Mark S. Bacon, author of Death in Nostalgia City, Interview
Bio:
Later his career moved into other
forms of communication but his early background covering a daily police beat
and working for a theme park was part of the inspiration for his theme park
mystery.
Bacon later wrote
TV commercials for an advertising agency, was public relations manager for a
financial trade association, marketing director for a southern California
financial institution, and later managed his own marketing consulting firm.
For nearly 20
years Bacon had a parallel career as an adjunct college professor teaching
business writing and journalism. He
taught journalism at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona, UNLV,
the University of Redlands and the University of Nevada - Reno. He taught business at Fullerton (Calif.)
College and Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno, Nev.
Write Like the Pros, published by John
Wiley & Sons, was Bacon’s first book. It applies the techniques of journalism and
copywriting to written business communication.
His next book for Wiley, Do-It-Yourself
Direct Marketing: Secrets for Small Business, was named a best business
book of the year by the Library Journal,
was printed in three editions and four languages. His most recent book was Mysteries and Murder, a collection of crime flash fiction stories
published by Ether Books.
He earned a BA in
journalism from Fresno State University and an MA in mass communication/media
criticism from UNLV.
His articles have
appeared in the Washington Post, Kansas
City Star, Denver Post, USAir Magazine, Trailer Life, Cleveland Plain Dealer,
San Antonio Express-News, The Orange County Register, Working Woman, and
other publications. He is a former
columnist for BusinessWeek Online and most recently was a regular correspondent
for the San Francisco Chronicle where
he wrote on travel, outdoors and entertainment.
Bacon is a former
president of the Orange County Chapter of the International Association of
Business Communicators. He and his wife,
Anne, and their golden retriever, Willow, live in Reno, Nevada. www.baconsmysteries.com
DEATH IN NOSTALGIA CITY
He thinks he’s on edge now…then people start getting killed…
“Stressed-out” has been ex-cop Lyle Deming’s default setting
for years, but his new job, driving a cab in a theme park, promises to cure his
chronic anxieties. Nostalgia City is the ultimate resort for anyone who wants
to visit the past. A meticulous recreation of an entire small town from the
early 1970s, it’s complete with period cars, music, clothes, shops,
restaurants, hotels—the works.
The relaxed, theme-park atmosphere is just what Lyle
needs—until rides are sabotaged and tourists killed. Then park founder,
billionaire “Max” Maxwell, drafts Lyle into investigating—unofficially. As the
violence escalates and employees get rattled, Lyle gets help. Kate Sorensen,
the park’s PR director—and former college basketball player—becomes another
incognito investigator. Except that she’s six-foot-two-and-a-half-inches tall
and drop-dead gorgeous. So much for incognito.
Together, Lyle and Kate unravel a conspiracy of corporate
greed and murder.
“Death
in Nostalgia City is a fascinating mystery set in a highly authentic world
of 60s & 70s nostalgia - and the story works compellingly on both
levels. It’s an excellent read that’s loaded with iconic touchstones of
‘60s-‘70s pop culture - music, fashion, TV, movies. Death in Nostalgia
City is a blast!”
--Dick
Bartley - host of radio’s "The Classic Countdown" and
"Rock & Roll’s Greatest Hits" - member of the Radio Hall of
Fame.
OTHER BOOKS BY MARK BACON
Write Like the Pros
How to use the techniques of ad writers and journalists in
business
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1988
Selected by: Book of the Month Club, Quality Paperback Book
Club, Fortune Book Club.
Do-It-Yourself Direct Marketing
John Wiley and Sons, Inc.; First edition, 1992; Updated
paperback edition, 1994; Second edition, completely revised, 1997. Named:
A Best Business Book of the Year by the Library Journal
Selected by: Book of the Month Club, BusinessWeek Book
Club, Fortune (magazine) Book Club. Printed in four languages; sold on
four continents.
The California Escape Manual
How to relocate from urban California to a small town in a
small state
Archer & Clark Publishing, 1998
Self-published book was marketing only in California and
sold nearly 5,000 copies. Favorably reviewed or subject of lengthy
feature articles/photos/interviews in about 35 newspapers, magazines and radio
stations.
Cops, Crooks and Other Stories in 100 Words
Archer & Clark Publishing, 2012
Self-published flash fiction stories in e-book
format. Many of the stories were printed first in online literary
magazines.
Mysteries and Murder
Ether Books, 2013
Crime flash fiction stories published by British firm for
reading, via an app, on smart phones and mobile devices.
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