Life Is Better with Fiction | Robin W Pearson

In this episode:

Robin W Pearson talks about fiction, treasures in the everyday stuff of life, and seeking to honor God first with her writing. She discusses the long journey to getting published and how she keeps her focus on what matters. She's found pockets of time to write, despite being a homeschooling mom of seven!

About Robin W Pearson:

Robin W. Pearson’s writing sprouts from her Southern roots, her faith in Jesus Christ, and her love of her husband, seven children, and four-legged baby, Oscar. She’s the author of the Christy Award–winning A Long Time Comin’, ’Til I Want No More, and her latest, Walking in Tall Weeds. Follow this homeschool mama to hear her adventures in faith, family, and fiction.

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Quotes to Remember from Robin W. Pearson

  • Sometimes there's that silence when you're questioning your faith and thinking it's because of something you did, or, you know, that you're suffering this loss.
  • Those places where I think I'm the weakest, that's where God has put me.
  • Finally you get published, you have this book, and you know, people like it, and you get an award for it. But then it's still we're still seeking . . . just asking the Lord, "What do you say? And why am I doing this?"
  • I just have to constantly ask myself, why am I doing this? Who am I doing this for? What does the Lord want me to say? And am I pleasing him? Am I glorifying him in what I'm writing?
  • I want to be faithful in it no matter what—what you hear or don't hear, or not knowing what the end will be—but to be faithful in the work.
  • When I read some parts of my stories, I realized, oh my gosh, that came from this place in life or this event and not realizing how that related to some part of my life.
  • We're going to jump to conclusions, we're going to have personal preferences, we're going to have dislikes, and we're gonna get angry or frustrated, but how do we respond?
  • There's something to be learned in what we're doing, and that someone else can be blessed by what you're doing.
  • Waiting is okay. Not knowing is okay. But just to continue being faithful.

Resources

Walking in Tall Weeds book

Book Club Kit

Episode Sponsor

The Repurposed and Upcycled Life (book and Bible study set)

Transcript

Robin W Pearson, Michelle Rayburn

Michelle Rayburn  00:02
Today I want to introduce you to Robin W. Pearson. The reason I invited her to come on this podcast was because her fiction really resonated with me to the point where I wanted to know her life story, something behind the scenes. Maybe you've had that before where you've read somebody's novel and you're thinking, I'd really like to know something about this author herself. So that's what you get to have today with Robin Pearson, we're going to talk about her book Walking in Tall Weeds, talk about a little bit of her writing journey, and how God brought her through some of the waiting and the hard times that come along with that in her life as a homeschooling mom of seven children. So I hope that you enjoy this interview as much as I did. Robin is delightful and I really love her book. So you're going to hear me recommend that a couple of times.

Michelle Rayburn  01:07
You're listening to Life Repurposed, where you'll find practical biblical wisdom for everyday living, creative inspiration, and helpful resources. Grow your faith, improve your relationships, discover your purpose, and reach your goals with topics to encourage you to find hope amid the trashy stuff of life. Thanks for joining me today. I'm your host, Michelle Rayburn. I'd like to introduce you to my guest today: Robin W. Pearson. Her writing sprouts from her southern roots her faith in Jesus Christ and her love of her husband, seven children, and four-legged baby Oscar. She's the author of the Christie Award-winning A Long Time Comein' and 'Til I Want No More. And her latest Walking in Tall Weeds. Follow this homeschool mama to hear her adventures in faith, family, and fiction. I am happy to have you joining me on this chat with Robin Pearson today. I want to tell our listeners—what I was just telling you off air.

Michelle Rayburn  02:09
I invited Robin on here because I read her novel Walking in Tall Weeds. And I'm so picky about the fiction that I read. And as I was reading this book that was gifted to me by a mutual friend. It there was just something about it that made me say I want to know the story of the author, not just the book that you wrote. So that's why Robin is here today. So thank you so much for putting these stories down. But thank you so much for living a life that exemplifies what you teach.

Robin W Pearson  02:39
No. Wow. Thank you. Thank you.

