INTERVIEW WITH JAMES RUBART

James L. Rubart is 28 years old, but lives 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, and loves to send readers on journeys they'll remember months after they finish one of his stories. He's the best-selling, Christy BOOK of the YEAR, INSPY, and RT Book Reviews award winning author of eight novels as well as a professional speaker and the co-host of the Novel Marketing podcast. During the day he runs his branding and marketing company which helps businesses, authors, and publishers make much more coin of the realm. He lives with his amazing wife on a small lake in eastern Washington. More at www.jameslrubart.com  

INTERVIEW

If you had to describe yourself in one sentence, what would you say?  

If it’s okay with you, I’ll describe what I want to be rather than what I necessarily am: “I’m full of passion, adventure, creativity and a desire to draw people deeper into freedom and the love of Abba in every moment.”

What do you do when you’re not writing? Any interesting hobbies?

The hobby that surprises more people is that I still dabble in sleight of hand. (I used to be a semi-pro magician.) I also love to water ski, backpack, dirtbike, and play guitar as well. No, I’m never bored. If you have any extra time, please send it my way.

What was your favorite book as a teen or child? 

Before the age of eleven, my favorite book was The Fabulous Flight, by Robert Lawson. It’s long out of print and I’d forgotten the name of it for ages till my friend, Melissa Parcel figured out what the name of the book was from my descrption of it.

Tell us three things about yourself that might surprise your readers.

I’ve almost drowned. Twice. I put one of those stories in my novel, The Chair. So if you’ve read that book, the story about Corin almost drowning is my own story.
 
I know what a noun is. I know what a verb is, as well as an adverb. Beyond that I’m pretty clueless when it comes to grammar. In his book On Writing, Stephen King says, “Don’t worry about the grammar thing. Too many people obsess over it. If you read widely, you’ll pick up decent grammar by osmosis.” That helped me immensely.
 

I always wanted to be an actor. The cool thing is that’s sorta, kind of come true. I’ve voiced all my own audio books, but now I’m starting to voice other author’s novels and it’s essentially acting because I’m doing all the characters in different voices.

What genre did you start out writing? Have you changed course? Why or why not?

It’s a great question, because thinking about it makes me realize I never thought about genre when I started writing. I just wrote the stories I’d want to read. A lot of people say I’ve created my own genre and I’ve stayed that course through eight novels.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

Toughest criticism (at the time) was a comment from a writing mentor that said, “You have talent, but you have a long ways to go.” The reason it was so hard was because I thought I’d already arrived. (I hadn’t.) But it was what I needed to hear.

The best compliment is when readers e-mail me and say, “You’ve literally changed my life through your books.” That’s what I hope for. Pray for. Sometimes it happens.

Any other genres you’d like to try? If yes, what and why?

I’d like to try romance someday. I have a flavoring of romance in all my novels (I love Gladiator and Braveheart, but also You’ve Got Mail) so I’d like to try the full meal deal in romance at some point.

If you could go back in time and do something differently at the start of your career, what would it be?

I would have believed that I can write. That would have kept me from dabbling for so many years and made me jump off the cliff much earlier.

What is the most important thing you’d like readers to take away from your books?

Freedom. More freedom in their soul than when they started. I don’t write fluffy books (which I have nothing against) I write books that sink down deep, books that will stay with people for weeks and months and years.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you’d like to give to unpublished authors?

There is MASSIVE room at the top. Most writers think they’re further along the path than they truly are. (See me on your sixth question above.) Most aren’t willing to put in the extremely hard work to master the craft. Because of that, if they are willing to put in the time, there aren’t many to compete with once you get to the top of the mountain.

How can folks stay in touch with you?

The best way is through signing up for my newsletter which people can find on my website.

Thanks for joining us, James.

Thanks so much for having me, Nancy!

THE LONG JOURNEY TO JAKE PALMER

 

What if there was a place where everything wrong in your life could be fixed?

Corporate trainer Jake Palmer coaches people to see deeper into themselves—yet he barely knows himself anymore. Recently divorced and weary of the business life, Jake reluctantly agrees to a lake-house vacation with friends, hoping to escape for ten days.

When he arrives, Jake hears the legend of Willow Lake—about a

lost corridor that leads to a place where one’s deepest longings will be fulfilled.

Jake scoffs at the idea, but can’t shake a sliver of hope that the corridor is real. And when he meets a man who mutters cryptic speculations about the corridor, Jake is determined to find the path, find himself, and fix his crumbling life.

But the journey will become more treacherous with each step Jake takes. 

James is giving away a copy of his book, THE LONG JOURNEY TO JAKE PALMER, just nominated for RT Book Review's Inspirational Novel of the Year! To enter our contest, leave a comment below, along with your contact information. U.S. only please!