Kelley Heckart's Blog, page 44

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite supernatural creature

Sexy Centaurs
When deciding on a romantic lead for my nymph in The Bear Goddess, I knew he had to be a follower of Zeus, and he had to be an enemy of Artemis and her nymphs. At first I was going to make him human, but that didn’t seem exciting enough for such a popular Greek myth. After some brainstorming, I decided to make my hero a centaur but this posed a problem—centaurs are known for their savagery, not to mention they are part horse. So, how was I going to create a likeable centaur and not have uncomfortable romantic scenes? After giving it some thought I came up with an idea—my hero, and a few other centaurs, could take human shape.
This worked for a number of reasons. The centaurs who could take human shape were viewed as outsiders within their centaur community and due to their unusual parentage, had milder personalities than their brutal relatives. This also made a romance between a nymph and a centaur more believable and not weird when it came time to write sex scenes. Plus, it added a level of sexiness for my hero to be something as exciting and dangerous as a centaur but also able to transform into a hunky human. In his centaur body, Kasin is powerful and formidable with a pure black horse body and in his human shape, he is still intimidating but striking and handsome with long black hair and war braids.
As a follower of Zeus, Kasin is a warrior above all else, but he also has some favorite activities he keeps hidden from the rest of the centaurs. One of these is singing. Music, unless it is a battle horn, is not allowed among the fierce centaurs. My hero also likes to take scented baths; another activity frowned upon among the hygienically challenged centaurs. I had to make him attractive to a nymph who bathed often, and I’m sure readers appreciate a clean, well-mannered hero too.
Not all centaurs have to be savage and some can be downright sexy.
****
Short excerpt:
Everything had happened so fast—being caught with Kasin, being bound with silver, Kasin changing into a centaur—Callisto hadn’t had time to absorb the shock of discovering the man she loved was a centaur. Weakened by the silver chain still binding her hands, she couldn’t escape. All she could do was lay helpless in his arms while he galloped with her off into the night.
He came to an abrupt halt at the edge of a steep plateau, searching the darkened forest lit by faint beams of moonlight. The fierce set of his handsome face made her breath catch in her throat. His arms held her in a confident, strong grip. With some hesitancy, she admitted to herself that she found him exciting. He was a centaur, her enemy who she was supposed to hate, but he had never mistreated her and he saved her life once again. She could only stare at him, stunned.

The Bear Goddess on Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P74X0WY
The Bear Goddess 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
To read an excerpt from The Bear Goddess, visit my website: http://www.kelleyheckart.com/TheBearGoddess.html
****
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
Website: http://www.kelleyheckart.com
Blog: http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CelticChick
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart

Weird Word Wednesday

Baobab bao·bab

noun \ˈbau̇-ˌbab, ˈbā-ə-\

Definition of BAOBAB

:  a broad-trunked tropical tree (Adansonia digitata) of the silk-cotton family that is native to Africa and has an edible acidic fruit resembling a gourd and bark used in making paper, cloth, and rope; also :  any of several related trees chiefly of Madagascar and Australia

See baobab defined for kids »

Origin of BAOBAB

New Latin bahobab

First Known Use: 1640

 

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!

Monday Musings: More Havasu Snow pics

Here are some more pictures from the rare snowfall we had here in Lake Havasu, AZ on New Year’s Eve.

 

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

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite time of day

Twilight

Twilight is considered a magical time because it’s the time between times. As the sun sinks behind the horizon, in the gathering darkness doorways to other realms can be opened and magic cast, that is if you believe in that kind of stuff. But it’s no wonder twilight is considered a magical time since it’s filled with beauty and stillness as the black banner of night engulfs the sun.

 

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!

Weird Word Wednesday

Bagasse ba·gasse

noun \bə-ˈgas\

Definition of BAGASSE

:  plant residue (as of sugarcane or grapes) left after a product (as juice) has been extracted

Origin of BAGASSE

French

First Known Use: circa 1826

 

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!

Monday Musings: Jet Streams in a clear AZ sky

Jet streams fill the AZ sky. I think this was sunrise.

A lone jet stream splits the blue sky.

Two jet streams cross in the setting sun.