Michelle Rayburn  02:41
Yeah, I've been stalking you a little bit on your website.

Robin W Pearson  02:46
You've seen me whine then, you read my...

Michelle Rayburn  02:49
I just I love how you're real about relationships about life, you have practical things, the same thing that you have in your fiction with, you know, the, the—well, even on the book resource that you have, you have recipes and just practical things mixed in with truths about relationships. So before we get into talking too much about the heavy stuff, I just want to know what do you do when you get a moment to relax? You have eight kids. So do you have those moments?

Robin W Pearson  03:16
Well, I have seven and my—yeah, my dog. So my kids probably think he's one of one of them the way I behave. So what do? I love to read. At least I used to in a former life. But I love word puzzles. I love you doing jigsaw puzzles. I love number of puzzles. So I think I don't know if that goes back to just, you know, questions that you have, like, questions and just wanting to be able to figure them out. And that's why I love math as well. And there's an answer with it. So something about putting things together and knowing there's an answer and working toward it and working toward this finish thing. I don't know if that all kind of goes together. You know, because so much in life, there's so many questions that there is no complete picture. There's no complete answer. So there's something so satisfactory about doing a puzzle and doing that and working through a problem. So I love doing this thing.

Michelle Rayburn  04:15
I haven't thought about that. Because like when you read a book, it has an end or when you put a puzzle together it has an end. I have never thought about that. That's really deep. But maybe that's why I like things that I can finish because there are so many unfinished things.

Robin W Pearson  04:28
Yes. So many unfinished things and even, you know, with I was talking with my daughter today who's now in the working world who just graduated from college and and she sees the difference just that little you know, few months leap into the working world and the checklists, you don't like you know, check off an assignment and then that's done and you move to a different class. Like, now things just kind of ease and ooze into other, you know, things and tasks and responsibilities. There just doesn't seem to be a concrete end things now. You know, it's just this links to that, and there's more work. And then there's more work. And, yeah, but it's nice to know in life that there is some place where you can put glue on the puzzle and hang it on the wall, and it's done.

Michelle Rayburn  05:14
I have found that—my kids are both adults now and married—and I have found that life is actually more complicated with grown children than it was when they were little.

Robin W Pearson  05:25
Yes. I used to hear that when they were little, and you're potty training, and you couldn't get through church because you're trying to, you know, like, you know, that was my hard thing. And I would hear from people with older children. And, and they would say that and like, Okay, I'm sure, but this is really hard, not sleeping at night. It's really hard. But now, yes, this is also really, really hard navigating these relationships. And sometimes you still don't sleep at night, because of your children.

Michelle Rayburn  05:55
Or there are questions about things like finances. And things that you know, you have to walk them through their first home loan or something like that.

Robin W Pearson  06:02
Yeah, good things.

Michelle Rayburn  06:04
So yes, good things. Yes. So I'd love to know a little bit about your faith story. Have you always been in a family of faith? Or did you come to know Jesus later in life?

Robin W Pearson  06:16
Well, I was raised in the church, I think most, you know, a lot of black people will say it that way. I was raised in the church, you know, and I was my, you know, my parents were really active in their Baptist Church, my dad was a deacon, my mom was a deaconess. And, you know, they wear their white, you know, suits and clothes on first Sundays, my mother would, you know, wash the, you know, communion cups, and we went to Vacation Bible School, we did all those things. Sunday school, my dad was known for we couldn't, you know, do things in the rest of the week if we didn't go to Sunday school, get there on time on Sunday. So we were you know, going to church.

Michelle Rayburn  06:51
Motivated.

Robin W Pearson  06:52
Very motivated. But it wasn't, I didn't have I feel like an active, personal one on one relationship wi th God, I know that, you know, my grandmother, by like, she, you know, she prayed for me, it was a really just a joy filled woman. And when I look back on that, I see that that's because of her relationship with the Lord. Like I just knew, at the time, she was just always full of love. And even if her life was really hard, you wouldn't know that to look at her. She's just always smiling and just, you know, everything that she went through. And later, it wasn't until college when, you know, a group of us would always go to, you know, we'd go to church, you were that habit, you know, the Lord had planted those seeds all along and drawing me to him, but going to church and meeting my now husband, you know, it wasn't until then that I developed that relationship. That personal started, you know, just one on one with the Lord. And, you know, it's just been walking that through for the last, you know, I'll say 10 years since college, but it's really, really 30. But you know, it's just, every day step, each step of just growing in my faith, but yes, definitely seeds planted a long time ago.

