| An interesting October | | October turned out to be quite a blessing after the hellfire of September. - Met some wonderful new people
- Listened to “dueling pianos” one night (playing everything from rap to Taylor Swift to Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody!)
- Attended three L.A. Rams games
- Bourbon tasting at a postal station (yep…)
- Finished up some nice renovations to my motor yacht/home
- Did a great deal of writing.
I've written over 57,000 words in the first draft of my next novel, a historical fiction work set in the late 1882-1972 in the California desert (see below). I also joined a small Facebook group of likeminded authors to encourage either other to write like crazy this month. I tend to be a lone ranger, so this is good for me. November will consist of a lot of travel, exploring, visiting friends, some new adventures, and, of course, writing. Stayed tuned. 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. | |
|
|
|
FREE BOOK OF SHORT STORIES | | SHORT FICTION | | This is a sample of four short stories from Markus' two collections.
Free or .99 from most retailers | | | |
|
|
|
MY BOOKS | | Click on a cover for more. |
|
|
|
WIP: Desert Steve Novel | | 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.
| | |
|
|
|
| NOV 1, 2023 | Read a rough draft scene from my upcoming Desert Steve novel | | |
|
|
|
| OCT 4, 2023 | Bio-engineering run amok - Mortals As They Walk excerpt | | |
|
|
|
| OCT 18, 2023 | How to stop researching & write - Desert Steve Novel | Back when I was working on my PhD dissertation, my DoktorVater sat me down one day and said, “At some point, you have to stop researching and write the thing. You could... | | |
|
|
|
| OCT 25, 2023 | A creative, quirky life - Tibetan Peach Pie by Tom Robbins | AmazonkindleappleaudibleTom Robbins’ bio on Wikipedia is a good description of him:Thomas Eugene “Tom” Robbins (born July 22, 1932) is an American author. His... | | |
|
|
|
| OCT 11, 2023 | Alien abduction & silliness: The Road to Roswell (book review) | AmazonkindleappleaudibleIf you’re interested in UFOs, alien abductions, Roswell New Mexico, and a good dose of silliness, this is the book for you. From Amazon:When... | | |
|
|
|
Support Markus for the price of a coffee a month | | |
|
|
|
Doctor Markus lives on a yacht and travels. He's overeducated with a serious case of wanderlust. Loves reading, Scotch whisky, and Cuban cigars. | Markus McDowell | author, editor, ghostwriter | |
|
|
|
|