A crescent moon and a jet stream share the sky.

This jet stream moved so fast I almost missed it.

Forming a straight line in the cloudless 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

New Release!

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite book

Runestone by Don Coldsmith

Book Blurb: They set sail from Norway, two swift-moving longships and their handpicked crews, following the route navigated by the legendary Leif Ericson. But for young shipmaster Nils Thorsson and his fellow Norsemen the real journey begins when they push on into the uncharted continent of Vinland.
There the explorers revel in the chance to penetrate a virgin land -until they trespass on the grounds of a primitive people who have seen enough of the light-hairs' cruelty to believe they are too dangerous to ignore. In one swift dawn raid, they deal with the invaders by letting go a swarm of fiery arrows Only three men from the sailing party escape: the intrepid Nils Thorsson, the hardened seaman Svenson, and an enigmatic native guide called Odin. Now. stranded in the wilderness with their one-eyed guide, Thomson and Svenson know that to survive they must master the ways of war, of the hunt -- and of a proud and fearless people.

This book is based on the mysterious runes found Heavener, Oklahoma. The author creates a plausible story about how those runes may have got there. Highly recommended if you like historical fiction and Vikings.

 

 

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!

Weird Word Wednesday

Bafflegab baf·fle·gab

noun \ˈba-fəl-ˌgab\

Definition of BAFFLEGAB

: gobbledygook

Examples of BAFFLEGAB

1. <I kept asking the telemarketer what the final cost of the“special offer” was, and all I got was more bafflegab about deferred payments, option to cancel at any point, etc.>

First Known Use of BAFFLEGAB

1952

Related to BAFFLEGAB

Synonyms

gibberish, double-talk, gobbledygook (also gobbledegook),rigmarole (also rigamarole), song and dance

 

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!

Monday Musings: Playtime

I wrote this a long time ago when we were living in CA and my two dogs, now gone, used to play every night. It’s one of my fondest memories.

Playtime:

It always happens around 7 p.m. each night. I am usually sitting at my computer, writing or surfing the web, when I see something out of the corner of my eye. Looking up, I see Xena, my American Eskimo, and Hercules, my Chihuahua/Dachshund mix, staring at each other from opposite ends of the long hallway. I know what will happen next and I have the best seat in the house to watch it unfold. It amazes me how they communicate by body language or maybe animals have some sort of telepathy. They continue to stare at each other, Xena looking relaxed, Hercules, his body tense, his brown eyes unblinking. She lies on the carpet closet to me, her elegant body perfectly poised. He stands at the far end of the long hallway, head down.

Suddenly, she moves, a white blur running down the hallway straight at him. He runs for cover under the kitchen table mere seconds before she reaches him. I can hear him furiously scratching the carpet with his front paws. She sits down where he once stood, tilting her head in his direction, a curious look on her face and pointed ears twitching. Bolting past her, he races around the couch and down the hall toward me, stopping at the end of the hall, panting. They face each other once again. His body tense, nails digging into the carpet, ready to sprint at a moment’s notice.

Without warning, she moves down the hall like a white flash, toppling him beneath her larger body. She grabs him by the scruff of his neck with her teeth, flinging him around like a rag doll. To someone unused to their play, it looks like she might be hurting him, but he squeals with delight, struggling to get away, pushing at her with his paws. Growling and flashing her fangs, she continues to fling him around, pinning him to the ground.

Finally, she lets him up and casually walks away to sprawl down on the cool tile by the front door, her pink tongue like a lost rose petal on a snow covered ground. He bounds toward her, brushing up against her, biting at the thick fur at her neck. She ignores him, rolling onto her side. He continues to bite and rub against her. Lifting her head, she gently licks his little brown face. He growls but gives in to her. After walking a few feet away, he plops down on the carpet, rolling onto his side, eyes closing.

Playtime is over.

 

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!

Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies. Oh My!: The Bear Goddess by Kelley Heckart

The Bear Goddess review (4 stars!): Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies. Oh My!: The Bear Goddess by Kelley Heckart: Book Name: The Bear Goddess Series: Book 1: The Arcadia Bears Author's Name: Kelley Heckart Genre: M/F- Fantasy/Romance Main Char...