A Magical Cherry On Top
Throw an extra dollop of magic on top of a classic love story and you’ve got romantic fantasy. Imagine Pride and Prejudice with Mr. Darcy as an arrogant wizard and Elizabeth Bennett as a fetching, but non-magical, love interest. Hmm…and wouldn’t the beautiful grounds at Pemberley be that much more exquisite if enhanced by all manner of fantastic plants and magical creatures? Romance, when edged with a bit of whimsy and imagination, takes on yet another dimension. With the best romantic fantasies you’ll find yourself transported not only by the journey to ‘happily ever after,’ but also by the world itself.In Clash of Wills, fantasy is woven seamlessly into the story at first. As the tale unfolds, however, magic becomes a more central part of the tale. Nevertheless, the focus is always on Princess Samantha and Prince Wills:
When an unconventional princess meets a footloose prince, a battle of wits begins…
Princess Samantha’s magical compass will help her locate her long-lost brother, but only if she manages to escape her royal parents for a few weeks. When an unwelcome suitor comes to call, Samantha seizes her chance. She beguiles the prince into taking her north, intending to abandon him at her earliest opportunity. Unfortunately, his captivating good looks and charming manner present an unforeseen complication—especially when she is forced to accept help from the very man she has deceived.To maintain his bachelorhood, handsome Prince Wills is not above deception. Although reluctantly entangled in Samantha’s scheme, he vows to protect her…until a lie threatens to destroy their alliance. Can his powerful attraction to Samantha overcome his mistrust? And can they survive a dangerous quest to the wild and magical Uncharted Region?
Excerpt:
The spring squall became more intense, and the temperature on the mountain fell rapidly. Frequent thunderclaps frayed her nerves. She kept striking the flint, hoping a spark would catch hold, but gusts of wind foiled her efforts each time. “Burn!” she cried. “Just burn.”
At her command, the fire pit suddenly burst into robust flames, creating the heat that Wills so desperately needed. She dragged him closer to the warmth. Blessed relief flowed through her when he stopped shaking and his color began to improve. She brushed his hair back from his handsome face.
“You’re a good man, Prince Wills,” she murmured. “You’ll make a good king someday...if you survive this misadventure.”
While Wills slept, Samantha rebalanced their packs to more equally distribute the weight. Then she stood at the far end of the lookout to watch the storm. Icy rain blew into her face and soaked her tunic. She gritted her teeth against the cold.
“Are you insane?” Wills’s voice rose above the howling gale. When he felt Samantha’s fingers, he gasped. “You’re freezing!”
He draped her coat over her shoulders and all but yanked her toward the fire. “What did you think you were doing?” he scolded.
“You needed the coat more than I did.”
“That’s nonsense. You could die of exposure up here!”
Wills folded Samantha into the warmth of his arms. They clung together until the sensation returned to her fingertips. “Thank you, Wills,” she murmured, finally. “That feels much better.”
He brushed his lips against hers. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
She responded with a whisper of a kiss. “You’re welcome.”
Romantic fantasy novella Clash of Wills is available February 29 from The Wild Rose Press. To learn more about S.G. Rogers, visit:
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Buy CLASH OF WILLS beginning on February 29th Clash of Wills buy link
9 comments:
Thanks so much for having me, Joya!
Great to have you, Suzanne! Thanks for being here. :)
I love a good fantasy romance. There is nothing like a little brush with magic to make things interesting. I'm adding Clash of Wills to my TBR list. Best of luck, Suzanne.
Oh, and I love the look of the blog, Joya. Very cool and soothing.
Sounds like a great book, Suzanne! Can't wait to read it :)
I'll take fantasy! Great excerpt Suzanne.
Lovely post and excerpt. Maybe you can educate me a little bit. What are the differences between romantic fantasy and romantic paranormal? Does one need to mentally build a magical world to fall into this genre?
Vonnie, my take on paranormal is that it involves the occult (hidden). The story would include such creatures as shapeshifters, angels, demons, spirits and the like. Straight fantasy would be magic, wizards, time travel (perhaps) and fantastic creatures. There can be a lot of crossover. To me, it's all fantasy. The world you build depends on if the fantasy/paranormal elements are on Earth, the way we know it (or knew it from history), or whether you have a different world entirely. I often use an Earth-like setting with the fantastic elements woven in. In "Clash of Wills," for example, the story begins much like a Regency, but when Princess Samantha battles a mud demon you KNOW the world is quite different.
Thanks so much for being here today, Suzanne. Great conversation and great comments from everyone. Hope you have an awesome week. :)
S.G.,
Sometimes you can sneak a little fantasy in a novel. For example, My heroine in "Silver Screen Heroes" sees her parents and brother who were killed in the San Francisco earthquake at her darkest hour.
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