Greetings from the sunny South! Hope everyone is thawing out up north.It's the second Wednesday of the month. That means it's time for another page in our "Author Behind the Story" series! I hope everyone has enjoyed this series so far as much as I have. It's fun getting to know new people. It's even more fun getting to know the authors behinds the titles I see on Amazon, Facebook, and elsewhere. A book title and cover is great, especially when it's a great cover. But who is the person who wrote the pages in between? That's why we're here! So, when you finish reading this page, I've listed the page linl for our previous authors, in case you missed them!
This month, we welcome - to the blog "Where imagination meets eternity" (drum roll, please...) - Debra Webb Rogers!
Welcome, Debra! Give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Debra Webb Rogers?
I spent the first decades of my adult life
working as a professional ballet dancer. I danced with the Birmingham Ballet,
The Israel Ballet and the Florida Ballet. When I left the world of performing,
I began my current job: teaching dance at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts,
a public performing arts high school in Jacksonville, Florida. When I’m not
writing, my hobbies include genealogy and various artistic endeavors, from
tatting to art.
That's interesting. I would never have equated tatting and ballet dancing, So, before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life?
I wrote little stories and poems when I
was in elementary school! I actually thought about becoming a writer at that
time, when a professional writer came to my school and talked about how he
wrote books. I was fascinated!
What educational background do
you have?
I went to Pompano Beach Senior High School
in Florida, and then to Florida State University where I received a B.S. degree
in Education. I also performed with their dance department. I chose FSU because
of their education program, their dance program, and because it is such a
beautiful place.
You know Debra, I'm a Gator fan. We have two favorite teams: The Gators and anybody playing FSU. So, to invite you onto my blog is definitely a God thing (J/K). I do think we're gonna get you guys in football in 2017, but I digress. Are you married? Single? Have
kids?
I am married (for 22 years) to my
wonderful husband Sam. I have an equally wonderful adult stepson, Chris. Sam
and I share our home with two cats and one dog.
I’m going to give you a shotgun
list of favorites. List your favorite in each category and then tell us in one
sentence why it is your favorite.
Favorite
Food:
Anything chocolate
Favorite
Drink:
A glass of merlot on Friday night
Favorite
Song:
Ghost in This House by Alison Krauss,
and The Dreaming Fields by Trisha
Yearwood
Favorite
Non-Fiction Book (other than your own & besides the Bible): Books
on historical unsolved mysteries – like the Lost Colony of Roanoke.
Favorite
Bible Verse:
Matthew 6:25-27 (Because I am a worrier!)
Favorite
Movie:
Somewhere in Time
Favorite
Actor or Actress: Christopher Walken
Favorite
Novel (other than your own): The
Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Favorite
Novelist (other than you): Terry Kay
Favorite
Sport:
Ice skating and gymnastics (as an observer, not a participant)
Favorite
Team (Can be any sport, any level): Jacksonville Jaguars
Favorite
Subject in School Growing Up: Art
Favorite
Subject Now:
History
Favorite
Teacher in School: Victoria Leigh (ballet instructor)
Favorite
Time of the Year: Spring
Favorite
Place to Vacation: North Carolina Mountains
 |
| Debra writes under the pen name Violet Rightmire |
If you had one person you could
meet (think outside the Bible here) and could spend as much time as you wanted
with that individual, who would it be?
I’d like to meet Serge Diaghilev. He
wasn’t a dancer or choreographer but he changed the face of ballet in the early
20th century, and influenced many dancers who became famous and went
on to pass on his legacy.
If you had one person you could
meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you
wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus?
I have always wondered about the unnamed
woman Jesus forgives for adultery. I’d like to meet her and learn her name,
find out more about her, and what her circumstances were. I think she would be
a fascinating person to meet.
I heard a comedian say once he thought the reason why the Jewish leaders tossed their stones to the ground when Jesus said what He said ("Let he who has no sin cast the first stone") was because Jesus was writing their girlfriends' names in the dirt. Wouldn't you love to know what He was doodling in the dirt? Okay, besides the usual things authors
face, has there been an unusual event that changed your perspective about being
an author?
This is an interesting question for this
particular moment in my life. Last month my husband almost died of a double pulmonary
embolism. But God was with us every step of the way, and I am so thankful for
the miracle we received. My husband is home now and recovering well. It makes me remember that everything is in
God’s hands and in His time. As far as how this relates to writing, I remind
myself about this when my latest manuscript collects rejections.
Ugh. We all know about rejections. Been here. It's simply part of the business. On that sour note, what’s the craziest thing you
have ever done?
Accepting a one-year contract to join the
Israel Ballet when I was barely 22 years old. I’d never been out of the United
States, didn’t speak the language, and had no idea what I was getting into!
Why do you live where you live?
 |
| Debra's writing assistants |
I live in Jacksonville, Florida, because I
accepted a contract to dance with the Florida Ballet. I stayed because I love
Jacksonville’s unique combination of big city amenities tucked into a small
town atmosphere. I live in a 1923-era cottage in a lovely, walk-able historic
district called San Marco.
We know “Readers are leaders,
and leaders are readers.” Is there a book you’ve read in the past five years or
so that has helped you become a better you? If so, which one was it, and how
did it affect your life?
I read My
Name is Maude by Katherine Murray Steele. It is the true story of a young
woman who taught in a one-room schoolhouse in a remote mountain community in
the 1920s. The author’s matter-of-fact details about the difficulties of everyday
life in such a remote location made me think about (and appreciate!) all the
things we have today that we take for granted – like indoor plumbing and
central heat!
When you look for a new home,
what are the things that are important to you?
A new home must have the right “feel.” It
would be an old house with character – floorboards that creak, windows that
rattle, angled ceilings, and a potential for secret hiding places. In other
words, it would be very much like the house I have now!
When you look for a new car,
what are the things that are important to you?
I just purchased my dream car this past
summer: a blue Subaru Forester. My husband and I spend lots of time in the
North Carolina mountains and an all-wheel drive is a necessity.
When you are looking for a book
to read, what are the things that are important to you?
I look for something different. In fiction I love a story with some mystery, some
historical basis, and also a hint of the paranormal. I also love non-fiction
books in history, biography, or science genres. Any books I think about long
after I finish them are the best! I love being haunted by a book.
What Bible scripture has
impacted your life the most, and why?
John 3:16
Is there anything else you’d
like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?
Just as I love being haunted by a book, I hope my novels do
the same for my readers.
Thank you, Debra, for taking the time to visit with us! We hope your writing dances to new heights, and we pray your husband continues to recuperate fully.
And may God bless all of you, our readers, as you bless God.
Kevin
PS - If you missed the first two ABTS entries, click below:
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