Excerpt from DUKE OF A GILDED AGE – The Transatlantic Dance Club

Dance engagements card circa 1887

Excerpt:

Her waltz with Carl ended, the couples rotated, and Belle found herself paired with Stephen. To her relief, he behaved in an exemplary fashion. He’s likely on his best behavior
because his mother is watching! As their dance went on, she even enjoyed herself to the extent she was able. When the last chords of the music faded, the next rotation brought
Belle face to face with Wesley. She curtsied in response to his bow, and they jockeyed slightly to achieve the proper hold. Please don’t let him feel me trembling! Cavendish played a few bars as an introduction and Wesley flinched—as if unsure whether or not to move.

“Wait,” Belle whispered. “Ready…now.”

Exactly on the beat, Wesley stepped out and Belle followed. They made one complete rotation, and then another. His careful and studied movements were common for a
beginner, but his instincts, grace, and timing were admirable. I knew Wesley would be a good dancer. A burst of pride brought a brief smile to her lips, followed closely by the surge
of emotions she’d kept at bay. To her horror, her eyes grew moist and her throat tightened. She focused on the space over his right shoulder and for the remainder of the waltz she
worked the multiplication table in her head to avoid thinking about anything else. At the end, she stepped back and curtsied.

“Well done, Wesley,” she murmured.

“I nearly blundered at the start, didn’t I?”

“An understandable mistake for anyone unfamiliar with the music.”

Belle rotated into Horatio’s arms. Her inner turmoil eased as she waltzed with him, until Wesley danced past with Louise. His playful smile and easy manner with Louise drove
a sliver of ice through Belle’s heart.

Eighteen times eighteen is three hundred twenty-four.

When American-born Wesley Parker inherits a dukedom in 1890, he must learn to be an aristocrat. Assigned to the task is his attorney’s daughter, prim Belle Oakhurst. As they travel to England together on a luxurious ocean liner, their tempestuous relationship encounters more than rough seas. Although Wesley is increasingly attracted to Belle, she is already engaged. While Belle begins to regret her hasty promise to marry, she is bound by honor and duty to keep her pledge. Furthermore, a thoughtless fabrication on her part threatens to expose her as a liar. Neither Wesley nor Belle can foresee that their voyage across the Atlantic will be fraught with peril, and will cost more than one man his life.

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Duke of a Gilded Age – Excerpt

From the Battery, the Oakhursts and the Parkers boarded one of the hourly ferries to Bedloe Island. The ferry wasn’t particularly full, so they had their pick of seats. Wesley and Belle sat together toward the prow of the vessel, watching the Statue of Liberty grow closer. Belle glanced over her shoulder toward her father and Lady Frederic, who were deep in conversation several rows back.

“Was it difficult to convince your mother to come today?” Belle asked.

“After Mrs. Neal reassured my mother she would complete her tasks well in advance, my mother couldn’t refuse.”

“Your timing was impeccable. I’d just asked my father if he would accompany me here today, but he declined.”

“Why?”

“For him, this isn’t a vacation. He works for you, Wesley, and he wanted to make sure your needs were met.” She giggled. “Fortunately, your needs have happily coincided with mine.”

“I’m very glad. This is my first visit to Bedloe Island.”

“How can that be?”

“My father had planned to take us after the Statue of Liberty was dedicated, but he died before we could go.”

“What a shame.”

Belle glanced at Wesley. The day she’d first met him he’d been fresh from a street brawl. The warrior-like expression of the recent past had fallen away to reveal the raw emotional wounds underneath. Almost of their own volition, her gloved fingers reached out. She meant only to give his hand the briefest of squeezes, but he captured her fingers in his and held them fast. Belle locked eyes with Wesley for several seconds before she remembered to breathe. With an apologetic smile, she withdrew her hand.

“Oh, yes, I know. It’s not proper,” he murmured.

Belle stared straight ahead as she willed her heart to quit racing.

Wesley wished the warmth of Belle’s hand would not fade from his fingertips quite so quickly. I shouldn’t have done that. She’s engaged, after all. And yet… had she felt nothing, wouldn’t she have pulled away more quickly? Perhaps Belle was too polite—or too concerned for her father’s continued employment—to rebuke him openly. I’ve put her in an awkward position, haven’t I? I should be more guarded and considerate in my behavior toward her.

