CANR
WORK TITLE: COMING DAWN
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WEBSITE: https://stevenkonkoly.com
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NATIONALITY: American
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PERSONAL EDUCATION:
United States Naval Academy, B.S., 1993.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and naval officer.
MIILITARY:U.S. Navy, 1993-2001; served as maritime boarding officer and forward air controller in Mideast, Japan, and Asia.
AVOCATIONS:Snowshoeing, kayaking, cross-country skiing, hiking, mountain biking, recreational shooting.
MEMBER:International Thriller Writers, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Former Navy officer Steven Konkoly has launched a second career as a successful author of suspense, science fiction, and technothriller novels. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Konkoly served for eight year throughout the Mideast and in various parts of Asia. His fiction frequently features military servicepeople like the ones he served with in the 1990s and early 2000s. “Thanks to a fairly unconventional navy career path, I got a unique look into a variety of regular and elite units within every branch during those eight years,” the author stated in a Mystery and Suspense interview. “I spent the first half of those eight years in the ‘regular’ surface fleet as a shipboard officer assigned to a frigate based in Yokosuka, Japan. When that tour of duty ended, I shifted gears entirely and took a position as a liaison officer with a specialized Marine Corps unit.” The variety of experiences, he concluded, “has given me the ability to build military or ex-military characters and covert operations scenarios that ring true with readers.”
The volumes in the “Black Flagged” series serve as examples of the types of stories Konkoly tells. The books Alpha, Redux, Apex, Vektor, Omega, the prequel volume Inception, Covenant, and Vindicta, blend stories about the stresses placed on special operations units caught up in extraordinary situations. “I wanted to deeply explore the idea behind a highly trained, field experienced covert operative, and the effects that this type of work would have on them,” Konkoly said in an interview with Russell Blake appearing on the interviewer’s eponymous website Russell Blake. “Dangerous, unpredictable work must take an incredibly debilitating toll on a person, both physically and psychologically. Our recent experience with veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrate the impact of a short term deployment under these condition … imagine a deep immersion of two to three years undercover as an operative.”
Some of Konkoly’s stories draw on his experience with technology and weaponry but are more police action-adventures in non-military settings. The Rescue, the first volume in the author’s “Ryan Decker” series, is set up as an attempt to deliver the daughter of a prominent American official from a human-trafficking ring. “Konkoly has evidently put a lot of effort into the research behind this novel, as everything seems super realistic and all of the information he provides about certain operations (e.g. surveillance and skydiving) is accurate. The descriptions of the various pieces of equipment used make the story seem more realistic.” The Mountain, the third volume in the series, takes place around a California marijuana farm. “Heavy on weaponry and security technology,” declared a Kirkus Reviews contributor, “the narrative moves toward the inevitable final shootout.” “Readers,” concluded a Publishers Weekly reviewer, “will look forward to Decker and company’s next adventure.” In Deep Sleep, the first volume in his “Devin Gray” series of espionage novels, the protagonist is an FBI agent whose mother was a career CIA agent. “Konkoly,” stated a Kirkus Reviews contributor, “rolls out … charged narrative threads, disconnected pieces of an oversized jigsaw puzzle, within the first 30 pages of his new cat-and-mouse thriller.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2020, review of The Mountain; February 15, 2021, review of Skystorm; November 15, 2021, view of Deep Sleep; August 15, 2022, review of Coming Dawn.
Publishers Weekly, May 18, 2020, review of The Mountain, p. 40; March 1, 2021, review of Skystorm. p. 47; November 1, 2021, review of Deep Sleep, p. 68; August 1, 2022, review of Coming Dawn, p. 45.
ONLINE
Dark Paradigm, https://darkparadigm.co/ (November 16, 2020), review of The Rescue.
Mystery and Suspense, https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/ (February 7, 2021), “Q&A: Steven Konkoly.”
Russell Blake, https://russellblake.com/ (September 22, 2022), Russell Blake, “Author Spotlight with Steven Konkoly.”
Steven Konkoly website, https://stevenkonkoly.com (September 22, 2022), author profile.
Steven graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1993, receiving a bachelor of science in English literature.
He served the next eight years on active duty, traveling the world as a naval officer assigned to various Navy and Marine Corps units. His extensive journey spanned the globe, including a two-year tour of duty in Japan and travel to more than twenty countries throughout Asia and the Middle East.
From enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq as a maritime boarding officer in the Arabian Gulf, to directing aircraft bombing runs and naval gunfire strikes as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) assigned to a specialized Marine Corps unit, Steven’s “in-house” experience with a wide range of regular and elite military units brings a unique authenticity to his thrillers.
He still wakes up at “zero dark thirty” to write for most of the day. When “off duty,” he spends as much time as possible outdoors or traveling with his family–and dog.
He is an active member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) organizations.
Steven Konkoly is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, a graduate of the US Naval Academy, and a veteran of several regular and elite US Navy and Marine Corps units. He has brought his in-depth military experience to bear in his fiction, which includes The Rescue, The Raid, The Mountain, and Skystorm in the Ryan Decker series; the speculative postapocalyptic thrillers The Jakarta Pandemic and The Perseid Collapse; the Fractured State series; the Black Flagged series; and the Zulu Virus Chronicles. Konkoly lives in central Indiana with his family. For more information, visit www.stevenkonkoly.com.
Steven Konkoly is the Wall Street Journal and repeated #1 Amazon bestseller of over twenty thrillers.
