Author Interview: J.F. Rogers
For the very first author interview on the blog, I’m happy to welcome Christian fantasy author J.F. Rogers! She has published several books in portal/epic fantasy as well as some fairytale retellings. And she has given some great answers to the questions I threw at her!
Q: We all have a “why” behind what we do. What is your “why” behind your writing? What drives you to do it?
A: When God gives me a story I can’t let go, I must write it. For Him and others. In His timing.
Q: Stories are never static. The best stories leave us with an impression of some kind; some encouragement or something to think about. Is there anything you hope readers will walk away with after reading your books?
A: I hope they will know God and themselves a little better. One reader told me she realized she was believing lies as my main character did. Once she understood, she was able to reverse those lies with truth. It freed her from depression! That’s a major win.
Q: Your books often have Celtic elements. I’ll admit, I’ve always been curious why that is. Do you have a Celtic heritage? An admirer of the culture? Or do you find Celtic influences to be a source of inspiration?
A: I’m not sure! Some of my ancestors were probably Celts. There may be something in my blood that pulls me. But as the story was forming in my mind and I began researching shape-shifters, I found Gaelic and Celtic myths involving shape-shifters. I was fascinated and thought, “What if these ‘myths’ stemmed from reality?” And so, in my stories, they do.
Q: If you could go back to when you first started your author journey, what advice would you give yourself?
A: Oh, good grief. Learn more about storytelling, but don’t spend all your money on all the courses!
Q: Do you have any hobbies you enjoy when you aren’t crafting new stories? Do they ever cross over into your writing or inspire a character trait in a book?
A: I like nature. That’s clear in my stories. I like hiking, swimming… which I suppose is helpful in stories involving journeys through woods and shipwrecks. And food! I love to eat. Many of my scenes take place at mealtimes. If only I could have written about second breakfast, but that belongs to Tolkien.
Q: Some people find faith and fantasy to be at odds with one another, but they don’t have to be. As a Christian, how does your faith influence your writing? How do you balance fantasy elements with Biblical truths?
A: Oh my word… My brain can’t even comprehend how faith and fantasy are at odds. To me, the two are so entwined it’s difficult to separate them. Just read the Bible! Winged creatures covered in eyes. Rebellious beings falling from heaven, trying to thwart God’s plans at every turn. Most of my ideas come from the Bible. I’d argue that the only real difference between fantasy that is okay versus fantasy that isn’t is the heart. Is the author giving glory to anything but God? All I have to do is keep God center… the greatest being, Creator of all, the one who is ultimately in control, and let the characters follow Him or go their own way. As long as the heart of my story centers around the truth of God’s goodness, my characters can choose what they may—and suffer the consequences of their actions—just like in real life.
Q: Authors often joke about writing real people into their books. Have you ever done this?
A: Hmmm… I’m sure some people I know have influenced some of my characters in ways. But I can’t think of how. I’m not aware of any real people in any of my published works. My current WIP, Date with Death, is another story. That one is a supernatural horror/heavily fictionalized memoir, so there will be morphs and amalgams of real people.
Q: Characters often carry a little of their author within them. Do any of your characters have similar traits or struggles as you do?
A: Fallon is an exaggerated caricature of me. We look nothing alike, but our personalities are similar. But all of my characters have a piece of me.
Q: If you could live in any fantasy world, including your own, which one would you choose?
A: I would want to live in Kai’s paradise from Adrift. It’s modeled after Lake Atitlán. I visited there on a mission trip to Guatemala. Gorgeous!
Q: What’s next? Do you have any exciting projects you want readers to know about?
A: I stalled out with Date with Death. Most of it is written, but it needs so much work and I’ve just gotten stuck. So prayers for that! Once it’s complete, I have a dystopian trilogy I’d like to write. And maybe a story during the thousand-year reign. But we’ll see!
A big thank you to J.F. Rogers for being here for the interview!
Is there an author you want to see featured? Any questions you want me to ask authors in the future? Drop them in the comments and let me know!
About the Author
J. F. Rogers' permanent residence is in Southern Maine with her husband, daughter, and pets, but she often travels to fantastic worlds with whatever imaginary characters are lurking around. She has a degree in Behavioral Science and teaches a 5th & 6th grade Sunday School class. When she’s not entertaining Tuki the Mega Mutt, her constant companion and greatest distraction, she’s likely tap tap tapping away at her keyboard, praying the words will miraculously align so you all can visit her worlds, too. Above all, she’s a believer in the One True God and can say with absolute certainty—you are loved.
