Paula Jane Rodgers - Author Life

Paula Jane Rodgers, author of Curator Angelus, was recently published in April of 2017. So, we decide that it was time to catch up with her and ask a few questions about how being a recently published author has changed her life. 

Did you always dream of becoming an author?

Yes, when I was younger I would love to go to the library or into a book shop. I would look around and think how amazing it would be to have my name in print and write a book that other people would enjoy. 

What was your first job?

I had a morning paper round and also worked on a sweet stall in the local towns indoor market whilst I was still in school. When I left school, I worked as an apprentice in an office for an engineering company and stayed at that company for five years before moving on.

How did you come about writing your book? Was that your intention or did you start writing for fun?

I had heard that some authors wrote down their dreams when they woke up each morning, so I started by doing that. I have quite a vivid imagination as well so I started to connect it, rearrange it and make it into a story. It was always my intention to write a book, I just was not sure how long it would take me.

What was your life like before you became an author?

I became a parent at an early age and with a failed marriage behind me, I became a single mother for a good number of years who juggled running a home, working full-time and attending night classes at the local college where I gained secretarial and accounting qualifications.  I had always worked full-time from leaving school in various offices in different roles.  I eventually remarried and we relocated with my husband for a few years because of his work and I became a housewife.  Whilst there, he encouraged me to focus on my writing and start to achieve my ambitions.

Did you face any struggles before becoming an author? If so, how did you overcome them?

Yes, getting the work/life balance thing right.  When my son was much younger I had to go out to work full-time so that I could make sure that I could look after him properly, keep a roof over his head and make sure that he was fed and watered.  I really had no choice as I was struggling to make ends meet.  I also went to college a couple of nights a week to gain better qualifications in the hope that I would get a better job and work less hours.  I would feel really down sometimes because I would have loved to have spent more quality time with him and I was often very tired.  When we got to spend that time together, we would go on day trips or go away on holiday for a week or so, just the two of us.

Now that you are a published author, how has your life changed, if at all?

The only thing that I can see that has changed is when I see somebody that I know that I haven’t seen in a while and the first thing that they say is “congratulations” or “I hear you’ve had a book published!”

Can you please describe a typical day in your life now?

I always start my day off with a few household chores.  I do a bit of advertising on social media.  (Once a week I go to a different village in the local areas and put up posters on noticeboards, in windows or anywhere possible really!)  I spend a couple of hours writing and also research on other writer’s blogs etc. 

What is your most memorable moment of your life as an author?

When I actually saw my book in print in all its entirety!