TBR welcomes S.G. Rogers

Oh, Woden’s Me

I had a concept in my head…a story of a young woman who is kidnapped to another world and must find her way home.  Ordinarily, I enjoy fantasy world building.  After rummaging through the closet in my mind, however, I longed for something different.  Why not use a mythological world as my setting this time?

Why not indeed?

The first world that popped into my head was Asgard, of Norse mythology.  When I dug into Norse mythology a little further, however, the less appealing it became.  The stories and legends were around for two centuries before anybody wrote any of them down, so a lot of details were sketchy.  In addition, much of Norse mythology is…um…bizarre.  To gain wisdom, for example, Odin plucks out one of his eyes to trade for a drink from the Well of Knowledge.  Odin’s son, Baldur, is killed with a sprig of mistletoe.  And the creation myth itself involves a giant named Ymir who breeds a man and woman from his armpits.

Not exactly a great setting for a light-hearted romantic fantasy.

I was about to chuck the whole idea when I came across something that stirred my imagination.  Of the nine worlds in Norse mythology, a rainbow bridge (Bifrost) connects Asgard and Midgard (Earth). Bifrost is frequently depicted as a rainbow…but what if the rainbow bridge was actually a metaphor? Hmm, I began to see the possibilities…but what would I do with the stuff I didn’t like?

There’s a line in Tootsie where a TV director tries to make actor Dustin Hoffman, disguised as a woman, look more attractive on camera.  “How far can you pull back?” the director asks the cameraman.  “How do you feel about Cleveland?” he replies.

Using the same concept, I approached the Norse mythology framework by pulling back (WAY back) and utilizing it in the broadest possible sense.  I chose what I liked, discarded what didn’t work and massaged the rest.  The result is The Druid – An Asgard Adventure, Book One. 

Any resemblance to actual Norse mythology is wholly accidental.

~ S.G. Rogers

Excerpt:

The inside of the building proved to be as awesome as the outside.  Valhalla was dedicated to All Things Odin, and filled with a variety of statuary, friezes, paintings, and exhibits. Overhead, the vaulted ceiling shone with gold shields, similar to the one zipped in Dani’s pocket. Except for the ghostly tourists, Valhalla might be mistaken for a regular museum. 

She tagged along behind one of the tour groups for a few minutes so she could hear the human spirit guide talk about the exhibits.  The guide began the tour at the entrance, with the statue of Odin.  At twenty feet high, the fierce-looking immortal was sporting an impressive six-pack underneath his open robe.  Dani wondered if the rendering was accurate or flattery, but the spirit guide inadvertently answered her question.

“Odin, our most prominent immortal here in Asgard, posed for this magnificent likeness,” she said.  “Although he’s well-known as an intellectual, Odin spends much of his free time working out.  In fact, he frequently enjoys entering and winning triathlons.”

Dani raised her hand to ask a question.  “Didn’t Odin give up one of his eyes in order to drink from the well of wisdom or something like that?”

The spirits turned to give her a dead stare, but the perky spirit guide was unfazed. 

“That’s a common ‘myth-perception’ on Midgard,” she replied with a giggle. “You have to admit it has drama.  Actually, Odin drank from the well only to the point he needed glasses.  With the advent of laser eye surgery, though, he doesn’t even wear glasses any more.  Good question!” 

There is mischief afoot in Asgard, but Odin is not there to stop it.  A powerful immortal bent on revenge devises a plot that accidentally ensnares a mortal on Earth.  It’s a good thing Dani Avery enjoys fantasy and fairy tales because she’s about to find out the truth behind the legends.  Norse mythology gets a modern twist in The Druid, the story of an ordinary mortal who meets a hero from the pages of a book–bigger than life and twice as Elvish.

Coming April 20, 2012 from Musa Publishing

To follow S.G. Rogers, go to: http://www.childofyden.com

Coming up on TBR

Three wonderful authors will visit TBR this week:

Monday, April 16  - Arlene Webb

Wednesday, April 18  - Sherri Fulmer Moorer

Friday, April 20  - S.G. Rogers

Wow, we're already in the latter half of April! Which means you have a limited time to check out the April Featured Author, Bonnie J. Doerr. Believe me, she'll hook you. :)

And thanks to all those who posted blurbs, or came to read them for the Mystery Blurb Fest. TBR had 35 visitors, so many were lurking. :)

TBR welcomes S.G. Rogers

Writing Uncharted Regions

Clash of Wills was my first foray into the romance genre.  Before that, I’d written mainly young adult fantasy.  I wanted to broaden my horizons and so I thought I would combine my enthusiasm for magic and wizards with a love story. But the prospect of writing out of my comfort zone was a little scary.  I’d read a lot of romance novels growing up, but I was clueless about the specifics of writing one.  So I consulted the publisher’s website for guidelines on what constituted a romance, and then set to work constructing a romance fantasy novelette that met the criteria. 