Steven graduated from the United States Naval Academy, receiving a bachelor of science in English literature. He served the next eight years on active duty, traveling the world as a naval officer assigned to various Navy and Marine Corps units. His extensive journey spanned the globe, including a two-year tour of duty in Japan—and travel to more than twenty countries throughout Asia and the Middle East.
From enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq, as a maritime boarding officer in the Arabian Gulf, to directing aircraft bombing runs and naval gunfire strikes as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) assigned to a specialized Marine Corps unit, Steven's "in-house" experience with a wide range of regular and elite military units brings a unique authenticity to his thrillers.
He still wakes up at "zero dark thirty" to write for most of the day. When "off duty," he spends as much time as possible outdoors or travelling with his family--and dog.
Steven is an active member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) organizations.
You can contact Steven directly by email (stevekonkoly@striblingmedia.com) or through his blog (www.stevenkonkoly.com).
WORK BY STEVEN KONKOLY
DEEP SLEEP SERIES—Conspiracy/Espionage/Black Ops thrillers
"Stopping the most dangerous conspiracy to ever threaten America means believing the unthinkable. A modern day conspiracy thriller filled with twists and turns."
1.) Deep Sleep
2.) Coming Dawn (October 2022)
THE RYAN DECKER BOOKS—Action-Adventure/Vigilante/Black Ops/Conspiracy thrillers
"A heart-pumping thriller of betrayal, revenge, and conspiracy for fans of Tom Clancy and Lee Child."
1.) The Rescue
2.) The Raid
3.) The Mountain
4.) Skystorm
THE BLACK FLAGGED SERIES—Black Ops/Political/Conspiracy/Espionage thrillers
"A gritty, no-holds barred covert operations and espionage saga."
0.) INCEPTION (PREQUEL)
1.) ALPHA
2.) REDUX
3.) APEX
4.) VEKTOR
4.5) COVENANT
5.) OMEGA
THE ALEX FLETCHER BOOKS—Action-Adventure/Conspiracy/Dystopian thrillers
"A tense, thriller epic, chronicling the aftermath of an inconceivable attack on the United States."
1.) The Jakarta Pandemic
2.) The Perseid Collapse
3.) Event Horizon
4.) Point of Crisis
5.) Dispatches
THE FRACTURED STATE SERIES—Dystopian/Conspiracy/Near future techothrillers
"A near future conspiracy series set in a southwest United States on the verge of secession."
1.) Fractured State
2.) Rogue State
THE ZULU VIRUS CHRONICLES: A BLACK FLAGGED THRILLER SERIES SPIN OFF—Bioweapons/Conspiracy/Post-apocalyptic thrillers
"A modern thriller series based on the events surrounding an unthinkable bioweapons attack against the United States."
1.) Hot Zone
2.) Kill Box
3.) Fire Storm
Steven Konkoly
USA flag
Steven graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1993, receiving a bachelor of science in English literature. He served the next eight years on active duty, traveling the world as a naval officer assigned to various Navy and Marine Corps units. His extensive journey spanned the globe, including a two-year tour of duty in Japan and travel to more than twenty countries throughout Asia and the Middle East.
From enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq as a maritime boarding officer in the Arabian Gulf, to directing aircraft bombing runs and naval gunfire strikes as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) assigned to a specialized Marine Corps unit, Steven's "in-house" experience with a wide range of regular and elite military units brings a unique authenticity to his thrillers.
He lives with his family in central Indiana, where he still wakes up at "zero dark thirty" to write for most of the day. When "off duty," he spends as much time as possible outdoors or travelling with his family--and dog.
Genres: Thriller, Science Fiction, Horror
New Books
June 2022
(kindle)
Vindicta
(Black Flagged, book 6)October 2022
(paperback)
Coming Dawn
(Devin Gray, book 2)
Series
Alex Fletcher
1. The Jakarta Pandemic (2010)
2. The Perseid Collapse (2013)
3. Event Horizon (2014)
4. Point of Crisis (2014)
5. Dispatches (2014)
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Black Flagged
0.5. Inception (2018)
1. Alpha (2011)
2. Redux (2012)
3. Apex (2012)
4. Black Flagged Vektor (2013)
4.5. Covenant (2018)
5. Omega (2017)
6. Vindicta (2022)
The Black Flagged Boxset: Books 1-3 (2015)
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Fractured State
1. Fractured State (2016)
2. Rogue State (2017)
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Zulu Virus
1. Hot Zone (2017)
2. Kill Box (2017)
3. Fire Storm (2018)
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Ryan Decker
1. The Rescue (2019)
2. The Raid (2019)
3. The Mountain (2020)
4. Skystorm (2021)
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Devin Gray
1. Deep Sleep (2022)
2. Coming Dawn (2022)
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Novellas
The Centurion Code (2014)
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Series contributed to
Wayward Pines
Genesis (2018)
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Non fiction series
Practical Prepping (with Randall S Powers)
1. Practical Prepping (2014)
Lee West
A pseudonym used by Steven Konkoly
Lee West is the pen name for a well-known constitutional scholar and liberty advocate. Lee resides in the heart of "fly-over" country, balancing a professional career, with the joys of a hectic family life, two tireless dogs, and a community of friends. Lee particularly enjoys spending time outdoors with family, regardless of the weather! From snowshoeing to kayaking, cross-country skiing to hiking, mountain biking to recreational shooting, Lee brings (drags!) the entire crew along--even if the dogs are the only willing participants.
