Placitas Geologist Publishes Debut Novel

D.J. Green never thought about being an author. She never really thought about writing outside of her field of geology, let alone publishing a novel. 

“Writing a book is a huge undertaking,” Green told the Signpost. “I think I started to be interested in learning about the craft of writing and how to speak to non-science readers.” 

Her debut novel, “No More Empty Spaces,” publishes on April 9. Her book is infused with geological subjects, which is rare in a fictionalized novel. “No More Empty Spaces” is set in Turkey in 1973, as an American ex-pat family faces rifts and fissures, just like their landscape.

The now-retired geologist moved to Placitas almost 25 years ago to heal from the death of her husband. “This place has been very nurturing, and the mountains have been home for me.” Now Green spends seven months out of the year in Placitas and the rest of the time in the Pacific Northwest on a sailboat. 

She began writing as a hobby at the Iowa Summer Writers Festival thinking it would be a fun exercise in learning a new craft and language to communicate with. She took her time, some 14 years, writing when she could in hotel rooms while attending conferences or in any spare time she had. “It’s taken me a long time to get here, having a full-time job and other responsibilities didn’t allow for a lot of downtime to write this novel.”

“I’ve always been fascinated by the Earth,” said Green. “I think my main character for this novel came out of that fascination, but as I started writing more, he evolved into something more.” 

Green says at the heart of “No More Empty Spaces” is a family story, one that she hopes will connect with readers. “The story is set in Turkey, which is rich historically, geographically, culturally and metaphorically. I think that combined with people understanding family dynamics and its intricacies make for a great story,” she said. 

Being a huge fan of independent bookstores, Green is having her launch party at Bookworks located at 4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW on April 13 at 6 p.m. 

Although she’s basking in the glow of publishing her first book, she’s already thinking about the future. “I’ve got a second novel in the works,” she said. This time, the main character is a skipper on a boat, something she now feels very comfortable writing about. 

“We have a blue water boat, so although we mostly stay in the PNW, we could take her out to sea if we wanted. I think maybe we will someday,” she laughs. 

To learn more about D.J. Green and her work, visit geologistwriter.com