Q&A With Mark Stevens 

Samantha Lien was so kind enough to connect me with Mark Stevens for this Q&A. I recently read his new release No Lie Lasts Forever which is available today on June 1^st wherever books are sold! Mark has also written the novel Antler Dust which is a Denver Post Bestseller. According to his bio-Mark, he has had short stories published by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, and in Denver Noir (Akashic Books, 2022). In September 2016, Stevens was named Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Writer of the Year, and again in 2023. Stevens hosts a regular podcast for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and has served as president of the Rocky Mountain chapter for Mystery Writers of America. Stevens is also an avid reader and regularly shares his reviews.

Q: Mark, would you like to give a brief description of your books beginning with your new release No Lie Lasts Forever?

A: The new one (No Lie Lasts Forever) is a thriller set in Denver. It features a television reporter who has been suspended by her station for making a poor choice during a tense moment on live TV and a retired serial killer. It’s a story about mutual redemption. The Fireballer is my only novel that’s not crime fiction and it’s about a rookie pitcher in the big leagues who throws a baseball so fast that his talent is raising an existential question for the game. He’s also dealing with a major tragedy from his youth. And I’ve written five novels in the Allison Coil Mystery Series (Antler Dust, Buried by the Roan, Trapline, Lake of Fire, and The Melancholy Howl) featuring a female hunting guide in the Flat Tops Wilderness of western Colorado. Each of the five mysteries in the series deals with a couple of contemporary issues and features an ensemble cast, led by tough-as-nails Allison Coil. Trapline won the Colorado Book Award for Best Mystery. 

Q: How long does it take you to write a book? Where do your ideas come from for your mystery stories?

A: Well, once upon a time it took me four or five years to write a novel. Of late, I’ve been able to be a little more efficient because I think I’m getting better at understanding what works and what’s needed for each scene so I’m getting it down to a couple years.  And, well, due to a deadline when my publisher asked for a sequel to No Lie Lasts Forever, I wrote a new book in the last ten months. I’m a bit in a state of disbelief even writing that fact, but it showed me the power of deadlines. And that can be done. Again, though, it was not my first novel.  I’ve learned so much. (I hope.) Ideas? They come from people I’ve met, from reading news stories, and in the case of The Fireballer the idea for the main plot came from a friend. I don’t usually take ideas from friends, but this one was a beauty and too good to not pursue. 

Q: What lessons & emotions do you hope readers learn and feel after reading your books?

A: I guess that’s situational with each book. I think my focus is on putting good characters in motion and keeping the interest level high page-to-page. In the case of Allison Coil, she’s very much about maintaining peace and enjoying the beauty of the Flat Tops, so she really doesn’t appreciate it when mayhem comes into the backcountry. With the case of Frank Ryder, the pitcher in The Fireballer, he’s dealing with trauma from his youth, and I think he’s as curious as anyone to know how long the effects of that trauma are going to linger in his adult life. He’s simply trying to cope with it while also being in the national spotlight, not an easy place to be. And for Flynn Martin, the TV reporter in No Lie Lasts Forever, it’s about better understanding her own role in her community and grappling with a fair amount of self-doubt. So, I guess my goal is to follow each character on their own emotional ride, whatever that might be.

Q: If No Lie Lasts Forever were to have a sequel, what adventures do you see Flynn Martin getting wrapped up in? Who would be your dream cast if No Lie Lasts Forever were to be made into a series or movie?

A: Well, funny you asked. There will be a sequel to No Lie Lasts Forever. It just went in to my publisher and that’s all I know at this point except I can tell you, in general terms, that it has echoes and themes from the first and that our bad guy, Harry Kugel, still plays a role even though he’s in prison and will stay there forever. Dream cast? Gillian Anderson would be perfect as Flynn Martin, who is a veteran reporter. Gillian was so unbelievably good in The Fall (TV series about a serial killer) and everything else she touches. I would love that same gravitas with Flynn’s role in a movie. For Harry Kugel, how about Gary Oldman? He plays a regular guy in Slow Horses, and I think he would have a kind of slimy quality to him that could be perfect.  

Q: Can you reveal any details about the next book you are currently writing?

A: Unfortunately, I cannot. Okay, I will say that it features more time for Flynn as an actual reporter. In the first book, she’s working outside the constraints of being a reporter because she’s been suspended for much of the book. With the second, I wanted readers to see her do her job and also deal with new threats. She thinks that since Harry is in prison that that part of her life is over. She would be wrong.

Q: What’s it like having short stories published by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, and in Akashic Books? I believe congratulations are in order! 

A: Such a thrill on all accounts. I’ve since been rejected by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Mystery Tribune, so I know how tough it is to place a story in both. Truly a highlight. And the Denver Noir (Akashic Books) opportunity was amazing, too. I’ve been a longtime (longtime!) fan of that series, so I was honored to see a story of mine in the Denver volume.