A Beginner's Guide for Reading Mark Finn *UPDATED*

The Author, trying to out-spooky Alan Moore.

You may have noticed this year that I've had a few books re-issued, published, and reprinted. So far, there's five new books out there and three more on the way. You may be thinking to yourself, "But Mark, you've written so many books, I can't keep up! I might as well just go outside and play with my dog."

Don't pick up that leash yet, Hot Stuff. Sure, modern living forces you into doing these you don't want to do, like Jury Duty, and math. I get it. So, for those of you who want to support your old buddy/school chum/lover/personal trainer Mark Finn, but you don't have time to read brief descriptions to gauge your interest levels, here's a quick and easy guide to help you select the book that's right for you. Just click on the links below and you will be whisked to Amazon.com where you can make a fast, painless transaction. And if you still can't decide, you can always buy two books. I promise, I won't tell.


"I don't like all that weird sci-fi and fantasy stuff you like. Except for True Blood. And Game of Thrones. Oh! And Twilight. And of course, the Harry Potter books. And American Horror Story. But other than that, I'm not really into that crazy stuff."

Newsflash: Yes, you are. And you'll love Year of the Hare. Sam Bowen is one of my most popular characters and he's a normal guy who learned magic to try and reverse a family curse that's been placed upon him. This is the first of two books that will collect all of his stories together from the Clockwork Storybook shared world of San Cibola. Click here for a preview!

"I like fantasy and sci-fi, but I'm not real familiar with it. It's all very big and new to me. Also, I like romance and love stories."

If this is you, then you want to pick up Empty Hearts, my collection of short stories that all deal with love, loss, and desire in a modern-day city where magic is an everyday occurrence. These stories take place in San Cibola, as well, and are a kinder, gentler introduction to that world. Well, mostly... Expect some ghosts and some monsters mixed in with the romance and intrigue. Click here for a sample!



"I love modern fantasy, and I also think Quentin Tarantino is a hoot! This means I have a short attention span. And if you've got something with Elvis in it, well, that would be one Hell of a Hat Trick for me!"

Say no more, Bwana! Road Trip is just what you need. Brash, violent, over the top, and best of all, it's chock-full of profanity and adult situations, just like an R-rated movie! Elvis and Cupid are on a Road Trip to South Padre Island to find Cupid's mother, Venus, who is hiding out amongst the mortals. Really, that's all you need to know. Anything else will spoil the story. Perhaps best of all: It's short! Click here for a sample!



"I'm really into this geek culture. I love it. I have strong opinions about all sorts of things that are, in fact, completely outside of my control, like every casting decision made in Hollywood. Got anything for me, Smarty Pants?"

You betcha! The Transformation of Lawrence Croft is tailor-made for you. Follow four super geeks as they make their way to MagicCon, a three-day comic and sci-fi convention in San Cibola. What could possibly go wrong, right? Plenty, is what. It's a romp through geek culture at the intersection of magic and make-believe. And it's also the first part of a trilogy of stories starring the four Con-Dorks.And if you like the first one, the second book, The Chance of a Lifetime, is also available. Click here for an excerpt!


"Well, I don't know about any of that. But I am curious about this mysterious story you just sold to Vertigo. What's that all about? Can we get a hint?"

I can't really give you a hint, since the book hasn't been announced or solicited yet. However, if you want to read something that's 100% in the wheelhouse of what I wrote, let me show you The Adventures of Sailor Tom Sharkey. This is a collection of historical weird humorous boxing stories written about real-life Golden Age boxer Tom Sharkey. These stories are very much in the tradition of Robert E. Howard's Sailor Steve Costigan stories, so if you like those, you'll probably like these, as well. Click here for a sneak peek!


"Robert E. Howard? Now you're talking. Aren't you supposed to be some kind of Robert E. Howard expert or something like that?"

Yeah, something like that. Here's the biography of Robert E. Howard that I wrote. It's called Blood & Thunder: the Life and Art of Robert E. Howard. If you like biographies of literary people mixed with Texas history, then you'll enjoy this book. It's probably what I'm best known for, and a number of people have read it who were not fans of Howard or his writings who said they enjoyed it a great deal. It moves fast, and has a lot of information packed into it. The book was nominated for several awards when it came out. This is the updated and expanded second edition. Click here for a sample!

"Yeah, so, none of that's really working for me. Anything else you want to show me, Mister Writer Guy? Or can I go play with my dog, now?"

Boy, you're a tough nut to crack. Why don't you just head on over to my Amazon Author Page and browse the other things I've got listed there? I've got stories and essays and introductions in several books, and there's even a couple of comics for you to purchase if you want to go that route. For example, in The Apes of Wrath, I wrote an essay about the guys who play gorillas in the movies. It's a fun romp through that specialized world. And the rest of the book is really good, too! Fun Fact: Many of my books are also available as ebooks.


Granted, this isn't everything. I've got some projects in development, some stories which are scheduled to appear in books coming out later, and some novels in various stages of completion. If you'd like to keep up with me and you're not bored with Facebook, I've got an Author's Page you can follow. Optionally, you can find me over at Good Reads, where I am trying to be more active.  I'll keep on writing, if you keep on reading.