Michelle Rayburn  08:08
And it's a journey. I graduated from college 30 years ago also, now that I think about it. But you know, it is that journey, where sometimes we we think we're gonna look back at a certain date. And my life has been a meandering of arriving, and then thinking, nope, I didn't really arrive God. Anything else to work on in me?

Robin W Pearson  08:28
Absolutely. Absolutely. You think yeah, okay, I can see, you know, you're on this mountaintop. But there's the valley right there, like, the valley. So yes, yeah, something new to learn every every day,

Michelle Rayburn  08:42
Tell me a little bit more about the valleys that you've experienced.

Robin W Pearson  08:47
Well, we have, you know, seven children, as you know, but, you know, there's just seasons, you know, I had a few miscarriages, and there are times when I didn't know, where the Lord was, like, you know, I felt like, he had fulfilled our desire, you know, to have a baby or to get pregnant. And, and then sometimes there's that silence when you're you're questioning, you're questioning your faith and thinking it's because of something you did, or, you know, that you're suffering this loss and, and then also, like, when in the writing journey, I mean, this was, you talked about meandering, but, you know, this has been quite, you know, wandering path here, I feel like, getting published. And along the way, I had to decide to just let it go, because the wanting of it was consuming me, you know, I was using that rejection and saying it, you know, feeling rejected, you know, taking that rejection personally, taking the silence from you know, you'd send queries off, you know how it works.

Michelle Rayburn  09:51
It's a long process. For the listener who's not familiar with publishing, it can be years and years of sending something out and waiting and sending it out and waiting.

Robin W Pearson  10:00
And silence and all of that, and, you know, just trying to find my place like, where do I fit in? How do I need to change myself? You know, in order to fit, you know, I could because I often feel like I just didn't fit anywhere. And so this writing journey just kind of, I don't know. And those places where I think I'm the weakest, that's where, you know, God has put me. Where are you, you know, are you have to, you're not supposed to take on, you know what other people like or don't like, but as a writer, you're writing for an audience. And like, all of that, this whole journey, like, you think, Okay, finally you get published, you have this book, and you know, people like it, and get an award for it. But then it's still we're still seeking, you know, affirmation, just asking the Lord, what do you say? And why am I doing this? That's, you know, for me, I just have to constantly ask myself, why am I doing this? Who am I doing this for? What does the Lord want me to say? And am I pleasing him? Am I glorifying him in what I'm writing?  But there's just so many, you know, it's just, it's just an incredible faith journey. At least it is for me. And you know, as a homeschool mom, we are constantly being told not to look over the fence at this homeschoolers life and you know, what they're doing and what their kids are doing. And it's the same with writing. Don't look over there and see oh, oh, my goodness, we're doing real now. Or, Oh, they're, you know, getting this review or this award.

Michelle Rayburn  11:30
Oh, yeah.

Robin W Pearson  11:30
You know, stay over here where God has you.

Michelle Rayburn  11:35
Yeah. Oh, it's so hard, though. Because the publishers are like about numbers. And the readers are, you know, there's an engagement and measuring thing. It's, yeah, it's hard to remember that it's not a measurement of yourself.

Robin W Pearson  11:49
Yeah that's it. There. That's exactly it. You said it in about what five words? And it's? Yeah, it's not a measurement of your self worth., But there's so many things in life, that's what we do. Like, we want to be able to check off and, and look at, okay, I did this, well, you know, I want this pat on the back, or you want this affirmation, and it doesn't count, but you have to trust just that, you know, we, we just came back from vacation to see the ark. And just thinking about Noah, and just how, he was what 70? But, you know, experts say it's either 75 or 120 years, and he worked on it. But just his faith in that he believed God, like, this is what the Lord wanted me to do. And, you know, and was faithful in it. And that's what I wanted. I want to be faithful in it no matter what—what you hear or don't hear, or not knowing what the end will be—but to be faithful in the work. And so that's what I want just be faithful in the work.

