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Welcome to It's Raining Books. Was writing your first love?
No, I assume we are not talking about people like my mother, father, wife, children or grandchildren. Activities? I would have to say that sports was my “first love.”
Where do you like to write?
I have a home in Michigan and a Florida apartment. I have writing desks in each residence. I like to write at my desks.
Is writing everything you thought it would be?
I enjoy writing. Yes, the writing part is everything I thought or hoped it would be. Finding success or enough readers to keep at it is the challenge.
Who is/was your favorite character to write about?
While I like all my characters, Zachary Blake is the adhesive in all my novels and I have enjoyed writing his journey from down and out, almost disbarred, failure to Detroit’s “King of Justice.” Each of my novels have antagonists, which are also fun to write, and allow me to exhibti a ‘dark side’ that I didn’t know I had.
How do you form your story ideas?
Most of my ideas come from the “headline” legal issues of our day. Others come from legal experience and how I believe the justice system would or should handle a particular issue.
Do you keep notes during the day? (In case something inspires you or, if you had a lively conversation and thought, “Hey that would be great in a book.”)
Definitely “yes” to the second part of the question “hey that would be a great book topic.” As to the first, I wouldn’t say I keep notes. If I get an idea, I sit down and try to outline how to turn it into a compelling novel. I have been known to text myself, though.
Do you write in one sitting or in bursts?
I am definitely a “fits and spurts” writer.
What was the last book you read? Did it live up to your expectations?
The Breaker, by Nick Petrie. It was what I expected it to be.
What are some of your most difficult parts to write?
Background narrative and settings are difficult for me. I prefer action and dialogue.
Did this book follow your original plan? Or did it turn into something completely different?
Some of my past books took different turns, but Betrayal at the Border followed the plan from beginning to end. There were unexpected “quirks,” but the plan remained intact throughout. I am very proud of the result.
Did your characters ever stop talking to you at any point in your writing?
Interesting question. I’ve never thought of it that way. I am constantly thinking about how a particular character might react to a situation or statement made by another. Would the action or dialogue stop here? Is it time for a new chapter? Is there a cliffhanger? Are they progressing to a logical or interesting conclusion? But I can’t say they “speak to me.”
Was it hard to stay motivated during your writing process? What were some of your go-to strategies to stay on point?
Sometimes, the juices just don’t flow. I have no particular ‘go-to’ strategies. I just put it down and pick it up later, sometimes, much later.
Do you have a playlist for this book? Or any song that helped you develop a particular scene?
“Coming to America” by Neil Diamond. “Free. Only want to be free. We huddle close. Hang on to a dream.” America should be for today’s immigrants what it was to our parents, grandparents and great grandparents. People just want to escape tyranny and be free. Can’t we be warmer and more welcoming?
Lastly, what is one key piece of advice you would give to anyone wishing to go down the writing path?
Write for the sheer enjoyment, the pleasure of writing, much like someone else would enjoy sports, movies, reading, or a hobby. If you plan to make a career out of it, make sure you can afford the investment in time and money.
In Betrayal at the Border, attorney Zachary Blake returns to tackle two cases that strike at the heart of our nation's contentious immigration debate.
In Riverview, Michigan, undocumented immigrants Miguel and Mary Carmen Gonzalez are determined to realize the American dream. They find jobs at a local filler plant, have children, and lead an all-American life, that is until ICE raids their plant . . .
Canan and Karim Izady are naturalized citizens of the United States. They have immigrated legally from Kurdistan and have an American born daughter, Hana. Unable to persuade her mother to follow the young family to America, Canan and Hana travel to an ISIS hotbed so the child may meet her grandmother for the first time. With the war over, what could possibly go wrong?
Two unique immigrant families, two uniquely dangerous consequences of America’s dysfunctional immigration system. Enter Zachary Blake, superstar lawyer.
