Suzanne G. Rogers's Blog, page 61

Before Happily Ever After

Author June Kramin, writing as Ann T. Bugg, is releasing the second in her Before Happily Ever After series on February 22nd. She's my guest today on Child of Yden to talk about the series. It sounds absolutely wonderful for kids of all ages…especially me! ~ S.G. RogersThanks for having me, Suzanne!

My middle grade fantasy series, Before Happily Ever After, was recently accepted with WAMM publishing. The first book, Through the Mirror and Into Snow, was released in November 2011.

Here's the blurb:

When best friends Valerie and Samantha discover a magic mirror in Val's 100-year-old barn in southern Minnesota, they eagerly go through it. Immediately they run into the young Snow White, who has just escaped the huntsman. The girls vow to help her find her father, knowing the dangers that await. On their journey, the fun-loving double-trouble duo quickly discover they are caught up in the middle of their favorite fairy tales.

Having the knowledge of the stories as their only weapon, Val and Sam help two other princesses, make a surprising friend and discover they have a fairy godmother of their very own.

Book Two: Into The Forest and Down The Tower

My inspiration for the series were the two main characters in the flesh! They are the real Sam & Larrie, my daughter, Valerie, & her best friend, Samantha. Although I play it up a little big in the books, my daughter and I are both fans of fairy tales and love anything re-told. When I really had a possum scare me in the barn, that was the inspiration that started me writing the series. I could really imagine the duo of double-trouble actually sneaking out to find it. It seemed natural that what happened from there took this direction. I can't count how many times my daughter and I have watched the mini-series "The 10th Kingdom" together. I love a twist on characters and imagining another way stories could go. We are currently watching "Once Upon a Time" on ABC and loving it.

I don't remember being into fairy tales as much when I was younger as I am now that I'm an adult (notice I didn't say grown up). I was the one that took each of my daughter's "likes" when she was little and turned them into my obsession. Yes, I still sing along with little mermaid's "Part of Your World" and "I Won't Say I'm in Love" from Hercules, to name just a few. Every birthday when she was young cost a fortune as I had to get every piece of the Barbie collections from Rapunzel to the Wizard of Oz to complete the themes. It was harder on me when she grew out of them and I still have a few pieces saved for myself from most sets.

We all have to lose ourselves in something every now and then. I love losing myself in two best friends, that could not be any more different, finding their way to a magical kingdom and helping the characters they have read about. From my daughter's burps to Samantha's fashion sense, I think these books will touch something in people of all ages. However, I am afraid that their little rhyme exchanges will take over the planet like wildfire once they are exposed beyond our little circle and parents everywhere will want to beat me.

I live to write these books. Capturing their little quirks and making these stories around my love of all that is "Happily Ever After" has been the most fun I have had. (And let me tell you, I had some fun in my 20′s

The books are geared for the middle grade (8-12) but they have been enjoyed from 5-85. I think there is just something about fairy tales that touches us all.

The website for my middle grade series is: http://www.beforehappilyeverafter.com/ There are buy links there for my publisher WAMM and Amazon. I use the pen name Ann T. Bugg (after my nickname Auntybug) so younger kids don't pick up my women's fiction and say, "Hey! I know her!" and find themselves in for more than they bargained for! The website & blog for those novels is: http://www.junekramin.com/

I have fan pages under both June Kramin & Ann T Bugg at Facebook and Twitter under junekramin

Thanks again for having me!

Everything's Better With Dragons

Author Shéa MacLeod is chatting me up today on her blog, Everything's Better With Dragons.  If you're a dragon enthusiast, you are invited to join the conversation.  I'd love to hear why YOU love dragons.  ~ S.G. Rogers

 

Dragon: © Carla F. Castagno | Dreamstime.com

 

Leave Your Crystal Balls At Home

You don't need a crystal ball to get the scoop! The awesome Arley Cole (The Blacksmith's Daughter) has interviewed me on her blog! Find out how Arley and I met, what my 'elevator pitch' is for The Magical Misperception of Meridian, and learn what traffic jams have to do with release dates.  Please feel free to ask questions of either myself or Arley. We're more fun than a barrel of wizards.

