Featured Interview With J.D. Rasch
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a New Yorker, raised primarily in the Bronx. I now live in Westchester NY, married for over 40 years (same woman) with three grown kids. In the past we’ve had cats, guinea pigs and rats (all as pets – we’ve had mice, but they weren’t pets). Right now we have a chihuahua puppy, whose got tons of energy (although that’s redundant for a chihuahua).
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been interested in books since a young child. I would gravitate to science fiction and then to fantasy. I liked being transported to a different world. I used to write a lot for business and was a pretty good writer. As I looked at all the different problems of the world I thought I should add my voice to the solution. I didn’t initially think of writing a novel, but more writing essays, but when I sat down to do that the “advice” seemed too simple – don’t do bad stuff. So I started thinking of other ways of approaching writing. I thought of writing fiction and putting my characters in different situations and see how they react. I decided on fantasy because first, I was familiar with the genre and the conventions, and second because I get to create the world so I had fewer constraints. I always felt fantasy was an underused genre for addressing the issues we face in the world. I started writing almost 40 years ago, but I only did a bit here and there. I started really being serious about it maybe 15 years ago.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
The authors who initially influenced me were Frank Herbert and how he created such an intricate world in Dune, weaving social and political concepts. Also Ursula LeGuinn for similar reasons. I also like Isaac Asimov for how forward-looking his novels are. More recently I’ve been looking at literary fiction such as Fredrik Backman (A Man Called Ove) and Toshikaz Kawaguchi (Before the Coffee Gets Cold). I enjoy their imagination and quirky characters. Finally, I’ve read a lot of Alexander McCall Smith, but less for inspiration and more just a fun escape.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The book is titled The Quasi-Crystal. It is about relationships, but not just interpersonal ones, it’s about the big issues we face in society. How we interact with each other. More specifically, the book is about two lands, Bracat and Ognita. Bracat has changed since the Moment—the collective joining of minds—opened up new possibilities for peace for its people. Even the rogue wizard Malzus is seeking forgiveness for his past sins. But this new feeling of unity is tentative, and the future is never certain.
In the midst of this change, gem cutter Theb discovers something curious: it looks like an ordinary stone, but he knows it is something extraordinary. A crystal that exists in two realms at once, but only Theb can see how unique it is.
Then Theb begins to have dreams of a woman, calling for help from a deserted island far away from Bracat. An impenetrable fog is threatening the island, and the strange crystal seems to be the only answer.
There are others who hear the woman’s call. To find the source, Theb joins with a reformed wizard, a former thief, and an old enemy. Together, they vow to find the voice, braving the turbulent ocean to discover what is hidden behind the fog.
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