Big Books of Summer
Mark Souza
121 ratings | 37 reviews | avg rating:4.24

Mark Souza’s Followers (126)

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Mark’s Bookshelves

to-read (5)
currently-reading (3)
read (122)
did-not-finish (0)

Mark’s Friends (1,684)

Emily
Emily
16,100 books | 4,958 friends

Candice...
Candice Bundy
627 books | 3,283 friends

Scott S...
Scott Semegran
274 books | 2,191 friends

Jamalud...
Jamaluddin Jamali
426 books | 476 friends

Jacques...
Jacques Filippi
1,539 books | 637 friends

Jess (T...
Jess (The Cozy Reader) Kennedy
2,614 books | 1,420 friends

David Owen
David Owen
1,188 books | 1,328 friends

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Morgan Shamy
145 books | 1,054 friends

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Mark Souza

Goodreads Author


Born
in Fall River, MA, The United States
Website

Twitter
souzawrites

Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thrillers, Young Adult

Influences
Stephen King, Dean Koontz ...more

Member Since
July 2010


Mark Souza lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, two children, and mongrel beast-dog, Tater. When he’s not writing, he’s out among you trying to look and act normal (whatever that is), reminding himself that the monsters he’s created are all in his head, no more real than campaign promises.

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Ask the Author

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Popular Answered Questions

What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Mark Souza The best thing is the non-stop adulation (I almost hurt myself laughing as I wrote that).

The best thing is creating worlds and characters from nothin…moreThe best thing is the non-stop adulation (I almost hurt myself laughing as I wrote that).

The best thing is creating worlds and characters from nothing but your own imagination and experience. And then finding that one reader that sees what you want them to see, who feels the way you intended them to feel. Finding those that get you.(less)
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How do you deal with writer’s block?
Mark Souza Writer's block comes in a host of varieties. I have a few ways to deal with it. All are guaranteed to work, and all are guaranteed not to work. It dep…moreWriter's block comes in a host of varieties. I have a few ways to deal with it. All are guaranteed to work, and all are guaranteed not to work. It depends on what your specific variety is.

Switch to writing something else - sometimes the problem is spending too much time with a single story to the point where you're bored, can't see that it's any good anymore, and it feels like a waste of your time. Take some time away from it while you work on something else. It's not that you're sick of writing, it's that you're sick of spending all your time on the same thing. When you come back with fresh eyes, the bright spots of your story will excite you again and you'll realize it doesn't suck.

Force yourself to write - this works when it's the natural tendency toward laziness that causing you to not want to write. When you force yourself to write, usually the first bit sucks until you get on a roll. It's no big deal because you can go back and fix the sucky part later.

Take a week to a month off. Many writers (most I think) have day jobs. They write when they can, every free minute. Over a long span of time burning the wick at both ends between your two jobs, you can become exhausted. Taking time away to recharge the batteries can be just what you need. Sometimes writer's block is merely exhaustion.(less)
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See all 6 answers from Mark Souza…

Combine Editions

Average rating: 4.04 · 366 ratings · 76 reviews · 32 distinct works
Nightmares Bedtime Stories ...
3.98 avg rating — 54 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions
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Robyn's Egg
3.97 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions
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Cupid's Maze
4.27 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions
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Zombie-saurus Rex
4.10 avg rating — 20 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions
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Second Honeymoon
3.88 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2011
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Appliances Included
4.13 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2011
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The Comfort Shack
3.87 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2011
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Murphy's Law
3.14 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2011
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Be Prepared To Die
4.30 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2012
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Cat O' 9 Tales
4.13 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions
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More books by Mark Souza…

5 posts
Mark Souza's Blog

Why Horror?

Why horror? I started my reading life as a fan of writers like Steinbeck and Hemingway, and read almost everything they'd written. It's a sad thing to come to the end of a favorite author's works with the knowledge there's nothing more and never will be.


