Guest Blogger S. G. Rogers: My New Best Friend Is...A Girl!

Today, I'm handing the writing reins over to YA fantasy author S. G. Rogers for my very first guest blog post. Enjoy!

In my newly released romantic fantasy The Magical Misperception of Meridian, a beautiful commoner and a stammering prince form a magical friendship that can survive almost anything—except the queen’s disapproval. 

                                             

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:

 Lee shrugged. “I never knew my parents. They died when I was a baby, I’m told.”

 “Um…do you like your aunt?”

 He shrank into his clothes. “She’s k-kind of scary, actually. I call her The D-Dragon.”

Jona peered at him. “We don’t have to talk about her if you don’t want to.” Fortunately, a pack of local kids was flocking their way. “Oh look, some of my schoolmates are here. Maybe we can think up a good game.”

Her friend, Fiona, was among the group. She eyed Lee with admiration and quickly pulled Jona to one side. “Who’s that boy? He’s gorgeous. Introduce me.”

Jona glanced at Lee. They’d been having so much fun, she hadn’t noticed he was handsome. Though it didn’t make much difference to her one way or the other, she supposed Fiona was right.

 “Lee, this is Fiona,” Jona said. “She sits next to me in school.”

“N-n-nice t-t-to m-m-meet you,” he said, barely managing to force the words out. His face flushed scarlet, almost as if he were having some kind of fit.

 When Jona’s friends laughed at Lee, her hackles began to rise. His obvious misery at their ridicule cut her to the core. Fiona’s giggles earned her a sharp elbow to the ribs.

“Stop it,” Jona whispered.

 Fiona composed herself, but the boys continued to mock Lee—especially the biggest one, Quinton.

“It’s not funny, Quinton,” Jona said.

 “S-s-sorry, J-j-jona,” he chortled. “I c-c-can’t s-s-stop m-m-myself.”

Any feeling of friendship she’d ever felt toward Quinton rapidly dwindled. “I’m warning you, Quinton. Shut your mouth,” she said, her knuckles showing white.

 “W-w-whatever you s-s-say.”

 Jona sank her fist into Quinton’s stomach. The other boys piled on, and an all out brawl ensued. The girls ran back to the celebration, screaming, while Jona and Lee fought the whole group of five boys together. Finally Mr. Pikerman came over and separated the children.

 “Fine behavior for the queen’s visit,” he scolded. “Be off, the lot of ye.”

 Quinton and his friends stumbled away to nurse an assortment of black eyes, sore ribs, and scraped skin. Jona and Lee were left standing there, their bosoms heaving with exertion and indignation. She bent to retrieve her cap, which had been knocked to the ground in the scuffle and her waist length braids tumbled over her shoulders. Lee stared at her, his mouth open.

 “What’s wrong?” she asked.

 “Well…you’re a girl!”

Can boys and girls be best friends?  You bet.  And that’s the most excellent kind of magic.

 ~ S.G. Rogers

The Magical Misperception of Meridian  is available from MuseItUp Publishing.  http://tinyurl.com/7bnpftu, and wherever online books are sold. To learn more about S.G. Rogers, visit her blog at www.childofyden.com.