Mark Abel is an award winning architect by trade but has dreamed of becoming an author over most of his life. Graduating from Arizona State University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture in 1980, Mark began his career working for three prestigious design firms before starting a practice of his own in 1987 which continues to the date of this writing.

It was in Mark's first year of college when he discovered his love for writing and recalls how proud he was when his English professor announed Mark's first paper was the best in the class. That was just before he mentioned the grade received was a D- as he threw all of the papers into the trash. His professor then sat on the edge of his desk, opened a magazine, and began to read a mesmerizing short story which Mark remembers to this day. Closing the magazine, the professor then said, "Forget everything you've ever been taught about writing and write about something you know and you're passionate about. And if your life is boring--lie. Mark says he was not so sure about the lying part, but those memories remained parked in his memory.

In any case, life interrupted Mark's writing aspirations as he pursued a career in architecture, got married, and, with his wife, raised and provided for a family. But the dream to write continued to percolate in his mind. Then in 2008, the recession hit and his architecture practice, like so many others, ran out of work. And the idea of a story began to emerge. At that same time, his children were swept away with story after story about teenage vampires. Mark recalls shaking his head in frustration while fantasizing about the idea of a story involving angels and demons. The contrast between good and evil could not be stronger, and besides Scripture tells us, the spiritual battle is real. And that was when Mark began to write again.

Ephesus - A Tale of Two Kingdoms, represents Mark's debut novel. Mark's passion in writing Ephesus--and hopefully more books to follow--is summarized in his mission statement as an author:

Exploring the Mysteries of God Through Story.

Mark Abel lives in Tempe, Arizona, with his wife Cheri. They have three grown children and one grandchild.

It is an honor to offer my profound thanks to professional and highly skilled editor, Deirdre Lockhart of Brilliant Cut Editing, who never coddled me, but rather pressed me again and again to do better, shaping and enhancing scenes to bring them alive, all with much humor and laughter to the point of tears, while providing words of praise and encouragement which I so desperately needed to hear.