My brother was a Stephen King fan who'd been after me for years to read King's books. He also played Dungeons and Dragons. I found it easy to dis Read more of this blog post »
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Published on May 28, 2015 10:44 • Tags: genre, horror, stephen-king
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Mark is Currently Reading

Wake Up and Smell...
Mark Souza rated a book it was amazing
by Marianne Halbert (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
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Mark Souza Mark Souza said: " I just read the first two stories of Marianne Halbert's collection, Wake Up And Smell The Creepy. Such powerful story telling. Marianne has a creative and absorbing way of crafting a story. The characters are vivid, the circumstances believable. Her ...more "

 
Nov 24, 2012 03:58PM  · see review
Catching Fire
Mark Souza is currently reading
bookshelves: currently-reading
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Dec 24, 2011 07:42PM
Shame the Devil
Mark Souza is currently reading
by Debra Brenegan (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
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Oct 03, 2011 07:52AM

Topics Mentioning This Author

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On The Same Page : USA 97 39 Dec 12, 2022 03:01PM  

Mark’s Quotes

Emmy Swain
“It's all about the smiles!”
― Emmy Swain
tags: franklin-bean, happiness, smiles
32 likes

“Semper ubi sub ubi (Latin for "Always wear underwear")”
― Bryanna Lee
tags: humor
38 likes

S.M. Blooding
“It's okay to write crap. Just don't try publishing it while it's still crap.”
― S.M. Blooding
tags: writing-advice
31 likes

recent posts
Mark’s Groups

108 Horror Aficionados — 30363 members — last activity 1 hour, 3 min ago
If you love horror literature, movies, and culture, you're in the right place. Whether it's vampires, werewolves, zombies, serial killers, plagues, or ...more
56640 Connecting Readers and Writers — 3949 members — last activity May 12, 2026 04:33PM
We connect adventurous readers with Indie Authors. This group is about connecting writers with readers in a way that has not been done on Goodreads b ...more
25350 THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB — 6693 members — last activity 7 minutes ago
ALL GENRE COMMUNITY OF BOOK LOVERS-Perfect for those interested in good books of any genre, film and lively discussion!- from current fiction, thrille ...more
31471 THE Group for Authors! — 13034 members — last activity May 15, 2026 03:55AM
This is a group for authors to discuss their craft, as well as publishing and book marketing.
68705 Readers Delight — 458 members — last activity Dec 23, 2020 07:16AM
A group dedicated to find best deals and events for readers. From free to heavily discounted books to giveaways and competitions, Readers Delight aims ...more
26989 Goodreads Authors/Readers — 56708 members — last activity 2 hours, 8 min ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more
25x33 Ciara Knight's Book Club — 430 members — last activity Oct 08, 2021 02:45PM
This group is to discuss AWESOME books!!!
20786 Book Haven — 11368 members — last activity May 21, 2026 04:09AM
This is a group for people who enjoy many different genre's. If you are someone who appreciates a good book, regardless of the genre...this is the gro ...more
19126 The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group — 32436 members — last activity 3 minutes ago
“It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky. Rain spattered a mysterious, hooded stranger who peered over the ...more
527 Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library — 3670 members — last activity Mar 28, 2026 08:51AM
Add your science-fiction or fantasy books to the list, but make sure it's not already there. . .no need for duplicate entries. ...more
More of Mark’s groups…

Mark’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-10)    post a comment »
dateDown arrow    newest »

message 10: by Kevis
Oct 23, 2012 09:11AM

Kevis Hendrickson Thanks for the friendship, Mark.


message 9: by VampireNovelFan
Jan 05, 2012 09:12AM

VampireNovelFan Thanks for the friendvite, Mark!

VNF
vampirenovelfan.wordpress.com


message 8: by Carly
Dec 09, 2011 08:27AM

Carly Hi Mark, Thanks for the friendship :)


message 7: by Sarah
Oct 24, 2011 07:41AM

Sarah Hi Mark, thank you for the add! (=


message 6: by Becca
Oct 16, 2011 03:53PM

Becca Hi Mark...nice to "meet" ya =D


message 5: by Kelly/yllektra
Oct 16, 2011 01:52PM

Kelly/yllektra Thanks for adding me! :)


message 4: by Mark
Jun 03, 2011 04:21PM

Mark Souza No problem. It's good finding friends around here.


message 3: by Melissa
Jun 03, 2011 04:05PM

Melissa Webb Thanks so much for the add. :)


message 2: by Mark
Apr 12, 2011 02:41PM

Mark Souza Yeah, I'm a newbie. Glad to find a friend I know. I have a lot to learn here. If you have any hints on how to connect to readers on goodreads, I'd appreciate it.


message 1: by Darcia
Apr 12, 2011 09:08AM

Darcia Helle Hi Mark! Great to see you here. Thanks for the add. :)


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