From Accountant to Author

Author Steven Rogers presents his new book, Into the Room, providing a little background as well as a preview of the book. From accountant to novelist? Sure, why not!

We all have dreams, don’t we? Mine was to write.

Although I spent most of my adult life in the business world, primarily as an accountant and administrative executive, I was always a bit of a “square peg in a round hole.” As my older brother once put it, “You’re a born classics major.” Over the years, I dabbled with writing fiction until, after retiring from the corporate world in 2016, writing became my primary occupation.

I began with a novel about time travel and several short stories in the horror/suspense genre. However, in 2017 I was on a flight to Israel when I asked myself a question—What would happen if I was an alcoholic, fresh from rehab, who found myself on this trip? The result was my recently published contemporary Christian novel, Into the Room. While the story is fiction, Into the Room is a highly personal work and is based on my experiences observing alcohol and drug abuse. The excerpt below is the first two pages of the book.

Can a journey across the Holy Land redeem a reluctant pilgrim?

There’s nothing worse than Holy Rollers on a roll.

Yet here I am, on a bus bursting with Christians, all of them using their outdoor voices, enthusiastically talking about the upcoming pilgrimage. The excitement is lost on me. To take a pilgrimage, there needs to be a purpose and, as far as I’m concerned, this trip is simply filling time.

Also, to take a pilgrimage, you need to know who you are and what you want to become. I’m confident I couldn’t give a sincere answer to either of those questions.

Who am I?

My name is Ben Cahill, and I’m taking this trip because I have no place to live, unless I camp on my brother’s couch which, at forty-two, is not something I want to do. The trip leader, the guy everyone calls Pastor Marcus, got me in at the last minute after Nick, my brother, pulled some strings and talked me onto the roster. Nick’s half a Holy Roller himself.

Unfortunately, no matter how far away I go, I can’t get away from myself.

I was, until recently, a highly regarded commercial real estate developer, arguably the best dealmaker in the city of Richmond, Virginia, and wealthy. Most of the fortune is gone. I told the lawyers Sarah deserved all of it, and all I wanted was seed money and the old Camry. I got $50,000 and, after paying for this trip, there’s $46,000 left.

Sarah is my soon-to-be ex-wife, an angel on earth who, for whatever reason, still loves me. I believe, however, she will never, under any circumstances, take me back. A woman will forgive all transgressions except one—there is no exoneration when she’s convinced her children are in danger, no grace granted for subsequent good behavior.

We have two children. One is a beautiful little girl, eight-year-old Olivia, and the other is a strong-willed, determined thirteen-year-old boy named Zach. Zach has become his mother’s and his sister’s protector.

Three weeks ago, I graduated from the Seasons of Hope rehabilitation facility. My time at the Outhouse, as we called the place, was wasted—on the way home, I drank myself into oblivion.
Still, with all the mess I’ve created, all I want is a bottle of Absolut, a short glass, and a couple of ice cubes.

I’ve got things under control, though. Once I get through this trip, return to work, and re-establish my routine, all will be fine.

On to Israel.

From Accountant to novelist:

Steven Rogers is a retired business executive and contemporary Christian fiction novelist. His novel Into the Room was released by Elk Lake Publishing in May 2021. To learn more about Steven visit steven-rogers.com.