Our guest today is John Gilstrap. John is the New York Times bestselling author of award-winning action novels, including the Jonathan Grave and Victoria Emerson Thrillers. A master of action-driven suspense, former firefighter and EMT, and a nationally recognized weaponry and explosives safety expert, John is set to release his latest work titled, Burned Bridges.

What can weapons nerds expect to geek out about in your upcoming release, Burned Bridges? Any interesting weapons or compelling scenes that speak to marksmen that you can tease?

Most of your professional career, outside of being an author, has centered around weapons and explosives safety. How does someone first become interested in that kind of career? 

As a safety consultant in Washington DC, I’m sure many unique problems and solutions crossed your desk. Is there a particularly interesting job you’d be willing to talk about? What’s something the average person doesn’t expect that this job handles?   

Certainly, these experiences have informed your writing of action-packed thrillers. While many movies and books seemingly romanticize casual gun use, huge shoot outs, and unsafe carrying practices, how does Burned Bridges stand apart from that narrative? What tone around guns are you striving to achieve in your books? 

How do you pair your characters with their weapons? Do they tend to have a favorite they always use, or do you use creative freedom to write about a variety of weapons?

Your main character in Burned Bridges teaches her children safe gun handling from an early age. What do you have to say about familiarizing children with gun safety in the real world as well as in fiction?

Originally Aired 5.9.25