A new book release and beastly heroes

I finally have a new book out. My hero is a little different from the normal romance hero. He is half-wolf and half-man. Does that make him any less appealing? I don't think so and neither does the heroine. :) The Wolf Queen is a new twist on Beauty and the Beast and the Greek myth of Lycaon the werewolf.

Cursed by Zeus to live in the body of a wolf, Lycaon found a way to change his shape into a human form, but he can't quite get rid of some wolfish qualities. I think of him as savagely handsome like Jason Momoa in Game of Thrones. I decided to go all the way with making my hero look the part of a beast, but still make him appealing. A Beauty and the Beast story doesn't work for me unless the "Beast" actually looks the part like in the B&TB series in the 1980s with Ron Pearlman as the Beast. I wasn't going to wimp out and make my hero too handsome when he's supposed to be cursed with a beastly appearance.

Book Title: The Wolf Queen

Author: Kelley Heckart

Author website: http://www.kelleyheckart.com

Genre: Greek myths/fantasy/werewolves/romance

Release date: 12/17/15

Page Count: 246

ISBN-13: 978-1519606242

ISBN-10: 1519606249 

ASIN: B019HML564

Kindle Buy Link: http://amzn.to/1Mk95rZ

Trade Paperback Buy Link on amazon.com: http://amzn.to/1Mk9aMc

Blurb

The Wolf Queen

Book 2: The Arcadia Series

A new twist on Beauty and the Beast and the Greek myth of Lycaon the werewolf. A Bronze Age fantasy, adventure, and romance set in Arcadia, the wild forests of the goddess Artemis… Game of Thrones meets The Iliad…

A tormented wolf man… A mysterious girl with a terrible secret…

Alara, a princess from a foreign land, is forced to wed the sorcerer-king Aramon, a power-hungry warlord, who discovers her dark secret and wants to use her to create an invincible army. When she meets Lycaon, she must decide if she should trust the cursed, tormented half-man half-wolf who might be her enemy or her true mate.

Lycaon, once a great king until he was cursed by Zeus to be a werewolf, is drawn to the mysterious princess. He is torn between helping Alara escape and using her to gain power over those who despise him.

Secrets abound and old enemies are reunited to battle Aramon before his terrible plan is unleashed. Time is running out as the dark moon approaches. Soon, Arcadia will be overrun with an unstoppable, vicious army unless Aramon can be defeated. To prevent his victory, the cost is high. As Lycaon’s affection for Alara grows, it becomes more difficult for him to decide which to save: Arcadia or her.

“Ms. Heckart draws the reader into the pages and enchants them with her words.”

Karen McGill, Coffee Time Romance

Excerpt (PG):

Although she had been warned of Lycaon’s band of misfits, seeing them watching her with cold eyes made her skin crawl. “Y-you are a goat man.” She stared in astonishment at the horns, the pointed ears, and goat legs with hooves covered in thick brown hair. Despite being half goat, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen with bright, slanted blue eyes and shoulder-length dark brown hair, some strands knotted into warrior braids. A belted loincloth covered little, revealing a muscular upper body.

He raised a bushy eyebrow. “I prefer satyr.”

The other odd-looking people laughed.

She opened her mouth to speak again, but the circle parted and a man stepped forward. A hood covered his head, so she could only see glimpses of his face—a flash of fang-like teeth, fierce eyes, and lots of dark hair. She shrank back from the man who looked like a mix of human and wolf.

“Who in Tartarus are you, and what are you doing in my lands?” His voice sounded like a vicious snarl.

Transfixed by his appearance, she wondered what the rest of his face looked like beneath the hooded tunic. Towering over her, his muscles strained against the dark brown woolen tunic and deerskin leggings he wore. Masculine power encircled him like a god’s nimbus, in the proud way he carried himself, and in the way he commanded their attention, for even his companions stepped back and looked at him with reverence, even the giant who barely stood taller than what glared at her now.

Alara eyed his large feet covered in laced up leather boots, afraid he might kick her, his anger at her quite apparent by the claw-like hands, partially covered in fingerless leather gloves, fisted at his sides. All she could see were his eyes, framed by heavy, dark, forbidding eyebrows, fixated on her from within the hood. Ice blue and emerald green rings. Fiery golden flecks. Intense and feral. She would never forget them. He held back his anger, but for how long? “I-I came…” His fierce stare made her forget her speech.

