Nadette Rae Rodgers's Blog, page 11
November 28, 2016
Author Interview Series: Stephanie Keyes
Hi all,
Today I have an interview with author Stephanie Keyes!
Check it out:
Author Interview:
Author name: Stephanie Keyes
Works: The Star Child, After Faerie, The Fallen Stars, The Star Catcher, The Last Protector, A Faerie Wedding, Into Faerie:The Star Child Novellas, “The Boy In the Trees” part of the Blood In The Shadows anthology. Soon to be released, “Into the Garden” part of the Ever in the After charity anthology to support Lift 4 Autism.
Awards: 2015 BTS Magazine Readers Choice Awards Finalist (The Star Child), 2014 Dante Rossetti YA Novel Award (1st place Mythology) The Star Catcher, 2013 Kindle Book Awards semi-finalist (The Fallen Stars)
What is your all time favorite book?
Anything in The Chronicles of Faerie series by O.R.Melling.
What is your current favorite book?
Candor by Pam Bachorz
What genre is your favorite to read?
Anything YA. It’s usually Fantasy, but sometimes contemporary. I don’t get a ton of time to read, so I only read books that I’m really going to get into.
Who is your author role-model?
J.K.Rowling. She’s badass!
How old were you when you began writing in general?
I was always making up stories, but the earliest I remember writing something down was 12.
How old were you when you wrote your first book?
14. It was written in pencil on a spiral-bound, college-ruled notebook. I have no idea what happened to it!
Is writing your career or something on the side?
I also freelance as an IT consultant, teacher, graphic designer, and blog with my husband at www.thenerdgarden.com
Where is your favorite place to write?
My brand-new office.
November 27, 2016
Writing Inspiration
I #amwriting tonight. I found this quote and it really inspired me!
So I thought I’d share it with you!
Happy Writing :)
Photo: Nadette Rae Rodgers
November 24, 2016
Black Friday Giveaway!!
Want to win a signed copy of Illusion today?
In honor of Thanksgiving and having so much to be grateful for, and Black Friday deals, and of course the Gilmore Girls revival today, I thought I’d run a little giveaway!
Check out my Twitter for more info! https://mobile.twitter.com/nadetterae
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*winner will be picked at noon (eastern time) today! (November 25th)
*must live in the U.S. to win
Good luck!
“May the odds be ever in your favor!”
~Nadette
November 23, 2016
Dreaming of…Thanksgiving!
HAPPY ALMOST TURKEY DAY EVERYONE!
Who is ready for that delicious Thanksgiving meal? I know I am!
If your love of this holiday is working its way into your dreams, here’s what it means:
To dream of Thanksgiving in general, means you have family, celebration, and warmth on your mind. You are anxious for what the day brings, eager to see family, and hungry for turkey with gravy and all of the fixings.
Dreaming of potatoes? You are either feeling lazy or are anxious about a financial situation in your life right now.
Corn is symbolic of being prosperous and productive.
To see your family in your dreams represents warmth, love, and feeling secure. (However, if the dream about your family is a rather negative one it could symbolize rivalry and jealousy.)
Dreaming of pie tells you all your hard work in your waking life will soon pay off!
To see bread in your dream represents good fortune.
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I just wanted to take this opportunity to say how thankful I am for all of you!!
Thank you so much for all of you who have been following this blog or have read Illusion. Thank you also to all of the aspiring writers who have reached out to me since the release of my novel; your kind words mean the world to me. Thank you!
I am so very thankful for all of the people in my life who have made my dream a reality and helped me get my book to print!
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving day full of laughter, memories, family, friends, and a lot of FOOD! Tell those you love how thankful you are to have them in your life.
Happy Thanksgiving!
~Nadette Rae Rodgers
*some info found @ dreammoods.com and dreamforth.com
October 5, 2016
Something’s coming October 7th!
Something big is happening in Addison’s world on Friday, October 7th.
Read along by downloading a FREE copy of the Kindle edition today! Follow the link below:
*free copy available for download of Kindle edition on Amazon today only (October 6th, 2016)
September 28, 2016
Happy September 29th!
Some of you may be wondering what is so special about September 29th, right?
Well, here is an interesting fact about my new book, Illusion, book one of the Illusion Trilogy:
The dates the book takes place line up with the dates of this year.
