Tag Archives: JW Gilbert

Author, Author — JW Gilbert and Mojave Rock

21 Mar

About The Book

Book: Mojave Rock

Author: JW Gilbert

Genre: Christian Fiction – Action/Adventure

Release Date: March, 2024

Arcon forsook his new life of adventure in the outside world to fulfill his destiny with ArcPoint. But the return to his forest home is short-lived—he and Ranger Dan have been called to Jerusalem to meet Central Authority and discover the fate of ArcPoint. A new adventure begins, starting with a round-the-world trip by tube train—something Arcon never thought possible. With its expanded cast of extraordinary characters and a fresh romance, Mojave Rock is the conclusion to the ArcPoint trilogy about reconciliation and truth replacing fear and suspicion.

Click here to get your copy!

About The Author

John Gilbert Wozniak (JW Gilbert) grew up in an Oregon farm town. He retired in 2016 as an international data center cooling expert. Around the turn of the century, he began writing as a hobby. After years of expert guidance and a lot of editing, his ArcPoint trilogy is complete. His intent is to write books that are enjoyed by all ages—biblically accurate—with a touch of adventure, romance, and humor. JW has been married to his best friend Darlene since 1980. They are both retired and enjoy the hobby of creating lapidary jewelry. He is a member of Oregon Christian Writers, Mensa, ALLi, and the Tualatin Valley Gem Club.

More from JW

The ArcPoint trilogy finally reaches its conclusion with Mojave Rock. I ramp up the humor and romance a little, just to make it interesting. A few of the minor characters play a larger role. We get to see how Arcon travels around the world without floating on water or flying through the air. And we get a glimpse of what this world is like with the Prince of Peace ruling the planet.

I also move more toward science fiction with Mojave Rock. I wanted to show how mankind cleaned up our planet, after the tribulation era gave us wars, earthquakes, famines, and other forms of death and destruction. When lawlessness made all of us want to hide as ArcPoint did. As technology helped us, there were always people who used it to harm us.

It was fun to contemplate how accident-free high-speed travel could be accomplished. How could we use it to feed the world? In fact, what would world travel be like without war zones, national borders, corrupt government officials, currency exchange, pickpockets, and terrorists? Can you imagine retail stores without shoplifters? Email without spam? Facial recognition without invasion of privacy? No frauds, scammers, or identity thieves? All of that may sound like heaven, but it’s not. That’s another time and place.

So, how will ArcPoint react to connecting with the outside world again? They were already free of the things listed above. World peace didn’t concern them, since inner peace was a common commodity. Will they leave their oasis in the former desert? Will their community be overrun with strangers? Will Arcon and Elaina marry? It’s worth reading Mojave Rock to find out.

Q & A with JW Gilbert

Many authors say that they have always been a writer — making up stories as a child. When did you first become a writer?

Officially, around the turn of the century, when I was in my forties. However, in my teens I did write a doozy of a short story for school. It was supposed to be a serious solution for the entire senior class surviving being sunk to the bottom of the ocean in a submarine. I fabricated something more like a comedy skit. Teacher said if it had a bibliography, it was an easy ‘A’.

Was there a special someone, such as a teacher, parent, or other relative, who encouraged you to pursue writing?

Certainly never as a career (I flunked English three times). But a number of people said I should write down miracles I’d witnessed since I’d seen quite a few. I included some of them in my first fiction book, then over 150 of them later as short stories.

Why did you choose the action/adventure genre?

I chose action/adventure because that’s what I liked to read, and it’s hard to find in Christian Fiction.

Were there any obstacles you faced in your journey to publication?

I’d say the only real obstacle has been that the action/adventure genre is not necessarily what traditional Christian publishers want to invest in. Self-publishing has worked, but there’s a steep learning curve and it can be difficult to market books that fall within an emerging genre.

What types of research do you pursue? Books, on-site visits, etc.

For the Bible prophecy aspect, I intentionally avoided commentary and searched the Bible only, finding over 1300 verses from 49 of its books. For earthly things—such as the Mojave Desert, climate change, GMO’s, tube trains, and horticulture—I used mostly resource books, internet articles, subject matter experts, and personal experience.

What does a typical writing day look like? Are you structured or informal in your writing schedule?

Very informal. Since I’m retired, I can write whenever I find the time.

How long does it usually take to craft your books? (from outlines/first drafts to final edits)

I’ve done a rough draft in three weeks, but usually three months. The rest takes one to two years (with help).

Can you tell us a little about what inspired your latest novel?

Isaiah 26:20 — Come, my people, enter into your rooms and close your doors behind you. Hide for a little while, until indignation runs its course. I thought, what if some people hid so well from tribulation, that they weren’t aware when Jesus returned?

What do you want your readers to take away with them after finishing one of your novels?

Hope. Based on the many Bible verses I’ve collected, Jesus is soon returning to establish His government and world peace. Can you imagine no corrupt governments and no wars? I can, now.

Readers always want to know what is next for an author. Do you have any works in progress you can share about?

A prequel to the ArcPoint trilogy, Mojave Lee, will be out sometime this year. I’m also working on rewriting my first two books. When I have time, I’m considering writing a sci-fi sort of story.

