Kat Heckenbach's Blog

Last time I posted -- which, yeah, has been a few months -- I said I might start sharing some of my health journey here. I decided the easiest way to get that ball rolling is to show you what I posted on Facebook back in February, including before and after photos. That first photo is me at the Realm Makers writers conference in July 2019, which is why I'm holding a dragon. Not that it's so rare for me to be holding a dragon. The second photo is me in February 2025.

Here's what I posted on Facebo...

This may be a surprising opinion coming from a writer, but I believe kids should not focus on writing essays in elementary school. I work at a tutoring center, and I am constantly being pushed to help fourth graders write essays, but it goes against everything I believe in. In elementary school, kids should be learning grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, and spelling. And they should be reading, reading, reading, and reading.

Instead of having their love of writing beaten out of them with pointless...

Quick stop to share that two anthologies released recently, one featuring my short story "Fountain and Fire" and one featuring my artwork.

You can read "Fountain and Fire" in Legendary: Havok Season Ten. The story takes my characters Melinda and Kalek from Toch Island Chronicles on an adventure at The Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida. Awesome phoenix cover art by Kirk DouPonce. Purchase the paperback or ebook on Amazon.

And the current issue of Spaceports & Spidersilk features my colore...

 Three anthologies released this past week with short stories of mine inside!

Another HAVOK anthology, Vice & Virtue, features my flash fiction "First Impression." This story goes along with "Dude" which you can read HERE for free on Wattpad. You can purchase Vice & Virtue on Amazon.

Ring of Fire contains my story "Fire Wall" that was originally published in The Absent Willow Review (an online magazine that has since closed its doors). In "Fire Wall" a literal wall of fire has appeared, surroundin...

The latest issue (Winter 2022) of NewMyths features my flash fiction story "More Than Skin Deep." 

Here's a taste:

Taela stood at the pond’s edge, watching her son swim, her bare toes sinking into the wet soil. Sand clung to her calves, and her sleeveless tunic whispered around her in the warm afternoon breeze. It was their private place, hidden deep in the forest where the other Elven never followed.

The barely rippling surface reflected her image in broken waves—an image cross-sectioned by the ta...

I've asked author H.L. Burke to post today about the cover art for her upcoming release, A Superhero for Christmas, part of her Superhero Rehabilitation Project series. 
Here's what she has to say:
I definitely know better than to attempt my own art. Both my daughters are (for their age) pretty good at drawing, but I have no attention to visual details, so generally speaking, I just give a vague idea to my cover artist and let them come up with something. I like to be surprised.
For my superhero un...

Just popping on to share some of the newest art you can find on my Etsy shop. Prints (8x10) are available of all these.

My altered thrift painting featuring the most hard-working sponge on the bottom of the ocean. 

I'll leave it up to you to decide if Gary is running for help, or running away...


This is a painting I found that absolutely screamed for me to add Steampunk elements. I mean, look at that frame! (The original is not listed on Etsy, but I just had to show off the frame. 8x10 prints are a...

My short story "Mark the Days" is featured on Mysterion Magazine today! 

Here's a taste...

Denver blinked against the sunlight blaring through his bedroom window, resisting the urge to pull the thick comforter over his face. Moments later, the sunlight shut off. He blinked more, seeing nothing but pitch black for several seconds. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, the furniture in his room appearing as deeper shadows, he noticed the hum of an engine coming from outside.

Blast it, Jerry. Denver groan...

Have you ever re-read a book or series and discovered that the second time around it just didn't do as much for you? That's happened to me several times. I've bought a series and kept it on my shelf, only to re-read it later and end up donating the books to the library's used bookstore.

That's NOT the case for me with this series. 

I originally got the first book, Jinx, way back when I was in the Amazon Vine program. I loved it so much, I bought the next two as they released. And recently, I dove ...

I've decided I need to spend more time on here sharing about some of the books I've really enjoyed over the years. I'm starting with a few by the same author, H.L. Burke. Oh, and at the end I've got a few interview questions answered by Heidi.
My favorite of hers so far is Heart of the Curiosity . Gotta be honest: about 90% of the reason I bought this book (and bought it in paperback rather than ebook) is because I am in love with the cover. That said, the story totally lived up to the expectation...