James Rubart's "The Chair"

Title: THE CHAIR named TOP PICK for September by Christian Retailing Magazine
Publisher: B&H Fiction

Cover blurb: If you were given an ancient looking chair and told Jesus Christ made it, would you believe them? When an elderly lady shows up in Corin Roscoe’s antiques store and gives him a chair she claims was built by Christ, he scoffs. But when a young boy is miraculously healed after sitting in the chair, he stops laughing and starts to wonder: Could this chair heal the person whose life I destroyed twelve years ago?

As word spreads of the boy’s healing, a mega-church pastor is determined to manipulate Corin into turning over the chair. But the mysterious woman who gave him the piece insinuates it is Corin’s destiny to guard the chair above everything else. But why? Desperate, he turns to the one person he can trust, a college history professor who knows more about the legend of the chair than he reveals.

Searching for truth about the artifact and the unexplained phenomena surrounding it, Corin soon realizes he isn’t the only one willing to do almost anything to possess the power that seems to surround the chair.

1) How did this story come to you?
I was reading an article about a Jewish historian from the first century who noted that some of the plows Jesus made were so well constructed they lasted until the second century.

It made me think, "What if Jesus made something that lasted until today? What if it was a chair? What if it was a chair he sat in after he was resurrected? What if it contained Jesus' healing power? And what would an ordinary person do if the chair was given to him?

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I got the idea in the summer of 2008 and B&H bought it and BOOK OF DAYS (my second novel) in late '09 so I had the premise for a long time before I started writing it—which was the fall of 2010. But it wasn't until I brainstormed the story with three author friends that the plot fell into place. (Thanks, Great Ones!)

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
• I used to voice and appear in radio and TV commercials.
• I almost lost three fingers on my right hand when I was 1 ½ years old
• I used to be a semi-pro magician

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
In the spring I signed a new five-book contract so I'll be penning a few more novels! It's a continuation of my dream and it's still surreal to think I'm getting paid for something I love to do. Right now I'm working on my fourth novel and I love where the story is going.

5) Parting comments?
The heart of this book is about the restoration of relationships and came from a falling out (and reconciliation) with one of my best friends. My desire is people will read this book and find the hope of restored relationships in their own lives and it will set them free.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Web site: http://www.jameslrubart.com/
Facebook: James L. Rubart
Twitter: @jimrubart

Thanks for having me, K. Dawn! Always fun to be here.