THE SECRET OF THE SWAMP KING by Jonathan Rogers

THE SECRET OF THE SWAMP KING by Jonathan Rogers. I've got to hand it to MR. Rogers, he's done a wonderful job of following up on young Aidan Errolson. He's now a few years older and a member of King DArrow's court. True to the biblical parallels with David, Aidan has incurred the jealous wrath of his king. He may be the most loyal member of King Darrow's court, but Aidan is sent on a suicide mission to the Feechiefen Swamp in order to retrieve the legendary Frog Orchid. King Darrow thinks to see the end of young Aidan, but he meets up with his friend Dobro and becomes a Feechie friend to all Feechies. There's someone impersonating the legendary Wilderking out in the Feechifen and Aidan must find out who is enslaving Feechies to the civilizers ways of war and commerce. This book has more action and more intrigue to it. I loved it and read it in two days. Highly recommended!--James Somers, author: The Chronicles of Soone.

THE BARK OF THE BOG OWL by Jonathan Rogers

Bark of the Bog Owl, by Jonathan Rogers was a book I actually thought I might not have much interest in. I was given the book to review and absolutely fell in love with the engaging story, great writing and fun characters. Can a fantasy story which lacks: dragons, elves, and magic really be so good? Oooh Yeeaah! There's plenty of action for young Aidan Errolson and his Feechie friend, Dobro Turtlebane. In fact, let me say that Dobro may be one of the most fun characters I've read about in a long time. There's nothing but page-turning-fun going on in this first book of the Wilderking trilogy. I got the first for free, but I had to go get the second and third myself and read both in two days apiece! The story stands out for its lessons on faith in the One God and for the inventive parallels with the story of young David from the bible. I highly recommend the entire series--James Somers, author: The Chronicles of Soone.

AND WE HAVE AN INTERVIEW WITH JONATHAN ROGERS:

1.) Is the Bark of the Bog Owl your first novel and how long did it take you to get published?

Yes, it was my first novel. I was blessed to find a publisher very quickly. I finished Book 1--or, rather, a version of Book 1--in December of 2002, my agent started shopping it around (as Book 1 of a trilogy) shortly after the new year, and it sold in the spring. I spent part of 2003 making edits--editor Gary Terishita asked me to make the book longer by about a third--and The Bark of the Bog Owl came out in the spring of 2004. So it was a pretty whirlwind-ish process. At the time I didn't appreciate how unusual that was.

2.) Did you go through the whole submission rejection thing before finding an agent and publisher or was it a quick process for you? [this is covered in the previous answer]

3.) How did you come by the decision to make parallels with your Aidan character and King David from the Bible?

Eugene Peterson gave me a whole new way of looking at David's story. His book Leap Over a Wall demonstrates how much narrative richness there is to be mined there. Peterson has a lot to say about the "earthiness" of David's story, and that had a big impact on me...though in the end, the "earthiest" people in the book are the feechie folks, not Aidan. Peterson got me thinking about David, but I have to say, I think my story gets better the farther it strays from David's story.

4.) Feechies have to be some of the most fun characters I've read about in some time. How did you come up with Dobro Turtlebane?

One summer I worked on a construction crew with a fellow whose hobby was hunting wild hogs in the swamp--without a gun. He had some dogs that would catch the hog by the ear, and he would tie it up and carry it out of the woods on a pole. He was about as earthy a fellow as you could ever hope to meet. I filed that guy away, and ten years later when I sat down to write the Wilderking, he became Dobro Turtlebane.

5.) Most fantasy novels revolve around Dragons and Elves and stuff like that. Was there a conscious effort on your part not to include these sort of characters in your Wilderking novels, and if so, why?

Yes, I suppose you'd say I made a conscious decision not to include dragons and elves. In my very first outlines of the story, I don't think I had quite decided whether the feechiefolk would be elfish, magical creatures or just swamp people. It didn't take long for me to decide it would be more fun if the feechies were so different from "civilizers" that they just seemed magical. So feechies can disappear, but not the way an elf or a sprite disappears. They disappear the way a snake disappears. I once saw a copperhead on a leaf-strewn trail, and in the second it took me to bring it to a friend's attention, the snake just melted into the leaves. Even knowing it was there, I still couldn't see it for ten seconds or more; the camouflage was that good. That's not magic, properly speaking, but the effect was very much the same as magic.

