Another adventure has begun in my life. I have taken on Holly, a yellow Labrador puppy destined to be part of the Lions Foundation Dog Guide Program. I get to foster Holly for a year, socialize her, and introduce her to new situations before she goes back to the Foundation where she will be assessed and placed into one of their 7 programs. Once assessed, she will have 6-8 months of specialized training, then she will be matched up with her person that she will assist for the rest of her career.

Quite frankly, I had forgotten how demanding a puppy can be, especially since I live alone and can't hand off the puppy to someone else. However this is not a bad thing. It means that I have had a long break from Twisted Destiny, so that when  I go back  and read it again, I'll be seeing it with fresh eyes!

And Laura, my daughter the artist, has been madly fulfilling Christmas commissions, so my book cover has been put on hold, too. So in the end, it all works out - except for my fans who are waiting patiently for the 4th book in the Anandrian Series. Never fear, it will get published!

Well, it is 11:30 pm. Sunday night, and I've just finished my first read through of Twisted Destiny. I just have to say, it's  a good thing when the author enjoys reading it through. Now, I want to read the next novel, Dark Destiny...

Guess that will have to wait, as there will be several more readings of Twisted Destiny, then a professional editor will have a crack at it. I can't tell you how excited I am to have completed this hurdle. It's taken a long time to reach this stage. Somehow, life keeps getting in the way of my writing career.

For those of you patiently waiting... THANK YOU for hanging in there.

I have  been busy editing my 4th novel in the Anandrian Series, Twisted Destiny. As I reread my work, I'm delighted to say, I have become enthralled with my characters (Thank God) all over again. The story is becoming much tighter and I have, so far, reduced redundant words by about 3,000. I still have the last third of the book to go, so I'm sure I will be able to clean up my manuscript even more. It's amazing how wordy authors can be when creating a first draft.

As well as work on Twisted Destiny, I recorded an excerpt from Destiny Fulfilled (book 3 of of the Anandrian Series). It can be found at several different links:
​https://authorsreadpodcast.wordpress.com/2018/09/28/episode-23-kathryn-heaney-reads-from-destiny-fulfilled-book-3-of-the-anandrian-series/

https://authorsread.podbean.com/e/episode-23-kathryn-heaney-reads-from-destiny-fulfilled-book-3-of-the-anandrian-series/

https://www.facebook.com/Authors-Read-Podcast-264076417455140/

Have a listen, and tell me what you think!

Twisted Destiny, Book 4 of the Anandrian Series, is finished!

I am thrilled with the story line and surprised my son-in-law when I read the ending to him. The character using his name actually finishes the book off. This is amazing considering I wanted to kill him off, but then he convinced me to make sure I resurrected him - like they do in soap operas.

For those new to the series, I use family members and friends' names for my characters - the real people love this as they have a vested interest in their character and often give me ideas as to what their character should be doing. In the magical dimension called Anandria, names help to determine what powers they will possess. For example, I used my daughter's name, Diana, which  means Moon Goddess, Deity of the Hunt, Divine One. Whenever Diana is in Anandria and the moon is up, she can use powerful magic. On Earth, where little magic exists, she loses her extraordinary abilities.

Getting back to Twisted Destiny, this story revolves around one main character, Ella. Ella was introduced in book 3, Destiny Fulfilled. She lived in England and when magic spilled onto Earth when a tear in the fabric between dimensions occurred, she discovered untapped, latent fairy magic. In other words, she had Anandrian blood from ancestors who had been stranded on Earth centuries ago and didn't know this about herself - she is a fairy!

In Twisted Destiny, we follow Ella through a journey of self-discovery. What she learns about herself is life-altering, for both herself and the rest of Anandria.

Currently, I am editing Twisted Destiny, then I will be sending it off to a professional editor for a final look before I publish it.

The blurb on the back of a book makes a reader want to pick it up and read it. So far, here's what I have come up with. The format using bullets is a little different, but there are so many story lines that interweave, I thought this might help describe a complex story. Let me know what you think!

Magic in Anandria has gone wonky and has split many of the characters apart that you have come to know and love.

