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!

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

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

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

Thanks for inviting me to the Goddess Fish Party blog to promote my new Print release. I am excited that my Dark Goddess trilogy is now complete and all three books 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/cats_curse.html

Cat's Curse, Book 1: Dark Goddess Trilogy, Celtic historical romance/fantasy

Enter Dark Age Scotland—a mysterious, dangerous & exciting place…

Blurb: Cardea is cursed to live an eternity as a blood drinker. Aedan mac Gabrain, prince of Dal Riata, trusts no one after suffering a curse that keeps him from touching any females. Can two tortured souls find love while battling a dark goddess determined to destroy them?

Reviewer Top Pick! This amazing story is very refreshing in the current romance genre. The storyline had a bunch of twists and turns that kept my attention and intrigued me with anticipation. I am eagerly looking forward to reading the next book (Beltaine's Song), Book Two in the Dark Goddess Trilogy, as I have become addicted to the strength, courage and real human facets of the characters in this saga.
Reviewed by: Lydia Ferrari at Night Owl Romance Reviews

****

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?

‘4 Cups! This story is a remarkable one on so many levels. The theme spoke to my soul and touched my heart. The warrior women made this story sing for me…I adored the way Ms. Heckart tangled religion and politics into a

tale that held my interest to the very end.’ 

Kimberly
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

****

http://kelleyheckart.com/BeltainesSong.html

Beltaine’s Song, Book 2, Dark Goddess Trilogy, Celtic historical/fantasy

Blurb: For each of them, spring's song has a different meaning.

Aedan and Domelch must battle earthly foes—enemy kings and traitorous allies. For the first time, the arrival of spring heralds the sound of a harsh battle horn as their foes close in. Through all this turmoil, can their love survive?

For their son, Gartnait, spring brings with it the promise of new love and the thrilling sound of the battle horn, putting those he cares about in danger.

'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/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

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

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

Bequeathed, a dark, erotic, fantasy romance by Linda Mooney

Just released!

Bequeathed

A dark erotic fantasy romance

By Linda Mooney

From Red Rose Publishing

http://redrosepublishing.com/books/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=265&products_id=933

       Homeless and destitute, Claire Stines has no choice but to move into the log house bequeathed to her out in the Minnesota wilderness.  Although she has little else to sustain her other than a few dollars and even fewer seeds of hope, she believes she can make a fresh start for herself, and if she’s lucky, maybe find a little romance.
          But first she has to overcome the rumors of the house’s supposedly dark past.  More importantly, who is that young man she’s seen in the woods, and why has he been watching her from a distance ever since she arrived?
          And why does he both fascinate and terrify her?

Warning! Contains a decades-old curse, hidden compartments, dead fairies, spirits in the forest, unrelenting winter cold, and a possible explanation for people gone missing in the woods.

To read an excerpt, go to http://lindamooney.com

Want to win a copy?  Post a comment here or on any one of my posts from today!

Do you have The Goddess Connection?

by Cate Masters

Every woman should embrace her inner goddess! That’s the premise of The Goddess Connection series, and The Magic of Lavender, a full-length paranormal romance, kicks off the series.

I have several more novels in this series in mind to follow. In each, the heroine will be somehow connected to a goddess. Her lifelong quirks will become strengths once she finds her true place in the world, and accepts herself for who she really is.

In The Magic of Lavender, Joss is related to the goddess Iris. Many figures from Greek mythology appear in this story. I'm a research nut, and love to incorporate cool myths and legends.

Why select an obscure goddess like Iris? As it turns out, she’s actually the perfect one to begin this series. As the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris connects the gods to humans, and the otherworld to this world. She’s also called the Messenger of the Gods, and can travel at the speed of wind anywhere in the world, or beyond. So my subconscious must have been working overtime – sometimes it knows best!

Iris also has some cool goddess connections herself – her mother’s Electra, the ocean nymph, and her father is the Titan named Thaumaus, whose mother is Gaia, or mother Earth. This is an important link to the story line, because the heroine buys an old bed and breakfast which happens to sit atop ley lines, which convey powerful energy.

In ancient times, some believed ley lines held spiritual power. Many people today still seek out the positive energies from ley lines such as those in Sedona, Arizona, or the Great Pyramid at Giza, Nazca in Peru, or Stonehenge.

So you can see why it might cause a conflict with the Underworld if the relation of a goddess moved to such a spot. Poor Joss has no idea what she’s gotten herself into! All she wants is to fill in the void left when her husband died, and grow lavender to flavor special dishes at the inn.

Joss also doesn’t realize that planting lavender will draw the fae. Lavender also has many interesting legends. Throughout history, lavender has been used to protect against evil, to heal (doctors used it during World War I to disinfect walls and floors), and to help calm and soothe people’s troubled minds. In Ireland, brides used to braid lavender in their hair to retain their sacred power, and used it as an aphrodisiac. So if you need a little boost to your love life, or in your own sacred power, plant some lavender. *grins*

And, like at the fictional Lavender Hill Inn, people cook with lavender. Here’s a taste of one of Joss’s offerings at the inn:

Lavender Lemonade

Ingredients

3 cups sugar

7 sprigs lavender (stems and buds), plus additional for garnish*

2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 12 lemons)

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 5 limes)

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring one gallon of water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat; add 7 lavender sprigs and lemon and lime juices. Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill. Serve on ice, with additional lavender for garnish.
* If unavailable, substitute fresh basil or lemon thyme.

Blurb:

Jocelyn Gibson forgot about the realm of magic. But it never forgot her. Gram always told her: don’t ignore your magical gifts, it will insult the family. But Joss didn’t realize her gifts included channeling the energy of powerful ley lines. Or that her family included a goddess. Family connections come in handy when the Lord of the Underworld kidnaps local vet Eric Hendricks. He’s an amazing lover, but Joss didn’t know she loved him until too late. With a little help from the Goddess Iris, Joss defends the new life she’s forged, and helps save the town of Boiling Springs from destruction. Once Eric escapes Hell, can she stop loving him to keep him safe? 

You can read the excerpt, see the book trailer, Casting Call (who I envisionedin these roles, a very fun blog series I started), and read the first chapter ofThe Magic of Lavender on my blog. 

Giveaway!

I’d love to give an ebook of The Magic of Lavender to a commenter. I’ll leave the giveaway open until this weekend and select a winner at random on Saturday. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you!

Thanks so much for reading! Always remember to treat yourself like a goddess! And now it's easy to get the Goddess Connection –The Magic of Lavender is available at Amazon and Smashwords