Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi Marie, and thank you so much for having me on your fantastic blog today! I’m a relatively new writer up here in the Pacific Northwest (Washington state), that writes a paranormal romance series entitled, Heaven & Earth. It’s a six-part series about the Greek gods and a prophecy, that only their disbelieving, modern-day descendants can thwart.
The first book of the series, The Sea Archer, was picked up by The Wild Rose Press and went on to win, “Best in Category,” for the 2019 Chanticleer International Book Awards. It was the second book I’d ever written, so felt supreme gratitude for the honor.
What do you like the most and the least about writing?
I love writing period! I love when you sit down after doing you’re outline and research and are about to begin the story. I really love fleshing it out and bringing it to life, like a butterfly! I’m not a huge fan of the re-write process, because it’s like cutting off parts of your proverbial child. I’m also not a fan of all the marketing stuff, simply because I’m not real sure how to do it.
Give us a peek into your latest
published work?
Well,
I’d hoped to have the second book, The
Warrior’s Progeny, published by the time this interview came, but alas,
it’s still in re-writes. So, here’s an excerpt from The Sea Archer, to get things kicked off
“Finn,
I understand how crazy it sounds, I do. I knew nothing about Greek mythology or
who any of these people were until she told them to me.” Dee gestured to the
box and took a deep breath. Suddenly she was exhausted.
“And
now you think Poseidon... I’m assuming you think I’m some offshoot of Poseidon,
right?”
“You
have a trident on your back.”
“Because
I thought it was cool when I was twenty- years-old.”
“And
you’ve never felt anything strange that you can’t explain?”
“And
Raven,” he continued, not willing to entertain those thoughts. “Who I just met,
is Apollo? You realize, Apollo was a dude, the boy half of the twins, right?”
“God
of music.”
“Jesus!” Finn barked out his frustration. He
stood up so quickly, he knocked his chair over. “This is fucking ridiculous.”
“Look,”
Raven said, trying to placate, “it’s late. Everything is just confusing and out
there. Maybe, let’s just take a step back and let things calm down.”
“What,
are you actually giving credence to this bullshit?” he demanded, wheeling on
her. Raven furrowed her brow at him, then looked at Dee.
“What
I’m suggesting is we sleep on it, take some time to process what everyone has
said, then talk tomorrow, okay?” Dee stood up and kissed the young woman on the
cheek. She started back into the house, then turned to look at them.
“I
don’t want you to be scared, Finn. I was terrified at first. But now—I’m not
scared at all anymore. This was real. As real as you and I are right now. I
didn’t dream it. I didn’t want to be a part of it, and I’m not crazy.” She
turned and walked into the house.
“Well,
that makes one of us,” he muttered, looking over at Raven. “Come on. I’ll take
you home.”
What’s next on the writing
horizon for you?
Well,
after, the Warrior’s Progeny, is
completed, I begin on book three. Also, the first book I ever wrote entitled, The Catch, a contemporary romance, is
something I plan on re-submitting it now that I know more about the writing
process. I self-published it and LOVE the story, so want to clean it up a
little more and do it justice. I’m also slowly working on a political thriller.
In other words, I have a lot of projects, but The Heaven & Earth series is my priority.
Is there anything you want to
tell readers?
First
and foremost, I’m a reader too. I love getting lost in stories. So, I hope you
find this series and these books in your hands and can get lost in them as
well. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day for a visit. I
truly appreciate it! May you always have time for new adventures!
Second, I’m
having a drawing on a large fall gift basket. To enter, sign up for my monthly
newsletter at https://jenyheckman.com/
Excerpt
The Warrior’s Progeny, and will hopefully be coming out
this fall. Here’s a taste from one of Lilly’s dreams.
Lilly
walked across a desolate landscape in a wedding dress. It wasn’t the one she
wore when she married David, but stark white, and made of several layers of a
gauzy, sheer, voile. She padded across red dirt that felt like talcum powder,
and it clung to her hem as she took each step. In the distance, a man dressed
in a gray flannel suit came into view, walking towards her. As she moved
closer, she recognized him as her late husband. Overcome with relief, she
started to run to him, but as she took the first few steps, his hand dissolved
into the crimson dust.
“David?”
she stopped, reaching out one of her own hands. He mirrored the gesture.
As
she stepped forward again, his arm dissolved too. Looking puzzled, David
glanced down at it, then back to her, before flicking his gaze to something
directly behind his wife. When Lilly turned, the man from the beach stood
before her at attention, like a soldier in a bronze-age military film. Behind
him, stood a thousand warriors, hunched with spears and primed for battle.
Lilly looked back to her husband, who once more reached out for her hand.
Extending one to him, she took two more steps, but as she did, the dead man
turned diaphanous.
“No!”
she pleaded. “David, wait! Wait, a minute. Don’t leave yet.”
“He
will not prevail.”
She
turned to glare at Colt with fear, then loathsome anger. He gazed back at her
admittedly, resplendent in his battle armor. The Trojan wore a chest plate of
pure gold and its reflection shone like glass. The helm placed on his head had
waves of flame cascading down it where otherwise there should have been horse
hair.
“You
are mine now,” he stated with simplicity. “Come with me mortal and we shall
rule in glory.”
“Lilly,”
David said, voice weak with fatigue.
She
whipped back around and saw he now knelt, head bowed, turning into the red
talcum powder of the dirt, settling onto the earth. The remains of hundreds and
hundreds of people laid to rest the same way, revealed themselves to her,
beneath her feet. Dropping to her knees in her gown, she placed her face in her
hands and sobbed. When the first tear hit the dirt, millions of lilies sprouted
from the earth, their happy faces tilted in the direction of the sun.
“Come
now, weep no more, for I am here,” the warrior said.
When
she turned back to face him, Colt held a sword that dripped with watery, red
dirt, and the gray flannel suit laid at his feet.
“No!”
she screamed.
Lilly
woke bolt upright, trying to catch her breath with desperation. Slick with
perspiration, she scanned the room for her dead husband. Realizing he wasn’t
there, she hiccupped with frustration and tried to slow her breathing.
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2 comments:
Good luck with this series, Jeny. I love a Greek Gods and unique stories.
Great interview, and I loved both excerpts. Your stories sound wonderful. Good luck with finishing up The Warrior's Progeny!!!!
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