As a military veteran, Lee has spent countless hours advocating on behalf of veterans for increased benefits, better representation and more equitable treatment by employers and the government. Lee stands proud with the millions of veterans who have sacrificed in the past to preserve liberty at home and abroad--and all of those who carry that torch forward today.
Lee has also spent a significant amount of time working closely with the selfless professionals comprising our justice system--from law enforcement agencies to our courts. The Blue Lives Apocalypse series is dedicated to the "men and women in blue," who show up without fail or question, whenever we need them.
Lee encourages you to reach out with questions about the series at leewestbooks@gmail.com.
Genres: Science Fiction
Series
Blue Lives Apocalypse
1. Survive and Escape (2016)
2. Resist And Evade (2017)
3. Protect and Serve (2018)
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Reckoning
1. The Mutiny (2019)
2. Lockdown (2019)
3. FORTRESS (2019)
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Collections
THE COMPLETE LEE WEST POST-APOCALYPTIC BOXSET (2020)
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Author Spotlight with Steven Konkoly
Well, here’s the next in my author spotlight series. This time, it’s with one of my favorite indie author, Steven Konkoly. It’s a great interview. And now, to Steve:
Russell Blake: Your two books, Black Flagged and The Jakarta Pandemic, are selling like lifeboats on the Titanic these days. Congrats. What’s your secret, and how does it feel?
Steven Konkoly: Thank you, Russell. I wish there was a secret formula for this, but I’m afraid that this recent run on lifeboats has everything to do with the wonderfully generous folks behind the magic curtain at Amazon. Kindle Direct Publishing informed me last week that my first book, The Jakarta Pandemic had been identified by their team as a book they’d like to include in their “Big Deal” post-Black Friday promotion. One week at a 50% discount, and they give the book enhanced promotional placement. Of course, I agreed. I had NO idea how powerful this placement could be for a book, and I’m not the only one. Five other Indie authors were chosen for this promotion, and one of them, Robert Bidinotto, is enjoying a ride like no other. His novel shot into the top ten of all Kindle books! It’s still there. My book took a jump from roughly #3000 to #250. Unbelievable, really, and it couldn’t have been timed better. My recently launched second novel, Black Flagged, is also benefiting from the additional attention paid to my other title. No secret, just some inexplicable luck.
RB: I’m currently reading your new one, Black Flagged, and enjoying it a great deal. Where did you get the idea for the book?
SK: The idea sprang from a character concept. Daniel Petrovich…he’s the protagonist in Black Flagged. I wanted to deeply explore the idea behind a highly trained, field experienced covert operative, and the effects that this type of work would have on them. Dangerous, unpredictable work must take an incredibly debilitating toll on a person, both physically and psychologically. Our recent experience with veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrate the impact of a short term deployment under these condition…imagine a deep immersion of two to three years undercover as an operative. I wanted to demonstrate this with a character. Then, I took it one step further, and decided to create the concept of a covert training program that would seek out candidates with personality profiles that might mitigate these effects in the long run. In essence, identify apparently normal individuals with what might be considered sociopathic traits. Bringing these traits out in training, would theoretically soften the blow of the horrifying experience that would certainly lie ahead for them. They might even embrace it. Out of this, the Black Flagged program was born, and a story followed.
RB: Black Flagged is a departure from what you did in The Jakarta Pandemic. Which book better reflects your style moving forward from here?
SK: Black Flagged definitely defines my style. This is the book I always wanted to write, and I’m extremely excited about the series, however, The Jakarta Pandemic jumped ahead in line. I couldn’t shake this apocalyptic story, and knew that I would never be able to start a different story. It was a great start to my writing career, and introduced me to the most dedicated group of genre fans I have encountered. Post-Apocalyptic readers. Holy shit! This group is intense and dedicated. They are nearly demanding that I write another book in this genre, and when I finish with the Black Flagged series, or take a little break from the thriller genre, I’ll write another PA novel. You could say that I was “genre confused” in the beginning. I listed Jakarta as a straight thriller, then started hearing from survivalists, horror fans and apocalyptic readers…and the readership grew.
RB: Tell me about your process. How do you create your characters? Do you have a system for outlining them, of do you let them evolve as you write?
SK: Characters evolve as I write. I don’t outline them beyond keeping a sheet of paper with names, a brief description, title, and maybe something key to remember about them. I don’t like to be constrained in the beginning. Once the story is in full swing, I know pretty much everything I need to know about each character…though I still encounter some surprises. Sometimes, they start out one way, and go completely 180 degrees. In The Jakarta Pandemic, one of the protagonist’s key neighborhood allies started out very differently in my mind, and you can see it in their first interaction…he turns out to be something even I never expected.
RB: Let’s talk plot. What’s your approach to plotting and pacing? Put simply, how do you know when you get it right?
SK: Plot is a tough one. Pacing even worse. I have never taken a course on writing, or attended a workshop. I decided one day that I wanted to write a book (several actually), and spent the next year or two talking myself out of it. I read, and re-read Stephen King’s On Writing, picking up a pen to jot ideas here and there. I even started writing a screenplay, which I abandoned, because I thought the book would be better (I never wrote the book). When The Jakarta Pandemic idea hit me, I knew it was time to start writing. I’m not completely irresponsible, so I did a little research. I read blog posts and articles on all of the above mentioned topics, most of which left the bitter taste of bile in my throat. I’ve seen those roller coaster looking sine waves, with peaks and flows for stories. One of them was a worksheet, where you could fill in the lines at the top of each peak with your climax points…I’m sorry, but I have enough trouble keeping my plot straight, let alone try to synch it up with some complicated theory behind building excitement in stages, climaxes, resolutions…all of it. I guess I’m not a formula writer. As for getting it right, I know relatively early if it has gone “pear shaped.”