I guess you could say I went down the path of seeing how "magical" the natural world could be, and decided that, for my purposes, it was magical enough. If you've ever been to the Okefenokee Swamp or Mammoth Cave, it's hard to picture a fantasy setting that could be more fantastic. And though I've never encountered a dragon, I suspect it would be a lot like encountering an alligator.

In he original proposal for the Wilderking, there's a swamp goblin in Book 2. My wife talked me out of it. In a world with feechiefolks and alligators, she said, what do you need with a goblin?

6.) As a writer, would you consider yourself to be very disciplined and do you outline everything prior to beginning a novel or are you a spur-of-the-moment / seat of your pants type of writer?

I always have a good idea of where a story will end before I start writing. But I give the story a lot of freedom to unfold the way it wants to unfold. I always have an outline--sometimes detailed, sometimes not--but I'm never afraid to throw out the outline. And I always expect a lot of treasures to reveal themselves after I've started writing. Here's an example: When it was time to hunker down and finish Book 3 of the trilogy, I went to my in-laws' farm in South Georgia to write. Eating supper at a restaurant, one of the locals (a man I had only met that night) sat down at my table and got to telling about a bar fight he had gotten mixed up in. Within twelve hours, a feechiefied version of that story was in the book, in the exact form it exists now. (If you've read The Way of the Wilderking, it's the scrape Aidan and Dobro get into at Ma Pearl's public house). It was never in any outline, but it's a pretty important scene in the book.

I like what Anne Lamott says about writing a book. It's like driving at night: you can't see very far ahead, but you can see far enough. You can't see around the next curve, but by the time you get there, your headlights will provide you with the illumination you need to negotiate around it.

7.) What would you say the greatest change in your writing has been since becoming published?
[blank]

8.) What key piece of advice would you give to writers who are struggling to get published in today's Christian marketplace?

Hmmm...I don't know about giving advice to hypothetical people--people whose real situation I don't know. But I do have a few general remarks on the subject of publishing.

I have a cousin who builds houses, and he tells his clients, "If you weren't happy before you got a granite countertop, you probably aren't going to be happy after you get a granite countertop." Which is to say, a big, fancy house won't make your life fulfilling. Likewise, if you weren't happy before getting a book published, you probably won't be happy after getting a book published. Don't look to the things of the world to do what they can't possibly do for you. I do think that's an important thing to keep in perspective.

On a related note, we all hope our writing will have an impact on the people who read it--I know I do. But it's helpful to remember that the people we're really going to have an impact on are the people we see every day. I say that by way of encouragement. People who are "struggling to get published in today's Christian marketplace" are going through the struggle (hopefully) because they want to make a difference in people's lives. If that's your earnest desire, you can be sure you'll have opportunity to do that, whether you get published or not. If there were some way of totalling up such things, I know I've had more influence (for good or for ill) on the people God has put in my life than on everybody who has read my books put together. I realize that we're not talking about a huge number of people who have read my books, but I suspect the same would be true for most authors.

9.) What made you decide to join up with the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy blog tour?
[I'm afraid I don't have anything interesting to say on this topic: Rebecca Miller asked if I was interested, and I said yes--though I'm still not clear on what a blog tour is, exactly.]

10.) What are you working on now and should we be looking out for new novels from you in the near future? If so, can you give us a teaser to whet our appetites?

I have started a novel for grown-ups. It's neither science fiction nor fantasy, but a quiet book about a quiet life well-lived.

Thanks so much for doing the interview and for writing such an enjoyable series of novels. I look forward to reading what you come up with next.

Thanks for having me on your blog, James. It's been a pleasure.

ETHAN HAWK and the REALM SHIFT

Well, I just couldn't wait any longer. I've already dived into my next novel and series start-up for Ethan Hawk. I've got the prologue done and will soon finish chapter one for "Ethan Hawk and the Realm Shift."