****

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 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 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

http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart

Artemis's Nymphs--The tough chicks in Greek mythology

They are similar to faeries because both are part of nature. There are many types of nymphs, but the ones in my Arcadia Series are closer to Amazons or warriors than to flighty nature beings. Since they serve Artemis, a goddess who is independent and a huntress, my nymphs needed to be the same. I did find some writings about these “mountain nymphs.” Called Oreades by Greek writers, they were described as tall and fierce. My portrayal of them was pretty close to this. Of course I had to use creative license to add some of my own traits. I separated them into the four different elements of earth, air, fire, and water. For each element, that particular nymph has a special magical power tied to their element. For example, a fire nymph can call up and control fire. There is also a fifth element, the ether, but this type of nymph is very rare. I created a special order called Guardians who are the fiercest among the nymphs. Beautiful and deadly. Nymphs are a fascinating part of the supernatural world.

Excerpt from The Bear Goddess:

Kasin stared at the line of nymphs, a formidable wall of gold and black leather-clad Guardians flanked by brown-clad nymphs and satyrs. Artemis’s powerful symbol of a full moon and crossed arrows taunted him from the unyielding line of small round shields his opponents held in steady grips.

He waited for the nymphs to make the first move. He would give them a chance to negotiate his terms and, if fortune favored him, avoid a battle.

Davona stepped into place next to him. “That is their merciless leader, Maia, the one who called for my death. She is also Callisto’s mother.”

Kasin looked closer at the nymph at the head of their army. She had dark red hair that almost looked black, an unusual color among the brown and fair hair of the other nymphs, and she had been among those that captured him.

“Callisto’s mother is a fire nymph. They are a particularly nasty kind of nymph.” He felt a twinge of sympathy for Callisto for it seemed her mother was as difficult as was his armor-hearted father.

“If she will allow her own daughter to die…” Davona stared fiercely at the leader of the nymphs. “She will not be easy to negotiate with.”

“I will not back down,” he said with conviction, but inside, he still hoped they could come to an agreement. The hatred he had for nymphs had dissipated the day he met Callisto. She showed him not all her kind possessed a cold heart. He would battle them if they chose to hurt those he loved, but he would kill them with reluctance.

Their weapons sheathed or put aside, Maia and two of her Guardians walked with an air of confidence to the center of the meadow.

*************

Creative commons photo of Artemis

 

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

http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart

If she survived her wound, he would claim her as his war prize. The Bear Goddess http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P74X0WY

Long haired heroes

All of the heroes in my books have one thing in common--long, flowing locks. Think of rock stars like Robert Plant or Bon Jovi, or an actor like Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire and Troy. Or most recently, Rollo in Vikings. Yum. Now that's one hot warrior. I think my fascination for guys with long hair comes from my time as a rock and roll bassist. I was always surrounded by long haired rockers. It also might be my love of the ancient Celts and those warriors with their long hair and warrior braids. There is something savage and sexy about a guy with long hair. Oh yeah.

My latest long hair hottie hero is Kasin, the centaur shifter from The Bear Goddess. I call him my Sexy Centaur. Here is a short excerpt of when the heroine, Callisto, first sees Kasin.

She shifted her gaze and froze at the sight of a naked man standing before a tub of water. He rubbed a thick, glistening paste all over his muscular body. Her mouth opened in awe. Having grown up among satyrs, she had never seen such a handsome man. Long, thick black hair fell past his wide shoulders in a tangle of war braids and wavy strands. His fair skin gleamed in the light. The man’s profile revealed a masculine square jaw set in a relaxed expression. He cleaned his body with the paste, rubbing it on his manhood. The breeze carried the faint scent of lavender.

She covered her mouth and felt her face grow hot, uncomfortably hot.

Then he climbed into the tub.

She was spellbound. 

************************

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

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P74X0WY

Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…

Callisto 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. He is torn between his duty to his people and his love for Callisto.

After the nymphs capture Kasin and their secret is exposed, they manage a daring escape, but 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?

Signs of spring

Everywhere around me are the signs of spring from beautiful flowers to crazy spring breakers hanging out on the lake, and coming into grocery stores half-naked in bikinis. My husband likes the last sign of spring.

The lighter half of the year was an important time for ancient societies that counted on the warm months for new crops and feed for their herds. After a long harsh winter, spring was greeted with celebrations and smiles.

