S.G. Rogers’ Cypher – Release Day Party

UPDATE:  Using Random.org, Onisha’s number came up! Congratulations to Onisha, and thank you to everyone who left a comment on my blog. 😀

“You can’t raze Castle Augur. It’s a national landmark! How dare you even think of desecrating the place where so many people died!” Cypher exclaimed.

Prince Ewan sat with his boots up on a desk, his hands laced behind his head. “If it isn’t the pretty barmaid.” He swung his legs to the floor and stood. “Castle Augur is an eyesore and a danger to the community. I’m building a summer palace on the foundations. Don’t worry, there will be a job waiting for you as my servant once we’re through.”

“I’ll never wait on you. You’re not fit to kiss my Augurian backside, Your Highness.”

Although she has no memories before the quake that destroyed the kingdom of Augury, Cypher McCall holds a steadfast hatred of the repressive Cauldian regime now ruling the country.  Because her magical gifts are deemed subversive, she does her best to avoid detection.  Unfortunately for Cypher, however, she’s too beautiful to ignore. After a Cauldian contingent arrives in her hometown, a chance encounter leaves her repulsed by the arrogant Prince Ewan and attracted to his distant cousin, Lord Joss.

When she learns Prince Ewan plans to tear down the ruins of nearby Castle Augur, Cypher vows to stop him.  Although handsome Lord Joss tries to protect her from his vindictive cousin, Cypher can’t bring herself to trust the enemy.  At the same time, nightmares and dreams nudge her toward reclaiming childhood memories.  She stumbles across a silver key she hopes will unlock her past, but first she must confront a long repressed horror at the Castle Augur ruins.

Can Cypher evade Prince Ewan long enough to recover her memories? Is Lord Joss all that he seems or is his charm a ruse to ensnare the unwary? Finally, will the knowledge of her true identity tear Cypher apart or empower her to restore everything she ever loved?

Available today in all e-formats from MuseItUp Publishing HERE. Coming soon to Amazon, and BN.com.

To CELEBRATE my latest release, I’m giving away a copy of The Magical Misperception of Meridian (any e-format) and a Cypher cover t-shirt (men’s size L).  I’ll even throw in a little author swag (postcards, magnets, etc).

I’ll pick the winner at 11:59 p.m., Friday, June 22 (EST).  To enter, just do ONE of the following (pick the easiest!), and leave me a comment to tell me which way you entered:

1) LIKE my author Facebook page HERE; OR

2) ADD one of my books to your to-read list on Goodreads HERE; OR

3) LIKE one of my books on Amazon HERE; OR

4) FOLLOW my blog, or FOLLOW me on Twitter.

Buying Cypher or one of my other books (click on covers on the right side of my blog, or there are links on each book page) would definitely qualify as an entry (and make my day). (Cypher will be at Amazon in a day or two…BN.com takes a lot longer.)

Thanks for coming to my release day party.  😀 ~ S.G. Rogers

Review Copies of The Magical Misperception of Meridian

UPDATE:  THE COMMENTS WERE SO WONDERFUL I COULDN’T PICK ONLY FIVE WINNERS. EVERYBODY WHO TOOK THE TIME TO SAY SOMETHING HAS BEEN SENT A CONGRATULATORY  EMAIL.  THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO STOPPED BY TO READ MY EXCERPT! ~ S.G. ROGERS

The Magical Misperception of Meridian needs your review! This weekend, I’m giving away review copies (Kindle, .pdf, or Nook format) of this romantic story to FIVE readers who agree to post reviews on Amazon, BN.com and/or Goodreads!  Just leave a comment, below, and I’ll choose the winners just before midnight EST on Sunday, March 25th.  Good luck! ~ S.G. Rogers

Back Cover Blurb:

Railing against convention in the kingdom of Meridian, Jona thinks a girl should be
able to wear trousers, fight like a boy when necessary, and marry whomever she
pleases. She happens upon the queen’s nephew, Lee, who stammers and cannot speak
to girls at all…that is, until he meets Jona.

When the queen hires Jona to help her nephew acquire proper social graces, Jona experiences a blissful summer of pure enchantment. Jona and Lee learn to dance, perfect the art of polite conversation, and discover which fork to use at the dinner table. Although they become best friends, Queen Gaia considers Jona a mere servant. At summer’s end, Jona’s job in Meridian is done.

Lee and Jona keep in contact through a set of magical mailboxes given to Lee by the Wizard Farland. When the friends are finally reunited after nine years, their budding romance is torn asunder by an edict from the queen. Against impossible odds, Jona and Lee fight together for an uncertain future. But unspoken secrets and mysteries long in the making have yet to be revealed.