~ S.G. Rogers

Crystal Ball: © Richard Griffin | 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

Beyond A Highland Whisper

Author Maeve Greyson is visiting my blog today to talk about her upcoming release The Highlander's Fury. I'm very excited! ~ S.G. Rogers

It's almost time…

Release day –that is− for my latest paranormal romance, THE HIGHLANDER'S FURY.  I've come to the conclusion that waiting for release day is much like waiting for the birth of a child. Breathless excitement, stomach-gurgling anticipation and a healthy dose of lip-gnawing anxiety. Will my newest "baby" be welcomed by the world? Will it flourish and grow to be a healthy, well-loved "child"? I hope so. This latest return to the MacKay Clan from BEYOND A HIGHLAND WHISPER is near and dear to my heart and I truly hope readers enjoy it too.

Here's a little more about it:

The Highlander's Fury – March 2, 2012 from The Wild Rose Press

An average day in the life of an immortal Fury?

Flex powers. Locate evil. Administer justice.

Until Ciara's goddess mothers convince her to seduce a brooding mortal and bear the man a gifted child. All she has to do is swap places with his betrothed. A simple task−become the seductive wife, bear the man a child and train the young one in the Ways. Once the boy reaches seven years of age, they'll swap her back with the wife Faolan thinks he selected and Ciara can resume her job of rousting wickedness from the world.

Faolan MacKay's advisors plague him daily about his matrimonial duties as laird, dragging prospects from across the Highlands: plump dowries attached to each one.

Faolan's lost everyone he's ever loved. He'd rather go straight to the fiery pits of Hell than down the wedding aisle. Out of desperation, a plan takes seed. He'll select a wife he can ignore. There's just one problem with this foolproof theory. Nobody ignores Ciara.

Against his better judgment, he's enthralled with the woman and to Ciara's surprise, this strange thing called love burns hotter than her hunger for vengeance.

At the end of the seven years the ruse is up, all will return to as it was. Can the bond of love overcome the mandate of the ultimate powers?

Since we're coming down to the "release day wire", a giveaway is definitely in order. One lucky commenter will be selected by Jasper to receive an electronic copy of The Highlander's Fury. If you also go to my website (www.maevegreyson.com) and sign up to receive my newsletter, your name will be entered in the drawing twice! (Don't worry – I only send newsletters when I have actual NEWS – I promise I won't over-stuff your inbox and I will NEVER share your email.) So be sure and leave a comment. You could be one of the first to read The Highlander's Fury.

Thanks so much for stopping by! And a hearty thank you to Suzanne for inviting me over for a visit to her lovely cyber home. Isn't it gorgeous?

Take care, my friends! ~Maeve

Maeve's other books:

Beyond A Highland Whisper – Out now from The Wild Rose Press

Can love prevail over the dark magic of a woman scorned?

The last time Latharn MacKay walked among his kinsman was in Scotland of 1410. Sensuous and charismatic, all the women wanted him, but none could capture his heart. Latharn's charm became his curse when a dark sorceress didn't take rejection well. She snared his soul into a crystal globe until the one woman destined to be his love whispered his release. Now all Latharn has to do is find her and guide her to him without speaking a word.

One of the youngest archeologists in St Louis of 2010, Nessa credits one thing for this achievement: the recurring dream of a heart-stopping Highlander since the summer she turned eighteen years old. Little does she know, he's not some fantasy cooked up by her subconscious. He's a trapped soul determined for Nessa to end his six centuries in hell.

Eternity's Mark – March 27, 2012 from Kensington Brava

A sexy Scot. A mystical inheritance. What could go wrong?

Veterinarian Hannah MacPherson knows better than to believe in love at first—or any—sight.

True, being swept away by Taggart de Gaelson to the vast Scottish castle she's mysteriously inherited is uber-romantic. The legacy is totally legitimate, and its messenger is big, broad-shouldered, and smokin' in more ways than one…

Too bad Taggart forgot to mention that Hannah's also a Guardian of magical dragons called the Draecna. And as Hannah's sworn otherworldly protector, Taggart is honor-bound not to lay a hand on her, no matter how close he gets…

But turning duty into pleasure is just too tempting. And for Hannah, mastering her powers and saving two worlds from evil will be way easier than showing one hardheaded warrior that breaking all the rules means they are eternally made for each other…

Maeve's Bio:

Maeve Greyson writes paranormal romances with a Celtic twist from her cozy little home not too far from Kentucky Lake.  Tucked away in the middle of nowhere, Maeve listens to the wind whispering through the trees and hears the voices of her characters.

