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STEVE ZETTLER

 WRITER&ACTOR



All of my plays and novels are of an adult nature and may not be appropriate for children. They include strong language, sexual situations, and in a few some cases violence. "The Second Man" has been optioned for a film. "Ronin" was a work for hire and was taken from a screenplay by David Mamet; a fun movie staring Robert DeNiro. Film options are available for the others. My plays are available for production. Please contact me if you have an interest. If your E-Reader does not read PDFs please contact me via the contact button and I will send the novel to you in your format. All material on this website is copyrighted. Nothing may be reproduced in any form whatsoever unless you have express written permission.

   

Steve has authored, or co-authored, over fifteen full-length works of fiction, and many pieces of short fiction.
He has also written several plays.

Writer

Steve Zettler Author Headshot


                             "Tick... Tick... Tick..."
"Tick... Tick... Tick..." will be published by Vine Leaves Press

                                March, 25th, 2025

Media reviewers can request an ARC through the contact button

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Novels

Tick...Tick... Tick...

Harlan Stone is at the top of his game – An unflinching federal agent who reports solely to the President of the United States. But why is this highly specialized agent poking around Pennsylvania Dutch Country, grilling a back-water doctor about a sterile bull? Questions pile upon questions and not a single answer is in sight. Within a month, the worldwide beef market collapses, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The globe is spiraling toward unavoidable disaster. Eco-terrorists? Ruthless extortionists? Rogue nations? Someone’s to blame. It’s a race against time; the future of the planet is on a stopwatch, and Harlan is the only person capable of preserving humanity. Life as we know it hangs in the balance.

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Two for the Money

What happens when millions in cold cash evaporates into thin air? And the only people aware of its disappearance are a collection of misfits, bunglers and crooked CIA agents? And the one person on earth who knows exactly where that cash is located is a legless, ex-Navy SEAL, confined to a wheelchair.

It’s an icy Christmas Day in Philadelphia, City of Brotherly Love. Sam Christie has come to South Philly to visit the grave of a former Secret Service Agent, Pete Macaluso. Drive into town, place some flowers on Pete’s grave, and head home – Piece of cake…

Not so fast; unbeknownst to Sam, he’s walking straight into a sinister trap; a trap that will take him to the exact spot where the Americas meet, and pit him against ruthless mercenaries, an unrelenting cop, and rogue CIA agents. 

“It’s Panama, Sam… There are no rules.”

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Careless Love

The answer seemed simple for Grace Rolston when she dropped the .38 revolver into her travel bag and retreated to Hawaii. It was time to escape Californian demons, abandon her philandering husband, and say goodbye to the life of a canary trapped in a cage.

 

Demons have also invaded the life of Lee Corbet, and he too has retreated to Hawaii, hoping to jettison the past memories that eat away at his soul.

 

Grace and Lee collide, but love is careless; it will take these two innocents, toss them into a typhoon of passion and emotion, and then rip them apart, all for entertainment's sake.

 

When a bird flies westward, Hawaii is the end of the line.

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The Second Man

The city of Venice becomes a danger zone when a Secret Service agent, assigned to protect the visiting U.S. vice president, must draw on all of his special skills to ferret out a diabolical assassin.

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Double Idenity

Former Secret Service agent Joe Bradlee goes undercover for the FBI as a man who could pass for his double--the key witness in a high-profile trial and the target of an international team of assassins. Original.

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Ronin

Ronin is a full length novel written for MGM after a screenplay by J.D. Zeik & Richard Weisz (David Mamet). 

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The Crossword Murder . Nero Blanc

The Crossword Mystery series is a collaboration created by the husband and wife writing team of Steve Zettler and Cordelia Frances Biddle. Cordelia's previous work has been primarily historical fiction (Beneath the Wind and Murder at San Simeon), while Steve's has been more international thrillers (The Second Man, Double Identity and Ronin). However, the concept of writing in partnership has always fascinated them.

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Plays

Birds Do It

Four one-act comedies by Steve Zettler.

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Steve has appeared in numerous feature films, Television productions, commercials, and film festival short films. On stage he’s best known for the role he created in the Pulitzer Prize winner, “A Soldier’s Play.”

My thoughts on war and those who make war…

The documentary film “A Soldier’s Story” by Christian Dietrich contains adult themes and violence and may not be appropriate for children. All material on this website is copyrighted. Nothing may be reproduced in any form

whatsoever unless you have express written permission. 

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