Will true love be denied…or can the differences between commoners and royalty be
shown to be just a matter of magical misperception?

Excerpt:

Jona had a plan.

She crept downstairs, making sure to avoid the squeakiest treads. Her hand was on the
doorknob when her mother pounced from out of nowhere and caught her by the suspenders.

“Jona Barbara Haever, you will not leave the house in those clothes! Queen Gaia will take
you for a boy!”

“But I’m not actually meeting the queen,” Jona protested. “And I want to have fun.”

“You’ll be sitting in the front row with your father and me, watching the presentation. Get
that cap off your head and put on a dress, for heaven’s sake. We’re leaving soon,” Mrs. Haever said.

“Yes, ma’am.” Jona loped upstairs.

She had absolutely no intention of obeying her mother, of course. Her back-up plan involved a very serviceable drainpipe outside the window in her sister’s room. When that room was hers, she’d used it quite a few times to escape. Unfortunately, the neighbors had seen her shimmy down one night and told her parents. The aftermath had been unpleasant and she’d had to change rooms with her sister. The challenge would be to reach the drainpipe before her sister sounded the alarm. If she were caught, the consequences would be swift and dire. Nevertheless, the benefits outweighed the risks on a day like today.

With an air of studied innocence, Jona sauntered into Holly’s room…

Can’t wait to read The Magical Misperception of Meridian? You can buy it right now at Amazon or MuseItUp Publishing (all formats)… (coming soon to BN.com)

To return to the Sweet Saturday Sample List, go HERE!

No Blarney Fairytale G*i*v*e*a*w*a*y Weekend

UPDATE: MY WINNER IS…MOLLY!

If your Irish eyes are smiling, you just might find a pot of gold right here at Child of Yden. To win a copy of my fairytale romance The Magical Misperception of Meridian, in any digital format, please add it to your to-read list on Goodreads HERE, and leave a comment below.  I’ll pick a winner Sunday night at midnight, EST (USA). Good luck! ~ S.G. Rogers

The Magical Misperception of Meridian

Back Cover Blurb:  Railing against convention in the kingdom of Meridian, Jona thinks a girl should be able to wear trousers, fight like a boy when necessary, and marry whomever she pleases. She happens upon the queen’s nephew, Lee, who stammers and cannot speak to girls at all…that is, until he meets Jona.

When the queen hires Jona to help her nephew acquire proper social graces, Jona experiences a blissful summer of pure enchantment. Jona and Lee learn to dance, perfect the art of polite conversation, and discover which fork to use at the dinner table. Although they become best friends, Queen Gaia considers Jona a mere servant. At summer’s end, Jona’s job in Meridian is done.

Lee and Jona keep in contact through a set of magical mailboxes given to Lee by the Wizard Farland. When the friends are finally reunited after ten years, their budding romance is torn asunder by an edict from the queen. Against impossible odds, Jona and Lee will fight for an uncertain future. But unspoken secrets and mysteries long in the making have yet to be revealed.

Will true love be denied…or can the differences between commoners and royalty be shown to be just a matter of magical misperception?

Excerpt:

At their first lesson, Jona and Lee kept dissolving into laughter, leaving Mr. Rapp peevish and cross. After an hour of working with them in the castle ballroom, the dance instructor threw up his hands in disgust. “It appears I’m wasting my time,” he snapped. “If you two cannot take this seriously, I shall be forced to inform the queen.”

He stormed out, followed by his mousy pianist. Suddenly Jona and Lee became somber.

“If Mr. Rapp tells The Dragon we aren’t learning to dance, I’ll be sent home,” Jona said.

“I don’t want you to go. We’ll just have to find a way to impress Mr. Rapp.”

That night, after everyone had retired, they sneaked into the ballroom to practice. Lee turned up some of the gas lamps so they wouldn’t trip over each other in the dark.

“I can hardly wait to see Mr. Rapp’s face when he sees us waltz perfectly tomorrow,” Lee
said. “He’ll probably think it’s because he’s a brilliant teacher.”

“Mr. Rapp is an evil sorcerer, you know,” Jona said with a playful wink.

“Evil, you say? What’s the man done now?”

“He transformed a beautiful princess into one of those peach trees in the garden.”

“The black-hearted villain!” Lee exclaimed.

“Each time we perfect a dance, it weakens his wicked spell.”

“I’m all about rescuing damsels, as you know,” Lee said. “Let’s get to it.”

Jona frowned. “It would be easier if we had music.”

“Oh, but we do. The Wizard Farland enchanted the piano in the corner. It’ll play anything
we want.”

