do it.” She lowered the razor.He opened his eyes and ran his hand along his jawline. She had left a layer of stubble. She held on to her dress and stepped back to admire her work. He wished he could read her mind to know what she truly thought of him.For a moment, the hardness in her eyes softened, and then she smiled. “I approve of the trimmed beard. Now you look like someone with noble blood.” She backed toward the opening to get rid of his hair shavings. “Shall we eat now? I am starving.”Her smile brightened her green eyes. His heart thundered inside his chest. This strange woman who had come into his life had him spellbound. His gut tightened. How could a beautiful, passionate woman like Nahla ever desire a defeated, crippled king? The only reason she was here with him was to gain her freedom from Aramon.Forcing away his unhappy thoughts, he stood and limped toward the food shelf to grab the bread basket. He’d have his revenge soon. Once he was free of her, he could finally move on with his life. *

Kindle Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1ZBAF1
Trade Paperback Buy Link on amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1541140613/
Blurb
The Crow MaidenBook 3: The Arcadia Series(The Crow Maiden is a standalone story in the Arcadia Series)
She betrayed her goddess for him…He betrayed her.Plotting her revenge is her only solace. Until now.
Nahla is the Crow Maiden, an Arcadian, and once a priestess of Artemis. Now she is a captive, a being who lives in the shadows until her vile master the sorcerer-king Aramon summons her. Another releases her from the Shadowlands, and while he might be the champion she has waited for, the gods must be playing a cruel joke. Her champion is crippled.
An Achaean lord who once ruled a great city, Balin is a broken man. He has lost everything—his kingdom and his family. Revenge consumes him. Although wary of the mysterious, cold-eyed female who appears and claims he summoned her, she may be his only hope to exact vengeance on the king who ruined him, the same man Nahla seeks to destroy.
They are bound by revenge, and soon, both learn they are bound by much more, but the secrets she hides might tear them apart and ruin their only opportunity for vengeance—and their chance to love again.
“Ms. Heckart draws the reader into the pages and enchants them with her words.”Karen McGill, Coffee Time Romance *Multi-published author Kelley Heckart lives in Arizona with her musician husband, dog and a number of backyard “pets.” 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 a freelance editor 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 HeckartOtherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.http://www.kelleyheckart.comhttp://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/http://twitter.com/CelticChickhttps://www.facebook.com/kelleyheckartauthorhttp://www.goodreads.com/kheckartAmazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C 

Weird Word Wednesday

dutasteridenoun  du·tas·te·ride \dü-ˈtas-tə-ˌrīd\
Medical Definition of dutasteride
:  a synthetic drug C27H30F6N2O2 that inhibits 5-alpha-reductase and is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia ◆Dutasteride is marketed under the trademark Avodart.

Kelley HeckartOtherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.http://www.kelleyheckart.comhttp://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/http://twitter.com/CelticChickhttps://www.facebook.com/kelleyheckartauthorhttp://www.goodreads.com/kheckart Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C

Monday Musings: The Crow Maiden--The healing power of the mind

In The Crow Maiden, Nahla is tasked with helping the broken hero heal his terrible leg wound that lamed him. In order to do this she also has to help him heal his mental wounds, the guilt and shame he suffers from not being able to protect his family and his people, but Balin has to want to heal.When she finds him, he is using wine to suppress his pain, and he is living alone in a cave, an angry, ruined man. Nahla has to push him to be strong, something that causes friction between them at first. I could have had her use magic to heal him, but that would have been way too easy. It had to be a challenge for both of them. Plus, Artemis wanted her to work hard to heal the champion as part of her penance or her wrongdoing.The mind is very powerful. It can make you strong or it can destroy you. I can attest from personal experience that the mind plays a very important role in healing. Perhaps that’s why I wanted to write a story with a wounded character. I had to overcome my own medical scare that almost left me disabled. If I hadn’t pushed hard to get better, I doubt I would have. I still struggle daily with it. Staying positive is the best way to fight it.


