S13E6: Keys to Writing #1 Bestsellers w/ John Gilstrap
Concealed Carry Podcast - Guns | Training | Defense | CCW
ConcealedCarry.com
4.7 • 875 Ratings
🗓️ 9 February 2026
⏱️ 48 minutes
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Summary
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About This Episode:
In this episode of the Concealed Carry Podcast, I engage with acclaimed author John Gilstrap, known for his thrilling narratives and expertise in firearms. Recorded at SHOT Show 2026, we delve into his upcoming book, *Scorched Earth*, and the evolution of the Jonathan Grave series, highlighting the interplay of justice and morality. John shares insights from his background as a firefighter and paramedic, which informs his realistic writing about firearms.
We discuss his creative process shaped by mentorship and military culture, along with the balance between authenticity and reader engagement. John emphasizes the need for personal responsibility and ongoing education in the concealed carry community, rounding out our conversation with a focus on the narrative obligations of responsible gun ownership. Tune in for an exciting exploration of John’s work and philosophy.
As always, any questions or suggestions for future episodes can be submitted to podcast@concealedcarry.com!
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| 0:00.0 | This is the concealed carry podcast, season 13, episode six. |
| 0:15.3 | And welcome to Concealed Carry podcast, part of the concealed carry.com network brought to you by HK. |
| 0:22.4 | Today is February 4th, 2026, as of the recording of this episode. |
| 0:28.5 | I am your host, Riley Bowman. |
| 0:30.2 | I'm pleased to be here with you. |
| 0:31.6 | And I've got another special episode for you today. |
| 0:34.5 | I'm thrilled to bring to you. |
| 0:36.8 | I've actually got another interview that I |
| 0:39.0 | recorded at Shot Show, 26, just a couple weeks ago. This one is with a multiple time, New York |
| 0:46.9 | Times best-selling author, John Gilstrap. And in this episode, we get into talking about some of his latest books, including his |
| 0:56.5 | newest release, which is not quite out yet, but will be like next month, I think, March |
| 1:02.4 | 2026, a book called Scorched Earth. And I'm actually holding right here in my hands. He was very |
| 1:08.6 | kind, very generous, and gifted to me and Jacob, a pre-release copy of |
| 1:14.2 | scorched earth. I nicely autographed it for us. Very, very kind. And I just, I started reading this |
| 1:20.8 | this week and it's fantastic. Like all of his books, super action-packed, fast-paced reading. |
| 1:26.9 | If you enjoy thrillers like this, then this is |
| 1:31.3 | the book for you. And this is the reason why we interviewed John, too. He is a gun guy. And he understands |
| 1:36.5 | guns. He knows how to talk about guns. He knows how to write about guns. And put those elements |
| 1:41.0 | into his books in a believable manner, which we really appreciate. And, |
| 1:45.0 | you know, he's a friend to the industry, and we should be supporting people in the industry |
| 1:49.6 | like this fantastic author, John Gilstrap. I do got a couple sponsor messages. We'll talk a little |
| 1:55.0 | bit more about this episode in a moment. But today's episode was recorded in the HK booth at Shot |
... |
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