On this December afternoon we sit down with the lovely and talented Rachel Dacus. Here we go!
Do you remember the moment you first realized you wanted to be a writer?
I had just finished reading The Wizard of Oz and Ozma of Oz, and said to myself that I could write one of these. I never did, but I did write a knock-off of Nancy Drew shortly after this. Reading a good book always makes me want to write.
When you sit down to start a new story, do you have any rituals or routines you
abide by?
I’m not a routine kind of person, but I do always write first thing in the morning, after setting myself up with a cup of coffee and my laptop. I suppose that being cozy and caffeinated could be my formula both for starting a new book or starting a writing session.
You write both novels and poetry. Which one is your favorite and why?
Poetry is my favorite thing to write, and the hardest. Where I might spend a week working out a scene in a novel, I might spend months or years working out a poem. I like cracking the elusive puzzle of what makes a poem click. Different for each.
Of all the books you’ve written, do you have a favorite?
My last book is usually my favorite, and in this case, it would be Return to Lerici, the sequel to The Invisibles. Sometimes it’s the one I’m working on, which is a sequel to that sequel.
With which character in which book do you most closely identify, and was that purposeful?
Naturally, I have to identify with all the characters, or I couldn’t find them in myself, but if I have to pick one, I’ll say it’s the main time traveling character in Undoing Time. She has to really work up her courage to cross the centuries on purpose in order to save American independence from England, and I like to think of her when I’m facing a challenge I feel unprepared for.
The Invisibles is coming out in 2025. Can you tell us a little about this newest work?
Actually, it’s the sequel to the sequel that’s coming out next year. Heart Strung – a short synopsis:
Can a young love survive the perils of a pilgrimage to India? Daniel Perdue, is
going off on a road trip with his new girlfriend, Lara. She’s on a quest for truth and he’s on a quest to marry Lara and make a career as a musician. They head to India, following Lara’s Map of Enlightenment, and they tour spiritual communities. She doesn’t know exactly what she wants, but she’s confident she’ll know when she finds it. Daniel only knows that he has to follow Lara. They make their way around temples and ashrams. When they arrive at the ashram headed by a woman saint, Lara knows she belongs here, but Daniel sees he can’t fulfill his dreams living in India. They have to part. Will their diverging journeys carry them on forking paths to different hemispheres —
or can love and music find a way to harmonize?
What is the best way to keep on top of new releases and latest news about Rachel Dacus?
Readers can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website: racheldacus.net. I send
news of my reading and writing, tips for writers, and discounts on great books by authors I love.
