Kelley Heckart's Blog, page 42
April 27, 2015
Monday Musings: AZ Cloud formation pics # 7
An eerie light makes the cloud look dark and forbidding.
The sunset turns ordinary clouds into something ethereal.
Clouds bathed in golden light.
Clouds hovering in the brilliance of the setting sun.
Red and gold fills the sky.
Golden waves.
In an instant gold turns to pink.
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
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/
April 22, 2015
Weird Word Wednesday
noun \ˈbȯ-ˌkäk\
Definition of BAWCOCKarchaic
: a fine fellow
Origin of BAWCOCKFrench 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
April 20, 2015
Monday Musings: Signs of spring in Lake Havasu City, AZ
Hummingbird enjoys the warm weather.
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.
A beautiful cactus bloom—such beauty among such dangerous thorns.
Palo Verde tree in full bloom.
Loki enjoying the nice spring weather.
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
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/
April 15, 2015
Weird Word Wednesday
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 BARRACOONSpanish 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
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
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.
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/
April 8, 2015
Weird Word Wednesday
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 COCK1790
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
April 6, 2015
Monday Musings: Kelley’s Misc. pics
Loki’s first trip and hotel stay. An AZ native, he didn’t like the grass in CA.
My hubby. Christmas at his mom’s house.
Frosty. She was fascinated with Loki.
Christmas trees are so beautiful.
Me with my family.
The desert scenery driving home from CA.
Balloons fill the early morning sky in January in Lake Havasu.
Loki.
A quail visits our yard.
Christmas 2014 with my husband’s family.
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
