Steve is in the Arctic at the moment, in Baffin Island attempting a vast rock climb for six weeks. But before he went he answered a few questions on wolves, survival – and his long term Falcon Chronicles plans. Steve is also giving site members the chance to get hold of his books!

To win all three Falcon Chronicles books with signed book plates (that's Tiger Wars, Ghosts of the Forest and now Wilds of the Wolf) email childrens.books@theguardian.com with the title "Wilds of the Wolf comp" telling us why you should win them by Sunday 10 August by 6pm. Two runners up will win copies of Wilds of the Wolf.

What draws you to the wolf?
I guess I'm a dog person, so the canids have a special power for me. And yet wolves are everything our own pet pooches are not; untameable, primal, doing all they can to avoid people and wandering the wildest corners of our globe. There will always be a part of my heart that is intoxicated by them.

Where did you do your research for Wilds of the Wolf?
I've spent many months in the Arctic where the book is set, and years in the wider world of the wolf. All my books draw heavily on my own experiences, and these are not just places I have gone to on holiday, they're locations I know them intimately from lengthy expeditions, most of which have been spent on the hunt for wildlife. Though obviously with a camera, not a rifle. What are the key things we should know about wolf conservation?
That wolves have never been proved to have killed a human being – in North America at least. The way we demonise these beasts is utterly unjustified. They do undoubtedly target livestock and domestic animals, but research by fish and game organisations show the effects are massively overstated. These animals are phenomenally rare; I have spent months in the field searching for them, and can still count my encounters on both hands.

Do you have a favourite book that contains wolves?
Call of the Wild by Jack London, which was also my favourite of all books when I was young.
What makes the Arctic such an interesting place to write about for you?
I love how extreme it is. The eerie half-light during the winter when the sun never rises. The extreme heat haze in summer which causes bizarre mirages at the horizon. Its bleakness, the fact that at times you, as a human being, feel so utterly insignificant there. And then there's the wildlife; walrus, bizarre tusked narwhal and vast bowhead whales, the polar bear, and of course the Arctic wolf. All rarely seen, but when they are, it is a privilege you will never forget.

What is your best survival tip?
Every different environment has different tips. My best generic tip, would be to be always thinking of an escape strategy. Always look around you and think "what if"? That and making sure you are correctly trained and experienced.

If you could travel to any place in the world right now, where would you go – and what would you be going there to see?
Botswana, Okavango Delta, diving with Nile crocodiles!

What has been the best question you've ever been asked – as an author or TV presenter?
Do you believe parasites caused evolution? Why don't a penguin's feet freeze? If we evolved from chimps, how come there are still chimps? If you could get all the world's leaders together to solve one conservation crisis, what would it be? Why does a peacock have such a big tail when that makes it easier for predators to catch it? What is evolution? (and my responses: Yes, counter current heat exchangers, we didn't – we merely shared a common ancestor, overpopulation, handicap theory, and an overcomplicated answer that lasted for way, way, way too long!)

What will the next Falcon Chronicle adventure focus on?
Sharks, and the global crisis affecting their future. But don't worry; it'll have shedloads of action and adventure in it!

Don't forget to enter our book giveaway by email childrens.books@theguardian.com with the headline "Wilds of the Wolf comp" by 10 August 2014.