So you can read along and see what is happening in Addison’s world on Thursday, September 29th ON Thursday, September 29th.
Because of this, you can download a copy of Illusion to your kindle for FREE today so you can read along.
The story begins on Thursday, September 29th? What will happen? Read to find out!
Author Interview Series: Lillie Leonardi
Hi all,
With the Passages & Prose event this Saturday, I’ve decided to interview the leader of the event, Lillie Leonardi.
Enjoy and be sure to come out to Passages & Prose!
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Author Interview
Author name: Lillie Leonardi
Works: In The Shadow Of A Badge (2013), The White Light of Grace (2016)
Both books published with Hay House
What is your all time favorite book?
It would depend upon the genre.
What is your current favorite book?
Again, it would appear about the genre.
What is the most recent book you’ve read/ are currently reading?
The Power of I Am by Joel Osteen
What genre is your favorite to read?
Historical fiction (Medieval Ireland)
Spiritual (Angels)
Who is your author role-model?
Beatrix Potter
How old were you when you began writing?
I was 16 years old when I wrote my first piece.
How old were you when you wrote your first book?
When I wrote my first book, I was 38 years old. The book is not yet published.
Is writing your career or something on the side?
I initially wrote to soothe my soul and give voice to my emotions.
Since my retirement from the law enforcement profession, I have been writing full-time.
I also collaborate with fellow authors to make their works known.
Where is your favorite place to write?
My favorite place to write is in my kitchen looking out at a statue of Mother Mary.
What inspires you to write?
My life and circumstances inspire me to write.
Who inspires you to write?
My angelic muses inspire me to write.
Do you base characters off of people in your life?
Since my works are memoirs, I pen based on my life.
Read the book or see the movie first?
Read the book definitely.
Do you like when a movie is slightly different from the book with its own twist, or does it have to be exact?
I enjoy creative twists to the movie.
What are your thoughts on major plot-twists?
Due to my former occupation in law enforcement, creative plot twists are great – as long as they aren’t so far fetched.
How do you read a book (i.e. cover to cover, sometimes finish it, will tear through it in a day, read the last page before starting)?
It depends upon the book content. If it is medieval history, I usually tear through it. If the book is spiritual or angelic in content, I take my time reading and reflecting.
What is a writing goal you have?
To complete my latest book by year end.
If you could sum up your writing style in a word or phrase what would it be?
My editor at Hay House has informed me I have a dual style of writing. One is straight-forward like a police report and the other is poetic in design.
What is your advice for aspiring writers?
Everyone has at least one story inside to share with either family members or the public. So just write, and dare to dream.
Tell us a little bit about the Passages & Prose event coming up.
Passages & Prose 2016: A Gathering of Authors & Their Books is an annual literary event hosted in collaboration with Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel.
Passages & Prose 2016 will take place Saturday, October 1, 2016 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and feature over 40 local and national authors throughout the day.
The event is open and FREE to the public, and family – friendly.
Registration is suggested at: passagesandprose2016.eventbrite.com
Describe your book, The White Light of Grace, in ten words or less.
The book traces life-altering events, when I invoked angels to intervene.
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After serving for more than 25 years, Lillie Leonardi retired from law enforcement to pursue her lifetime passion for writing.
Her first non-fiction book about her experience as a responder on 9/11 entitled, In the Shadow of a Badge was released in 2013 with Hay House. In February 2016, Lillie released her second book with Hay House titled, The White Light of Grace: Reflections on the Life of a Spiritual Intuitive . She is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and Heal Your Life digital publications.
On 9/11 and in the post days of recovery, Lillie was utilized by the FBI to address law enforcement, government, and social service agency representatives assisting with evidence recovery and preparations for two memorial services at the Flight 93 crash site. She not only served as primary liaison to the United Airlines Humanitarian Response Team—presenting at daily briefings and interacting with surviving family members—but also escorted families to the crash site for the memorial services.
From 1998 to 2010, Lillie was employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Pittsburgh Division as its Community Outreach Specialist. She also worked under the auspice of the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Pennsylvania, and served with a prestigious group of instructors. Lillie provided training on various subjects including: community policing, crime prevention, cultural competency, hate crimes, responding to a major incident, threat assessment, and violence reduction.
