Ryan Pote could tell you story after story from his exciting career as a Navy helicopter pilot, where he countered narcotics smuggling throughout Central and South America. That came to an end, though, when an emergency landing left him with injuries that forced him to retire from the Navy. Nowadays, he uses the real-life adventures and struggles he experienced and witnessed to write thriller and mystery novels that connect with readers and point them to God. His most recent novel is “Blood and Treasure,” the first in a series.

In this interview, Ryan discusses his favorite meals from Hawaii, how writing helped him overcome PTSD and led him to Jesus, and the spiritual habits and resources he uses to grow spiritually and combat his tendency to overwork. Plus, stick around to the end to discover where God is guiding him next in his writing career.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

The meals we enjoy are about so much more than the food we eat. So how does a “go-to” meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?

When I was 19, I packed a bag, bought a one-way ticket and moved from Maine (where I grew up) and flew to Hawaii. It was the first time I’d ever been on an airplane or even left New England. I felt compelled to “break away” from my normal, and I craved a sense of adventure and a blank canvas to reinvent myself. But of all the things I did in Hawaii, including becoming a scuba diving instructor and live musician, the food is what I remember and miss the most — from the simple meals of poke with fresh raw ahi tuna mixed with sauces and spices in a bowl of white rice to the incredible mangoes that grew outside my house in Manoa Valley, Oahu.

I can still remember the smell of the charcoal-grilled huli huli chicken stand. On Oahu, the huli huli chicken grillers move around the island, and if you smell the smoke, you know everyone will be drawn to it. Rotisserie open-air split chickens, basted in sauce and grilled over a high-heat charcoal grill. “Huli huli” means “flip flip.” For $5, you could get a half-chicken, two balls of white rice wrapped in seaweed and a passion fruit juice. For a young kid who didn’t have a lot of money, it was beyond worth it. But the taste still pervades my daydreams from time to time. Although those memories are great, it wasn’t until I had children of my own and we moved back home to Maine to be nearer to my siblings that I realized the best meals are spent with family.

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activity do you love engaging in that also helps you find essential spiritual renewal?

I’m an author and a screenwriter. In today’s culture, mainstream movies and books have driven Christians so far away that it’s sparked the creation of entire studios like Angel to develop and produce Christian content. But what does Christian content look like?

I never wanted to go into writing — or even thought of it as a career choice. It helped me get through PTSD when I was medically separated from the Navy after an emergency landing in my SH-60B helicopter ended my 12-year career.

Now, I love to write. It helped me overcome PTSD and led me to Jesus. I was just writing stories because they captured me, and I found purpose and drive in them. I didn’t grow up Christian. I didn’t come from a Christian upbringing. I never sought to become a Christian, let alone write God-centered thrillers, but that’s where God is ironic. He did it anyway. After I’d written five novels and a screenplay, been rejected over 400 times (yes, I was tracking it), I was ready to give up this ambition of becoming a professional writer. There were so many times it was “almost” there. I was so close. But then it all fell apart. I gave up.

But Jesus was waiting for me to give up. One day, I noticed an NLT Bible on my mantle. I didn’t remember buying it, so I checked my Amazon account and found I had bought it — but couldn’t recall why. I started reading it, cover to cover. This began my faith journey, where God showed me how he had been working through me in my writing all along, before I knew him, weaving intricate webs of biblical themes. I was blown away. There was no way I could have done it all on my own because, at the time, I had never even read the Bible before or even understood what a Christian really was.

As I developed my faith, layer after layer started to reveal itself to me in everything I’d written. Then things started happening. No words changed in my stories, but my heart changed. A friend, fellow brother in Christ and bestselling author Mike Maden called me and wanted to introduce me to a new agent who’d just lost his job as a publisher at Putnam. After many weeks of back and forth, he agreed to represent me, and we quickly sold a series in a multi-book, six-figure deal to Berkley (an imprint of Penguin Random House). The book deal notification went live on Publisher’s Marketplace, and within two hours of the announcement, we were overwhelmed with solicitations from all the major film agencies. We chose William Morris Endeavor, and God is moving. We’re now on the cusp of major film and TV deals, and God continues to open doors for me along this path.

Now, when I write, I pray in preparation and then just … write. I watch in awe as the Spirit continues to imbue my work with his subtle messages. And the incredible part is, my work doesn’t read like “traditional” Christian content at all. It’s almost like God is acting like a spy, dropping in behind enemy lines to sow the ground with seeds of faith. And the reader won’t even realize at first.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness; every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite, and how do you confront its power head-on?

My kryptonite is very much as Proverbs 23:4 describes. Basically (I’m summarizing), it teaches to not overwork in pursuit of your plans and to be wise enough to know when to stop. While writing is a gift from God, it’s easy to assume every plan you have is from God. But only God’s purpose will stand, and the rest will crumble.