“I’m sorry Belle, if I took advantage of your kindness just now. It won’t happen again.”

A long silence followed his words.

“Thank you, Wesley,” she said finally.

Her response was so soft that had he been less attentive he might have missed it in the din of the general conversation surrounding them. Wesley couldn’t bring himself to look at Belle’s face, for fear he would see relief in her hazel eyes.

Duke of a Gilded Age – coming Friday, June 28th!

Blurb:

When American-born Wesley Parker inherits a dukedom in 1890, he must learn to be an aristocrat. Assigned to the task is his attorney’s daughter, prim Belle Oakhurst. As they travel to England together on a luxurious ocean liner, their tempestuous relationship encounters more than rough seas. Although Wesley is increasingly attracted to Belle, she is already engaged. While Belle begins to regret her hasty promise to marry, she is bound by honor and duty to keep her pledge. Furthermore, a thoughtless fabrication on her part threatens to expose her as a liar. Neither Wesley nor Belle can foresee that their voyage across the Atlantic will be fraught with peril, and will cost more than one man his life.

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Heather’s Disguise – Excerpt from TOURNAMENT OF CHANCE

A loud insistent pounding at the front door startled Heather awake the next morning. A few moments later, she heard Ustin having a row with her father in the kitchen. Heather’s mother, still clad in a dressing gown, stepped into the bedchamber. She held a lantern aloft.

“Get up, Heather.”

“What’s happening, Mother?”

“Ustin and Kitty are here.”

“Kitty, too?”

“Aye. Put on your hunting gear, quickly.”

Aghast, Heather stared at Rose, wide-eyed. “But I’m going to the
tournament today. I’m to wear my best clothes.”

“Don’t argue with me. Ustin says you’re in danger.”

“What?”

“There are men canvassing the town for you right now, so there is
no time to waste. You must travel in disguise.”

Heather grasped a hank of her thick auburn waist-length hair. “How
are we going to hide this?”

Rose produced a pair of shears. “We can’t.”

In Tournament of Chance, a hunter’s daughter becomes the spark that ignites a revolution—in time.

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.

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A Thing of Beauty – Excerpt from TOURNAMENT OF CHANCE

Dane conjured a sword and armor for Joe and the two of them practiced swordplay above deck when the sun shone. Joe was well trained, but he lacked discipline and focus. Heather was impressed with Dane’s ability as an instructor. She also noted how quick Dane was to give Joe the encouragement and praise he sorely needed.

“Not too bad that time, Jovander. I thought you had me once or twice.”

“I learned from the head of the king’s guards,” Joe boasted.

“I was the head of the king’s guards,” Dane replied, winking at Heather. “Let’s work on that disarming move. You’ve almost got it down.”

The third morning dawned wonderfully clear and bright. Heather soaked in the sunshine while enjoying Joe and Dane’s latest match. She was glad for a ready excuse to gaze at Dane, admiring not only his quick reflexes and finesse, but also his athletic frame and handsome face. When she’d first met him, she thought his looks were arresting—despite his disdainful and arrogant attitude. Now, she acknowledged privately he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. After he caught her staring a few times, however, she tried to be more discreet. She had no wish to give Dane the false impression she was besotted with him. One can admire a thing of beauty, such as a stallion or a dragon, without desiring to possess it, she told herself firmly.

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?

Release date: September 28th, 2012

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S.G. Rogers’ Tournament of Chance Excerpt

From the unappetizing quantity of fur and gore on the turtle rock, it appeared the trolls had gutted and skinned the tiger there, and cooked some of the meat over the still-glowing firepit nearby. Although Heather longed to rest, the smell of the place turned her stomach. Leaving the campsite, she continued to climb up the trail. The rank odor of the slaughtered animal followed her.

A few minutes later, a blue dragon appeared from the north. With her heart in her throat, she yelled as loud as she could, waving her arms to get Dane’s attention. When he veered in her direction she was overjoyed. After six other dragons joined him during his descent, however, Heather’s ebullience turned to horror. A flock of wild dragons was headed straight for her, and on the open trail there was nowhere to hide.

