Rising Stars: Meet Ryan Steck of Richland, Michgan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Steck

Hi Ryan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After working as a freelance editor and running a literary website called The Real Book Spy for a decade, my first novel, FIELDS OF FIRE, was traditionally published in 2022. Since then, I have published several more novels, all thrillers, including LETHAL RANGE and OUT FOR BLOOD. This summer, GONE DARK, the fourth book in my series, comes out, and I have another book that I co-authored with bestselling author Simon Gervais called THE SECOND SON, which will be released this fall. But the biggest thing I’ve done so far is TED BELL’S MONARCH, which is my first book in the late Ted Bell’s New York Times bestselling Alex Hawke series. Bell, who wrote 14 bestsellers, passed away two years ago. He was a friend and mentor to me, so you can imagine the shock when my agent called and said that I had the opportunity to step in and continue his series. MONARCH comes out on March 25th, and I am so excited to hear what people think. James Patterson, the world’s most famous author, said: “Monarch is that rarity in thrillers: first-class writing, wit, and suspense. This is one of the best Alex Hawke thrillers, and I’ve read all of them.”

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m incredibly thankful to be living out my dreams and writing books for a living. My wife and I have six kids, five of whom still live at home, so life is always busy and chaotic, and that can make life on a deadline more challenging, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

My own series, which stars a former Marine Raider named Matthew Redd, is set in Montana. It’s sort of like YELLOWSTONE meets JASON BOURNE—modern Westerns with a ton of action. Taking over Ted Bell’s series is the hardest thing I’ve ever done because we have such different heroes and writing styles. My protagionist is a broke former special forces operator turned cattle rancher in Montana. He’s married with kids, and all Redd wants is to live a quiet, peaceful life. Yet, trouble always seems to find him. Ted’s hero, Lord Alexander Hawke, on the other hand, is a former MI6 agent and the sixth richest man in England. He lives for the action and can’t seem to make peace with settling down. So Redd and Hawke are total opposites in many ways. And while it’s hard at times to go from writing one to the other between books, it’s also a ton of fun!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Ryan Steck is the author of FIELDS OF FIRE, LETHAL RANGE, REDD CHRISTMAS, OUT FOR BLOOD, and the forthcoming Alex Hawke thriller TED BELL’S MONARCH. He is also a freelance editor, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Real Book Spy, and was named an “Online Influencer” by Amazon. Praised as “One of the hardest working and fairest reviewers out there” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). His books have been endorsed by major #1 New York Times bestselling authors James Patterson, Brad Thor, C.J. Box, Jack Carr, Robert Crais, Mark Greaney, Nelson DeMille, James Rollins, Brad Meltzer, Kyle Mills, as well as Don Winslow, T.J. Newman, Brad Taylor, Gregg Hurwitz, and Steve Berry. Steck’s fourth Matthew Redd novel, GONE DARK, will be released on June 17, 2025, and is currently available for pre-order everywhere books are sold. You can reach him by email at Ryan@TheRealBookSpy

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Hard work. I put in a lot of hours at my desk and get very little sleep. To anyone who’s ever dreamed of being a writer, go for it! My best advice would be to write what you want to read.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.TheRealBookSpy.com
• Instagram: @RyanSteckAuthor
• Facebook: @TheRealBookSpy
• Twitter: @TheRealBookSpy
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ryan-Steck/author/B09KQHNGHH?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=ccafa120-ffa5-4a74-8f4b-9012c32da74f