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Articles by John Gilstrap
John Gilstrap, New York Times Best-Selling Author, on Overcoming Doubt By Focusing On Success
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In his widely shared essay, “Psst… They Secretly Want You to Fail,” New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap delivers a candid and deeply personal message to writers and creators, reminding them that perseverance ultimately conquers doubt.
John Gilstrap, New York Times Best-Selling Author, on Overcoming Doubt By Focusing On Success
The essay also chronicles a major moment in Gilstrap's storied career. His acclaimed nonfiction book, SIX MINUTES TO FREEDOM, was the first book ever to receive cooperation from the U.S. Army's elite Delta Force, and now slated for release as a Netflix feature film in 2027, but when he wrote it, experts in the industry insisted it would never sell.
John Gilstrap, New York Times Best-Selling Author, on Overcoming Doubt By Focusing On Success
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 27, 2025 / EINPresswire.com / -- In his widely shared essay, “ Psst… They Secretly Want You to Fail,” New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap delivers a candid and deeply personal message to writers and creators, reminding them that perseverance ultimately conquers doubt.
John Gilstrap, New York Times Best-Selling Author, On Overcoming Doubt By Focusing On Success
John Gilstrap, New York Times Best-Selling Author, On Overcoming Doubt By Focusing On Success 2025-10-27 12:45:56 (MENAFN- EIN Presswire) EINPresswire/ -- In his widely shared essay,“Psst... They Secretly Want You to Fail,” New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap delivers a candid and deeply personal message to writers and creators, reminding them that perseverance ultimately conquers doubt.
Writing is Pretending While Taking Notes
By John Gilstrap Happy New Year, TKZ family! As much as I love the Holiday Season, with all the parties and the outrageous caloric intake, it’s always nice to return to the normal pace–and to return from our winter hiatus. Here at the West Virginia compound, we got the first snowfall of the winter, which brings a whole different form of excitement. Last year, we got no snowfall to speak of so this storm served as our dog Kimber’s first experience with the stuff.
A Cynical View Of Titles & Cover Art
By John Gilstrap As I read Reavis Wortham’s excellent post regarding titles and covers last Saturday, my first thought was, Hey, I’ve got a different squint on such matters. I think that’s what my post will be about on Wednesday! My second thought was, Wait. I already wrote that post. And, as luck would have it, on the day when I should be writing new material for this post, I’m swamped with Life Stuff and don’t have time to pen a whole new post.
Ricochet By Taylor Moore — the best thriller books
Ricochet is a fierce and fast-paced story of treachery, misdirection, redemption and family. Taylor Moore has delivered a compelling thriller that wonderfully balances dangerous action with tender moments. A great addition to this stimulating series. Garrett Kohl has paid his debt to the CIA after completing a mission to hunt down a traitor on the run.
Writing Out of Sequence
By John Gilstrap Twenty years ago, I met Barry Livingston by way of helping him shop his industry autobiography, The Importance of Being Ernie. Barry played Ernie, the youngest Douglas child in the iconic My Three Sons television show. During my discussions with him–and through reading his book–I learned that MTS was the first television series to feature a bona fide movie star, in the person of Fred MacMurray.
Have the Courage to Ignore Expert Advice
Post navigation ← Previous Next → By John Gilstrap I might have mentioned in this space a few dozen times that I am a self-taught writer. I learned by reading and observing and spilling gallons of ink–real and virtual–on projects that never went anywhere. I have also mentioned here my belief that in this business, there are no rules. There’s well-meaning advice, and lessons that have worked for other writers, but there are no inviolable rules.
Blue Fire (A Victoria Emerson Thriller Book 2) by John Gilstrap
Blue Fire A Victoria Emerson Thriller Book 2 by John Gilstrap Genre: Thriller, Suspense … John Gilstrap, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Jonathan Grave novels, continues his acclaimed Victoria Emerson thriller series with Blue Fire. In the wake of a global conflict that has devastated America, one woman must lead—and protect—a community of survivors determined to rebuild all they have lost . . . They call it Hell Day—a world war that lasted less than twenty-four hours.
Falling by T. J. Newman is only $2.99 - BookBub
I'm already anticipating the blockbuster movie! This is a story that keeps you enthralled from page one, but continually ups the stakes with each successive chapter. During the last half, I couldn't flip pages fast enough, annoyed by the slightest distraction that threatened to pull me from the book. Captain Bill Hoffman has taken a last minute … flight from LA to NY, much to the chagrin of his wife, Carrie.