Blog Stops

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 19 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, March 20 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 20

By The Book, March 21 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, March 22

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 23 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 24

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 25 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 26

Artistic Nobody, March 27 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, March 28

Guild Master, March 29 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, March 30 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, March 30

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 31 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, April 1

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, J.W. is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a print copy of Mojave Rock!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2a8f3/mojave-rock-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Book Spotlight & Author Interview — Mojave Man

11 Nov

About The Book

Book: Mojave Man

Author: JW Gilbert

Genre: Christian Fiction – Action/Adventure

Release Date: November, 2022

Mojave Man continues the adventure of Arcon Franklin as he seeks to escape the authorities demanding his containment. His rescuer, Elaina, flees with him to a survivalist compound that could end up being a trap. As a tenacious reporter edges closer to exposing Arcon, Jesus himself makes his desires known. Whether he likes it or not, Arcon’s foray into the outside world could be cut short. He may have to return to ArcPoint, whether they want him back or not. Click here to get your copy!

About The Author

John Gilbert Wozniak (JW Gilbert) grew up in an Oregon farm town. He retired in 2016 as an international data center cooling expert. Around the turn of the century, he began writing as a hobby. After years of expert guidance and a lot of editing, his ArcPoint trilogy is complete. His intent is to write books that are enjoyed by all ages—biblically accurate—with a touch of adventure, romance, and humor. JW has been married to his best friend Darlene since 1980. They are both retired and enjoy the hobby of creating lapidary jewelry. He is a member of Oregon Christian Writers, Mensa, ALLi, and the Tualatin Valley Gem Club.

More from JW

I became an avid fan of Christian fiction, especially after reading This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. Working 12-hour night shifts as a data center technician, I had ample time on my hands. At one point I was devouring a book per night, but my favorite genre—action/adventure—was almost non-existent in Christian fiction. So, as is the case with many would-be authors, I decided to write the book I wanted to read. The setting? The future when Jesus is ruling the world, as told in Revelation chapter 20. My protagonist? Arcon, an adventurous young man from an isolated tribe of people. The premise? The people of ArcPoint don’t know that the outside world is safe and that Jesus has returned.

My first attempt at writing went well. I wrote my first draft in three weeks, edited it for six months, and landed a hybrid publisher with the final manuscript. The book garnered four- and five-star reviews, so I was pleased. (Not bad for someone who’d flunked English three times.) I was glad the reviews showed that the writing was good, but my readers were missing the message. I pulled it off the market.

For the past few years I’ve been honing my skills as a writer and reworking my ArcPoint story. There have been a few challenges. While researching, I found over a thousand verses in the Bible that sparked ideas for the time period I was writing about. Now the original book has become a trilogy, plus a prequel. However, traditional Christian publishers were not in the market for adventure stories, so I had to learn about self-publishing. And then, like a page right out of my prequel, the unexpected happened—a pandemic. I decided it would be best to put off publicizing until the entire trilogy was available. Now it is.

To see if the first book was ready to be self-published, I sent copies of Mojave Rift to Reader’s Favorite for professional reviews. It got five stars across the board. Then I entered Mojave Rift in their contest and won a silver medal. All the reviewers seemed to appreciate my inclusion of action, romance, and humor in a squeaky clean, fast-paced, futuristic novel.

I hope my ArcPoint series receives high scores from English teachers, but since I still don’t know a passive voice from a hole in the plot, we’ll see. Writing likable characters and adventure stories that run deep and inspire is something I enjoy. I’ve worked hard and it’s a thrill to get high audience scores.

BTW, did I mention the world-building for the isolated tribe in my story is set in America? Now that was a challenge.

Q & A with JW Gilbert

Many authors say that they have always been a writer — making up stories
as a child. When did you first become a writer?

Around the turn of the century, when I was in my forties.

Was there a special someone, such as a teacher, parent, or other relative,
who encouraged you to pursue writing?

Certainly never as a career (I flunked English three times). But a number of people said I should write down miracles I’d witnessed, since I’d seen quite a few. I included some of them in a fiction book, then over 150 of them later as a memoir.

Were there any obstacles you faced in your journey to publication?

Choosing a genre for the trilogy. It’s Christian fiction action/adventure, but that genre doesn’t exist. Without a specific genre, traditional publishers have not shown interest, forcing me to self-publish, which is difficult.

What types of research do you pursue? Books, on-site visits, etc.

Intense study of the Bible, finding over 1300 verses from 49 of its books. For earthly things, it’s mostly resource books and internet articles on science, horticulture, survival, and maps.

What does a typical writing day look like? Are you structured or informal in your writing schedule?

Very informal. Whenever I find the time, I write.

How long does it usually take to craft your books? (from outlines/first drafts to final edits)

About one to two years.

Can you tell us a little about what inspired your latest novel?

Isaiah 26:20 — Come, my people, enter into your rooms and close your doors behind you. Hide for a little while, until indignation runs its course. I thought, what if some people hid so well from tribulation, they weren’t aware when Jesus returned?

What do you want your readers to take away with them after finishing one of your novels?

Hope. Based on the many Bible verses I’ve collected, Jesus is soon returning to establish His government, and world peace.

Readers always want to know what is next for an author. Do you have any works in progress you can share about?

The next in the series, Mojave Rock, is about to be published. A prequel to the ArcPoint trilogy, Mojave Lee, will be out early next year. I’m also working on a sci-fi time machine sort of story, as well as rewriting my first two books.

Blog Stops

Vicky Sluiter, November 9 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 10

By The Book, November 11 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, November 12

Simple Harvest Reads, November 13 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 14

For the Love of Literature, November 15 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 15

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 16

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 17 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, November 18

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 19 (Author Interview)

The Lit Lady, November 20

Artistic Nobody, November 21 (Author Interview)

Exploring the Written Word, November 21

Guild Master, November 22 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, JW is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a print copy of Mojave Man!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/28d34/mojave-man-celebration-tour-giveaway

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