Gritting her teeth against the pain in her side, she hurtled down the trail, past the turtle rock. At random, she picked one of the lava tunnels and darted inside. Heather hoped the dragons would leave once they lost their prey. Unfortunately, the smell of blood at the campsite sent the animals into a frenzy. The dragons’ piercing, trumpeting cries echoed down the tunnel, forcing Heather to cover her ears. The creatures attacked the rock face with their claws, chipping off bits and pieces of granite. Heather backed further into the darkness, but when she heard one of the dragons inhale, she ran. A fireball followed her…

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?

Release date: September 28th, 2012

Excerpt from CHILDREN OF YDEN

The following is an excerpt from my work-in-progress, Children of Yden.  It’s the second installment in my Yden series.  Look for it later this year.  Enjoy! ~ S.G. Rogers

“Sela, I’ll wait for you under the blue fruit tree,” Jon said, edging toward the next archway. “It’s through here.”

Sela climbed onto the unicorn, throwing her leg across as if she were riding a horse.  “Um…okay. I’m right behind you.”

“Don’t try sitting on a real unicorn. They sometimes have a nasty attitude.”

“Killjoy.”

He passed into a mossy clearing populated by several fruit trees and sculptures of fairies.  Focusing on an intricate sculpture of a brownie, he nearly smacked into a strange kid.

“Whoa,” Jon said, rearing back. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

The boy, perhaps eighteen, was bare-chested, muscular and gripped a six-foot long staff. “State your Clan and your business.”

Jon’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“Your Clan and your business,” the boy repeated, giving his staff a threatening twirl.

Annoyance flickered in Jon’s eyes. “I don’t answer to Manga comic book rejects.”

He glanced over his shoulder to check Sela’s progress and suddenly found his legs swept out from under him.  He landed on his back with a loud thud, wincing from a stinging pain across his calves.

“Hey! What’s wrong with you?”

The kid responded by rotating the staff around and around like an incoming helicopter blade.  Jon scrambled to his feet, leaving his duffle bag on the ground. From somewhere behind him, Sela gasped. His attention riveted on the weapon, Jon held up a warning hand.

“Stay there, Sela. This guy is seriously nuts!”

The wooden staff whooshed toward Jon’s head and he jumped back out of reach.  Unfortunately, he stumbled over his duffle bag and fell. At that, the stranger dissolved into mocking laughter.

“You’re mean!” Sela cried.

A nearby fruit tree provided Jon’s sister with juicy ammunition.  Her aim was wide, but the teen ducked anyway. While the kid was distracted, however, Jon tackled him to the ground and wrestled the staff from his hands. Jon burned the weapon with the flames shooting from his fingertips and flung the seared wood onto the gravel path.

“Stay down, punk, or there’s more where that came from.”

The kid raised his hand and Jon noticed –too late– he wore a Clan ring.  In the next moment, Jon flew backward as if yanked by an invisible elastic cord. He twisted in the air and slammed face-first into one of Quixoran’s stone sprites. As Jon spat blood from a cut inside his mouth, the stranger advanced.

“More of what, lightweight?” he sneered. “Seems to me like you got nothing.”

The situation disintegrated fast.

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!”

