Guest Post: YA Author S. G. Rogers shares her Special Seven...

Today I welcome author S.G. Rogers to my blog. Tell us, Suzanne, what seven periods/events of history would you like to visit and why?

1) Opening day at Disneyland, Anaheim, California (July 17^th, 1955).  I can’t think of a place that has given as much happiness to more people.  It would have been great to be there at the beginning, back when I could afford the entrance fee.

2) Signing of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776). What a thrilling moment for a country about to embark upon a brave new experiment in governance.  The atmosphere in the room must have been crackling with electricity.

3) Victorian England (1837 – 1901).  To borrow a phrase from Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”  Beautiful mansions, balls, clothes, and sheer spectacle of the Upper Tens were juxtaposed with immense poverty.

4) Dresden, Germany before it was bombed in WWII. (before February, 1945).  By all accounts, it was an amazing city of wonderful historical and artistic significance.

5) Colossus of Rhodes - (280 BC) – This statue of the Greek Titan Helios was 107 feet tall,

built on pedestals 50 feet high.  I would have loved to watch it being built, especially when you consider they had no access to cranes!

6) Fall of the Berlin Wall (November 9^th, 1989) – I saw it on television, but it would have been better to be there in person and grab a chunk of history.

7) It would have been cool to watch Johannes Gutenberg inventing movable type printing (around 1439).  Could he have ever predicted all these centuries later we’d be reading print on a liquid crystal display?

What a great tour of history! Do you use a lot of history in your writing?

Yes, in fact 2013 seemed to be the year of historical romances for me. I focused on the Victorian era and Edwardian era, and wrote four separate titles. But I’ve been known to go WAY back to the medieval and Norse mythology eras too, with my fantasy titles. I expect 2014 will find me juggling between romance and fantasy, since I enjoy both genres.

Thanks, Suzanne, and happy writing! Where can we find you?

Visit my blog at http://childofyden.wordpress.com. My twitter handle is @suzannegrogers, and I’ve also got an author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneGRogers. I’d love to hear from you!

Wenches of Words Wednesday: S.G. Rogers

I’m excited to feature fellow Wench of Words, S.G. Rogers, an author of speculative fiction, as well as a young adult author, on my blog today! Take it away, S.G…

 

What’s In a Name?

 

Is naming your characters a joy or a chore?

 

Charles Dickens had a way with names.  Many of his characters had odd, but memorable monikers, such as Wopsie, Winkle, and Spottletoe.  Some were more descriptive, like the bombastic Mr. Bumble or the festive Mr. Fezziwig.  Author JK Rowling has fun with her character names, too.  Gossip columnist Rita Skeeter connotes an annoying mosquito and the cruel Dolores Umbridge isn’t that far a stretch from the word umbrage.

 

Strangely enough, I find it easier to name secondary or tertiary characters than the main ones.  Perhaps it’s because I feel some sort of pressure to make my main characters somewhat dignified, approachable, or attractive. Since that impression is subjective, it always takes me longer to decide which way to go.

 

Is it just me?

 

Even though naming my main characters is always a bit of a challenge, picking names for the remaining residents of my stories is a delight.  My creativity is unfettered and my humor comes to the forefront.   

 

In my latest fantasy release, Tournament of Chance, my protagonists’ names are the relatively straightforward Heather, Dane, and Joe.  Some of the minor characters, however, have more amusing names like Gumm the troll, Towcheez the fairy, and the one-eyed chef, Piers. Fun details won’t save a weak storyline, but a strong plot can be further enhanced with a little imagination. 

 

As a reader, do you feel memorable names increase your enjoyment of a novel, or are they a distraction?  As an author, do you agonize over your cast of characters? 

 

After all, a rose by any other name might just be fantastic.

 

~ S.G. Rogers

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?

 

Now available at Musa Publishing: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=396

Author Links:

 

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/SuzanneGRogers

Blog - http://childofyden.wordpress.com/

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4216062.S_G_Rogers