Gunmetal Creek

Beck Ambersley has just moved cross-country with his mother from California to the small town of Heavenly Hill, Florida. As they begin living with “Mawb,” Beck’s irascible old grandmother, Beck comes to know a group of unforgettable characters – two mysterious girls and their eccentric uncle who live on Gunmetal Creek; a narcissistic high school principal and her equally vile cop husband; a caring teacher who encourages Beck’s gift of writing; and many others. All of Beck’s adventures in Heavenly Hill – and especially on the storied Gunmetal Creek – will lead him on a journey of growth and discovery, even as he loses what’s left of his innocence.

Soul Sanctum

Jayce Leonard, formerly a football coach at his high school alma mater, has now moved on to the college ranks. Now he coaches at Yearwood State University where he once starred as a collegiate quarterback. Life is good for Jayce: a great job, a supportive and thriving family, and good relationships with those he works with. And yet, as a scandal begins to surface and rock his beloved football program, Jayce’s character will be tested in a way never before experienced. The sequel to John Gibson’s award-winning Soul Sprints, Soul Sanctum will have you cheering for the home team like never before.

Davidity

After years of alcohol abuse, Raldo Cisneros, a former Marine, is desperate to rekindle his strained relationship with his young daughter. He gets back on his feet and begins working security for a billionaire financier only to discover a dark secret that he feels may cost him his soul. Through the help of his former Navy chaplain – a suffering soul in his own right – Raldo comes to face-to-face with the decision of his life and will be forced to risk it all for those he loves most.

Shorts Volume 1

Big J and Baby Moon: A young boy is given courage to testify against his abuser from perhaps the unlikeliest of places. Brush-Back: A high school pitcher is forced to grapple with a new reality in 2020 when his baseball season is cut short. Through it all, he learns some valuable lessons about nature and life. Dangerous Surf: Two aspiring naval officers take a huge risk on an early-morning beach jaunt, only to come face-to-face with a huge scare…and
some unlikely encouragement and hope. Seeing: A harried husband and father just wants to grab some dinner for his family and head home; when a tragedy belonging to another person forces
him to stop and reconsider all he thought he knew about life. Treasure on the James Point: A bullied young high school student thinks of taking the ultimate way out, when he encounters a mysterious stranger. Following this, he is introduced to a world, a way of helping people – and a secret of his own past – that he never knew before.

Mountain Rain

I long to be in a place
Where mountain rain
Falls in sheets to the earth,
Watering, cooling,
Putting me in mind of a purer world.

I long to be in a place where
Losing my footing is a reality,
And mudslides into foothills
And nether regions
Are a constant hazard –
A blessed, beautiful hazard.

Mountain rain,
With its gloomy aura and ambience,
Reminding me of agendas
And creations bigger than myself
Or my own.

Mountain rain,
Cleanse me
And reconnect me with Creator
And the Creation alike.

Mountain rain…
Fall and flow.

JWG
2021

Lighthouse: A Book Of Poetry

Lighthouse

You may be the lighthouse in someone’s storm,
You may be the salve for their ills,
Yet a lighthouse must suffer the gale-force winds
That bring violent and withering chills.

You may be the lighthouse in someone’s storm;
The haven in which they feel safe;
Yet a lighthouse withstands the harsh, battering rains,
Which erode, eviscerate, and strafe.

You may be the lighthouse in someone’s storm
Whose life has been shredded asunder;
Yet the lighthouse must stare down Mother Nature’s own wrath,
Against the menace of lightning and thunder.

A lighthouse beams radiance to lost ships at sea,
And through uncertain harbors it guides,
Yet who is the one who brings salve to the lighthouse,
In whose care does the lighthouse abide?

So yes, be a lighthouse, be a foundation true,
That thirsty souls might drink from your well;
But remember your own soul and its need for heaven,
And respite from the forces of hell.

JWG
2020

Longing For Home: A Book Of Poetic Reflections

John Gibson’s second full volume of poetry, featuring treasured pieces such as ‘Inside The Ivory,’ ‘O Say Can You Dream,’ and ‘The Old 90.’

Trailer

Soul Sprints

“Soul Sprints,” John Gibson’s second novel, won the grand prize in the 2018 Words Matter Publishing Holiday Book Contest, out of over two-hundred entries. It tells the story of the fictional town of Lake Barrow, Florida, set in central Florida during the early 2000s. Faith, family, football…and a long-standing feud between two prominent families are the defining characteristics of this small Florida burg. Jayce Leonard, a former collegiate football star who grew up in Lake Barrow, returns home to coach the mighty Spartans of Sims County High, his alma mater. When he hires his friend and college teammate, Soul Rasheed, as an assistant coach, Soul’s Muslim faith quickly sets him at odds with several members of the community. As fresh controversy is ignited, and old feuds are rekindled, Lake Barrow will be forced to come to terms with its tortured past, and Jayce Leonard will be forced to make a decision about what and who he cares for most. “Soul Sprints” is a small-town story of how friendship can overcome even the steepest of obstacles in post-9/11 America.

Painkiller

Gibson’s first novel, “Painkiller” was originally published in 2017, and is the story of Will Earnest, a renowned evangelical figure who, after a fall from grace and estrangement from his family, is forced to fight through an opioid addiction and seek to reconcile with those he cares for most. In so doing, he soon finds himself face-to-face with the demons of his past and a secret that could threaten Will’s life and all he holds most dear. Set against the backdrop of the war on drugs, and the bitter cultural divide of American politics, “Painkiller” is a story of love, redemption, and suspense that will keep you turning pages for hours on end.

Arduous Vales

(A Book of Poetry and Reflections)

If you are a lover of the written word, and appreciate its capacity to stir the soul, this collection of reflective and narrative poetry by author, John W. Gibson is the book for you.

Patriot Victory

In 2056, the United States of America is a different and dangerous place. For Gabriel Adams, nothing about the morally relativistic culture in which he lives makes sense. Through an encounter with Duke Bradford, his next-door neighbor, and others, Gabriel begins a journey of faith through which he will learn the meaning of honor, duty, patriotism and love often at the expense of his own safety and the safety of his loved ones. And time and again, he’ll be confronted with the wise words of Mr. Bradford: “Only the Truth can save your soul.” John Gibson’s provocative dystopian novel will compel readers to look into their souls as they ponder what could be the future of America.