About the Author - Mark L. Berry
In addition to my full time job moving airplanes around the nation which I’ve been doing for over twenty years (currently from the left seat of the MD80), I’ve traveled to almost fifty countries to feed my wanderlust. The picture (right) was taken in my friends’ Rob and Suzie’s Stearman. I have about 14,000 total hours flying plus 6 years teaching in simulators for TWA
More recently, I’ve fully rehabbed a hundred-year-old house in St. Louis and finally settled enough to make the time to write. I put ink to paper when inspired, often at odd times and when I am trying to sleep. Between inspirations, I have the usual assortment of sports and outdoor activities to keep me busy. Biking and hiking are among my favorite summer adventures. Every winter my brother gets me a four-day pass to snowboard somewhere in the Rockies with him.
I love dogs and the original Billy and Lindy are a German Shepherd/Doberman mix and a Husky/Beagle/Labrador mix. Both were rescued by a close friend, one from a shelter and the other was feral. I currently have two cats, having finally outgrown allergies to them. Skyy and Cali are both rescued.
During my continuing aviation career I served on the Critical Incident Response Team at TWA for two years and assisted in a group debrief of airline employee volunteers following 09/11/2001. Since my own experience with sudden loss ten years ago in 1996 I have wrestled with Survivor’s Guilt, sweat through endless restless nights, read through most of the self-help aisle of the bookstore, and done my own reflective homework with and without counseling. Fans of my novel ask me if I’m Billy or Lindy. In ways I’m both, torn between “life is short, play hard” and “find the bigger meaning.” I in-no-way claim to be an expert or offer professional advice, but I do hope that your trip through “Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun” will reveal what you want or need to see during your time of grief or struggle.
This book is dedicated to my lost fiancée Susanne who died on TWA 800 and everyone who has shared her loss, as well as a world full of people who are experiencing the anguish of their own personal grief. May Oso be the loss that we all relate to and Lindy’s lyrics bring us to the light that begins our collective healing.
Thanks for your interest in my novel… Cheers! Mark
Your comments are welcome on the Feedback page and via e-mail at:
mark@pushingleavestowardsthesun.com