A Quick Update on the Publishing Side

Sorry this has been so quiet lately, but I have been forced to choose between finishing Replacement Gorilla and writing pithy, hilarious observations about racist squatters in other states and threatening the entrenched misogynists and sociopaths in the Geek Nation to within an inch of their lives if they don't shut up and bury their heads in the sand. Guess which wiser course of action won out?

Not that it hasn't been really tempting. It's like, life is throwing me these soft, slow, underhand pitches right over the middle of the plate, and I just want to belt them out of the park, but I've got stuff to do.

So, you may remember I had a plan to get all of my backlist out this year as publishing projects. Here's the updated link to my Amazon Author's Page, if you want to go swing by and check it out.

The most recent thing to get the CreateSpace treatment is Road Trip. I know, this has come out before, but I am moving it off of Lulu and onto CreateSpace, and then later, Kindle. This will be a special book, in that I'm going to give it away on Kindle. That's right, give it away. It's going to be my loss leader. I think it's a strong book, and a pretty good idea of what I write, and how. So, it's currently available as a paperback, and soon it'll get ebooked. Look for it, if you will.

Oh, hell, who am I kidding? On the day it's available for free, I'll tweet it and post it to the heavens. Please share, won't you?


This book is the first collection of stories from the San Cibola universe, and it's not the last, by half. I've gotten two reviews for Empty Hearts, for which I am very grateful. If you post a review and let me know about it, I'll send you a bonus story, "That Still Don't Make it Wight," as a thank you. How cool is that? It's currently live on Kindle, but I'm having the files redone because I didn't realize the Kindle format was so different. So, that's happening and should be updated by the first of May. I like the collection; I think there are some strong stories in the book.

Again, I'll let you know when the Kindle file is updated and repaired. I've got a hell of a learning curve on all of this.

Coming soon, in the next few weeks, look for two new books: A collection of the Sailor Tom Sharkey stories, published by Fight Card Books, and the first novel in the Con-Dorks Saga, the Transformation of Lawrence Croft. I'm actually going to put out all three Con-Dorks books in the trilogy (I can't believe I just typed that word--trilogy...it sounds so...author-ish.) as well as BOTH of the Sam Bowen books. Those of you who are TickWits will doubtless rejoice, leaving the rest of you to say, "So what?" Hopefully, you'll check it all out.

DAY THREE: The CWSB 30 Day Novel Challenge

I am on pace so far, but I feel I should warn some long time readers of me and San Cibola in general. Well, not warn, so much as explain.

I'm taking the San Cibola out of the Con-Dorks.

When I rework the first two books (with the intention of selling the three novels as a trilogy) I will be shortening the distance between the Con-Dorks and the Sisters by having all of the events take place in San Francisco and the Bay Area. So if some of the geography in this third book seems off, that's why.

But why am I doing this? It's simple, and a little sad, too. Without all of the other authors on hand to prop up San Cibola with their writing, the concept of a magical city with open secrets becomes harder for one book (or even a set of books) to maintain on its own. San Cib was a shared world, not just in that we were sharing the real estate as writers, but that you, as readers, were sharing the information about the place picked up from all of these stories. That's how the shared world operates.

So, for the purposes of, say, introducing the first Con-Dorks book, it's much easier as an author to say (and for you as a reader to buy into) "Okay, magic is real, and it's largely secret. Some folks know about it, and they are special. Most people don't know about it, and they are normal." If I don't have to further explain the world, this brand-new city, and how it all works to a new reader, then they can get involved in the story that much quicker.

So, If you have a copy of Gods New and Used, or if you liked the books when they were serialized on RevolutionSF, I recommend you hang on to them. When next they appear, they will be in a new form. It's almost as if the Blue Cutters got ahold of the books, but not really. I hope.

Oh, and for the rest of you following the contest: Insert obligatory Trash-Talk here.

The CWSB 30 Day Novel Challenge, circa 2012

No, you didn't misread that. I'm currently on day one of a thirty day novel challenge. You can read the details about the contest here at Major Spoilers, where the contest will be held.  Why am I doing this? Because there is something wrong with me. I've got enough on my plate already, but dammit, I'm overdue for this. I need--no, I want--the kickstart that this contest inevitably produces in me. It's essential for 2012, and I'm going to create early momentum.

But what about my existing commitments? I'm working on two things right now for other people, including a long-running writing project I'm doing with another author. Well, never let it be said that I'm not barking mad. I'm going to do this contest IN ADDITION to upholding my existing commitments! Yeah. No sleep 'til Brooklyn.

That means I'll be sending chapters to my co-author, for we have a deadline to hit this year. Also, I'll be turning in comic book script pages for SCOUTS! as well. Plus my weekly column in the local paper, and anything else coming down the pipeline, like old time radio scripts.

Am I crazy? Is there something wrong with me? You bet there is. But the nice thing is, if I crack up and explode, it'll be live and on the web for everyone to see. So, please follow along and keep up with what we're doing over at Major Spoilers. I'll be posting chapters over there, and offering commentary here. Lots to see and do and read in January. Looks like the start of a great 2012.