New short erotic fantasy--a Tree Faery, a warrior and a cursed meadow

Title: The Enchanted Meadow

Publisher: Freya’s Bower

Genre: Short erotic fantasy romance

Release date: 11/22/11

Pages: 46

Link to buy links: http://kelleyheckart.com/TheEnchantedMeadow.html

Blurb:

Warriors from the Raven clan are sent to guard the king's cattle. They are unprepared for the strange, otherworldly happenings in the new winter grazing land, including nocturnal visits by a beautiful lass. Only their leader, Taran, can save them—if he remembers how.

Excerpt:

Alina wanted to cry out to him, but her throat would not form any sounds. The one who had betrayed her and trapped her in this tree had taken away her speech so she could not ask for help to escape her prison. So many centuries had turned, each season passing in a blur of muted colors, her hope fading. Now someone had come, a mortal who could help her, but she needed to communicate with him in some way. Sighing, she realized she was not even sure she knew how to break the curse.

He watched her now with curious eyes, unaware that she also watched him. When she concentrated all of her power, she could imprint an image of her face on the tree trunk, becoming one with the tree. Only he had seen her face in the tree bark, so she knew he was more than a simple warrior. He had the mind of a druid. Only the one who could help her would be able to see into other realms and pay such close attention to her tree. She sensed the affection in his caress. Shivers of pleasure shot through her body at his gentle touch, giving her a sense of hope.

She studied him, admiring the confident way he commanded his men even as he faced the unknown. He stood regal and powerful, the blue warrior marks he earned shadowing the austere planes of his handsome face. Long, golden-copper streaked hair plunged down his back in a wild tangle. She yearned to run her hands through his thick mane again.

As if reading her thoughts, he glanced back at her tree, his bright blue eyes darkening to a deeper hue in the shifting light, his face softening from its usual hardness. When he looked in her direction, he let slip his true feelings he hid from his warriors. Her heart sang with compassion for him.

She felt herself blush at his penetrating gaze. His eyes awakened that feeling of familiarity in her again, but she still could not place it. If she escaped her prison, she could go to him now. Frowning, she thought how she hated the tree that felt like a tomb. The world beyond the tree taunted her with its bright autumn colors, a world so full of life and freedom. She could not bear to look upon it any longer.

To help her bide her time, she thought about their coupling. Her body flushed at the memory. She recalled how wonderful his muscles had felt beneath her touch and the way he had kissed her, caressing her secret places with his skillful tongue, making her moan and quake. A twinge of desire flickered inside her at the thought of having him touch her again tonight.

When they discovered another missing cow, they would have to stay. At least she hoped so. She continued to hide some of their cattle to keep the warrior there so eventually he could help her escape.

At first, she only wanted to use him to help her escape, but now her body trembled with affection for the golden warrior. After he rekindled what had been dormant for so long inside of her, she began to yearn for him and his tender, passionate touch. Could she let him go? And if he should eat of the apples….

* * *

Praise for The Enchanted Meadow:
"Hauntingly beautiful; this enchanting story takes
the reader into a magical meadow where there is
a bad curse and an evil source watching. These
exceptional characters carry out a plot that
ensnares the reader and keeps you there until
the end."
Reviewed by Wateena
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

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

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Excerpt 3 from Winter’s Requiem, Historical/fantasy, PG

Available in Print and Ebook

http://kelleyheckart.com/winters_requiem.html

Winter’s Requiem, Book 3, Dark Goddess Trilogy, Celtic historical/fantasy

Blurb:

Three different women, one ancient curse…

An ancient curse is revealed, leading Domelch, Brigit and Cailleach into certain danger amid a web of deceit. Can they break the curse and put the shattered pieces of their lives back together?

Excerpt:

“Ungild, I am retiring to my room for the night. I will not need your services.” Cailleach concentrated on concealing her thoughts, hoping the old woman would not detect her deceit. Wrapping herself in shadows, she pretended to walk toward the hall to the royal quarters, but instead slipped silently into the woods.

She’d been careful not to use magic around the mortals, but tonight she had no choice if she was to test Aethelfrith’s heart. Concealing herself among thick bushes, she stepped out of her clothes. Her naked skin prickled in the cold autumn night, but the feeling of being naked filled her with a sense of freedom—freedom from the binding fabric, freedom from the laws of mortals.

Calling on her powers, she used all of her concentration and strength, aware of her weakness in this foreign land. Her body tingled with the transformation, her flesh twisted and shifted, sprouting black feathers.

