Of Water and Dragons by Kelley Heckart


Of Water and Dragons

He’s a Roman soldier. She’s an enemy of Rome.
The Romans call the land they want to conquer Caledonia. Nemu calls it home.
The half-human, half-water faery has a second chance to save the Celtic people
from the Roman legions, but the cost might be too high.
Ambiorix is torn between his duty to Rome and his growing affection for a
mystical Caledonian woman. He questions everything he’s been taught about the
barbaric Celtic tribes.
Their worlds collide in a fury of fire, blood, and darkness.


˃˃˃ Of Water and Dragons combines the Roman history and Celtic lore of
ancient Britain and Scotland, creating an unforgettable story of love and
sacrifice.

This is a revised 2nd edition.

Genre: Historical fiction fantasy romance

Tropes: Opposites Attract, Love Triangle, Secrets, Magic,
Fated, Different Worlds

Available in Kindle, Print, and Kindle Unlimited

Amazon Buy Link

EXCERPT:

Ambiorix had a lot of time to think while she was gone. He was determined to find out who this strange woman was and why she always wore a cloak. What is she hiding?

Later, when she returned to the cave, he pretended to be sleeping. He watched her lay down on the other side of the room. After waiting for her slow, slumbering breaths, he crept over to her.

Nemu slept peacefully, her goddess-like face looking so innocent. The cloak was wrapped tightly around her body. Holding a candle, Ambiorix gently lifted the garment to see what was underneath.

Large white wings protruded from just below her shoulder blades. He gasped and stumbled back, the candle teetering in his hand.

She must have seen the shock and disgust on his face because she looked down as if ashamed.

He slowly backed away from her. “Y-You are not human!”

“My father was a human!” she threw back at him.

Wide-eyed and trembling, he continued to stare at her.

“Stay away from me.” He grabbed his sword belt and armor, backing away toward the entrance.

She held up her hands, palms facing him. “Wait! At least let me guide you out of the forest.”

“No! I can make it on my own.”

“I know this forest. You need me if you want to make it out of here alive. You might fall into one of the deep valleys, and there are beings in this forest that wouldn’t treat you as nicely as I have.” She compressed her lips and thrust out her chin in determination. “We have to wait until twilight so Calgacus’s warriors can’t see us. You should get some more rest.”

He sighed, slumping his shoulders in defeat. She was right. He had no idea how to get back to the Roman camp. Ambiorix lay down, but he didn’t sleep, and he kept his sword close to him.

Review Quote

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

About the Author


With nearly 20 years of writing and editing experience, Kelley Heckart’s writing focus is steamy, paranormal romance novels. The author of 14 full-length novels, Kelley cleverly plays on the page using fantasy and paranormal elements throughout ancient, medieval, and contemporary timelines. And she fills her romance novels with history, mythology, and mysticism. Her bold characters tell stories through the eyes of fierce warriors, powerful women, gods and goddesses, faeries and vampires, and beyond. These characters are intertwined with one another through captivating, sensual storytelling, and she thrives when using her gift of fantasy and romance.

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Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber

Sisters of FortuneBarbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Publication Date: 2/20/24
Number of Pages: 416

This book was one of the most poignant, evocative, and beautifully written books I have ever read. It made the Titanic’s voyage real to me – in every way. The author tells the story through the Fortune family who were actually on the voyage in real life, but little is known of them. Their story is fictional but, goodness, you feel it – as if you are right there with them. You feel the bubbling, electric excitement of the passengers as they board the unsinkable Titanic. You feel the glamour of the jewels and the people, the sumptuousness of the surroundings. You also feel the panic, heroism, and bravery of the passengers and crew. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that gave me so many feels.

The Fortune family – father, mother, brother, and three sisters – were taking their version of the Grand Tour. They traveled from their home in Canada to Europe where they spent time in all the great places and even went to the Middle East to ride camels and see the sights in the desert before finally deciding to travel home on the marvel of the times – the Titanic.

The story’s main focus is on the three sisters, Flora, Alice, and Mabel, and their lives, expectations, frustrations, loves, and insecurities. Each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses – hopes and dreams. They also find they are stronger than they ever thought they could be – especially in a time when women were to be coddled and looked after like fine porcelain figurines. However, we also get to know, like, and respect their father as well as their mother and young brother who had so much ahead of him in life.

Flora is the older sister – dutiful, caring, obedient, and engaged to a man of her parents’ choosing. As she grapples with that expectation, she meets a man who captures her attention totally and finally wins her heart. Will her parents agree to her ending her current engagement?

Alice is also engaged, but to a man she adores – but she has trepidations of returning home. She wants adventure, travel, and excitement, not the protected life her fiancé has described to her. Can she find a way to have both adventure and her fiancé?

Mabel is the rebel of the family – she chafes at being coddled and protected – she believes women have intelligence and should receive an education, the right to vote, etc. Her father adamantly denies her when she begs to go to college. Can she convince him while they are on this voyage?

If you love historical fiction, or even if you don’t, you will surely enjoy this book. Anna Lee Huber’s research and attention to detail is second to none. When you finish the book, you will feel as if you walked the corridors of the Titanic, smelled the delicious aromas of the rich foods, felt the sea breeze on your face, met all of the people on board – the glamorous and the not so glamorous, and felt the fear and panic as the passengers tried to find and board lifeboats.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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