David L. Robbins is an American author, best known for his historical fiction and alternate history novels. He was born on March 10, 1954, in Richmond, Virginia, and grew up in the small town of Sandston, near the airport. Both of his parents, Sam and Carol, were veterans of World War II, with Sam seeing action in the Pacific, particularly at Pearl Harbor. This upbringing with parents who had lived through a significant historical event has greatly influenced Robbins' writing.
Robbins attended the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he received his Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Theater and Speech in 1976. After graduation, he tried his hand at environmental law in Columbia, South Carolina, but only practiced for a year before turning to freelance writing in 1981. His first novel, "Souls to Keep," was published in 1990. His writing career took off in 1997 when he began to focus on fiction, and he has since published twelve novels, with a thirteenth currently in the works. This upcoming novel is the fourth in his U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen series.
In addition to his successful writing career, Robbins is also an accomplished guitarist, studying the works of James Taylor and Latin classical music. He is an active individual, enjoying sailing, shooting sporting clays, and weightlifting. Robbins is also deeply committed to giving back to his community. He is the founder of the James River Writers, a non-profit organization that encourages creative expression in the Richmond, VA area. He also co-founded The Podium Foundation, which brings writing and critical reasoning programs to the students of Richmond's city high schools. Most recently, Robbins created The Mighty Pen Project, an intensive writing program for Virginia's military veterans and their families, in partnership with the Virginia War Memorial. He also teaches advanced creative writing as a visiting professor at Virginia Commonwealth University's Honors College. Robbins currently resides in Richmond, near the James River.