Prior to her career with the FBI, Lillie worked as the lead law enforcement officer on two college campuses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1984, she was appointed to serve as the first female police officer with the City of Arnold, Pennsylvania.
For more info about Lillie or her books, visit: www.lillieleonardi.com
September 27, 2016
Author Interview Series: J.T. Philips
Hi guys!
Today’s post is another interview!
This one is with a good friend of mine, author J.T. Philips.
Her debut novel was just released! It is so fun, adventurous, and intriguing. After you read all about the author below, be sure to check out her new book! I highly recommend it.
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Author Interview
Author name: J.T. Philips
Works: The Last of their Kind
What is your all time favorite book?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
What is your current favorite book?
Green Rider by Kristen Britain
What is the most recent book you’ve read?
The most recent book I read was Killing Reagan by Bill O’Reilly.
What genre is your favorite to read?
My favorite genre to read is definitely fantasy.
Do you feel your writing style is similar to the type of books you read?
Yeah, I think so. It kind of draws from all of the different genres I read.
Who is your author role-model?
J.K. Rowling, of course! I think every author wants to be her at some point or another. Plus her stories are incredible!
How old were you when you began writing?
Well, I’m not exactly sure of the exact age, but I do know I entered a contest with Reading Rainbow to get a book published (it didn’t win). I think I was about five or six at the time.
How old were you when you wrote your first book?
I wrote my first real book when I was eleven. That was The Last of their Kind.
Is writing your career or something on the side?
Well, it was going to be my career, but I decided to do something completely different in college. So unless my plans change, writing is just a hobby.
Where is your favorite place to write?
My favorite place to write is at Lake Erie at Van Buren Bay. It’s where I started writing my books and it always feels good to be writing in the place where my journey as an author began.
What inspires you to write?
Pretty much my daily life inspires me to write. Usually it’s me going “Well this day was super boring. I wish something cool happened.” And then I’d create something cool to try to make my day more exciting. It usually works. Another thing that inspires me to write is (don’t laugh) a movie. I’ll get really into a movie and I’ll get inspirations from what I see, so I’ll stick it in my book.
Who inspires you to write?
Oh man. So many people! My friends and family are my main supporters, and their encouragement and feedback helps motivate me to be the best I can be.
Do you base characters off of people in your life?
Oh gosh, yeah! Almost every single character in my book is based off of one or more people I know. My main character, Jaiyana, is based off of myself and a bunch of other characters from books, movies, and TV shows. A lot of my other characters are the same way.
Read the book or see the movie first?
Usually I’d say read the book first. It’s the best way to do it. However, if you really don’t have the time to read the book, every once in awhile you can cheat. Just not all the time!
Do you like when a movie is slightly different from the book with its own twist, or does it have to be exact?
I feel very strongly about this. If you’re going to make a movie based on a book, MAKE IT EXACTLY LIKE THE BOOK. There’s nothing worse than walking into the theater, expecting the book’s awesome plotline that you’re dying to see on-screen, and then receiving a movie that basically has nothing in common with the book except the title. It’s just WRONG!
What are your thoughts on major plot-twists?
Major plot-twists are good, to a certain degree. If they’re used in moderation, then I’m cool with them.
How do you read a book (i.e. cover to cover, sometimes finish it, will tear through it in a day, read the last page before starting)?
Well… I have done all of these. Usually I read the book cover to cover. In the case of really good books like Harry Potter I’ll tear through them in a day. Other books I’ll start and only get through like twenty pages. I’m not great at committing myself to a book with a slow start. As for reading the last page, I find this absolutely reprehensible, though I’ll admit: I have done it. With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which was stupid of me.
What is a writing goal you have?
My ultimate goal is to get all of my books published. (One down, four to go!)
If you could sum up your writing style in a word or phrase what would it be?
Exciting!
What is your advice for aspiring writers?
If writing is your dream, go after it! To achieve your dreams, you need to work at it. Don’t be afraid to ask for people’s advice and to give your writing everything you got.
Tell me about your new book/series.
The Legacy Series follows the Aelder family, starting with Jaiyana, as each tries to deal with the repercussions of their predecessors actions. The Last of their Kind follows Jaiyana’s story as she tries to rebuild her homeland and avenge her family’s death.
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To buy The Last of their Kind on Amazon click here.
To visit J.T. Philips’ official site click here.
Happy Reading!