But, for the first time in a long time, Blake is out of his element—immigration law calls for the expertise of his specialist/partner, Marshall Mann. Together, two extraordinary lawyers take on a terrorist network and a broken immigration system. And master investigator Micah Love returns, racing against the clock to prevent tragic circumstances. In our politically charged, anti-immigrant international climate, will a Hail Mary be their only move?
Award-winning legal thriller author, Mark M. Bello, pits our nation's broken immigration system against important human and social justice rights issues, spinning a tale that shines a bright light on the everyday fears of immigrants all over these United States. Can Blake, Mann, and Love prevent a Betrayal at the Border?
Read an Excerpt
The Gonzalez family continued to live their lives as if there was no threat to their safety or freedom. What choice did they have? President Golding and ICE made good on their threats to communities in Texas, Mississippi, Arizona, California, and Florida, but raids had not yet happened in Detroit. However, everything changed in mid-September, the second week of school.
Reporters interrupted evening programming to announce ICE raids on businesses and manufacturing plants in Detroit and surrounding communities. Emma was horrified. She was convinced ICE would walk into Mama and Papa’s plant or, worse, break into their home and take her parents away, right before her eyes. She implored Mary Carmen and Miguel to stay home from work and hide or get in the car and drive away. She didn’t care where they went, provided they went somewhere where ICE was not grabbing people off the streets and taking them away.
Miguel tried to soothe his daughter. He told her everything was under control at the plant. The people he worked for would take care of them. They were ready if ICE agents came. People called lawyers were waiting by the telephone. They knew immigration law better than anyone and would protect Miguel and Mary Carmen.
“We are good citizens. We work hard, contribute to the economy, and pay our taxes,” Miguel explained. Emma understood only the ‘work hard’ and ‘good citizen’ parts of his explanation. He’s not a citizen, though, she reasoned, with maturity beyond her years. That’s the problem!
Of course, none of Miguel’s assurances were true. Miguel and Mary Carmen were undocumented. They had a small savings account and too little money to hire expensive lawyers to fight deportation. If ICE raided the plant, there was little the Gonzalez family or any other similarly situated family could do to prevent the consequences. They couldn’t run, and they had no place else to go. If they did decide to run, without their jobs, they would soon run out of money. They knew the day would come when their freedom would be threatened, but they hoped it would be later than sooner, perhaps after some type of amnesty program was introduced for people in their situation.
The following day, Miguel and Mary Carmen kissed their children goodbye and put them on the school bus. They pre-arranged with their pastor and members of their church to monitor the situation and make sure the kids were picked up and housed if anything happened at the plant. The church rallied to their side, offering the children room and board, if necessary. The couple watched and waved as the bus disappeared down the street. Emma and Emilio sat at the back window, waving, watching their parents disappear.
Will we see each other again? Miguel wondered, his eyes tearing as the bus drove away.
“Mis hijos!” Mary Carmen cried, clutching her husband, burying her face in his chest. “What will become of them?”
The couple embraced for a few precious moments. Finally, they separated and walked to the car.
About the Author:
A Michigan native, Mark received his B.A. in English Literature from Oakland University and his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. After working extremely high-profile legal cases, Mark wanted to give the public a front-row glimpse of what victims face when standing up for justice.
Combining his legal experience and passion for justice with a creative writing style, Mark not only brings high-quality legal services to his clients but captivating novels to his readers.
When Mark’s not writing legal and political novels, he writes and posts about fairness and justice in the civil justice system on his website, Legal Examiner and NotFakeNews. In his spare time, Mark enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. Mark and his wife, Tobye, have four children and 8 grandchildren.
Contact: https://www.markmbello.com/contact
Website: https://www.markmbello.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkMBelloBooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JusticeFellow
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16283795.Mark_M_Bello
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mark-m-bello
Medium: https://medium.com/authority-magazine/lawyer-and-author-mark-m-8e59acf7b054
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Border-Zachary-Blake-Thriller-ebook/dp/B09FYJ6MWN/
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