A Conversation With JP Robinson
JP Robinson began writing as a teen for the Times Beacon Records in New York. He holds a degree in English and is a teacher of French history. JP is known for creating vivid, high-adrenaline plots laced with unexpected twists. JP Robinson writes to ignite faith in a living God.
When do you find time to write?
JP: I don’t find time to write—I make it. For me, writing is a commission—it’s part of my life’s purpose. There are thousands of compelling stories to write, lined up inside my head like planes waiting to take off. Each one carries a powerful message that reflects God’s relationship to humanity and our relationships with each other.
How do you connect with your characters?
JP: Simply put, I become them. For me, they are people with scars from their past, dreams for the future and challenges in the present. I start by searching on Google for a photo of someone that visually epitomizes the character in my head. This can take hours or even days. But I always know when I’ve found my character.
I also do extensive research on the people, times and climate I’m writing about. Bride Tree, set during the French Revolution of 1789-99, took well over a hundred hours of research. This allows me to better understand my characters’ problems, background and probable reactions to their own unique situations.
Why do you like writing romantic suspense?
JP: I see the Bible as one intense love story. Genesis, Song of Solomon, Revelations and all other 63 books are actually chapters of the greatest book of all time. This kind of love is to die for—as Christ showed us on the cross. As to suspense? No mortal could ever pen the kind of drama in the Bible. Bride Tree is driven by intertwined factors of love, intrigue and revenge. It is my attempt to encapsulate the greatest love story of all time.
Where do you get the inspiration for your plots?
JP: You’re going to laugh at this one. Most of my inspiration comes from sermons! Especially those by the late Rev. WM Branham.
There’s so much in the Word of God that relates to any society’s problems. From religious hypocrisy to political liability to temptation, each sermon holds the potential to be dramatized and set in a different epoch of the past or the present. For example, my first novel, Twiceborn, was created based off a mind-blowing sermon on the Fall of Man called the “Serpent’s Seed.” Bride Tree is a riveting allegory of the Church condensed into 430 unforgettable pages.
Current book: Bride Tree
In 1789 France, one woman finds herself torn between a noble who has sacrificed everything for her and a peasant who promises true freedom.
Connect w/JP
Website: www.jprobinsonbooks.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/jprobinsonbooks
Twitter: @JPRobinsonbooks
Google Plus: JPRobinsonbooks