About Mark
I was born in the Great White North. Yeah, you've already got a taste of my sarcastic side. Okay, maybe not the Arctic, but the chilly, wintry city of Montreal in the late '60s.
Growing up, I was all about hockey on outdoor rinks and baseball on grassless fields. When we were stuck inside, reading was the perfect way to escape the boredom of our minimal TV options. My brother and I would stage impromptu indoor hockey games and, to our mom's horror, wrestling matches to pass the time.
One day, I found this slightly beat-up book with an image of three boys crouched at the gates of a cemetery. I started reading and got totally hooked. "The Mystery of the Laughing Shadow" was the book, and the "Three Investigators Series" took my love for books to a whole new level. I mean, what could be cooler than having a secret hangout in a junkyard and solving mysteries? Books became my go-to gift request and still are today.
But soon, reading wasn't enough. I had to write and create. Class writing assignments? Loved them. Of course, I often ignored the teacher's topic. The worst days were when we had to skip composition to catch up on math.
I was a teen in the mid-'80s. Was I a nerd or a geek? Good question. Probably "early grunge." My love for music was just as strong as my passion for reading. The Who were my rock gods, with their concert poster hanging in my room for years. By the late '80s and early '90s, bands like Faith No More, Sonic Youth, and Alice in Chains dominated my headphones. And yeah, my novels are definitely influenced by music.
By the time I started university, I swore I'd write a novel one day. I figured I'd get it done in a year. Yeah, right. University life and the real world have a way of messing with your plans. I graduated and got into the business world. Even there, I found some creative outlets, like co-editing a satirical faculty magazine. But my pages and pages of writing got stashed away...until.
Yep, I love satire and sarcastic humor. I was glued to the TV whenever SCTV was on. John Candy doing Monday Night Curling is pure gold—total Canadian fact.
My Novels
My first novel, "The Boys Who Danced With The Moon," has been simmering since my youth. The spark finally turned into a flame, and boom, a novel was born. Soon enough, new ideas and characters led to my second novel, "Munching on the Sun."
The most challenging one, "Time's Musicians," launched on January 20, 2020, and was a semi-finalist for the Booklife Prize in Young Adult Literature in 2020!
My novels share a common thread. They're character-driven stories about teens and young adults, mostly offbeat characters, searching for their place in the world. They're all on a journey—a journey I hope you join them on. You might see yourself in one, many, or even all of the characters. Or maybe you'll catch a glimpse of someone you know. The beauty of reading is that it's a unique and deeply personal experience.
Please Write a Review
My books are here for you to read, enjoy, and hopefully inspire you. Please take a moment to write a review, no matter how short or long. Word of mouth is the lifeblood of an author these days.
Stay Connected
Finally, let's stay in touch. I still live in my hometown with my wife, three sons, our cat (Amber), and our goldendoodle (Baci). You can keep up with me on Twitter: twitter.com/markpauloleksiw.