Michelle Rayburn  12:52
I've never thought about that comparison. But that's, that's a great comparison, because I haven't thought about Noah and waiting. And a writer, you know, like the Noah had all this outside input from people who said he was crazy. You know, it's like to tune out all of that and really listen to what God is directing you to go.

Robin W Pearson  13:14
Yeah. But I think if he had to ask for reviews, you know, what he was doing? And then based on that, you know, yeah, yeah.

Michelle Rayburn  13:24
Noah on tick tock? Yes. You know, yeah. Prior to being a stay at home mom, did you have a career outside of the home?

Robin W Pearson  13:33
I did. I did. I started work at a publishing company, Houghton Mifflin company, after college, and so I started as an administrative assistant, and just moving papers around and, you know, planning event kind of thing and worked my way up to being an editor. And it was in school publishing. So work in social studies and great group of people that are former teachers did some writing there, and just they were so supportive, so loving, and after that, we moved to Florida. We were living in Boston at the time. I moved to Florida, and I was doing a lot of freelancing. Then I was pregnant with my first child, and I knew I wanted to be at home with him. And so I started freelancing, and I worked for another school publisher, but in math, so you know, I've loved always writing always loved editing, and God just opened a door for me to be able to do that. And I also started writing for articles like for parents, magazines, that kind of thing. So

Michelle Rayburn  14:29
So writing really has been in your heart for a long time. How did you balance that out then with not only being a mom but eventually they got to be school age and you started homeschooling?

Robin W Pearson  14:40
Yeah, I've always been a night owl. I get that from my mom. So you know and people I would always tell people I work third shift because I would do all these you know all the home like managing the home taking care of your family and stay up, you know, late and do a lot of the editing that I needed to do my writing, you know, later. So it was just a lot of burning the midnight oil, it's catching up with me now that you know, I'm over 50. And I have to remind myself, I can't do those same things, you know, your rest is also a good thing. It's not just the four letter word so. But I'm just wired that way to be able to work a lot at night. And it also gives gives me time on my own. Because with having a busy family, and as an introvert, you know, you can have that time to think or cry, whatever you need to do by yourself. It's a good time.

Michelle Rayburn  15:36
That was when I became more of a night owl as well, when my kids were little. And I had left a career to be a stay at home mom and I wanted something to fulfill me outside of changing diapers and cleaning the house and all those things. And so I started quilting and doing some of that stuff late at night, and starting writing as well. And, yeah, I do need more sleep now. But I can relate to that idea of wanting to the house is quiet, the phone isn't going to ring. And I can just be alone with my thoughts everyone's leaving.

Robin W Pearson  16:09
Gotta use that time. Because just thinking about that time with my children, like before the books and before having to build this platform, I got a, what am I going to do with the platform, and I just decided, I just pour it into my family and just kind of hold my hand opens, like I take this desire to be published out of it, you know, because I just held on to that dream for so long. And when I did that, though he ever he's used as experiences, you know, with my family, in my writing in ways that I just hadn't, you know, imagined our plans. So, you know, it's what I think about, you know, moms who choose to, you know, be at home moms or dads who choose to be home with their families, it's not think of giving up something, you know that or that they've lost something, but they are investing somewhere else that God will use it, he will, you will reap the benefits of it and just some unexpected way.

Michelle Rayburn  17:04
That's so encouraging for the listener, who's getting input just like you have with your writing, people get input from people when they make those other life decisions to like, I remember when I left my career as a registered nurse, people saying you're crazy, right? Your income, your you know, all these, and there's all this stuff coming at you. And you have to figure out like why right for your family, right, and then pursue that. So for some it is full time outside of the home. For me it was being home with kids, I didn't homeschool, I tell you that.

Robin W Pearson  17:33
[Laughter] I love your face.

