Mr Ronald E. Markland

Upon graduation from Washington University in St. Louis, I was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, where I served as a Military Intelligence officer. I specialized in Communications Intelligence (COMINT) and Electronic Intelligence (ELINT). With this background, I was taught to listen carefully and always wonder if the real reason might be different from the obvious. I place emphasis on what was actually seen or heard, rather than hearsay.

In 2010, I Moved to The Villages, Florida, a 90,000-person retirement community, sometimes called "A drinking community with a golfing problem." In my second year there, I became co-leader of "The True Crime Club of The Villages." Reading 8 to 10 real-life cases crime books inspired me to write my own, based on my life experiences.

My first novel was The 23rd Day. That's the number of days it took to capture the Beltway Snipers in Washington, D.C. It incorporates my actual day-to-day experiences into a story that copies the 13 shootings but takes on a larger scale by a sleeper cell of terrorists.

Since that time, I have written and self-published seven works of fiction. My books are a blend of crime, mystery, and thriller content. I have found that topics are readily available by watching the evening news.

In June 2025, I received Literary Titan's Silver book award for fiction. This was for the first book of a series called The Sole Sisters. The Sisters are a fun-loving group of women who belong to a true crime book club. They are a quirky lot and not afraid to go against standard law enforcement practices. Probably because, as the only girl in their family, they were used to getting their own way.