Meet The Author of
"GREEKSCAPES: Illustrated Journeys with an Artist"
Pamela Jane Rogers!
About Pamela
Born in 1948 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Pamela earned her BFA degree in Art from UNC-G in 1970. She taught art and worked in interior design in her husband's home town before meeting the renowned artist who would mentor her for the next seven years. Pamela's life changed drastically with her decision to end her 19-year marriage and seek the way to best continue her painting career. Following her muse led her to an epiphany in an olive grove in Greece, presenting more paths to enlightenment and resulting in a more fulfilling life than even she dared to dream. GREEKSCAPES is a sensitive and personal life story. It's also about the role of art in helping an artist make difficult choices, accept loss, adapt to change, and grow from past sorrows and joys in order to fully embrace the beautiful reality of living in the present. Pamela lives on Poros Island in Greece with her brand new Scottish husband, an acclaimed art historian, and one very spoiled cat.
Pamela Jane Rogers Social & Contact Links
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An Interview with Rukia Publishing and the author & Artist Pamela Jane Rogers!
Creativity and Destiny meet in Greece
#Memoir,#Greece, #island, #girlpower #RPBP
Hello Pamela! Thank you so much for joining us today! It is a pleasure to have you with us!
Good afternoon, Margaret. This is a perfect time for our interview, because we are having lovely rain showers on the island! The breezes are cool and my wee garden is happy to be watered by Mother Nature. I’ve just finished working on my latest painting for the day. What would you like to know?
How long have you been a writer and how did you come to writing?
I wrote my first story when I was 8 about a little girl in a red cape, who ‘hoodwinked’ the wolf. My mother thought it was hilarious. By the age of 12, I was reading Thomas Hardy and identifying with Tess of the D’Urbervilles, thereby gaining a huge reverence for writers and thinking I’d never be able to write a book! It was during my first swim in the Aegean Sea that words formed so clearly in my head that I felt obliged to write them down… so Greece made me do it.
What are the best and the worst aspects of writing?
For me, the best aspect has been the catharsis that comes with focusing on a certain time or place or feeling – the worst? Sitting too long!
.
What and/or who inspires you to write?
Oh, the list of writers I admire is long and growing. Great emotion fills over the rim of me, inspiring me to either write or paint. When I fall in love…with a moment, a place, an idea, a flower – or see something beautiful, I have the irrepressible urge to share it with anyone who will listen (or look)…or read.
What is the title of your book?
For better or worse, it’s GREEKSCAPES Journeys with an Aritst – and the Special Edition is GREEKSCAPES Illustrated Journeys with an Artist.
How did you come up with this story?
It didn’t take much imagination, as I lived it! When my Greek friends began having such dire financial problems, I decided to add my many magical experiences in Greece to those of other philhellene writers. I hired a wonderful editor (Bryony Sutherland) to help me make some vital decisions about what not to include.
How did you conduct your research for book?
A friend told me once that I have ‘an elephant brain’. I do have an astute visual memory, but I also reread my diaries for research, and relived the experiences as I wrote. Some of my friends (and my husband) said I seemed very distracted during the years I was writing, and they were glad when I finished. To be fair, the same happens when I’m concentrating on a painting too – my Achilles heel, perhaps?
What are 3 of your favorite lines/quotes from your book?
What would your friends say is your best quality?
I think most might say my positive attitude, although some find that quality irritating.
Are reader reviews important to you?
Yes, I’m interested in readers’ opinions, although I do take my father’s advice and “consider the source” to shield my tender self a bit.
Do you have any blogs/websites?
My website is http://pamelajanerogers.com and my most up to date information is on https://www.facebook.com/greekscapesjourneys/.
What do you do when you don’t write?
I paint, socialize with friends, travel with my husband, help with charities for children and animals, try new vegetarian recipes, and lately I’m enjoying reading about Greece by other authors. It’s a pretty full life on a small island!
Tell us about your other books?
Greekscapes is my first published book, fueled by my passion for Greece and art. I have started a second, which may turn out to be short stories with a twist– snippets of Greek life that I didn’t include in the memoir.
