A Southwestern Mississippi native, Charles Rogers has lived in multiple places across the U.S. Many of those places are settings for the events in his first novel, “The Chambers Files.”

Rogers grew up in the Centreville area, on the Wilkson-Amite County line. He attended Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, then The University of Southern Mississippi, before living “all over the country,” working in retail and public relations.

He’s put down roots in College Station, Texas, and is enjoying writing things he’s always wanted to — stories of crime fiction.

“I’ve always enjoyed reading and watching crime fiction novels and stories,” said Rogers. “I watch Law & Order, NCIS, as well as non-fiction shows on TV. It’s always been an interest of mine. I have done journalistic-type writing, public relations all my life. After I retired, I thought I would like to write some fiction, mostly for fun, then later thought it might be publishable. I contacted a publisher and went from there.”

“The Chambers Files” took Rogers about two years to write, working on it “off and on,” and he set it in places he’s lived or worked, like Centreville and Kokomo, Mississippi; northern Virginia; Wyoming; etc. His second book will be published in the fall of 2024, and is set primarily in the Southeast Texas area near where the author now lives.

“The second book only took about six to eight months to write,” he said. “I was more focused on it, and had an end-goal in mind. It was a fun process.”

Rogers writes his books in short, easy-to-read chapters, driven by plots of interlinked crimes. “The Chambers Files” has been available since fall 2023, and can be found worldwide online in paperback, e-book or audiobook formats.

“It is crime fiction, so people get killed. There’s crime in the book; there’s violence in the book; but it’s not graphic,” said Rogers. “It’s a wholesome book. Anyone can read it. There’s no bad language in it. There are no graphic depictions of violence. Anyone from a middle schooler to an adult can sit down and read and not find anything offensive. It’s not overtly Christian, but people do pray and talk about God. They embrace their Christian faith, and hopefully portrays some Christian values.”

Rogers is happy to spend part of his retirement years writing about subjects he enjoys reading and learning about himself, and hopes his readers can get a “real feel” for the geographical settings in the novels. He’s not in the business to make money, but would be glad to make back the money he’s invested in his efforts.

No matter what, he’s not through telling stories.

“I enjoy crime fiction, reading and watching it, and I would like to do more writing,” Rogers said.