Loretta C. Rogers Bestselling Author
Mystery and Romance...Expect the Unexpected!
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Sunday, September 22, 2024
Friday, September 20, 2024
Who is Dr. Tullah Holliday and What is She Up To Now?
Hello Readers,
Technically it’s still Summer for just a little longer, but it’s safe to say there’s already a busy feeling in the air as we leave the beach behind and look ahead to cooler weather, and the Fall. I hope you find some time to unwind in these next few months as best you can. If that happens to be with a book, I’m pleased to share the news that 8 Seconds to Die is available in paperback and ebook. The book finds Dr. Tullah Holliday as a guest on a ranch in Oklahoma to solve the suspicious murder of a former school bully’s father. But can she uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim?
8 Seconds to Die is book #5 in the Doc Holliday Mystery series. In fact, now is a perfect time to catch up on all of Dr. Tullah Holliday’s adventures – because she’ll be back in my next release, To Catch a Killer, coming November 11th and available for preorder now.
COMING SOON
TO CATCH A KILLER
For fourteen years, Dr.
Tullah Holliday has waited to use her empathic
abilities to avenge her mother’s death by neophytes who kill indigenous women
as part of their gang initiation.
After Tullah sends Clay
away, she realizes she is the killer’s next target. The truth about the night
her mother died in a dark alley is—deadly. And a second chance for love between
her and Clay could end before it’s even begun.
Whether you’re reading this series for the first time or
catching up, I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can find me on Instagram
@rogers.loretta2018, and FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/loretta.rogers.3591/
Until we meet again,
HAPPY READING!
Loretta
Thursday, August 22, 2024
The Magic of Reading
So often, I hear people say, “I don’t read. It puts me to sleep,” or, “I don’t read because it’s boring.” As a writer, I try to be opened minded to such comments, especially when a part of me wants to take offense.
As a child,
who grew up in an abusive home, reading was my safe haven, a place where I
could immerse myself in different worlds and live exciting adventures. I was
the proverbial bookworm. Throughout the course of my career as a teacher of
children, young adults, and senior adults, those who were avid readers enjoyed
immersing themselves in the lives of fictional characters, their
triumphs, their tragedies, their joys and sorrows, all which contributed to
shaping a reader’s emotional intelligence.
In this article, I’m putting aside my writer’s hat and
donning my teacher’s hat. Bear with me. I promise not to bore you to tears.
It doesn’t
surprise me when those who grew up reading fiction have a knack for empathizing
with people. Readers have been practicing it for years, one book at a time by
laughing and crying with fictional characters.
As a
multi-published author, I can personally vouch for this. As child who devoured
fiction books when growing up, I found my writing skills evolving with every
page I turned.
The more I
read, the more I was exposed to different writing styles, narrative structures,
and evocative language. All these elements silently seeped into my own writing.
It’s like I had a constant tutor guiding me through the art of storytelling,
helping me paint vivid images with words.
I used to
tell my students that I had traveled through time and space. I loved the awed
expressions on their faces. As an example, I’ve never actually visited Africa.
However, I’ve traveled to the Dark continent in books such as Barbara
Kingsolver’s “The Poisonwood Bible,” “Tarzan and the Apes,” by Edgar Rice
Burroughs, “Out of Africa,” by Karen Blixen, and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” by
Earnest Hemingway.
My point
being, that when I wrote my Historical romance, “Taming the Lyon,” I had never
visited Africa, but the knowledge I had gained from reading such wonderful
fiction novels, that a reader from South Africa, contacted me, asking how long
had I lived in Africa because I had painted such beautiful scenes with my
words. Wow! What a great compliment.
Life is full
of twists and turns, much like a good fiction book. Readers who grew up
navigating their way through intricate plot lines and surprising story arcs
naturally develop sharp problem-solving skills. How, you say?
Because they’ve
witnessed characters facing dilemmas, making tough choices, and finding
innovative solutions to their problems. This constant exposure to
problem-solving scenarios in fiction can subconsciously train the reader’s mind
to think critically and creatively in the face of real-life challenges.