Michelle Rayburn  17:35
I have so much respect. Sorry, listeners can't see me. But I have so much respect for people who homeschool. Because I couldn't even teach my kids how to play piano without it just turning it ...I have two boys. So didn't go well.

Robin W Pearson  17:50
It was like, You could eat that? Like, I admire that you could eat that. But I know, I know what you mean. Someone suggested when we were looking, trying to make some schooling decisions with our first son and like the cost of private school, like it was just trying to figure that out. And we moved to LA, you know, my husband with my husband's company. And when they suggested homeschooling I thought, Okay, well, that's good for those people, you know, but, you know, my personality, and I just didn't feel, you know, equipped or, you know, just basic things, you know, I don't grow stuff, I don't you know, so stuff, you know, just those kind of ideas just a time to myself things I wanted to do and accomplish. And, you know, God just chase those dreams and goals for us. And it has worked out, you know, for us. I'd never imagined seven children at the time. I think we you know, three when we started so, you know, it's different, different. You always said that it doesn't mean like he works things out. Yeah, so much differently than we think we have laid out for themselves.

Michelle Rayburn  18:57
Just like when you were asking a few minutes ago, you know, why does God make you do hard things? These are the questions like why do you always give me challenges? Or why do you take me in directions that I —I didn't plan to be a stay at home mom. Like, I when I was in college, I had a career in mind and I was all about money. I was gonna make money. And God completely changed that it was and that's one part of my life repurposed story. Each of us has those elements where he's repurpose something.

Michelle Rayburn  19:28
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Michelle Rayburn  20:37
You mentioned your grandmother a little bit ago and I'm wondering, how has your extended family been part of who you are as a woman and a mother now?

Robin W Pearson  20:47
Um, well, I'm the youngest of three sisters. My parents had three girls and just those dynamics even you know, we have you know, aunts, uncles, and grandparents and they all inspired so many different parts of the stories that I've I've written. And those stories that you just kind of continue to live, you know, my parents are very, you know, very outspoken, they're definitely not the type to just, you know, watch their children just kind of live, you know, they're very hands on still our hands on. They still tell me to call them when I get home and, you know, and not speed and that kind of thing. Yeah, I just say, Oh, they do. And it's funny, they, you know, helped with, you know, the kids, and I'm sure they wonder, like, how am I not killing them when I'm not around here visiting them and, but just, you know, the the relationships that we have the love that they have, you know, for us, you know, influences how I care for my own children, you know, there are things that I'm like, Okay, I will never do this thing. I don't understand this thing. But you know, just impacts your life so much, and things that I've, when I read some parts of my stories, and I realized, oh my gosh, that that came from this place in life or this event and not realizing, you know, that how that related to some part of my life, and my in laws to the same, they're just, you know, such loving people, you know, we just have been blessed with just, you know, just being loved just poured in to our family and to our children and that love for them. You know, we just, we just know that that's something that we, you know, God blessed us with through them to inherit, and to just pass on, you know, this love for family. I love being around them. You know, even being an introvert, you know, I just, I love being around my family. And I've just learned so much from them, these new relationships, we're talking about, like with adult children, and, you know, still having little, you know, filled over 10 year old, he's now 10. And so they just teach you so much about faith. They teach you so much just about, you know, prayer, counselor prayer, and they prayed for me in those days, when I, you know, hadn't found a publisher, they just, we would have, you know, we pray every Sunday night together. And I could look back through some of the journals where they, you know, we're praying for mommy to get a publisher, mommy to get an agent mommy to, you know, and so just, they were right there with me in this. And so we celebrate together because it's been something our whole family has just, you know, just been invested in. So it's just, you know, their blessing. We, they crack me up. But yeah, it's been, you know, just grown together.

