Suzanne G. Rogers's Blog, page 53

Fun Facts About Norse Mythology – The Getting of Wisdom

 

The Norse god Odin was willing to sacrifice a lot in the pursuit of knowledge. He exchanged one of his eyes to drink from Mimir’s well of wisdom, for example.

But wait, there’s more…

Among are God of the Hanged and Hanged One. Óðins Rune Song, a section of Hávamál, details how Odin hung himself from a windy tree for nine nights in order to discover magical runes.  During his ordeal, Odin didn’t eat or drink anything, and he suffered from a spear wound besides.  The runes gave rise to eighteen different spells.

Times sure have changed. 

When I was in college, the getting of wisdom involved hanging out at the library.

~ S.G. Rogers

Christmas in July from MuseItUp Publishing

Need something cool?  How about Christmas in July?  MuseItUp Publishing has a new contest beginning Monday, July 9th.  Two Grand Prizes are up for grabs: Package One will net you a $25 MuseItUp gift card, and Package Two encompasses fifteen free ebooks!  PLUS nobody who participates will walk away empty-handed. Beginning July 9th, ten Christmas trees will be “hidden” in the MuseItUp bookstore next to ten different ebooks.  From these you may select which ebook you’d like to win.  See?  I told you this was cool.  Psst!  My romantic fantasy novella Cypher is in Package Two!  Hop over to MuseItUp to check out the details, and Good Luck!

~ S.G. Rogers

Excerpt from Cypher:

Far from being grateful for his rescue, Ewan was apoplectic. He pointed at Cypher, his finger quivering with rage. “You tried to kill me! You tricked me into climbing that tree and then used magic to break the branch.”

Joss was aghast. “Cypher saved your life!”

“No doubt because there were witnesses,” the prince replied. “We all heard her confess. She said it was her fault.”

“I won’t stand by and let an innocent girl be accused of attempted murder,” Joss said.

Ewan’s eyes narrowed. “You magical freaks like to stick together, is that it? You’re under

arrest too, Lord Joss.”

Cypher made a gesture in Ewan’s direction and his hair turned the color of begonias.

“Nobody calls Augurians freaks.”

“Seize her.”

Soldiers attempted to grab Cypher’s arms, but every man who touched her received a nasty shock for his efforts. Ewan snatched his sword from the captain and stuck the tip into Joss’s shoulder far enough for blood to stain the crisp, white linen of his shirt. A spasm of pain crossed Joss’s face, and he turned pale.

“Don’t hurt him!” Cypher screamed.

Ewan smirked. “Captain Leon, there’s a mausoleum on the other side of that hedge. Toss

Lord Joss inside.” He flicked a glance at Cypher. “If the barmaid doesn’t go along, run him

through before you bar the door.”

Fun Facts About Norse Mythology – Heimdallr, The Father of Mankind

Are humans fated to fall within one of three different classes? According to the Eddic poem, Rígsþula, the answer is ‘yes.’

The Norse god Heimdallr, using the name Rigr, traveled amongst the folks and found food, lodging, and comfort along the road.

The first stop was with an ancient graybeard farmer and his wife.  The shelter was rude and the food was poor, but apparently the hospitality was pretty good. Heimdallr slept in the couples’ bed and nine months later, Granny gave birth to the progenitor of the servant class, a boy named Þræll.

Heimdallr’s next conquest was at the nice home of a mature craftsman and his wife.  Dinner was edible, and the hospitality was again top-drawer.  Nine months after Heimdallr had departed, the wife delivered a bouncing baby boy named Karl.  When Karl grew up, he was to give rise to the class of craftsmen, independent farmers and herdsmen.

At the end of the journey, Heimdallr stayed at the large, fancy home of Faðir and Móðir. There he enjoyed a sumptuous meal and in return he gave Móðir a son named Jarl.  Jarl begat the warrior/royalty class.  Later on, Heimdallr acknowledged Jarl as his son.

The common thread in this story seems to be the quality of the food.  There is an old English adage — the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Heimdallr’s oats were sewn long ago, but what if the world were given a do-over? What if the graybeard couple had taken Heimdallr out for a bacon cheeseburger, chili fries, and a shake? Conversely, would it have made a difference if Faðir and Móðir had offered up a plate of spa food? I’m thinking things could have turned out a whole different way.

~ S.G. Rogers

Fancy A Chat With S.G. Rogers?

My book The Last Great Wizard of Yden was selected by the Astraea Press Book Club for June.  As promised, It’s now chat time! I’ll be on Facebook from 6:00 to 8:00 o’clock EST Friday, June 29th to talk about the world of Yden, why I’m a writer, or even why I drink Tab for breakfast. If you’re already a member, I hope to see you there.  If not, come on over to join HERE.  It’s FREE to join and there will be a prize package given out to some lucky participant. The Astraea Press Book Club will also be announcing the FREE READ for July very shortly.  So let’s chat!  I’m all ears.

