Jeny Heckman is back, sharing about her second book in her Heaven and Earth series, The Warrior’s Progeny. Welcome, Jeny!
First, thank you Jean for having me on today I truly appreciate your time and am excited to get to know your readers.
Tell us about what you write.
My fictional Heaven & Earth series is a paranormal romance. They are all novels except for Dee’s Cornucopia, which will come out next year. It will be a novella on one of the supporting characters, a fan favorite named, Dee Taylor.
I also published, Dancing Through Tears, in February, as part of the Australia Burns anthology (it’s in volume two). It was to benefit the wildfire victims in Australia, and is my family’s experience as attendees of the Las Vegas, Route 91 massacre in October 2017.
I also write contemporary fiction.
What drew you to writing?
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What drew me to writing was getting lost in stories and characters. So, many books I used to read I loved but wished for one thing or another to change, even daring to believe I might do it one better. So, it was to see if I could, one, do it and two, create something a little different.
What was your inspiration for The Warrior’s Progeny?
Well, the series is about the Greek gods and goddesses and their modern-day counterparts. The powers and weaknesses of these gods and mortals must work together to solve a quest. Each pairing means something. In the Sea Archer, book one, Apollo and Poseidon worked together to build the foundation and walls of Troy. So, in my story, they create the foundation of the series and the quest. Book two the Warrior’s Progeny, is about strength within the family. So, Ares and Hera needed to be the spotlights.
Do you find inspiration in your own life for your writing?
I do have a lot of my family and friend’s quirks and habits in the books. However, funny enough, it wasn’t super intentional. I’ll have my husband or someone say, “That was funny, so and so does that all the time.” And I’ll be like, “Oh, yeah, huh?” Or a habit of one of them will pop up. For instance, cantilevering a bottle cap against another bottle cap to pop it off is something the men in my family do to beer all the time.
Tell us about The Warrior’s Progeny.
The Warrior’s Progeny is about Ares, the Warrior, or god of violent war. The progeny has to do with Hera, who is the goddess of marriage but also has to do with the family and childbirth. Ares, has a modern-day ancestor, Colt Stone, who is a football tight-end for Seattle. Hera’s, ancestor is Dr. Lillian Morgan, a pediatric, cardiothoracic surgeon. They “run into” each other at the wedding of a friend in Hawaii and do not hit it off.
Eventually, upon their return to Seattle, they begin to do charity work together and the relationship progresses. Lilly, is the widow of a perfect man and marriage, with two small children. Colt, is an eligible bachelor with a hardcore reputation and definitely not an ideal family man.
So, they have some challenges. Throw in some supernatural events, and unexplained dream sequences from Greek gods and the bronze age and life gets a whole lot more interesting.
Slide set caption:
The Burren - in Ireland. Inspiring deserted landscape. 2. Iona Cross - on Skye (Scotland). 3. Boat in Inverary (Scotland) - during her month-long solo trip! 4. - The Scaup, is a diving duck boat of Jeny’s.
Tell us about your experience with the publishing process.
So, my first novel, the Catch, is about a woman crab fisherman in Alaska. It’s a novel about empowerment, and a woman working in a man’s world. I’d never written anything before in my life and self-published it. I fell in love with writing and began going to conferences and taking classes on writing. I came up with an idea for this series and pitched the idea to a couple of New York agents who loved it. After writing the Sea Archer, I went to another conference and pitched the book, receiving five requests for the novel. I found a home with The Wild Rose Press, who published it and this book, the Warrior’s Progeny. Next year, I hope to have both books turned into audio along with the remaining four books of the series.
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?
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Any new projects on the horizon?
Next year, Dee’s Cornucopia will come out (I’m editing it now). There will be four more books in the Heaven & Earth series, and I’ve just started book three. I also have a YA book in development and a political thriller I’m trying to decide whether or not I’m going to publish. So, lots of things popping!
Words of advice for fellow writers in the trenches:
Get comfortable talking about yourself as a writer. When someone asks you what you do, tell them you’re a writer and own it!
What was the hardest part of the story to write/research?
The hardest part for me with writing by far is the editing! I don’t enjoy it at all! Everything else is cream cheese!
Now for an 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.”