One of the
most noticeable strengths of people who grew up reading fiction is their
expansive vocabulary. Each book they read is like a treasure trove of words,
filled with unique phrases, colloquialisms, and expressive language.
I remember
as a child being engrossed in stories of magical lands, heroic quests, and
brave characters who always found a way to victory, no matter the odds. These
tales ingrained in me a sense of resilience and hope.
Reading a
book isn’t a task you can rush through. It requires focus, patience, and the
ability to drown out distractions. Those who grew up with their heads in books
have been unknowingly training their minds to concentrate and focus for
extended periods.
My mother
would call me, and I would answer, “Just a minute.” Of course, that minute oft
times got me into trouble because it equated into a half-hour or more. When in
the sixth grade, I had a copy of Walter Farley’s “The Black Stallion,” tucked
inside my geography book. I was so engrossed in the story that I hadn’t heard the teacher call on me to read. I nearly fell out of my desk when she touched me on the
shoulder to get my attention. Boy was my face red.
However, this
ability to concentrate isn’t just limited to reading. It translates into other
areas of life too, be it studying for an exam, working on a project, or even
listening attentively to a conversation.
And that’s
the magic of reading fiction. It doesn’t just transport you to different
worlds; it turns you into someone who constantly seeks to understand and
explore the world around you.
So, to those
who grew up reading fiction books and to those who still do – keep turning the
pages. Read to your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or to clients
in nursing homes. Who knows what wonderous worlds you will open for them. And
what could be more magical than that?
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Summer Fun and Time to Read!
Hello Readers,
Summer is in full swing. I hope you've been enjoying plenty of outdoor activities, and making lots of time to read.
All of my books come in print and as an Ebook. They are available at your favorite online stores: Amazon, BarnesNoble, Kobo, iTunes, Apple, and other.
If you're at outside, don't forget your sunscreen.
Until we meet again,
HAPPY READING!
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Hurricane Season is No Laughing Matter!
It’s June. Hurricane season has officially begun, and
lasts through November 30th. As a native Floridian, I’ve lived
through countless hurricane seasons—some mild and others downright scary.
Hurricanes aren’t a laughing matter, but a little
humor does help. Today’s blog is about the dark side, the humorist side, and
personal experiences of hurricanes.
On the dark side.
Eons ago, my aunt’s first husband was an Air Force hurricane hunter. He and his
crew’s job were to fly a specially equipped aircraft directly into the eye of
the storm to collect crucial data that would help protect lives and property.
He was stationed in the Caribbean. By the time he and his crew were in the air,
the hurricane had already reach category 4 status. Sadly, this was his final
mission. The aircraft, and the eleven people aboard disappeared and were never
found. Very little was ever learned about the crash. My aunt had to wait seven
years before she could declare her husband legally dead.
On the humorist side.
Well, maybe not, especially if you’re afraid of snakes. This tidbit was taken
from the Miami New Times. “Hurricane Andrew released invasive pythons into the Everglades, thus
permanently screwing up the state's already dumb ecosystem:
The Burmese python has become the national poster child for the [invasive
species] problem. The snakes were first spotted in the wild as early as the
1980s, but many observers believe the current crop haunting the Everglades was
tossed into the area during Hurricane Andrew. Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission Officer Pat Reynolds was on the wildlife beat in 1992
when the Category 5 storm tore through South Florida. After the hurricane,
Reynolds went to check on an animal importer in the area who was known for his
faulty cages.
Inside a greenhouse near Homestead General Airport, the two owners had been
using shelves meant for growing orchids to store their animals, including
pricey pythons. "They put all of their reptiles on there in these Dixie
cup things," says Reynolds, who retired in 2011. "There were little
baby pythons — real colorful when they're that young — and they could stuff 'em
in a little container and put the top on it."
When the storm whipped through, off went the snakes.
