This past week we gave the spotlight to Blackcoat, Steve J. McHugh’s Sci-Fi Thriller novella. Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with their reviews, interviews and more. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore, including some extra content. Come and learn a bit more about the world of Blackcoat through our Q&A with Steve! And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Shall we?
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.
Connect with Steve J. McHugh
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.
Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!
OCTOBER 3RD – THE KICKOFF
Whispers & Wonder – interview + IG spotlight @whispersandwonder
OCTOBER 4TH
Bookshelves & Teacups – review + IG spotlight @bookshelves_and_teacups
“Blackcoat features the most tried-and-true tropes: a badass female protagonist, able to survive against the odds; an antagonist who doesn’t care about redemption; enemies with a sense of honor and turncoats. A longer story with these characteristics would have been too much, but McHugh kept it short and semi-sweet. The world building is on point, and I’d love to see it as a backdrop of a bigger, well-crafted novel. The choice of pov—first—is good too, as it’s apt to engage the reader throughout the story.”
Sadie’s Spotlight – spotlight + IG spotlight @sadiesspotlight
@chapter.mjthomas – review + IG spotlight
“This sci-fi thriller is a short read, only about a hundred something pages. But the amount of action packed into these pages is simply out of the world , literally .”
OCTOBER 5TH
Armed with A Book – review
“I found the cast to be well thought out and the world building and introduction to Celine’s world done very well. It was never an information dump of the place I was reading about. It was interwoven into the emotional mayhem that Celine was experiencing.”
@ofproseandspells – review + IG spotlight
“A fast, action-packed read, Blackcoat is a story of betrayal, revenge, and justice.”
@apocketfuloftomes – review + IG spotlight
“𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒕 is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller, action packed and has a capable and strong female protagonist. Writing a capable MC has always been Steve McHugh’s strength. Celine, the protagonist, is a morally grey character who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.”
OCTOBER 6TH
Westveil Publishing – review
“Don’t let the short page count fool you, this novella is absolutely packed with gripping action and witty banter that will keep you reading, cover to cover, in one sitting. Imagine all the sadistic tech of The Hunger Games, give it to a corrupt city-state leader and an illegal drug den, and let it loose on a dystopian city with a thriving underground that everyone pretends not to know about and a policing force full of personnel with hidden records.”
OCTOBER 7TH
Cover to Cover – review
“I love it when 120 pages give me the high I was chasing. Blackcoat is undeniably entertaining and with enough scifi to satisfy the mind’s eye, but not overly complicated in terms of tech for the visual in your head to become a vague gobbledygook. And I love how much the author has gotten into this story with these limited amount of pages. I dare say, the length of this novella was probably what managed to make it so wonderfully memorable!”
Beneath A Thousand Skies – review
“Blackcoat is a book that you’ll find yourself devouring in one go because it keeps you on the edge of your seat from the get-go. This was a fantastically dark read, that packs a hefty punch for it’s length, and manages to be far more than a simple vengeance story. There’s heart in this book.”
@fantasybookcraz_mum – review + IG spotlight
“The author manages to pack so much into this short book but manages to capture the readers heart. I really liked the sci-fi elements of the story and the world building is simply brilliant.”
OCTOBER 8TH
FanFiAddict – interview
Lore and Lullabies – review + IG spotlight @lore_lullabies
“If you enjoyed the likes of Blade Runner 2049, Ghost in the Shell vibes then I think you will definitely enjoy this fun, quick read.”
Welcome back to the Asylum, Steve! Take a seat by the fire, have a glass of beverage of your choice and tell us something interesting that happened to you since we’ve last seen you!
Thanks for having me back, I’ll have a whisky neat. Something interesting that happened to me? I hit a million book sales, which was definitely not something I expected to happen in 2012 when my first book came out. That was pretty interesting and cool.
What was the most exotic place you’ve visited so far? Did it inspire any of your work? How that experience affected you personally?
The most exotic place I’ve ever been to is probably not that exotic as I haven’t been abroad much, although I did have a lovely time in France when I went many years ago. I don’t think it inspired my work much through.
With Blackcoat I based the city it takes part in more on something like Mega City One from Judge Dredd than anything in real life.
Describe an asylum set in the world of your book, Blackcoat!
It would be an out of city, giant-walled building with imposing towers where people with large guns would watch you. There would be an amalgamation of old tech that doesn’t quite work properly because no one kept up their maintenance, and new tech that was there to make those in charge happier.
It would be a cold, desolate place, much like Euria itself. Arkham Assylum but less fun. It would not be a nice place to visit.
Your MC is locked in an asylum. What did he/she do to end up there?
Arrested someone who was connected to those in power, fully aware of what would happen to her. There’s no doubt in my mind.
If you were a character in your book, how would you be described? And what your profession/role would be? How long do you think, you would survive?
If I was a character in Euria, I would probably be a part of the underground resistance/criminal empire that work together to make the lives of the majority of people who live there more bearable. Maybe I’d have some kind of job involving keeping records of the tech and items that the resistance has, which isn’t far off what I used to do in my old job (except without the resistance bit). I would probably last a while, not everyone knows how to use Excel.
If you could launch a release party with your MC(s) present, how that would go down?
Celine doesn’t party. She would sit in the corner, drink, and glare at anyone she thought might be doing something wrong.
Well then, it was a pleasure to have a chat with you again! Please allow these nice attendants to escort you out. We hope you’ll enjoy your continued stay in the Asylum! Is there anything else you need? *locks door*
Thanks for having me, and honestly, this time away is quite pleasant. Give me some pens and paper, and I’ll stay out of your hair.
Grab a copy of Blackcoat!
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