I find that when I get on a roll, I keep going and start a new project that I don’t truly feel compelled to write. I’ll force it, and it becomes obvious. Instead of the words flowing effortlessly and me feeling complete and content when writing, it seems like a struggle. It seems like the wind is blowing harder and harder into my face, slowing me down. Like the ground is thick mud and every step isn’t powered by faith but of my own strength.

The enemy always tries to find a way in, and that may look like overwork. If it’s making me anxious and stressing my family life, it’s clearly not from God. I have to remind myself: I already tried to become a writer on my own — it didn’t work. I tried as hard as I possibly could and failed. My own strength is not enough to do what I do now. I’m not that smart. I’m not that patient.

So taking a step back and seeking the Lord’s counsel, letting him search the deep waters of my plans and letting him give me the understanding to discern his will is how I fight back against it. Then, the right plan becomes clear to me. And the uphill battle turns into a calm stroll in the park. And it may be that I have to step away from that project because it wasn’t the “right” project or the “right” time. I pray. I listen. I obey.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?

I write stories. I write stories that put as much of my wounds, my experiences and my personal struggles into the characters. The biggest feedback I’ve gotten so far from reviewers like Booklist and authors like No. 1 New York Times bestselling authors Mark Greaney and Dirk Cussler is that my characters feel real. That’s because they are real. They are real people I know, or are feeling and doing real things I felt and did. Sometimes, entire conversations in my books are based on actual conversations I’ve had in dire circumstances. So it’s not that it feels real; it is real, and the emotions are real.

My work isn’t linear; it’s dynamic, and everyone who reads it will become attached to a different character or theme or struggle for their own personal reasons. Everything on the page is intentional, and it’s framed inside a biblical worldview.

My current obsession is how I’ve also used my work to get people reading their Bibles. I write adventure thrillers. It’s been likened to Clive Cussler, Tom Clancy, Dan Brown, Steve Berry, Brad Thor and more. Inside my debut novel, “Blood and Treasure” (July 22, 2025, Berkley), is a biblical treasure hunt. Embedded and hidden within the pages and words are numbered verses of Scripture that pertain to the particular events or characters in that scene.

On my website, I’ve posted it for free as a guide under the Book Club tab to help readers along. There are deep discussion questions about the biblical themes in the novel and how they are interwoven and amplify God’s Word. It’s like your own treasure hunt mixed with a devotional to accompany the read, making it a unique entertainment experience for Christian readers. You’ll want to talk about it with your friends and spouse. There are codes and secrets buried within the novel, and it becomes an interactive experience unlike any other.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors, or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?

Everyone has a spiritual gift. Some people literally hear God. That’s not me. But when I became a Christian and prayed Jesus as my Lord and Savior into my heart, I had a radical encounter with the Holy Spirit. It was unlike anything I’ve physically experienced before in my life — and I was a Navy pilot for 12 years!

To this day, I still feel the Spirit every time I pray. Every time I have a revelation of understanding. Every time I focus on God. I feel like it’s my spiritual gift. Paying attention to this over the years, I’ve started to understand how God speaks to me, which may be very different from how he speaks to you.

Like I said earlier, I can feel when it’s an uphill battle. When God isn’t with me on this path. I seek his counsel and watch with open eyes for the signs. Plans are made in the heart, but the answer of the Lord is from the tongue. He establishes my steps and plans. I commit my work to him and keep my eyes open for the doors that open and the ones that shut. I try not to fight against it. Sometimes we can turn a “no” into a “yes” by our own strength. But that’s of your own strength. Sometimes I will feel compelled without a shadow of a doubt to counter that no, but more often than not, that “no” is from the Lord as my bit and bridle to steer my path. And only the purpose of the Lord will stand. So no matter how hard I try, no matter how much toil I add to it, I can’t overcome what God has planned.

Instead, I listen. I watch. Committing my work to God and releasing the outcome to him is the biggest driver of my success. It’s God’s power and strength that make me successful. Studying the lessons of Proverbs has helped guide my prayers to discern God’s path for me and align my work with his will. But in the end, we lean on him, not on our own understanding. Commit your work to the Lord and let go. Let the Holy Spirit work.

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?

Fasting has been eye opening. I felt the Holy Spirit breaking things away from me. Like coffee. I know, I know — don’t freak out. I was never a coffee drinker in my youth, but after I joined the Navy, the cultural habit and the physical need made me a coffee drinker. But fast forward 20 years, and I just kept having this nagging feeling that coffee was a problem for me. When I fasted for three days with only water, the coffee habit seemed to “break away.” Symptoms I’d been having like “post-nasal drip,” constantly clearing my throat for 15 years, snoring and sleeping poorly all came to a grinding halt.

