January was a month of travel, writing, and crazy weather

• My historical fiction novel about Desert Steve Ragsdale is the toughest novel I have written. I keep uncovering new historical information, and parsing it all into a entertaining and moving narrative is a bit overwhelming But I am getting close to the end of the first draft!  — slower than I wanted, but will still be able to finish in January.
• Took myJeep off-road in the desert to  explore some of the sites for the Desert Steve novel..
• California is feeling the brunt of the second atmospheric river (Pineapple Express) storm bringing an unusual amount rain and wind. Living on a motor yacht adds to the excitement!
• I'm in the final stages of a ghostwriting project for the nonfiction book, as well as doing some editing for other authors.
• Spent 11 days in the desert, exploring, researching, writing, seeing old friends and making a new ones. Such a lovely place for writing sabbaticals.

Scroll on down for my books, current novel in progress, sneak peaks, and book reviews.

Have a good month, dear readers. Make someone smile. Don’t judge others when you don’t know their story. "Be curious, not judgmental."

This is a sample of four short stories from Markus' two collections. 

Free or .99 from most retailers

Desert. Sun. Sand. And no roads or human settlements within 50 miles in any direction. The perfect place to found a town?

That's what Steve Ragsdale believed. So he and his wife bundled up their four kids in their 1915 Ford Model T, bought a local prospector’s shack and well, and built a fuel station (a 50-gallon drum), a repair garage, and café. He advertised “Free food on days the sun doesn't shine" and “No drunks, no dogs—we prefer dogs.” He was the mayor, sheriff, rockhound, author, naturalist, desert guide, and Santa Claus at Christmastime. He became one of the local “Desert Rats” and earned the moniker “Desert Steve.” Along the way, he became part of history: the construction of the first State and National highways, the invention of prepaid healthcare, General Patton and World War II, the largest iron mine in the United States, flying saucer sightings, and much more.

Based on a true story, this is the tale of a quirky, clever, and bold man who pursued a dream, wrote bad poetry, and found ways to survive when many would have perished or packed it in.