Flossie Benton Rogers-Part II

On Monday, we met author and Pen Dame, Flossie Benton Rogers. We learned that she is not only an interesting person, but a lady of many talents. Today we continue our interview with Flossie to learn more about her writing.

Flossie, on Monday, we learned a little about your personal life and what led you to writing. So, tell us what are you working on now?

I’m working on a cozy mystery series called Tea Thyme Mysteries set in north Georgia in a fictional town named Glisten, where everything is not gold but does glisten. Yes, I know it technically should be glitter, but glisten sounds better.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

1. Keep going and don’t give up on the belief that you can do it. Encouragement from other writers will help.

2. If it’s hard to find big chunks of time to get those words on the page, use small segments instead, such as 15 minute blocks. Don’t think you have to be at your desk either. Parent pick-up lines work great for 15 minute blocks.

3. In between the actual writing, keep the story and characters uppermost in your mind. Feel them alive with you at all times, no matter who you’re with or what you’re doing. The momentum will be on your side, and the muse will not desert you.



Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

I have mentioned a few already. There are so many more books and authors that should be lauded far and wide. I love historical romances, especially those with knights or lairds, including Hearts Aflame by Johanna Lindsay and the first Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Early Laurel Hamilton titles had a strong impact on my appreciation of urban fantasy. Old melodramas, such as St. Elmo by Augusta Jane Evans, are on my favorites list, and David Kaufelt’s atmospheric Silver Rose. As for cozy mysteries, I love the Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, the Sister Fidelma series by Peter Tremayne, and the Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Atherton.

Literary favorites would be Narcissus and Goldmund by Hesse, Notes from Underground by Dostoyevsky, the Greek plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the epic poems of Homer, Beowulf and the sagas, early English poetry, Shakespeare, ancient Sumerian and Egyptian writings, the novels of Thomas Hardy, George Eliot, and Thomas Mann.

I’d also like to give a shout out to the other Pen Dames: Loretta C. Rogers, Katherine Eddinger Smits, Linda Tillis, and Jennifer Taylor. Each author has written unique, fabulous novels, and they absolutely are not to be missed.

If you could meet one famous author, living or dead, who would it be?

This is the hardest question ever! Today I choose Homer, credited author of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Hopefully, I get to use a Wytchfae time portal to travel back to the 12th century BC, or perhaps to the 8th century BC, depending on which Homeric scholars you believe. He may have been an eyewitness to the Trojan War or may have lived a few centuries later. He may have been one person or may be a composite of several penmen.

I visualize him as one person who lived twenty years after the Trojan War ended. That gives him opportunity to know the events of the war and also the events that occurred during the extra ten years it took Odysseus to get back home. Can you imagine meeting Homer and hearing about those times first hand?

What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

I have a whimsical, droll sense of humor and always wanted to be asked for my favorite joke. Here it is:

Question- What’s purple and goes bang bang bang bang?

Answer- A 4-door grape.


For beginning writers, what is your best book marketing tip?

Create several short promo blurbs while you are writing the book. You can use those to rev up interest in the story before publication.

Is there a subject you would never write about and why?

So far I can only write about losing my husband in an indirect way, as in Mind Your Goddess when Epona is cast to earth without her powers, alone, heartbroken, and bereft.

Outside of family members, name a person or a group that supported your commitment to become a published author.

I will always be grateful to you, Loretta, for inspiration, encouragement, and showing me that I could be a published author. In addition, our old writing organization gave tremendous support under the guidance of you and Dylan Newton as co-founders. 

If one of your books was made into a film, which book would you choose, and who would you like to play the lead?

For a film I choose the first book, Wytchfae Runes, with Sophia Myles as a smashing Kelly and Sergej Onopko as Ingvar the Viking. Sophia’s credits include Tristan and Isolde, a Miss Marple movie, and a guest spot in Doctor Who. She resembles Victoria Pratt, my number one choice for Kelly if we could turn back time fifteen years. Sergej’s credits include The Barbarians, Red Sparrow, and The Last Kingdom.

Anything specific you’d like to tell readers?

Heartfelt thanks to readers for enthusiasm and support for the Wytchfae world, and please leave a review on Amazon, or elsewhere, when you can. Just one positive sentence helps a bunch. Reviews are the best appreciation you can show for a book you’ve enjoyed.

Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

I encourage everyone to check out my website at http://flossiebentonrogers.com. Each week I share excerpts from works in progress and also blog on various topics. Join my newsletter list for tons of special freebies and goodies.

Thanks for allowing me to spend time with you today. Cheers & Happy Reading!

Flossie

Flossie, it has been wonderful learning about you and your many talents. I'm sure our readers enjoyed meeting you. Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer all of the questions; and loved the cute joke.

~Do you have a question for Flossie? She’ll be happy to answer as long as it doesn’t involve politics, religion, or immorality~