Turns out, I am allergic to coffee. How strange is that? I love coffee, too, the taste of it, the smell. But after prayer and fasting, asking God to transform me and break off things that are holding me back, he did. Coffee is out, replaced with matcha (I know). I feel like I’m 20 again. I couldn’t have figured that out without prayer, petition and fasting.

I’ve also alluded earlier that reading and studying Proverbs is a game-changer. I read the Bible every single morning, using the Bible Recap as a guide. But after my second year into reading the Bible cover to cover, I wanted more. I noticed that there were 31 chapters in Proverbs, which was enough for one chapter per day for a month. Like a vitamin, I started reading and studying a chapter in Proverbs every single day. The Holy Spirit, in turn, gives me the wisdom, knowledge and understanding to unpack those proverbs and apply them through prayer. This habit has brought God deeper into my work-life and family in ways I never expected.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and your heart?

1. I gave up my own selfish ambition. I mean truly gave it up and said, “Well, I gave it my all. This isn’t working. Time to move on.” But it wasn’t just words. Writing didn’t mean anything to me anymore like it once did. I thought it was the cure when it was actually the purpose (for now). That was the moment God stepped in and started revealing himself and moving in my work life.

2. Life hacks, cold showers, therapy, meditation, working out, vitamins — these all help you feel better, but they aren’t a foundation of solid bedrock when the real storms come. I found that when the trials came, just like God tells us, my house crumbled. I was not OK, and I couldn’t fix myself. I needed to build my house on the bedrock of Jesus. Once I did that, the anxiety was gone.

3. Everyone has a lot to “say.” There are so many self-help books out there and podcasts with many words — talking about God’s Word. Even this interview! What I really needed was just a daily dose of God’s Word and a chapter of Proverbs a day — that became my daily vitamin and all I needed to succeed.

We all have things we cling to to survive or even thrive in our fast-paced, techno-driven world. How have you been successful in harnessing technology to aid in your spiritual growth?

Technology, like all things, can be used by God for our good or by the enemy for our harm. Take social media, for instance. It’s like a mirror; it gives you what you search for. And it can be addicting at times in negative ways.

But I’ve also seen how God uses it to connect people for his will. I connected with Mike Maden through Instagram, and he helped radically change the path of my life. Since then, I’ve met other Christians who’ve found their way across my path, leading to wonderful friendships or incredible doors opened. I also find that I get a message just when I need it, that “just so happens” to answer a prayer. So God uses everything for our good. But your faith will protect you from how the enemy tries to use it against you.

I also think apps like the Bible app are great. Always having the Bible in multiple translations right in the palm of my hand helps me stay in the Word despite life’s challenging days. The Bible Recap and other guided 365 Bible devotionals help guide you through the Scriptures so you don’t have to think and plan — just open the app and read, then listen. It’s a great tool to keep God a priority and set good habits. Daily reading equals transformation.

QUESTION #8: dream

God’s continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

To be honest, I don’t know. I had no idea about this plan for me before, and I could’ve never dreamed it up. I’m working on new, exciting projects that God has put in my lap, and I’m letting go and letting the Holy Spirit guide me. I’ve learned that everything that’s good and fruitful on this path, God gave to me. I didn’t pursue it. It came to me. I did nothing. So I’ve learned to sit and patiently toil, and God will open the next door for me.

Currently, I’ve got some big things on the horizon that blend different forms of media, and I feel it will fundamentally change the way books and entertainment are consumed. I’m leveraging emerging technology and embedding it into my stories to make them interactive, and I think people are really going to enjoy something new and fresh. I see God moving in so many areas of entertainment right now, like a wildfire. Just look at Amazon Prime with “The Chosen,” “The House of David” and more. God’s going mainstream with big budgets and big audiences. I’m excited to be part of this cultural shift back toward God and faith as the bedrock of entertainment. I don’t know what he has in store for me with all this, but I’m leaning in and trusting him.

Like Ryan, do you have a tendency to overwork? If so, you’re one of the 488 million people globally who are at greater risk of burnout, sleep problems and heart disease. (Did you know over 745 million people die each year from heart disease and stroke related to long work hours?)

These facts aren’t meant to scare you, truly. Rather, they demonstrate how big of a problem overworking is — a problem many of us struggle with but none of us should ignore.

If you’re not sure how to start addressing overwork in your own life, consider beginning with a simple prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for being everything I need, the One who holds all things together, including me. I confess to you that something deep inside me wants to keep pushing even when I should rest. I feel captive to that need to go and do and accomplish, even when it’s negatively affecting me and those I love. Help me let go and trust you to sustain me. Right now, I entrust every plan and task on my plate to you. Guide me in your path, God, and teach me when to say, “Enough.” In Jesus’ name, amen.

Ryan Pote