Meet author Steven Rogers
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Steven Rogers is an author and speaker. His debut novel, Into the Room, begins the story of Ben Cahill, an alcoholic who takes the first steps towards faith and recovery while visiting Israel. His second novel, A Year in the Room, continues Ben’s story as Ben travels to the legendary Scottish Island of Iona. Both books were finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards. Steven loves the process of writing and bringing his stories to a happy, or at least hopeful, ending. Steven, father of three adult children, lives in Henrico, Virginia, with his wife, Kathy.
Tell us about your newest book.
My book, A Year in the Room, is the second in my “Reluctant Pilgrim” series. Ben Cahill, steps off a flight from Israel facing an unrelenting list of challenges—a fractured family, no job, no place to live, and a dubious grip on his newly-found sobriety. Ben is forced to start over, settling into a small, rented room and working three part-time jobs. As his first year of recovery unfolds, Ben fights an unrelenting spiritual war against his personal demons and the consequences of his past actions. Along the way, a chain-smoking, no-nonsense grandmother, a retired navy cook, a crusty old Scotsman, and an unexpected pilgrimage to the legendary Scottish Island of Iona challenge him to clear away the wreckage of his life and begin to repair himself and his family.
What inspired you to write your story?
To answer this question, I first have to discuss my debut novel, Into the Room. In 2017, I was on a flight to visit Israel when, somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, I had the thought, “I wonder what would happen if I were an alcoholic who had just been released from rehab, and I HAD to take this trip?” I quickly invented my character, Ben Cahill, and took him on the tour with me. The result was Into the Room.
After finishing Into the Room, I was compelled to continue telling Ben’s story and explore an alcoholic/addict during the first year of recovery. Discovering God and reestablishing a life are complicated and gut-wrenching processes. A Year in the Room was the result.
What genre do you focus on.
At this point, I focus on Contemporary Christian Fiction. I’m not sure I can answer the question as to why other than to say the genre found me. When I first began writing, I was trying to become the next Stephen King. I didn’t know there was a robust and far-reaching Christian Fiction market.
Things changed in 2017 while I was on a flight to Israel, I invented my character, Ben Cahill, and took him on the tour with me. When we got back home, my wife asked what I’d written in my journal during our visit to The Holy Land. My choice of Contemporary Christian Fiction as a genre was a “God Thing.”
Why do you write?
I write because I believe it’s what God wants me to do with my time, and I hope my stories will help someone on their own spiritual journey. Whatever characters I create and regardless of how deeply I lead them into despair, God’s provision, love, mercy, and grace will always be present in my stories. This doesn’t mean my characters won’t be flawed, weak, or subject to the world’s temptations. However, they will have a chance at redemption, and I strive for a happy, or at least hopeful, ending.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Ben Cahill, the protagonist of A Year in the Room, started out as George Reed. However, one of my beta readers didn’t like the name, and George eventually became Ben Cahill.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I try to write every day, usually in the afternoons. As with all authors, some days the words flow, and some days I feel like I’m prying them out of my brain with a crowbar. To write effectively, I need to “clear the decks,” sequester myself, and trigger my brain to shift gears.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
Patience. I always want to write faster and complete my books more quickly. However, I can’t and still be satisfied with the product. I find creating tension without overusing adjectives and adverbs to be the most challenging part of writing
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
This is the easiest question you’ve asked! The most rewarding part of writing any book is receiving positive feedback from readers.
What’s one thing your readers should know about you?
My love of writing stems from my love of reading.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
Writing the books in the “Reluctant Pilgrim” series has had a significant impact on my personal spiritual journey, although I did not set out to tell these stories with that as an objective. Writing them has cleared out my heart and taught me to forgive. If they had never been published, they still would have changed my life.
What is your favorite pastime?
My hobbies are fishing, traveling, and playing golf with my best buddy. Of these, travel is a passion shared with my wife, Kathy. We love traveling and experiencing new places and cultures.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
As mentioned in other answers above, my other book is the first installment in the “Reluctant Pilgrim” series, Into the Room.
What are you working on now?
My current project is the third (and final) book in the “Reluctant Pilgrim” series. The working title is Beyond the Room, and I’m planning for the main character, Ben Cahill, to help someone else.
Website: Steven-Rogers.com
Link to book: https://amzn.to/4elNi7P
Social media links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevenRogersWriter/
X or Twitter: https://x.com/SRBooksForHope
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenrogerswriter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenrogerswriter/
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