Blurbs:
The Bear Goddess, Book
One
Romance,
fantasy and magic in Bronze Age Arcadia (Greece)
Forbidden
love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
Callisto,
the daughter of the great Arcadian King Lycaon and the nymph Maia, 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.
A follower of Zeus, he is mystified to save a nymph’s life and even worse, to
fall in love with an enemy of the centaurs. He is torn between his duty to his
people and his love for Callisto.
When
the nymphs capture Kasin for their next sacrifice, Callisto cannot allow him to
die, but before she can help him escape, they are caught together and their
secret connection exposed. Surrounded by armed guards, they manage a daring
escape. On the run from the nymphs, 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?
The Crow Maiden, Book Three
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.
About the Author:
Multi-published
author Kelley Heckart writes romances with fantasy/paranormal elements set in
ancient and medieval time periods. Her stories reflect her passion for ancient
history, storytelling, and the supernatural. She is drawn in particular to the
ancient Celts who are shrouded in mystery and associated with the otherworldly
realm of the Fae. With her pen and paper, she recreates long ago places filled
with fierce warriors, bold women, otherworldly creatures, magic, and romance.
Two
of her favorite things are sunrises and men in kilts. When not writing or
editing, she enjoys practicing target archery. She can be found online at www.kelleyheckart.com.
Review:
The Bear Goddess is Book One and The Crow Maiden is Book Three of the
Arcadia Trilogy, each book of which stands alone. However, the books are tied
together by the fact that they take place in and around Arcadia, and the crossover
appearances of various characters among the three books. I reviewed Book Two, The Wolf Queen, last year, and missed
nothing reading them out of order.
I
greatly admire Ms. Heckert’s knowledge of Greek mythology and the way she
weaves it into her fictional world along with the paranormal. Her characters
are deeply drawn and engaging, and the plots are fast-paced and draw the reader
in on page one.
But,
as has been happening so much lately, there were editing issues that drove me
nuts. When editors tell their authors not to use too many adverbs, they don’t
mean the authors should substitute adjectives. Yet I see this happening over
and over again. I even hear it in dialog on TV, and find myself yelling “LY!”
at the screen, as I do to my Kindle. I yelled it at my Kindle throughout the entire
Arcadia Trilogy. Please be sparing with your adverbs, but do NOT substitute
adjectives for them. Use a stronger verb. But if you can’t find a stronger
verb, go ahead and enhance it with an adverb. Use your “ly.”
Thanks
for letting me rant. Aside from the adjective problem, The Arcadia Series was a
good read. You might want to start with The
Bear Goddess, then The Wolf Queen,
and end with The Crow Maiden, but it’s
not necessary.
Author Website: www.kelleyheckart.com
Heat Ratings (Both): R
Lengths:
The Bear Goddess: 285 Pages
The Crow Maiden: 269 Pages
Prices (Both):
Print: $11.99
Digital: $2.99
Buy Links:
The Bear Goddess: https://amazon.com/dp/B00P74X0WY
The Crow Maiden: https://amazon.com/dp/B01N1ZBAF1
Thanks
for visiting.
