Steel and Shadows by Stuart Field ** Blog Tour

 One of the good parts of book blogging is getting the opportunity to ask a few questions of an author and today, I get to do just that of Stuart Field, whose thriller, Steel and Shadows was published by Crime Scene Books on 11th October.

Welcome to Books, Life and Everything. Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on my blog about your writing.

Would you like to start by telling us a little about yourself and how you started as a writer?

  

I grew up in Wolverhampton in the UK. After a happy childhood and leaving school, I joined the British Army where I served the full twenty-two-years. The army gave me a chance to travel the world and meet new and interesting people. I did my 22 years, and now I write the John Steel novel series. I started to write at school; in English Lit to be more precise, and loved making up these brilliant stories. Unfortunately, when I joined the army that lust for writing fell away. However, after I left the forces, I joined a security firm where I had a bit more free time, and the passion came back.

What is it about the thriller genre which attracts you?

I think for me it’s the whole adventure and “Who done it.” feel is interesting. We put the reader into the shoes of the detective, cop, CSU tech or even the killer. We make the unbelievable, believable. We transport the reader into a whole different world that isn't theirs just for a short time.   With the thriller genre, we make the reader think: who did it and why. I find with thrillers we also tap into the human element. We have this need for justice and sometimes reality doesn’t bring that, we know the hero will win and the bad guy be brought to justice, and we need that.

Steel and Shadows is the first in a series. Have you got the story arc of the series mapped out?

I don’t map anything out. When I start writing a book, I have a small idea what the story is, but I have no idea of the characters will be who does what, heck, I don’t even know who has done it until the end. I call it my “fly by the seat of my pants and hope for the best” theory. Lol. 

Without spoiling the plot, could you let us know a little about Steel and Shadows?

As you have said, this is book one of the series. The story starts with a series of brutal murders to which a female NYPD detective SAMANTHA McCALL is brought in on the case. Unfortunately, she is hindered by a shadowy figure who only later reveals himself as Detective JOHN STEEL and that he is a member of the team. Together the two track down the serial killer but find there is more to it than they first thought. On the sidelines, Steel is searching for the organisation that killed his family and also tried to kill him.

 

How has your time in the Army influenced your writing?

My time in the Army actually has little influence on my writing. Sure it has given me a small insight into weapons and tactics, but on the whole, all my writing is simply due to an overactive imagination. 

If Steel and Shadows became a film, who would you like to play Sam McCall and John Steel and why would you choose them?

Nice question. Not Tom Cruise, even though he is a great actor. I’d have to say for Steel I could probably see Henry Cavill, and for McCall possibly Alexandra Daddario, or complete unknowns. 

 

Finally, have you three words which sum up Steel and Shadows? 

Fun, thrilling, puzzling.

Thanks for stopping by, Stuart and best of luck with the blog tour! 

About the Author

Stuart Field was born in the UK, in the West Midlands. He spent his early years in the army, seeing service in all the known (and some unknown) hotspots around the world. He now lives in Germany with his wife Ani. When not engaged in highly confidential security work, he writes thrillers which perhaps mimic his life-experience more than the reader would like to believe.

You can follow Stuart here: Twitter 

Thanks to Stuart Field, Crime Scene Books and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a place on the tour. 

Book Spotlight

 Steel and Shadows, by Stuart Field (John Steel thriller series Bk 1) 

No-nonsense NYPD detective Sam McCall is investigating one of the deadliest and most complex cases of her career when the mysterious, yet infuriatingly intriguing, John Steel insinuates himself into the department. What appears at first to be the work of a serial killer soon encompasses a cast including violent Russian gangsters, creepy psychiatric doctors, the homeless community and ghosts from the past for both McCall and Steel. This fast-paced thriller combines grit and glamour, the well-drawn characters engage the reader from the outset and the Big Apple is beautifully captured in all its majestic, romantic, seedy, grimy colour. This debut novel keeps the reader gripped from start to finish with a breathtaking joyride through a wild series of unexpected twists and turns, inevitably falling into the pitfalls of thinking you’ve solved the mystery, only to find yourself wrong-footed on the next page. 

Coming in 2019 Hidden Steel (John Steel thriller series Book 2)     Steel Justice (John Steel thriller series Book 3)

Book links: Amazon UK  |  Goodreads 

                                                               Catch the rest of the tour!