John J Cipher Author

02/05/2026

What is one topic you’ve studied for years, only to realize you’re still just a beginner?

01/24/2026

When Morning Finds You by John J Cipher

A poem I wrote for my wife some 25 years ago :

When Morning Finds You

When morning finds you, soft and near,
The world feels gentle, close, and clear.
No jewels, no spark, no grand display—
Just quiet light that seems to stay.

Your eyes still hold the edge of dreams,
A hush between what is and seems.
And though the day will call us through,
The sweetest dawn begins with you.

01/24/2026

I wrote this poem as a trichotomy, let me know what you take away from it and if you want, you could always ask me what I meant when I wrote it. I'd be happy to discuss the philosophy of my poem with you.

A raging whisper in a sigh

We strut and fret, with fire in our heart,
Imagine power—a world we made to start.
A glassine scar where forests used to rise,
Silences our anthem beneath synthetic skies.

Extinction’s echo—void where creatures trod—
Yet Mother breathes, indifferent to our nod.
She has known the furnace and the ice,
Felt continents collide on ancient nights.

Our fleeting fury—a silent swing of a fist—
Her deep heart beats in dark mountains’ mist.
An eon’s eon, a patient, sallow ride;
Again life emerges where lonely beaches hide.

Scorch her face, dare her to weep—
She will cast it off, so vast and deep.
Our triumphs pathetic, our empires turned under,
Mother breathes in slow, solemn sunder.

And even from ashes, she still finds a way—
Life, tenacious, greets a brighter blue day.
So care if you will, for the fragile, beat of now,
For her breath blows wild upon a trembling bough.

Mother sleeps through the noise, our moment is gone—
A whisper silenced before an unending dawn.
She silently waits, serene and forever vast,
Daring us to matter, while our brief moment lasts.

01/22/2026

Yo everybody! I just had a weird, comical burst of inspiration and had to get this down. I thought it was kind of cute, kind of funny, and definitely a little more "biologically accurate" than the version we grew up with.

🚨 Warning: Definitely do NOT read this to your kids as a bedtime story tonight... unless you want them to never go into the woods again. 🚨

Feel free to share it if it gives you a laugh!

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: 💬 If you had fun with this retelling, let me know in the comments! 🔔 Subscribe to join the journey into deeper, darker woods. ✍️ Have a request? Drop a comment with a story you'd like to see get a "rugged" makeover, and I will do my best to make it come true.

Thanks for watching! Which classic story should I give a dark makeover to next? Hansel and Gretel? Little Red Riding Hood? Let me know below! 👇

The Three Bears: A Dark Tale of Truth (Not For the Faint of Heart)Once upon a time gets a rugged makeover in this dark retelling of a classic forest encounte...

01/21/2026

25 years in the making. 6 months to survive.

I started writing this story in the 1990s. Life, much like the universe I was creating, had other plans. I put it away for over two decades, only to realize that the "future" I was imagining had finally arrived.

Today, I’m proud to announce the release of The Cicatrix Manifold: Book One.

It’s a story about Renaldo—a man who woke up with 25 years of his life missing and a world he no longer recognizes. It’s about a universe that "scars" over its mistakes, leaving victims in the wake of its repair.

If you like hard sci-fi, military thrillers, and stories that dive deep into the spiritual and clinical costs of time travel, this ride is for you.

The Cicatrix Manifold is available now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHRHX4YV

The Cicatrix Manifold: Book 1 I Don’t Belong Here

01/17/2026

Free Book Alert: Upgrade your critical thinking 🧠
Hey everyone! Starting tomorrow, I’m running a free promotion on Amazon for my book, "The Expanding Horizon."
If you’ve been looking for ways to improve how you gather information or want better "tools" to help you think more clearly and reach your goals, this was written for you.
Note: Only the eBook version is free (Amazon doesn’t allow free promos for paperbacks!), so grab the digital copy while the deal is live!

I’d love to hear what you think of the methods inside. Hope it helps you expand your horizon! https://a.co/d/0xKRnRK

12/31/2025

January 4 grab a copy FREE. I didn’t write this to make money. I wrote it because I had to.

​Writing a science fiction novel is a journey, and for me, it was a deeply personal one. I don't believe in over-polishing or letting an editor change my voice—I believe in stories that come straight from the heart, raw and real.

​This book has been out for a year, but a book only truly lives when it's being read. That’s why on January 4th and 5th, I’m giving away unlimited copies of the Kindle ebook for FREE.

​If you enjoy a story that’s written from the soul (with just a simple spellcheck and a lot of passion), I’d love for you to grab a copy.

​All I ask in return: If you read it, please leave an honest review. As an indie author, those reviews are the lifeblood of my work and help others find the story.

​Claim your copy here (Jan 4-5): https://a.co/d/jlheSKA

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Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

12/29/2025

One book. Two very different journeys. 📖

​Story 1: A lighthearted comedy about the chaos of modern romance found in unexpected places.

Story 2: A star-crossed drama of a youthful love separated by fate, reunited by time.

​Whether you’re in the mood to laugh or just need a good story, "Love Lost and Found" by John J. Cipher is the perfect New Year’s read.

​Grab your copy for FREE from Jan 1 – Jan 4!

Link: https://a.co/d/1xVny6Z

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Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

12/26/2025

Rewatching A Charlie Brown Christmas today and it hit me: the reason I couldn't stand Charlie Brown as a kid is because he was clearly suffering from unfiltered clinical depression.
​Seeing a kid in a total mental health crisis while everyone else is dancing around is a lot to take in at 7 years old. Snoopy and Woodstock were the only things keeping that show afloat for me.

12/25/2025

I was doing some research for a book that I'm writing. It takes place in the future. And I found some information in my research that really concerns me and so I wrote up this little blurb. I would love it if somebody could prove me wrong. Hopefully we're doing something about this.

Foreign and Corporate Ownership of U.S. Real Estate: A Growing Concern
In recent years, foreign investment in U.S. real estate has accelerated, raising questions about long‑term ownership patterns. The National Association of Realtors reported that foreign buyers purchased $56 billion worth of U.S. homes between April 2024 and March 2025, with China, Canada, Mexico, and India among the top sources. Research from the Boston Fed found that Chinese buyers created a “housing shock” in California, with purchases rising thirty‑fold between 2008 and 2013, often through shell corporations that obscure true ownership.
At the same time, corporate consolidation has reshaped housing markets. Large firms and REITs have acquired thousands of single‑family homes, turning shelter into a financial asset. This trend contributes to rising rent burdens: nearly half of renter households (49.7%) now spend more than 30% of their income on housing, and 12.1 million renters are “severely burdened,” paying over 50%.
If these trajectories continue, foreign governments and corporations could dominate U.S. property markets within decades. Public lands — national parks and forests — may remain the last spaces outside private ownership, sparking debates over privatization. While projections of 85–90% foreign ownership are speculative, the combination of global capital flows, corporate cartels, and worsening affordability suggests a future where rent consumes the majority of household income, and land ownership becomes increasingly concentrated.

Sources:
National Association of Realtors – Profile of International Transactions in U.S. Residential Real Estate 2025
Boston Fed – The Housing Shock from Chinese Investment in California
Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies – America’s Rental Housing 2024 Report



I spotted this cane toad sitting on a rock in the Philippines and I thought he really looked like the perfect representative for this question. He's got his own opinions but he's not sharing them.

12/22/2025