While I enjoy the winter months of shorter days and cold nights, I look forward to spring. The longer days of sunlight help me get more work accomplished and I feel more energetic.

In Greek mythology this is the time when Persephone is released from the Underworld and returned to her mother, Demeter.

In Christianity, spring is the time when Jesus was resurrected. The Christian Easter has origins from the Teutonic Eostre, a spring goddess that symbolized renewal and fertility. But how did a rabbit handing out eggs become the symbol for Easter? Rabbits or hares represent fertility and fruitfulness. The egg is also a symbol of rebirth and renewal. Hares often find small depressions in the ground to sit in for protection. In the spring, a bird called a lapwing nests on the ground. Sometimes hares find the depressions made by the lapwings and sit in the nests and it looks like the hares are hatching the eggs. And that is how the rabbit (hare) and the egg became symbols of Easter.

So, here where I live we have the usual signs of Easter that everyone recognizes and we also get the young, wild spring breakers, a sure sign of spring.

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

Two mortals are caught in the midst of the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.

http://kelleyheckart.com/BookShelf.html

Erinyes—not your average heroines

Deciding to make my heroine in Daughter of Night one of the Greek Erinyes was a bit challenging at first. After all, these terrifying ladies are vengeance goddesses and their only duty is to punish mortal wrongdoers—not your average women. I had to figure out a way to make a female that looks frightening and punishes people into an attractive, likable heroine. With a little magic, I was able to make that happen.

And when I say magic, I mean that Rhea, the Great Goddess, used magic to turn her vengeance goddess into a human.

That seemed like the best way to turn a vengeance goddess into a heroine, considering that the Erinyes, known as Furies in Roman mythology, felt no remorse while enacting justice to mortal sinners. Punishments ranged from tormenting madness to suffering a terrible disease.

According to Hesiod, the Great Goddess, in her aspect as Night, bore these terrifying creatures. “Night bore hateful Doom and dark Fate and Death, she bore Sleep, she bore the Tribe of Dreams...and the Fates she bore, and the mercilessly punishing Furies who prosecute the transgressions of men and gods—never do the goddesses cease from their terrible wrath until they have paid the sinner his due.”

The Greek poets told of the Erinyes pursuing evildoers on Earth, usually as a group of three—Tisiphone, Megaera and Alecto. These Daughters of Night had a frightening appearance with snakes for hair, eyes that wept bloody tears, bronze or bat wings and sharp teeth. The only way to avoid being punished by these ladies was to live a sin-free life. Sounds easy, right? Apparently not for some people that were punished by the Daughters of Night. There is one bright spot—showing remorse can help end the torment.

In my new release, Daughter of Night, Rhea created another Daughter of Night named Becuille. This vengeance goddess had the power to punish mortals, but her main duty was to punish the other gods, the Titans, whenever they disobeyed Rhea. She also served Rhea as a personal guard and became the Great Goddess’s most trusted servant. Rhea uses magic to make Becuille human and sends her to find the Titan that betrayed her and hiding in a foreign land. Even though Rhea trusts Becuille, giving a vengeance goddess human emotions and sending her out into the world might not be the best idea.

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

Blurb: Two mortals are caught up in the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.

Buy links for Daughter of Night:

Mundania Press (in ebook formats and trade paperback):

http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Daughter+of+Night

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Of-Night-ebook/dp/B008OCANEO/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343182822&sr=1-14&keywords=kelley+heckart

Barnes & Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daughter-of-night-kelley-heckart/1112220212?ean=2940015001952

Buy links on author website: http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.html

Other books in my Past Lives series:

Not even the wrath of the gods could keep them apart.

http://kelleyheckart.com/BookShelf.html

Past Lives

I believe that we have more than one life, that somehow Karma plays a role in our chance to live again.

The ancient Celtic druids believed in the immortal soul. The end of a life was only a new beginning. Celtic warriors possessed a fierce courage in battle and I wonder if it was because they had no fear of death.

In Greek mythology, the souls of the dead waiting to be reborn drank from the River Lethe to forget their past lives.

Do we carry imprints from those past lives? For me, I have always been fascinated with ancient history, swords and castles. Sometimes I feel disconnected from modern times. My husband can’t stand wearing anything tight around his neck. Does this mean that in a past life he was hanged? Speaking of my husband, when we met, I was so comfortable with him it was like I already knew him. It was the same for him. I felt like he was my soul mate. I’ve always felt that we knew each other in a past life.