"Andrew comes, blew that place apart. All of those containers just flew
out like Frisbees," Reynolds says. "The direction of the wind was
into Everglades National Park — the park boundaries were less than a half-mile
from there. So, all these animals blew in there. That's where the pythons came
from."
My Personal Experience. Some years ago, hubby and I, along with several members of
our travel group, were at a Guest Ranch. We were looking forward to some
horseback riding, and the Saturday night rodeo. A beautiful weekend turned into
an unexpected and very wet adventure. It began to rain Friday night. Saturday
morning, we awoke to about an inch of water in our hotel room. We contacted our
tour leader and was assured that management was aware that the bottom floor
rooms were being flooded. She told us that we would be moved to a second story
room; to place our luggage on the bed, and not to worry, that someone in an ATV
would pick us up and drive us to the resort restaurant. While enjoying our
breakfast, the rain became a raging storm. We had barely finished eating when
my cellphone rang. Our tour host called to say that due to a hurricane and
flooding from the Kissimmee River, the ranch was being evacuated. I asked if
someone was coming to drive us to where our tour motorcoach was parked. The
answer was, “yes.”
After waiting for twenty minutes, and
several phone exchanges with our tour host, it was determined that the water
had risen to the point that the ATV’s couldn’t get to us. Hubby and I pulled
off our shoes and began walking. When we left the restaurant, the water had
already risen to my knees. At some point during our half-mile swim-hike, hubby
had to hold on to me to keep the current from sweeping me away. I’m a fairly
good swimmer, however, the rushing waters were more forceful than I was strong.
The staffer’s reply was, “Oh, it’s not
gators you needed to worry about. It’s moccasins. The swamp is filled with ‘em.”
I was already shivering from being wet
and cold, but his words caused goosebumps to multiply all over my body.
As soon as we boarded the coach, our
tour host did a head count to make sure no one was missing. We were barely in
our seats when the driver headed down the long dirt road toward the main
highway. We could see ranch hands desperately trying to get the cattle and
horses to higher ground. The water had risen so fast that the tops of the fence
post were no longer visible, and the road had completely disappeared.
No one spoke. We watched the
windshield wipers doing double time as buckets of water splashed against the
windshield practically obliterating the driver’s visibility. There was a
collective sigh of relief when we finally made it to the highway. Still, no one
spoke. I think we were all silently sending up prayers of gratitude to our Lord
and Savior for watching over us.
The next day, we learned that our
motorcoach was the last vehicle to get out. The road had collapsed and became
impassable. The owners of the ranch refunded a goodly portion of our money, and
with an invitation to return as soon as they were able to reopen.
Over the years, hubby and I have had
many hurricane experiences. I never look forward this time of year, but I
always make sure to be prepared for any emergences, because we never know if we
might lose power for a few days or even up to a week.
Hurricane season is no laughing matter. For those of you, dear readers, who live in hurricane prone states, be prepared, and be safe.
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
"8 Seconds to Die," is one of those ideas that I had to write the moment it woke me up in the middle of the night. I was afraid that if I closed my eyes and went back to sleep that the story idea would leave me.
"From a menacing bull breeder to a crooked sheriff, Dr. Tullah Holliday is up against formidable foes in '8 Seconds to Die.' #AmReading #SuspenseNovel ~ AllAuthors
In Paperback and Ebook
https://www.amazon.com/Seconds-Die-Holliday-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B0CTHPZVHX/
https://allauthor.com/book/87552/8-seconds-to-die-a-doc-holliday-mystery-book-5/
https://books.apple.com/pa/book/8-seconds-to-die/id6479361219?l=en-GB
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/8-seconds-to-die-loretta-c-rogers/1145014706?ean=9781509254910
-
Loretta C. Rogers I write mystery and romance with a little paranormal tossed in. Readers can... "Expect the Unexpected&qu...
-
Hello Readers, We're waving good bye to April and welcoming the month of May. I'm excited to share with you that book #5 "8 Se...
-
Hello Friends, Today and for the entire month of April, I have the great honor of being selected by N. N. Light's Book Heaven to featur...