Blank Page to Bookshelf: From First Sentence to First Sale: Fiction Writing, Character Creation, and Self-Publishing Basics Now Available
Two years of workshops, one solid book
This was a goal of mine after two years of workshops: to consolidate them into one easy-to-read book. You can now get the ebook on Amazon ($8.95), various other online retaliers, or directly from me for a $2 discount ($6.96 – epub and PDF).
The paperback is avaiable on Amazon and IngramSpark.
About ‘Blank Page to Bookshelf’
Blank Page to Book Shelf: From First Sentence to First Sale: Fiction Writing, Character Creation, and Self-Publishing Basics brings together the core lessons from author and workshop instructor Mark McNease’s writing workshops, distilled into a single, accessible volume for aspiring and emerging writers.
Guiding readers from initial idea through character creation, plotting, revision, and self-publishing, the book emphasizes practical steps and realistic expectations. It demystifies both the creative process and the mechanics of self-publishing, helping writers move from concept to completed book.
Suitable for individual writers, writing groups, and creative workshops, this how-to guide blends craft instruction with actionable publishing guidance.
A clear, encouraging roadmap for turning a blank page into a finished book.
Flemington Book Fest Headed This Way Again – Memorial Day Weekend
I’ll be at the MadeMark Publishing table this year at Act2Book’s annual Flemington Summer Book Fest & Collossal Book Sale.
Authors, books, people, fun. We’re hoping for good weather, but if not, the rain date is Monday the 25th. – Mark
Kim Cook and Mark McNease Book Event at Soupcon / Bucks on Bridge Sunday, May 3
Join authors Kim Cook and Mark McNease for an engaging afternoon of signing, reading and celebrating the power of story in all its forms.
Mark McNease, novelist, publisher, podcaster, and workshop instructor, writes across mystery, speculative fiction and humor, creating character-driven stories that explore identity, resilience, and the beautifully complicated ways we move through the world.
Kim Cook, author of I Am My Father’s Child: A True Story of Mystery, History, Betrayal, and Forgiveness, brings readers into a deeply personal memoir of family, memory, and belonging. Through reflections on her father’s quiet wisdom and the pivotal moments that shape a life, she invites us to consider our own histories, where laughter, loss, and forgiveness intertwine.
About ‘Blank Page to Bookshelf: From First Sentence to First Sale’
In Blank Page to Bookshelf: Fiction Writing, Character Creation, and Self-Publishing with KDP, author and workshop instructor Mark McNease distills years of experience into one clear, practical guide for writers ready to move from idea to finished book.
Designed for writers at any stage, this step-by-step handbook walks you through the entire process—from developing story ideas and creating compelling characters to revising with purpose and confidently publishing on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).
About ‘I Am My Father’s Child: A True Story of Mystery, History, Betrayal, and Forgiveness’
In every life, there are moments that shimmer just beneath the surface of memory—encounters, decisions, and turning points that, at the time, felt ordinary but would come to shape the very fabric of who we are. This book is a journey into such moments: the recollections of a daughter navigating the joys and sorrows of family, the unpredictability of change, and the search for belonging across places and decades.Woven through these pages are the voices of those I have loved and learned from, especially my father, whose gentle wisdom guided me through the tumult and beauty of growing up. As I open these doors to my past, I invite you to step inside, to witnessthe laughter and grief, the certainty and doubt, and perhaps find echoes of your own story along the way.
Audiobook for ‘A Marriage Below Zero’ by Alan Dale Now Available!
Listen to a 20 minute sample – Narration provided by Wondervox
I’ve just released an audiobook edition of ‘A Marriage Below Zero’ by Alan Dale. You can listen to a 20 minute sample by clicking the audio file above OR HERE. It’s just $3.99 at my Payhip storefront storefront, and provides a Zip file with all individual chapters, AND a single MP3 with the entire audiobook.
More about the book …
This month I’ve released a very hidden gem: A Marriage Below Zero, by Alan Dale. It’s one of the earliest published novels to deal with same-sex attraction, narrated by a woman who married a man with a secret life.
A Marriage Below Zero (1889), written by Alan Dale, is a pioneering work of early gay fiction and one of the first English-language novels to center a homosexual male character in a serious, tragic narrative. The story is told from the perspective of Elsie Bouverie, a young woman who enters into what appears to be a promising marriage with the charming and refined Arthur Ravener. At first, their life together seems socially enviable—secure, respectable, and filled with the expectations of Victorian domestic happiness.
But beneath the surface, something is wrong.
Arthur grows emotionally distant, evasive, and restless. Elsie senses that she is not the true object of her husband’s affection. Gradually, she discovers the devastating truth: Arthur is romantically and physically involved with another man. In an era when homosexuality was not only taboo but criminalized, this revelation shatters her understanding of marriage, loyalty, and identity.
