1. Can you tell us a little about yourself? - My husband and I have three daughters and make our home in Southeast Kansas. As a student at Emporia State University studying English and journalism, I developed a love for the Flint Hills that has never faded. In writing the Seasons of the Tallgrass series, I hope to share my passion for one of the last tallgrass prairie regions in the world, showing that God’s great beauty rests on the prairie and in the hearts of those who live there.
2. When you were a child did you have a favourite book or books? – I enjoyed reading the Little House on the Prairie series, as well as Pippy Longstocking and Margaret Henry books. There were many more but those are the ones that stand out to me. (Jenny here I loved the Little house books and loved Pippi Longstocking.)
3. Do you have a favourite Genre to both read and right write? - I love historical fiction and always try to include in my book research various historical aspects about my setting. I especially enjoy reading journals or nonfiction books about ranching and the Flint Hills. Writing a historical novel may well be something I try to tackle one day.
4. Did you have favourite authors growing up who have influenced you? – Though I didn’t know about either of these authors until later in life, Janette Oke is an all-time favorite, as is Jan Karon. I’m hoping to meet Mrs. Oke at the ACFW conference this next September in Indianapolis. (Jenny again it was Janette Oke's Canadian West series that got me back into reading)
5. When did you know you wanted to be an author? - Ever since I was in high school. I began writing my Great American Novel as a junior—Splendor of the Sun. That earned me an A++ in Senior English. I studied English and journalism in college, but it wasn’t until 2002 that I began taking serious steps to be published.
6. How did you go about becoming an author? - There came a time in my life when I felt God prodding me to do more with my writing or risk having the talent taken from me. At that point, I joined a local writer’s group and ACFW, (an online writing organization). I also joined a critique group, started reading writing how-to’s and attended writing conferences. I met my first agent at the ACFW Nashville Conference in 2005. We hit it off at our meeting, and she gave me some tips on making my book series “bigger.” I did that and submitted my idea to her and she took me on. We shopped my Seasons of the Tallgrass series for a year and had a few bites (one of them Zondervan) but no sale. In the end, she released me, which was a real heart breaker. However, we don’t always see the big picture like God does, and six months later I signed with agent, Rachelle Gardner with WordServe Literary, and we had an offer from Zondervan three months after that in May 2008.
7. If you were not a writer what would you like to be? - I’d do more work at home. More gardening and canning. More baking and sewing. More music involvement at our church. And I’d do more quilting and scrapbooking. (I enjoy scrapbooking also)
8. Outside reading and writing what do you like to do? - I like to take walks with our two golden retrievers or dig in the dirt in my flower beds or garden. I also enjoy playing the piano, baking something, sewing or scrapbooking!
9. Do you have a place you love to visit or would love to visit? - Like most people, I think it would be fun to go to Europe and travel the countryside for a month, but I don’t suppose that will ever happen, as I have an aversion to flying. That said, I think it would be awesome to travel across the United States in an RV with my husband. I love the mountains, so I’m sure that would be in our travel itinerary.
10. If you could have a meal with 3 living people who would you choose and why? - I’d like to visit with movie producers, maybe Larry Levinson or Michael Landon Jr, and try to convince them to make a movie out of my book! For a third person, let’s throw in Kevin Costner. Though I’m not a fan of all of his movies, his work on Dances with Wolves and Open Range won me over, and I think it’d be quite interesting to visit with him. (I think your books would be great as movies so I think thats a good choice)
11. Finally can you tell us about your current books and/or any that will
be coming out soon. Also where we can find you on the web. -
Author Web site: http://www.deborahvogts.com
Country at Heart blog: http://www.deborahvogts.blogspot.com
4 comments:
Hi Jenny. Thanks so much for having me on your blog. :) Blessings to you & your readers.
Nice interview! Thank you!
Bill ;-)
http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/
Author of "Back to the Homeplace"
and "13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories"
http://www.examiner.com/x-53135-Springfield-Genealogy-Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-58285-Ozarks-Cultural-Heritage-Examiner
I want to congratulate Deborah for having a chance to show in this great blog. I really love this post. I learned a lot of useful things.
It is great to get to know some of the authors that I occassionally come across through my networking, on a more personal level. This was a wonderful interview. Best of luck in the future and God bless.
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