Leap Day for Man and Release Day for Clash of Wills!

Today we have a Guest Author S. G. Rogers and she has a real treat for us. Her new release Clash of Wills is available today!! But I'll let her tell you all about it.

It’s one small Leap Day for man, but one giant release day for Clash of Wills! Not quite a year ago I was searching on the Internet for fantasy short story markets and came across a listing for The Wild Rose Press.  I read their submission guidelines carefully, and that’s when I first became aware there was a subcategory of the romance genre called Romantic Fantasy.  The short story I’d written was too long for most magazines to consider, so I tweaked it a bit and submitted it to Kelly Schaub, the Faery Rose editor at TWRP.  When Clash of Wills was accepted, I couldn’t stop flashing my pearly whites.  Since then, I’ve made many friends in ‘the garden,’ as it’s called, and I’m proud to finally call myself a rose.  Happy Leap Day.  ~ S.G. Rogers

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 novelette Clash of Wills is available at The Wild Rose Press and other fine booksellers.