Born and raised in New York, Mark has also lived in Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and Portland, Oregon. He has worked as a bookstore manager, private investigator, nightclub bouncer, newspaper reporter, freelance writer, and is currently a licensed psychotherapist. Mark is the author of 12 novels and one non-fiction book. He is highly regarded throughout the Northwest region for his trainings on writing, mental health and crisis de-escalation. He has also presented in New York, Beijing, and California.