My Past Lives series explores the idea of two people that share a past life, one filled with tragedy and cursed by the gods. The third book in this series was just released in July 2012. Daughter of Night is the story of when my hero and heroine first met. When I was writing Of Water and Dragons (Book 1), I had an idea for past lives for my hero and heroine, but they couldn’t remember their former lives. I used the idea that souls ready to be reborn drink from the River Lethe and don’t remember their past lives. In Ravenwolf (Book 2), Nemu is forced to remember her past life and this is the set up for Daughter of Night.

Question for all: Do you believe in past lives? Please share any experiences you may have had.

---

Excerpt from Daughter of Night:

With the servant's help, they dressed Inaras in a warm tunic. He carried her to bed and covered her with warm blankets, stroking her cheek. She closed her eyes, falling asleep. He left her side and sat near the fire to dry his wet clothes, shifting to accommodate his aching balls. The kick she had delivered to his sensitive man parts had been like a kick from an untamed horse. He could not help smiling at her unbridled spirit. The smile faded and he stared into the fire, brooding.

“My lord, I found the pipe.” Zunia handed it to him.

“You may go now, but return at daybreak.”

“Yes, my lord.” She left the room.

He held the smooth clay pipe, feeling rage at the instrument that threatened to destroy the one he loved, but he knew the pipe was not his true enemy. Whatever had driven Inaras to hide behind the poppy demons was the true enemy. Clutching the pipe in his fist, he threw it into the fire. The pipe broke in two pieces. He watched with satisfaction as the flames consumed the evil pipe, crackling and spitting.

Inaras called out his name. He helped her from the bed.

“I feel as if I am going to be sick.” Shaking and sweating, she leaned against him, groaning. Holding her up, he half carried her to the bathing room and to the squatting hole. Retching violently, she emptied her body of the demon poppies. He held her hair back from her face and when she finished, he held her trembling body. He wiped her sweating forehead with a wet cloth and dripped cool drops of water into her mouth. Carrying her back to bed, he realized how much weight she had lost, how fragile she had become. He covered her with blankets, staring down at her sleeping face.

In sleep, her face looked so innocent. He realized that he knew very little about her, but he had seen her tender side when she calmed the mare with her beautiful, enchanting lullaby. It was difficult for him to comprehend that such an innocent looking woman could be capable of killing four armed warriors with her bare hands. Had she commanded the King Horse? A dread feeling came over him that Ninuba could have been speaking true about Inaras when she called her a sorceress of black magic.

****

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! Two mortals are caught up in the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.

Buy links on author website: http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.html

Crow and raven women in fiction

A common theme keeps popping up in my stories—crow or raven women. I’m not sure why this is happening, but my fascination with these beings probably has something to do with my love of Celtic myths. The Irish hero Cuchulain had many encounters with the Irish battle goddess, Morrigan. She is his nemesis. Ravens and crows are prevalent in Celtic myths. They are associated with battlefields and death, prophecy and the Otherworld. In some versions of the King Arthur myth, upon his death, Arthur turns into a raven. Crows and ravens play an important part in the lives of the ancient Celts.

Celtic goddesses embodied war and fertility and had a fierceness and danger that other goddesses lacked. Even the serene Brigit had her hand in warfare—she inspired blacksmiths that created farm tools as well as weapons. The aspects of the Celtic goddesses reflect what we know about Celtic women. Roman writers called them more fearsome than even their men.

Since I write a lot of Celtic-themed stories with warriors and otherworldly creatures, the crow and raven women that appear in my tales are important to the story. Though different incarnations of the battle goddess, my crow and raven women have some similarities. They are neither good nor evil, but they are unpredictable and make trouble for my hero and heroine. They can change their shape into a crow or raven or have feathered wings.

I am doing something a little different in a story I am working on with one of my crow women. She is not a Fae or goddess, but was human until dark magic transformed her. This is also the first time one of my crow or raven women is the heroine. And the story is set in ancient Greece, not one of my usual Celtic settings. I draw on Greek mythology for this tale, which also has its share of crow and raven myths.

Authors, do you have a favorite theme that appears in most of your stories? Readers, do you have a favorite theme in the books you read?

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/ Check out my long hair hotties!

