Today I’m excited to welcome Steve J. McHugh back to Whispers & Wonder as we kick off the Blackcoat Book Tour presented by Storytellers On Tour! This upcoming week we’ll be showcasing Steve’s standalone Sci-Fi Thriller novella of corruption and betrayal, led by a badass, crime-fighting female lead (heck yeah!). I’m very much looking forward to hearing what others think of this story of his, so stay tuned, it’s going to be an amazing week.
Steve was kind enough to stop by for a chat about this exciting novella of his, the research he’s done and what he hopes people take away from this bite-sized tale he’s penned, what lies ahead, and more. So, keep scrolling to learn more about the book and author, read the awesome interview, and enter to win yourself a copy of Blackcoat!
We’ve enlisted a group of wonderful and talented bloggers and Bookstagrammers to help us feature Blackcoat. This is what we have going on, so make sure to check out each and every one throughout the week for some brilliant content, including reviews and more.
OCTOBER 3RD – THE KICKOFF
Whispers & Wonder (IG: @whispersandwonder)
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OCTOBER 4TH
Bookshelves & Teacups (IG: @bookshelves_and_teacups)
Sadie’s Spotlight (IG: @sadiesspotlight | Facebook)
@chapter.mjthomas
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OCTOBER 5TH
Armed with A Book (IG: @_armedwithabook)
@ofproseandspells
@apocketfuloftomes
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OCTOBER 6TH
Westveil Publishing
Jessica Belmont (IG: @jessicaxbelmont)
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OCTOBER 7TH
Cover to Cover
Beneath A Thousand Skies
@fantasybookcraz_mum
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OCTOBER 8TH
Lore and Lullabies (IG: @lore_lullabies | YouTube)
FanFiAddict
@danthewandererboy
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OCTOBER 9TH – THE ENCORE
Queen’s Book Asylum
For more info, visit the official tour page at Storytellers On Tour.
About the Book
When Celine Moro took a job as a Blackcoat, an elite agency tasked with investigating crimes throughout Union space, she thought she had finally put her past to rest.
Now, betrayed by her allies, her world is falling apart. Running from the corrupt politicians that she had sworn to bring to justice, Celine is dusting off the skills of her old trade in order to bring truth to light.
The only thing bringing her comfort is knowing how much worse her friends are eventually going to feel about their betrayal.
Blackcoat by Steve J. McHugh
SERIES: –
PUBLISHED: October 5, 2021 by Hidden Realms Publishing
GENRE: Science Fiction Thriller
PAGES: 120
CHECK IT OUT ON
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Meet The Author
Steve is a bestselling author of Urban Fantasy. His book, Scorched Shadows, was shortlisted for a Gemmell Award for best novel, and he has sold over a million books worldwide.
Steve was born in a small village called Mexborough, South Yorkshire, but now lives with his wife and three young daughters in Southampton.
WEBSITE: www.stevejmchugh.wordpress.com
Welcome back to Whispers & Wonder, Steve! Since we already have your official bio, can we have the MC(s) from Blackcoat describe you in one sentence?
I don’t think Celine would consider me one way or the other. I’m not a criminal she needs to catch, and I’m not someone who is in her way of catching a criminal. She’d probably just say, “Steve, is that person.”
Although Blackcoat is a standalone novella, will we see more stories in this world you’ve created in the future?
I’d like to and I have ideas for more. So hopefully, yes.
Can you share with us something about Blackcoat that isn’t in the blurb?
There’s a fight between a mech and several monsters. It’s something I always wanted to write, and I was so happy it happened in this book.
Was there any specific research you’ve done for this story of yours? And if so, did you learn anything really interesting?
I don’t think I did any specific research for the book. I know that sounds really boring, but most research I’d needed was stuff I’d already done for other books. I did do some research on quick drawing with a gun, as Celine does that a few times. That was pretty cool, and I got to watch Justified. Again. So, I’m going to call that a win.
What do you hope your readers take away from Blackcoat?
Hopefully that they’ll just enjoy themselves reading a fast-paced sci-fi thriller. I do hope that they take to Celine, who was a lot of fun to write, and the world she lives in.
Which do you prefer writing, full-length novels or novellas?
Novels, easily. I’m always a little concerned about putting too much stuff into a novella and taking the book into novel territory (which I’ve done before). My brain just tends to lean toward novel writing more than novella, but it’s nice to give it a stretch and do the other once in a while.
Have you read anything awesome lately?
Seven Deaths of an Empire by G.R. Matthews was brilliant. I finished the first Murderbot book (All Systems Red) by Martha Wells too, which is an incredibly good book. Highly recommend both of them.
Thank you again for taking the time have a chat, Steve. Tell us what lies ahead for you!
Thanks for having me take part. As for the future, I have a novel written that takes place in the Hellequin universe with my other books, and that’s with my agent. There’s a second urban fantasy book with my agent, and I’m currently writing a third. So at the moment, I don’t much know what’s just around the corner, but hopefully I will soon.
The Giveaway
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International • Ends 10/10
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Happy Reading!
🖤