Author Interview - Jeny Heckman

My special author guest today is Jeny Heckman. Jeny is sharing a little about herself and her book, The Warrior's Progeny. 

 Jeny, please tell us a little about yourself.

Jeny Heckman began her career in writing a little later in life after her father-in-law fell ill from non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She quit nursing school to help take care of him and found stress relief in exercise. While walking one day, she thought about a story involving fathers and daughters and decided to try and write it down. Releasing the Catch was created from that endeavor. She immediately fell in love with putting words to paper and decided to try her hand at writing a series. However, she didn’t want the mainstream vampires, werewolves and witches’ story, so tried her hand at the Greek gods and was immediately picked up by New York publisher, the Wild Rose Press. Her debut novel of the series, the Sea Archer, won best in category at the Chanticleer International Books Awards in 2018 and cemented her passion for writing. The Heaven & Earth six-book series was born. Book two, the Warrior’s Progeny came next and she immediately turned it into an audiobook. Jeny started getting requests for Dee Taylor’s story, a character from book one, to be told and she created the novella, Dee’s Cornucopia upon fan request. When COVID-19 hit Jeny immersed herself in writing and turned out three books in in 2019. The first, Dancing Through Tears, was part of an anthology through her publisher and entitled, Australia Burns, Volume Two. It benefitted the victims of the Australia wildfires, and fit in nicely with Jeny’s second passion… charities. Dancing Through Tears is the story of her family’s actual experience at the Route 91 Country Music Festival Massacre on October 1st, 2017, something that forever changed her life, and the life of her family. In 2021 Jeny is working hard at completing Dee’s Cornucopia, Soul Predilection, book three of the Heaven & Earth series, as well as turning the Sea Archer, Dee’s Cornucopia and Releasing the Catch into audiobooks. She is also planning the release of her interactive Heaven & Earth Companion book in early 2021. Jeny lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jeff, of twenty-eight years. She has two grown children, Paisley and Charlie and looks forward to their next life adventure. When not writing she and her husband spend their weekends and summers aboard their forty-foot Carver, the Scaup, and she devotes her time to her charities. 

What is your guilty writing procrastination secret? 

This is the best question because I’m not sure I’ve learned it yet. I’ve been known to procrastinate a lot, or maybe just get distracted by shiny objects easily. One of the things I do to try and counteract it is to reduce the distractions. Go into the Mac focus mode and turn off all notifications. I turn off my phone too, and set up my space so it’s conducive for success (i.e. instrumental music, all my lights and lamps on, candle going, etc.), all in an effort to not get distracted. I would love to hear from the readers if they have any helpful tips for this! 

What does your writing space look like?
I want to say organized…but most of the time is messy. It’s usually messy but today was one of my better days.

How do you come up with the titles of your books?
They have to do with the combinations of Greek/mortal characters. For Warrior’s Progeny, the couple are Strength in Family. The main couple are descendants from Ares, god of violent war, a warrior, and Hera, goddess marriage and childbirth, or progeny.

Do you work with an outline or just write?
I start by creating an outline and the major plot points I want to hit. However, how I get there is very “pants” driven. Many times, it takes me in a new direction.

Describe your writing in three words.
Realistic language, empowering, adventurous.

Where did the inspiration for your current story come from?
This is the continuation of the Heaven & Earth series. These “questers” continue the saga. So, the first book, the Sea Archer built the foundation and this book, the Warrior’s Progeny, is strength in family. Each couple have tasks or things they need to learn or overcome.

What can we look forward to with your next writing project?
The next book, Soul Predilection is about Aphrodite and Hades, and their descendants. Because there are some hard things coming their way and a pretty big revelation that can thwart the Olympians, they need a desire to continue. Desire comes from Aphrodite. There’s a murder that occurs as well so of course you need Hades!

Let's get that peek at The Warrior's Progeny

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?

Where can we find you and your book online?
Website: https://jenyheckman.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heckman.jeny
Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZcmAe0
Audio Book: https://amzn.to/3d6gAvp
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-warriors-progeny-jeny-heckman/1137148709

Key Words: #romance #futuristic #fantasy #FantasyFootball.