Cole Ryden

I've written an international thriller about real heroism, the people who profit from it, and an investigator who suspects some acts of courage aren't accidents at all.

Books

THE HERO MACHINE

The Hero Machine is an international thriller about genuine heroism, the brilliant and compromised woman who profits from it, and an investigator who begins to suspect that some extraordinary acts of courage may not be as accidental as they appear.

A rocky trail winding down through scrub toward the turquoise sea at Gjipe, Albania
The trail down to Gjipe beach on Albania's Ionian coast, between Dhërmi and Himarë. This is the stretch of coastline where I set the fictional resort at the heart of THE HERO MACHINE.

Author’s corner

Cole Ryden Java, a chocolate lab, at Cole’s feet while he writes

When I’m not at the keyboard with Java at my feet, I’m usually somewhere around 10,000 feet in the mountains of New Mexico, wearing out another pair of boots. Most weekends I head up into the Jemez or the Sandias with a camera, and I come home with a few photos I like and a few plot problems I’ve finally solved. Thank goodness for my voice notes app. Here’s some of the company I keep out there.

I’ve loved reading thrillers for as long as I can remember, and plenty of other genres too. Grisham, Clancy, Koontz, Follett, Dan Brown and Gillian Flynn kept me up past midnight, Heinlein stretched my imagination, and Ron Chernow and David McCullough reminded me that real history can be the best thriller of all.

Places in the book

A few photos from the trip that inspired the settings of THE HERO MACHINE.

A towering rock cliff above clear turquoise water at Gjipe beach, Albania
The cliffs at Gjipe beach, where a canyon meets the Ionian Sea. Cliffs like these frame much of the coastline in my novel.
High view down over the coastline and a winding road along the Albanian Riviera
Looking down on the Albanian Riviera from up near the Llogara Pass. In the book, this mountain road is where one character keeps his bees.
Boats moored in the bay at Himarë, with the town and hills behind
Evening light on the bay at Himarë, a small town on Albania's Ionian coast. Himarë and its castle hill turn up more than once in THE HERO MACHINE.
Green hills of olive trees sloping down to the sea above Himarë
Olive groves rolling down to the sea above Himarë. Olive groves like these surround the fictional resort in my novel.
An old stone olive press with a gear wheel and millstones in the grass inside the walls of Himarë Castle, the Ionian Sea beyond
An old olive press I came across inside the walls of Himarë Castle, its millstones resting in the grass above the Ionian. I was glad to find it, because the resort in THE HERO MACHINE has an olive press of its own.
The calm bay of Porto Palermo with a small wooded peninsula under a cloudy sky
Porto Palermo, a sheltered bay just south of Himarë. Albania's coast still holds traces of its Cold War past, and the old bunkers and tunnels found their way into my novel.
A pink sunset sky over the sea and mountains at Vlorë Bay
Sunset over Vlorë Bay, near where the Adriatic meets the Ionian. Vlorë is part of one main character's backstory.
The Acropolis on its hill above the rooftops of Athens
The Acropolis rising above the rooftops of Athens. A few of the book's turning points unfold in this city, in cafés and offices well below the ancient stones.
Il Gigante, a giant stone figure on the rocks by the sea at Monterosso al Mare
Il Gigante, the giant stone figure on the rocks at Monterosso al Mare in Italy's Cinque Terre. One of the book's first acts of everyday courage happens in this seaside town.

