Steve Hamilton: On Writing in New Locations

Steve Hamilton is the two-time Edgar Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author of the Alex McKnight series (with over one million copies sold), the Nick Mason series, and the standalone novel The Lock Artist. Two of his novels have been named New York Times Notable Books of the Year, and he’s one of only three authors in history to win Edgar Awards for both Best First Novel and Best Novel. Other major awards include the Shamus, the Barry, the American Library Association Alex Award, and the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for Best Thriller. His books are now translated into 20 languages. Follow him on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram, and find tour information here.

Steve Hamilton

In this interview, Steve discusses the process of continuing a series with his new thriller novel, An Honorable Assassin, his advice for other writers, and more.

Name: Steve Hamilton
Literary agent: Shane Salerno, The Story Factory
Book title: An Honorable Assassin
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release date: August 27, 2024
Genre/category: Crime/Thriller
Previous titles (if any) by the author: Alex McKnight Books: A Cold Day in Paradise; Winter of the Wolf Moon; The Hunting Wind; North of Nowhere; Blood is the Sky; Ice Run; A Stolen Season; Misery Bay; Die a Stranger; Let It Burn; Dead Man Running; Nick Mason Books: The Second Life of Nick Mason; Exit Strategy; An Honorable Assassin; Standalones: Night Work The Lock Artist; With Janet Evanovich: The Bounty; With Greg Harden: Stay Sane in an Insane World
Elevator pitch: Nick Mason, who was released from federal prison by a Chicago crime lord to become an unwilling assassin, now finds himself on the other side of the world, hunting down a man named Hashim Baya (aka the Crocodile), an international financier of terror and #1 most-wanted on Interpol’s Red Notice list.

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What prompted you to write this book?

This is the third book in the Nick Mason series. At the end of the second book (Exit Strategy), Mason believed, for one fleeting moment, that he had finally won his freedom. Turns out freeing himself from one boss just meant that he was about to meet an even bigger boss, and that’s why the last time we saw him he was getting on a plane to Jakarta, Indonesia. To put it simply, this book is how I—and the readers of this series—all find out what happens next, beginning with the moment he gets off that plane!

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

It typically takes me about a year to write a crime novel. I had the idea, or at least the beginning of the idea (see the question above), but I’m never exactly sure how it’s going to turn out until I go through the writing process.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

This is my 18th book, so I shouldn’t have expected too many surprises. Having said that, the publishing business has been going through some tough times, and it’s harder than ever to do everything on your own. The Story Factory has been representing me for the last six books, and I can’t imagine being in the business right now without them.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

It’s the first time I’ve ever written so extensively in a setting that is so foreign to me. After so many books set in Michigan, or Chicago, or New York, it’s a major change to go to Indonesia and Singapore and the Philippines. I suppose the surprising part is that once you’ve got the basic lay of the land, you can just get on with telling the story! As long as you know your characters, everything else kind of takes care of itself.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope they start the book and then cannot put it down. That’s really all I ever want.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

If you really want to write, then keep working until you’re so good at it your work can’t be ignored. Which means a lot of patience. That’s a little simplistic, but it’s really the only way.

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