Q&A for my new thriller: Show Game
Who gave me the idea? What’s the deal with Alex? Get the answers and more, plus an ebook sale
In my new thriller, a mysterious non-violent vigilante named Alex takes it upon themself to capture some of society’s biggest abusers and put them on trial online, forcing them to confess to their crimes.
At the same time, investigative reporter Owen Tanaka is determined to unmask Alex’s true identity and motive. But soon Owen discovers that Alex’s cause is too important and hits too close to home, so he must decide whether to thwart or to help a vigilante.
In this post I answer some great questions I’ve gotten about Show Game, taken from recent interviews.
What led me to write Show Game?
My smart wife Rene gave me the idea.
Like so many of us, Rene was fed up seeing the worst abusers of power in our society constantly getting away with everything, and all the time, while normal people would immediately go to jail.
The writer in me took it from there and started asking those questions that writers ask. What would drive Alex and Owen to go there? What would stop them? What would be the consequences?
I started playing around with the concept and could not stop. I did a first rough draft right before the pandemic, then got to the good stuff—the deep rewriting and revisions—while holed up during the pandemic. It was a great way to live vicariously through Alex and Owen during those long hard days here in Portland.
What makes Alex and Owen and others tick?
Like in my other novels, my characters are often in over their heads—they’re not necessarily professional or even proficient in what they attempt to do, but they apply the skills they do have to risk all for what they believe is right.
I can’t say too much about Alex because of spoilers. But I can say they experienced a very personal loss that drives them to this. But, as we go deeper into the story, the readers discovers an even harsher abuse that hit Alex personally. It’s made Alex somewhat self-destructive. Owen Tanaka, meanwhile, had worked hard for years to become a skilled investigative reporter, but it’s all changing by the time he’s reached the peak of his skills.
Both, at their hearts, want to get at the actual truth. They want to cut through all the bullshit and reveal things for what they really are. They’re coming at it from far different angles. But then they come to realize that they are actually pursuing the same dark and evil truth. Once they realize that, they have no choice but to pursue it.
As for the antagonist Mason Snead, I also can’t give too much away. Tech wunderkind and startup genius. He’s like many we can think of today. And, as it turns out, he has reasons for turning out like he did. There is environment. Bad things that happen to you that form you. And you become like your abuser in some sense. But, another frightening thing is that some people are just wired that way. Evil. And when they are born with a silver spoon or whatever that enables and entitles them, then watch out.
What did I enjoy most about writing this?
Show Game is a new direction for me—a psychological thriller set in the present day. I enjoyed the release of being able to experience these people risking all and going for it. They’re doing what so many of us wish we could do.
I also enjoyed the freedom of writing in the era and settings that I live in. It liberated me to just concentrate on telling the story and let my characters just do what they have to do.
The only scary thing is, the world hasn’t gotten much better since I started writing this, and the worst people in our society just keep getting away with their crimes because they have the power. I might have to write a sequel.
Where to find the book
Show Game is available wherever books are sold, from big retailers to your local bookstore. Here are just a few options:
Amazon (ebook and print)
Apple Books (ebook)
Barnes & Noble (ebook and print)
Bookshop (print, also via your local bookstore)
Google Play (ebook)
Kobo (ebook)
Powell’s (print)
If you like the novel, or any of my stories, please consider posting a review or rating. Every single positive review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble and other review-based sites helps a ton.
You can also follow me on my Amazon Author page, Facebook Author page, and Open Road Media.
The other crime thrillers
While most of my novels are set in the WWII and Cold War eras, I do have a couple contemporary crime thrillers out from a while back: The Other Oregon, and the novella Rain Down.
Not many readers know about the two books, but my new publisher Open Road Media has rereleased them with great new covers. More about these stories in upcoming posts.
A great ebook deal—ends tomorrow (July 31)
Open Road has dropped the Amazon Kindle price for my WWII thriller Under False Flags to only 2.99 for the month of July. That’s a steal for an ebook that can run up to 12 bucks. Go grab this first book in the Wendell Lett series before the sale ends on Wednesday, July 31.
That’s it, thanks for reading. I hope you’re having a great summer.
Steve