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

A Greek vampire, Celtic kings, vengeful goddesses, an ancient faery curse…

All three books of my Dark Goddess trilogy are available in Print and Ebook. Set in dark age Scotland, I mixed history with a Samhain/Beltaine myth that revolves around an Irish clan and the goddesses Brigit and Cailleach.

http://kelleyheckart.com/BookShelf.html

What is a Muse?

Where does creativity come from? That is such a great question but the answer is nowhere to be found. It is mind-boggling. Why do ideas seem to come from an external source? It almost feels like a trance like state when creative people work. An external source that is separate from the creator of these works. Its like someone whispers into our ears and a light bulb goes on. Why have so many writers through history spoken of being guided, and even haunted by a force or presence that serves as the source of their creative work?

Greek Mythology Explaination

According to ancient Greek mythology there are nine muse, goddesses who inspire artists, musicians, writers, poets and that these immortal beings are the daughters of Mnemosyne who were fathered by Zeus. Mnemosyne is also an immortal and the titan daughter of Uranus, another god of the highest order. For over 2,500 years and throughout western civilization, it is largely acknowledged by artists of every sort that most of their inspirations, creativity and incredible talent come from these muse.

Calliope (Chief of the muses and muse of epic poetry)

Clio (muse of history)

Erato (muse of erotic poetry)

Melpomene (muse of tragedy)

Terpsichore (muse of dance)

Polyhymnia (muse of sacred song)

Euterpe (muse of lyric song)

Thalia (muse of comedy and bucolic poetry)

Urania (muse of astronomy)

Because this is so mysterious, that which science can't explain to anyone's satisfaction, and for a lack of a better explanation; this mythological explanation remains the most popular reason. In this day and age of scientific thought, one would think this would be a preposterous concept for intelligent people to believe yet it remains the case. This shouldn't be surprising though, there isn't much about the subconscious that science can explain and nothing at all about the spirit world.

It is strange that while most artists will acknowledge the muse, they won't go so far as to discuss them. It is a transcendental matter which few people are willing to talk about but nonetheless the muse are considered effectively real.

As a writer I believe that we all have a muse that guides us on our creative journey. I don’t have an explanation as to what exactly a muse is but most writers believe in them. I do know sometimes I write and when I go back and read what I have written it amazes me. I wonder where did that come from? Sometimes it is like I am in a trance like state. Everything around me just seems to disappear and nothing exists but the world I am building. Even scientist can’t explain it. Is it spiritual? Or is it our subconscious? We will probably never know but if believing in the mysterious muse inspires us I say do whatever works.

What is your take on the mysterious muse? Do you have one? Tell us a little about your muse. Everyone’s individual muse fascinates me.

Here are some of the muses that the writers of NN have shared with me.

Apollo

Julie Sharp's Muse

I used to have a female muse named Erato. But I fired her when she left me to go on a vacay. So I hired her boss, Apollo. He's been great...and Hawt! Can't beat the sound a male greek god's voice whispering in the ear! hehehe...  

Roxy

Tabitha Blake's Muse

My muse is a very hardheaded Goth named Roxy. Yeah I don’t know how I know her name but I do. She pushes my buttons on a daily basis. If she didn’t spin such great tales I would boot her out the door. She doesn’t sugar coat anything for me and whispers the most amazing story ideas in my ear, when she’s around, that is the biggest problem she disappears for days and weeks at a time. Sometimes I picture her with her feet kicked up on my desk looking at me rolling her eyes and laughing. Yeah she loves to torture me. But I love her. 

Jane Toombs' Muse

My muse is a green dragon.  This is how she looks when confronting stupid knights.  The second photo is how she looks when she sits on my shoulder at book signings, hissing in my ear, "Now aren't you glad I made you finish those books?"  The first shot is closer to the way she behaves when I get behind with my writing. 

Sheri Fredricks' Muse

This is a picture of my muse. “It” has no name, no gender, and nowhere to run – but run it does. My muse scampers happily throughout the day, burning calories while turning the wheel of my imagination. When “It” becomes tired, I feed “It” more caffeine and sometimes fruit. More often than not, I forget to feed “It” altogether, and then “It” complains by shutting down. I take “It” out, let it play with friends, and then all is good once again.

Vortex

Ni Giglio's Muse

Well, not to be the weird one....but....my muse isn't really a person, more like a ....a....shit...well anyway her name is Vortex.