The raven let out a harsh cry, ruffling her feathers and taking flight. Happiness filled her at the freedom this shape gave her to slip undetected through the night, soaring on wings across the treetops. The cold air bounced off her insulated body, her wings slicing with ease through a night illuminated by a full moon. The sounds of pounding hooves and jangling bridles reached her ears and she changed course, flying toward the river. Below outstretched branches, she spotted Aethelfrith and his band of warriors. They emerged from the woodlands into a clearing in pursuit of a stag.

Cailleach flapped her wings faster to increase her speed so she could keep up with the swift hunters. She recalled the thrill of hunting, her heart fluttering with excitement. The riders spread out around the fleeing stag in a skillful formation, cutting off its escape. The majestic beast fell under the might of the roaring spears.

Alighting on a nearby branch, Cailleach waited for the warriors to gather their prize stag, knowing they would probably stop to rest now.

A small fire sparked below. The warriors gathered around for warmth. Drinking horns gleamed in the moonlight, laughter carried up into the night.

It was time. Cailleach shrugged off the nervous jitters surging through her body, uncertain of what she wanted to happen. Spreading her wings, she landed on the ground, calling on more magic. Her body shifted, her flesh pulling and shaping into the sagging flesh of an old, ugly woman. In this tormented body, she did not have the same joyful feelings as she embraced in the raven’s body. The gnarled, painful joints twisted in a hideous angle, the naked flesh wrinkled and sagging. A sudden terrifying thought filled her that her senses about Aethelfrith were wrong. If he failed her test, she might not have the strength to change her shape back and she would be stuck in the hideous body.

It has to be this way. It has always been this way.

Naked and limping through the trees, she emerged before the warriors who sat in a circle around the fire. All heads turned toward her.

“Who here will give warmth to a lost, cold old woman?” Her voice sounded like a raven’s harsh croak. She parted her lips in a smile, revealing blackened and chipped teeth.

Theodbald looked at her with disgust. “Old woman, you will find no warmth here. Be off with you,” he barked, waving her away.

“Wait.” Aethelfrith stood, peering at her. “Take this to cover yourself.” He took off his cloak and approached her, draping it across her naked shoulders.

She looked at him, hoping he would see through the guise. Her chest tightened in apprehension. “Would you warm an old woman’s frozen lips?”

He gazed at her as if looking right through her. Cailleach’s heart quickened. He pressed a kiss to her lips, awakening the magic.

Her body changed, the bent, swollen joints straightening, the sagging skin tightening into the shape of a young, beautiful woman.

“What is this?” He stared wide-eyed at her.

“King of the land of Bernicia, I am Sovereignty and your seed shall be sown over every kin,” she said, hardly able to keep from revealing herself to him.

He peered at her, recognition glimmering in his eyes. “Frige?”

She gave him an enigmatic smile and called on the magic to change her shape into a raven. The cloak landed in a heap on the ground at Aethelfrith’s feet. Her transformation used the last of her powers until she could rest and gain more strength. The raven stared up at him and let out a parting croak. Flapping wings carried Cailleach away into the moonlit night, her thoughts troubled. She should be happy that he had the heart of a king, but something didn’t feel right.

A blanket of mist sparkled and shimmered beneath the ghostly splash of moonlight over the river dividing Bernicia from Gododdin. The fog emitted an unearthly radiance, parting as if opening a doorway. She tried to turn to avoid entering the strange mist, realizing it was a trap, but the fog surrounded her. In her weakened state, Cailleach’s magic was nothing more than a harmless ember that faded into a cold ash. She experienced a sense of confusion, the cold, wet mist capturing her.

Cailleach struggled to escape the trap. She sensed that Badb had tricked her, luring her here with magic. Badb knew Cailleach was unable to resist the temptation to test the prince for kingship and would be too weak after working such strong magic to be able to escape the trap. The fog encircled Cailleach with a memory, one she wanted to close her mind against. She tried to fight the powerful, magical pull.

I cannot escape from my past.

****

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

Karen McGill, Coffee Time Romance

 

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

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

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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My book page at Mundania Press: http://www.mundania.com/author.php?author=Kelley+Heckart

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Inspiration for my Dark Goddess trilogy

"I am the wind on the sea;

I am the wave of the sea;

I am the bull of seven battles;

I am the eagle on the rock;

I am a flash from the sun;

I am the most beautiful of plants;

I am a strong wild boar;

I am a salmon in the water;

I am a lake in the plain;

I am the word of knowledge;

I am the head of the spear in battle;

I am the god that puts fire in the head;

Who spreads light in the gathering on the hills?

