Doctor Markus lives on a yacht and travels, writing novels, short stories, articles, and ghostwriting. He is over-educated with a serious case of wanderlust.
Markus’ books will entertain you with his engaging characters and unusual settings/plots. He explores the chaos of being human: tragedy and suffering (not always of our own doing), and how we triumph—or fail. What does it mean to navigate this world as a human?
Click on each book cover for more.
Such Chaos is a sample collection of four stories from Doctor Markus. Free or .99. Click to download from your favorite retailer.
SNEAK PEEKS
- Early drafts of works in progress
- Excerpts from published books
- Interesting tidbits from Markus’s research for his books
- Thoughts and musing on life and writing
Some early drafts are only for patrons. You can join below.
Sneak Peak: Thomas “Pegleg” Smith (1801-1866) in a new historical fiction novel
Pegleg Smith was a historical character known mostly for his legendary lost mine in the California desert. Read this brief introduction to the man, as a character in Markus McDowell’s forthcoming historical fiction novel about Desert Steve Ragsdale, the founder of Desert center, California, in 1921.
BOOK REVIEWS
Markus is constantly reading, and reviews every book. Read his summaries and recommendations here.
Are you an author who has a book you would like reviewed by Markus? Click here for more information.
Book Review: Middle-Earth Lore (Tolkien) by Jeb Smith
A review of “Middle Earth Lore” by Jeb Smith, a comprehensive view of Tolkien’s world in Lord of the Rings trilogy and beyond. Review by Dr. Markus McDowell.
CURRENT BOOK IN PROGRESS
Who Dwell in the Desert:
A Novel of Desert Steve
Desert. Sun. Sand. And no roads or human settlements within 50 miles in any direction. The perfect place to found a town?
That’s what Steve Ragsdale believed. So he and his wife bundled up their four kids in their 1915 Ford Model T, bought a local prospector’s shack and well, and built a fuel station (a 50-gallon drum), a repair garage, and café. He advertised “Free food on days the sun doesn’t shine” and “No drunks, no dogs—we prefer dogs.” He was the mayor, sheriff, rockhound, author, naturalist, desert guide, and Santa Claus at Christmastime. He became one of the local “Desert Rats” and earned the moniker “Desert Steve.” Along the way, he became part of history: the construction of the first State and National highways, the invention of prepaid healthcare, General Patton and World War II, the largest iron mine in the United States, flying saucer sightings, and much more.
Based on a true story, this is the tale of a quirky, clever, and bold man who pursued a dream, wrote bad poetry, and found ways to survive when many would have perished or packed it in.