Mark Beyer

Mark Beyer has lived in the Czech Republic, Spain, France, and on a Maltese island. He has written about Gozoan fishing villages, the Bohemian capital’s “storybook” lanes, bull running in Pamplona, and living at the base of Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc. Born and raised in the Chicago area, he taught fiction writing at Columbia College Chicago, was a book editor in New York City, and worked for many years as a journalist. His writing has won awards for the short story (Columbia University Scholastic Competition, 1998) and for news features (Florida Association of News Publications, 2004). His children’s literature, written for schools and libraries, has been translated into numerous languages. Read sample chapters that you won't find on the book-buying sites by going over to http://markbeyerauthor.blogspot.com. "Max, the blind guy" (June 2015) grew from a recognition on a street in Prague. My first novel, THE VILLAGE WIT, is the story of Richard Bentley, an American who owns a bookstore in the English Cotswolds, a hilly, picturesque land NW of London. Bentley is escaping his past failures with women, most recently his wife of 13 years, and hiding from his memories, which find him, most nights. When he hires a local townswoman, Peggy White, neither thinks anything much of the other. But then they see one another in a different light, and things start to happen. In WHAT BEAUTY, the narrator, Minus Orth, is a sculptor living in NYC, who crosses paths with a bag lady whom he recognizes from the past. He doesn't know her, but he's read her famous books on art criticism and American society. He develops a tenuous relationship with her, while, at the same time, he is searching for a new project; something he has never thought about before, a project that could change his life. As these two stories converge, the question about identity, art, and ego play more roles than either of them could imagine. MAX, THE BLIND GUY asks the question, “What holds a man and woman together after 40 years of marriage, co-operative infidelity, and too many painful memories?” The answer makes the story of this American couple, on the road & rails of Europe, for one final trip to savor what they had. The digital version of “Max”was serialized beginning June 12th … it’s time to bring back the honor of the novel, and allow all the busy readers a chance to enjoy the stories they craves in smaller, manageable chapter-length sizes. I once lived in middle-America. Now I reside in Europe. It’s a pleasant continent. My motto is . . . “read, live, write” I'm writing a new novel, and blogging at http://www.bibliogrind.com about books, writing, and social media. I'm on FB, TWITTER, and linkedIN.