THE STORY BEHIND
THE SCENES: THE GREEN ROSE by Stephanie Burkhart
Ingredients for a
Fantasy
1 pinch of honey
1 silver spoon
a bouquet of
flowers, preferably green roses
a couple of
swords and dragons
and a healthy
imagination.
Mix well, and
don't forget the magic to hold it all together and you've got: The Green
Rose. J
One place that I
enjoy hanging out and that has really helped me grow as a writer is http://www.writing.com. I've been a member since 2004 and a
Moderator since 2007. It's a wonderful source of information for new and
aspiring writers. In fact, I'm one of the editors on the Romance/Love
Newsletter. You can find my "port"
at: http://www.writing.com/main/portfolio/view/sgcardin
On occasion, I
like to participate in the contests offered at Writing.com. I was cruising the
contest list in 2008 when I found one that intrigued me. The prompt was simple:
write a story about a flower, a spoon, and honey.
I knew right away
I wanted to write a fantasy story with those ingredients. Magic would be the "egg"
that held the story together. I wrote a 1,000 word story where the hero, Ivánstan,
approaches three witches to ask them for the green rose. Before they give it to
him, he has to solve a riddle. Can Ivánstan outwit the witches?
The short story
was well received on writing.com, earning a 10K Awardicon. It was such fun to
write, I knew I wanted to expand on it. In 2010, I approached Gail Delaney at
Desert Breeze and showed her the story. She offered it a contract.
The last couple
of ingredients fell into place with "Game of Thrones." Last year HBO
released season one and I fell in love with the visual presentation of the
series. (and Daenerys' dragons!) Now that I had the visual setting for "The
Green Rose," I was ready to write Ivánstan's story.
REVIEWS FOR THE GREEN ROSE:
5 Stars, Scorching Book Reviews
I don't read much romantic fantasy, but this was so well
structured and so lovely, I could not put it down.
Stephenia Mcgee, Author "A Legacy of Lies"
Stephanie Burkhart weaves a delightful blend of action,
intrigue and adventure into her fantasy romance, The Green Rose.
Regina Andrews, Author of "Destiny's Designs"
"The Green Rose" reaches the reader on an emotional
level that rings very true and very sincere.
BLURB:
Eight hundred years ago on the continent of Gaia, war rocked
the countries of N'Gasse, Tapin, Daháka, and Ravenrock. The fearsome
wyldebeasts of the black east threatened to destroy the known world. King Xeres
of Daháka gathered the most powerful magicians of Gaia along with Queen Rhysia
of N'Gasse, King Erik of Ravenrock, and Nyla, the High Priestess of Tapin at
Komodo Field.
Daháka brought pollen taken from the bees of the Tagrassé
Forest. N'Gasse brought sap from the old mahogany trees. Tapin presented dust
from falcon eggs. Ravenrock offered a rose. Together, they forged the
indestructible green rose, a harbinger of powerful magic.
Using the green rose, the nobles and peoples of Gaia fought
the wyldebeasts, led by the dark wizard, Augustin. Once the evil threat was defeated,
the Eastern Wall was built along Ravenrock's borders to keep the foul
wyldebeasts out of Gaia. Ravenrock was given the responsibility of guarding the
50,000 kilometer granite barrier.
King Xeres feared those who harbored evil in their hearts
would seek the green rose. He tasked three witches to guard the flower and sent
them into the heart of Tagrassé Forest.
Now, hundreds of years later, the peace of Gaia is once again
threatened.
Enjoy this excerpt:
"Ivánstan,
look." Sonia pointed. In the distance, the river widened. A small island
came into view. Several birch trees and bushes surrounded a sturdy looking
brick house with a distended chimney.
"Ah, the witches.
Draco, stay close. We don't want to upset them."
"Aye."
"I sense an unusual warmth inviting us closer, perhaps?"
"I do as well. I believe it's an enchantment."
"Alerting the
witches?"
"Aye." He paused. "Well done, by the way -- reaching out with your magical senses."
"I have a skilled
teacher."
"Thank you, but I
think you'll find the more you use magic, the more you grow comfortable with
it."
The island grew closer,
but Ivánstan couldn't find any activity with his eyesight. Where were the
witches?
A small dock came into
view on the northeast corner of the island. Ivánstan and Sonia guided their
horses to a spot across from the island docks. He motioned to stop and
dismounted. Sonia did the same.
