Look and Listen

Biography

I've always loved to read. Some of my fondest memories from childhood revolve around books. I grew up in Houston, Texas, in a subdivision with spreading pecan & oak trees as well as thick pine forest. The neighborhood was a place of adventures. I became interested in writing while in Middle School, actually. My sixth grade teacher put us through a poetry writing unit. That opened my eyes to descriptive language. I wrote short stories through my high school years, but never had an interest in getting anything published. I wrote my first novel-length tale while in college--and discovered that writing was--for me--a great deal of fun. It took many years of my elementary students saying "This is good! You should get it published!" before I stepped out on my own. You see, I'd spent 20 years (from writing my first book in college forward) trying to get someone to look at my work and see something worthwhile. No one took a look. My books never made it out of the slush pile. I came out of college an elementary educator. I took a job teaching fourth grade in the Texas Hill Country. I still live in the same small town, although I no longer teach fourth grade. Today, I'm the district's Assistant Director of Technology--and remain actively involved with children. I was nominated for and listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers courtesy of some of my students. I have also been twice listed in Who's Who Among Young American Professionals. I love to read, listen to music, take photographs, and am an amateur astronomer--something I started while in high school. I contribute to my community by service in my church and other civic efforts. I write under the pen name of M. Bradley Davis for a simple reason: there are far too many Mark Davises in the world! I published my first novel as an Independent Writer in 2001. I now have five books for sale and more on the way...

Inspiration

The main source of inspiration for me is, without doubt, the young people I encounter every day. Bits and pieces of them appear in various characters. Sometimes it's a face or an expression, sometimes a habit or an act someone carries out. I don't, as a rule, write people I know into my stories--but if they look hard enough, I suspect they'll find themselves sprinkled all through! I also find inspiration in places I've visited and I won't shy away from the stories that are dream-inspired, either. One of my published books came about because a college friend shared some of her poetry with me. A single couplet of verse stuck and haunted me. From that couplet came the title, The Hand in the Mirror, and the story that goes with it. She's a friend I truly miss because she passed away several years ago. I cannot look at a copy of that book without remembering her. They say every experience is fodder (inspiration) for the author. I suppose that is true in my case...