Good Things Happen When You Don't Let Go

“What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

My sword and sorcery fantasy novel, Tournament of Chance: Dragon Rebel has just been published. I couldn’t be more pleased, especially considering its inauspicious beginnings. You see, I originally wrote Tournament of Chance as a short story (around 8,000 words). I submitted the short to several fantasy magazines, and although the feedback was positive, I couldn’t find a magazine willing to publish it. Battered and bruised, I ordinarily would have chucked the manuscript into a folder marked REJECTS, licked my wounds, and moved on to something else.

But I just couldn’t let it go.

I liked the concept of a young woman striving to break through the glass ceiling between commoners and royalty by honing her skills as an archer. In the back of my mind, I knew there was more to the story than the 8,000 words I’d written. So in between revising, editing, and promoting my other titles, I allowed the full-length version of Tournament of Chance to unfold. Unlike other, more disciplined authors, I usually let my stories discover themselves. As the novel moved along, I was actually quite surprised at all the twists, turns, and events in store for me. For example, who knew time travel and shape shifters would find their way into the mix? It took about six months to finish Tournament of Chance: Dragon Rebel, and it incorporates many of my favorite things – peacocks, lava tubes, caves, volcanoes, dragons, wizards, romance, and magic. It also deals with some very human foibles, such as deceit, treachery, false hope, envy, abuse of power, and pride.

So if it weren’t for the rejections I experienced, Tournament of Chance: Dragon Rebel would never have been published as a full-length novel. Perhaps it’s the fighting Irish in me, but when I get knocked down, I get up again…and then I write some more. I’m not sure I agree with the Nietzsche quote, above, one hundred percent of the time, but it’s better than the alternative.

Has rejection ever motivated you to succeed?

~ S.G. Rogers

Here is a brief intro to S.G,'s latest release.

If Heather manages to win the Tournament of Chance, she’ll be the first commoner to earn a place at court. Instead of a glorious victory, however, she’s arrested and marked for execution. After a daring escape, she joins the Dragon Rebels, who seek to overthrow the despotic monarchy and restore the former kingdom of Ormaria. Amongst the rebels are three shape-shifting wizards who claim to be rulers from the past. On a perilous quest to free the wizards’ magic, Heather battles wild dragons, vicious predators, angry trolls, and unexpected traitors. When a horrendous accident sends her back in time to fulfill a mysterious prophecy, she must rely on her warrior skills, wits, and endurance to survive.

To read an excerpt from Tournament of Chance: Dragon Rebel, please click here.

To read excerpts from other books by S.G. Rogers please click here.

S.G. Rogers lives with her husband and son in romantic Savannah, Georgia, on an island populated by deer, exotic birds, and the occasional gator. She's owned by two Sphynx cats, Houdini and Nikita. Movies, books, and writing are her passions.

Learn more about S.G. Rogers on her blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to check out the website for the Sweet Romance written by S.G. Rogers.

What's in a Name?

by S.G. Rogers

Is naming your characters a joy or a chore?

Charles Dickens had a way with names. Many of his characters had odd, but memorable monikers, such as Wopsie, Winkle, and Spottletoe. Some were more descriptive, like the bombastic Mr. Bumble or the festive Mr. Fezziwig. Author JK Rowling has fun with her character names, too. Gossip columnist Rita Skeeter connotes an annoying mosquito and the cruel Dolores Umbridge isn’t that far a stretch from the word umbrage.


Strangely enough, I find it easier to name secondary or tertiary characters than the main ones. Perhaps it’s because I feel some sort of pressure to make my main characters somewhat dignified, approachable, or attractive. Since that impression is subjective, it always takes me longer to decide which way to go.

Is it just me?

Even though naming my main characters is always a bit of a challenge, picking names for the remaining residents of my stories is a delight. My creativity is unfettered and my humor comes to the forefront.

In my latest fantasy release, Tournament of Chance, my protagonists’ names are the relatively straightforward Heather, Dane, and Joe. Some of the minor characters, however, have more amusing names like Gumm the troll, Towcheez the fairy, and the one-eyed chef, Piers. Fun details won’t save a weak storyline, but a strong plot can be further enhanced with a little imagination.

As a reader, do you feel memorable names increase your enjoyment of a novel, or are they a distraction? As an author, do you agonize over your cast of characters?

After all, a rose by any other name might just be fantastic.

~ S.G. Rogers

A hunter’s daughter becomes the spark that ignites a revolution—in time.

