Hello! This time, I’m featuring Helen Rygh-Pederson, who was on here last year for an SPFBO 8 Spotlight with Waking Ursa Minor. Helen is back again in this year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off with a novel featuring plant magic:
The Briar Crown
They say love conquers all… but can the conquered ever love the conqueror?
Twenty-five years ago, there was life. Twenty-five years ago, there was peace when the descendants of the dryads and naiads kept all life in balance. Until one fateful night when the Oderbergs invaded, executed the royal house of Domonov and took Domovnia for their own, ruling with an iron fist and an edict of fear.
Roslyn Pleveli, like most of the orphans of that night, wants revenge and an end to the persecution of her kind. Yet, even if the Domovnian’s use of magic was permitted, she wouldn’t be much help, able to command only a few lowly weeds. But everything changes when she saves the life of an injured young man in the forest not knowing it was the prince of the Oderbergs himself. Ordered to see to the rest of his treatment, Roslyn is snatched from her home and all that she loves by his soldiers.
Now, in the Oderberg stronghold, she has the chance to change things. With the royal family within her grasp all she has to do to free her people is kill them… but can she do it, or will something more powerful than revenge heal the wounds of the past?
Is it just my love of plants, or is that a gorgeous cover?
Either way, onto the Questions!
As a Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) Entrant, you’re not just independently published, but self-published. Can you start by explaining a bit about why you chose that route and how it’s been for you?
I decided to independently publish as I wanted full control of my work. I wanted to chose the cover designer, work with an editor that I had chosen, not be told to cut out bits that I love and also publish on my own time scale. When I am finished with a book, I want it in the hands of readers, not sitting around for another couple of years.
Whilst I do get all those things, it has been a major learning curve as not only am I an author but I have to do all the other jobs or project manage and allocate to my team. I am still very much at the beginning and am still learning.
I relate strongly to all of this!
On a related note, why did you enter the SPFBO contest? How do you expect to find it? Refreshing your blog’s page every five minutes, or sit back and chill?
I entered last year with my epic fantasy and really enjoyed meeting new writers and readers. The competition does give you more publicity, so that’s always a plus too. My first year I was constantly refreshing my blog’s page but I think this year, I know what is coming so I will just sit back and enjoy the process (or try to anyway!).
I think that is the best – if one can manage it!
Book titles. Why did you choose the title, The Briar Crown? (By the way, I keep misspelling it The Briary Crown.)
Great question. Well, The Briar Crown is actually a magical object in the book, the crown of the descendants of the dryads, one half of a pair that keeps nature in balance. It also fits rather well with other titles in the fantasy romance genre so I think it explains pretty clearly what type of book you are getting into, especially with the cover design my wonderful cover artist came up with.
I love that cover design! And I like this dryads theme!
I won’t ask for your favourite scene since I know some people don’t have those (like me; I never have favourites), but can you share a (non-spoiler) scene where you just can’t believe how awesome it is every time you go back to re-read it? Or share something a character you love!
The MC is a Domovnian and they have a magic or Affinity with plants. Now, there are several steps in this hierarchy as to which plants you have power over, but Roslyn is the lowest, a hedgie and her Affinity is with nettles and dandelions. There is a scene in the book where she demonstrates her power, and for the first time thinks of it as a power and turns a field of dandelions into a field of dandelion clocks or wishes. It was so much fun to write and, it was so strange, when I was editing that scene, I was listening to some random person’s playlist on Spotify and the song Dandelion by Ruth B came on and ! Oh, my goodness! It was so perfect and has become the unofficial song of The Briar Crown in my head.
That sounds like a really fun scene! I love dandelions, by the way 😀
What are some elements or themes, or combinations thereof, that really make your book stand out to you?
In The Briar Crown, our MC has affinity with plants that are considered weeds, useless and annoying. She is also not very skilled in her magic, there for she thinks of herself as useless. The more you learn about “weeds” you see that they are in fact the opposite of useless and can be used to heal, to clothe, to nourish. There is much more to them than meets the eye and that is a lesson that Roslyn has to learn. So, it is about seeing the beauty and utility in everything, of believing in others and yourself and that everyone has something to offer, something that makes them special.
Oh, neat! I’m really enjoying how many fantasy books that show how awesome ‘weeds’ really are, I’ve been coming across lately! It is so unfair the disdain and hate some of these ‘weeds’ gather from some people. 🙂
And with that, what’s next for you?
As I have two series on the go; Riverda Rising (epic fantasy) and The Zemkoska Chronicles (fantasy romance), my next step is to work towards completing them. I am hoping to have Riverda Book 2 out later this year, and if I really get cracking, perhaps another installment in The Zemkoska Chronicles.
I am also looking into getting audiobooks recorded, so if that if your preferred medium then do keep an ear out for that.
Thank you for sharing that with us! I wish you the best of luck, and a very productive year – but not a stressful one!
Reading and writing are two things Helen has been heavily involved with from a young age. She could always be found with her nose in a book, especially on long car journeys, or with a notebook in hand.
After a brief career teaching languages in the UK she moved to Norway with her family where she reignited her passion for creating worlds.
When she isn’t planning and writing, or spending time with her family, she can be found knitting, sewing, and of course, reading.
You can find Helen on
You can check out Helen’s SPFBO 9 entry, The Briar Crown on Goodreads or StoryGraph, or get from most retailers here.
Her SPFBO 8 entry, Waking Ursa Minor, is also available from most retailers here.
Enthralled By Love 