Mark S. Bacon

Mark S. Bacon began his career as a Southern California newspaper police reporter, one of his crime stories becoming key evidence in a murder case that spanned decades. After working for two newspapers, he moved to advertising and marketing when he became a copywriter for Knott's Berry Farm, the large theme park down the road from Disneyland. Experience working at Knott's formed part of the inspiration for his creation of the Nostalgia City theme park. "Death in Nostalgia City" is the first book in Bacon's Nostalgia City mystery series. It introduces ex-cop, now cab driver, Lyle Deming and Kate Sorensen, the theme park's PR director and a former college basketball star. The book is recommended for book clubs by the American Library Association and was an award winner at the San Francisco Book Festival. Second book in the series, "Desert Kill Switch," was the top fiction winner in the 2018 Great Southwest Book Festival. Other books in the series are also available. Desert Kill Switch was debuted at Anne Saller's Book Carnival mystery bookstore in Orange, Calif. Before turning to fiction, Bacon wrote business books including one printed in four languages and three editions, named best business book of the year by the Library Journal, and selected by the Book of the Month Club. His articles have appeared in the Washington Post, Cleveland Plain Dealer, San Antonio Express News, Orange County Register and many other publications. Most recently he was a correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle. Bacon is the author of flash fiction mystery books including, "Cops, Crooks and Other Stories in 100 Words - Revised Edition." He taught journalism at Cal Poly University - Pomona, the University of Nevada - Reno and the University of Redlands He earned an MA in mass media from UNLV and a BA in journalism from Fresno State. He gets many of his fiction ideas while walking his golden retriever.