That being said, I have developed a strategy and a “system.” I start out with a general concept of the story line, and expand it slowly. If I have three or four subplots/arcs in the story, I will write an opening scene for each, and tie them together. I’ll write a few more scenes for each arc, always trying to tie them into the overall plot…once this becomes confusing for me, which is usually pretty early, I create a large posterboard with a flow chart. It shows all of the arcs, written scenes, proposed scenes, relationships between arcs, timing. If you get a moment, take a look at the chart I created for Black Flagged at my blog.
http://stevenkonkoly.com/2011/08/13/measurable-progress/
RB: Tell me about book length. Do you have a set size in mind when you start, or do you wing it and just write however many words it takes to tell the story?
SK: You should really ask my good friend Joe about book length. He almost fell out of his chair at Starbucks when I told him The Jakarta Pandemic was over 200K words. He told me to cut it to 100K, and over the next six months, we haggled like Persians over the word count. Of course, for him, it was easy…after I spent a month cutting, reshaping, and merging scenes, he’d tell me it wasn’t enough. I wanted to strangle him, but I knew there was too much fluff in the story, and I eventually got it down to 150K words. It wasn’t until I decided to self-publish, that I quit caring about the word count. Joe was right about the length, in terms of traditional publishing. Anything over 110K was considered a no-go for a new author. That number changes with the wind, but it seems to stay around 100K. I set out to wrap up Black Flagged in 100K words, and I just missed that goal. To be honest though, if the story needed more words…I would have suffered Joe’s wrath. He was very proud of my 100K accomplishment.
RB: What’s your background? Who are your favorite authors? And what are you reading these days?
SK: I come from a Navy background. I’m not a Navy SEAL or Delta Force operator, though I did enter and promptly exit the SEAL training program after graduating from our nation’s blessed Naval Academy back in 1993. Leg fractures. Once the naval commando option was eliminated, I reported to a small combat ship based out of Japan, where I forged some experiences that I would never trade away. The need to roll around in the dirt never really left me, so I took an unconventional detour for a naval officer. I wrangled orders to a Marine Corps unit that specialized in combat Forward Observation and Air Control, and served as a liaison officer. Two glorious years guiding every conceivable munition to its deserved destination, AND they sent me to Fort Benning to learn to jump out of airplanes (or anything that flies). It was the “jumping out of helicopters and blowing shit up club,” as my wife liked to put it. I guess what I’m saying, is that my military background weighs heavy in my novels…no doubt about that.
As for authors, I have a few favorites, to include Russell Blake. Am I allowed to suck up that obviously? Oh well, I just wanted to make sure he publishes this interview. Seriously, I have split my time between Indies and my favorite standbys. Traditional authors I have turned to over the years? Stephen King…I don’t care how trite it may sound, I still love his books. There were a few that didn’t do it for me, but overall, he is one of my favorites. His influence can be felt in The Jakarta Pandemic. For thrillers, I like Forsyth, Robert Harris, Nelson Demille (older stuff) and Crichton (who is now apparently the Tupac of authors…just published another one under his name). Indies? It’s hit or miss, but I’ve developed a list of favorites. Here are a few that anyone should check out. Well worth the money and time to read. Blake Crouch (for horror…not for faint of heart. Check out RUN first…holy crap, that novel about did me in.), Sebastian Breit (modern military with a sci-fi twist), Paul A. Jones (horror/sci-fi), Robert Bidinotto (spy thriller), and Russell Blake (I’ve read and reviewed all of his books…they’re good, very good.)
RB: How many hours a day, or week, do you write? How many would you like to in a perfect world?
SK: I’m back to my old military ways…I wake up before the rising sun (around 4:30ish) and write for roughly two hours. Some days less. I do this seven days a week, pretty much non-stop while I’m in the throes of writing. I just started this routine, after realizing that I would never finish Black Flagged at 500-2000 words per week, which is the rate at which I was writing back in June. I had 20K words done in the middle of June, and once I started my new torture regime, I had finished the remaining 80K by the first week of September (and I took a few weeks of vacation to go sailing). In a perfect world, I’d like to do this full time, and write all day…taking breaks to answer all of my fan mail (this would start to arrive I’m sure) and teleconference into several book clubs at once to answer questions about my work.
RB: I note you credit your editor on Amazon. That’s unusual. Tell me about that.
SK: Felicia is more than just an editor. She is a champion of my books, especially for The Jakarta Pandemic. I got in touch with her based on a review she posted on Goodreads. A very nice review, with some critical elements that spoke to me. She suggested something that I had been considering, and I didn’t know she was a freelance editor. When I asked her how she would go about cutting some scenes from my novel, she revealed to me how small of a world the writing market truly is. She had recommended my book to an independent press (she edited for them) for a possible book deal, and they contacted me based on her recommendation. I eventually turned them down, but hired her as editor to fix the manuscript. She worked extensively with me on Jakarta, and then proceeded to “pimp” it out big time on Goodreads and among her numerous Indie contacts (reviewers, bloggers, neighbors…all over). She still promotes my books, and she’s not shy at all about it…she treats her edited books like a proud parent. She earned the recognition and credit given.
