What is the title of your latest release?
STUART WOODS’ DEEP WATER
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A sinking ship, a nasty inheritance fight, a resurrection of sorts, and an enemy from the past conspire to keep Stone Barrington’s life more than simply interesting.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I’ll answer this as it pertains to the first chapter, which sets the story into motion, and that is on a brand new yacht off the coast of Long Island. The location - Stone at sea, with no land visible - came to me in a flash along with the action that would occur while I was out for a walk. I immediately knew I had the opening for the story.
Would you hang out with your hero in real life?
Oh, yeah! Who wouldn’t want to hang out with a near billionaire with his own jet and half a dozen houses around the world? Plus is a guy who does the right thing by people? The real question would be if he would want to hang out with me.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Loyal, good hearted, and rich. (Counting that second one as one word!)
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
There is a situation in the story that involves some underwater investigation, and I had to do some research about the types of vessels that would be appropriate to carry it out. That was fun!
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I start off intending to write the whole draft first, but I almost never do. What happens is I’ll get anywhere from sixty to eighty percent done and find myself in need of doing a rewrite pass on all of that to keep moving forward. This might also happen again when I get even closer to the end. And of course, I do a pass or two on everything once it’s all done, too.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
At the moment, tangerines! I live in California in a small town surrounded by avocado and citrus farms, and it is tangerine season right now. So I’m eating half a dozen or more every day.
Describe your writing space/office!
The long table at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. I tend do to most of my writing at coffee shops. And for the last two years it’s been at Coffee Bean. And if you’re wondering, my go to drink: Dark Chocolate Iced Americano.
Who is an author you admire?
Stephen King. Hands down.
Is there a book that changed your life?
There are many that have, I’m sure. I have a feeling I’ve answered this very question before and will likely do so again. And each answer will probably be different. This time I’m going to go with a book I read as a teenager. It’s a little-known sci-fi novel about first contact called ALL JUDGMENT FLED by the late author James White. It stoked my sense of wonder so much that I’ve probably read it a dozen times (mostly between the ages 15 to 25.) It was one of the (many) books that made me want to write my own adventures.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I’m going to tell you about the second call. I had originally sold my first book to a small press, but they ended up going out of business before my book could be released. I thought that was the end of it, and I’d have to start back at zero again. But the two men who ran the press were stand up guys who didn’t want to leave me hanging. They contacted a friend of theirs at Bantam Dell, who agreed to read my book. My memory is that I didn’t even know this was happening. Then the guys let me know that an editor at Bantam Dell wanted to take to me. I took the call with her during lunch, back when I still had a 9-5 job. We spoke for an hour about things she liked and things she thought needed work, and then she offered me a three-book deal. Needless to say, the rest of my day at work went by in a fog.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I have several. Sci fi, some fantasy, romance
What’s your favorite movie?
I’m a film major, so I have a whole list of favorites. Today, let’s go with TO CATCH A THIEF directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
What is your favorite season?
Fall. I love the change of color, which, granted, is a bit more subdued here in California.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Usually by working. Ha.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
The Dungeon Crawler Carl series is amazing.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Depending on the day, either Thai, Korean, Japanese, or Vietnamese
What do you do when you have free time?
I listen to audiobooks. I’m also a Korean drama (kdrama) junkie, so if anyone wants recommendations, I’m your man.
What can readers expect from you next?
Next is STUART WOODS’ HOSTILE INTENT coming out in November.
Narrator: Jason Culp
Stone Barrington #67
In the latest action-packed adventure in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, Stone Barrington must avenge attacks on two of his dear friends.
When Stone Barrington meets one of his clients, Trenton Sidney, for a sunset drink on Trenton’s new yacht, the last thing he expects is to be a victim of a shipwreck. As one of the four survivors of the incident but with little memory of the sinking, Stone finds himself diving straight back into work. His first task? To reach out to the beneficiaries in Trenton’s will.
But when new evidence that points to foul play comes to light, Stone must probe the tragedy in more ways than one in order to uncover the identity of the perpetrator . . . before they find another lethal way to get themselves out of deep water.
Thriller | Action | Mystery [ G.P. Putnam's Sons, On Sale: June 2, 2026, e-Book / audiobook, / ]
Brett Battles is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and Barry Award-winning author of over forty-five novels, including the Jonathan Quinn Series and its Night Man spinoff series, the Project Eden thriller series, and the time bending Rewinder series. He’s also the coauthor, with Robert Gregory Browne, of the Alexandra Poe series, and he has been given the honor of continuing the late Stuart Woods’ Stone Barrington and Teddy Fay series. He lives and writes in Ventura County.
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