Her debut novel, BEYOND A HIGHLAND WHISPER is available now from The Wild Rose Press and other online retailers. March 2012 will see two new paranormal romances from Maeve. THE HIGHLANDER'S FURY releases from The Wild Rose Press on March 2nd and ETERNITY'S MARK releases from Kensington's Brava line on March 27th. ETERNITY'S MARK was the winner of Kensington Brava and RT Book Reviews 2011 Writing with the Stars Contest.

Maeve can also be found procrastinating in these corners of cyberspace:

Website: http://www.maevegreyson.com/

Blog:  http://maevegreyson.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/maeve.greyson  OR http://www.facebook.com/maeve.greyson#!/maeve.greyson.page

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/maevegreyson

Sounding the Call To Action

My Goodreads giveaway ended last night and I had more people enter to win the newly released paperback copy of The Last Great Wizard of Yden than I had anticipated. I am grateful for the interest shown in my book. For those who have been asking, I'm currently revising the sequel, Children of Yden, and hope to have it available soon.

Also, a reader just sent me a photo I'd like to share. The Last Great Wizard of Yden looks quite spiffy in an easel I must say.  Big note of thanks to Jan Romes for being kind enough to send the photo to me.

Recently I was contacted by a Twitter friend and asked to write a blog post about breaking into the publishing industry.  That post, How Breaking Into Publishing is Like an Adventure Movie received a lot of interest (thank you Roberta). It got me wondering whether or not anyone else had questions or suggestions for blog topics.  Posting book covers, excerpts and back cover blurbs is great, but it doesn't involve much interaction with readers.

So, I'm sending out a call to action. If you'd like to see something on this blog you haven't seen before (or perhaps more of something you HAVE seen), please let me know by leaving a comment.  I'd love to hear from you.

~ S.G. Rogers

 

Gold Flower: © Teros | Dreamstime.com

Brass Bugle: © Richard J Thompson | Dreamstime.com

The Fairy Tale Is In the Building

A beautiful commoner and a stammering prince form a magical friendship that can survive almost anything—except the queen's disapproval.

It's release day for The Magical Misperception of Meridian and I've turned into manic Mr. Toad from The Wind In the Willows.  Won't you help me celebrate by giving this romantic fantasy short a whirl? Now available in all formats at MuseItUp Publishing (psst…as a bonus, it's 25% off.  Tell a friend).

I'm in such a good mood today, I'm giving away a copy of either Minna & The Valentine or The Last Great Wizard of Yden (your choice).  Just leave a comment below, and I'll announce the winner Saturday, February 18th.

~ 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

I HEART MUSA BOOKS TOUR

Musa Publishing offers wonderful titles in all genres…but I'd like to highlight two of my favorites from their Urania (speculative fiction) & Euterpe (young adult) lines:

She believes she is only a blacksmith's daughter, but he must discover the truth or risk losing his land—and his life.

Acwellen Lex'Magen rules as liege lord of a small country bounded by forbidding mountains and powerful neighbors. When the neighboring baron, allied with a powerful wizard, attempts to take over his land, first by political, then by covert means, Acwellen finds an ally of his own in Enith Roweson, an unassuming blacksmith who possesses powers he's only known of in legends. As he attempts to unravel both the plots against him—-including the nature of the monsters sent to assassinate him—-and the mysterious powers Enith is only beginning to understand she has, he also finds himself falling in love with the blacksmith's daughter.

The author, Arley Cole, graciously answered some questions for me:

Arley, who is your favorite character from The Blacksmith's Daughter and why?

My fave character from TBD is hard. I love them all so very much. Nerian was so fun to write because he's such a pain in the rear end. He's so suspicious and just cannot understand what Acwellen sees in Enith. Of course, we all know he's just being an idiot because Enith is awesome and Acwellen knows a great thing when he sees it!