RB: What’s next for you? What’s your work in progress, and when will you give birth?
SK: I’m working on the sequel to Black Flagged. Part two in the series. I haven’t made much progress…with all the fame and fortune heaped upon me by Amazon. Actually, this Amazon promotion fit right into my procrastination campaign, which has been in full swing for several weeks. I will have the new novel mapped out by next week, when I shall start seriously writing until it’s done. I think my water will break by mid-April…but May is not out of the question.
RB: If you had any advice for fellow indie authors, what would it be?
SK: Oh, this might be worthy of a separate blog post. I think the best thing for an indie to focus on, is to cultivate a loyal reader base. Encourage readers to contact you, and enjoy the banter. Always ask for their support in the form of a review. I haven’t confirmed why my book was recently chosen for Amazon’s promotion, but I have to believe that having 106 reviews factored into the decision process. Readers know what they are getting with my book. They’re not all 5 and 4 star reviews (majority are), but any reader that picks up my book at this point, and is surprised to find out that it is “told solely from the protagonist’s view…it should have multiple POV’s”, didn’t do the basic research right at their fingertips. Get those reviews! Business always picks up on the heels of reviews…good or bad. There’s so much more to tell.
Well, that’s it for Steve’s thoughts on life, at least for this interview. Oh, and Steve? Sucking up is absolutely acceptable on this blog. I like to think that the entire universe exists to pander to my every whim, and that it will start doing so momentarily. I just have to be a little more patient. Although getting up at 4:30? Maybe 4:30 p.m. from my nap, but I’m usually just going to bed at 4:30 a.m….
February 7, 2021
Q&A
Steven Konkoly
@stevenkonkoly
stevenkonkoly.com
Steven is the bestselling author of ten novels and several novellas, including a commissioned trilogy of novellas based on the popular Wayward Pines series. His canon of work includes the popular Black Flagged Series, a gritty, no-holds barred covert operations and espionage saga; The Perseid Collapse series, a post-apocalyptic thriller epic chronicling the events surrounding an inconceivable attack on the United States; and The Fractured State series, a near future, dystopian thriller trilogy set in the drought ravaged southwest.
Q. You served eight years as a naval officer. What from that experience do you bring most into your books?
Steve: Thanks to a fairly unconventional navy career path, I got a unique look into a variety of regular and elite units within every branch during those eight years. I spent the first half of those eight years in the “regular” surface fleet as a shipboard officer assigned to a frigate based in Yokosuka, Japan. When that tour of duty ended, I shifted gears entirely and took a position as a liaison officer with a specialized Marine Corps unit—trading open blue water for “the field.” Over the next four years, I worked with just about every Marine Corps and Army unit imaginable, along with some specialized Air Force teams. I think this broad foundation, on top of some intense specialization within the Marine Corps, has given me the ability to build military or ex-military characters and covert operations scenarios that ring true with readers.
Q. Elsewhere, you’ve mentioned your writing routine includes early mornings. What does a typical day in the life of Steven Konkoly look like?
Steve: I should probably confess that my days of waking early to write have slowly but surely slipped away. When I wrote part time, while holding down a day job, I got in the habit of rising around 4AM to write for a few hours before the house exploded with kids and the whole “getting out of the door” routine. Along with weekend time, I managed to write and self-publish four books in two years, which gave me the financial momentum and security to quit my day job and focus on writing. After two years of early wake ups, I couldn’t sleep in past 4:00AM no matter how hard I tried. Since transitioning into the life of a full-time author, about seven and half years ago, I have written sixteen novels. Quick math says, “Steve is writing about the same number of books per year now that he did when he worked a full-time day job,” and that would be true. Here’s a look into the why, making no excuses for myself.
I have three types of days, which can be broken into two six-month cycles per year. A good half of each cycle is spent recuperating from the last book, researching the next book, plotting and assembling ideas or simply “relaxing.” Maybe a little writing. Overall, I make very little word count progress toward the books I’ll write during the cycle. This is a very casual 9AM to 4PM day that can take place in a lawn chair in the backyard, at an office share space (pre-pandemic) or in the home office. I’m a little too liberal with my time off during this phase, which creates a problem later. The next quarter or so of the cycle is more focused, with fairly regular office hours. Inevitably, the word count for my work-in-progress will not be where I want to be when that final 45 days prior to the next deadline arrives, and I will spend nearly all of the last six or seven weeks locked in the office, from 6AM to 9PM (sometimes later), at least six days a week. Everyone in the house hates this phase, including the dog. I pretty much emerge to eat meals with the family and return to the writing cave. It’s not a pretty time around here. When the manuscript is finally done and sent off to my editor, I promise myself and my family that I will start the next book a month earlier to avoid the deadline crunch. I have yet to keep that promise. But the next time will be different. I swear. I really do—and everyone believes me for some reason, including me.
Q. Your latest, The Mountain came out this summer to rave reviews. What does Ryan Decker face in this story?
Steve: I was holding my breath during that first week. I can’t even begin to tell you how nervous I get about reviews for a new book, particularly a sequel in a series! I just don’t want to let readers down. I feel so fortunate to have drawn such an incredibly generous and dedicated readership over the years—that I want nothing more than to consistently give them a better book. About two weeks after launch, I started to breathe a little easier, before I realized that I would have to somehow beat The Mountain with Skystorm (Book 4). I’d like to say I did it, but only time and the reviews will tell.