Because the focus of the story HAD to be the romantic relationship between the man and woman, Clash of Wills turned out to be somewhat easier for me to write than other projects I’ve done.  Having romance as the through line helped me plot the story and keep it on track.  Since I’m an inveterate pantser, plotting for a change was a novelty. The original manuscript I submitted was around 9,900 words and took about two weeks to write. 

This, however, was not the manuscript the publisher bought. The senior editor asked to see some specific changes before making a decision.  I love a challenge, so I set about making those changes and then some.  I dug deep to make the most of every encounter between Princess Samantha and Prince Wills.  I took the opportunity to make the secondary characters winsome and memorable.  In short, I made the story the best it could possibly be. In the end, the rewritten novelette well was over 12,000 words...and was accepted for publication.

However shaky I felt when I began to write romantic fantasy, changing genres was made easier by the research I’d done up front.  I learned a lot during the editing process—about point of view shifts in particular—that helped me become a better writer. With Clash of Wills under my belt, I went on to write four more romantic fantasies of various lengths. Most of all, I discovered that writing uncharted regions might be daunting, but it can also be a lot of fun. 

~ S.G. Rogers

When an unconventional princess meets a footloose prince, a battle of wits begins…

Princess Samantha’s magical compass will help her locate her long-lost brother, but only if she manages to escape her royal parents for a few weeks. When an unwelcome suitor comes to call, Samantha seizes her chance. She beguiles the prince into taking her north, intending to abandon him at her earliest opportunity. Unfortunately, his captivating good looks and charming manner present an unforeseen complication—especially when she is forced to accept help from the very man she has deceived.
 
To maintain his bachelorhood, handsome Prince Wills is not above deception. Although reluctantly entangled in Samantha’s scheme, he vows to protect her…until a lie threatens to destroy their alliance.  Can his powerful attraction to Samantha overcome his mistrust?  And can they survive a dangerous quest to the wild and magical Uncharted Region?

Excerpt:

Princess Samantha sprawled on her stomach as she studied the dog-eared pages of an atlas with such concentration one might think she intended to absorb them. Her fingertip traced a path on the map from her current location in the Kingdom of Paloran to the Uncharted Region where wizards were said to roam. A round silver instrument rested on the rug next to the worn atlas. Set in a clam-shaped metallic shell, it resembled a pocket watch. Although it had a needle similar to that on a compass, there were no directional markings. Samantha blew on the needle; it danced in a circle and stopped in the same spot as before.

When Nanny entered the bedchamber, Samantha quickly snapped the device closed and
covered it with the atlas. A look of sympathy crossed Nanny’s plump, youthful face, but she pretended as if she hadn’t seen anything. “Your Highness, isn’t the crown prince of Insolitia calling on you shortly?”

“Another royal boor to look me over? I cannot wait.”

“We’d best be getting you ready.”

“Father will not return until tomorrow, and Mother has gone to town today, so—”

“No, Your Highness.”

“Come now, Nanny. It will be amusing.”

“Absolutely not.”

****

The seams of Nanny’s elaborate, borrowed gown fought to contain her ample flesh. “I can’t breathe,” she groaned. “How do you stand it?”

“Take shallow breaths,” advised Samantha. She slipped a pinafore apron over her own plain muslin dress. “Now remember, when I drop my handkerchief, you’re to send me out of the room straight away to fetch tea. After that, you’re on your own. Be polite to the prince, but not overly friendly.”

Nanny sighed. “I cannot believe you are making me do this again,” she lamented. “If the king and queen ever discover—”

“Don’t worry, they’ll blame me. You’re more like an older sister than a nanny, anyway, and everyone knows I’m a terrible influence on you.”

Clash of Wills, available from The Wild Rose Press February 29, 2012.

Originally from Southern California, S.G. Rogers has lived in Asheville, North Carolina and Laurel, Mississippi. She earned her first black belt in taekwondo from martial arts champion Billy Blanks.  Later on, she earned black belts in taekwondo and hapkido from Master Myung Kim. Currently residing in beautiful Savannah, Georgia, S.G. Rogers writes fantasy and romantic fantasy stories.  She's owned by two hairless cats, Houdini and Nikita, and lives on an island populated by exotic birds, deer and the occasional gator. Although she's most often drawn to speculative fiction, she's been known to break away to write other genres.  Tab is her beverage of choice, but when she imbibes, a cranberry vodka martini doesn't go amiss.

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A busy week on TBR this week!

Three wonderful authors are visiting TBR this week:

Monday - S.G. Rogers

Wednesday - Maeve Greyson

Friday - Rae Lori, TBR's February Featured Author!

Wow, only a few more days left in February. Check back Thursday for our new Featured Author, Kitty Keswick!

The end of February also brings the end of Google Friend Connect, so I'd love it if you'd follow through Linky. It's easy, free, no spam involved. :) Click at right.

And.... to celebrate all you wonderful followers, TBR is participating in the Leap Into Books hop.

Mark your calendars and visit on Wednesday, then click on the blog hop badge  at right to see the cool giveaway and enter.

Thanks for all your support!
Cate