Hi!
I am Carolyn Howard Johnson, your trusty New Book Review blogger and author of
the multi award-winning
HowTo Do It Frugally Series of books for
writers. This blog has heretofore been exclusive for reviews but I
thought I’d do a special series of interviews after I chatted with Jeanie
Loiacono, President of
Loiacono Literary Agency – Where ‘can’t’ is not
in our vocabulary! I thought sharing the interviews would
help the many subscribers and visitors to this New Book Review blog, including
authors, reviewers, and, of course, readers who just might find a new favorite
author among the featured books and authors.
So,
today welcome Kathleen M.
Rodgers.
Kathleen M.
Rodgers
“Being a writer, that’s my job. At book
signings and presentations, I am an author.
But when I am working, I am a
writer.”
— Kathleen M. Rodgers
Texas based author
Kathleen M. Rodgers is a former frequent contributor to Family Circle Magazine and Military Times. Her work has also
appeared in anthologies published by McGraw-Hill, University of Nebraska
Press/Potomac Books, Health Communications, Inc., AMG Publishers, and Press 53.
In 2014, Kathleen was named a Distinguished
Alumna from Tarrant County College/NE Campus. Three of her aviation poems are
featured in a new exhibit at the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island,
NY.
She is the author of the award-winning
novel, The Final Salute, featured in USA Today, The Associated Press, and Military Times. Deer Hawk Publications
reissued the novel in e-book and paperback in 2014.
Her second novel, Johnnie Come Lately (Camel Press,
2015), was the winner of the Best Covers Award from Southern Writers Magazine, and has been
featured in Stars & Stripes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and on “The
Author’s Corner” on Public Radio.
Rodgers is the
mother of two grown sons: Thomas, a graduate of University of North Texas and a
working artist in Denton, Texas, and J.P., a graduate of Texas Tech University
and a former Army officer who earned a Bronze Star in 2014 in Afghanistan.
Kathleen and her husband, Tom, a retired USAF fighter pilot/commercial airline
pilot, reside in Colleyville, Texas with their rescue dog, Denton. Kathleen is
working on the sequel to Johnnie Come Lately, Seven Wings to Glory.
1. What is your genre?
Is it fiction or nonfiction? Contemporary
fiction
2. What made you want
to be a writer? I am one of six
children, the third one down. I became a writer to have a
VOICE.
3. Of all the authors
out there, who inspired you most? Southern novelists
Pat Conroy and Mark Childress and the late novelist, Carol Shields. I admired
how she wrote about day-to-day family matters in a dramatic style. She made the
ordinary look extraordinary.
4. What is your
writing style? Do you outline? Linearly? By scene? Why? My process is
messy. I think in scenes, and sometimes those scenes appear in my mind out of
sequence. Sometimes I write them first then go back and write other scenes that
precede them. Other times, I’ll jot a few notes. I think and speak in circles so
it makes sense that the story often appears to me this
way.
5. Do you write every
day? How much? How long? I used to write nearly every day when I was
younger, but the older I get, I sometimes take days off to “think” about the
story. While I’m thinking and daydreaming, I read, clean house, run errands I’ve
put off, check on loved ones far away. But if I’m on deadline, I write all hours
with little regard for the clock or calendar.
6. Do you think
reading is as important to writing for an author? Why? Reading is
essential if you want to be a writer.
7. What are some of
the things you would like to share with budding authors? Don’t be afraid to
ask for help. Let trusted beta readers look over your work. Attend a critique
group and get another pair of eyes on your work. You’ll know if it’s a good fit.
Sometimes it takes 24 hours for a critical remark or suggestion to set in. Use
what works and discard the rest.
8. Do you have any
marketing and promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share?
The moment you
promote yourself on social media, turn around and promote two or three other
authors in various genres. By showcasing other authors and putting them in the
spotlight, it can help take the “glare” off of your own
self-promotion.
9. Do you think
conferences are beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you
frequent? Yes, attending
writing conferences are some of the best ways to network with fellow writers,
agents, editors and sometimes readers. I’ve attended Military Writers Society of
America’s annual conference for years, the Houston Writers Guild April
conference, Ozarks Writers League conference in Branson, MO, a couple of local
and regional conferences in the North Texas area, and a Romance Writers of
America conference on novel writing held in Alexandria, LA in
1992.
10.
Where can we find
you, your books and when is your next event? I love to engage
with my readers and followers on Facebook and other social media outlets. My
books are available at all of the online book retailers. I just returned from
the Ozarks Writers League November conference in Branson, MO where I spoke on
perseverance and writing through adversity. With a looming deadline for my next
novel, I’m cutting back on events for a while.
www.kathleenMRodgers.com http://siteblog.kathleenmrodgers.com
MORE
ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENT
Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary
Agency
A facilitator of dreams, Jeanie Loiacono represents over eighty authors. Her
forte is mystery, romance, thrillers, historical/military/southern fiction, and
all quality fiction/nonfiction. Her passion is to see her authors
succeed.
“There is nothing more rewarding than to hold one of my author’s books and
know I helped bring it to fruition. I am so blessed and privileged to be able to
work with some of the most talented writers in the world.”
Jeanie.L@llallc.net www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com
IF
YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INTERVIEWS--TO FIND GREAT READING OR TO NETWORK WITH
AUTHORS--PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG. YOU ARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THIS
FAMILY WHO LOVES BOOKS! YOU'LL FIND A WINDOW TO DO THIS AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG
PAGE.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning
HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at
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The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. 
