Who is R. E. Van Rossum?
Beyond the fantastical worlds I create, I am a storyteller with a passion for bringing to life the voices of fictional characters, athletes, peers, and even political figures. I invite you to join me on this extraordinary journey as I explore the power of stories in connecting people, revealing universal truths about the world we live in, and sparking imagination and wonder in the minds of each reader. Through every word I write, I hope readers can discover the beauty of Jesus Christ – His creativity and penmanship behind every story.
A little Q&A
Question:
Why did you start writing?
I can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't creating some sort of story in my head. I was constantly daydreaming and imagining elaborate movie scenes just for the fun of it. Once I discovered the joy of writing it all down, I never looked back. Middle school was the first time I ever tried plotting and writing a novel, which didn't last four chapters. But when I figured out a good rhythm for putting a story together, I started to write the story that I wanted to read.
Question:
What inspired the world and how long did it take?
Growing up, one of my favorite movie series was always The Pirates of the Caribbean. I loved the world and the fun characters and the larger-than-life battles, and I knew I wanted to portray that in a book. A book that combined my love for pirates and high sea adventures with non explicit writing and real life Christian themes like forgiveness. The idea started out with a character – Jesper Kelsey – and then I let my gut guide me the rest of the way. Ultimately, it took four years to write the book, but it was so well worth it.
Question:
Favorite books?
This has always been an impossible question for me, but when asked, I tend to say 'The Chronicles of Narnia' by C. S. Lewis or 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde. As a kid, I was a diehard 'Keeper of the Lost Cities' fan. One series I have been getting into lately is the 'Master of Sorrows' books by Justin T. Call, as well as music autobiographies like 'Brothers' by Alex Van Halen.
Question:
Will there be any sequels?
Yes! I'm currently in the process of writing Book 2 of 'The Hellburner of Sovi' as we speak (hopefully it takes less than four years haha)! This series was always intended to be a duology, but there might be something in the works for after that – perhaps a sister series set in the same world with younger characters. Who knows!