Featured Interview With Mark M. Bello
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am an attorney and I have practiced law for 40 years. I am married; I live in West Bloomfield, Michigan. I have four adult children and 8 grandchildren. I am passionate about social justice, writing about real life events, and how the legal system might fairly handle them. I have dedicated my career to helping plaintiffs achieve those things. With my books, I look to enlighten and introduce readers to these issues and how they affect all of us. When you first interviewed me, I had published one novel; recently. I completed my 6th Zachary Blake Legal Thriller.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved reading, writing and visual arts. I majored in English Literature in college before going to law school. “To Kill a Mockingbird” made me want to be a lawyer. When I was a young lawyer in the 1980’s, I handled a case for two boys who were sexually abused by a Catholic Priest. The Church defended the case vigorously, engaged in a cover-up and transfer scheme to protect the priest, and even entered into a confidential settlement with some prior victims to avoid exposure. It felt like there was a vast conspiracy of silence, with some “higher up” pulling the strings on what the official reactions to these events would be and how victims and witnesses would be treated. As my career wound down, I promised myself I would write a book about what the experience felt like. In 2015, I sat down, outlined a plot that featured a fictional clandestine organization (“The Coalition” in the novel) within a fictional non-denominational church and began to write. Like my original case, the victims were two brave teenaged boys and a dedicated mother who dared to sue their own church. The outline also featured a down and out lawyer who uses the case as a springboard to resurrect his troubled career. Together, they would embark on a pursuit for justice, culminating in the ‘trial of the century’. Several months later, I completed the first draft of “Betrayal of Faith”. To my great surprise, that novel became the springboard for five more Zachary Blake Social Justice Legal Thrillers.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like reading my own genre, thus, I like Harper Lee (as previously indicated), John Grisham, Scott Turow, Steve Martini, and the like. I also like political, FBI-CIA type stuff. Daniel Silva, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, Brad Thor come to mind. David Baldacci, Richard North Patterson crossover from genre to genre and I enjoy the works of both authors. I enjoy historical anthology authors like George RR Martin and Ken Follet. Outside of those, I like Michael Crighton novels and, finally, Prince of Tides is one of the most “beautiful” books I have ever read—I would love to be able to write like Pat Conroy.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Betrayal High is the 5th book of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series. Like the others, it tackles real issues facing America today: Bullying, school shootings, and gun control. The novel offers multiple character perspectives on the various social and political issues that create an environment for these tragic events to occur, potential solutions, and a look at how the criminal and civil justice systems might appropriately handle the aftermath. I’m getting very positive feedback from beta readers and reviewers. Fan of legal and/or political thrillers will not be disappointed
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