THE FIVE TIMES I MET MYSELF - James L Rubart - One Free Book

Welcome back, James. Reading your novels always stretch me spiritually. Why did you become an author?

Like many other writers, I didn’t chose writing, writing chose me. I remember when I was around twenty years old on a weekend getaway to the Washington coast where I felt so restless inside I couldn’t concentrate on anything. I sat down and wrote out the true story of how a friend and I narrowly escaped being mauled by a mama bear, and as soon as I finished everything felt right with the world. I can’t not write if I want to feel peace.

I so understand that feeling. If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?

Bear trainer. No, I’m kidding. Since I’m too old, and was never talented enough to play in the NFL, I’ll go with actor. I took acting classes in college and loved it. One of the items on my “someday” list is to try out for community theatre.

I don’t know if you knew that my degree is in Drama. And I’ve both written the script and directed in community theater. If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

Let’s head for 1804, and give me a spot on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. What a rush to be journey across the US to the Pacific Coast, not knowing what kind of adventures you’d find along the way. No roads, no map, just the unknown quest in front of you. 

I like that period, too. My only pirate book was set in 1804, but it took place in the south eastern part of the US. What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

Darci and I have always talked about visiting the New England states in the fall. The golden and red leaves, the covered bridges, the quaint small towns ... take us there!

How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

I have never been to Greece, and we’d love to go someday. I can’t wait to scuba dive down there in the Greek Isles.

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

That it’s all about grace. Everything. The grace we give ourselves, the grace we give each other, and our willingness to receive the unending, exploding fountain of grace our true Abba has given us through Jesus.

I love basking in His grace for me so I can extend it to others. Tell us about the featured book.

The Five Times I Met Myself is probably the most personal book I’ve ever written. So much of me is in there. The question I ask in the book (and I asked about my own life) is, what would you do differently if you could make different choices? And what would that life look like? And is there hope for the future since we can’t make different choices? Here’s the back cover copy that will give you a good feel for the novel:

What if you met your twenty-three-year-old self in a dream? What would you say?

Brock Matthews’ once promising life is unraveling. His coffee company. His marriage.

So when he discovers his vivid dreams—where he encounters his younger self—might let him change his past mistakes, he jumps at the chance. The results are astonishing, but also disturbing.

Because getting what Brock wants most in the world will force him to give up the one thing he doesn’t know how to let go . . . and his greatest fear is that it’s already too late.

Please give us the first page of the book.

The dream had come again last night, just as it had sliced into Brock’s subconscious the night before that. A dream now dominating a significant portion of his waking moments. He had to talk to someone about it— someone with at least a smattering of psychology. Someone he could trust. His best choice was Morgan. His only choice, really.

Brock crossed Seattle’s 4th Avenue and looked up at the sky as it surrendered to dusk. Not long till the spring evenings would hold the light till after nine o’clock. He reached the other side of the street, strode up to the front door of Java Spot, yanked the door open, and stepped inside. Three-quarters full. The perfect number of people. Not so many that newcomers would turn away, but enough to tell people it was a place to be. Morgan had to feel good having that many customers at six twenty.

Brock glanced around at the 1940s motif. Posters of Rosie the Riveter and Ted Williams, an old Coca- Cola sign, and the famous shot of the sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square hung on the walls. Definitely captured the hope of a post–World War II populace. Or maybe Java Spot simply appealed to those who wanted an alternative to the corporate giant that had more coffee shops sprinkled throughout Puget Sound than 7-Elevens.

On one side: a cluster of what looked like college students, a few couples, and some solo acts. The opposite side: three people hunched over their Mac laptops, and a large group of mid-forty somethings laughed and pointed at each other in rapid-fire succession. What Java Spot put in its drinks was obviously the right concoction, which made Brock smile again, because he’d developed those concoctions being consumed in all fifteen of Morgan’s locations as well as the rest of the country and overseas.

Brock took one more glance around the coffee shop, then strolled behind the counter and said, “Not a bad crowd for a Monday night.”

“You can’t come back here.”

“Deal with it.”

“Nope. Employees only. Get out. Now.”

Morgan Myers lugged his sizable girth toward Brock and grinned. When he reached Brock, Morgan grabbed him by both shoulders and shook him like he was a stuffed animal. Yeah, maybe Morgan had put on more than a few pounds since their college days, but even after thirty-one years, he hadn’t lost any of his linebacker strength.

“Amazing,” Morgan said. “You actually have the hint of a tan to go with your slightly graying mane. A vacation you call work—but at least you got some sun.”

“It was work.”

“Uh- huh. A week in Costa Rica sipping coffee and checking out beans. Brutal. How did you survive? What, you were probably slaving away three, maybe four hours a day before you hit the beach?”

“Four and a half.” Brock grinned at his friend.

“When did you get back?”

“Five days ago.” Brock lowered his voice. “That’s when they started.”

“When what started?”

“When you get a moment, I need to talk.”

“The doctor is in.” Morgan tapped his chest.

“A degree in psychology you never used makes you a doctor?”

“I use it every day.” Morgan waved his paw of a hand at the crowd. “Spill it. Problems with Karissa? Tyson? Work?”

“A dream. More like a nightmare.”

Morgan beckoned with his finger and led Brock to the back room and into the office. After they settled into the small space, Morgan beckoned again with both hands. “Let’s go. Tell me about dem cah-razy dreams.”

You’ve already pulled me in, as you always do with the first scene in your books. How can readers find you on the Internet?

·       Website and where folks can sign up for my newsletter: JamesLRubart.com

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesLRubart

·       Twitter: @jamesLrubart

Thanks for having me, Lena! Always great to be with you.

And I love having you. I’m eager to read this new book, and I know my readers are as well.

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The Five Times I Met Myself - Christianbook.com (best print price today)
The Five Times I Met Myself - Amazon
The Five Times I Met Myself - Kindle (best price)

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