The Falcon By Isabella Maldonado — the best thriller books
The Falcon is an intense and distressing thriller packed with excitement, action, investigative brilliance and stomach-churning crimes. Featuring a strong Latina female protagonist leading a manhunt to stop a vile sociopath, this novel will have you screaming at the good guys/gals to find the bad guy and end him ASAP.
Whose Story Are You Telling?
By John Gilstrap I’ve heard writing instructors over the years tout the three elements of storytelling: plot, character and setting. We all know what the words mean, and we know how they apply to creating entertaining fiction, but all too often, I think that new writers think of the elements as craft silos instead of the strands of a craft cable–intertwined elements that must work together if a story is going to resonate with the reader.
Beneath The Stairs By Jennifer Fawcett — the best thriller books
A creepy and frightening debut by Jennifer Fawcett, Beneath The Stairs is a classic horror tale guaranteed to freak you the hell out. If you can sleep after reading this book, you’re a braver person than I. As kids, Clare and Abby find the Octagon House, an old, dilapidated house in the woods of their hometown in Upstate New York. The site of a gruesome murder that took the lives of a woman and her two daughters, this house is the stuff of rumor and legend and best left alone.
Chatting With The Pros
By John Gilstrap Top left is Ann Hawkins of John Hawkins & Associates. Center bottom is my editor, Michaela Hamilton of Kensington Publishing. I don’t think I’ve posted this here already, but if so, it’s probably worth another look from people who are interested in an insider’s view of the traditional publishing game.
Beneath The Stairs By Jennifer Fawcett — the best thriller books
Beneath The Stairs is a spectacular debut novel. Jennifer Fawcett blends horror, mystery, and a sort of coming of age story into a single novel that will wreak havoc on your emotions and obliterate any hope of a normal night’s sleep. It is said that all local legends have a kernel of truth to them, though exaggerated through the years. The same would be true for the residents of Sumner’s Mills, a sleepy village in upstate New York.
Different Roads To The Same Destination
By John Gilstrap As I read Reavis Wortham’s post last Saturday on how his characters evolve in his head, I marveled at how vastly different our writing processes are. I often tell people that my characters are all day workers: they hang out at the social hall drinking beer and having fun until I call on them to do something. Then, they’re like, “Don’t ask me what I should do, Mr. Writer Man. This is your gig, dude.
Review | NetGalley
Review by Diane H, Reviewer Last updated on 25 Feb 2021 My Recommendation I am so glad that I waited to read this book during the current presidential administration. At least part of what terrified Democrats last year was the worry that the previous President would finish his term with a bang! That bang happens in the Crimson Phoenix. U.S. Congressperson Vicky Emerson is hustled to a nuclear shelter in the wake of global nuclear disaster.
CRIMSON PHOENIX | Kirkus Reviews
by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 9, 2021 The miseries of the Depression and Dust Bowl years shape the destiny of a Texas family. “Hope is a coin I carry: an American penny, given to me by a man I came to love.
OUR WORDS: Caesars is right for Danville
OUR WORDS: Caesars is right for Danville Between the two of us, we have called Danville home for more than 90 years. We have lived through the economic ups and downs and seen the resilience of this community firsthand. It is where we each want to be. When others have counted Danville out, we — along with so many others — have believed brighter days were just around the corner.
Viewpoint: Legalizing cannabis could aid farmers
John Gilstrap and Melissa Moore May 21, 2020Updated: May 21, 2020 10:54 p.m. The devastating economic ramifications of COVID-19 are threatening the livelihood of farmers across the state. But many New York farms were already struggling, even before the pandemic. Staples like milk and apples have faced declining prices and stiff international competition in recent years.
Crimson Phoenix
Brad Taylor meets THE STAND in internationally bestselling author John Gilstrap's post-apocalyptic new series featuring Victoria Emerson, a West Virginia congresswoman and single mother who becomes the last hope of a nation brought to the brink of destruction. The nightmare scenario has come to pass. America has fallen. In the aftermath, one woman becomes the last hope of a nation and its people in New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap's electrifying new Victoria Emerson thriller series.