The story begins with Ethan, now over one hundred years old, telling his own story to a group of children in the city of Emmanuel in the kingdom of Nod. As idolatry becomes prevalent and the people begin to move steadily away from the Most High God, the old storyteller has come to tell of the days when a Deliverer was sent from God to bring the people back to his fellowship and to deliver them from their oppressors. None of the children realize that he is the Deliverer the story is talking about...at least not yet.

THE CHRONICLES OF SOONE COMPLETE!

Well, almost anyway...I've just finished the chapter outlines for the remaining two books in my Chronicles of Soone series. Tentative subtitles are:

The Chronicles of Soone: War Machine

The Chronicles of Soone: Apocalypse

I really hope these and Rise of Lucin get a chance with a Christian Publisher--yep, I'm still waiting to hear what the verdict will be on COS: Rise of Lucin. But in the meantime I've been able to not only outline these, but four novels for my next series, Ethan Hawk, as well. This will all save me a ton of actual writing time when it comes down to it. Please continue to keep me in your prayers for this publishing contract! I've heard back from two publishers which have declined publication--the third is undecided at this time. The Lord's will be done!

ETHAN HAWK and the REALM SHIFT

I'm very excited about the new series I'm working on at the moment. This one has Nephilim as the enemy and used in a way I haven't seen yet. Ethan Hawk is God's young Deliverer in the story, only he doesn't realize it yet (in Moses-esque fashion). He will be empowered more like a judge though, as God has given him special gifts to utilize in the fulfillment of prophecy in this fictional world and the Kingdom of Nod.

I've just finished completely outlining 31 chapters for the first book and I'm planning on continuing to outline the second book now as well. I don't want to get into writing another novel until I hear news about Chronicles of Soone: Rise of Lucin with these publishers. On another positive note: I've just completed a complete revision of COS: Heir to the King (already published with Breakneck books). I'm not sure what will be done with it--remain at Breakneck or what--but I intend for this much needed revision to come out some way. Stay tuned...

Update: I've just completed chapter outlines for the entire four novel ETHAN HAWK series. The fantasy anthology, LEGENDS & FABLES may appear on amazon.com as early as next month which has my "A World Within" story in it. I sure do hope to hear from my agent soon, with good news on Chronicles of Soone: Rise of Lucin. The waiting game is the hardest part of being an author from what I 've experienced so far...I would gladly swap a deadline for it!

The RETURN by AUSTIN BOYD

The Return by Austin Boyd: With nothing left for him on Earth, Rear Admiral John Wells didn't hesitate to lead a third NASA team to Mars, but he never dreamed that one day they'd look out their laboratory module into the lights of a slow-moving vehicle not their own. In the third installment of the Mars Hill Classified series, life on Mars becomes increasingly more unpredictable as the past collides with the future and nothing, not even the dead, is as it seems.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, the fate of hundreds, including John Wells' family--presumed dead these last six years--rests precariously in the hands of Malcolm Raines, self-proclaimed Guardian of the Mother Seed and Principal Cleric of Saint Michael's Remnant, and his insidious plans for the Father Race.
Wells will find himself in a race against time and all odds to expose the truth: about Mars, about Malcolm Raines, and, if he's very brave, about himself.

Austin Boyd: A Navy pilot, nuclear weapons officer, and spacecraft engineer, Austin Boyd flew three thousand hours in war and peacetime operations, designed satellites, and built classified systems to track terrorists. A world traveler, NASA Astronaut Finalist, and inventor with multiple patents, he served in key Navy space assignments before retiring to Huntsville, Alabama, where he lives with Cindy, his wife of twenty-eight years, and their four children. He continues to support NASA, military space, and aviation through his work with a major defense contractor. An active Christian, Boyd has served in a variety of lay ministries devoted to evangelism, stewardship, and crisis pregnancy. In addition to writing the Mars Hill Classified series, Boyd has also penned dozens of technical articles about space issues and has written award-winning poetry.

