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*CONTEST* Read the interview to find out how to win some goodies!!!
Author Pen Name: Jacquie Rogers
CA: How did you choose your pen name?
JR: It’s my real name. I was going to use JD Roberts because people are always saying Roberts instead of Rogers, and my first initials are JD. But then I found out about this author named Nora who also writes as JD Robb . . . so I stuck with my real name. That’s the truth—I didn’t read romance at the time and I had no idea who Nora Roberts was. Wow, was I ever missing the boat!
CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?
JR: My genre is actually humor, then you add in romance and fun settings—different times and places throughout history and into the future. The only thing I don’t write is straight contemporary, vampires, or erotica.
CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
JR: I’m not sure I’ve realized it even yet because writing sort of just claims you. My mother wanted me to be a writer so of course I wanted to be a baseball announcer. I ended up a software consultant. Who knew?
But then about 10 years ago I dreamed a book, wrote the first 200 pages in three weeks, and decided I’d better figure out exactly how to do this gig. I quit my business and set up an office at home. My dh is very patient with me. He proofreads all my work and finances all the PR without a gripe. Okay, so I’m grounded until January, but that’s because we have four birthdays as well as Christmas to buy for. Internet shopping is my friend.
CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?
JR: My daughter, Moriah, was the first one to encourage me to give it a shot (meaning, when I actually did start writing fiction). I think she hooked me when she read me a passage from one of her romance novels (I didn’t read romance at all then) and the hero said, “You’re a wanton woman.” Only Moriah said, “You’re a wonton woman.” So now Chinese food reminds me of romance novels.
CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
JR: I write from 3pm to 5pm, and from 10pm to 2am. With Pirate breaks.
CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?
JR: Petrified.
But now you have to let me explain. First of all, it’s hard to put a book out just because your heart and soul are now open for criticism. What if someone doesn’t like your book? Readers think books are books, authors think books are a part of them. Big difference. With humor, there’s a double-whammy because let’s face it, humor is very subjective. That’s why I’m scared to death. On the other hand, I’m also excited because my ultimate goal is to give someone a few hours away from their troubles, and put a little joy in their hearts.
CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?
JR: Finishing. I have the attention span of a gnat and I keep thinking up new ideas that seem considerably more intriguing. To counterattack, I created an ideas folder and I allow myself two pages per idea. No more. And then I have to get back to the book I’m writing.
CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?
JR: I play fantasy baseball. My team won the championship in our league this year. Yay! I also play Pirates: Rule the Caribbean on both facebook and myspace. Of course, I love to read and watch movies, although I’m seldom enticed to watch TV programs.
CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
JR: I’ve written a bunch of books that haven’t been published and two that have. Any one of them is my favorite for a different reason. Faery Special Romances is my first published book, plus it was a challenge to write for several reasons, so of course it’s near and dear to my heart. Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues is set near where I grew up and is populated with characters who have the same attitudes as my friends and neighbors had, plus I adore Socrates, so I love that book, too. An unpublished western historical romance that may never see light of day, throws out the B-western mythos and features a heroine who’s strong and confident. I love that book but it doesn’t follow the “rules.” I could go on and on. LOL
CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?
JR: Both. Most of my characters are from my imagination, but some of them do have elements of the people I’ve known. It’s actually difficult to make a real person into a character because fiction has to be two things: plausible, and bigger-than-life. Let’s face it, bigger-than-life is not plausible, so it’s definitely a tightrope to walk.
In Faery Special Romances, Princess Keely is an amalgam of my oldest daughter’s tenacity, my younger daughter’s orneriness, and I threw in a big dose of Emma’s (from Jane Austen) confidence that she right with her matchmaking. And she’s always wrong. Also in that book, Sir Darian in the first story is patterned loosely after my own ancestor in 1199a.d. But most of the characters are figments of my imagination.
Brody Alexander, the hero in Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues, is imaginary, but his moves are based on two real rodeo clowns: Leon Coffee, one of the best bullfighters of all time; and Jim O’Keefe, a person friend who was a rodeo clown for years. All Brody’s injuries as well as his daring, determination, and slick moves are from Leon and Jim, although I did tone it down considerably because non-rodeo goers couldn’t believe what they really do. Rita, well, she’s a teensy bit autobiographical, except I stayed in the city with my city boy and I like it here just fine. LOL. Rita’s a high achiever and is very goal-oriented, and only Brody can upset her balance sheet. Socrates came out of the blue. He’d resent it highly if I were to attribute his finer qualities to anyone else.
CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?
JR: Write, study your craft, and write some more. Follow your own instincts, but stay open to new ideas. Most of all, let your hair down and put your soul on the page.
CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?
Author Pen Name: Jacquie Rogers
CA: How did you choose your pen name?
JR: It’s my real name. I was going to use JD Roberts because people are always saying Roberts instead of Rogers, and my first initials are JD. But then I found out about this author named Nora who also writes as JD Robb . . . so I stuck with my real name. That’s the truth—I didn’t read romance at the time and I had no idea who Nora Roberts was. Wow, was I ever missing the boat!
CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?
JR: My genre is actually humor, then you add in romance and fun settings—different times and places throughout history and into the future. The only thing I don’t write is straight contemporary, vampires, or erotica.
CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
JR: I’m not sure I’ve realized it even yet because writing sort of just claims you. My mother wanted me to be a writer so of course I wanted to be a baseball announcer. I ended up a software consultant. Who knew?
But then about 10 years ago I dreamed a book, wrote the first 200 pages in three weeks, and decided I’d better figure out exactly how to do this gig. I quit my business and set up an office at home. My dh is very patient with me. He proofreads all my work and finances all the PR without a gripe. Okay, so I’m grounded until January, but that’s because we have four birthdays as well as Christmas to buy for. Internet shopping is my friend.
CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?
JR: My daughter, Moriah, was the first one to encourage me to give it a shot (meaning, when I actually did start writing fiction). I think she hooked me when she read me a passage from one of her romance novels (I didn’t read romance at all then) and the hero said, “You’re a wanton woman.” Only Moriah said, “You’re a wonton woman.” So now Chinese food reminds me of romance novels.
CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
JR: I write from 3pm to 5pm, and from 10pm to 2am. With Pirate breaks.
CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?
JR: Petrified.
But now you have to let me explain. First of all, it’s hard to put a book out just because your heart and soul are now open for criticism. What if someone doesn’t like your book? Readers think books are books, authors think books are a part of them. Big difference. With humor, there’s a double-whammy because let’s face it, humor is very subjective. That’s why I’m scared to death. On the other hand, I’m also excited because my ultimate goal is to give someone a few hours away from their troubles, and put a little joy in their hearts.
CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?
JR: Finishing. I have the attention span of a gnat and I keep thinking up new ideas that seem considerably more intriguing. To counterattack, I created an ideas folder and I allow myself two pages per idea. No more. And then I have to get back to the book I’m writing.
CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?
JR: I play fantasy baseball. My team won the championship in our league this year. Yay! I also play Pirates: Rule the Caribbean on both facebook and myspace. Of course, I love to read and watch movies, although I’m seldom enticed to watch TV programs.
CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
JR: I’ve written a bunch of books that haven’t been published and two that have. Any one of them is my favorite for a different reason. Faery Special Romances is my first published book, plus it was a challenge to write for several reasons, so of course it’s near and dear to my heart. Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues is set near where I grew up and is populated with characters who have the same attitudes as my friends and neighbors had, plus I adore Socrates, so I love that book, too. An unpublished western historical romance that may never see light of day, throws out the B-western mythos and features a heroine who’s strong and confident. I love that book but it doesn’t follow the “rules.” I could go on and on. LOL
CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?
JR: Both. Most of my characters are from my imagination, but some of them do have elements of the people I’ve known. It’s actually difficult to make a real person into a character because fiction has to be two things: plausible, and bigger-than-life. Let’s face it, bigger-than-life is not plausible, so it’s definitely a tightrope to walk.
In Faery Special Romances, Princess Keely is an amalgam of my oldest daughter’s tenacity, my younger daughter’s orneriness, and I threw in a big dose of Emma’s (from Jane Austen) confidence that she right with her matchmaking. And she’s always wrong. Also in that book, Sir Darian in the first story is patterned loosely after my own ancestor in 1199a.d. But most of the characters are figments of my imagination.
Brody Alexander, the hero in Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues, is imaginary, but his moves are based on two real rodeo clowns: Leon Coffee, one of the best bullfighters of all time; and Jim O’Keefe, a person friend who was a rodeo clown for years. All Brody’s injuries as well as his daring, determination, and slick moves are from Leon and Jim, although I did tone it down considerably because non-rodeo goers couldn’t believe what they really do. Rita, well, she’s a teensy bit autobiographical, except I stayed in the city with my city boy and I like it here just fine. LOL. Rita’s a high achiever and is very goal-oriented, and only Brody can upset her balance sheet. Socrates came out of the blue. He’d resent it highly if I were to attribute his finer qualities to anyone else.
CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?
JR: Write, study your craft, and write some more. Follow your own instincts, but stay open to new ideas. Most of all, let your hair down and put your soul on the page.
CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?
JR: Website: http://www.jacquierogers.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jacquierogers
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jacquie-Rogers/18676302690
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jacquierogers
Gather: http://jacquierogers.gather.com
Email: jacquierogers@gmail.com
I’m also on a bazillion ning sites, but here’s Keely’s special place:
http://faeryworld.ning.com
CA: Is there anything you would like to add?
JR: I write a weekly article about writing craft or business for Texty Ladies (http://www.textyladies.com) Magical Monday and a monthly article in Unusual Historicals (http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com). I’m a member of IWOFA, Infinite Worlds of Fantasy Authors (http://www.iwofa.net) which is a wonderful place to find out about paranormal books and authors. We’re having a fabulous contest starting Dec. 15th, so please check it out. Lots of prizes are available!
I’d also like to mention the cause I work for: neurofibromatosis (NF) awareness. NF is a genetic disorder where painful tumors grow on the nerves. These tumors grow inside and outside the body, so obviously the children don’t make good posters, and those who suffer from NF have kept out of the public eye. More children are born with NF than muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis combined, yet most people have no idea what NF is. I didn’t, not until we found out our oldest daughter has it. All royalties from Faery Special Romances go to the Children’s Tumor Foundation (http://www.ctf.org), ending neurofibromatosis through research.
(CONTEST) And finally, I’m not above bribery—no sirreebob. So all you have to do is ask me a question about my books, Socrates, Princess Keely, my book videos, NF, or Justin Saragueta, or make any g-rated comment, and you’ll be in the drawing for these prizes:
Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues T-shirt
Faery Special Earrings
Faery Special Notepad
Faery Special Pen.
Crystal will choose the winner.
Also, the first person to post a comment stating who this Justin Saragueta fellow is will win a Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues T-shirt and a calendar magnet. If you include his myspace page link, you get a signed copy of Faery Special Romances.
And finally, finally, if you’re on facebook and you play pirates or dragon wars, friend me, please. Aaarrgh
Crystal: I just love Jacquie she’s so much fun and her books are also fun to read. I’ve had the pleasure of reading/reviewing both Faery Special Romances and Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues. You can check out the reviews here, and I hope it will intice you to pick up one of each or more lol to give out as gifts.
Faery Special Romances: http://bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com/2007/06/faery-special-romances-by-jacquie.html
Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues: http://bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com/2008/11/down-home-ever-lovin-mule-blues-by.html
Now as Jacquie said she’s offering up some pretty cool goodies here! SO first person to identify who Justin Saragueta is will win a T-shirt and calendar magnet—if that same person includes his myspace page address they will win a copy of Faery Special Romances!!
And you could win her other goodies by asking her questions, or by simply leaving a comment. Here’s what you can win:
Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues T-shirt
Faery Special Earrings
Faery Special Notepad
Faery Special Pen
To win though, you must leave your email address or a way that I can contact you. I’ll choose a winner by random.org on Sunday night and notify the winner by email( I will not spam your email or share your info it is for this contest only.) You will have 5 days to respond or your prize will sadly be passed on to another.
Now get to commenting!
Jacquie, it is always a pleasure!!
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jacquierogers
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jacquie-Rogers/18676302690
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jacquierogers
Gather: http://jacquierogers.gather.com
Email: jacquierogers@gmail.com
I’m also on a bazillion ning sites, but here’s Keely’s special place:
http://faeryworld.ning.com
CA: Is there anything you would like to add?
JR: I write a weekly article about writing craft or business for Texty Ladies (http://www.textyladies.com) Magical Monday and a monthly article in Unusual Historicals (http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com). I’m a member of IWOFA, Infinite Worlds of Fantasy Authors (http://www.iwofa.net) which is a wonderful place to find out about paranormal books and authors. We’re having a fabulous contest starting Dec. 15th, so please check it out. Lots of prizes are available!
I’d also like to mention the cause I work for: neurofibromatosis (NF) awareness. NF is a genetic disorder where painful tumors grow on the nerves. These tumors grow inside and outside the body, so obviously the children don’t make good posters, and those who suffer from NF have kept out of the public eye. More children are born with NF than muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis combined, yet most people have no idea what NF is. I didn’t, not until we found out our oldest daughter has it. All royalties from Faery Special Romances go to the Children’s Tumor Foundation (http://www.ctf.org), ending neurofibromatosis through research.
(CONTEST) And finally, I’m not above bribery—no sirreebob. So all you have to do is ask me a question about my books, Socrates, Princess Keely, my book videos, NF, or Justin Saragueta, or make any g-rated comment, and you’ll be in the drawing for these prizes:
Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues T-shirt
Faery Special Earrings
Faery Special Notepad
Faery Special Pen.