I couldn't agree more! What are you working on now?

Right now, I've got The Merchant's Son underway as well as a paranormal romance under my slightly steamier pen name Leigh Daley. Plus, I've always got a fanfic piece as Arcole in the works. Those serve as warm up playground pieces for me. Fanfiction.net is my guilty pleasure!!

[To purchase The Blacksmith's Daughter click on the book cover, above. To find out more about Arley Cole visit her blog HERE]

Eighteen-year-old Millie Scrubbings must decide if she can stomach her responsibilities as Hell's new Gatekeeper, or risk the denizens of Hell defiling her home turf.

When eighteen year old Millie Scrubbings moves to new digs on East London's Nightingale Estate, she believes she's finally closed the door on a childhood dictated by strangers. But overnight, her peaceful high-rise turns bonkers, and a series of grisly murders leaves Millie frightened and more helpless than ever.

Millie must accept her lead role in rescuing Nightingale from its descent into anarchy, or risk all Hell breaking loose.

I tapped Amaleen Ison for her answers to a couple of *burning* questions, too…

What genre do you write and why?

I write YA fantasy stories that meander into other sub-genres – paranormal, supernatural, preternatural, and horror. By preternatural I mean the unexplained, things that go bump in the night, and the downright weird. I've always had an over-active imagination, and writing down the bizarre tales that rattle around in my head stops the crazy from taking root.

I'm almost afraid to ask…where do you find inspiration?

Inspiration comes from anything and everything. I can't predict what event, object, or person will conjure an idea. Quite often, though, my own fears are a great starting point.

[To purchase The Trouble With Nightingale, click on the book cover, above. To visit Amaleen's blog go HERE]

I'm also excited to announce my own upcoming fantasy adventure novella,

The Druid – An Asgard Adventure

There is mischief afoot in Asgard, but Odin is not there to stop it.  A powerful immortal bent on revenge devises a plot that accidentally ensnares a mortal on Earth.  It's a good thing Dani Avery enjoys fantasy and fairy tales because she's about to find out the truth behind the legends.  Norse mythology gets a modern twist in The Druid, the story of an ordinary mortal who meets a hero from the pages of a book–bigger than life and twice as Elvish.

(Coming April 20, 2012 from Musa Publishing.  The sequel The Accidental Immortal will be released in June, 2012)

One of the main characters, Prince Rein, stopped by to answer a few questions:

Where do you live, Prince Rein? 

I grew up in Alfheim, in the Kingdom of Ljósálfar, but my parents and I don't get along.  So my best mates and I relocated to Restive Forest in Asgard. That's one of the nine worlds in Nordic mythology…which isn't a myth at all.

Do you feel S.G. Rogers portrayed you fairly?

Well, no, now that you mention it. I mean how would you like to be shown at your worst moment?  I got the chance to redeem myself later in the story but it was hit or miss for awhile.  I was worried I might never get Dani Avery to talk to me again. Fortunately I had my charm, good looks and persistence to rely on. And it didn't hurt that I have a gorgeous flying mare.

Thanks for stopping by the I Love Musa Books Tour!  If you leave a comment, below, and follow my blog (press the button at the top left part of the screen), I will email you a .pdf copy of my paranormal short story, APOCRYPHA, which was part of the Twelve Days of Christmas celebration at Musa last year.  All you have to do is ask.

Being dedicated to the diabolical doesn't seem to satisfy Jem anymore.  When the gorgeous demon poses for elderly artist Greer Richmond, the two form a connection.  Greer senses good in her, but Jem rebels against the idea by going on a Vegas bender.  After Jem gets word Greer is about to die, she inexplicably wants to make sure he gets to heaven—but her boss has other plans.  As penance for her interference, Jem is assigned to take one of Greer's descendants instead.  Unfortunately handsome Dare Richmond awakens feelings in Jem a demon isn't supposed to have.  Will Jem be able to complete her task, or has fate dealt the demon an impossible hand?

To read an interview with Jem that appeared in the Musa blog last December, go HERE.

To return to the linky list go (HERE)

Raven Flying: © Maroz | Dreamstime.com