New Cover for Tournament of Chance: #Dragon Rebel

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.

This 2014 EPIC Award Fantasy Finalist is available at Amazon.

Wicked Chess – Excerpt from TOURNAMENT OF CHANCE by S.G. Rogers

A vast chessboard spread out on the lawn next to the castle gardens. The king sipped a glass of chilled white wine as he finished his move.

“Ponder that, my dear Lord Survill,” he crowed.

“My word, Your Majesty, you’ve got me on the run,” Survill exclaimed.

Various young pages stood on the checkered lawn, in chess piece costumes. Although a shady canopy had been set up for the king and his opponent so they could play their game in comfort, the pages waited in the fierce sunlight. As sweat dripped from underneath their hot and heavy paper-maché headdresses, the boys struggled to stand at attention.

Minister Uspy hastened from the castle toward the chessboard.

“Please forgive the interruption, Your Majesty, but I have news.”

King Chance’s brow creased in annoyance. “Has Jovander or that wretched girl been located? Hester, wasn’t it?”

“Heather is the name. They both have vanished, Your Majesty. And I’m afraid that Lord Embrue has not returned from Jagged Peaks, nor the soldiers that accompanied him,” Uspy said.

King Chance waved his fingers, dismissively. “No doubt they have fallen into a game of cards or a bit of debauchery somewhere. Embrue’s success at Merrymouth may have gone to his head.”

“That’s entirely possible, Your Majesty; however Embrue’s steed was found wandering the countryside yesterday. Several mounts from the king’s army have turned up as well,” Uspy said.

“Send Lord Tether with the cavalry to question the villagers about Embrue. If you get no answers, burn Jagged Peaks down.”

“And if the villagers cooperate?”

“Burn it anyway. The commoners must understand I am in charge.”

Uspy left. King Chance returned his attention toward the chessboard, where his bishop had just keeled over from sunstroke. “I’m going to need a new bishop. Drag that boy to the dungeon and beat him for having spoiled the game.”

If Heather wins 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.

Tournament of Chance: Dragon Rebel is available for the Kindle HERE

Like Beasts in the Field – Excerpt from TOURNAMENT OF CHANCE

Vibrating with shock, Heather stared at the ground. As Lady Felicia was declared this year’s winner of the Tournament of Chance, the commoners began to boo. The sound began low, but built until it resembled the groan of a hurricane. To show their dissatisfaction with the decision, people threw apple cores and rocks onto the field. Pushing and fighting broke out. When a few of the men stumbled through the rope barricades, the king’s guardsmen closed ranks. Within short order, a phalanx of mounted guards joined the melee and created a buffer between the commoners and the royals. Even so, the booing grew louder.

In the meantime, the king, queen, and other members of court rose from their seats and filed toward the castle as quickly as their dignity would allow. The queen made no effort to mask her disgust.

“Listen to those thugs! We try to be nice to the commoners, but they don’t appreciate it.”

“You don’t understand, Chelsea. Commoners lack the capacity for higher thought. It’s best to treat them like beasts in the field,” the king replied.

If she’d been slapped, Heather could not have been more wounded. Tears pricked her eyelids. The king and queen were talking about her family, her friends — and her. When the king pointed an accusatory finger in her direction, however, she preferred the insults to what came next.

“Arrest her for inciting a riot,” he told his guardsmen.

“What!” Heather gasped.

King’s guards strode over to confiscate her bow and quiver. Ustin and Obie tried to push through the crowd to come to Heather’s aid, but they were intercepted by guardsmen. Despite Joe’s protests, the guards took her into custody. As she was hauled away, Heather shook her head in disbelief. If this were a nightmare or some kind of joke, she’d long since ceased to be amused.

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?
Sunday is the last day to buy Tournament of Chance on sale at Smashwords (ALL e-formats) for $0.99. You must use coupon code AC57D (expires October 21, 2012). Tell a friend! And if you enjoy the book, please don’t forget to leave a review to let others know why.  Go HERE to purchase.

DOWNLOADING TO YOUR E-READERS:
Make sure to download and save the book files to your computer.
Once done, plug in your e-reader’s USB, open the file where the formats were saved, and drag them into your ereader’s folder.
.mobi is for Kindle
Epub is for most other ereaders like Sony/Nook.

TOURNAMENT OF CHANCE – Release Day

Today is release day for my fantasy novel, Tournament of Chance.  😀  Thanks for celebrating with me. ~ S.G. Rogers

In Tournament of Chance, 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?

Excerpt:

“It isn’t wise to tell people too much incredible information at once,” Shimmer said. “I told them what they needed to know to keep them from rushing into an armed conflict they couldn’t win. They’ll learn the whole truth in due course.”

Heather cocked her head. “And this quest to Boravagg? Have you told me only what I need to know?”

Before Shimmer could answer, Dane, Manny, and Joe appeared. The sleek muscles of Dane’s bare arms and torso glistened from his recent swim. Blushing, Heather averted her eyes.

“I wish to be completely honest, Heather. This venture is horribly dangerous, potentially fatal, and with an uncertain outcome,” Shimmer said. “Knowing that, do you want to change your mind?”

Now available in all e-formats from Musa Publishing HERE. Also available at Amazon. Coming soon to BN.com and wherever fine e-books are sold.

Preditors and Prey — Excerpt from TOURNAMENT OF CHANCE

Over the next week, Heather spent most of her waking hours with her bow and arrows. She practiced in a pasture outside of town. The field was surrounded by trees, which made it quite private—and isolated. The morning before the competition, Heather was working on accuracy. When her arrows were spent, she set off for the target to retrieve them.

Three strangers emerged from the forest. They fanned out, as if encircling their prey. Heather was schooled enough in hunting to recognize predators on sight. A ripple of fear traveled down her spine. Dropping her bow, she pulled her knife from her boot and searched for a means of escape.

“Oi, now, no need for that. Yer Heather, aren’t ye?  Such pretty red hair ye got,” the first man said. His lips pulled back over his teeth, blackened by poor hygiene and tobacco.

“Yer father done broke his leg. We come to fetch ye home,” the second said.

The third man said nothing, but he unfastened the bullwhip hanging from his belt and gave it an experimental crack.

“My friend don’t like yer little stickpin. Put it down, there’s a good girl,” the first man said.

Heather kept her eyes trained on the bullwhip. When the man pulled back his arm, poised to strike, she hurled her knife at his chest. Even before he’d hit the ground, she was sprinting past him toward the forest. Her only hope of evading capture would be to lose the other two men in the woods. Although she was fleet-footed, her assailants closed the distance in the open field rapidly. Several yards away from the tree line, the twang of arrows being loosed reached her ears…

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?

Tournament of Chance will be released on Friday, Sept. 28th, in all e-formats, from Musa Publishing.  Shortly thereafter, it will be available through Amazon, BN.com and wherever online books are sold.

To see the book trailer, go HERE