Crystal will choose the winner.
Also, the first person to post a comment stating who this Justin Saragueta fellow is will win a Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues T-shirt and a calendar magnet. If you include his myspace page link, you get a signed copy of Faery Special Romances.
And finally, finally, if you’re on facebook and you play pirates or dragon wars, friend me, please. Aaarrgh
Crystal: I just love Jacquie she’s so much fun and her books are also fun to read. I’ve had the pleasure of reading/reviewing both Faery Special Romances and Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues. You can check out the reviews here, and I hope it will intice you to pick up one of each or more lol to give out as gifts.
Faery Special Romances: http://bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com/2007/06/faery-special-romances-by-jacquie.html
Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues: http://bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com/2008/11/down-home-ever-lovin-mule-blues-by.html
Now as Jacquie said she’s offering up some pretty cool goodies here! SO first person to identify who Justin Saragueta is will win a T-shirt and calendar magnet—if that same person includes his myspace page address they will win a copy of Faery Special Romances!!
And you could win her other goodies by asking her questions, or by simply leaving a comment. Here’s what you can win:
Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues T-shirt
Faery Special Earrings
Faery Special Notepad
Faery Special Pen
To win though, you must leave your email address or a way that I can contact you. I’ll choose a winner by random.org on Sunday night and notify the winner by email( I will not spam your email or share your info it is for this contest only.) You will have 5 days to respond or your prize will sadly be passed on to another.
Now get to commenting!
Jacquie, it is always a pleasure!!
22 comments:
Justin is a writer, poet and musician. My MySpace url is
myspace.com/deidre_d
Hi Jacquie!
It's probably a good thing that you din't go with your first choice as a pen name. LOL
Can you tell us more about your story in the upcoming anthology Romancing the Dragon?
I have a Chinese food memory as well. I was working at a Chinese restaurant when I got pregnant with my first child. Needless to say, I got quite sick of it. I couldn't eat Chinese food or even smell it for several years afterward, but I'm back to loving it again. LOL
Deidre
HI Deidre, so glad to see you here. I don't know the answer to confirm but I'll send Jacquie over :) I found your email addy on the blogger just incase :)
Awesome, these interview with Crystal are always great. You look like you had as much fun with it as I did.
Love the interview and the advice to budding writers...the positiveness you exude is AWESOME...
Question...could you post a link to info about CF?
Thanks...and Justin is a writer, poet, and musician...lol...
ADELANTE!!!
Zulmara
I am Jacquie's eldest daughter a link to NF would be www.ctf.org
Love the interview!
Hi, Deidre! Yes, it would've been a bit embarrassing to find out after the fact that my pen name was so close to Nora Roberts. LOL. On the other hand, I'd rather do that than have the same name of a porn star, which is what happened to a friend of mine. She found it out when she tried to register her pen name as her domain name. LOL.
Funny how we associate foods. I got food poisoning at Skipper's Fish & Chips when I was 9 months preggers, and I couldn't stand the smell of that place for years and years.
Romancing the Dragon: I'm so excited about this anthology written with Deborah Macgillivray, Cynthia Breeding, and Eilis Flynn, all super talented authors. We're hoping it'll be out by the end of next year. My story is called Faery Hot Dragon and the lead character is Flint Long, who was awakened from a thousand-year hibernation by the eruption of Mt. St. Helen. He's a dragon-shifter. As a human, he's a tracker and also works with Search and Rescue. He meets the faery named Keerah, whose magical song beckons and enchants wounded animals. She runs a wildlife rescue center at the edge of Sawtooth National Forest. And things get hot in a hurry. :)
Thanks, EW Bradfute. Crystal is the best!
Zulmara, I appreciate your remark. You probably know how important it is to stay positive. There are many forces trying to drag us to the Dark Side, but we will prevail!
The link to find out more information about NF (neurofibromatosis) is Children's Tumor Foundation, http://www.ctf.org. The link to find out about CF (cystic fibrosis) is http://www.cff.org/. I don't work with CF, but any research that leads to a cure of the genetic or neuro disorders is good! Will help all the rest.
Mercedes, good to see you here! (Mercedes is also my publicist. You can see her myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/hurricanemercedes.)
Hi, Ans. Thank you for visiting!
Jacquie
If the book is a fun as the title, I think you've nailed the humor. Oh, and thanks for the wonton woman image. Hadn't consider that before; now won't be able to escape it :)
Where do you get your story lines from? Do they just come to you or do you see something that takes a hold of you until you write about it?
