I Have THREE Books Coming Out Next Year, Here's Everything I Can Tell You About Them

After working as The Real Book Spy and a freelance editor for over a decade, I finally made the jump in 2022 and added one more title to my resume: Author.

I signed my first book deal in 2021, and a year later, on September 6th, 2022, my debut novel, Fields of Fire, finally hit bookstores. That book, which introduces former Marine Raider Matthew Redd—who returns to his hometown in Montan for the first time in a decade to investigate the death of his adopted father, a cattle rancher named Jim Bob Thompson, only to inadvertently unearth a global conspiracy that only he can stop—is the first book in a series.

Redd returned both in Lethal Range (2023) and this year’s Out For Blood, each new book packed with even more action than the one before it.

But before Out For Blood was released, right after I turned in Redd #4 (more on that in a second) to my publisher—Tyndale House—I signed another two-book deal with Penguin Random House, specifically the Berkley imprint, to take over Ted Bell’s New York Times bestselling Alex Hawke series. Then, fairly recently, I signed another two-book deal to co-author a new series with my good friend, Simon Gervais, at Thomas & Mercer, an Amazon-owned publishing imprint.

So, yeah, 2025 is going to be a big year for me. I’ve never released two books in a year, and now, I’ll have three.

Here’s everything I can tell you about them, in order of publication.

TED BELL’S MONARCH, an Alex Hawke Thriller

Release Date: March 25th, 2025

Signing on to continue Ted Bell’s legacy was a no-brainer for me. What many don’t know is that I worked with Ted for nearly a decade behind the scenes in various roles, including handling editorial tasks prior to him turning a book into his publisher. Ted was a mentor to me, a dear friend, and someone I admired fiercely. He was the “Adman” long before he was a major, major New York Times bestselling author. I loved him, and to be honest with you, I miss him every single day.

When he passed away, I just assumed that was the end of Hawke, which in itself is a huge loss. Hawke is such an incredible character. If you’re unfamiliar with Hawke, just imagine 007 on steroids, and you’ve pretty much got Lord Alex. He’s rich, handsome, and excels at one thing: war. Therefore, they call him the Warlord, for he is “the Lord, the Lord who’s always at war!”

Writi

ng this book was a labor of love. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done because I was determined not to write this in my own voice but rather to channel Ted. My number one goal, without question, was to make sure that every single time Alex Hawke opens his mouth to speak, it’s Ted’s Hawke that comes out.

Recently, we unveiled the cover for Monarch, and Tom Colgan (Vice President, Editorial Director at Berkley) tweeted out, “Ted Bell fans rejoice! This feels like Ted himself wrote it.” Working with Tom has been a dream come true for me, and his stamp of approval means a lot to me.

Andrews & Wilson, the New York Times bestselling authors of Tom Clancy Act of Defiance, a direct sequel to Clancy’s iconic debut, The Hunt for Red October, were among the first to read Monarch, and they said it’s a “Twisty and action-packed thriller that reads like today's 007. Timely and relevant, Ryan Steck carries on the Hawke legacy with a voice that is both fresh and familiar. Ted Bell would be proud."

The endorsement that means the most to me, though, came from my friend, Byrdie Bell, Ted’s daughter.

“Ryan Steck gets Alex Hawke. THIS is my dad’s Alex Hawke—the Hawke we all know and love.” — Byrdie Bell

Byrdie (an accomplished actress a model) now heads up her dad’s estate and, in a lot of ways, feels like my long-lost half-sibling. Getting to know her over the last year has been incredible, and I like to think that her dad is smiling down each time we talk, plotting out a new thread for Hawke to deal with. I am forever thankful to her for trusting me to step in and continue her father’s series, and knowing that she enjoyed Monarch was everything to me.

So, that’s some of the backstory… now let’s talk about what Hawke is up to in this one.

Opening not long after Ted Bell’s final novel, Sea Hawke, Lord Alexander Hawke sets out to finish . . . something . . . that Ted promised he would. I’m not going to spoil it here, but it’s a massive, action-packed opening. From there, Alex is resting up at Teakettle cottage when he receives an urgent call from his most trusted friend, Ambrose Congreve.

