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  • BooksExpand
    • Seven Planets (Brightstar Trilogy #1)
    • As a Mere Breath: Short Stories
    • NUFF SED: A NOVEL OF DESERT STEVE
    • So Deep in Shadow: Short Stories
    • Mortals As They Walk
    • The Sky Over Chaos: Short Stories
    • To and Fro Upon the Earth: A Novel
    • Onesimus: A Novel of Christianity in the Roman Empire
  • BEHIND THE SCENES
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Sneak peaks of works in progress, excerpts of published works, research tidbits, and musings on writing and life.

Behind the Scenes

an early photo of Desert Center, California.
Behind the Scenes Desert Steve Novel

An Aqueduct, General Patton, and Modern Healthcare in the desert

February 2, 2023February 2, 2023

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Ulysses app - Project window
Behind the Scenes Desert Steve Novel

Behind the Scenes: Ulysses is the best app for writing historical fiction

January 20, 2023January 20, 2023

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Article on Desert Steve Ragsdale, founder of Desert Center, CA.
Behind the Scenes Desert Steve Novel

“Behind The Scenes: Timelines, Research, And Writing Historical Novels”

January 12, 2023January 12, 2023

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cover of So Deep in Shadow: Short Stories by Markus McDowell
Behind the Scenes So Deep in Shadow: Short Stories

So What? A sneak peek into my latest book

November 21, 2022September 23, 2023

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sand field
Behind the Scenes Desert Steve Novel

The Model T breaks down in the desert (sneak peek)

October 21, 2022October 21, 2022

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man planting plant
Behind the Scenes Desert Steve Novel

First draft: Planting cotton in Arizona in 1909

October 6, 2022September 8, 2024

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Aeon Timeline-Timeline view
Behind the Scenes Desert Steve Novel

Sneak Peek: How to research historical fiction

September 15, 2022September 15, 2022

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The Renassaince Esmarelda, balcony view with laptop
Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes: How travel makes a better writer

September 9, 2022September 9, 2022

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grayscale photo of person holding a new born baby
Behind the Scenes Desert Steve Novel

Sneak Peek: A third child born in the desert

September 2, 2022September 2, 2022

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Picture of Ernest Hemingway on his boat, PiLAR.
Behind the Scenes

Do You Keep Fishing Logs? Hemingway did—some of the best in history

August 18, 2022September 23, 2023

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© 2025 by Markus McDowell. All rights reserved.

  • Books
    • Seven Planets (Brightstar Trilogy #1)
    • As a Mere Breath: Short Stories
    • NUFF SED: A NOVEL OF DESERT STEVE
    • So Deep in Shadow: Short Stories
    • Mortals As They Walk
    • The Sky Over Chaos: Short Stories
    • To and Fro Upon the Earth: A Novel
    • Onesimus: A Novel of Christianity in the Roman Empire
  • BEHIND THE SCENES
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • News & Notes
  • For Authors
    • Book Review Request
    • Schedule a Book Notice
    • Editing and Ghostwriting Services
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