What is the title of your latest release?
THE GHOST CITY, but the paperback for BLOOD AND TREASURE publishes May 19th, 2026.
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Holes. Strange holes the size of baseball stadiums, going down miles into the ice, are popping up all over the western Antarctic, accompanied by increasingly violent tremors. Nobody understands why. The ice sheet is on the brink of collapse. Meanwhile, on the Mekong River in Vietnam, Ethan Cain is surveying the river bottom for a gas pipeline project when the entire river dries up and diverts in an instant from a sand trafficking disaster further upriver. The dry riverbed reveals an ancient boat from the 13th century. Inside are journals of Marco Polo himself. They lead Ethan on an adventure that spans as much of history and time as it does the globe. From ancient Mongolia to modern Antarctica, and everything in-between, Ethan will meet with the edge of memory, and he’ll find out just how steep of a drop it is.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I wanted to an adventurous location that wasn’t used very much in the genre or has been traditionally used as a “side quest” instead of the main spot for the book. Antarctica. And for the other locations, I like to dig for rare, off the beaten path spots. Khara-Khoto, Mongolia. And of course, they have to work with the plot.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Lana Foster is modeled from my actual wife in real life, so yes. Yes, I would!
What are three words that describe your hero?
Determined. Courageous. Loyal.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
That sand trafficking is a major illicit business. The fourth largest in the world.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I NEVER look at a single word I’ve written while I’m doing my first draft. I freight train through the rough draft and make notes to myself as needed for future revisions, but I keep pressing forward. I do a lot of prep before I ever start to write. Then, I do about 8 drafts before its final to my editor, but I finish much quicker and the process is more efficient and more enjoyable this way. Those drafts are very layered approaches – one thing at a time. Plot. Each character. Etc.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I like all food.
Describe your writing space/office!
Currently, my office is in boxes from moving. But I write wherever. It changes. I try to write in different places, so I don’t get trained to only write in one place. I learned in the Navy, it’s better when you’re comfortable working at your highest level regardless of your comfort and convenience. I just need a laptop and place to sit down. I write the first and second draft sitting down, but the third and beyond are all standing.
Who is an author you admire?
Mark Greaney. His work ethic and passion for pushing himself as an author is inspiring and was inspiring to me as a young author. I got to meet him a few times now and am glad to say he’s a great person and gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten as an author.
Is there a book that changed your life?
SPHERE by Michael Crichton.
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 honestly didn’t think much of it. I had so many false starts before and after over 400 rejections, you just get kind of used to it. Had an agent; lost an agent. By that time, I was indifferent. I wasn’t waiting for a phone call; I just moved on to the next writing project. But I never doubted it would happen.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Non-fiction history or thrillers.
What’s your favorite movie?
For Love of the Game.
What is your favorite season?
Summer
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I don’t like to celebrate it. But…with my wife and kids.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I thought the TV adaption Scarpetta based on Patricia Cornwell’s books was very good. The TV series Silo based on Hugh Howey’s Silo series is also good.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Hawaiian
What do you do when you have free time?
I write. But, I play music too. I do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu twice a week. I work out. The truth is, I don’t really have free time. I have a full-time job; I write two series a year and have a wife and two little kids. So, I’m always doing something from the moment I wake up until the moment my head hits the pillow (briefly).
What can readers expect from you next?
I have so much in the pipe right now…an announcement is coming soon from a legacy author’s estate who has hired me as a coauthor for an existing series. That announcement should be soon if not already by the time this publishes. Expect another BLOOD AND TREASURE thriller (Book 3), but also something coming soon in the sci-fi/speculative space. Also, I have collaborations with other authors. And even will be self-publishing some additional books on Amazon/Apple just for fun. At this point, not everything needs to go to a publisher. I write too fast for them to keep up and publishing moves so slow, sometimes its agonizing. And for those that haven’t been following me, there’s more secrets and codes hidden in THE GHOST CITY that unlock secret passages on my website (that you have to find). Inside will be more exclusive content, free tie-in eBooks and even a full prequel novel (eBook) for the BLOOD AND TREASURE series.
THE GHOST CITY by Ryan Pote
An ancient secret hidden in a forgotten city holds the key to modern riches in this exhilarating sequel to Blood and Treasure.
Once you’ve made your first ten billion, what’s more money? What any billionaire really wants isn’t money, it’s power, and Shan Zhang has the perfect plan to achieve that. The discovery of a manuscript from the renowned explorer Marco Polo leads to an ancient city buried under the snows of Antarctica. Within that city lies the key to a forgotten technology that will transform modern society, but that transformation may cause the deaths of millions.
Professional treasure hunter and adventurer Ethan Cain is working on the Mekong River in Vietnam when the massive waterway suddenly goes dry. It’s a stunning ecological disaster. One that Ethan can’t ignore. His quest for answers will lead him to Zhang and ultimately a confrontation from which only one of them will emerge.
Thriller Political | Thriller Spy [ Berkley, On Sale: June 30, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780593953198 / eISBN: 9780593953211 ]
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About Ryan Pote
Ryan is a twelve-year veteran Navy helicopter pilot and mission commander who was part of a joint interagency special operations task force (JIATF). He did three deployments during Operation MARTILLO countering narcotics smuggling throughout Central and South America.
Ryan then served as a search and rescue pilot for the US Navy Experimental Test Wing and NASA. After getting out of the Navy, he was a federal investigator for five years on prototype aircraft development programs. He currently works for the Navy’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Test and Evaluation Unit.
Before the Navy, he lived and worked in Hawaii as a PADI SCUBA Instructor and lab tech researching algal-biofuels for Shell Oil. Ryan’s been the director of an oil company, a bartender, and even a live musician. He attended college at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and earned a master’s degree in US History and Teaching from Ashland University.
Ryan volunteers his time as a judge for the Clive Cussler Adventure Writer’s Competition. He lives with his wife and children in New England.
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