Getting to Know Author Martha Rogers ♦ Giveaway

by Peggy Blann Phifer @pegphifer

♦GIVEAWAY ALERT – SEE BELOW ♦

Welcome to The Diamond Mine of Christian Fiction, Martha. I’m excited to be the one hosting you here today. You and I go back a long way through our association with ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) almost from the beginning.
So, how about we let the Diamond Mine readers get acquainted with you, too.

About Martha:

Martha Rogers is a free-lance writer and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Martha and her husband Rex live in Houston where they enjoy spending time with their grandchildren. A former English and Home Economics teacher, Martha loves to cook and experimenting with recipes and loves scrapbooking when she has time. She has written three series, Winds Across the Prairie and Seasons of the Heart and The Homeward Journey. Her new contemporary series, Love in the Bayou City of Houston and novellas, Christmas Blessing and Garden of Love are now available on Amazon.

What got you started writing, Martha?

I started “writing” and making up stories as soon as I was old enough to talk and to hold a pencil. My mother said I had the most vivid imagination for a two year old she’d ever seen. I made up stories with my dolls and paper dolls. Later I discarded them and became a great tomboy with climbing fences and trees and making up stories about my adventures. Later, writing became my escape from a dysfunctional, divorced family into a fantasy world of a perfect family and love.

What person/persons has/have most influenced you as a writer?

Three writers had a great influence on me. I read all of Louisa May Alcott’s books as well as many of Grace Livingston Hill and Janet Lambert. I rode a bus then transferred to the street car (trolley) to get to the library once a week by myself. (This was in the mid 1940’s and children were safer on the streets) In later years, DiAnn Mills, Janice Thompson, and Kathleen Y’Barbo became my critique partners and mentored me to become the writer I am today.
It’s almost a given that good writers must be readers, even long before we actually became writers.

Thinking back over all the books you’ve read (and if you’re like me there are thousands!) are there any that stand out to you as especially unforgettable? Tell us a bit about them and what made them memorable.

Two of the most unforgettable books I ever read were Little Women and the Janet Lambert series for young adults. I wanted to be like Jo in the worst way and pretended so often that I was a Jo holed up in my corner writing stories. Lambert’s books were followed three or four characters from high school, through West Point and college on to the war. I read these books right after WWII when I was twelve years old, and I’ve never forgotten them. The characters were so real to me and were like friends I could count on when I was lonely and wanted to read about them.

Are you an early bird, or night owl? What’s your typical writing day like?

I am a night owl and will often write 1500 to 2000 words after 10 PM. Of course the next day they will need heavy editing, but I like the quietness of late night. I usually don’t write during the day until I’ve had my quiet time, done a few chores, and made sure I had something ready to cook for dinner.

Fun question, suspending reality for a moment . . . If you were to join the circus, what would be your job, and why?

LOL! Oh, I would be a clown because I could hide behind all the make-up and masks and do all the silly, crazy, and dumb things I would love to do now but don’t have the nerve and make people laugh. I was and still am a very mischievous person.

What book are we featuring today, Martha?

· Title: Love Never Fails
· Publisher: Realms
· Release Date: Spring 2015
· Genre: Historical Romance
· Target Audience: Women 18 and up although I’ve had a number of teen readers who enjoy my books.

What’s the book about?

Because of what happened to her father and mother during the War Between the States, Molly Whiteman hates guns, violence and war. Stefan Elliot is an officer in the U.S. Cavalry. When the two meet, sparks fly in their attraction to each other. Stefan returns to his regiment leaving Molly torn between her love for him and her deep feelings about guns and killing. Tragedy changes Molly’s heart and brings them back together, but will Molly's love be enough to overcome the depression that has made Stefan a recluse from society?

How did you happen to write it?

It’s the third in a series I began with a book based on my great-grandparents love story right after the Armistice of the Civil war.

Where can readers purchase it?

Mardel’s and other book stores have it as well as on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and CBD websites.

Where can you be found on the Internet?

• Email: martharogers@sbcglobal.net
• Website: www.marthawrogers..com
• Blog: www.hhhistory.com
• Twitter: @martharogers2
• Facebook: Martha Lou Rogers

Any parting thoughts you’d like to share?

I love writing; it’s in my blood. For all those who aspire to write, I say pray, plan, persevere, and be patient. God’s plan and timing are always perfect.

->>> GIVEAWAY: Martha is giving away a copy of the book “Love Never Fails” for Lower US only. To enter, please leave a comment with your contact information (so we can notify you if you win!) Giveaway ends at Midnight, Thursday, April 29, Central Time. Winner will be drawn through random.org and notified via email on Saturday, April 30.. 

Martha, I can’t thank you enough for sharing this time with us, and answering my interview questions. God bless you and your writing, as I know He will since you’re writing for Him.