Ryan Steck ~ Out for Blood

 

Let’s talk writing. What has kept you on your writing journey when life tried to get in the way?

I just love to write! I think it helps that, in addition to feeling so thankful and blessed to get to write and tell stories for a living, creating and developing characters and stories is just such an escape for me. Real life can be hard, and certainly, I’ve dealt with a number of stressful times since becoming an author—from injuries to health-related things involving loved ones, you name it—but when I sit down to write, everything else goes away. At the end of the day, I write fiction, so I’m in control. I can’t always control real life, but with my books, I’m in the driver’s seat, and that’s comforting to me.

What’s your writing schedule like? Do you write seven days a week? Morning, afternoon, night? Where do you write?

Great question! I work seven days a week. Monday-Saturday, I write. My routine is a little different than other authors, I think, because I can’t just sit and create from nothing. I need some inspiration. Most days, I like to get up early, usually around 5 AM, and that’s when I begin thinking about whatever it is I need to write that day. When things are going well, I try to write one chapter a day, usually between 1,500 and 2,500 words, but don’t always hit that goal. Every morning, after I shower, I head to my local Starbucks—and typically, that’s the only time I really leave the house, especially when I’m on deadline for a book.

It’s during that ten-minute drive that I start visualizing the scene I need to write, letting it play like a movie in my mind. Once I’m back at home, I head straight for my office to scribble some notes, maybe sketch out a scene or sequence, but then it’s on to Book Spying (I still run a website called The Real Book Spy) and other things. I’ll think about that new chapter all day, and then, once my kids go to bed, I like to sit and write. Once I have that whole chapter in my head, I can normally write it in a couple of hours. Then I head to bed and do it again.

On Sundays, I’ll look back at everything I wrote that week and edit those pages, tweaking and cleaning them as I go.

Was there a particular kind of pressure that came from writing the third book in the series?

The first two books were always building to this story. I knew that from the beginning, so my goal when writing Fields of Fire and Lethal Range was to introduce all the necessary characters—both good and bad—so that they could all come together in Out for Blood. In that way, I think of this book almost as an Avengers-like story, where all the heroes band together to fight a common enemy. But in setting that up, I will say that I did feel a lot of pressure to deliver the story I wanted to tell, and in the end, I am really proud of this book and how it turned out, and I think my readers will really enjoy it.

Is there one scene that stands out for you?

I don’t want to give too much away, but the final act of this book is bigger than anything I’ve ever done before. When Redd, Emily, Mikey, Liz, Blackwood, Kline, and so many other characters have to come together in an effort to defend Wellington, the stakes are as high as ever—and the action is nonstop. I had seen that scene in my head for years, and it was so much fun to finally get to write it. I can’t wait to hear what readers think of it.

I love canine characters in books, especially when they’re based on real life. In Out for Blood, you include a dog based on your Rottweiler, Rubble. How does the introduction of man’s best friend influence the story?

It’s funny because while these books are fiction, I put a lot of stuff in them from my actual real life. So, just as Mikey is a real person and my closest friend, but also fictionalized in my series, so too is Rubble. I guess it always just made sense to me.

Redd is a man of few words, but he is fiercely loyal to those he loves. I always pictured him with a dog, one who doesn’t require constant attention but shares Redd’s loyalty, and it just worked out that I am familiar with that sort of bond because of my own rottweiler. In the end, I am so glad I chose to add Rubble to the cast because not only is he a loyal friend to Redd, but in some ways, he becomes a weapon too.

One of your characters, Matthew, is a “new Christian.” How does this impact the story?

Redd’s faith is important to him, but it’s not the kind of thing I’m trying to hit the reader over the head with. Meaning, I don’t necessarily want to offend anyone, or write something that would turn them off to the rest of the story. But just as I write what I know from real-life experiences with actual friends or my dog, this was just another thing that naturally worked into the story and my character because it’s another extension of me and my own beliefs. To a certain degree, I think a lot of heroes in fiction have morals or live by a code of some sort. Well, so does Redd, but in his case, you know where those morals come from.

What’s next for you?

2025 is going to be a big year for me. I’ve never had more than one book out a year, and in 2025, I have three new books set for release. In March, my first Alex Hawke novel, Ted Bell’s Monarch, comes out. What an honor it was to be asked to take over Ted’s New York Times bestselling series. He was a dear friend of mine and a mentor to me for many years. He passed away in January of 2023, and I miss him every day. I can’t wait for his readers and fans to see what Lord Alex is up to in this one.

Then, in the summer, my fourth Matthew Redd novel, Gone Dark, will be released. It follows Out For Blood and deals with a conspiracy involving pharmaceutical companies and local corruption in Montana. I can’t say too much just yet, but Redd is really up against it in this one, which happens to be my favorite book in the series to date.

Then, in the fall, probably November-ish, my first co-authored book, The Second Son, will also be released. This is a new project, one that I am very excited about, and something that is really different from anything else that I’ve done so far. My co-author is one of my good friends, Simon Gervais, who is an excellent writer. Simon is such a talented guy, and I’m a longtime fan of his work, so getting to partner with him has been a lot of fun. Expect plenty of hard-hitting action, twists and turns, and nail-biting suspense in The Second Son, which is the first book in a new series.

Currently, I’m working on Matthew Redd #5, though, which will hopefully come out in 2026. So, lots of projects on deck!

Thanks, Ryan! It’s nice to have you back at Divine Detour.

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For more information about Ryan, visit his website and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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