REVIEW: This fast-paced thriller is sure to please fans of the Mars Hill series. Boyd’s third adventure is filled with danger and suspense. The characters are strongly written and even readers who have not read the prior books in the series will enjoy The Return. Boyd tackles tough topics such as cloning, space exploration and colonizing Mars. All of these topics can be found in some form or another in our media today. The Return will give readers a glimpse of what life might be like were any of these things to happen in our lifetime. While it’s scary to even think about, these issues do need be thought through and Boyd brings them to life in a believable way to allow readers to do just that. --Jill Hart

Ethan Hawk and the Realm Shift

I'm about to begin my next series start-up entitled: Ethan Hawk and the Realm Shift. This will be another young adult Christian Fantasy novel series...yes, I write new start-ups before finishing the remaining books for other series. It keeps boredom away and besides, I'm waiting with the hope of selling one to a big commercial Christian publisher. So, that's more opportunities to sell something and then write the sequels under a contract!

Anywho, Ethan Hawk and the Realm Shift incorporates Nephilim in a way I've not seen before and should be really cool. I'm going to be trying a different writing technique: plotting out the whole thing chapter by chapter before I ever begin writing. This is new to me--normally a seat of his pants--get in the mood writer.

I'm still waiting to hear news on The Chronicles of Soone: Rise of Lucin from my agent, Gregg Wooding. Hopefully, I'll get good news to share in the days ahead.

James

ISLE OF SWORDS has ARRIVED MATEY!

Hey folks...I just happened to find WAyne Batson's new book, ISLE OF SWORDS, yesterday! I wasn't expecting it to be out yet...but I got it bundled with a free copy of The Door Within-lost chapters version...two for one! You can't beat that. I just looked at my wife with puppy dog eyes and she gave in and let me buy it!

I'm already about 1/3 of the way through it and its very good--very piratey! I can tell WAyne has been vegging out on Pirates of the Carribean and probably an abundance of piratey research, because you really get the feeling your onboard.

I'll not give away any of the story, but its very engaging, as WAyne's writing style is very engaging in all that he has written.

I also am reading The Bark of the Bog Owl, by Jonathan Rogers and this is a very different writing style, but very good as well. I would highly recommend both of the books at this point!

LEGEND OF THE FIREFISH by GEORGE BRYAN POLIVKA

From Publishers Weekly: Swashbuckling is the best way to describe Book One of the Trophy Chase Trilogy. Without wasting time, Polivka's first novel drops readers into a fantasy world filled with action, where chivalry is alive and well, and sword fights are frequent. Packer Throme—a failed seminarian turned master swordsman—sets out on a great quest, but not in search of fame. He hopes to honor God by stowing away on (former) pirate Scatter Wilkins's ship Trophy Chase, convincing its captain and crew to seek the legendary firefish—a feat that could raise Packer's fishing village from poverty and win the heart of his longtime love, the beautiful Panna Seline. Happily, Polivka gives this heroine a backbone, not to mention a mighty right hook and her own part to play in this adventure. "It was wrong to have let her, and thousands of young women just like her, believe they had no power, no strength, and therefore could have no place or position," Panna reflects angrily about the plight of women. Though the Packer-Panna romance finds considerable ink, this is a tale almost entirely of pirates, warriors, stormy seas and battles with monsters. The Christian message is palpable, and Polivka's characters relatively complex. With the nonstop action that cuts between multiple story lines, readers will be flipping pages eagerly.

"I am one soldier in a great army of many, many thousands who have been enchanted and changed by the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. When I first ventured into Middle Earth, the outcome of the battle between good and evil, between creation and destruction within my own soul was far from certain. In a very real way the eternal loyalties of my heart were forged in Narnia. It is therefore my sincerest prayer that you will find your journey into the Kingdom of Nearing Vast worthy, if only in some small measure, of so rich a heritage, and so complete a victory.”—George Bryan Polivka, author of Legend of the Firefish

LISTEN TO THE PREACHER!

