Liberation by R.M. Krogman The Keepers of Midgate #1
Liberation by R.M. Krogman
Blurb
A prisoner scarred by his past, suffocating in his desert hell.
A crown prince bound by his family’s tragedy.
A myrprincess stripped of command and promised to a human.
All must shed the shackles that bind them, but the darkness of the world is spreading quickly—madness in the streets, a ravaging sickness of the body and mind, and enemies at every border. Those gifted with magic, those bonded to dragons, those with a heart for righting the wrongs in the world must decide how to use their abilities.
For with freedom to live comes the freedom to resist, to fight . . . and to kill.
Their battles stretch across continents but are more intertwined than they can possibly imagine. Liberation is the first book in The Keepers of Midgate series, an epic fantasy set in a world of powerful elemental magic, sentient but reclusive dragons, and fearsome magical races.
Author Interview
Rebecca M. Krogman is an epic and dark adult fantasy author from the central U.S.
Her debut novel LIBERATION is the first volume of a larger story set in Midgate, a medieval-inspired world of magic, mermaids, and wyverns. She has been developing the Keepers of Midgate epic since she was in high school. The main story line has changed little since then, only gaining more clarity and detail as the characters take on a life of their own. The world has grown in its depth of history, culture, and geography, spawning numerous side stories and prequels.
She loves nature, art, and food, which all funnel into her world-building. Her story’s settings span two continents and the sea between, encompassing a diversity of peoples, cultures, and creatures. She is working on a collection of recipes from Midgate, and she loves drawing scenes and characters from the books (although those sketches may never see the light of day).
When she’s not writing about Midgate, she’s penning fairy tale retellings.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey, please?
Publishing this book has been a long but educational and, ultimately, very satisfying process. As an independent author, I chose to follow this route because I desired above all that the book meet my standards in terms of story depth, themes, and art. Because of those standards, I put all of my energy into writing, listening to feedback, and learning the craft of storytelling. This story is precise as I dreamt it should be, raw with the mistakes and hurts of a dark world, rife with the ugliness of blind hatred and discrimination, and intertwined with the small shines of hope that glimmers through love and friendship. The cover and interior art are incredible, and I’ve had the chance to develop amazing relationships with those artists because of this publishing journey. I am continuing forward with this journey in Book 2!
How do you decide who to dedicate your books to?
This one was very easy: my middle school English teacher. She was the first person to see the real me and accept me. She valued my writing, and she encouraged my creativity, even when I wrote things middle schoolers shouldn’t write. I didn’t talk back then, and she seemed to understand that writing was the way I could best express myself.
What was the inspiration behind your latest release?
I don’t know where my ideas came from, but as I mentioned, the world of Midgate has been in my head since I was 14 years old. I read a lot back then too, and my favourite authors were Anne McCaffrey, J. R. R. Tolkien, Jane Yolen, and Michael Crichton.
Do you find it hard to let your characters go when you finish writing the book?
I did not, and I won’t for a while! The characters will continue through the third book of the trilogy, and a stand-alone sequel is already planned after that. I also have novellas providing backstory to at least two more of the characters planned.
I don’t plan to leave Midgate for a very long time.
Who is your favourite author?
Anne McCaffrey, The Dragonriders of Pern. Everything about it was wonderful to me: sentient dragons, fierce and resilient female MC, world-ending stakes, an alternate world blending fantasy and science. Perfection.
Was there a point in your life that a book helped you get through, and which one?
Not so much a book that helped me get through, but perhaps books that helped me understand. Two of my favorite books both examine humanity under duress: Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. Both are revealing and insightful regarding the choices we make when reduced to survival mode, and it can be terrifying, ugly, and every once in a while hopeful.
Is there anyone that you would like to mention and thank for their support of your writing?
Yes, I could not have written this book or any others without the support of my early readers and reviewers (especially my husband, T. Plyler, B. Martin, E. McDermott, J. DeBoer, and C. Anderson), my editor D. Garity, and my artists E. Dzamkova and M. Saad.
If you had the power to give everyone in the world one book, what would it be and why?
Hmm…Talk about a tough question! I suppose I ought to say Lord of the Flies because it is heartbreakingly beautiful. But I wish everyone had my book on their shelf too! 😀
What are you working on now?
I am about 35% through a developmental revision of Sundering, the second book in The Keepers of Midgate. I drafted a complete copy of Sundering last year, but it needs a good round of adjustments to better balance the story pacing, further develop various character relationships (lots of found family in this one), and move some things around that I ended up putting in Liberation. There is this one particular relationship that is cracking me up, between a very bad-tempered assassin and a snarky teenager-ish dragon, and I keep thinking to myself, This is why I’m revising. This wasn’t in here before, and it needed to be. After this revision, Sundering will be available to beta readers for review.
Lastly, do you have any questions for your readers?
Who/What is your favourite dragon from fantasy literature, and why?
Thank you so much for taking the time to be on my blog today. I am very grateful that you stopped by.
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