Cla-shack | Killzoneblog.com
Gear up for a little gun porn, folks. It’s been a while since I’ve ranted about mistakes authors make when writing about guns, so I thought I’d stir things up a little. Cla-shack. When I say it out loud, it is exactly the sound that a well-tuned pump-action shotgun makes when you work the bolt. It’s very dramatic on the page or on the screen, and it is unmistakable in real life.
Scorpion Strike: A Jonathan Grave Thriller
At age 19, Tyler Stratton is the pampered stepson of Baker Sinise, owner of Crystal Sands Resort. The posh private island retreat is off Mexico’s west coast, where Gail (Gunslinger) Bonneville and Jonathan (Scorpion) Grave are on a romantic getaway. “Can you think of anyone more apt to find violence in paradise?” At night, a score of terrorists take hostage hundreds of guests, killing two and dangling the bodies near a pool, threatening to do the same to anyone who attempts escape.
The Truth About Silencers
We’ve all seen how silencers work on firearms, right? Our assassin lies in wait as his victim approaches down the street. His silenced revolver is loaded and ready to fire. The shooter takes his time, waits for his shot. And then, from ten feet away (or 20 yards away), he makes his move. The revolver puffs twice. Phut, phut. The victim falls, and no one knows whats wrong. The killer makes his getaway.
Hollow Point Bullets & Other Stuff
I have just returned from my annual sojourn to Las Vegas and the SHOT Show, so I thought I’d turn away from the craft of writing in this post, and back to some tactical topics. Throw in the bullet-bait Brother Bell inserted into his always-excellent post last Sunday, and I feel driven to talk about bullet stuff this week. First, on the issue of being thrown back by bullet strikes, consider this: Newton’s Third Law of Motion dictates that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Final Target: A Jonathan Grave Thriller
A rescue gone wrong. A deadly double cross. A desperate race to freedom. Freelance operative Jonathan Grave faces his fiercest challenge yet in bestselling author John Gilstrap’s explosive new thriller . . . The mission is simple. Drop into the Mexican jungle, infiltrate a drug cartel’s compound, and extract a DEA agent who’s been kidnapped and tortured. But when Jonathan Grave and his partner Boxers retrieve the hostage and return to the exfil point, all hell breaks loose.
Interview: June 27, 2017
John Gilstrap has cornered the market on hostage rescue thrillers told through dynamic characters who operate as a single unit. AGAINST ALL ENEMIES won 2016’s Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original Novel. His latest, FINAL TARGET, is the most intense of the series. Jonathan Grave and Boxers navigate southern Mexico’s jungle, where a single hostage is joined by 15 orphans, and the exfil helicopter pilot deserts the team.
The Secret to Effective Research Is . . .
Last Friday, I spent the better part of seven hours hanging out with the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team at their headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. In addition to getting a tour of the facilities, I got a peek into their tactics, and, most importantly, into the new technology that has evolved for breaching all kinds of doors, from residential to ship-board to prisons. Given the focus of my Jonathan Grave series, it’s hard to conceive of a day better spent.
Nathans vlucht
Thrillers & Spanning Uitgeverij Bruna Uitgevers B.V., A.W. Imprint Zwarte Beertjes Uitgegeven als Paperback Eerste editie 01-01-2004 Laatste editie 09-06-2004 Vertaald door Hans Kooijman ISBN 9789022520673 • 9789046120347 Aantal pagina's 335 Taal Nederlands Populair in hetzelfde genre Boeken van dezelfde auteur Uitgelicht 4.13 Wat vind je van dit boek? Geef jouw beoordeling.
NachtVlucht
Uitgeverij Meulenhoff Boekerij B.V. Imprint Boekerij Uitgegeven als Paperback Eerste editie 01-07-2002 Laatste editie 10-12-2002 Vertaald door Peter Barnaart ISBN 9789022533451 Aantal pagina's 332 Taal Nederlands Hoogste positie Hebban Rank 7674
Dag van afrekening
Uitgeverij Meulenhoff Boekerij B.V. Imprint Boekerij Uitgegeven als Paperback Eerste editie 31-10-2000 Laatste editie 11-11-2003 Vertaald door Peter Barnaart ISBN 9789022528501 • 9789022534700 Aantal pagina's 416 Serie Zwarte Beertjes Taal Nederlands Hoogste positie Hebban Rank 7676
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