Hey, guys for any of you who may be interested...I have a preaching broadcast which you can listen to via the WEB on Sundays from 1pm-1:30pm. These are sermons from the services at Grace Baptist Church where I pastor. Just click on the link to the right in the sidebar (on Sundays 1pm) and you'll hear the "KEEP ON THE FIRING LINE" BROADCAST.

Hey and Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing -a Christian imprint of Random House- also has the manuscript reviewing it!

MORE NEWS FROM BETHANY'S EDITOR

NERVOUS!? What do you mean I look nervous?! No, of course I'm not nervous!

Well, maybe just a little...it seems like the more good news I get the more nervous it makes me on this whole getting my book published business.

Bethany's editor has just told my agent: "Based on the strength of what I’d read previously I’m getting some reviews of the work from Fantasy/Sci-Fi readers. Their opinions will help shape our next step. I won’t have a response based on those comments until late August."

Now, to me that sounds like great news and a step forward. Of course, what if those readers don't like the book? Well, that is a valid question. But the first book (which in my very self critical opinion is not as well written as Rise of Lucin) has received very good reviews from over at Amazon.com and of course my friend, Wayne Batson, was also kind enough to give the first book a wonderful glowing review--gracious words indeed. So, hopefully, since these are fans of the genre who will be doing these reviews for the publisher, they will be very pleased with Chronicles: Rise of Lucin and the book may go forward another step in the gauntlet we call publishing.

I'm not gonna bite my nails--I'm just going to keep on praying for it--His will be done!

James

Anthology Cover & More Great News!!

Well, for anyone interested, here is the artwork for the upcoming Fantasy Anthology I'm going to be a part of. The Anthology is scheduled to come out in October 2007 and will feature my initial short story version of my new novel: A WORLD WITHIN along with twenty something other fantasy short stories. I get a free copy of the anthology as payment, but I keep all rights (very good since I'm going on with this one to do a complete trilogy of novels). My agent said it will still be good as a publishing credit to make me more marketable. I'm personally just glad someone enjoyed the initial offering and wanted to publish it. Big thanks to author, William Kooiker for getting me an invitation to submit before it became an open call.

Another great chunk of news: TSABA HOUSE PUBLISHING, the same who publish Christopher Hopper's WHITE LION CHRONICLES have asked my agent for the manuscript for THE CHRONICLES OF SOONE: Rise of Lucin. For anyone unfamiliar with Christopher Hopper and his Christian fantasy series, he was one of the four authors on the Fantasy Four book tour with our friend Wayne Batson. Now I know you all know who he is! Anyway, I'm praying for good news on COS: Rise of Lucin from these publishers. That is two out of four publishers, including BETHANY HOUSE, which have now finished the initial book proposal and sample chapters from ICRS last month and have asked for more. I'll take all the prayers I can get on this! Muchas Gracias, Me Amigos!

New Wayne Batson Sci-fi Forum!

Hey everyone, check out the new forum for author WAyne Thomas Batson over at Sci-fi Fantasy World.com HERE'S THE LINK....join in and spread the word on Christian FAntasy!

FEARLESS: by ROBIN PARRISH

The Christian Sci-fi / Fantasy Blog Tour presents author Robin Parrish and his new novel, FEARLESS, the second in The Dominion Trilogy! And be sure to check out the latest reviews and news at BETHANY HOUSE and on our other author blogs! Robin is also the creator and chief editor of INFUZE MAGAZINE--check it out for all manner of coverage on christian entertainment today!

"The world changed after that terrible day when the sky burned, and now every heart is gripped by fear
Earthquakes, fire, disease, and floods pummel the earth, and its citizens watch in horror.
But in the darkness there is hope—an anonymous but powerful hero whom the public dubs "Guardian" emerges from the wreckage. He is Grant Borrows, one a chosen few who walk the earth with extraordinary powers. They travel the globe, helping those in deepest peril and determined to uncover the secret behind this world-shattering cataclysm.
But when signs of a dangerous ancient prophecy begin coming true, dark questions arise about secrets Grant might still be harboring.
The world teeters on the brink.But some refuse to let it fall.
They are:Fearless"

MANUSCRIPT REQUESTED BY PUBLISHER!

