"Tell the readers a story. Because without a story, you are merely using words to prove you can string them together in logical sentences."
--Anne McCaffrey
While Mark's first book, the internationally loved (and critically acclaimed) Last at Bat, was published within months of completion in 2009 (and again in 2014 and 2021), he has been no 'overnight success'.
Excelling at creative writing since high school, Mark received constructive criticism and encouragement from a teacher who would become his first, and most memorable mentor, Mr. Stephen Vogler.
While the necessity to support his young family took precedence during his twenties and thirties, he never lost the love or talent for conjuring characters and stories to stimulate his readers' hearts and minds.
During the early years of what became a highly successful career in commercial real estate, on what could almost be called a whim, he accepted multiple short story writing contest challenges sponsored by the Philadelphia Enquirer.
Under his pen name, "Mark Richard", he was often rewarded with publication in the paper's Sunday magazine section and ultimately placed 1st and 2nd with his work appearing in several local publications.
Although an extensive search for copies of these early works has to-date proven unsuccessful, his fans remain optimistic that some of these stories will reappear, and characters created over 40 years ago will at some point in time come back to life in another tale.
When asked what genre he writes, Mark states "I write stories I'd like to read". Evidently, so do his fans.
To borrow from Mama Gump--Mark's stories are like a box of chocolates--you never know what you're going to get.
Excelling at creative writing since high school, Mark received constructive criticism and encouragement from a teacher who would become his first, and most memorable mentor, Mr. Stephen Vogler.
While the necessity to support his young family took precedence during his twenties and thirties, he never lost the love or talent for conjuring characters and stories to stimulate his readers' hearts and minds.
During the early years of what became a highly successful career in commercial real estate, on what could almost be called a whim, he accepted multiple short story writing contest challenges sponsored by the Philadelphia Enquirer.
Under his pen name, "Mark Richard", he was often rewarded with publication in the paper's Sunday magazine section and ultimately placed 1st and 2nd with his work appearing in several local publications.
Although an extensive search for copies of these early works has to-date proven unsuccessful, his fans remain optimistic that some of these stories will reappear, and characters created over 40 years ago will at some point in time come back to life in another tale.
When asked what genre he writes, Mark states "I write stories I'd like to read". Evidently, so do his fans.
To borrow from Mama Gump--Mark's stories are like a box of chocolates--you never know what you're going to get.