"Draco, stay close
to us. Don't approach the isle."
"Aye."
His dragon landed next to Sonia.
"What now?" she asked.
"I'm not quite sure.
How do we obtain the witches' attention?" He scrubbed his hand across the
back of his neck.
He didn't have to ponder
the question long. The ropes securing a boat to the dock began to unravel, and
the small vessel journeyed across the water, coming to rest alongside the
shore. Ivánstan glanced across the water toward the brick house. The chimney
began puffing smoke, but he did not see any witches.
"I wonder why they
stay in the house?" Sonia mused.
"Curious. Certainly
the boat is an invitation to the island." Ivánstan led his horse to a
nearby tree and Sonia did the same.
"Draco, stay
here."
His dragon snorted.
"Hiro, I want you to stay as well and watch over the horses," said Sonia. The falcon flew off her shoulder and perched on a nearby tree limb.
"Are you
ready?" he asked.
"Aye."
Ivánstan steeled his
shoulders before stepping into the boat. He held out his hand to Sonia. Their
eyes locked. The weight of the moment washed over him. He could not leave
without the rose.
Sonia's grasp was firm,
but the second she placed her foot on the wood, she flew backward and landed on
the dirt. Quickly, she scampered to her feet.
Book Trailer:
The Green Rose is available as an ebook only.
BUY LINKS:
PUBLISHER'S SITE Desert Breeze Publishing
About the author: Stephanie is a member of Generation X, and was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. After graduating from Central High, the U.S. Army gave her a job. She spent eleven years in the military, seven stationed in Germany. After leaving the Army in 1997, she settled in California.
FIND Stephanie Burkhart ON THE WEB AT:
WEBSITE:
TWITTER:
FACEBOOK:
GOOD READS:
YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
15 comments:
Having read this one, I can say that it's wonderful. Steph is very talented and this story shows that again.
How cool that the story originated from a writing prompt. Your bookcover is splendid and the story is intriguing.
Karen, thanks so much for having me here today. I always enjoy visiting you. Jillian, you are the bestest, Sweetie. You know I can't catch my own typos to save my life so I appreciat you taking a proofreading look at my stories. ((hugs))
Maggie, I've learned inspiration doesn't come from the typicial places with me. hehe. The book cover is dazzling, isn't it?
Smiles
Steph
Hi Steph,
I've never read anything with dragons. Your story sounds really good. Love the book cover. Very eye-catching. :)
I always love to know. Is this going to be a series or just one book?
Good morning Everyone! Thanks for joining us.
Steph,
It is my pleasure to have you here. Love your Budapest Moon books and your steampunk adventure, Victorian Scoundrel. I'm sure to love this book as well.
And the cover-- Beautiful!
Cathy, it's a stand alone book. I hadn't planned on a series, but it certainly can be expanded into one if there's enough readers who shout out for it.
:) Steph
Karen, I enjoy your stories as well. I love your paranormal/steampunk stuff. We're writing sisters of the heart. hehe
Smiles
Steph
Wow! I can't believe you came up with a short story based on 3 items. Do you find it harder to write short stories or full length novels?
Linda, I find it harder to write the full length novels. There's a lot more involved. I "cut" my craft on short stories. They come pretty easy to me.
Smiles
Steph
Hi Stephanie,
Your story sounds really good. I'll have to add it my Wish List. It keeps growing.
I loved Game of Throne. Though they killed off some of my favorite characters on the first season.
I love the legend you've built behind the Green Rose. So vivid and imaginative. I haven't read fantasy in several years but this sounds like such a great, intriguing read, I may have to dive into the genre again!
Wonderful post!
Katrina, I need to catch up on this season of Game of Thrones. It's been a busy spring, but I have to admit, I was pretty bummed with Ned was killed in season 1. I loved his character!
Mae, I had such a fun time writing this story. It flowed very well and practically wrote itself.
Smiles
Steph
Lovely. I enjoyed the trailer and the excerpt. And the book cover is gorgeous. You are a talented writer.
Thanks Mona, Caina did a wonderful job on the cover.
Smiles
Steph
Steph, have to love those WDC prompts and where they sometimes lead! Kudos for this one leading so far. :-)
Lorraine, i love being on WDC. It's really a great place to help an aspiring writer.
Smiles
Steph
Post a Comment