Rather than portraying Arthur as a villain, the novel presents him as a man trapped between societal expectations and his authentic self. The “marriage below zero” becomes a metaphor for a union devoid of warmth, passion, and truth—frozen by repression and secrecy. As scandal looms and emotional tensions escalate, the story moves toward a tragic conclusion that reflects the harsh realities faced by gay men in late 19th-century society.
MadeMark Publishing to Offer Public Domain Works, Starting with ‘A Marriage Below Zero’ by Alan Dale
This is exciting. As a way to attracted subscribers to my long-running website, LGBTSr.com, I decided to offer free books of select public domain works. Fiction, nonfition, poetry, more will be revealed.
I’m also publishing them for the general public, as both ebooks and paperbacks.
This month I’ve released a very hidden gem: A Marriage Below Zero, by Alan Dale. It’s one of the earliest published novels to deal with same-sex attraction, narrated by a woman who married a man with a secret life.
A Marriage Below Zero (1889), written by Alan Dale, is a pioneering work of early gay fiction and one of the first English-language novels to center a homosexual male character in a serious, tragic narrative. The story is told from the perspective of Elsie Bouverie, a young woman who enters into what appears to be a promising marriage with the charming and refined Arthur Ravener. At first, their life together seems socially enviable—secure, respectable, and filled with the expectations of Victorian domestic happiness.
But beneath the surface, something is wrong.
Arthur grows emotionally distant, evasive, and restless. Elsie senses that she is not the true object of her husband’s affection. Gradually, she discovers the devastating truth: Arthur is romantically and physically involved with another man. In an era when homosexuality was not only taboo but criminalized, this revelation shatters her understanding of marriage, loyalty, and identity.
Rather than portraying Arthur as a villain, the novel presents him as a man trapped between societal expectations and his authentic self. The “marriage below zero” becomes a metaphor for a union devoid of warmth, passion, and truth—frozen by repression and secrecy. As scandal looms and emotional tensions escalate, the story moves toward a tragic conclusion that reflects the harsh realities faced by gay men in late 19th-century society.
Mark McNease’s Fearsome Fiction Podcast – New Name, Same Great Storytelling: Night Flight to Murder Town – A Marshall James Thriller (Chapters 1 – 3)
Mysteries. Thrillers. Rare Finds.
I’ve renewed, refreshed, and rebranded my fiction podcast, and I’m thrilled to welcome you to the new Mark McNease’s Fearsome Fiction Podcast. Each week I’ll be sharing several chapters of my own harrowing fiction, the kind of stories that creep under your skin and refuse to leave, along with rare and forgotten gems, and select works from other authors whose voices deserve to be heard in the dark.
If you love mysteries with pulse, thrillers with heart, and stories that don’t behave themselves, you’re in exactly the right place.
This week: Night Flight to Murder Town: A Marshall James Thriller (Chapters 1 – 3)
Marshall James returns in Night Flight to Murder Town, Book 4 in the series. He’s thinking about leaving New York City with his husband for a quieter life, away from the relentless pace of the nation’s largest city. But how did he get here in the first place?
After three stories detailing his harrowing Hollywood past — where lovers, losers, and more than one serial killer nearly ended his life before he could make something of it — Marshall finally tells us how and why he left LaLa Land for Gotham.
This is the origin story beneath the scars. The turning point. The night everything changed.
Devil’s Wood Chapter 4: Double Take (AUDIO – Final Tease)
Yes, this is my final offering from the upcoming ‘Devil’s Wood.’ It will be out by this summer, and if you’re hooked listening to these chapter samples, you’ll want to buy the book! Fasten your headphones for one last teaser. Listen to the first three chapters here. – Mark
Devil’s Wood begins when two boys wander into the woods outside Lambertville, New Jersey, and uncover a strange walking stick buried in the soil. One boy feels an immediate, nameless dread and keeps his distance; the other is drawn to it, pulling it free and revealing a grim truth beneath the earth—a human skull buried alongside the object. The discovery hints at an old, unfinished wrong, and a wood that has long remembered what was done there, waiting patiently for someone to find it.
The stick first surfaces in the life of Peter Brightly, a forty-two-year-old antique dealer struggling to hold together the fragments of his life after a painful divorce. As Peter becomes increasingly attached to the object, his health, judgment, and moral center begin to erode. The wood exerts a quiet pull, the past presses closer, and Peter is forced to confront how far he is willing to go to protect his own sanity.
First Clinton, NJ, Library Writers Group of 2026
Select Titles Now On IngramSpark
Not a fan of Amazon? You can now purchase paperback editions of select titles directly from IngramSpark. More to come!
OPEN SECRETS: A MAGGIE DAHL MYSTERY
NIGHT FLIGHT TO MURDER TOWN: A MARSHHALL JAMES THRILLER
BLACK CAT WHITE PAWS: A MAGGIE DAHL MYSTERY
