My name is Mark Prior. My short stories relay real-life experiences and educate and entertain the reader.

My diverse background and belief in lifelong learning have contributed to my writing accomplishments. A sample of my background includes:

Phoenix Metro 2020s - Current:

Full time writer/author and active member of various writer’s groups including the Phoenix Writers Club, Arizona Authors, Southwest Writers Group, Shut Up and Write (Phoenix Metro and Glasgow, Scotland).

Have Public Speaking engagements and story readings occasionally.

Part-time traveler, explorer and adventurer.

Lifetime member and active participant in the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary (consisting of family members of Veterans) and doing what I can to assist Veterans in need. Also, the DAV Get Help Now website is a valuable resource.

Denver Metro 1990s - Early 2020s

Book Buddies Program creator and coordinator at the Tennyson Home for Children, and part-time book sales for Books are Fun (affiliated with Reader’s Digest) in Denver, Colorado

Master’s degree in Computer Information Systems from Denver University and Software Developer in Denver, Colorado

Devoted Husband, Father, Soccer Coach, Cub Scout Pack Leader and Odyssey of the Mind Coach in Denver, Colorado

1980s - Tax collection from commercial vehicles as a Port of Entry Officer in Fort Morgan and Idaho Springs, Colorado. Hobbies included hiking, fishing, skiing and country western dancing.

Flint and Ann Arbor, Michigan Mid 70s - Full time traveler and adventurer as I left Michigan and headed west to look for a new home. Adventures included: Working in a Native American lumber camp in Idaho; Picking cherries with migrant workers in Montana and Washington State; Driving down the West Coast from Vancouver, Canada to Tijuana, Mexico and exploring sites and cities on the way; Hiking the Grand Canyon and finally settling in Colorado where 300 plus days of sunshine and mountain adventures and skiing were waiting.

Mid 70s - Bachelor’s degree in Geography/Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Early 70s - Seasonal Truck/Tractor Driver for the Department of Public Works in Flint, Michigan and various other jobs to help pay for college.

Mid 50s and 60s - Born in 1953 and have many fond memories of family (2 boys and 2 girls), Michigan (Water Winter Wonderland), and growing up in Flint Michigan