Charles first started reading about history and geography when he was seven. He wrote his first short story at the age of nine. He continues to read and write whenever he can. It is not uncommon to find him pulling off the road into a park or parking lot to record some sublime thought (or try to write down his to-do list) before it slips into oblivion. Charles has spent many years researching the Middle Ages and the Crusades, and has traveled to the Languedoc region in France. He has combined the passions of history and geography and prose to finish his first novel, Taking the Cross. It takes place during the summer of 1209 in France. Charles Gibson has previously written for the inspirational book series God Allows U-Turns as well as for a Twin Cities newspaper. In his spare time (i.e. his day job), he works as a project manager for a medical device company. He also loves travel writing, and would like to start his own magazine some day about travel (as opposed to tourism) as a part of the journey through life. The pervasive theme of his writing is freedom. "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." He lives in Minnesota with his wife and sons. www.charlesgibson.net