If you could share one thing about yourself that you would like readers to know what would it be?
I hope my memoir will inspire others to make the life-affirming changes that are best for them, and maybe even enjoy a holiday in glorious Greece!
Your words have inspired me. Thank you! I hope to visit Greece and you one day!
Thank you, Margaret, for this wonderful opportunity to
answer your questions about my work. Yeia mas – in Greek, Good Health to you!
Good afternoon, Margaret. This is a perfect time for our interview, because we are having lovely rain showers on the island! The breezes are cool and my wee garden is happy to be watered by Mother Nature. I’ve just finished working on my latest painting for the day. What would you like to know?
How long have you been a writer and how did you come to writing?
I wrote my first story when I was 8 about a little girl in a red cape, who ‘hoodwinked’ the wolf. My mother thought it was hilarious. By the age of 12, I was reading Thomas Hardy and identifying with Tess of the D’Urbervilles, thereby gaining a huge reverence for writers and thinking I’d never be able to write a book! It was during my first swim in the Aegean Sea that words formed so clearly in my head that I felt obliged to write them down… so Greece made me do it.
What are the best and the worst aspects of writing?
For me, the best aspect has been the catharsis that comes with focusing on a certain time or place or feeling – the worst? Sitting too long!
.
What and/or who inspires you to write?
Oh, the list of writers I admire is long and growing. Great emotion fills over the rim of me, inspiring me to either write or paint. When I fall in love…with a moment, a place, an idea, a flower – or see something beautiful, I have the irrepressible urge to share it with anyone who will listen (or look)…or read.
What is the title of your book?
For better or worse, it’s GREEKSCAPES Journeys with an Aritst – and the Special Edition is GREEKSCAPES Illustrated Journeys with an Artist.
How did you come up with this story?
It didn’t take much imagination, as I lived it! When my Greek friends began having such dire financial problems, I decided to add my many magical experiences in Greece to those of other philhellene writers. I hired a wonderful editor (Bryony Sutherland) to help me make some vital decisions about what not to include.
How did you conduct your research for book?
A friend told me once that I have ‘an elephant brain’. I do have an astute visual memory, but I also reread my diaries for research, and relived the experiences as I wrote. Some of my friends (and my husband) said I seemed very distracted during the years I was writing, and they were glad when I finished. To be fair, the same happens when I’m concentrating on a painting too – my Achilles heel, perhaps?
What are 3 of your favorite lines/quotes from your book?
- Moving to Greece was the easiest transition of my life, not because I’m such a fearless risk-taker, but because I made the choice to finally trust my heart.
- Driving along the coastal road and marveling at the distance one day, I calculated that if The Sleeping Lady (mountain range)should wake up and rise from her bed of millennia, she’d be at least ten miles tall and her phenomenal head would reach into the stratosphere high enough to plug a hole in the ozone layer!
- After absorbing that grim family background, I resolved never to let lack of money control my life or my happiness.
What would your friends say is your best quality?
I think most might say my positive attitude, although some find that quality irritating.
Are reader reviews important to you?
Yes, I’m interested in readers’ opinions, although I do take my father’s advice and “consider the source” to shield my tender self a bit.
Do you have any blogs/websites?
My website is http://pamelajanerogers.com and my most up to date information is on https://www.facebook.com/greekscapesjourneys/.
What do you do when you don’t write?
I paint, socialize with friends, travel with my husband, help with charities for children and animals, try new vegetarian recipes, and lately I’m enjoying reading about Greece by other authors. It’s a pretty full life on a small island!
Tell us about your other books?
Greekscapes is my first published book, fueled by my passion for Greece and art. I have started a second, which may turn out to be short stories with a twist– snippets of Greek life that I didn’t include in the memoir.
If you could share one thing about yourself that you would like readers to know what would it be?
I hope my memoir will inspire others to make the life-affirming changes that are best for them, and maybe even enjoy a holiday in glorious Greece!
Your words have inspired me. Thank you! I hope to visit Greece and you one day!
Thank you, Margaret, for this wonderful opportunity to
answer your questions about my work. Yeia mas – in Greek, Good Health to you!