Mark grew up in Choctaw, Oklahoma and graduated from Choctaw High school in 1985.  He worked his High School years for Stones IGA.  In the summers he worked for the city driving the brush-hog tractor cutting grass along the roadsides.  His hobby growing up was as a private pilot flying out of Shawnee Oklahoma.  His is the son of Oliver Graham who worked for the local telephone company. 
 
After graduation Mark joined the U.S. Coast Guard and was enlisted for 5 years before attending college at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Over the years he has completed many creative writing courses at UNCW, CPCC in Charlotte NC, and the University of North Texas.  He read constantly growing up in Choctaw.  Mostly this was because he was grounded a lot and the library was the only entertainment often open to him. This then lead to a lifetime interest in reading and writing.  His years in the Coast Guard had him becoming a regular customer at libraries in New Jersey, California, and Alaska.  Consequently, the major influence on his writing has been the American classics and contemporary spy novels. That led to his majoring in American history with an emphasis on foreign policy and diplomacy. He was also greatly drawn to the study of philosophy but literature was and is always the most important to him.
 
Mark now lives in the country near Louisburg, NC with his wife, Christa, and 5 children.  He is working now on a suspenseful novel of an American in Ukraine.  This new story is inspired by his two months living in Ukraine during his process of adopting a child. 
 
The novel Land Run has been considered difficult to place for some in terms of genre.  Some say it is general Christian fiction but the story is not bound by some Christian publishing restrictions.  Others have placed it as a 'crossover' fiction story because of its realism that opens it to the general fiction category (ABA).  Mark has noted that the novel is about people living in community and some of them are Christians (as with any community).  His attempt is to be realistic to character, plot, and story.  He has no other agenda in his writing or intent towards a specific genre.  Mark is comfortable with whatever category is found for Land Run.

My wife and kids like me?

LAND RUN
New novel LAND RUN - Link to read the novel

Land Run Blog
Fun thoughts - Short Story bonus - link to read the novel

10Cities
Contributor/Editor of the fiction section. Startup online magazine.