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Kathleen M. Rodgers' stories and essays have appeared in Family Circle Magazine, Military Times, and in many anthologies. Rodgers was named a Distinguished Alumna from Tarrant County College/NE Campus. Three of her aviation poems from the book Because I Fly (McGraw-Hill) were featured in an exhibit at the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island, NY. In 2017, the Clovis Municipal School Foundation in Clovis, NM awarded her the Purple Pride Hall of Honor Award under the "Sports and Entertainment" category.
Seven Wings to Glory, Rodgers’ third novel, deals with racism and war and won an Honorable Mention for War & Military in the 2017 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Awards and was shortlisted for the 2017 Somerset Awards. Her second novel, Johnnie Come Lately, won a 2015 Gold Medal for literary fiction from Military Writers Society of America & 2015 Bronze Medal from Readers' Favorite. Thorndike Press, the leading large print publisher in the U.S. released Johnnie Come Lately and Seven Wings to Glory in hardcover large print 2018.
Rodgers is also the author of the award-winning novel, The Final Salute, featured in USA Today, The Associated Press, & Military Times.
She and her husband, Tom, a retired USAF fighter pilot/commercial airline pilot, reside in North Texas with their two rescue dogs, Denton and Jav. The mother of two grown sons, Thomas and J.P., she is working on her fourth novel set against the backdrop of the 2016 election.
Her future work is represented by agent Diane Nine of Nine Speakers Inc.
Reviewed by Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers' Favorite
Seven Wings to Glory by Kathleen M. Rodgers is a story of family, faith and forgiveness. Johnnie Kitchen has endured her share of grief and heartache, as well as joy and love. But, once again, her chutzpah and resolve must be tested. “You got to have faith.” Johnnie hears these words as her youngest son, Cade, deploys to Afghanistan. This year, Memorial Day has greater meaning for Johnnie. Grieving the loss of her father she never knew, and feeling the absence of her son, Johnnie stares at the monument in Soldier’s Park. This precious moment is interrupted by an act of racial harassment toward her and her best friend, Whit. After this dreadful event, Johnnie channels her anger, worry and fear through writing. Her column in the local newspaper gives Johnnie a voice. Her words begin to ring loud and clear as she exposes racism, past and present, in her small Texas community. While her son fights in Afghanistan, Johnnie battles the ghosts of war at home.
Seven Wings to Glory captures the mind, heart and soul of its heroine. Kathleen M. Rodgers' gift of storytelling is extraordinary. She pens true emotions, and although her works are fictional, they portray genuine realities. Her words and writing style pluck at your heartstrings. The narrative is a sequel to Johnnie Come Lately, and Rodgers carefully pens snapshots from the first book, creating harmony between the past and the present. Her experience as a military wife is exposed in the lives of her cast of characters. The duality of sentiments is revealed in her characters. Pride and prejudice, fear and faith, hope and doubt become chaotic blends of their thoughts and deeds. Furthermore, I personally love the character of Brother Dog, and his significance within the story.
In the midst of the emotional tug of war, the action patiently flows like melted butter over steaming vegetables, covering every nook and cranny. The plot harnesses the traumas of war on the battlefield and at home, while simultaneously creating subplots of racism and family dysfunction. One of my favorite lines within the book is: “We’re all just made out of clay, some lighter, some darker. And yet we get caught up in name-calling over our shades.” The depth of those words is profound, and the image not easily forgotten. The theme throughout the story is faith. No matter what happens, or how bad life seems – never surrender your hope. Do whatever it takes to survive and then move on. With each word, the story becomes more earnest and heartfelt. Seven Wings to Glory is a novel that you don’t want to end.
