Mark lives in his home town of Monrovia California, the recipient of degrees in Physics and Math, and a lifelong reader of fantasy and SciFi. The son of loving middle class parents, he spent 25 years of his life caring for them and watching his Dad’s health deteriorate from Parkinson’s Disease. It was during this time that he discovered his talent for, and love of, writing stories. The result was joy brought to the Tierno household as well as an epic that spans 13 novels.
“A world beyond time… an adventure beyond imagining.”
Let’s welcome Mark Tierno,
Real Answer Real Authors: Why did you decide to publish?
Mark: Well, my old publisher who shall remain nameless (cough_PublishAmerica-cough) simply did not look out, or care for, its authors. Their idea of marketing was to nickel and dime their own authors instead of trying to sell to the general public. Since 100% of the work of marketing, selling, and distribution was left up to the authors, then why not publish it myself and get 100% of the profits. After all it IS my hard work and creativity.
RARA: What titles have you published to date?
Mark: “Maldene” is my big fantasy epic, with the first novel out as a two-volume set due to sheer size and my lack of notoriety. It is a story of epic fantasy that also blends in some Sci-Fi in future novels in the series. Seeing as how it’s a 13-novel series, I really need to get this first book selling first before I bring out the others.
RARA: How are you currently marketing your book and what has given you the best results?
Mark: Right now I’ve been looking into Social Media Marketing through Facebook. It’s the cheapest alternative that I can currently find, doesn’t require a really big marketing firm, and is something I can do while still at home working on my next story. As far as results, it’s still too early to tell yet.
RARA: Are there any books or websites that you have found the most useful?
Mark: Definitely! LinkedIn is a great treasure trove of contacts just waiting to help you out. I have seen people on there where I’m thinking, “Hey, I’ve seen the movie this guy wrote!” It’s where I got into contact with a couple of helpful people as well as a group of other authors that I am currently working on a set of stories with.
RARA: What has been your greatest challenge in self publishing?
Mark: Letting the world know that you exist, finding out what to do after putting your own label on your book, and interacting more with the real world. A lot of us writers aren’t really on great terms with the real world.
RARA: What is the best advice or tip you can give a new and aspiring author?
Mark: Don’t give up! Some people may tell you that you only have a one in a million chance of making it as an author, but you have a ZERO chance if you give up. If writing is your passion, if you start to go through withdrawals if you’ve been away from the keyboard for too long, and if you have some stories that you REALLY need to get out, then just keep on trying.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark lives in his home town of Monrovia California, the recipient of degrees in Physics and Math, and a lifelong reader of fantasy and SciFi. The son of loving middle class parents, while Mark had a good enough childhood that allowed him to develop both intellectually and creatively, in the middle of High School his father developed Parkinson’s Disease. What followed was 25 years of watching his Dad and the family finances get worse and worse, helping out his mother with his Dad while finishing up his MS in Physics. A lifelong reader of Fantasy and Sci-Fi, when added tragedy, in the form of his grandpa’s old house burning to the ground, struck, the resulting insurance money eased off the collective burden enough to allow Mark to start writing a series of books that he had been developing in his head for the previous 15 years.
The result was some joy brought into the Tierno household to offset the bleak circumstances that an ailing father can bring. Caring for his father up through his death became a full-time job, but even so he was able to pen an amazing series of books that have few- if any- equals. This creative effort became the light in the darkness, bringing back some hope and joy and turning the house back into a home.
His father never lived to see it published, but his mother lived long enough to see it first published and a chapter or two read in a library before a small audience. Now his goal is to see his life’s work bring pleasure to the world outside his own.
In total, Maldene spans 13 novels, 5.2 million words, 250 characters, many worlds and dimensions, thousands of years, and is a unique blend of both Fantasy and Science fiction, coupled with skillful prose and realistic characterizations that put it head and shoulders above everything else out today. You will get lost in a story that will have you wondering if- somewhere out there- the world of Maldene just might exist. Maldene is the first book in a series that will redefine the word Epic.
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