Mark Gagnon
Bio
My life has been spent traveling here and abroad. Now it's time to write.
I have three published books: Mitigating Circumstances, Short Stories for Open Minds, and Short Stories from an Untethered Mind. Unmitigated Greed is do out soon.
Achievements (1)
Stories (451)
Filter by community
Fairyland TV News
“Welcome to the Fairyland 6 o’clock news. I’m Peter Pumpkin Eater, and here is what’s breaking as we speak. A tragic series of events occurred this afternoon involving Mr. Mouse and a clock. For more, let’s go to Henny Penny, who is speaking with Mr. Mouse.”
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Humor
Mitigating Circumstances, a Critique
An international crime syndicate takes over a pharmaceutical company to produce a highly addictive drug. Several board members block its release. They hire male and female assassins to eliminate the troublemakers. The assassins use a motorcoach tour to move from city to city. Mitigating Circumstances disrupt their murderous plans.
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Critique
Death Warmed Over
Do you like detective stories or zombie stories? If your answer is yes to both questions, you’re going to love Kevin J Anderson’s Death Warmed Over. The main character is a zombie detective looking for his girlfriend's killer, who is a poltergeist. It all happens in New Orleans.
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Critique
Ivanhoe
Knights, castles, jousts, sword fights, palace intrigue, oh yes, and romance, what’s not to like? Ivanhoe, a story set in thirteenth-century England, has everything a seventh-grader could ask for. I hated reading until Miss Hilferty assigned this story to our literature class. One story can change the world.
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Critique
The Art of Clandestine Living
Xavier came from an area of São Paulo, Brazil, known as a favela, or slum. Many Brazilian cities have them, and normally if you’re born in one, you will die there. In order to escape this gang-controlled squalor, and very few ever do, a person needs a special talent or extraordinary intellect, or both. Xavier is such a person.
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Criminal
Oh—You’re a Writer!
I live in a 55+ community. Some of us still work, but most of the residents fill their days with exercise classes, card games, Mahjong, Bingo, and various social clubs. Since the community is in South Florida, the pool is always a popular location. Evenings offer regular activities like “Tipsy Tuesdays and concerts or dance bands on Friday nights. Of course, all the evening activities are over by no later than 9 o’clock. The old people mustn’t stay out too late or they could have an accident driving their golf carts home.
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Writers
Unmitigated Greed
Chapter 2 Frank was angry, and having no one person to direct his anger at, he turned it loose on everyone. The summer before his senior year of high school was a mixture of fights and uncontrolled drinking in the cantinas of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. It was during one such night that he overheard two men talking about back-alley prize fights. He was still sober enough to ask where the fights were being held and how he could enter.
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Critique
Asimov—Future Present
When I’m asked who my favorite author is, my immediate response is Isaac Asimov. Usually, their response is, who or, he writes sci-fi? I never read that stuff. If I ask why not, there are usually several stock answers. None of it makes any sense. I prefer real-life stories, not people flying around between planets. Romance is my thing, not little green men. They usually follow all these responses with, how can you read that junk?
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in BookClub
Stay Awake Stay Alive
I had no idea a person can stay awake this long. I know I’ve never done it before. It’s been over 48 hours since this sinister voice took up residence in my head. The beast that’s speaking isn’t even in the same building I’m in. His pod, its term for the community of creatures that have taken up residence in the building next to mine, call themselves The Originals. According to their leader, the species predates man by over twenty thousand years. People haven’t always been their primary source of food, but as the planet transformed, they adapted.
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Horror
Unmitigated Greed
Prologue Zurich, Switzerland Valentine Fuchs sat in his comfortable recliner, immerced in the spectacular view of Lake Zurichsee and the mountains beyond from his fifth-floor den while sipping an expensive cognac. He had just finished watching a 60 Minutes piece on the supply chain debacle happening in the U.S. He was very familiar with how difficult it had become to move products from location to location. Distribution was more complicated for his businesses because what they had to transport was all contraband. Drugs, knock-off designer items, and even oil from embargoed countries like Iran and Russia, needed to go from producer to end user.
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Critique
Mitigating Circumstances
Chapter 1 Problem Solving Several weeks had passed and Andrew was getting annoyed with the apparent lack of progress his associates had made. He had resolved to call them in for a meeting to discuss the issue when he received a text from Yuri requesting a meeting. Li had already returned to China leaving Yuri to explain the plan to Andrew. The two men sat in Andrews well appointed home study to discuss what was to take place.
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Chapters
