Chab Robichaux, a former Force Recon Marine turned DoD Contractor, MMA fighter, and bestselling nonfiction author, is set to enter the fiction waters alongside author Jack Stewart for their brand new “Silent Horizons” series after signing a three-book deal with Tyndale.
Robichaux, who is also the founder of Mighty Oaks Foundation and the Co-Founder of Save Our Allies, a non-profit whose mission is “focused on the evacuation and recovery of Americans, our allies, and vulnerable people trapped in Afghanistan,” just released his sixth nonfiction book, Saving Aziz, earlier this year. That book—which received praise from Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson and Lt. General Jerry Boykin, among others—was an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller. Robichaux’s next nonfiction book, A Mission Without Borders, is set to come out on September 10th, 2024. The first Silent Horizons novel is slated for publication in May of 2025.
“After successfully launching non-fiction bestsellers like An Unfair Advantage and Saving Aziz, I felt called to tell stories in a way that entertains, encourages, and challenges readers,” said Robichaux, who is represented by John Howard of The Howard Agency, in an exclusive statement to The Real Book Spy. “I have always wanted to write about my experience conducting Advanced Force Operations (AFO) for a Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) Task Force—giving readers a glimpse into the darkest corners of the world, the incredible men who risk everything, and their families who carry the weight of those sacrifices. But I wanted to do it in a way that honored and protected those who were still at the pointy end of the spear.
“To do this, I turned my focus to developing a fiction series in which the main character followed a similar career path as mine. Like me, Foster Quinn was a Force Recon Marine who found himself with a JSOC Task Force. Like me, he left the uniformed military behind but stayed on as a singleton AFO operator to hunt down the most vile terrorists on the planet. And, like me, he did so while navigating complex politics, lies and deceit, his own inner battles, and a family at home. Through this series, I aim to give the reader a front-row seat into the physical, emotional, and spiritual sacrifices our nation’s toughest warriors make.
“To do this successfully, I needed to partner with someone who could help convey those sacrifices to the reader in a way that was both compelling and challenging but also entertaining. After talking with several writers, I found Jack Stewart. Jack is not only an incredible writer but a like-minded man who reached the pinnacle of his field in the United States Navy as an Aviator and TOPGUN Adversary Instructor. He is a combat veteran who has seen conflict on the ground with special operation units—including with the same JSOC Task Force. It was the perfect match. Jack and I are enjoying bringing Foster Quinn to life and can’t wait to introduce the reader to a new style of military thriller in the upcoming Silent Horizons from Tyndale.”
Jack Stewart (represented by John Talbot of the Talbot and Fortune Agency), a name already known to thriller enthusiasts who patrol social media regularly, is the author of Unknown Rider, one of the most anticipated debut novels of 2023. His second book, Outlaw, will be released in February 2024. Both books are part of Stewart’s Battle Born series, which has already received praise from Publisher’s Weekly and major New York Times bestsellers such as Mark Greaney, Don Bentley, Brad Taylor, and Simon Gervais. Falling somewhere between the action/Sci-fi flick Stealth (2005) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022), Stewart’s books are not to be missed. You can read my full review of his high-flying debut here.
Ironically, though the two authors became fast friends and have already turned in their first book together, as fate would have it, they were actually introduced by another famous thriller author that Book Spy will certainly recognize.
“Chad and I were introduced through a mutual friend—Jeff Wilson, of Andrews & Wilson,” explained Stewart. “We had served in the same unit, though at different times, and we started tossing around the idea of writing a fiction series based on his experience in Advanced Force Operations. Most thriller readers are familiar with door-kicking operators who double-tap terrorists, but they’ve never seen what guys like Chad have done to put those operators in that position.
“As we talked through it, we fleshed out a series of books that would follow Force Recon Marine, Foster Quinn, into the clandestine side of special operations. But aside from crafting an entertaining story, we wanted to use these books to educate our readers on the issues our warriors face, including stress on the family and PTSD—an issue Chad has dedicated his life to tackling through the Mighty Oaks Foundation.”
Asked for a series teaser, the co-authors told The Real Book Spy that, “Unlike traditional special operations military thrillers, the ‘Silent Horizons’ series will focus on the often-overlooked specialized skillset known as AFO, or Advanced Force Operations. The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) uses the term AFO to describe clandestine operations performed by a singleton operator to prepare for follow-on action. We’re familiar with action adventures starring shooters from tier-one units like Delta Force and SEAL Team Six, but we’ve never seen a behind-the-scenes look at the men who make it all possible—men like Foster Quinn.”
Beyond that, readers will have to wait for the forthcoming announcement and cover reveal of their first Foster Quinn series for more details. In the meantime, Chab Robichaux’s backlist can be found here (or anywhere else books are sold), while Jack Stewart’s thrillers can be purchased here.
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and is building a growing community on Twitch. His debut thriller, FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” is now available. His second novel, LETHAL RANGE, comes out on August 8th. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. And to take part in free, exclusive BOOK CLUBS each month, join The Real Book Spy on Discord.