To answer your question—Ryan Decker, Harlow Mackenzie, and the rogue team they’ve assembled throughout the series, discover a paramilitary-operated, multi-billion dollar a year drug operation nestled in California’s Emerald Triangle. The Emerald Triangle in northern California has been a notoriously contested hotbed of illegal marijuana growing for decades, concentrated in an area aptly nicknamed Murder Mountain. Basically, a simple missing persons investigation turns into an all-out war between Decker’s team and the new owners of The Mountain.
Q. Can readers jump in here or should they start from the beginning?
Steve: I’d highly recommend that readers start with The Rescue (Book 1) and see if they enjoy the characters and the story style. The books are designed as stand-alone novels within a series, and could be read independently, but there’s a greater arc connecting all of the books that slowly builds over the course of the series—culminating with Skystorm (to be released in May 2021). I think readers will better enjoy taking the whole journey with Decker.
Q. What are you working on now?
Steve: Reintroducing myself to my family and dog. Just kidding. Sort of. I very recently turned handed over (more like jettisoned…this one nearly killed me) the manuscript for a first book in a new conspiracy thriller series. The new series is a contemporary cross between “The Americans,” “Homeland” and “The Charm School,” all wrapped into a trilogy that is still unnamed. I’m the worst at picking names for my books.
I created a rough concept for this series a few years ago, while I was busy with the Ryan Decker books, occasionally taking the series notebook out of my desk to play with some ideas when I needed a break from Decker and his crew. I think I’ve created a never-before-seen conspiracy for this new series, on a scope and level that will blow readers away. As always, the books will be heavy on cutting edge surveillance technology, black ops style close-quarters action, intense spy craft and unexpected twists. In other words, I’m swinging for the fence to keep readers happy with my work!
Konkoly, Steven THE MOUNTAIN Thomas & Mercer (Fiction None) $15.95 7, 14 ISBN: 978-1-5420-2186-9
Military mayhem on a California marijuana farm.
Supersoldier Ryan Decker and an impromptu collection of comrades in arms take on a corporate criminal enterprise in this conventional thriller. Brett Hale has gone missing on "Murder Mountain," the epicenter of the marijuana cultivation industry in Humboldt County, California, and Decker's investigation of the disappearance, which began as a simple favor for Sen. Margaret Steele, a friend of Hale's mother’s from law school, uncovers a vast corporate takeover of the pot farming business. Bankrolled by the Athena Corporation, this quasi-military enterprise, code-named EMERALD CITY, anticipates a harvest worth in the neighborhood of $2 billion and is commensurately dedicated to preserving its secrecy. Decker's attempt to locate Hale provokes a reaction from EMERALD CITY and, in essence, starts a war. Heavy on weaponry and security technology, the narrative moves toward the inevitable final shootout without much verve or spirit. Decker himself is a somewhat rounded military character, and Harlow, his partner/girlfriend, is marginally believable, but most of the other characters are predictable: a sheriff reluctant to upset the status quo, a ruthless security manager, an evil political-influence peddler, and so on. Interestingly, several female characters enter the fray, but they are stand-ins, effective only when they fight "like men." The battle descriptions are detailed and sometimes not confusing, but the real stars of the book are weapons, bristling with spiky acronyms, and electronic security technologies.
An old story with updated weapons.
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"Konkoly, Steven: THE MOUNTAIN." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A622503308/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b01c70ee. Accessed 12 Sept. 2022.
The Mountain: A Ryan Decker Novel
Steven Konkoly. Thomas & Mercer, $15.95
trade paper (428p) ISBN 978-1-5420-2186-9
In Konkoly's entertaining third Ryan Decker novel (after 2019's The Raid), Decker and the rescue and investigation team at World Recovery Group go in search of Brett Hale, a young man who wants to make his fortune in the marijuana business. Hale was last seen in an isolated, forested area nicknamed Murder Mountain, where "nearly half of California's illegal marijuana industry was based." Brett runs afoul of big-time marijuana operator Carl Trenkor, who thinks Brett could be an undercover law-enforcement agent. Just a few weeks from harvest, Trenkor can't afford to have Decker and his colleagues nosing around. As Decker digs deeper, he realizes that Trenkor and Trenkor's associates in the "Wolfpak, a white nationalist gang mainly composed of ex-military felons and petty criminals," are pawns in a vast and frightening conspiracy. Exciting action scenes help propel this tale of murderous greed and corruption toward a satisfying conclusion. Readers will look forward to Decker and company's next adventure. (July)
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"The Mountain: A Ryan Decker Novel." Publishers Weekly, vol. 267, no. 20, 18 May 2020, p. 40. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A625410824/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0244f303. Accessed 12 Sept. 2022.
Konkoly, Steven SKYSTORM Thomas & Mercer (Fiction None) $15.95 5, 11 ISBN: 978-1-5420-2264-4
An ex–CIA operative and his family are targeted by a seemingly unstoppable team of killers.
