Today we have the honor of speaking with James L Rubart. Jim claims to be a 28 years-old trapped inside an older man’s body. He thinks he’s still young enough to water ski like a madman and dirt bike with his two grown sons. He’s the best-selling, Christy BOOK of the YEAR, CAROL, INSPY and RT Book Reviews award winning author of ten novels and loves to send readers on journeys they’ll remember months after they finish his stories. He’s also a branding expert, co-host of the Novel Marketing podcast, and co-founder with his son, Taylor, of the Rubart Writing Academy.  Hi Jim, tell us a little about yourself and how you were raised.

I was born in Seattle, went to college at the University of Washington, married my dream girl, and now live in eastern Washington. We have two outstanding adult sons and one outstanding daughter in law. (And three kittens, of course.)

Looks like good things do come in threes. :} What’s your favorite genre toread and write. Who’s your favorite author?

Favorite genre to read is time travel. Favorite to write is visionary. I’ve always resonated with Toni Morrison’s idea that if there’s a story out there you want to read and it hasn’t been written, you need to write it. Favorite author is C.S. Lewis. He did it all, children’s, fiction, non-fiction, but more than that, he opened up my mind and heart in ways no one did before or has donesince.

What age did you realize you loved books?

I was an extremely active kid, loved the outdoors, loved sports and wasn’t into reading. But my mom forced me to read half an hour every night. Quickly that turned into me reading hours every night and reading under the covers with a flashlight so my mom would think I was asleep.

LOL… I think many of us used the “flashlight under the covers” trick. When did you start writing?

Thefirst real memory was seventh grade when I wrote a short story for my Englishclass and got an A on it. I was hooked!

Tell us about your latest novel, The Man He Never Was.  

It’s a modern reimagining of the classic Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story. Here’s the back cover description: 

What if You Woke up One Morning and the Darkest Parts of Yourself Were Gone?

Toren Daniels vanished eight months back, and his wife and kids have moved on—withmore than a little relief. Toren was a good man but carried a raging temperthat often exploded without warning. So when he shows up on their doorstep outof the blue, they’re shocked to see him alive. But more shocked to see he’schanged. Radically.

His anger is gone. He’s oddly patient. Kind. Fun. The man he always wanted to be. Toren has no clue where he’s been but knows he’s been utterly transformed. He focuses on three things: Finding out where he’s been. Finding out how ithappened. And winning back his family.

But then shards of his old self-start to rise from deep inside—like the man kicked out of the NFL for his fury—and Toren must face the supreme battle of his life.

Inthis fresh take on the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, James L. Rubart explores the war between the good and evil within each of us—and one man’s only chance to overcome the greatest divide of the soul.

That sounds exciting! What did you learn about yourself through writing it?

That the only way to win the war Paul describes in Romans chapter 7 is to die to myself, surrender fully, and step into the truth of who I am in Christ.

Is there a special place you like to write?

A few years ago I had a storage shed built and put on our property. I converted it into a writing room. It’s quiet, away from our home, cozy, and the perfect place to create stories.

What advice would you give a new author?

Buy a good pair of running shoes. Put them on. Sprint in the opposite direction. Just kidding. (Kind of.)The publication journey can be brutal, but if you can’t not write, do one thing. Keep going. Most people give up. Don’t do it. Press on. Raw talent is not what’s going to get someone published. It’s perseverance. And write from the gut level, deepest parts of your soul. If you’re willing to open yourself up, you will create stories that readers resonate with and your stories will bring them hope, and life, and freedom. Along the way, you’ll discover the greatest reward is not getting published but seeing your soul transformed because of your journey.                                                                        

What project are you working on now?

I’m finishing up my next novel, The Pages of Her Life which comes out next May. It’s the first story I’ve written where the protagonist isa women, so I’m quite excited about it. And I’m working on a series of novelswith my friend, Susan May Warren which think readers will love.

Where can we find your books?

Just about everywhere.Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Millions, CBD, LifeWay … and manybookstores.

How can people stay in touch with you?

Best way is to sign up for my newsletter which people can do at my website. http://jameslrubart.com/  Also on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/JamesLRubart

And a special offer for your readers, if they email me, I’ll send them a link to download a free song I wrote inspired by my first novel, Rooms.

Visits: 113