Marcus Schantz left Chicago and the practice of law in August 2013. After a stay in Mexico writing, he worked as a night calver on a north central Idaho cattle ranch. His third novel, Mexican Salmon (published January 2017), is loosely based on this period of time. His first two novels, ".40 Cal Sayulita" and "Concealed Carry," were both written in 2013 and published in 2015.