When a beautiful commoner enters the Tournament of Chance archery competition, her thwarted victory sparks a revolution in the oppressive kingdom of Destiny. Although Heather never believed the legends about the restoration of Ormaria, after three shape-shifting Ormarian wizards awaken from a long magical slumber, she joins their perilous quest to regain the throne. Heather battles vicious predators and angry trolls to free the wizards’ magic, but at a horrendous cost. She is unexpectedly torn from the arms of the man she loves and hurled back in time to fulfill a prophecy not yet written. The ensuing maelstrom tests Heather’s survival skills, wits, and endurance. Will she become an unwritten footnote in history, or can she trust the magic to lead her back to her one true love?


To read an excerpt from Tournament of Chance, please click HERE.

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I'll be back Wednesday with a new menu. Until then...

Happy Reading!

Sloane Taylor
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A Can of Wryms

by S.G. Rogers

Norse mythology isn’t warm and fuzzy. In fact, many of the legends are off-putting and gritty. The creation myth involves a giant (Ymir) who births a man and woman from his armpits, and whose blood forms oceans. The more I did research on the subject, the less inclined I was to use any of the nine worlds of Norse mythology in my new fantasy series.

Then, I had an epiphany.

Norse mythology predates Christianity. These myths, legends and beliefs circulated for two centuries before any actual recordation occurred. What if the scribes in Midgard (Earth) got their facts wrong, or spun the legends to suit their own purposes? What if Asgard (home of the Norse Gods) still exists, and continues to evolve to this day? Now that playground was something that seized my imagination.

Although I was aware meddling with tradition might be opening up a can of ‘wyrms,’ the runestones were cast. In The Druid, I set about creating a world where I chose what worked for my story, massaged those aspects that weren’t quite so appealing, and discarded what I didn’t like. Fans of Norse mythology will recognize certain elements I wove into the fabric of the tale, but no knowledge of Norse mythology is required to enjoy the story.

Controversial? Possibly. Provocative? Hopefully. My hope is that interested readers will be motivated to do their own research. In The Druid, I write about ‘the road less traveled by’ and to me, that made all the difference. ~ S.G. Rogers

THE DRUID
An Asgard Adventure, Book One
S.G. Rogers
ISBN: 978-1-61937-179-8
Musa Publishing

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BLURB:
Dani Avery is an ordinary girl wishing for adventure. She never expected to be kidnapped by mythological creatures and taken to a place she thought only existed within the pages of a book. Abandoned in Asgard, Dani must find her way home. Along the way, she meets the handsome Prince Rein. Sadly, the elf is not-so-charming and has issues of his own, leaving Dani disappointed and vulnerable. With nowhere left to turn Dani looks for help among the powerful Immortals, but gets caught in a trap that may leave her stranded and alone in Asgard forever.

EXCERPT:
Outside, a flickering light in the adjacent parking area cast a moody pall. Even though the lot was deserted, Dani quickened her pace. Suddenly, out of nowhere, two towering figures with indistinct forms and features pinned her from either side. One of them spoke in a voice that was neither male nor female—or human.

“Druid, we have you at last.”

She was too shocked to react for a moment. But when something like clammy tendrils of rubber cement began to curl around her wrists and upper arms, Dani was galvanized into action. Although she tried to beat the ectoplasm out of her assailants, the tendrils continued to form until she was nearly immobile. Then, the shadowy figures dragged her into another plane of existence.

No longer in the Avery Dry Cleaners parking lot, Dani and her kidnappers had materialized in a field of electric-blue grass laced with broad swaths of green four-leaf clover. The sunlit sky was unlike any Dani had ever seen. The color was a kaleidoscope of intense periwinkle, purples, and pinks, with an occasional silvery wisp floating past. Reminiscent of the aurora borealis, the effect was dazzling, but Dani could scarcely enjoy the view in her current predicament.

She was lying in the grass, trussed up like a turkey, and utterly helpless. Unable to speak because of the rubbery tendrils across her mouth, Dani could only glare at Ninn and Ginn. Moments ago, the creatures had appeared spectral, but now they were vividly clear. They were humanoid, but the facial features under their hooded capes were strangely avian. Ninn prodded Dani’s thigh with the toe of his black boot. “It’s a female,” he chirped.

“I hate to admit it, but this definitely ain’t the Druid.” Ginn massaged his beakish nose, swollen even larger from close contact with Dani’s knuckles. “A shieldmaiden, I’m guessing, from her combat skills,” he said. “What should we do with her?”

“Send her back to Midgard?”

“Can’t. She’ll warn the Druid we’re looking for him.”

“Let’s dump her in Helheim.”

“Ah, that would be too cruel,” Ginn said. He gave a diabolical chuckle. “But I like it.”

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Learn more about S.G. Rogers on her website. Stay connected on Twitter and Facebook.

I'll be back Wednesday with a new menu. Until then...

Happy Reading!

Sloane Taylor