A bomb goes off at the Conklin Art Gallery, killing eight people associated with a unique Michelangelo exhibit. Hummingbird Collins, an aspiring artist, may be the one person who saw the bomber, the leader of the Michelangelus Movement, a cult group bent on eliminating all "unpretty" things. When Hummingbird is abducted by the cult, her friends must discover where she's been taken before she becomes the latest addition in a horrific replication of Michelangelo's the Last Judgment. Gail Simone, the DC Comics writer of Wonder Woman, describes Unpretty as "a rare thriller with a daring, original plot and rich, fascinatingly oddball characters that leaves you bound and helpless against the need to turn the page. Great stuff!"
When asked about the inspiration behind Unpretty, Rogers said that during a visit to a bookstore she saw a coffee-table book on the life and work of Michelangelo. She was instantly transfixed and brought the book home. Riveted by its pages, she discovered Michelangelo's masterpiece the Last Judgment, which adorns the Sistine Chapel. "The fresco is both scary and beautiful in its violent, graphic depictions. It achieves an impression on the viewer that is both repugnant and holy. This apparent juxtaposition of values was fascinating for me--and it sparked within me an exploration of the concept of God's presence in suffering, in art, in beauty and ugliness, in life, and in eternity."
Many readers of fiction find artists to be compelling characters. Here's Rogers' take on why this is so: "I think that the mysterious ability to depict truth and beauty and pain and life - all on a blank slate - is fascinating. Because I'm not an artist, I wonder what kind of lucid insanity it really takes to see a picture in your head and then translate that into an image that can be seen by others. There is a sense of the supernatural in that for me, and I find that supernatural spark to be irresistible."
What's the most entertaining thing Roger has learned writing novels? "That publishing is less about talent and more about celebrity. This cracks me up. But it's the nature of the career I've chosen to pursue, so it's not worth crying over. But it does make me laugh sometimes."
Sharon Carter Rogers is author of the National Best Books 2007 Award Finalist suspense novel, Sinner. She hides out in Alabama, where she writes full time. She likes to go to college football games (Roll Tide!), watch movies, collect superhero stuff, and read about theology and pop culture. Unpretty is her second book.
Contributing editor Sibylle Barrasso is the author of Dark Waters. She was twice a finalist in the "St. Martins Press Best First Private Eye Novel Contest," received an award from Sue Grafton at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, and was a contributing author of Bad Boys and Bad Girls in the Badlands, a critical anthology about mysteries set in the Southwest.
What's the most entertaining thing Roger has learned writing novels? "That publishing is less about talent and more about celebrity. This cracks me up. But it's the nature of the career I've chosen to pursue, so it's not worth crying over. But it does make me laugh sometimes."
Sharon Carter Rogers is author of the National Best Books 2007 Award Finalist suspense novel, Sinner. She hides out in Alabama, where she writes full time. She likes to go to college football games (Roll Tide!), watch movies, collect superhero stuff, and read about theology and pop culture. Unpretty is her second book.
Contributing editor Sibylle Barrasso is the author of Dark Waters. She was twice a finalist in the "St. Martins Press Best First Private Eye Novel Contest," received an award from Sue Grafton at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, and was a contributing author of Bad Boys and Bad Girls in the Badlands, a critical anthology about mysteries set in the Southwest.
