Mark Gagnon
Bio
My life has been spent traveling here and abroad. Now it's time to write.
I have three published books: Mitigating Circumstances, Short Stories for Open Minds, and Short Stories from an Untethered Mind. Unmitigated Greed is do out soon.
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Stories (457)
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Unmitigated Greed
Chapter 2 Frank was angry, and having no one person to direct his anger at, he turned it loose on everyone. The summer before his senior year of high school was a mixture of fights and uncontrolled drinking in the cantinas of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. It was during one such night that he overheard two men talking about back-alley prize fights. He was still sober enough to ask where the fights were being held and how he could enter.
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Critique
Asimov—Future Present
When I’m asked who my favorite author is, my immediate response is Isaac Asimov. Usually, their response is, who or, he writes sci-fi? I never read that stuff. If I ask why not, there are usually several stock answers. None of it makes any sense. I prefer real-life stories, not people flying around between planets. Romance is my thing, not little green men. They usually follow all these responses with, how can you read that junk?
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in BookClub
Stay Awake Stay Alive
I had no idea a person can stay awake this long. I know I’ve never done it before. It’s been over 48 hours since this sinister voice took up residence in my head. The beast that’s speaking isn’t even in the same building I’m in. His pod, its term for the community of creatures that have taken up residence in the building next to mine, call themselves The Originals. According to their leader, the species predates man by over twenty thousand years. People haven’t always been their primary source of food, but as the planet transformed, they adapted.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Horror
Unmitigated Greed
Prologue Zurich, Switzerland Valentine Fuchs sat in his comfortable recliner, immerced in the spectacular view of Lake Zurichsee and the mountains beyond from his fifth-floor den while sipping an expensive cognac. He had just finished watching a 60 Minutes piece on the supply chain debacle happening in the U.S. He was very familiar with how difficult it had become to move products from location to location. Distribution was more complicated for his businesses because what they had to transport was all contraband. Drugs, knock-off designer items, and even oil from embargoed countries like Iran and Russia, needed to go from producer to end user.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Critique
Mitigating Circumstances
Chapter 1 Problem Solving Several weeks had passed and Andrew was getting annoyed with the apparent lack of progress his associates had made. He had resolved to call them in for a meeting to discuss the issue when he received a text from Yuri requesting a meeting. Li had already returned to China leaving Yuri to explain the plan to Andrew. The two men sat in Andrews well appointed home study to discuss what was to take place.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Chapters
Mitigating Circumstances
Prologue Geneva, Switzerland Andrew Buchanan surveyed the lavishly appointed conference room his newly acquired international pharmaceutical corporation, World Wide Cures, had leased for its semi-annual board meeting. The company’s main office on the other side of town was equipped with a conference room, but he wanted his first meeting as chairman to impress his fellow board members. The room, with its floor to ceiling windows, high-backed leather chairs and mahogany conference table, should accomplish that nicely.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Chapters
Immovable
It was only a twenty-minute drive to her father’s house, so why did it feel like she had been in the car for hours? Of course, she already knew the answer to this question. She needed to, once again, have that conversation with her dad. The one that never ended well. There was no logical reason to think this time would be any different, but she had to try.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Families
The Conundrum
“Now that just makes no sense whatsoever. Did either of you hear that?” Melody was the first to answer. “Maybe. I’m not sure. It was probably the wind or something. The group is getting too far ahead of us, and Ms. Solecki will be angry if we get too far behind. Come on, Amy, we need to catch up.”
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Fiction
Stay Awake, Stay Alive. Top Story - August 2023.
I’ve been awake now for 48 hours and I know I won’t be able to stay this way for much longer. Who wants to die at 31—I know I don’t, but I’ll have to sleep sometime. Maybe the end will be painless, however judging by what I’ve observed, it will be anything but. This all started innocently enough.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Horror
Trust
Chapter 1 Part 1 “I don’t understand, Mrs. Smith. According to our class history book, most slaves benefited from being slaves. They learned useful skills that helped them advance once they were freed. But when I read my grandfather’s history book, it says many were deprived of an education. After they were freed, former slaves were forced to work in the same fields they had before being emancipated. The only difference was that now they were paid pennies, which they had to give back to pay for rent.”
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in History