Lee patted the instrument. “A waltz, if you please.”

When the instrument responded with a tune played in three-quarters time, Jona clapped her hands in delight. “I do so love magic!”

Buy links: MuseItUp Publishing and Amazon.  Coming soon to BN.com.

To return to the Sweet Saturday Sample Linky List, go HERE

Mad About Princes

What is it about a fairytale prince that captures the imagination?  A young, good-looking and masculine royal usually wins the day—and the hand of the beautiful maiden.  For me, however, the above-mentioned qualities form only the base of an engaging hero.  There must be something more that renders the man worthy of the heroine, be it in words, deeds…or simple kindnesses to strangers. Any prince can engage in feats of derring-do if he thinks the object of his affection will be impressed.  A true hero, on the other hand, renders kindnesses to others when he believes he’s unobserved…

Excerpt:

After she’d eased her hunger, Samantha’s temper began to improve. The room emptied out a bit and she had a direct view of Wills. He and Joe had struck up a conversation with several other travelers. The prince was laughing at a story Joe had just told. The innkeeper’s daughter hovered nearby. Staring openly in admiration, the awkward, homely girl took every opportunity to keep Wills’s tankard full. To his credit, the prince was kind. He thanked her profusely, and complimented the meal and accommodations. Samantha noticed him slip the girl a gold coin when no one was looking.

As she examined Wills’s profile in the lamplight, Samantha had to admit he was unusually handsome. The prince had an easy, open manner around people and was a natural leader. Her brother, David, would certainly have enjoyed his company. It was a shame her relationship with Wills had started so badly. Samantha felt an unfamiliar stab of regret. Under different circumstances, she might have liked to know the man better.

Wills glanced over and caught her staring at him. Samantha blushed and shifted her eyes to Nanny. The woman had a knowing smile on her face.

“What’s so amusing?” Samantha demanded.

“He’s a good-looking man, isn’t he?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied. “I wasn’t even looking at Wills.”

“If you weren’t looking at him, how’d you know who I was talking about?”

Samantha bit her lip. “That’s enough, Nanny.”

 

Up until now, Prince Wills and Princess Samantha have had a combative relationship.  Did one simple, unobserved moment begin to thaw Samantha’s heart? Hmm. Samantha doesn’t realize it yet, but she just telegraphed her interest in the hero.  What does our young hero do in response?  To answer that, you’ll have to read the rest of the story.  But I’ll say this much—I’m mad about Prince Wills.

~ 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?

Clash of Wills is available at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, BN.com and wherever online books are sold.

 

Journey to the Uncharted Region

While writing my latest romantic fantasy, Clash of Wills, I traveled to the magical Uncharted Region to do research. After my eventful and sometimes harrowing journey, I managed to smuggle out a few photos.  I’m at One Writer’s Way, sharing my travelogue with author Beth Trissel.  Won’t you join us?

~ S.G. Rogers

 

Long and Winding Road

So one morning I woke up and decided to write a romantic fantasy.  I sold my first manuscript to a well-established romance publisher and Clash of Wills is coming out on Leap Day.

Okay…so that’s not exactly how it happened.  Clash of Wills IS being released on Leap Day, but my journey down the long and winding road that is romantic fantasy was NOT accompanied by Paul McCartney ballads. You could say I was clueless.

Come read about it over at TBR.

~ S.G. Rogers

 

Delicious Anticipation

Sarah Grimm has graciously allowed me on her blog today to write a guest post about the delicious anticipation of romance.  Is it better to have your cake or to eat it?  I explore that question as it relates to my upcoming romantic fantasy release Clash of Wills.  I invite you to stop in and tickle your tastebuds. ~ S.G. Rogers

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake: © Eugene Bochkarev | Dreamstime.com

 

 

My New Best Friend Is…a Girl!

I’m at Sharon Ledwith’s blog today with a guest post about The Magical Misperception of Meridian. Can boys and girls be best friends? It doesn’t take a wizard to figure out the answer…or does it?  ~ S.G. Rogers

Magical Cherry on Top

A great many romance fiction readers take their romance straight…like some people enjoy their coffee black.  Romance author Joya Fields has graciously allowed me to be a guest on her blog, making the case for romantic fantasy. Do you think I changed any minds with my post?  Let me know.  ~ S.G. Rogers

© Nataliia Peregudova | Dreamstime.com

Confessions of a SpecFic Writer

I’m at The Speculative Salon today, talking about how I broke my own rules with The Magical Misperception of Meridian. Won’t you stop by and hear my defense?

~ S.G. Rogers