• Ella, separated from her husband, is pursued by a fairy determined to make her his queen.
• Raonull, stuck on Earth, searches for a way to re-enter Anandria and find his bride, Ella.
• Jessica, Lucifer’s daughter, falls into Anandria and delights in the magical powers she feels – particularly dark magic.
• Jeff uncovers grim details about himself
• Paul drops into a love interest on Earth – literally.
• Michael takes on a heavenly role.
• Laura is stuck in a coma…

You just have to read it!

https://authorsreadpodcast.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/episode-10-kathryn-heaney-reads-from-destiny-calls-the-anandrian-series-book-1/

I have just completed my first podcast for Authors Read. The reading I did was an excerpt from Destiny Calls, Book 1 of the Anandrian Series.

Check it out!

It's time to meet Paul's sister, Jacomina, fondly known as Jamie. Who'd have guessed Paul & Michael come from royalty?

“This is a castle,” Ella gasped.

“Aye, where else would the Queen of Datchi live?”

“Queen?”

Jacomina grinned down at Ella. “That be what happens when ye are first born with royal blood.”

“Paul has royal blood?” Ella grinned. “That might explain why he is so humble…”

Jacomina threw back her head and burst into a deep belly laugh. “Oh, ye have him pegged. Truly, ye know my brother.”

“What about Michael?”

“Pfft. He be a cousin riding on the coat tales of his royal relative.”

“I would have never guessed they were cousins, Paul being so dark and Michael so fair.”

“Aye, ye can attribute that to their mothers, as my father and uncle were both swarthy in complexion.”

Stay tuned for more!

In this excerpt from my work in progress, Twisted Destiny, Ella finds herself in a new part of Anandria. (For those new to my series, Ella had been an ordinary woman living on Earth - or so she thought - until magic spilled onto Earth releasing her latent fairy magic)

“Ye be in the city, Datchi.”

“Datchi?” Ella queried, puzzled by the unfamiliar name, but grateful that a stunning woman had stepped out of the crowd to address her.

“Aye, we be the southern neighbour to Moyen,” she continued. “Then again, we be the only city in the southern hemisphere. The rest are all hamlets, or towns.”

“The southern hemisphere!” Ella murmured, her eyes widening as she looked at the gathering crowd. “Where Paul and Michael come from?”

The woman looked startled. “Ye know Paul and Michael?” She whirled about and spoke to the crowd. “A fairy knows of our Paul and Michael.”

A rising murmur went through the citizens until the woman held up her hands. When she had silence, she swung back towards Ella. “Why would a fairy be interested in our boys? No one has seen a fairy for centuries. Why would ye appear this night and know of our boys?”

Stay tuned for more!

Ella literally needs to find herself in this excerpt from my work in progress, Twisted Destiny.

“It’s not your fault,” Ella breathed. She walked around the feet of the deceased man, her eyes trained on Tessa’s stricken face. “There’s something wrong with Anandria’s magic.” She enfolded the healer in a comforting hug. “You did all that you could. I did all that I could. It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t our fault.”

“Thank ye,” Tessa said upon a soft sob.

Ella stroked a consoling hand down Tessa’s soft brown hair.  Her eyes connected with Dillion’s over Tessa’s shoulder as she asked, “Can someone tell me where I am?”

Stay tuned for more!

Ella's worst nightmare has happened! Will she die in the mouth of a sea serpent?

She was going to die! There was no way to extricate herself from the gaping orifice of the giant sea serpent. Her wings were useless in the shockwave of the blast. Brutally they bashed against her body. Even her distress cry was ripped from her throat leaving her breathless.

She wanted to close her eyes, but she could only stare in fascinated horror as her body was thrust closer to her worst nightmare. Each razor-sharp tooth oozed slime – poisonous slime. One small scratch and she would be immobilized. The monster would dine at its leisure. Briefly she wondered if Jessica and Daisy were facing a similar end?

I am pleased to say, that the writer's block I have had for the last couple of weeks has broken. I spent time doing yard work and house work, while my brain buzzed around looking for ideas. Finally, the penny dropped and I have come up with the next portion of the story and I also fleshed out the exciting ending to Twisted Destiny.

Stay tuned for more!