It’s always a delight to chat with writer friends, especially those I’ve met in person. Fantasy/Paranormal Romance author Jeny Heckman and I met last fall at the Pacific Northwest Writers’ Association conference in Seatac, Washington. She hails from the far northern part of our state and specializes in stories featuring characters from Greek mythology. Her latest title combines contemporary adventure with ancient Gods. Isn’t this cover delicious?

If love dies, can it be reborn…only stronger?

Colton Stone is a newly traded tight end whose reputation is as battered as his football helmet. When he receives a vacation invitation from his new teammates, he accepts. There he collides with Dr. Lillian Morgan, a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon, and doesn’t know what to think.

A widow with two children, Lilly is looking forward to her friends’ wedding. When she meets Colton Stone, his arrogant attitude only makes her long for the love she took for granted. Lilly struggles between letting go of her perfect past for an uncertain future.

Strange events occur, out of the realm of normal consciousness. When black energy touches their world Colt and Lilly become the pawns of the immortal Greek gods. Is the love developing between them natural, or part of a larger prophecy?

Excerpt:

“You couldn’t have known,” Colt said.

“I’m a doctor,” she retorted. “I’m trained to know.”

“Oh, bullshit.” She drew her brows together and looked at him with irritation. Undaunted, he continued. “You were his wife, not his doctor.” Glancing back at the picture, he drank from his glass. “He was a young guy…looked fit…father of two.” Colt turned to look at her again. “Young, fit, fathers of two don’t get stage four pancreatic cancer and die in ten months. He wasn’t your patient, Lillian, and you weren’t looking at him like a patient. He was your husband, and he died.”

“Colt.” She took a breath, placed a hand on his, and backed up a little. “Look, I know you want something, but we’re broken here, and I can’t give you what you…”

“Bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit. It’s how I feel. I’ve got kids to think about and responsibilities. You want easy and I’m not that.”

“You don’t even know me, Lilly.”


“I know. That’s what I’ve been trying to say.”


“No, that’s what you’re trying to use as an excuse. Those kids aren’t damaged because of their dad, you are. Those kids have a mom who loves them and makes damn sure they aren’t damaged. You’re afraid to try, so you hide behind your dead husband.”

“How dare you be so callous?”

“How dare you use your husband to get out of trying again? You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman and your life isn’t over.”

For more about Warrior’s Progeny, check out this YouTube Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy5nbMGQoCg

Purchase Links

Amazon

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Progeny-Heaven-Earth-Book-ebook/dp/B089PZQJ34

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Progeny-Heaven-Earth/dp/1509232192/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-warriors-progeny-jeny-heckman/1137148709

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/the-warrior-s-progeny?utm_campaign=shopping_feed_au_en&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-warriors-progeny/id1517325582

Let’s meet the author!

Award-winning author Jeny Heckman was born in Bellingham, Washington, and was the youngest of two daughters. She met her husband, Jeff, in August 1992, and eloped three months later, at Magen’s Bay, on St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.

She wrote her first book, the Catch, in a few short months but took several years before she gained the courage to self-publish it at her son’s urging, and her love for writing began.

In 2018, Jeny knew her next project would be a series that showed adults could have adventures in the paranormal-fantasy genre too. So, she created the Heaven & Earth series, a story of doomed Greek gods and their only salvation, their modern-day descendants. Her first book of the series, the Sea Archer, was immediately picked up by the New York publishing house, the Wild Rose Press, and won, “Best in Category” from the 2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards.

In the year 2020, Jeny released, Dancing Through Tears, a short story from the anthology, Australia Burns: Volume Two, highlighting the Route 91 massacre from the perspective of one family at the concert, and at Mandalay Bay. She also intends to release, the Warrior’s Progeny, and Dee’s Cornucopia, in 2020, continuing the Heaven & Earth Series.

Jeny lives in Washington State with her husband of over twenty-eight years.

Thank you so much for having me on today Sadira! I appreciate it!

Tell us about your inspiration for this story.

This story is book two of my Heaven & Earth series. It deals with strength in family. My characters are part of a quest to save their ancestors, the Greek god Ares, and goddess Hera, as well as the rest of the Olympians. Each of these books deal with things the gods and their modern-day descendants need to advance in the quest. So, it’s the next step. The series inspiration was that I wanted to do a fantasy-paranormal story and didn’t want it to be vampires or werewolves, so the gods seemed like a fun alternative.

What do you love about the genre you write in?

I love that it’s a true escape into an adventure. My series is like Percy Jackson meets Nora Roberts. And I love the idea that adults are never too old to have an adventure. As a reader, I love delving into interesting, unique and quirky worlds. Can you say Darynda Jones?

Tell us about your journey from aspiring writer to published author.

So, my story began in 2008, when I was taking care of my father-in-law. He was dying from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and as a way to relieve a little stress I tried my hand at writing. It took several years to finish that first book and originally I wasn’t going to do anything with it, until my son asked me to publish it. The Catch, was published on his birthday in 2015. I feel in love with writing and wanted to learn more, so I attended some conferences and pitched an idea to a New York agent. She loved it and the Heaven & Earth series was created. As I became an empty nester I started writing more and I completed the first book of the series, The Sea Archer, which was picked up by the New York publishing house, The Wild Rose Press and published in October of 2018. It won, Best in Category at The Chanticleer International Book Awards, and I was well and truly hooked.

What do you do for fun when you’re not writing? 

My husband and I love to go boating and traveling to new and different places. I love hanging out with my kids, having cocktails with friends, photography and of course…reading!

What does your writing space look like?

It’s a mess. I try really hard to clean it up and keep it that way, but by the end of the day it’s a hot mess again! However, I truly do know where everything is…well, for the most part.

Do you have any particular writing quirks? A special object, snack, music, etc. that helps you with your writing process?

I write in silence or with instrumental music. It can’t have words, because I get easily distracted. I’ve never got writer’s block because I get distracted and stop writing before any kind of block can solidify! I do also like candles and I usually have jasmine in the diffuser.

What makes you put down a book without finishing?

I cannot stand it when an author takes up too much time catching people up in a series. If you’ve read the book books in order and they spend half the book explaining what happens in the first book, I will put it down. The same is true for research material. If someone has spent a year or two on an epic novel learning about cavemen, I want to hear about what that world is like through dialogue and some scenery. If most of the book is explaining fifty types of grasses, I’ll put the book down.

I’m also an avid audiobook listener and if the person narrating has an obnoxious or over sport caster-y sound to them, it doesn’t matter how well the book is written, I will shut it off.

Which authors have inspired you?

So many! Diana Gabaldon does the perfect balance of research and dialogue, without dumping. I love that her scenes are real and can be smelly when the time calls for smelly. I love Darynda Jones and her fully fleshed out snarky Charley Davidson. I love the light-hearted Sophie Kinsella. And almost everything Nora Roberts and Sandra Brown write.

This was fun! I’d like to sincerely thank Sadira and her readers for having me today!

Catch up with Jeny Heckman on social media:

Social Media Links:

Website: https://jenyheckman.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heckman.jeny

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenyheckman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenyheckman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeny-heckman/

Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenyheckman17

GoodReads: https://bit.ly/3fd8RJA

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jeny-heckman

YouTube: https://bit.ly/30vNfUI

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