“What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.” ~
Friedrich Nietzsche
My sword and sorcery fantasy novel, Tournament of
Chance: Dragon Rebel has just been published. I couldn’t be more pleased, especially
considering its inauspicious beginnings.
You see, I originally wrote Tournament of Chance as a
short story (around 8,000 words). I submitted
the short to several fantasy magazines, and although the feedback was positive,
I couldn’t find a magazine willing to publish it. Battered and bruised, I ordinarily would have
chucked the manuscript into a folder marked REJECTS, licked my wounds, and
moved on to something else.
But I just couldn’t let it go.
I liked the concept of a young woman striving to break
through the glass ceiling between commoners and royalty by honing her skills as
an archer. In the back of my mind, I knew there was more to the story than the
8,000 words I’d written. So in between
revising, editing, and promoting my other titles, I allowed the full-length
version of Tournament of Chance to unfold. Unlike other, more
disciplined authors, I usually let my stories discover themselves. As the novel moved along, I was actually
quite surprised at all the twists, turns, and events in store for me. For example, who knew time travel and shape
shifters would find their way into the mix? It took about six months to finish
Tournament of Chance: Dragon Rebel, and it incorporates many
of my favorite things – peacocks, lava tubes, caves, volcanoes, dragons,
wizards, romance, and magic. It also
deals with some very human foibles, such as deceit, treachery, false hope, envy,
abuse of power, and pride.
So if it weren’t for the rejections I experienced,
Tournament of Chance: Dragon Rebel would never have been
published as a full-length novel. Perhaps it’s the fighting Irish in me, but
when I get knocked down, I get up again…and then I write some more. I’m not
sure I agree with the Nietzsche quote, above, one hundred percent of the time,
but it’s better than the alternative.
Has rejection ever motivated you to succeed?
~ S.G. Rogers
Here is a brief intro to S.G,'s latest release.
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.
To read an excerpt from Tournament of Chance:
Dragon Rebel, please click here.
To read excerpts from other books by S.G.
Rogers please click here.
S.G. Rogers lives with her husband and
son in romantic Savannah, Georgia, on an island populated by deer, exotic
birds, and the occasional gator. She's owned by two Sphynx cats, Houdini and
Nikita. Movies, books, and writing are her passions.
