Mark Oetjens

I was born in 1971. I grew up in suburban Chicago. As a child I was diagnosed with Dystonia, a debilitating neuromuscular disorder. Though there is no cure for Dystonia, surgeries and rehabilitation allowed me to walk with only a slight limp by the time I started high school. I received a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Anthropology, both from Northern Illinois University. As an adult a brain tumor, completely unrelated to my Dystonia, threatened to disable me a second time. Thanks to radiation therapy the tumor has disappeared. During my recovery from the tumor I wrote my first novel, a science fiction action-adventure called The Staff of Rahgorra and started Conquer Publishing. I currently live in Phoenix, AZ where I'm working on my next novel.