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Cover Reveal for ‘Hell to Pay: A House in the Woods (1 and 2)
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New Banner: Mark / M.A. McNease
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The Twist Podcast #246: Taylor Triumphant, Christmas Listicles, and An Interview with Lila Szyryj, Miss Wisconsin 2023
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we congratulate Time’s Person of the Year Taylor Swift, share some listener voice messages, consider the worst Christmas songs ever, and listen in to Rick’s interview with Lila Szyryj, Miss Wisconsin 2023.
The Twist Podcast is brought to you by Queer We Are where you’ll find a podcast, newsletter, merch and more in the Queer We Are shop.
Enjoy The Twist on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and TheTwistPodcast.com.
Copyright 2023 MadeMark Publishing
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Now You Can Leave a Voice Message for Me!
Now you can leave a voice message for me – author, podcaster, publisher. Just CLICK HERE and record, it’s that simple.
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Video Trailer for ‘A House in the Woods 2: The Devil’s Due’
I have so much fun making these! A House in the Woods 2: The Devil’s Due, is now available widely. You can get it on Amazon HERE.
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My Interview by Dawn Barclay of Mystery Writers of America (NY Chapter), On Staying Motivated
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The Twist Podcast #245: Thanksgiving Thicket, Tuberville’s Tantrum, and An Interview Small Plate with Author Dave Hughes
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we chat up Thanksgiving, ponder the damage done to military families by Senator Tommy Tuberville, and enjoy an excerpt from Mark’s One Thing or Another Podcast interview with author Dave Hughes. News, views, and more Twist listicles.
The Twist Podcast is brought to you by Queer We Are where you’ll find a podcast, newsletter, merch and more in the Queer We Are shop.
Enjoy The Twist on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and TheTwistPodcast.com.
Copyright 2023 MadeMark Publishing
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One Thing or Another: Age Is Not Just a Number
Narration provided by Wondervox.
By Mark McNease
Welcome back to the One Thing or Another column: A lighthearted look at life, aging, and the absurdities of it all.
“Age is just a number!” How many times have we heard this uttered with grating cheer, as if getting older was just a figment of someone else’s imagination. To this way of thinking, I’m not really real, I’m a number-defying sprite whose bones, sinews, and brain aren’t in their mid-60s, but somewhere preferable, perhaps 40. I have the luxury of pretending to be any age but the one I am. I’ve always cringed when I heard this, and I always will.
Age is not just a number. Age is empirical. Age is a measurement—how many times the Earth has traveled around the sun, with me on the bridge watching it all speed by. Age is the number of years my knees have carried my fluctuating weight, and how many mornings my eyes have opened to a new day. Age is the truth, and I’m not someone who wants to hide from it with platitudes, euphemisms, and make-believe.
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The Twist Podcast #244: House Speaker Squeaker, Belize Please, and an Interview with Rob Pero, Founder of Canndigenous
Rob Pero, Founder of Canndigenous
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we strap back into the hotseat after a few weeks off. We chat about the House Speaker Follies, Rick’s upcoming trip to Belize, and enjoy an interview with Rob Pero, Found of Canndigenous, a Native-owned CBD company dedicated to helping the indigenous community it supports.
Rob Pero is a serial entrepreneur, savvy marketer, and proud member of the Bad River Tribe. Like preceding generations of Ojibwe people, his core values are rooted in love for family, support for community, respect for the natural world, and a commitment to doing everything, as the Ojibwe say, ‘in a good way’.
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MadeMark Publishing Now on Shopify – That’s Me!
You have to start somewhere. My eBooks will all be on Shopify soon. And I’ll be using my storefront for much more. Stay tuned!
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Ann Cleeves Hits Another Homerun in the Matthew Venn Series
Narration provided by Wondervox.
Cross-posted from LGBTSr.com.
By Mark McNease
I’ll be talking some more about Ann Cleeves’ Matthew Venn series on the upcoming Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast.
What stands out in this series is the exploration of identity, relationships, and the shades of gray in between. It’s an effective combination of a gripping mystery and a deep, personal journey.
I’m a relatively recent fan of established mystery master Ann Cleeves. With her intricate plots and deep, complex characters, it’s no surprise that this British author is one of the leading figures in contemporary mystery fiction. She creates atmospheric settings that make you feel like you’re right there on scene, whether it’s the wild and windy Shetland Islands or the quaint, secluded villages of Northumberland.
She’s invented some of the most iconic detective characters in contemporary fiction: Jimmy Perez from the ‘Shetland’ series, and Vera Stanhope from the ‘Vera Stanhope’ series. Both protagonists exhibit layers of complexity that make them as unpredictable as the mysteries they’re trying to solve. They become like old friends who you’ve known forever, with all their quirks and idiosyncrasies.
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The Weekly Readlines October 19
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES
I worked at Reuters News for 11 years in the Editorial Department. They have a giant book in the lobby that has the photos and stories of journalists killed over the company’s long history while doing their jobs. They will be adding another one: Issam Abdullah was killed in an Israeli Airstrike. Professional journalists do not engage in fake news, no matter what anyone says.
President Biden visited Israel to show his support for the country at war with Hamas. A strike that killed hundreds at a Gaza hospital was first blamed on an Israeli airstrike, but later determined to have been fired from within Gaza by its own extremists.
Jim “See No Evil” Jordan continues to fall short of the votes needed to make him the worst Speaker of the House in the nation’s history. Perhaps those aging college wrestlers reminding people that he did and said nothing about their reports of sexual abuse has had an impact?
And Tommy Tuberville, who insists on being called Coach as if he’s the star in a bad sitcom, continues to knee-cap the military with his hold on promotions.
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Health Beat: Is Cannabis Right for You?
Narration provided by Wondervox.
By Mark McNease
Once Upon a Gummy
I’ll be honest: I’m a cannabis guy. I haven’t had a drink for 9-plus years, but several years ago I wanted something to help with stress management. A friend gave me a cannabis gummy, and I took half of it. After years of apprehension, I discovered the sky did not fall, I didn’t want to run off to the nearest drug dealer or bar stool, and I quite enjoyed it.
After years with a clear head, I do not like feeling intoxicated by anything. I did that for decades as a young person, even having a reputation as a pothead in high school. That kind of misuse, of the psychotropic components of marijuana and of my own mind and body, holds no allure for me at this age and hasn’t for a long time.