Mark Love shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Mark, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
At a recent art festival, I had all 10 of my books on display. During the first hour of the event, a middle aged woman stopped by to check them out. She kept glancing at the covers, then back to me. She asked if I was the author. When I confirmed that, she shook her head.
“That’s a terrible pen name,” she said.
“It’s my real name.”
Apparently my response didn’t registered with her. “Seriously. Mark Love. Sounds like someone who would be writing porn. You could have picked a better name.”
“It’s not a pen name. I didn’t get to pick it. My parents gave it to me.”
Her eyes went wide. “Your real name?”
“Yep”
“I didn’t mean to insult you,” she said. Her cheeks were bright red now.
“Forget it, ” I said with a laugh. “Happens all the time.”
“I’d better buy a book to make it up to you.”
“That works.”
After she moved along, I kept laughing. The vendor at the next space had overheard the exchange and started to laugh as well.
Recalling that event still makes me chuckle.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m the author of several mysteries that are set in Detroit, Michigan. From a young age, I’ve been an avid reader and was always drawn to mystery stories. Although I never set out to write a series, I have created two (so far).
The Jamie Richmond books combine mysteries with romance (hey, when your last name is Love, people expect you to have a bit of romance in your tales). There are 5 books to date. “Devious”, “Vanishing Act” “Fleeing Beauty” “Stealing Haven” and “Chasing Favors”. The character was an investigative reporter for one of the large local newspapers in metropolitan Detroit. After successfully following stories for a number of years, Jamie decides to pursue her passion of writing mysteries. While doing research for her books, Jamie uncovers an actual crime. And she can’t ignore it. She wants to figure out who’s behind the mischief and help the police bring them to justice. Jamie starts dating Malone, who is a sergeant with the Michigan State Police. That relationship pays dividends when she gets into trouble.
The Jefferson Chene mysteries are police procedural stories. Three books to date are “Why 319?” “Your Turn to Die” and “The Wayward Path”. Chene is the lead detective for a squad with the State Police that investigates major crimes that occur in metro Detroit.
I worked as a freelance reporter for over seven years. That experience led to the creation of both protagonists.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
I was fortunate to have a couple of different mentors over the years. One was an old Navy guy named Art. He and I often got paired up to work on various projects from the time I was 16. He enforced the idea in me that any job, no matter how big or how small, was worth doing well. At the same time, if we could have a laugh or two, that wasn’t a bad thing.
Art recognized that a world without humor was dull and boring. As such, he encouraged me to look for the fun in everyday things and share those with others.
Another man I met who had a tremendous impact on my life as a writer was novelist Elmore Leonard. He was the award winning author of “Get Shorty”, “Freaky Deaky”, “Out of Sight” and many more.
I met him at a little bookstore in downtown Detroit where he was doing an autograph session. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a crowd. Once he learned that I was interested in writing fiction, we had a conversation that lasted almost an hour. Leonard encouraged me to keep writing and offered sage advice about dialogue.
“With contemporary stories, keep in mind that people don’t speak in complete sentences,” Leonard said. “Listen to conversations. Once you get dialogue down, the rest of the story is easy.”
That was back in 1991. I still think about how gracious he was, offering words of encouragement to a struggling author. Remembering that conversation inspires me to keep writing.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
This is a good question.
I’d tell young me to find a way to go to college right after high school. Figure out how to make that happen. And then the big one: pursue a career that appeals to you, something that you find interesting and exciting.
After high school I started working in the family trucking business. It was expected of me. There was no support to pursue going to college, if I wanted to. I worked long hours each week, learning the different aspects of the business. But it was never something I truly enjoyed. And working in a family operation meant that there was no escape. Business matters were often discussed whenever we got together for the holidays or any social gathering.
A dozen years later, I left the family business and started going to college. Eventually I earned a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management. Along the way, in addition to business courses, I took a few journalism and creative writing classes. That led to a career in HR and a side hustle working as a freelance reporter.
Now I write mysteries and I’m an adjunct professor at the local college.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
That I believe we’re all on this earth to help each other.
In addition to teaching at the college (helping students learn the material and prepare for their careers) I’m a lead volunteer at a local food pantry. This is something I’ve been doing for a long time. Being able to help people make a difference in their world is an essential part of life.
This also applies to my efforts as a writer. If a reader can put all the craziness of their own world on hold for a while and escape into one of my stories, that’s a great gift. I’ve met people who hadn’t read fiction in years but after reading one of my books, they couldn’t wait to read more. Some read my stories for the entertainment. Others read them to learn something new, whether it’s about my characters or the situations they find themselves in.
One way or another, we’re helping each other.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
That money isn’t the most important thing in my life.
Teachers are drastically underpaid. Many understand that from the very beginning, but recognize that teaching students, regardless of their age, is the reward we get. Seeing students master the material and skills needed to move on to the next level can be gratifying,
While I would love to see one of my books at the top of the New York Times bestseller list, or have it made into a movie, I know that either of those is a long shot. The volume of competition is incredible. It’s doubtful that I’ll make a million dollars from my efforts as a writer. But I’m okay with that.
My immediate family means the world to me. That’s what is important. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://motownmysteries.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motownmysteries
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markslove/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkLoveAuthor
- Other: https://www.threads.net/@motownmysteries
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B009P7HVZQ
Image Credits
“Why 319?” and “Your Turn to Die” by R J Morris
“The Wayward Path” by Debbie Taylor
“Devious” and “Vanishing Act” by Dawne Dominique
“Fleeing Beauty” by Shades of Rose Media
“Stealing Haven” and “Chasing Favors” by Fantasia Frog Design