~ S.G. Rogers

 

Are Odin and Frigga Just Like Mortals?

I’m over at the Musa Publishing blog today with my guest post Meet Mr. & Mrs. Odin a/k/a The Bickersons.  Here’s a taste…

You’ve heard of outtakes and cut scenes from the movies? If you sat through the credits of of The Avengers, for example, you were rewarded by some special footage. The following is a bonus scene which falls somewhere in between The Druid and its sequel The Accidental Immortal. No waiting, and the popcorn is optional. ~ S.G. Rogers

Dr. Sigmund peered at the couple on the couch before him. “Mr. and Mrs. Odin, after several days of intense therapy—”

“Doctor, the name is Friday,” the Nordic blonde interrupted. “It’s important to me to have my own identity.”

A muscle quivered in Odin’s jaw but he said nothing.

The doctor nodded. “All right, Friday. The way I see it, we have some enormous challenges to overcome in your marriage.”

To read the rest go HERE.

S.G. Rogers’ Cypher – Release Day Party

“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

Cypher by S.G. Rogers Pre-release Party

The winner of my Mjolnir pendant is…Michael!  Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway marking the release of The Accidental Immortal on June 15th.

Tomorrow my fantasy novella Cypher will be released.  You still have time to pre-order it (in all e-formats) at a 20% discount directly from MuseItUp Publishing, HERE.

Since tomorrow is release day, it’s time for another giveaway!  You can win a lovely t-shirt (size L) featuring the beautiful cover of Cypher.

I’ll pick the winner at 11:59 p.m., Friday, June 22 (EST).  To enter, just do ONE of the following, 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 book 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; OR

5) 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.)

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?

Excerpt:

Cypher turned to gloat.

“Ha!  That’ll teach you to bet against me, Dooley Stoker,” she cried, tossing her waist-length raven curls over her shoulder.

Dooley scrambled to his feet. Although he was covered with mud, his good humor was still intact. “Oh, yeah?  Race isn’t over!”

He lunged for her, muddy hands outstretched. Shrieking with laughter, Cypher sprinted toward the iron statue of King Gideon situated in the exact center of town. Blinded by a shaft of sunlight, she barreled headlong into a person.

“Whoa!”

The man grabbed Cypher by the arms to steady her. Their eyes locked. As she stared into his handsome face, Cypher was glad her heightened color hid the blush that crept over her cheekbones.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“I’m rather glad you weren’t.”

The man gave her a crooked grin, and Cypher’s breath caught in her throat. After he loosened his grip on her arms, she took a step back. Tall and well built, the man wore a smart suit with a splendid brocade vest and a gray bowler hat. She’d only ever seen clothes like that in newspaper illustrations. Cypher suddenly wished her loose-fitting school uniform were more flattering. The man tipped his hat and bowed.

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lord Joss.”

A delicious shiver ran up and down Cypher’s spine. Just then a haughty voice rent the air. “Caught yourself a local have you, Joss?”

Thanks for coming to my pre-release party!  I truly appreciate your support.

~ S.G. Rogers

 

From the Ruins Comes a Fantasy

Have you ever had a natural disaster affect you?

Having grown up in Southern California, I’m very familiar with earthquakes.  As a child, the largest one I experienced was the Sylmar quake.  It struck at six o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, February 9, 1971, with a magnitude of 6.6.  My family was living in Placentia at the time, which was about an hour’s drive from the epicenter.  I was asleep when the shaking began, and I blamed it on my older sister at first.  Then my mother came staggering into the room to get me to safety.  Oddly enough, I thought the shaking was fun.  I was just a kid, and I can’t recall that we had much damage.

FEMA news photo

There were many quakes in between the Sylmar quake and the BIG ONE on January 17, 1994.  Dubbed the Northridge quake, it struck at 4:31 a.m. on a Monday.  The quake had a magnitude of 6.7, and we were about fifteen miles from the epicenter.  My husband and I were jolted from a sound sleep, and knew right away THIS quake was serious.  We leaped out of bed and ran for the doorway, just in time to avoid being smashed when the two tall bookcases and adjoining lightbox that served as our headboard fell over.

The earthquake felt and sounded to me as if our condo had been tossed into a dark box and shaken by a huge giant while a freight train ran us over.

I learned a few things from that experience.  Fear CAN make your mouth go dry.  Fear CAN make you disoriented. Fear CAN make you burst into tears.  Fear CAN cause your bladder to contract.  Fear CAN make you tremble like a Chihuahua.  You might, in fact, be so scared you don’t know your own name for a few minutes.

Afterward, I had to tell myself what to do, in short succinct sentences, like a mother instructs a two-year-old child:

“Okay, first, bathroom.” “Now pants.” “Cat. Find cat.”  (The finding of the cat, perfectly safe, cost me the sanctity of my shins in the dark).