A brief teaser prologue finds action hero Ryan Decker facing down an armed mercenary. Just three days earlier, the scene at the Decker home is idyllic. Ryan banters with his dad, Steven, while his mother, Audrey, is out and about. As Ryan’s partner, Harlow, discusses domestic issues, Ryan’s teenage daughter, Riley, heads off to school with her bodyguard, Brooklyn, an ex–Israeli soldier studying for her PI license. Outside the family circle, turmoil is brewing, and the nefarious group APEX has either been wiped out or is lying low. In a mere 30 pages, Konkoly takes his story to half a dozen locations and introduces more than a dozen additional characters without descriptions or identifiable personalities. There’s a plane attack, a failed Mission: Impossible–type caper, and much talk of dangerous missions, “housecleaning,” and more destruction planned by the APEX Institute, whose latest deadly plot is named SKYSTORM. Readers new to the series who are enjoying Konkoly’s punchy prose and rat-a-tat dialogue should persevere; veterans will recall roots of the backstories in Ryan’s three previous adventures. When the sprawling first act ends, the tale settles into a sleek action thriller, long on narrow escapes and authoritative descriptions of weaponry. Pursuit and attack begin at Riley’s school, which APEX has infiltrated. Ryan’s prickly pal Pam, prominent in previous yarns, joins the good guys just in time to help with the heavy shooting.
Explosive action, a breakneck pace, and zippy dialogue. Next!
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"Konkoly, Steven: SKYSTORM." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A651594622/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7d673be6. Accessed 12 Sept. 2022.
Skystorm
Steven Konkoly. Thomas & Mercer, $15.95 trade paper (386p) ISBN 978-1-5420-2264-4
In Konkoly's exciting fourth Ryan Decker novel (after 2020's The Mountain), Decker and his black-op private mercenaries continue the battle at the behest of their client, Sen. Margaret Steele, against the Apex Institute, which poses as a think tank but is in fact "a quasi-intelligence agency and paramilitary power broker." When the team's attempt to bug Apex bigwig Ezra Dalton's Washington, D.C., townhouse goes awry, the team members, their families, and FBI colleagues must flee from Apex's deadly security forces. They eventually find sanctuary in a remote mountainous area of California. With everyone safely stashed away, Decker is free to go on the attack to bring down Apex. Meanwhile, besides gunning for Decker and Steele, Apex operatives are trying to hide their current project, codenamed Skystorm, a brazen effort to violate international arms-trafficking laws. Konkoly keeps the plot moving briskly along with a few short breathers where plans are laid and Decker and his crew banter a bit while cleaning their weapons. Readers seeking a well-constructed action thriller need look no further. (May)
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"Skystorm." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 9, 1 Mar. 2021, p. 47. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A654760031/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6f1bb733. Accessed 12 Sept. 2022.
Steven Konkoly. Thomas & Mercer, $15.95 trade paper (368p) ISBN 978-1-5420-2989-6
This pedal-to-the-metal, paranoiainducing covert ops thriller from Konkoly (the Ryan Decker series) involves a multigenerational Russian sleeper network in the States ("Something insidious had taken root in America nearly fifty years ago and had somehow gone unnoticed"). When countersurveillance expert Devin Gray's estranged mother--a "psychotically paranoid former CIA officer"--kills herself after attempting to kidnap an old man from an assisted living facility, Devin begins receiving automated messages from her that reveal what she had been working on for years: a grand-scale conspiracy begun during the Cold War that involves hundreds of Russian sleeper agents and their children, who have infiltrated nearly every level of American military, government, and industry. Devin has his work cut out for him to neutralize the threat. Techno-thrillers fans will delight in military vet Konkoly's obvious expertise when it comes to the authenticity and intensity of the numerous action sequences, but the complete lack of a conclusion will rile more than a few readers. Hopefully, a sequel rhat picks up where this leaves off will soon follow. (Jan.)
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"Deep Sleep." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 44, 1 Nov. 2021, p. 68. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A681946680/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4e420f96. Accessed 12 Sept. 2022.
Konkoly, Steven DEEP SLEEP Thomas & Mercer (Fiction None) $15.95 1, 25 ISBN: 978-1-5420-2989-6
With a CIA mother and an FBI son, espionage is all in the family--but could mom have betrayed her country?
While dreaming of her imminent training in the Negev Desert, new Israeli army recruit Maya Klein almost loses her life in a bombing raid from which Hal Cohen, a friend of her family's, rescues her. Halfway across the world, former CIA officer Helen Gray is on the trail of mysterious Donald Wilson. Her son, Devin, an FBI agent, is meanwhile guarding software engineer Brian Chase, who's been led by his dire financial straits to be a decoy in an FBI "honey trap." Insomniac agent Harvey Rudd worries that the team of "borderline retired" operatives he's thrown together will be unable to complete their hostage rescue mission. Author Konkoly rolls out all these charged narrative threads, disconnected pieces of an oversized jigsaw puzzle, within the first 30 pages of his new cat-and-mouse thriller, then keeps readers engaged and guessing with brisk shifts of location and clarifying nuggets of information. Helen's death rocks Devin's world, but his sadness turns to skepticism when it's ruled a suicide. Worse, she's suspected of felonious and possibly treasonous activities. Even as Devin acknowledges his mother's impulsiveness and attraction to danger, this is hard for him to believe. A post-mortem audio recording sets him on the road to the truth. He teams up with fighter pilot Marnie Young, an old pal, to enliven the story and unravel the tangled plot, which circles back to the Mideast.
A lively, roller-coaster thriller that moves like lightning.
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"Konkoly, Steven: DEEP SLEEP." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A682168364/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=cdfc7620. Accessed 12 Sept. 2022.