~Nadette
September 21, 2016
Dreaming of…Autumn
Hello everyone!
Tomorrow is officially FALL!
I love the Fall season so much, which is probably pretty obvious for anyone who has already read Illusion. The book itself takes place mostly in the month of October and all events are leading up to Fall Ball, the big dance at Addison Smith’s high school.
Be sure to order or download your copy soon so you can read along during the Fall season while drinking hot cocoa or hot apple cider all curled up in a big blanket. (Which is my favorite thing about Fall, curling up with a good book as the leaves fall out my window.)
I received this copy of Jane Eyre (pictured above) from my mom for my birthday. All of the orange/red leaves on the cover got me inspired to take some pictures and write this post.
So Happy Autumn and enjoy this post about what fall dreams mean!
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My brother always used to say, “It smells like Fall!” As a kid, I thought that was a silly thing to say. But now? Now I can see how there is a certain smell to Fall (pumpkin spice? warmth? home?).
Fall is such a unique season, and I feel so fortunate to have grown up in an area that has such vivid color changes in the fall. It is always one of my favorite times, especially for writing, because there is something just so calming about autumn. Leaves drifting slowly to the ground, kids jumping in piles of freshly raked leaves, pumpkin pie or apple cobbler right out of the oven, and the times curled up in front of the fireplace with a good book!
If this lovely season shows up in your dreams, here are some things your mind could be trying to tell you!
Dreaming of autumn/fall in general could mean one of two things:
the circle of life. Something in your life may be ending, but something new will also be beginning. Change is coming, just like those color changing leaves.
abundance. Like the piles upon piles of leaves, you will be abundant with something you’ve been working hard for lately.
To dream of leaves represents happiness in your life. Leaves are symbolic of openness.
Let’s say you dream of a delicious pumpkin pie, this dream is telling you that your hard work will pay off. Rewards are coming your way. Get ready for your piece of the pie in life.
To dream of a pumpkin is telling you that you’re doing some wishful thinking regarding a situation in your life right now.
If you dream you are reading a book, curled up in a cozy blanket, that is your mind’s way of saying you need some warmth in your life. Maybe someone is acting cold toward you, or maybe you are the one with the cold shoulder.
Reading a book indicates a sense of calmness in your waking hours, as well as a longing for knowledge and wisdom.
If you dream of going to a fall dance like Addison does in Illusion, like a homecoming or a Fall Ball, it may represent a sense of nostalgia you are having.
Drinking some warm apple cider in your dream is a clue that you will soon be rewarded for your efforts.
Overall, a constant theme of fall related dreams is that of warmth, rewards, and a new season of your life. So if you have been dreaming of autumn lately, get ready for all that Fall of 2016 will bring!
~Nadette Rae Rodgers
September 20, 2016
Summer Reads Recap!
Hi everyone!
So Fall officially starts on Wednesday!
I can’t believe how fast time flies. Because Summer is basically officially over now, I figured I would recap all of my summer reads this year. Click on the links below to see my reviews of each book. (Be sure to follow me on Goodreads to see what I’m currently reading!)
In my post at the start of summer, I said I wanted to read:
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
The Boy Most Likely To also by Huntley Fitzpatrick
The Boys of Summer by Jessica Brody
First Love by James Patterson
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen (s/o to Holly from nutfreenerd.com for recommending it to me!)
War and Wonder by Dana Faletti
The Elite by Kiera Cass
The One by Kiera Cass (s/o to Nino from enchantedreaders.com for this recommendation!)
I would highly recommend all of these books! They were all very well written and were the perfect summer reads. So if in the middle of Fall, you feel yourself missing the sun, grab one of these awesome books to bring you all the summer feels!
My favorite “summer-y” book: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
My favorite love story: First Love by James Patterson
My favorite couple: America and Maxon in The Selection series by Kiera Cass
My favorite character: America from The Selection series by Kiera Cass
My favorite Sarah Dessen book this summer: Saint Anything
My favorite Kiera Cass book: The One
My favorite cover: a tie between The Selection books (those dresses are gorgeous! right?) and Saint Anything (the carousel has so much meaning once you read the book)
Follow me on Goodreads (Nadette Rae Rodgers) to see my thoughts on other books as I read them.
Happy Almost Fall Reading!
~Nadette
P.S. looking for a Fall book to read? Click here
