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FBI

Suspense, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Sep 23: New Thrills in Target Down – A Matthew Redd Thriller

September 24, 2026

Aaron Decker needs to collect on a 20-year-old debt, and Matthew Redd races to the challenge.

Target Down – A Matthew Redd Thriller with Ryan Steck

Ryan Steck returns to discuss Target Down, the craft of writing, and what a decade-plus of storytelling has taught him.

Aaron Decker faked his own death twenty years ago to protect his family. Now someone’s found him, and the only man he trusts to help is former Marine Raider Matthew Redd, a man who doesn’t leave debts unpaid. That’s the spark behind Target Down, the fifth entry in Ryan Steck‘s Matthew Redd series, blending military-thriller tension with the soul of a modern Western.

We dive into the full story, how Redd and this cast have evolved across five books, and the instincts Ryan has sharpened over more than a decade in the thriller world. We also learn why connections are important to authors, and why Ryan says his “bosses” are his readers.

Meet Ryan Steck

Ryan Steck is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Real Book Spy, one of the thriller genre’s most trusted voices, and author of the bestselling Matthew Redd series, including Fields of Fire, Lethal Range, Out for Blood, Gone Dark, and now Target Down. He also continues the late Ted Bell’s iconic Alex Hawke series, most recently with Warmonge; and has launched a new series with The Second Son. Ryan lives in Michigan with his wife and six children.

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Arts, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Psychology

Sep 24: Amy Herman, Fixed: The Fine Art of Problem Solving

September 24, 2025

“Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.” ~ Wayne Dyer

Amy Herman with Fixed: The Fine Art of Problem Solving

Sometimes, solving a problem really is as simple as changing your perception, and Amy Herman helps facilitate those paradigm shifts in her book Fixed: How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem Solving.

Using art forms, from paintings and sculptures to mixed media and photography, Amy shares how learning to view something differently helps shake up our default way of thinking – whether we’re making everyday or major decisions.

Amy also provides insight into what the FBI, NATO, the State Department, Interpol, Scotland Yard, and many other organizations and their leaders use to solve their most difficult problems. 

Meet Amy E. Herman

Amy E. Herman developed The Art of Perception, Inc., in 2000 to improve medical students’ observation and communication skills while she was the Head of Education at The Frick Collection in New York City. Herman adapted the program for a wide range of professionals, including the New York City Police Department, FBI, French National Police, Department of Defense, Interpol, State Department, Fortune 500 companies, first responders, military, and intelligence community.

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Fiction, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Nov 28: Preston & Child – The OGs of Collaborative Thriller Writing

November 27, 2024

Angel of Vengeance: A desperate bargain is broken. A clever trap set. And a vengeful angel will not be deterred.

Angel of Vengeance with authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Preston & Child continue their #1 bestselling thriller series with Angel of Vengeance as protagonists, FBI Special Agent Pendergast and Constance Greene, take a final stand against New York’s deadliest serial killer.

As well as discussing the storyline of Angel of Vengeance, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child share how they met and why they’ve written together for the past 40 years.

We explore character development throughout a series, story research, what’s next. They share what they’ve learned from each other – including an amusing tale about who owns bragging rights for writing the best (and dreaded) sex scenes. And how the authors break up their roles as they write collaboratively.

Meet Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Preston & Child)

Preston and Child’s Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities were chosen by readers in a National Public Radio poll as being among the 100 greatest thrillers ever written, and Relic was made into a number‑one box office hit movie. They’ve collaborated together for 40 years and in addition to coauthoring the famed Pendergast series, their recent novels include The Cabinet of Dr. Leng, Diablo Mesa, Bloodless, The Scorpion’s Tail, and Crooked River. Douglas Preston is also the author of the award-winning nonfiction book The Lost City of the Monkey God.  And Lincoln Child has published eight novels of his own, including bestsellers, Chrysalis and Deep Storm.

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Fiction, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Sep 25: #1 NYT Thriller Authors Preston & Child with Angel of Vengeance

September 25, 2024

A desperate bargain is broken. A clever trap set. And a vengeful angel will not be deterred.

Angel of Vengeance with authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Thrilled to have The OG of fiction collaborators join Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair today: Preston & Child, with their new thriller, Angel of Vengeance.

In Angel of Vengeance, Preston & Child continue their #1 bestselling series featuring FBI Special Agent Pendergast and Constance Greene, as they take a final stand against New York’s deadliest serial killer.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child share how they met, why they write together, and who does what in their collaborative writing partnership. We discuss what they’ve learned from each other – including an amusing tale about writing dreaded sex scenes. We also explore character development, story research, and what’s next.

Meet Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Preston & Child)

Preston and Child’s Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities were chosen by readers in a National Public Radio poll as being among the 100 greatest thrillers ever written, and Relic was made into a number‑one box office hit movie. They’ve collaborated together for 40 years and in addition to coauthoring the famed Pendergast series, their recent novels include The Cabinet of Dr. Leng, Diablo Mesa, Bloodless, The Scorpion’s Tail, and Crooked River. Douglas Preston is also the author of the award-winning nonfiction book The Lost City of the Monkey God.  And Lincoln Child has published eight novels of his own, including bestsellers, Chrysalis and Deep Storm.

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