As it turns out, King Charles is missing, having seemingly vanished without a trace just before an important vote that threatens to tear the United Kingdom apart at the seams. The Prime Minister gives Ambrose and Hawke three days to crack the case and return Charles back to his crown. Otherwise, they’ll need to go public, and then all bets are off.

Naturally, Alex and Congreve leap to action, but the duo will soon learn that little is what it actually seems, and something far more sinister than they ever suspected is playing out behind the scenes.

I had such a ball writing this book, and I cannot wait to hear what you all think of it.

(Note: While you can read Monarch on its own, even if you’re new to the Hawke series, I did pack in a ton of Easter eggs and callbacks to some of Ted’s earlier books for the diehard, longtime fans. To that end, if I could recommend three of Ted’s books to read before diving into Monarch, they would be Pirate, Warlord, and Sea Hawke.)

GONE DARK, a Matthew Redd thriller

Release Date: Summer 2025 (likely June or July)

Dedicated to my oldest daughter, Byrnn, this book packs an emotional punch. Following Out For Blood, gone is the harsh winter that brought with it the “Battle of Wellington,” where Redd and his family and friends defended Montan from the chaos and evil that descended upon Big Sky.

Now, Redd is back to working his ranch, raising his son, and being a husband to his wife, Emily. Things aren’t action-packed for him, and that’s how he likes it.

But that changes when a group of smoke jumpers tasked with fighting the devastating Montan wildfires suddenly goes dark. The closest FBI agent in the area, Redd is sent to check things out. Making his way into the fire zone via helicopter, Redd quickly locates the smoke jumpers, who are all dead with a single bullet hole to the back of their heads. Though he doesn’t know what, Redd realizes he’s now in the middle of a bigger conspiracy, but before he can plan his next move, he happens across an execution in the woods and arrives just in time to save the life of a child, before escaping with the boy and going on the run—using the flames and fire line to cover their retreat.

I can’t share much beyond that, but that is the setup. Returning with Redd are Emily, Kline, Mikey, and—my favorite member of the cast, Rubble the Rottweiler.

Gone Dark has some twists and turns to it, plenty of action, and some real drama. It’s the most personal book in the series for me, though I can’t really explain why without spoiling things, so . . . you’ll just have to read it for yourself and see!

A pre-order link and official plot details should be out fairly soon.

THE SECOND SON, a thriller by Simon Gervais and Ryan Steck

Release Date: Fall 2025 (likely November)

This one is going to be so much fun. Buckle up because Simon and I really wanted to deliver a wild, full-throttle experience. This book is different from anything else I’ve ever done. It’s part political thriller, part crime thriller, part mystery, and part action thriller. Basically, The Second Son has it all and then some.

The official Publisher’s Market Place deal announcement reads:

A decorated former soldier turned master sommelier joins forces with the FBI to investigate the attempted murder of a charismatic yet mysterious newly elected congresswoman with whom he is secretly in love.

I wish I could say more than that, but it’s still a touch early. What I will say, though, is The Second Son is certainly the most timely thing I’ve ever worked on. Beyond that, partnering with Simon has been a blast. Not only is he a gifted writer, but he’s a really good guy, too. I won’t speak for him, but I know my goal was to make sure that our book doesn’t sound like a Simon Gervais or a Ryan Steck book. Rather, I think that by meshing our voices together, you get a book that neither of us could have written solo, that has a unique voice and style.

Moreover, I think our readers will see shades of both of us in the story and in the characters, and if you know either of us on a personal level, you’ll no doubt see things that you know come from him or me. I’m sure we will discuss some of that in interviews next year, and I’m really looking forward to that.

So there it is. That’s what I’ve got on deck for 2025. Honestly, there’s a good chance I’ll have three books out in 2026 as well. Two for sure, as I’m already under contract for them, but my agent is hard at work to make sure Redd’s story continues into 2026 and beyond, so we’ll see what happens.

In closing, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read my books and supported me along the way. We’re just getting started, and I hope you enjoy everything coming to bookstores in 2025!