About the Author: Steve's a busy man. He lives on the Georgia coast, where he still practices law after 27 years. He's also active in local politics, having served on the Camden County Board of Education and, currently, he's one of five members of the Camden County Board of Commissioners. And, of course, he writes. Three jobs. Quite a busy man.

Steve has been writing since 1990, and though his undergraduate degree was in political science, and he's trained as a lawyer, it was Steve's interest in history that led to him writing international suspense thrillers. They were the kind of books he liked to read, so naturally they became the kind of book Steve liked to write. Steve doesn't adhere to the adage, "write what you know." Instead, he says, "write what you love."

He also credits the nuns who taught him in Catholic school with instilling the discipline needed to both craft a novel and find a publisher. It took Steve 12 years — 85 rejections over five different manuscripts — before Ballantine Books finally bought a manuscript. Like he says, "I'm the poster child for it can be done."