James L. Rubart is the best-selling and Christy award winning author of Rooms, Book of Days, The Chair, Soul’s Gate, Memory’s Door, and Spirit Bridge. During the day he runs Barefoot Marketing which helps businesses and authors make more coin of the realm. In his free time he dirt bikes, hikes, golfs, takes photos, and occasionally does sleight-of-hand. No, he doesn’t sleep much. He lives with his amazing wife and two sons in the Pacific Northwest and still thinks he’s young enough to water ski like a madman.
Visit James Rubart online
Spirit Bridge
The Warriors Riding have battled in astounding supernatural realms, set captives free, and awakened thousands of hearts. But now their only chance of survival depends on calling forth the Spirit Bridge. Reece, Dana, Brandon, and Marcus have achieved staggering success in the spiritual realm . . . but each is reeling from vicious attacks. They need rest. A break from the war. But the warlord Zennon is raging and will give them no quarter. The demon holds what he believes to be the trump card—a hidden strategy set in motion before Warriors Riding even began—that will detonate the team from the inside out. And he's just set it loose. The street magician Simon—finally free of Zennon's alternate reality prison—is racing to remember his past before his ignorance obliterates his destiny. Then there's Miyo—a brash young warrior with advanced knowledge of spiritual realities and supernatural armor even Reece doesn't know about. These two will be pivotal in the final war. If only the Warriors knew which side Simon and Miyo are truly on. Spirit Bridge is the epic conclusion to acclaimed author James L. Rubart's Well Spring series, which will propel each of the Warriors Riding on a quest of true identity, ultimate freedom, and a final battle that will leave them changed forever.
- ISBN: 1401686095
- Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Interview with James Rubart
James L. Rubart is known for his marketing savvy, public speaking and heart-thumping spiritual, psychological suspense stories. Add to that his witty sense of humor and adventure-filled life and you have a man who draws people’s attention. This month the attention is on the release of Spirit Bridge, Book 3 in his highly rated Well Spring series, which includes Soul’s Gate (Christy Award winner) and Memory’s Door.
James, as Spirit Bridge hits the shelves, what sense do you have for the series as a whole? Has it lived up to the expectation you first envisioned?
Great question! With two answers: Yes, and I don’t know. Yes, because of the feedback I’ve gotten from readers. Some amazing stories of people finding healing in the deep parts of their soul and stepping into greater freedom.
I don’t know because I’m a classic seat of the pants writer and I didn’t know where the stories were going as I wrote them—I mostly just transcribed them from the movie playing in my mind.
But I will say I’m extremely happy with the way the final story played out, and that I’m going to miss Reece, Dana, Marcus, and Brandon. In so many ways all of them are me and at the same time, I learned a great deal from them.
Many of the readers who posted reviews seem to be fired up by the battles you portrayed. They’re ready to fight! Did you have an ulterior motive when you wrote these books? Perhaps preparing us for the spiritual battles ahead?
All of us struggle. All. But many Christians don’t want to face the reality that there is an enemy who wants to turn us away from the astounding Life that is in Jesus—and that that’s where much of their struggles come from.
So while I didn’t have any kind of ulterior motive when writing the series, I am thrilled that it has given people the ability to look at their lives differently and hopefully given them ways to live more fully in the abundance that the Trinity has to offer.
The ability to enter souls to do battle is quite chilling, even though permission must be requested first. Did you wrestle with the question of whether permission should be or should not be requested?
No. Not for a second. Because God never forces himself on anyone—and because of that we as believers should never force ourselves on our brothers and sisters. The Spirit longs to bring us into a richer, deeper relationship, but we always have choice to step into that or stay on the fringes.
With the release of six solid books on your book list, what’s next?
I just turned in the first draft of my seventh novel to Thomas Nelson and I really like it. And I’m starting to work on my eighth novel which I’m thrilled about, mainly because I’m going to write it with my oldest son, Taylor. Also, I’m working on a screen play of one of my earlier novels, which is a kick.
On a personal note, my youngest son is about to graduate from high school, so my wife and I are looking down the barrel of the empty nester gun, but it’s exciting. We’re looking forward to what the next chapter of life brings.
Your family narrowly escaped what could have been a fatal situation during a storm in January while you were away at a writer’s retreat. Has this affected your writing in any way?
In every way. It’s cliché to say an incident like that makes you think how life can be gone in a blink, but it’s true. We know our time on this earth is short—even if we live to a ripe old age—but it’s so easy to live as if we’re going to be here forever. We’re not. The day is almost over which will introduce us to the day that will never end. So I’m trying to use my time wisely.
The first time you wrote after the mishap, what did you write about?
About God’s mercy. His grace. His protection. And how his trials are not punishment but are actually designed to make us more whole and more holy.
Religion is about getting us in line and whacking us over the head if we blow it. God is about guiding us into healing and freedom—and sometimes that means training that is not easy. (See Hebrews 12:1-13)
Could you see that tree from your secluded writing space, and did the mishap damage the room in any way?