All normalcy in the San Fernando Valley stopped for days after the Northridge quake.  We drove around to see for ourselves the buildings and bridges that had collapsed like soufflés.  I realized then that the power of an earthquake is pitiless, merciless and inexorable.

The quake left a big impression on me, so much so that I wrote a fantasy novella about a child who experiences a horrific earthquake.  The trauma is such that she loses her memory of her life up until then.  In Cypher, this young girl, now grown, must regain those memories in order to restore her future.

By the way, I don’t live in Southern California anymore.  I live in coastal Georgia, where they have hurricane season.   To paraphrase SNL’s Roseanne Roseannadanna, if it’s not one thing, it’s another.

If you’ve had a natural disaster reshape your point of view, I’d like to hear about it.

~ S. G. Rogers

By the way, today is the last day to enter my Thor’s hammer pendant giveaway!  The winner will be announced on Thor’s Day, tomorrow.  Go HERE to enter.

Fun Facts About Norse Mythology – The Creation of Mankind

“I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.”

-  Joyce Kilmer

Perhaps Kilmer was on to something.

After Odin and his two brothers killed the giant, Ymir, they used his body and blood to create the world. Afterward, they came to Midgard (Earth) and went for a nice relaxing walk on the beach.

The trio found a couple of lovely trees and worked together to make people out of them.  The gods made sure they had souls, intelligence, good looks and clothes.  They called the man Askr and the woman Embla.  These two humans became the progenitors of the human race.

So if you’ve only ever felt truly at home when walking in a forest, you now know why.  You might have stumbled into a family reunion.

~ S.G. Rogers

Take Our Poll

Don’t forget to enter my Mjölnir pendant contest! Go HERE…

The Accidental Immortal and Thor’s Hammer Pendant

The second title in my Asgard Adventure series releases today!

The Accidental Immortal

When the Cup of Immortality is stolen in Asgard, anger and suspicion is leveled at Dani Avery. Ordered from Asgard by Odin and –even worse– discovering Prince Rein has been betrothed to Leanna of the Faeries, Dani sets out to find the Cup and save Rein from an unwanted marriage.

Dani, Rein, and Emrys begin their desperate search for the real thief and the missing Cup.  Unfortunately, the sultry and self-centered Leanna insists on tagging along, and causes them to run afoul of a ruthless crime boss who will stop at nothing to gain their silence…including kidnapping.

As the clock ticks away, Dani has to make a choice between continuing the search for the Cup or trying to find her missing friends. Will Dani unwittingly sacrifice Rein’s life in her attempt to save their relationship?  Or must she deliberately sacrifice their relationship in order to save his life?

Excerpt:

Dani was beginning to wonder how long she would be waiting in the

company of the steel-toe booted thug when the door of Loki’s Karaoke

opened and an ogre emerged.

“What is it, Biscuit?” Moose asked.

Having never seen an ogre before, Dani stared in shock. Biscuit

was almost as wide as he was tall, with no neck to speak of, and long

curly lower molars. The ogre had a big burlap bag stamped MADE IN

MIDGARD in one of his hands. When he tossed it to the giant, Dani edged

backward.

“I don’t like it, but Big V says kill that one,” Biscuit said, jerking his

hideous head toward Dani. “He don’t want no witnesses left.”

Moose’s laugh sent chills down her spine. Fear galvanized Dani’s

muscles and adrenaline sped her escape. She sprinted down the street

with Moose in pursuit, praying that her speed and stamina were better

than his. As she reached the end of the block, she could feel the giant’s

hand grasping her shoulder…

To celebrate the release of The Accidental Immortal, I’m giving away a beautiful Thor’s Hammer pendant (plus some author swag…magnets & postcards, etc.):There are lots of ways to win, so pick the entry easiest for you. Just let me know which way you entered in your comment, below.  I’ll pick the winner at midnight, EST, Wednesday June 20th.

Ways to Enter:

Like my author page on Facebook HERE; OR

Add any one of my books to your Goodreads to-read list HERE; OR

Vote for The Druid on the Goodreads list, Books About Norse Mythology HERE; OR

Vote for The Accidental Immortal on the Goodreads list, Books About Norse Mythology HERE; OR

Like The Druid on Amazon HERE; OR

Follow my blog or follow me on Twitter.

Of course, if you should happen to buy one of my books or novellas, that would count as an entry, and I certainly would be most appreciative.    Both The Druid and The Accidental Immortal are available at Musa Publishing today, in all e-formats.  The Accidental Immortal will be available at Amazon and BN.com in a day or two.  If you haven’t already signed up for an account at Musa, click on the coupon, below. You’ll receive a $5 credit toward your purchases on their website (which would make ONE of my books FREE, or BOTH cost just $0.99).  I love a bargain, don’t you?

Thanks for celebrating with me, and have a Happy Frigga’s Day.

~ S.G. Rogers