Michelle Rayburn  23:37
That theme of family really comes through in Walking in Tall Weeds. And well, there's so many things I love about the book, but I think that was what first engaged me was just the, the husband and wife relationship. I've tried to think of Paulette and Fred. And McKinley, their son, and just the the ups and downs that husbands and wives have where sometimes. I've been married 33 years, sometimes they're, you know, there's, there's moments in there where you don't even really like each other that much. There's always moments, but that love comes through. And so that drew me into the story. And I could just feel it felt real to me, like I could step into someone else's story and have it teach me something about my everyday life without you being teaching or teaching. And that's what I love about your fiction. The other thing I love is that you have some I'm not gonna give any of them away, but you have some interesting cliffhangers that make me think something's going to happen. And that's not what happened. So that really kept me connected and reading. But there's some other things that you have in here, like you tackled some tough issues in fiction without it coming across as if you're trying to lecture or preach or teach and yet I learned. So one of those is How we treat people who think differently or look differently from us. So tell me a little bit about how you met. And maybe you can't say how but what made you decide to weave that into your story into Walking in Tall Weeds? You know, we,

Robin W Pearson  25:18
Well, I'm in that season of why the same season because of marriage that you are, my husband and I have been married almost 30 years. But we think a lot of like about the major things, which is very helpful, you know, in our faith is, you know, we're just strong together, you know, we're, so you know, we're a unit with that, and, you know, and how to torture our kids, we're good, we work together on that. But, you know, some of these, so that inspired a lot of that part of the story, but in terms of the relationships with, within our own family, and in this Christian family, which is, you know, much bigger, and then just in this world, you know, there's just so much, you we know, like, with all the different, you know, interracial issues and problems with have inter, like generational issues, with understanding, you know, just sometimes it's hard to understand, like, where my parents are coming from, or, you know, it's hard for them to see like, where, you know, the, my, my teenagers are coming from, there's that, like, in the story, and, but knowing that what God calls us to do is to love and not loving sin, or not loving, you know, wrong, but loving each other, and not having to agree, like, even within my own family, we have a range of political beliefs, we have a range of just opinions are very opinionated group, very passionate group. But you know, as a parent, is that, you know, command to love that just, you know, try to bring home and just, let's listen, let's learn, you know, how can, how can you listen to me, if I, if I'm not listening, you know, like, how can, I've learned so much like, from my, you know, my oldest children just, and how they relate to the world, because they're just, they're being confronted with so many different things, you know, than, than I was at that age. And just watching them and seeing how they carry themselves, you know, in the world has taught me and that's how I, you know, wanted to, to write that character, right, McKinley, that he's a super strong person who's struggling, wants to please his parents, but also wants to stand up, you know, and be a man, you know, and stand up for himself and to be respected. He wants to honor his parents, but also be respected. And it's hard, though, because I think with writing Walking in Tall Weeds, the answers are clear answers, but the way I dress situations, I may not be popular. And even within, I guess, maybe even the faith community, but I always want to, you know, point back to Jesus, you know, and that to say, it's easy, you know, it's not an easy thing, but this is, you know, what, you know, just loving in spite of, and loving because of and loving through. And that's the message I really wanted to, you know, it doesn't matter, you know, what, how you look, or where you worship, you know, the church where I tend to, you know, it's very, you know, we have our colors, you know, and I love that because you think about Sunday's and how divided we can be, you know, just that one day, you know, so, yeah, so I just wanted to write a story that I felt like would you know, be a mirror, I guess, for people, you know, for me, as well as you know, for parents or people in our communities for our, you know, our pastors in our churches, and it's a big responsibility, I think.

Michelle Rayburn  25:19
What I love is that you can get into somebody's mindset in a story, and reflect what people in real life might be thinking and address it. But without it sounding like it's right or wrong. You're like, the main character can be thinking something about somebody walking into church, and they don't belong here. And you can you can read the thoughts in a fictional character. And so it made me examine some of my own thoughts and to ask me, ask myself, you know, have I thought this or have I responded this way? I mean, you cover so many things like a son keeping a secret or a husband keeping a secret from his wife or racial inequality or the way people perceive other people based on tradition, instead of on who they are as a person or judging a woman because she can't correct I mean, there's like so many different like, you're the the ways you demonstrated are diverse, so I love that, what would you want people to take away after reading, especially walking and tall weeds? Because that's the only one I've read right now. But I know that you your other fiction is probably just as rich and deep as this one.

