Kelley Heckart's Blog, page 40

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Published on June 05, 2015 04:00

Weird Word Wednesday

bicameral

adjective bi·cam·er·al \(ˌ)bī-ˈkam-rəl, -ˈka-mə-\

: having two parts

Full Definition of BICAMERAL

: having, consisting of, or based on two legislative chambers <a bicamerallegislature>

— bi·cam·er·al·ism \-rə-ˌli-zəm\ noun

See bicameral defined for English-language learners

See bicameral defined for kids

Origin of BICAMERAL

1bi- + Late Latin camera chamber — more at chamber

First Known Use: 1856

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

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Published on June 03, 2015 04:00

Monday Musings: Game of Thrones: Lessons from The Red Wedding episode

The Rains of Castamere, the ninth episode of the third season, was one of the most disturbing one for me, and apparently for many others considering the large number of shocked comments on social media. It’s been widely referred to as “The Red Wedding” and for good reason: it’s a massacre, and I think the bloodiest episode to date.

It disturbed me for two reasons. The first one is because I really liked Rob Stark (though he did screw up by breaking his vow to Walder Frey) and the second one is because of the extremely deceitful and callous manner of the massacre.

There is also some great storytelling in this episode. So, in some ways it is one of my favorite episodes and also the most shocking.

The way Walder Frey went about his revenge is a terrible crime in the eyes of the old gods in the Game of Thrones realm and in our ancient world. Just about every culture has a story about the gods disguising themselves as travelers to test humans on their hospitality. Those who treat a traveler well are richly rewarded, while those who do not are gravely punished. The stories I remember are from Greek mythology and the lesson was: never harm a guest under your roof.

That’s why what Walder Frey did was so terrible. Why is this so unforgivable in the gods’ eyes? Is it because it’s such a treacherous act to welcome someone in with the promise of food and shelter, allow them to let down their guard, only to harm them? Maybe. It is pretty cruel and devious. And the old gods apparently didn’t like this sort of behavior.

In this episode, the story Bran tells his companions in the abandoned castle where they spend the night reflects this. He tells them about the king the gods turned into a large white rat, not for killing someone, but for killing someone under his roof. This is a foreshadowing of what is about to happen (and a great storytelling technique).

In our modern world we don’t really think about an ancient rule that forbids harming a person under our roof. But back in ancient times there were few, if any, hotels and restaurants, and it was dangerous to travel into unknown territories. Without a hospitality rule, strangers could be killed or captured in a foreign land. This is probably why the Greek guest-friendship ‘xenia’ was formed, which allowed people to travel into other territories and receive a place to stay and something to eat while not having to worry about being harmed. In fact, the Trojan War was started because of a violation of the xenia act—Paris kidnapped his gracious host’s wife, Helen.

It does seem strange to condone killing but not if it’s done to a houseguest. I mean, murder is still murder. However, it does seem especially cold-hearted to welcome someone in and then kill them. And that’s what bothered me so much when Rob Stark, his wife, unborn baby, mother, and all of his men were so callously slaughtered when they thought they were safe and among allies. What’s even worse is the act was committed during a wedding to join their houses. That’s doubly cruel. And it takes a special kind of evil to be able to do something like that. I still shudder thinking about the look on Rob’s face as he watches his wife being killed, and I’m guessing Walder Frey has a special kind of punishment from the gods coming his way. At least I hope so.

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

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Published on June 01, 2015 04:00

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite TV show

Favorite TV show: The Originals

I enjoy this spin-off of the Vampire Diaries mainly because of Klaus, the troubled vampire/werewolf hybrid of the Mikaelson family. Joseph Morgan plays him well. With Klaus in the family, there is always some kind of conflict happening to keep my attention. He’s the guy you love to hate.

Series description on IMDb:

Many years ago, an original family of vampires lived in the city of New Orleans where they lived happily. However, all has changed and it's up to them to take back what they built.