Hey guys, after only one week from the time my agent pitched the book proposal for The Chronicles of Soone: The Rise of Lucin, a publisher has requested the whole manuscript!!

This is very exciting news and my agent said it was the fastest response to a proposal he's gotten after a pitch at the International Christian Retailers Show! I certainly hope that means good things! BETHANY HOUSE is the publisher, so pray for me that all goes well and most of all that all will go according to God's will for me in this! Three other publishers are still looking at the proposal, so only the Lord knows what will happen.

Chronicles would be one of the few Sci-fi fantasy allegories I know of in the Christian Fiction realm...many are based around knights and dragons and themes like that, but COS is very STar WArs in style...so we'll see!

CHRONICLES: ROL UNDER REVIEW!

THE CHRONICLES OF SOONE: THE RISE OF LUCIN is currently under review by several Christian Publishers including: Multnomah, Bethany House, Tsaba House and Kregel. My agent Gregg Wooding just finished shopping it around at the recent International Christian Retailers Show in Atlanta and said all of the meetings for the book went well. Now it is just a matter of waiting to see what happens. But I trust the Lord Jesus Christ has all things under control and if it be HIS will for the book to be published by one of these publishers then it will surely be done. Of course this book cover is the former cover done by Breakneck Books who were set to publish the book until it came under Mr. Woodings representation--It's still a great cover though. Keep me in prayer - that the Lord's will be done in this. It would be a wonderful opportunity to see the series and those to follow get great exposure.

FINALLY GOT TO MEET WAYNE!

Well, I finally got to meet Christian Fantasy author, Wayne Thomas Batson, of the wonderful Door Within trilogy. Of course Wayne has been a great help to me, by reviewing my Chronicles of Soone novel and referring me to his agent, Gregg Wooding. Since that time, The Chronicles of Soone: The Rise of Lucin has been represented by Mr. Wooding and just recently shopped around at the International Christian Retailers Show in Atlanta to major Christian publishers. If not for Wayne, the book and series may not have gotten much of a chance. It can be hard to get a foot in the door in the publishing business. I found him to a terrific guy and he also introduced me to his cohorts on the Fantasy Four book tour, currently making its way around the southeast: Sharon Hinck, Christopher Hopper and Bryan Davis...all very friendly.

Stay tuned as we hope to hear good news about my agent's meetings with publishers regarding The Chronicles of Soone!

JUST WAITING AROUND?

Well, I'm sort of waiting at the bus stop at the moment, although alot is still going on. My agent is getting ready to pitch my novel, The Chronicles of Soone: The Rise of Lucin to some large christian publishers at this year's International Christian Retailers Show in Atlanta. However I'm very busy with the new pastorate at Grace Baptist Church in Harriman, TN and with trying to get up to speed with the activity already taking place at the church with vacation bible school coming up in a week. New members are ready to join, a few are ready to be baptized and I'm right in the middle of moving my family to the area from two hours away.

Writing-wise I'm right in the middle of my new christian young adult fantasy novel, A WORLD WITHIN (which now has two audio episodes ready to go on my website--jamessomersonline.com).

I've not been nearly as active recently on the blog or the web with all of the new happenings and preparation for the ICRS with my agent, but that just means there's alot going on off camera!

God bless,

James

I AM NOW A PASTOR

As of yesterday's vote, I am now the new Pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Harriman, TN!!

PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS GRACE TOWARD ME AND MY FAMILY!

I've long hoped the Lord would call me to a pastorate and that prayer and dream has now come to fruition. I believe the pastorate is the highest calling in all of the earth and I'm truly honored to have the privilege to serve the Lord in this ministry.

WINNERS READ CHRONICLES OF SOONE!

Wanna be a winner? Get a Chronicles of Soone shirt!

Okay, maybe that's a big exaggeration, but John, the son of AMG author, Sarah Onderdonk has just scored big in a locally held competition way out there in Texas...(it's like a whole other country).

John is the fellow in the light blue "Chronicles of Soone" T-SHIRT made available through my publisher BREAKNECK BOOKS. Get yours today and be a winner...stretching again, I know.