Mark M. Bello is an attorney, civil justice advocate, award-winning author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series, and co-host of the Justice Counts Podcast. He retired, about 5 years ago, and began his new career as a writer. Nothing unique about that, right? But Mark did this at the age of 65! He draws upon his 45 years of courtroom experience, a passion for justice, and a creative writing style that has penned captivating novels for his readers and hard-hitting commentaries on controversies in the news. Mark was one of the first attorneys to sue the Catholic Church over sexual abuse by clergy, an experience that inspired his debut novel, Betrayal of Faith. Back then, clergy abuse was a dirty little secret, and many lawyers extracted extra settlement dollars by agree to confidential settlements. Mark persuaded his clients to pursue the case publicly, and the offending priest was eventually defrocked. Recently, that same priest was indicted by the new Michigan Attorney General and now resides in a jail cell. Mark decided to write a novel about his experience handling the case and the rest is history. His fictional protagonist, Zachary Blake, and his “ripped from the headlines” escapades take readers deep into Blake’s many quests for justice and provide readers with front-row access to the courtroom. Mark’s eighth Blake series novel, You Have A Right to Remain Silent, his new cookbook, L’Dor V’Dor II, The Blake-Lewin Family Cookbook of Traditional Jewish Recipes, and the first edition in his children’s safety/social justice picture-book series (Happy Jack—Sad Jack, A Bullying Story) were released this Spring. A native of Detroit, Mich., Mark earned his law degree from Western Michigan University—Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Oakland University in Rochester. Mark and his spouse, Tobye, have 4 children and 9 grandchildren. When he’s not writing, He enjoys sports, traveling, and spending ti