This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mark M. Bello will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
What is the favorite book you remember as a child? The Cat in the Hat
What is your favorite book today?
The question is vague. If we are talking about a contemporary novel or book, the best books I have read recently are the Ken Follett Century Trilogy novels, followed closely by George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones novels. My favorite book of all time is “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The novel impacted my life’s work
Tell us about your current book in 10 words.
A compelling, realistic, human journey through our dysfunctional immigration system.
What are you reading right now?
In the House of Night by Donald Levin
What books do you have on hold at the library?
The Judge’s List by John Grisham
Do you have any bad book habits?
I can’t put a book down. I tend to read through the night until finished, ruining my wife’s plans for the following day.
E-Reader or print? and why?
I have both. I like the convenience of an e-reader and the ability to change font sizes. They are sometimes hard to read outside, and I am still old-fashioned about holding a print book in my hand. If you asked “if one had to go away, which would you prefer to keep” I would prefer to keep print.
One book at a time or multiples?
Not sure if you mean writing or reading. I have written two books at the same time. Sometimes it helps ebbs and flows. I do not like, nor do I recall, ever reading two books at the same time. I’ve had difficulty getting into a book, moving on to another, and returning to the previous one, but I can’t think of the last time that happened.
Dog-ear or bookmark? (don't worry—Librarian Judith won't hold it against you—much)
Definitely bookmark—Print books are like babies. I handle them with extreme care.
Least favorite book you've read this year?
Not trying to be evasive, but I can’t think of a book I’ve read this year that I didn’t enjoy.
Favorite book you've read this year?
The Cellist by Daniel Silva
When do you do most of your reading?
I read when inspired to do so— a new novel from one of my favorite authors or a friend loans a book and sets a time limit. Once I start reading, I typically can’t stop, so day becomes night or night becomes morning.
Favorite place to read?
Outside on a patio lounge or in our sunroom.
Favorite genre?
Legal thrillers
Do you loan your books?
Yes
Favorite book to recommend?
To Kill a Mockingbird. It shaped my life
How do you keep your books organized?
Bookshelves until my wife puts her foot down and makes me box them up or donate them. I love a full bookcase. I’m not anal—I do not alphabetize, but I do try to shelve them by author.
Re-reader or not?
I have re-read a few books. The ones that come to mind are Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and The Catcher in the Rye.
What would make you not finish a book?
Not being able to “get into it.”
Keep books or give them away?
I’m a “keeper” married to a “giver away-er.” I usually lose.
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?
As Emma got older, she noticed things that provided a better understanding of her parents’ fear. After dinner, her parents often watched the evening news. Emma witnessed people protesting at the southern border to Mexico and heard phrases like ‘send them back’ and ‘build the wall.’ Video footage of arrests, family separations, and kids in cages was heartbreaking. Emma was a free American like her friends and neighbors, but she would never be free of worry that her parents might be captured. Mainstream media considered families like hers ‘undocumented.’ Over time, Emma understood the reason why her parents broke the rules and kept the family secret. Because Miguel and Mary Carmen were undocumented, they couldn’t travel, not even across the northern border into Canada from Detroit, so they never took vacations. Emma and her family never went anywhere.
While Emma understood, she was still slightly conflicted. She learned about crime in school. People who did bad things went to jail. It was ‘illegal’ to steal, to hurt someone, and to drink and drive. Mama and Papa didn’t do any of those things. They obeyed every American rule. They were decent people, good neighbors, and solid citizens. How could they be criminals?
Mama and Papa’s citizenship status was not a subject of conversation in the community. Few people knew they were undocumented because while some people embraced immigrants, others tried to make their lives difficult. Landlords were encouraged not to rent to ‘foreigners,’ and employers were encouraged not to hire them. Some communities attempted to block immigrant access to jobs, housing, education, and healthcare, a coordinated strategy to prevent large numbers from moving into those communities or neighborhoods. Citizens didn’t want ‘brown people’ swooping in and taking their jobs. Other communities embraced immigration and thrived because hard-working immigrants started businesses, worked for other citizens or independently, provided childcare service, housekeeping, or odd repair jobs.
One evening, after dinner, the newsman said President Golding was considering a series of raids on immigrants in targeted areas around the country. One of the areas mentioned was Detroit. Golding said it was time to ‘deport the undocumented in fairness to those who enter our country legally and obey our laws.’ Did those people complain or something? Emma pondered.
“Mama, what does ‘deport’ mean?” Emma asked inquisitively after the newscast ended.
“It means people who are here without proper papers might get sent back to the country they came from, hija,” Mary Carmen advised.
“What does ice have to do with it?” Emma glanced at the refrigerator.
“Pardon me?”
“They talked about ice on television.”
Mary Carmen looked at the refrigerator and smiled. “They weren’t talking about ice from the fridge, hija; they were talking about immigration policemen. ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, I—C—E. Get it?”
“What does this ICE do?”
“They find people who are here without proper papers. If people can’t prove they are citizens or have a right to be citizens, they get sent back to the country they came from.”
“Can that happen to you and Papa? Do you have these proper papers? Are you and Papa criminals, Mama?”
“That’s a difficult question to answer. Papa and I came to this country a long time ago. We arrived legally and followed all of the rules, but our papers expired before we could become citizens. We were supposed to go back to Venezuela, but you were just a baby, and it was dangerous back home. Here in America, Papa had a good job; we had a nice home, and lots of friends and relatives in the area. We couldn’t possibly go back to the old country.
“We decided to stay and try to work out our paper problem later. As the years went by, the government made it more difficult for us to become citizens. We were caught in a trap. We weren’t supposed to stay, but we couldn’t go back, either.”
“What are you going to do? The newsman on television says ICE is coming to Detroit.”
“I don’t know, sweetheart. Papa says everything will be okay. Maybe they won’t come to Lincoln Park. Maybe they will only come to Detroit. All we can do is hope and pray.”
“From now on, I’ll say a special prayer at bedtime, Mama.”
“Oh, Emma, thank you! That makes me feel so much better. I’m positive God will listen to you. You are my special little girl!”
Emma almost burst with pride. She would pray extra hard tonight. Mama and Papa were counting on her.
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.
For more information about Mark, please click here https://medium.com/authority-magazine/lawyer-and-author-mark-m-8e59acf7b054)
Mark loves hearing from his readers! Drop him a line on the Contact page or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, or Bookbub.
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
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Border-Zachary-Blake-Thriller-ebook/dp/B09FYJ6MWN/
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the interview and the excerpt and your book sounds like a great read for my dad and me! Thanks for bringing it to my attention and have a spectacular holiday season!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book.
ReplyDelete