Outdoors

Fresh snow on the rocky crest of the Sandia Mountains
Fresh snow on the Sandia Mountains at first light. Worth the cold fingers every time.
Bull elk bugling among cows
A bull elk in the Jemez Mountains who was letting all the other bulls know his harem was going to stay his.
A bull elk with a large rack standing in the Jemez Mountains
A bull elk in the Jemez Mountains who let me take his portrait. He was more patient than I usually am.
Two bull elk with antlers locked on a snowy slope
Two bulls settling things on a snowy slope in the Jemez Mountains, the oldest negotiation there is.
Two bulls sparring in the New Mexico mountains. I could watch it all day, and some days I do.
Two bull elk pushing against each other with antlers locked in a forest clearing
A midday shoving match in the Jemez Mountains. No words, perfect pacing.
A large buck with an unusual, many-pointed rack, head lowered
This old buck grew a few extra points just to show off.
A big black bear walking through a burned forest
A bruiser of a black bear strolling through a burn in the Jemez Mountains, in no hurry at all.
A mother bear with three cubs in the forest
Mama and three cubs in the Sandia Mountains. Herding that crew makes plotting a novel look easy.
A mountain lion standing up against a tree trunk to sharpen his claws, snow behind
A mountain lion stretching tall to sharpen his claws in the Sandia Mountains.
A blue-gray jay perched in a piñon pine among open cones
I'm not sure if it's a scrub-jay or a pinyon jay, but he was definitely checking the piñon cones. I'm pretty sure he was judging my hiking pace too.
A bull elk lying in dry grass with his head raised, bugling
A bull elk bugling from his bed. Even lying down, he had plenty to say, which I can relate to on a slow writing day.
A bull elk with a big rack still in velvet, standing among pines
A big bull in velvet strolling through the pines. My trail camera caught him looking far more photogenic than I ever do.
A mule deer buck standing broadside among shrubs, looking back
A mule deer buck who stood still just long enough for a portrait. I think he knew he looked good.
A bull elk's head and antlers framed by dark, burned pine trunks
A bull elk peeking through the burned pines. He spotted me about the same moment I spotted him, and we both pretended to be calm.
Sandhill cranes flying and standing in shallow water against an orange sunset
Sandhill cranes coming in to roost at sunset. Their calls carry for miles, and I never get tired of hearing them.
A yellow and black swallowtail butterfly feeding on a pink zinnia
A swallowtail stopping for lunch on a zinnia. Some of my favorite moments out there are the smallest ones.

Other interests

A chocolate lab sitting in a mountain meadow, looking out at the view
Java taking in the view from a mountain meadow. She's the best hiking partner I've ever had, and she never once asks how the book is coming.
A chocolate lab bounding through deep fresh snow
Java bounding through fresh snow in the Jemez Mountains. Winter is her favorite season, and her joy is contagious.
A chocolate lab resting in tall grass among aspen trunks
Taking a breather in the aspens. Java keeps watch while I scribble notes for the next chapter.
A white terrier mix sitting on gravel in front of orange flowers
Kirby posing among the flowers like he owns the place. Honestly, he kind of does.
A white terrier mix and a chocolate lab side by side in warm evening light
Java and Kirby soaking up the last of the evening sun. She brings the muscle, he brings the brains, and together they run the show.
A chocolate lab and a white terrier mix sitting on an old couch outdoors
Java and Kirby found a couch in Taos and claimed it on the spot.
A chocolate lab splashing through a creek in a green mountain meadow
Java found the creek before I'd even put my pack down. Mountain meadows are her version of a spa day.
A white terrier mix and a chocolate lab lying together on a blanket
Kirby and Java after a long day on the trail. They take turns guarding the blanket, mostly by sleeping on it.
A chocolate lab sitting tall in front of a bright flower garden
Java posing in the garden like she does this professionally. She knows exactly which side is her good one.
A smiling one-eyed chocolate lab riding in the passenger seat of a car
Buster the one-eyed wonder dog riding shotgun and grinning about wherever we're headed next.
A bend in the Rio Chama below a rocky canyon wall under a blue sky
A bend in the Rio Chama under a big blue sky.
A green fairway and white sand bunkers framed by tall pines and blooming azaleas
The beauty is one of many reasons the pros love playing the Masters. Would be such a great course to play.
The Golden Gate Bridge over blue water on a clear day
Golden Gate Bridge on a perfect blue day. Some views are worth every mile of travel.
Golden aspen leaves against a deep blue sky
This is my favorite time of the year in the high country.
The sun setting over the sea at Puerto Vallarta under orange clouds
The sun slipping into the sea in Puerto Vallarta.

Contact

Representation and general inquiries welcome. Send a note below and it will reach me directly.

0 / 5000

Elsewhere