Robin Parrish grew up with a strong love of storytelling. “I did some other things along the way, in marketing and retail, but my heart has always been in writing,” he shares.
One of the first authors to garner a traditional publishing contract because of his online writing, Robin views the internet as a great equalizer for writers. “I used it as a platform to launch that sort of a career, using websites, news reporting, and blogs.” He began writing for the Christian music industry, but soon wanted to express his own opinion rather than being simply an industry mouthpiece. That and a desire to tell stories led to the founding of Infuze Magazine, a website joining art and faith.
In addition to sharing news and others’ works, Robin began publishing a serial novel on Infuze. He was contacted by Bethany House, and they published that novel, Relentless, as well as two sequels in the Dominion Trilogy.
Robin’s latest novel for Bethany House, Vigilante, breaches some new territory for him as a writer. “It’s the first thing I’ve done that doesn’t have any fantasy or science fiction elements whatsoever,” he says. The novel is, instead, a superhero origin story with a twist. The main character, Nolan Gray, already a decorated war hero, plans to become a symbol of hope to a violence-ridden city. With a small, dedicated team and an array of high-tech gadgets, Nolan fakes his own death and begins fighting crime and defending the helpless.
Comic book antics, a realistic setting, and a Christian worldview combine to make Vigilante a unique contribution to the superhero genre. “I think there’s something inside all of us that longs for rescue,” Robin shares. “Superheroes speak to that very deeply.”
Robin is currently working on a high-concept sci-fi novel for young adults, Corridor. He lives with his wife Karen and their two young children in North Carolina.