Rogue Princess
B.R. Myers
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: January 21st 2020
Genres: Retelling, Science Fiction, Young Adult
A princess fleeing an arranged marriage teams up with a snarky commoner to foil a rebel plot in B. R. Myers’ Rogue Princess, a gender-swapped sci-fi YA retelling of Cinderella.
Princess Delia knows her duty: She must choose a prince to marry in order to secure an alliance and save her failing planet. Yet she secretly dreams of true love, and feels there must be a better way. Determined to chart her own course, she steals a spaceship to avoid the marriage, only to discover a handsome stowaway.
All Aidan wanted was to “borrow” a few palace trinkets to help him get off the planet. Okay, so maybe escaping on a royal ship wasn’t the smartest plan, but he never expected to be kidnapped by a runaway princess!
Sparks fly as this headstrong princess and clever thief battle wits, but everything changes when they inadvertently uncover a rebel conspiracy that could destroy their planet forever.
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Interview With B.R. Myers
Tell us about ROGUE PRINCESS. What inspired you to write it?
[MYERS]: ROGUE PRINCESS is a gender swapped retelling of Cinderella set on the futuristic planet of Astor.
The idea came to me while I was writing a story in which the main character was working on a perfume campaign. The ad was a reimagining of Rapunzel, but instead of a princess being kept in a tower, it was a businessman trapped in a high rise office building. After those characters found their happily ever after I started thinking about my next project. The notion of another gender swapped retelling appealed to me and right away I thought of Cinderella. I hadn’t intended to have a sci-fi angle to the story, but I clearly remember the ‘shoe fits’ scene coming to me fully developed, and I was intrigued.
What has writing ROGUE PRINCESS meant to you?
[MYERS]: With the two points of view, the story unfolds as each character influences the other’s motivations and wants; Princess Delia secretly terrified of making the wrong choice starts to depend on Aidan’s perception, and Aidan, woefully unaware his own risk taking is due to lack of self-preservation, begins to consider a possible future with her.
As I wrote this story, it was so satisfying to watch these characters make risky decisions, choosing to put everything on the line in the name of true love. I laughed and cried and cheered them on. I hope you do too.
Tell us about this new world where the story is set? How is it similar or different than ours? Or rather, how will this world offer familiarity and estrangement to readers?
[MYERS]: Astor is a resource strapped planet that is dependent upon trade with its neighboring planets for much needed energy sources as the mines dried up generations ago. There are two distinct areas; the wealthier area close to the mountain and the palace, and then the Dark District, which is home to the abandoned mines, scrap metal station, and of course Pirate’s Canyon deep in the desert.
Which character in the story do you most relate to? What can you tell us about the major players in this story?
[MYERS]: I’m not sure who I relate to the most, they all seem much more interesting than myself.
Princess Delia is at the mercy of her birthright to rule over Astor, having to consider the best possible option for her world with every decision…including which prince to wed. She has never questioned her obligation and is expected to continue to put the crown first, never her own feelings. As her mother, the queen, tells her, “Contentment comes from wisdom and making choices that are based on logic. That is where you will find your true fulfillment. Immersing yourself in your emotions is a luxury a queen cannot afford.”
But then she meets Aidan, and soon her belief system is uprooted. She is faced with evidence that the crown she has honored her whole life, is tarnished with injustice of the very people she perceives to be protecting.
Aidan’s story on the other hand is about his desperate need to escape his cruel stepfamily, all the while giving the impression he is aloof and unaffected by the neglect. At heart, Aidan has an impressive capacity for kindness and charity, which he keeps well hidden under his sarcastic armour. However, when he meets Princess Delia, something deep inside ignites, making him rationalize the choice to put his own plans on hold to help her, thereby setting up a string of events that bring them unwittingly closer to a fatal destiny.
What themes are present in ROGUE PRINCESS? And what do you hope readers will gain as they venture into the story?
[MYERS]: True love! I hope readers are entertained, startled, and satisfied.
Any special scenes you loved but had to cut?
[MYERS]: I rewrote the ending three times! The original ending featured the young boy, Tomas and the coin Princess Delia had originally given his father after their attempted attack. However, that version required a large passage of time and ended up slowing down the pace of novel. I also ended up deleting an epilogue that was several generations into the future.
What was the best and worst (or rather, most difficult) parts about writing this story?
[MYERS]: I don’t enjoy putting characters I love through the darkest moments of their soul when they feel all is lost. Without given too much away, I’ll say the hardest part to write was the moment between Aidan and Delia when they’re meeting under the tree.
Random fun question: If ROGUE PRINCESS had a theme song, what would it be?
[MYERS]: Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler.
Is this a series or standalone? If series, where do you see this story going? What kind of readers will most likely LOVE it?
[MYERS]: Rogue Princess is a standalone. Any reader who enjoys retellings, witty dialogue, swoony romance, clever plot twists, and adventure mixed with space pirates will enjoy this book.
What messages or insights do you hope readers will take from ROGUE PRINCESS?
[MYERS]: True love comes in all forms and being romantic is believing that anything is possible, even the impossible.
Author Bio:
B.R. Myers spent most of her teen years behind the covers of Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, and Lois Duncan. When she’s not putting her characters in awkward situations she works as a registered nurse. A member of the Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia, she lives in Halifax with her husband and their two children.
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What do you think of ROGUE PRINCESS? Is it something you’d love to read?