Excerpt (PG-13)Nahla refused to give in. She crossed her arms, her stance firm.“No more wine and now you are forcing me to have a bath? What does a bath have to do with our alliance?” His scowl deepened.“Have you smelled yourself lately? I cannot stand to be around you.” She waved her hand to push away the foul odors of stale wine and sweat coming from his body. Somewhere, she hoped, beneath his slovenly, unpleasant manner lurked a warrior and a champion.He looked down at his rumpled, dirty clothes and wrinkled his nose. “A bath is, perhaps, an excellent idea.”It was no surprise that his cave home lacked a bathtub. “Is there a river or lake nearby?”“Yes. Having you bound to me has been highly unpleasant so far,” he grumbled. He grabbed a blanket from a long, flat ledge cut into the wall a few steps from the fire and seized his axe on the way out of the cave.“I am not here for your pleasure.”She followed him. A craggy hill greeted her. Yellow and purple orchids sprouted from the cracks of the frowning rock face, lending it beauty. Clusters of scrub grass, bushes, purple hyacinths, and red poppies filled the area in front of the cave.She was uncertain how her bond to him worked. It seemed that being with Balin was her new waiting place until Aramon summoned her. This was an improvement from the Shadowlands, but this man had some unpleasant habits she hoped to break to turn him into a true champion, one worthy enough to wield Artemis’s great weapon.He was the one chosen, but she had not seen Aramon’s death, not yet. His death would come at the hand of the one who wielded the goddess’s weapon and that person must be Balin, since she was bound to him.He turned right and limped down a path lined with tall, sentry-like cypress and thick-needled pine trees that covered the steep-sided gorge in dark green colors that enhanced the bright colors of the orchids, hyacinths, and poppies and deepened the blue of the sky. Fragrant flowers and pine filled the air with wondrous perfume.The beauty of her surroundings embraced her as she descended the path into the gorge, her step growing lighter. The tranquil greenery and the colorful flowers sparkled in the blend of shadows and light. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the forest and spread warmth through her body. She had the urge to remove her cloak and bask in the sun. Aramon kept her inside his bedchamber unless he sent her on some unpleasant task. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been outside, free to enjoy the sunshine and do as she pleased. Being trapped between the worlds in the Shadowlands was like looking through a doorway, one she longed to step through out into the vibrant world, but her magical bond to Aramon wouldn’t allow her to cross the threshold.The sound of running water filled the air along with birdsong. She caught herself smiling, something she had rarely done since her captivity. Having this experience of freedom made her more determined to get what she wanted.The path reached the bottom of the gorge and opened to a small waterfall cascading down the craggy wall into a blue-green pond surrounded by vivid layers of lush plants and poplar trees, sprinkled with vibrant-colored flowers that twinkled like yellow, purple, and blue starlight. Farther down, the pond flowed into a large river lined by white and black poplars. The pale trunks and white twigs gleamed among the dark brown trunks and brown twigs. In the slight breeze, the dark green-gray leaves of the white poplar with a woolly snowy underside flashed among the shiny green leaves of the black. She couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful sight.“Are you going to watch me bathe or join me?”She turned toward Balin. He sat on a rock, bare-chested, his impish grin revealing rows of even white teeth. The playful sparkle in his eyes was oddly appealing, much different from the anger she’d seen in them more than once since their meeting.“Neither.” Though the pond did look inviting. His muscular chest and arms took her by surprise. Given his condition, she had expected him to be flabby.“Perhaps next time then.” He struggled to remove his leggings.“Perhaps.” She fought back the urge to assist him. She wouldn’t coddle him, and he wouldn’t want that either.Naked, he limped toward the pond. She stared at him with her mouth open. Aramon had a firm, strong body, but Balin had the body of a god, tall and golden. His disheveled appearance hid a muscular warrior’s body. He would have been perfect if not for his damaged left leg. A large, ugly, jagged scar marred the back of his thigh and ended below his knee. It was the kind of injury made by a long iron sword, the terrible slashing weapon used by Aramon’s army.*Kindle Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1ZBAF1
Trade Paperback Buy Link on amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1541140613/
Blurb
The Crow MaidenBook 3: The Arcadia Series(The Crow Maiden is a standalone story in the Arcadia Series)
She betrayed her goddess for him…He betrayed her.Plotting her revenge is her only solace. Until now.
Nahla is the Crow Maiden, an Arcadian, and once a priestess of Artemis. Now she is a captive, a being who lives in the shadows until her vile master the sorcerer-king Aramon summons her. Another releases her from the Shadowlands, and while he might be the champion she has waited for, the gods must be playing a cruel joke. Her champion is crippled.
An Achaean lord who once ruled a great city, Balin is a broken man. He has lost everything—his kingdom and his family. Revenge consumes him. Although wary of the mysterious, cold-eyed female who appears and claims he summoned her, she may be his only hope to exact vengeance on the king who ruined him, the same man Nahla seeks to destroy.
They are bound by revenge, and soon, both learn they are bound by much more, but the secrets she hides might tear them apart and ruin their only opportunity for vengeance—and their chance to love again.
“Ms. Heckart draws the reader into the pages and enchants them with her words.”Karen McGill, Coffee Time Romance  *
Multi-published author Kelley Heckart lives in Arizona with her musician husband, dog and a number of backyard “pets.” 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 a freelance editor 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 HeckartOtherworldly tales steeped in myth, magic & romance.http://www.kelleyheckart.comhttp://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/http://twitter.com/CelticChickhttps://www.facebook.com/kelleyheckartauthorhttp://www.goodreads.com/kheckart
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C