Who can tell the ages of the moon?

Who can tell the place where the sun rests?"

Song of Amergin

 

This is a poem by a bard/druid named Amergin. He sang this song when his ship first landed on the shores of Ireland. No one knows for certain when the Sons of Mil (the Gaels) sailed from the Mediterranean and landed on what was then called Eriu (Ireland), but it was at least one thousand years before the birth of Christ—if the stories are to be believed.

At that time the godlike Tuatha de Danaan, the Irish faeries, ruled Ireland. The De' Danaans were described by Y.B. Yeats as 'tall and noble and able to change their shapes into different shapes not their own.' They were a society of druids, kings and warriors, but their true identity is shrouded in mystery. Were they tribes of the goddess Danu or gods themselves? According to the Book of Invasions, the Danaans were driven northward from Greece and came to Ireland by way of Denmark about 1472 BC.

The Sons of Mil were men who wielded iron swords while the De'Danaans were of an earlier time of magic. There were many battles fought between these two races until finally a great battle was fought and the Tuatha de Danaan retreated underground to the Sidhe, leaving the earthly plane to men. Even then the stories continued because some of the De'Danaans decided to remain above ground and on Beltaine and Samhain, the barriers between the two worlds would open and men were exposed to the magic of the Fae.

These tales of men and gods were the inspiration for my Dark Goddess trilogy and is the basis for many of my stories. I specifically focused on a legend about two goddesses, one ruled from Samhain to Beltaine and one ruled from Beltaine to Samhain. As I was doing research for the first book in this trilogy, I came across an Irish king who ruled in the sixth century in Scotland (Dal Riata). He had a shadowy past and was believed to have fathered a future king of the Picts. He was also known as one of the most feared kings of his time. In the Welsh poems, he is called 'Aedan the Treacherous' and he was a contemporary of St. Columba. He fascinated me and I came up with an idea for a curse that revolved around his clan, Brigit (a Tuatha de Danaan goddess), Cailleach (an ancient goddess known in Ireland and Scotland) and an ancient Greek vampire. This curse is connected to the legend of a winter and summer goddess and also connected to that final battle between the Sons of Mil and the Tuatha de Danaan.

Cat's Curse (Bk 1), Beltaine’s Song (Bk 2) and Winter’s Requiem (Bk 3) are all available now in Print and Ebook.

http://kelleyheckart.com/BookShelf.html

 

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

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

http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart

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My book page at Mundania Press: http://www.mundania.com/author.php?author=Kelley+Heckart

My author page on amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

The Morrigan

Most people don’t think of faeries as frightening beings like vampires or werewolves, but there are many different types of faeries, some good and some evil. One of these more frightening faeries is the Irish faerie The Morrigan, also called Morrigu. Her name means Phantom Queen and she isn’t the typical faerie like the better-known Tinkerbell, gossamer-winged, tiny, benevolent faeries that most people know.

 

The Morrigan is a battle goddess associated with the Irish Tuatha de Danaan, one of the mythical races of ancient Ireland. These are the faeries that J.R.R. Tolkien based his elves on, and they are human size fae. W.B. Yeats writes about them in Celtic Twilight, ‘Tribes of the goddess Danu are indeed tall and noble, and they can take shapes and sizes that are not their true shapes and sizes.’

As a battle goddess, the Morrigan holds the fate of warriors and is sometimes seen as the washerwoman at the ford, a gruesome hag washing the bloody clothes of a warrior about to die in battle. She is also a fertility goddess—a goddess of death as well as renewal. She is often viewed as the destructive aspect of the Triple Goddess, her other forms are Badb and Nemhain. The Morrigan may have been part of a megalithic triad—three goddesses called The Mothers that were similar to the Greek Fates. She is neither good nor evil, but an unpredictable force that is best approached with caution. The Morrigan is associated with the crow and raven, and often appears in those shapes.

In my stories, she is Morrigan, a capricious, shape-shifting deity comparable in temperament to the Norse god Loki. She appears in the aspect of Badb in Winter’s Requiem, the third book in my Dark Goddess trilogy. The Morrigan is my favorite Irish faerie and appears in various forms in four of my books. I think what I like best about her is her unpredictability and how she straddles the line between good and evil.

The Morrigan is a fae/goddess to be wary of, especially since her appearance could foreshadow death.

Three different women, one ancient curse…

http://kelleyheckart.com/winters_requiem.html

 

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'

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