Even though my secret writing space is a long ways away from where the tree hit, the impact was so severe, that it cracked the top of the wall of my writing room. The tree was 130 feet high and 20,000 lbs, so it made the entire house bounce when it smashed down. I don’t recommend it for anyone.
What did you do with the wood from the tree that fell in your yard? And if you say you made a chair with it…
Hey! That’s a great idea!
Where are the best places to stay in touch with you?
My website is: http://jameslrubart.com/ (You can sign up for my newsletter there to keep up with what’s going on with me.) My e-mail: james@jameslrubart.com I’m on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/JamesLRubart and this is my Twitter handle: @jameslrubart
Any parting words?
You ask great interview questions, Anita. I appreciate that. :-)
I’d just like to say a big thanks to the readers who have spent time in the world I created in the Well Spring series, and an even greater thanks to Jesus for allowing me to write it.
And finally, there is such freedom in Jesus, if we’d only choose to let go of our lives entirely, die to ourselves and throw ourselves fully into Him. Only then can he give us the desires of our hearts.
Thanks for sharing with us, James!
James, as Spirit Bridge hits the shelves, what sense do you have for the series as a whole? Has it lived up to the expectation you first envisioned?
Great question! With two answers: Yes, and I don’t know. Yes, because of the feedback I’ve gotten from readers. Some amazing stories of people finding healing in the deep parts of their soul and stepping into greater freedom.
I don’t know because I’m a classic seat of the pants writer and I didn’t know where the stories were going as I wrote them—I mostly just transcribed them from the movie playing in my mind.
But I will say I’m extremely happy with the way the final story played out, and that I’m going to miss Reece, Dana, Marcus, and Brandon. In so many ways all of them are me and at the same time, I learned a great deal from them.
Many of the readers who posted reviews seem to be fired up by the battles you portrayed. They’re ready to fight! Did you have an ulterior motive when you wrote these books? Perhaps preparing us for the spiritual battles ahead?
All of us struggle. All. But many Christians don’t want to face the reality that there is an enemy who wants to turn us away from the astounding Life that is in Jesus—and that that’s where much of their struggles come from.
So while I didn’t have any kind of ulterior motive when writing the series, I am thrilled that it has given people the ability to look at their lives differently and hopefully given them ways to live more fully in the abundance that the Trinity has to offer.
The ability to enter souls to do battle is quite chilling, even though permission must be requested first. Did you wrestle with the question of whether permission should be or should not be requested?
No. Not for a second. Because God never forces himself on anyone—and because of that we as believers should never force ourselves on our brothers and sisters. The Spirit longs to bring us into a richer, deeper relationship, but we always have choice to step into that or stay on the fringes.
With the release of six solid books on your book list, what’s next?
I just turned in the first draft of my seventh novel to Thomas Nelson and I really like it. And I’m starting to work on my eighth novel which I’m thrilled about, mainly because I’m going to write it with my oldest son, Taylor. Also, I’m working on a screen play of one of my earlier novels, which is a kick.
On a personal note, my youngest son is about to graduate from high school, so my wife and I are looking down the barrel of the empty nester gun, but it’s exciting. We’re looking forward to what the next chapter of life brings.
Your family narrowly escaped what could have been a fatal situation during a storm in January while you were away at a writer’s retreat. Has this affected your writing in any way?
In every way. It’s cliché to say an incident like that makes you think how life can be gone in a blink, but it’s true. We know our time on this earth is short—even if we live to a ripe old age—but it’s so easy to live as if we’re going to be here forever. We’re not. The day is almost over which will introduce us to the day that will never end. So I’m trying to use my time wisely.
The first time you wrote after the mishap, what did you write about?
About God’s mercy. His grace. His protection. And how his trials are not punishment but are actually designed to make us more whole and more holy.
Religion is about getting us in line and whacking us over the head if we blow it. God is about guiding us into healing and freedom—and sometimes that means training that is not easy. (See Hebrews 12:1-13)
Could you see that tree from your secluded writing space, and did the mishap damage the room in any way?
Even though my secret writing space is a long ways away from where the tree hit, the impact was so severe, that it cracked the top of the wall of my writing room. The tree was 130 feet high and 20,000 lbs, so it made the entire house bounce when it smashed down. I don’t recommend it for anyone.
What did you do with the wood from the tree that fell in your yard? And if you say you made a chair with it…
Hey! That’s a great idea!
Where are the best places to stay in touch with you?
My website is: http://jameslrubart.com/ (You can sign up for my newsletter there to keep up with what’s going on with me.) My e-mail: james@jameslrubart.com I’m on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/JamesLRubart and this is my Twitter handle: @jameslrubart
Any parting words?
You ask great interview questions, Anita. I appreciate that. :-)
I’d just like to say a big thanks to the readers who have spent time in the world I created in the Well Spring series, and an even greater thanks to Jesus for allowing me to write it.
And finally, there is such freedom in Jesus, if we’d only choose to let go of our lives entirely, die to ourselves and throw ourselves fully into Him. Only then can he give us the desires of our hearts.
Thanks for sharing with us, James!
For more great interviews, visit our Author Interview Archives.