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Doodling Dragons

Excerpt from iBookBuzz nominated YA fantasy The Last Great Wizard of Yden…

When class began, the history teacher, Mr. Dace, droned on and on about the curriculum, policies, and procedures. After fifteen minutes, Jon started to tune out. He opened his binder and lost himself in a detailed drawing of a dragon.
“We’re going to end our semester with a field trip to the Tri-­County Museum,” Mr. Dace said.
The classroom erupted with excited chatter.
“Many of you will see this as a chance to goof off,” Mr. Dace continued. “But you will be writing a term paper on one of the exhibits.”
Mr. Dace strolled up and down the aisles as he spoke. He paused at Jon’s shoulder just as he was drawing a beautiful plume of smoke rising from the nostril of a dragon. Unfortunately, Jon was oblivious to the teacher’s presence.
“Doodling dragons is no way to get through life, Mr. Hansen,” Mr. Dace said.
Jon’s head snapped up. The entire class was watching, including Brett and Fred. Brett’s expression was unreadable, but Fred was licking his chops as if he couldn’t wait to eat him for lunch. Jon hoped his face wouldn’t explode from the blood rushing to his cheeks.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
His classmates snickered. Mr. Dace went on to pass out the syllabus and first assignment. After the lunch bell rang, Jon felt like slinking off somewhere and melting into a hole. His book bag was jammed under his desk, and he bent to retrieve it. When he straightened up, he was startled to see Brett waiting for him.
“Hi,” she said. “You probably don’t remember me, but we met at the mall.”
“Oh, yes, I do.” He attempted to sound casual. “Nice to see you.”
She examined his drawing. “That’s a great dragon. Maybe you could draw one for me sometime?”
“Anytime.” Anytime at all, he thought.

For his sixteenth birthday, all Jon wanted were the keys to the family car. Instead, he got a lousy magic ring…

Artistic prodigy Jon Hansen yearns to fit in, but when he stumbles onto a supernatural kidnapping, his life changes forever.  Unfortunately, his search for answers uncovers a magical secret—one that makes Jon a danger to everyone around him.

The Wolf Clan wizard Efysian has been draining the magic from Yden. On a quest for eternal power, he’s willing to kill to feed his addiction.  To harness the ultimate source of energy, he travels to Earth.  This time, however, he has a persistent witness to his crime.

Can Jon survive long enough to outwit the most evil wizard the magical world has ever known?  Or will Efysian add the young wizard to his gruesome collection of trophies?

The Last Great Wizard of Yden, a full length fantasy novel. E-book available now through Astraea Press, Amazon, BN.com and other fine outlets ($2.99 MSRP). Now available as a trade paperback too! (HERE)

There is still time to vote for The Last Great Wizard of Yden in the iBookBuzz book of the month contest!  Click HERE to vote!

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Fresh Fairytale. Timeless Romance.

The Magical Misperception of Meridian

Excerpt:

On the final day of the term, a fancy horse-drawn carriage waited in front of school, flying the royal flag of Meridian. Rumors and speculation about an illustrious visitor ran rampant through the school halls. Just after the beginning bell rang, however, Jona was called to the office of the headmaster, Mr. Widgette. The blood left her face, and rightly so. Getting that sort of summons was never a good sign.

“What did you do?” Fiona whispered, but Jona had no reply.

Many of her schoolmates gave her a sympathetic smile as she left the classroom, but Quinton smirked. Jona smirked back. With an air of resignation, she trudged down the hall to meet her doom. She’d only been called to the headmaster’s office once before, when she’d accidentally poured ink down Chet Bettle’s pants for calling Holly stuck up. If she’d somehow managed to get expelled on the last day of school, her mother was not going to be pleased.

Upon entering Mr. Widgette’s office, Jona saw a strange little man sitting in a chair, dressed in an expensive suit. The headmaster rose from behind his desk.

“This is Mr. Phipps, Queen Gaia’s representative,” he said, without ceremony.

Proper etiquette demanded she acknowledge the man in some fashion, so Jona gave him a wobbling curtsy. Then, feeling foolish, she wondered if she ought to have offered him her hand instead.

“Jona, Mr. Phipps wishes to have a word with you,” Mr. Widgette said.

In the silence that followed, Jona waited for someone to start laughing and let her in on the joke, but nobody did.

“Miss Haever, Queen Gaia would consider it a personal favor if you would live at the castle for the summer and assist her in a matter of some delicacy. In return, you would be paid a salary, and your parents’ tea shop would be awarded the royal Seal of Approval,” Mr. Phipps said.

A relieved grin spread across Jona’s features. “That’s very generous, sir, but I think you must be looking for my sister, Holly. I’ll go fetch her if you’d like.”

“We are most definitely looking for you, Miss Jona Haever,” Mr. Phipps said. “Mr. Widgette has agreed to release you from school this morning. If you would be so kind as to accompany me, we will drive to the Haever Tea Shop and discuss the matter with your parents.”

Romantic fantasy novelette available at Amazon & MuseItUp Publishing