Creator: Julie Plec Stars: Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Claire Holt |

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

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Published on May 29, 2015 04:00

Weird Word Wednesday

bibelot

noun bi·be·lot \ˈbē-bə-ˌlō\

plural bibelots \-ˌlō(z)\

Definition of BIBELOT

: a small household ornament or decorative object : trinket

Examples of BIBELOT

Origin of BIBELOT

French

First Known Use: 1873

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

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Published on May 27, 2015 04:00

BLOGGING WITH BEVERLEY: Tuesday Tips and Tweaks with Kelly Heckart

BLOGGING WITH BEVERLEY: Tuesday Tips and Tweaks with Kelly Heckart: This week author Kelley Heckart joins us with her tip . Kelley Heckart’s stories are steeped in myth and magic, filled with fierce warri...

http://www.amazon.com/Bear-Goddess-Book-Arcadia/dp/1502982684/ref=asap_B002BMOQ3C_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415503605&sr=1-7

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Published on May 26, 2015 12:54

Monday Musings: Not ordinary nymphs

What do you picture when you hear the word nymph? I’m guessing most people think of a flighty, beautiful woman with flowers in her hair that serves Artemis and romps with satyrs in the forest. In my Arcadia series, this is partly what nymphs might be like. But since I grew up watching Xena: Warrior Princess and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, my nymphs had to be like hunters and warriors.

There are different types of nymphs and some are more serene than others. I decided to give the mountain nymphs that serve Artemis a little more substance and structure. The descriptions I’ve read about them depict them as ferocious hunters. Some of the nymphs that serve Artemis have a gentler nature. I thought about what these nymphs might be like and used the four elements to create different types of nymphs. In my story there are earth, air, fire and water nymphs. Each of these groups of nymphs can control their element. In some stories, the Oreades, or mountain nymphs, were born from the union between five dactyls and five original nymphs. So what was I going to do since I only have four elements? Well, in alchemy there is a fifth element—the aether, the air that fills heaven. The fifth nymph is the aether, but she was banished for betraying the nymphs.

I created Guardian nymphs, the elite warriors that protect Artemis’s forest. They dress in gold and black deerskin to distinguish them from the other nymphs.

I had a lot of fun creating the nymphs for this series. What can be better than a kick-ass nymph?

The first book in this series, The Bear Goddess, is available now on Amazon.

Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…

A nymph. A centaur. Enemies in love.

On the run, danger and betrayal follow Callisto and Kasin. To survive they must evade those who want to keep them apart and no place is safe.

Kindle Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P74X0WY

Trade Paperback Buy Link on amazon.com:

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

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

http://www.kelleyheckart.com/Pre-Hellenic_Goddesses.html

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Published on May 25, 2015 04:00

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite Greek goddess

Artemis the the Greek goddess of the hunt, wild animals, childbirth, and virginity. She refused to wed any of Zeus’s brothers, which is one of reasons I like her so much—she was fiercely independent. She is often depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrows. Another think I like since I have taken up archery. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Originally, she was a pre-Greek deity, a great goddess. Here the information I have on this goddess on my website, my Pre-Hellenic goddess page:

ARTEMIS: She is the Goddess of untamed nature. Central to her worship are ecstatic dances and the
sacred bough, probably derived from ancient moon tree worship, the source of immortality, secret
knowledge and inspiration. Artemis assists females of all species in childbirth and gave the name artemisia
to the medicinal herb now called mugwort, which is used to encourage delivery. She was worshipped
throughout Greece, but was most popular in Arcadia where she lived in the wild forests and was the most
virginal of the Goddesses. Another important site for her worship was Ephesus in Anatolia where her
qualities of Mother Goddess were emphasized. Two early forms of Artemis were Britomaris of eastern
Crete and Diktynna of western Crete. In Olympian myths Artemis is Apollo’s sister and she takes on the
role of patron of hunters.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

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Published on May 22, 2015 04:00

Weird Word Wednesday

bibber

noun bib·ber \ˈbi-bər\

Definition of BIBBER

: a person who regularly drinks alcoholic beverages

— bib·bery \ˈbi-bə-rē\ noun

First Known Use of BIBBER

1536

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

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Published on May 20, 2015 04:00

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