Teaching inspires L-FL Elementary’s Gibson to write novels

By Crystal R. Albers
Posted 2/20/19

LINGLE – “Frozen in fear and blinded by the light of oncoming headlights she braced herself for the crash that was unstoppable.” – The first line of the prologue in Lingle-Fort Laramie third-grade teacher Rachel Gibson’s first novel, “Highland Peace.”

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Teaching inspires L-FL Elementary’s Gibson to write novels

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LINGLE – “Frozen in fear and blinded by the light of oncoming headlights she braced herself for the crash that was unstoppable.” – The first line of the prologue in Lingle-Fort Laramie third-grade teacher Rachel Gibson’s first novel, “Highland Peace.” 

Much like her lead character, Alyssa, in the selection above, fear kept Gibson frozen for nearly a decade until one of her students inspired her to publish the book.

“In high school, I was told that I was a creative writer, but never really thought about doing anything with it, nor did I really enjoy it,” Gibson explained. “The first book, ‘Highland Peace,’ started out as a college English project. I completed enough of it to get a grade and then put it on a shelf in my closet – that was 11 years ago. 

“About nine years ago, I decided to pull it back off the shelf and start writing again. I shared the first few chapters with my sister, who encouraged me to keep going and get it finished. Overall, it took me seven years to complete it because I would write during the summer, Christmas break, etc. Plus I went through periods of writer’s block. 

“The true inspiration that convinced me to take the plunge was one of my third graders,” she said. “I always referenced my book to encourage my students that they can become writers. One particular student said to me, ‘Mrs. Gibson, you keep talking about this book you wrote, how come you haven’t done anything with it?’ After careful self-reflection, my answer to him was, ‘I am afraid.’ I felt very vulnerable putting myself out there in such a public way. I was afraid that I wasn’t good enough and that I would be rejected. I finally realized that this was something I had to do to prove to myself that I could. I have never felt more vulnerable in my life or proud of myself in my life. This student got the very first signed copy. Though he wasn’t able to read the book because it is not meant for children, he was so excited to have it.”

The book officially hit the shelves in August 2017. One year later, Gibson published a second novel in the series “Up from the Ashes,” with a third planned for early summer 2019.

“I never intended to write a series when I first started out,” Gibson said. “It is difficult to explain where I came up with the idea, because, as a writer, everything and anything influences my writing: people in my life; life experiences; tragic events; special moments; fears … but, more than anything, I have read so many nonfiction books about Scotland and fell in love with the country that I have never visited – although, I will be going there in June. I knew that I didn’t want to write a historical romance, but rather a modern-day story that takes place in Scotland that pulls in some of the cultural and historical aspects of the country.”

The story begins in Wyoming, where a woman is the only survivor of a deadly car accident, Gibson said. She goes to Scotland to escape the memories and come to peace with the horrific event.

“I received a lot of feedback from my readers … they wanted me to turn (the book) into a series, because they wanted to know Mary and Jane’s story – two other characters in the first book that leave everyone questioning who they are and why they are the way they are – and how they are connected to Kilchurn Castle (in Scotland),” Gibson said.

Her second book, “Up from the Ashes,” dives deeper into Mary’s story.

“My readers begged me to write Mary’s story,” she said. “Her connection to the castle is unclear in book one, but she is a gentle and caring person that obviously had a story to be told. Mary faces a life-altering decision to seek out her half-brother who is unknown to her in order to determine who her father was. She has to unravel a lifetime of a tangled web of love and deceit that has held Kilchurn Castle captive to the secrets of the past for over two decades. She, just like Alyssa in book one, has to find peace in her own life, but due to a different event. She has to come to terms with the truth about her heritage.”

The third book in the series, and currently in the works, is titled, “Peace Conquers Darkness,” and follows protagonist Jane’s story.

The books – including “Peace Conquers Darkness,” when it is released – are published by Xlibris and available for purchase on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, Ty’s Pit Stop in Lingle, or directly from Gibson. Readers can also find the works at Goshen County Library in Torrington.

As for her writing career, and although she was hesitant to begin, Gibson is now teeming with forward momentum, already having started another series, “Hidden in the Highlands”, which also features an American character that seeks refuge in Scotland.

“I will continue to write modern-day stories that take place in Scotland,” Gibson said, adding she is finding inspiration all around her. “I also have plans to write a children’s book series about Sammy the squirrel that we rescued, raised, was my class pet, and then we returned him to the wild. I have a lot of great pictures of him and feel children would love reading his story – especially those that got to enjoy seeing him at school. Plus, now I have Asher the bunny as a class pet that will also make an excellent story.”

Interested individuals can follow Gibson’s career on her “Highland Peace” Facebook page.