Mark R. Clifford is a proud fourth-generation San Franciscan. He is the second-born in an Irish Catholic family of seven, making him a self-declared expert in the pseudoscience of birth order characteristics. Mark served in the Marine infantry for ten years and as a Police Officer for over a quarter-century. His debut novel, TYPHOON COAST, is about what troubles him.

In the Marines, Mark rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He received Special Operations training while attached to the 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa and was operating in the Philippines in 1991 during the historic eruption of Mount Pinatubo.

His law enforcement career was equally eclectic. He rose to the sergeant’s rank and served in many assignments to include SWAT and undercover narcotics.

Mark still calls the San Francisco Bay Area home. He and his wife have been married for almost thirty years and have raised three beautiful children. He has written for the San Jose Mercury, Contra Costa Times, Military Experience & The Arts magazine, San Leandro Times, and read his works at the famous Cody’s Books in Berkeley. He is the current Program Chair for the California Writers Club.

Mark is passionate about inspiring leaders to turn their stories into service. In his retirement, Mark mentors veterans transitioning to civilian life at musician Zac Brown’s Camp Southern Ground.

Mark is also the host of Heroes for Hope Podcast: Thriving Beyond Trauma, where he deep dives into the stories and healthy habits of survivors who turn trauma into superpowers.