John Robinson

Years ago when we lived in the sticks we grew our own veggies, including okra. While it's admittedly an acquired taste (the slime inside will eventually cook out), if you let the pods get no bigger than the first joint of your thumb they can add a tasty texture to soups and stews.
One summer around mid-July we had a bumper crop of them, and I mentioned to our two young sons that okra will get longer and more woodlike as the season goes on, soon reaching the point they become inedible.

At that both my boys got the idea of letting one little okra go, just to see how long it would get.

And did it change? Oh yowza yes. Summer waxed and waned, and we harvested everything in that garden...except for that mutant hell-pod. Each day it became more distended and grotesque, until I half-expected a terrified Kevin McCarthy to come up screaming and pounding on our car windows, "You're next!!"

Came October, a couple days before a predicted killing frost, and by mutual agreement we cut the thing at last. By then it was two feet long, as thick as a bratwurst, and covered with spines and knots.

We dried it, and the kids used it as a sword.

...at least in retrospect. The other day I was thinking about shows I used to watch as a teenager in the 60s, and thought of The FBI. Every week as theme music swelled, the voice-over guy would intone, “A Quinn Martin Production.”

As I recall, Mr. Martin produced a whole lot of 60’s shows, including two of my faves: The Fugitive (“No, my name ISN’T Kimble-Hank-Kimble, it’s Richard Kimble! I’m a doctor, not a county agent!”)and The Invaders (“Say, what’s wrong with your little finger? Why’s it bent like that?”). Good times…

Apropos of nothing, my wife and I were watching the local news one night when the main camera at the studio croaked, just as dead as Julius Caesar. It was a tense (for the station), but funny (for the viewers) ninety or so seconds until they got the auxiliary camera powered up. You just never know what's going to happen on live TV.

Which brings me to this: I was a broadcasting major, and wa-a-a-ay back in the day I ran camera for a KET series on Kentucky law enforcement.

So first day of the shoot we had this state trooper captain who looked like Paul Bunyon’s bigger and less humorous brother sitting there, droning on about last year’s highway fatality stats when blam, a fill light exploded, showering him with molten quartz. Thankfully he was wearing his Smokey hat, and so most of the hellish stuff missed his skin (it did burn some deep holes in his uniform, though).

Needless to say, he was Not Amused.

All that to say, I hope my TV appearances in Nashville go off smoothly. *G*

If any of you in the Nashville, Tennesse area feel so moved, here's what Penney Carlton, Sheaf House's publicist extraordinaire, just put up on my Facebook page:

On Wednesday, August 4th at 7:00pm meet John Robinson in Nashville! Meet-n-Greet at 7 PM at Davis-Kidd Booksellers -2121 Green Hills Village Dr - Nashville, TN 37215! Stop by and meet John! Give-aways and special surprises!!

I'm kind of wondering what those surprises are myself! By next week she should have the full schedule for August 3rd and 4th nailed down for me (including the TV appearances), so I'll keep everyone in the loop.

And as Bartels and Jaymes used to say, "thank you for your support." *G*

For what it's worth, I think things are changing in the publishing world for Christians, allowing them to to be more "real" in their writing. Not through the usual channels perhaps, but more of an end-run by companies like Marcher Lord Press and Sheaf House Publishers.

While it's true SH is doing my apocalypse-with-a-twist novel Heading Home (which releases on August 2nd), it's being marketed to the 18-35 secular demographic as a paranormal thriller (which, in fact, it is).

To further expand, Sheaf House's edgier imprint, Narrow Road Press, is publishing the first of my new Mac Ryan suspense series, Relentless, as well as my stand-alone SF novel The Radiance, and aiming for the same market.

Bottom line, if Christians want to read them that's great, but I've finally come to grips with the truth that the CBA is not my audience.

Stay tuned.

In a nutshell, Sheaf House has hired publicist Penney Carlton to handle the launch of Heading Home on August 3rd and 4th in Nashville TN. This includes some TV appearances on the local Fox and CBS affiliates, as well as a meet-n-greet party there in town. I'm asking for prayer for this (of course), and also anyone who feels like helping a brother out to please "like" the Heading Home page she's placed on Facebook. (more…)

Got my final endorsement for Heading Home in, and now I'm done. Several of these were from some very heavy hitters, and I couldn't be more pleased or thankful.

On another note, I spoke with Sheaf House today, and I should have my author's copies in hand by month's end. Thirty days after that they should start shipping to the stores nationwide, so they can arrive on the shelves in plenty of time for the 2 August release date.

And as always, if someone feels so moved to preorder a copy of Heading Home through any of the online sites, that, too, is much appreciated.

Thanks! Onward!

Writer David Boyer asked me to contribute an essay in his new book on Christian fiction. Here's his post on the Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers site.

"I have recently began to round up a group of very talented writers to appear in my upcoming book, WALKING A THIN LINE? EDGY CHRISTIAN FICTION AS A NEW SUBGENRE. Please drop by my featured guests pages to wish them well, and wish us luck with the book.
The lineup so far includes:

Anne Rice
Tom Bazow
Ronie Kendig
Randy Ingermanson
Susanne Lakin
Lynette Eason
Joan Saberhegan
J. Mark Bertrand
Michelle Sutton
Cynthia Hickey
John Robinson
David N. Alderman
Anne Patrick
Tracie Peterson
K Dawn Byrd
Zaria Garrison

and hopefully plenty more special guests to come! This book will be dedicated to the late Fred Saberhagen."

I'm very blessed to find myself in such good company!

Okay, updates for Heading Home:

First, there's been a slight change in the cover (as you can see).

I believe I like this one better; speaks more to the actual storyline.

Next, I'm still waiting on one more endorser, then that'll be all.

Last, I received the PDF for final edits this past weekend, and they're due back to the editor this Saturday. Then it's off to the printer. The next time I'll actually see my book is when I hold it in my own hands. Tres cool! *G*

Okay, Heading Home is now officially availbale for pre-order at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. More sites will be added in the coming days, and you should start seeing it on store shelves August 2nd. Here are the links:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...+John+Robinson

http://productsearch.barnesandnoble....+John+Robinson

Thanks!