Allison Merrit's Muse

He's kind of like Hemingway, only not really except for his love of drinking and laying around on the beach. And clearly he doesn't spend a lot of time on personal grooming as you can see from his stubbly jaw line. He does come up with some pretty good plots and characters, so I can't complain too much.

Brenda L.'s Muse

It's a little embarasing, but here is my Muse.  "He" has no name and rarely a shirt. He is a dark silhouette with sexy abs and a killer smile. He's always near when I write, urging me on with his penatrating eyes of a color I can't name (...silouette, remember?) He rubs my shoulders and whispers in my ear when I get writers block. Every once in a while he does something that reminds me of my husband.

Thorndrake

Kelley Heckart's Muse

Mine is a male fairy named Thorndrake. He loves Icelandic Metal and David Cook.

Duckie's Muse

She doesn't have a name, but she's British and cranky...with a sharp wit and a potty mouth and bit moody and completely immature when it comes to loves scenes..she's very sarcastic too and likes to roll her eyes at me when I try and make happy things happen in my stories...we have a love/hate relationship and have recently reconciled...

Berengaria's Muse


She's never told me her name, but I
promise you she can be a real bitch at times.

I just wanted to thank everyone that participate in this blog it was so much fun!


NN just hit 304 followers and we are adding to that count everyday! I'm so excited! I just wanted to thank all our readers and our writers. Without you NN wouldn't be the wonderful place it has grown to be. Big hugs to everyone that has invested themselves in this blog.

Tabby

My Dear Muse

I felt this hard tap on my shoulder. When I glanced over, I saw my Muse standing there with her arms crossed telling me to get back to work on my book. I glared back and told her I couldn’t because I had to get some work done and get this blog written. She huffed loudly and threatened to leave me. Naturally, I pleaded with her to stay. Then a thought occurred to me.

Julie: “My most dear Muse, may I interview you, please?”

Erato looking askance: “Hmmm. Alright. But, make it quick. There are millions of authors I need to inspire.”

Julie: “Great! That’s a really cool lyre you have.”

Erato stroked the strings with a smile, “Thanks. Just for that, I’ll inspire you tomorrow.”

Julie brightens: “Awesome! So, there are nine of you?”

Erato nods: “Yes, we’re the goddesses of the arts and sciences.”

Julie: “Are all of you the goddesses of writing?”

Erato chuckles: “No. I’m in charge of Poetry about Love. Erato is erotic. Get it?”

Julie: “Uh huh.”

Erato: “Some say I invented the art of dancing because it inspires others to write about love.

Julie: “What about the other muses?”

Erato: “My sister Calliope is in charge of Epic Poetry and Euterpe loves inspiring Musicians.”

Julie: “Wait, I thought Apollo is the god of Music.”

Erato wagged a finger: “He is the god of Music itself. Euterpe gifts people with the talent of music and inspires them.”

Julie: “Ah! I see. Hmmm…Is giving talent and inspiration the reason all of you were created?”

Erato nods: “Not at first. Apollo told us that we're to help mortals to forget the evils the Titans had afflicted on the world and to praise the gods for their victory over them. Once we accomplished that, we migrated to helping you mortals forget your sorrows and cares in the world.”

Julie tapping her chin in thought: “How so?”

Erato gaped in surprise: “Don’t you get lost in another world when you read a great romance novel? Or go to a museum or become amused at a play?

Julie: “Okay.”

Erato: “When anyone is sad or sorrowful, usually Euterpe will pay them a visit and play some music to help them feel better.”

Julie: “Okay. Okay. I get it. You mentioned you helped people forget the evils the Titan’s afflicted on the world.”

Erato folds her arms with narrowed eyes: “That’s right.”

Julie: “It’s ironic isn’t it? You’re Mother is a Titan, Right?”

Erato: “Yes, she is.”

Julie: “A goddess of memory. Memnon…something.”

Erato: “Mnemosyne. Yes, she’s a Titan and the goddess of memory. It is ironic isn’t it?”

Julie: “Yes. I asked that.”

Erato: “No, you didn’t.”

Julie: “I did.”

Erato with her finger pointed at me: “You’re not arguing with me, are you?”

Julie with alarm in her eyes, “Heaven’s no. Wouldn’t dream of arguing with my Muse.”