Robin W Pearson  30:12
And well, I hope they enjoy it. I know that you know, I did. But you really hit the nail on the head, like I didn't want to, to give necessarily like an answer, this is what we should do, I did want to recite, like, these are the different, you know, as a, as a believer, we're going to go through the same problems as the world, it's just how we respond to them. And how we do it ourselves. Like, what things we want to change, that's the difference. And so that's what I hope that people will admit, some things are natural, like, you're going to, we're going to jump to conclusions, we're going to have personal preferences, we're going to have dislikes, you know, and we're gonna get angry or frustrated or, but how do we respond? Like, how do we change, so I want people to be able to see themselves, you know, in the book, and be willing to change or, to not feel like it's about someone else, it's easy to say, I don't have to deal with this problem. That's not me that them or to see this, you know, as an African American family, it's a family. And, and to read it as a family as a story. And to be able to connect with a story and not feel like it's about other, you know, or someone else. So that's, that's my hope that you know, that anyone will be able to pick it up, and to be able to connect with the story. And it does show like we have these thoughts, and not to show judgment, but these thoughts are there to really kind of put you into story. And I hope that readers will just be able to just jump into the story.

Michelle Rayburn  31:56
I think that's why it resonated with me so much. Because to me, fiction needs to be entertaining, which is, you know, you have lots of entertainment there. So that, that's, that's partially why we pick up books, but I also pick up books because I want story to change me, I do that with movies, too. I want the movie to somehow make me feel. So I just walk away and say, Well, that was nice. And so it's like, I think that's what I found to be really rich about your book was that I didn't just walk away and go, Well, that was nice. It made me think. And I like fiction that makes me think,

Robin W Pearson  32:31
Oh, you know, I just write everyday things, you know, because that's what my, you know, that was one thing that almost stopped me from writing or thinking that I couldn't be an author because I didn't live this, you know, fantastic. Life, you know, traveling, you know, when flying hither... and I just didn't, that wasn't my life. But you know, but I did want to write relatable fiction like this is, you know, this is where I saw Jesus and or this is my every day. And it's still important, like what I'm doing is important, even though it may be, you know, just cooking a meal for 20 children. But you know, there's an importance there and there's something to be learned in what we're doing, and that someone else can be blessed by what you're doing. And so that's what I hope when I'm, I'm writing that. That's what I'm accomplishing, I guess.

Michelle Rayburn  33:20
And Walking in Tall Weeds is about like a week in the life of the characters.

Robin W Pearson  33:24
Yeah.

Michelle Rayburn  33:25
So, you know, it's like, a lot happens in their week.

Robin W Pearson  33:30
Yes, but I hope you will see, okay, they still live on just like, you know, we threw out a lot like this week for me has been jam packed. It's just Yeah, and but you know, but you might peek into this week, but when we end this call, you know, your life will go on with everything that you have to do and so mine so that's what I want, you know, people read the book that have the sense that the Baldwins will keep living you know, after they stop, but they did get through this thing. The another thing that comes so yes, yeah, and that's all like this. Yeah, that's how life is.

Michelle Rayburn  34:04
Yes, that's what I—it's not a book that ends with they lived happily ever after, but it's very satisfying. The ending is satisfying. So that's great. Where can people connect with you Robin if they want to find you online?

Robin W Pearson  34:17
At RobinWPearson.com . I have a website and sign up for my newsletter I have that I put out about once a month. I wish I could say it's every like the first but sometimes it might be the fifth there might be the first because real life

Michelle Rayburn  34:34
Whatever feels right.

34:37
And I'm on Instagram the same. Just look for you know Robin W Pearson. And I have an author page on Facebook. So you can find me there. I do like to you know, write a blog some. So yeah, you can find me. You can catch me when I'm not, you know, cooking or sleeping. That's where you can find me.

Michelle Rayburn  34:58
I will link to that in the show notes. And also, I want to encourage people to get the book—is it a book club Discussion Guide? Is that what you call it?