Coming Dawn
Steven Konkoly. Thomas & Mercer, $15.95 trade paper (416p) ISBN 978-1-5420-3662-7
Konkoly's uneven sequel to Deep Sleep picks up where its predecessor left off, with counterespionage expert Devin Gray in frantic pursuit of a Russian sleeper network in the U.S. that's threatening cyber targets on both American and Ukrainian soil. In a Baltimore apartment complex, forces allied to the Russian oligarch Yuri Pichugin, who controls the recently exposed network, corner Gray and his fellow security operatives, intent on retrieving private records and access to national secrets that are now in Gray's possession. After a long, bloody battle using the latest weaponry, Gray and his team beat back the attack and escape. Pichugin then uses cyberattacks to disrupt the defensive capability of Ukraine's military in the face of Russia's invasion. A fight with Gray's forces later ensues on the top floors of a Miami, Fla., high-rise, the control center of Pichugin's operation. Those who appreciate the adrenaline high of Konkoly's blistering pace won't be disappointed, but he spends little time explaining backstory, and even established fans would benefit from a glossary of technical terms and bro-tech slang. Tom Clancy it's not. (Oct.)
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"Coming Dawn." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 32, 1 Aug. 2022, p. 45. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A713735949/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=975daee6. Accessed 12 Sept. 2022.
Konkoly, Steven COMING DAWN Thomas & Mercer (Fiction None) $15.95 10, 25 ISBN: 978-1-5420-3662-7
An FBI countersurveillance expert continues his mission against a generation of Russian agents secretly working in the U.S.
While software engineer George McDonald sends valuable intel on missile tests to Russia before disappearing, Karl Berg attempts to pull off a deadly collaboration with Israel that he hopes will get him back into the good graces of Russian crime lord Yuri Pichugin, a Putin puppet. Pichugin operative Felix Orlov is meanwhile tracking the movements of FBI agent Devin Gray, whose team is on the trail of a nest of deeply embedded Russian agents in Baltimore and elsewhere. Gray has inherited his mission from his mother, Helen, a deceased CIA agent, and yes, it's personal. These are the major chess pieces in Konkoly's elaborate thriller, unfolded at a brisk pace and built on regular twists and questions of allegiance. Chief among them: Why is Berg collaborating with Devin or is he? Though readers would certainly benefit from having read Deep Sleep (2022), the previous Devin Gray adventure, the author effectively weaves in the backstory as he thrusts the action forward from the get-go. His knowledge of technology and weapons adds authenticity. Drone strikes and the tracking of them figure prominently. The operation begins in Baltimore but takes Devin and his gritty sidekick and old pal, fighter pilot Marnie Young, to Russia and Ukraine. Konkoly's basic premise--that a network of Russian agents has lived here for decades, thus attracting no suspicion--is frighteningly believable, giving his story extra juice.
A deft cat-and-mouse novel that keeps the action moving and the reader guessing.
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"Konkoly, Steven: COMING DAWN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A713722797/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=833bef05. Accessed 12 Sept. 2022.
BOOK REVIEW: THE RESCUE BY STEVEN KONKOLY
Nov 16, 2020 | Thrillers
The Rescue is the first book in the Ryan Decker series and it is written by the very talented writer Stephen Konkoly. The Rescue is a tale of revenge, mistrust, and conspiracy. It takes many unexpected and tragic turns throughout.
This novel is perfect for those who are fans of novels by Lee Childs, Tom Wood, and Ben Coes. Stephen Konkoly matches the complexity and intelligence of their strong plots that are tainted with political conspiracy and suspense.
Stephen Konkoly is a very talented author and his books have been listed in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times! Konkoly has twenty books behind him and is always releasing more with his next novel coming out in May 2021.
The story is centered around the protagonist – Ryan Decker, who is a former CIA operative who changed his role to a mercenary. Decker’s talent is rescuing people who have been kidnapped. One day, he is hired by a very powerful figure who is a US senator in order to save his daughter from a human trafficking circle.
This mission goes very wrong. Decker’s entire team and families are killed. Including his own. All in cold blood by the Russian mafia. After some time in prison, Decker grows suspicious of the story he was told, and a private investigator finds out that it was a more powerful force than the Russian mafia that killed Decker’s life. Decker becomes obsessed with revenge and is fuelled by passion to find the villains behind the conspiracy.
The Rescue is a face paced novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you read, and from the very first page I was completely engrossed in the world of Ryan Decker. Additionally, this novel is action packed with detailed fight scenes that are both imaginative and well described, as a result, you can perfectly picture the scene in your mind! This is a great trait of the writer’s unique writing style.
Furthermore, Stephen Konkoly has evidently put a lot of effort into the research behind this novel, as everything seems super realistic and all of the information he provides about certain operations (e.g. surveillance and skydiving) is accurate. The descriptions of the various pieces of equipment used make the story seem more realistic as it helps to picture the world of Ryan Decker even more so. This added sense of realism ensures that this book is a real gem! It is not often a writer will put in the background research as deeply as Konkoly.
Another great element of The Rescue is that the language used throughout is accessible and simplistic, yet used in a wonderful way that provides the same vivid descriptions as more complex language would. This allows the book to move at an appropriate pace for the genre and flows well between each significant event. I particularly enjoy novels that use accessible language as it ensures that all levels of readers can read the book and no one is left behind.