Get to know author Mark Ortiz-Carrasco
Mark Ortiz-Carrasco a minister in Southern California, who has worked with churches around the globe. Mark lives in the Inland Empire and is the father of two sons. He holds several advanced degree from Trinity University with an emphasis in contrastive theology. He is educated in Classic Hebrew and Koine Greek. His interests include the Bible, anything Star Wars, and old out-of-print role playing games.
Having been in a car accident as a child and having suffered from a traumatic brain injury, Mark sees knowledge as a treasure that has slowly lost its intrinsic value. Nor does he take it for granted, having had to relearn to walk, talk, and everything else most people take for granted. Having been told that he would never walk again and would probably never have the mental capacity beyond that of a child, Mark longs to show others that we have no limits as to what our mind is capable of. Mark attempts to be the model egalitarian and sees the church through the eyes of Paul who sees neither male nor female (sex), Jew nor Gentile (nationality) or Greek nor slave (social standing). Mark’s greatest goal is to see Christians holding fast to a Gospel which is unfettered by personal opinion and/or denominational tradition.
You can connect with Mark on Facebook at facebook.com/ mark.ortizcarrasco or on twitter @ empiresofnod
Ramona: How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Mark Ortiz-Carrasco: It really depends on the book and the subject matter. “Jayden Come Home”, was really sourced from a series of interviews and was finished in a matter of three month, while books like “Quest for the Carpenter” have taken 30 years. Currently I am working on a book that has been in research for over 35 years.
Ramona: You have written seven books. What is your latest one that you are working on?
Mark Ortiz-Carrasco: I am actually working on three books. The first is the sequel to “The Empires of Nod: Book One.” The Second is a book about sexuality and Christianity entitled “The Sexual Christian.” The last is entitled “What’s Wrong With Christians Today” which isn’t a condemnation of Christians, but rather an examination at what we should stop doing, should start doing and what we should re-examine.
Ramona: Can you name all your books one by one
Torah Unchained! A Search for Christian Morality
Jayden Come Home: A True Story
In The Shadow of Death: Death, Grief, and the Afterlife
Everything That Creepeth: An Intimate Look at God and Nature
The Natures of Love
The Empires of Nod: Book One
Quest for the Carpenter: Searching for Jesus
Ramona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Mark Ortiz-Carrasco: I would have to say competing views. In the Empires of Nod, there is a senate scene regarding war. Some in the senate see war as a good thing and others as a bad thing. Having to argue both sides of a concept can be challenging. Mostly because if one is going to write about a concept one must understand both sides of an argument. I believe most problems and arguments could be avoided if one took time to actually understand each others point of view. The problem is that most people today only listen with the idea of “How am I going to respond?” rather than with “How do we learn?”
Ramona: What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Mark Ortiz-Carrasco: I have two that are equal. The first is – time. I work a regular job, am a minister, and a father. Finding time to write can be difficult. Yet we all find time for the things we love. Some find time to go to the gym every day, while others find time for game night with their friend once a week. I am constantly struggling to find time to write.
The second is related to my childhood car accident – because of my car accident I was given tutors to catch me up with the other students my age. Because of this “rush to get me back into school” my spelling and grammar are not on par with others. It’s a constant struggle, even to this day.
Ramona: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
There are no good or bad reviews. There are just reviews. Not everyone has the same tastes in literature. What appeals to some and what does not is different to everyone. Review are just a way of looking at how we can better ourselves in the future.
Ramona: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Mark Ortiz-Carrasco: I try not to attempt anything without fully understanding a subject. Both sides of a subject, and as I stated previously research can be months to years on a particular subject.
Ramona: What does literary success look like to you?
This wasn’t a subject that I had ever considered until about a year ago. I was in a store when someone recognized be from my picture on the back of one of my books. They informed me as to how much my book meant to them and then informed me that their pastor was teaching my book from the pulpit. The fact that people are learning and growing spiritually as a result of my writings is literary success.
Get in touch with Mark Ortiz-Carrasco on:-
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/mark.ortizcarrasco
Twitter – https://twitter.com/empiresofnod
Email – [email protected]
Amazon Author page – https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Ortiz-Carrasco/e/B075YQFHLC/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Torah Unchained! A Search for Christian Morality – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1514844184/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i6
Jayden Come Home: A True Story – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1515023281/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i3
In The Shadow of Death: Death, Grief, and the Afterlife – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1517147441/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i5
Everything That Creepeth: An Intimate Look at God and Nature – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1518602355/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i4
The Natures of Love – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/154813144X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i2
The Empires of Nod: Book One – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1548371122/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0
Quest for the Carpenter: Searching for Jesus – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BB2H8Q7/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
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