Hi Jacquie, Do you do a lot of research for your books. The book sounds like it was fun to write. I know I will enjoy reading it. I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
hi and welcome Jacquie;
Nice cowboy on the cover and love those spur heels.
Did you have any input into the cover of this book?
Does humor come by you easily when writing/are you a joking kind of person? Thanks.
Will you ever write a book who's caricature deals with neurofibromatosis?
snulfers at hotmail dot com
Jessa, the book is all about fun and not taking ourselves too seriously. And yes, I giggle every time I see wonton soup on the menu.
lastnerve, you asked about story lines. I actually have no idea. The original idea is usually a scenario--I can see it just as if I were watching a movie. There's usually one main character that I "know," and a situation. Sometimes there's a setting, sometimes there might be a secondary character. Usually it's a setup for a joke. You can read more about how I develop my ideas at Texty Ladies: A Maelstrom of Ideas. Funny you should ask this question because that was my topic for Magical Monday. :)
Joan, yes. I'm a research-aholic. Most of Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues was written from my own experiences growing up in the country, but of course I never fought bulls. Well, not on purpose, anyway. They're big and they're mean! So I did speak with retired rodeo clown and bullfighter Jim O'Keefe at length about bullfighting techniques and what injuries to expect from certain situations.
Faery Special Romances was another deal altogether. I had to do massive research because that book takes place in ten different time periods, and I've only written in three of them. I didn't know much about medieval tournaments, or Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, or how a pirate ship worked. Even if I'm familiar with a setting, often I have to research occupations or daily life. Actually, daily life can be the biggest challenge because people wrote about extraordinary things, not what they considered mundane.
robynl, I picked out the cowboy and the shoes. Deborah Macgillivray is the cover designer and she found Socrates. We talked for a while, then she took the graphics and about an hour later, voila! A great cover! I think this cover is perfect for the content and tone of the story. She's very talented, and an awesome author, too.
snulfers, my daughter and I have talked about this. My impression is that she reads this kind of book for escape, and she isn't all that interested in being reminded of NF. As for me, I'm not so sure I could write a story that wouldn't tick someone off because I make fun of just about everything, we even joke about the bumps--something I know others would find morbid. Evoking that particular kind of strong emotion in the reader is fine if an author's body of work deals with social issues in a more serious way. My books are braincandy, though, and one of my advertisements is "Relax, there's absolutely NO message in this story." So I think the best thing I can do for NF is raise awareness, and maybe someone else can work an NFer into a book.
NF Awareness is near and dear to my heart. Mercedes wasn't diagnosed until she was 19 years old. Yes, we'd taken her to several doctors including a couple neurologists. So NF Awareness in the medical community is lacking, and especially alarming is the lack of knowledge about care management and especially about the genetic aspects.
My goodness! I've blathered on and on today. Thanks for all your comments. I'll check back in a few hours.
Jacquie
Really enjoyed the interview. :-)
Larena
lrwirum at cox dot net
Thanks for stopping by, Larena!
Jacquie
Hi Jacquie, I am your facebook and myspace friend. I wonder which you like best and how you find time to keep up with that, get interviewed by a lot of people and write books too. It is amazing.
Hi, Val!
I generally keep up with one at a time. Right now, I'm spending more time on facebook, but I do check myspace once a day. In a few weeks, I'll flop that over. But lately I've been really remiss in welcoming and thanking new friends and keeping up with birthdays. I hate that, but there are only so many hours in the day.
I'm also on goodreads, twitter, shelfari, manic readers, gather, cafemom, plurk, eons, bebo, msn, yahoo360, pagii, and a bunch more, not to mention 96 email loops.
But a writer can't possibly keep up with all that and stay on deadline, so you have to let things slide here and there, give each site some attention every few weeks, and leave it at that.
I do answer all my emails, though. jacquierogers @ gmail.com (without the spaces).
Thanks, Val. :)
Jacquie
Enjoyed reading the comments. As a writer, do you read the dialogue you write aloud so you can see how it sounds?
Joye
JWIsley@aol.com
great interview, if you wasnt a writer what would you be and why?
hope everyone has a great xmas and a safe one
It's always cool to be able to delve into the minds of fellow authors.
The wonton comment had me giggling.
Carpe Noctem,
Des
Desirée Lee
Putting the Romance Back in Necromancy
http://www.desireelee.com
des@desireelee.com
DDurance is the winner of Jacquie's book Faery Special Romances for being the first to answer the question. Larena wins the other goodies, she was chosen by random.org :) Thanks everyone for coming to visit! I'll be sending emails out to you both, and you have 2 days to reply or your prize will be given to someone else.
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