Robin W Pearson  35:06
Yes, it's a book club kit. And if you've read the other books, they're also on my site with "Til I Want no More and for A Long Time Comein on my site, there's a tab it's you know books and book club kit. And you can, as you mentioned, get recipes. And they're written from the viewpoint of the characters. And so you find that and question that will help like, as you're discussing the book once you've finished the book, or just other things about issues that the book covers, so that you can apply, or connect maybe to your own life.

Michelle Rayburn  35:42
Yeah, to relationships and other things. So I thought it was a fabulous resource and really well put together. So I encourage people to get that. What's what's next are you working on another book?

Robin W Pearson  35:52
I am, I am, I have a fourth book with with Tyndale. And we had some waist high weeds growing this, this summer with my husband, he broke his leg and my father is having some health issues my parents, so we've been really busy. So the book, I had hoped to finish it in June, but I'm almost done. So turning it in this month, and it's to come out next fall. So really excited about that. And it's about, again, about family, and just how I don't know if with your your son, something can happen in your family. And there'll be, you know, 25 different viewpoints on that events, and how it impacted them, you know, and so that's kind of what the story is about, and that certain things that really greatly impacted this, you know, these women, and it's affected, how they live, how they love how they parent, but they all have a different view of what the event was,

Michelle Rayburn  36:52
I can't wait to do it. So as we wrap up, this is the library purpose podcast. So we talk about how God has repurposed us and you've been talking all the way through about how God has taken some difficulties in your life, and turn them into either inspiration for fiction or things that have changed you. So what do you say to the woman who's listening today? Who's in her own repurposing period? What would you say to encourage her?

Robin W Pearson  37:18
That wait, waiting is okay. Not knowing is okay. But just to continue being faithful. And in this place where you are in the work that you're doing, that God will use it. There are times that, you know, went through with, with my children when I thought I was being just, you know, a mom or just a homeschooler. And people would ask me what I did, and I would, I would say something else, then I'd say, oh, and I also homeschool. Instead of, you know, just being full in and just grateful for this time, you know, with my children, and just being grateful for where you are. And, and then then it's also okay to say, Lord, I'm really confused. I'm just, I'm lost. And I really need to hear from you. I think I, I felt like I had to put a brave face. Like when we went out with my kids look good. Don't look crazy. got seven of you act like we know what we're doing. You know, we couldn't do that with God. And we don't, you don't have to be that way. Like the Lord knows. You're crazy. You know, like, he knows where you are. You can cry out and your hair can be messed up and you can be struggling like it's okay to like you're struggling for so long. Like I just, you know, I just did not want it admit the struggle and the pain and the you know, the sorrow over I felt like lost dreams. But God, he met me like he really has just, you know, held me close and you know, showed me just be just be who you are, I created you. And it's time for you and all these crazy circumstances for you. And I will use it. So I just hope whoever you know, it feels like they're in the weights, that they're waiting for that thing, your thing, maybe where you are right now, like that's your thing, and to do it and to do it as and to God. And He will you know he will use it for His glory, you know, and you will use it for your good to not just you know, so just the wait, I guess.

Michelle Rayburn  39:07
Thank you so much for sharing that. I appreciate it. I know my listeners do too. Thank you for spending some time with me and letting us have a little glimpse into the author behind the fiction. I hope that we get to meet in person someday, somewhere.

Robin W Pearson  39:21
Yes, that would be lovely. That will be lovely.

Michelle Rayburn  39:23
I would love that.

Michelle Rayburn  39:26
You'll find a link in the blog post that goes along with this episode at Michelle rayburn.com/ 147. And you'll get a link to Robin's website to her book and to everything else we talked about in this podcast. So thank you so much for listening today. I hope you enjoyed this chat as much as I did. I will see you again next time. You've been listening to Life Repurposed with Michelle Rayburn. Check out tips, resources, and inspiration at Michelle rayburn.com and to get the show notes for this episode. Each week I share links to everything mentioned in the episode graphics you can share and guest quotes. Before you go, which friend needs to hear this episode? share a link with a note to invite them to listen.

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