B. A. Mark is set to publish The Next Shift, a mystery thriller about a dead former police officer who investigates unsolved murders in the Afterlife in an effort to save himself from eternal incarceration.
The novel follows Vincent DiPalma, a former cop who takes on murder cases after his death. The Afterlife in The Next Shift includes the ability to time-travel, read minds, and relive “the glory days,” giving DiPalma access to circumstances and information unavailable to him in life.
The story brings together several subjects that have been part of B. A. Mark’s life, including New York City, police work, baseball, crime, and Italian culture. The protagonist is modeled after Mark’s father, who was a New York City police officer for 22 years and a baseball pitcher. Baseball also played a prominent role in Mark’s family. Her brother is a baseball expert who travels around the world to teach the game.
The idea for The Next Shift, originally titled After, grew from experiences involving several important figures in Mark’s life. Her personal trainer, Cindy Sherwin, died at 33 from a brain aneurysm while training for an Iron Man competition. Her dog, Stella, died at age 15, and her father died from complications of Parkinson’s disease after suffering a stroke and kidney failure.
Although Mark says she is a sound sleeper who does not remember her dreams, she describes experiences in which Cindy, Stella, and her father appeared to her after their deaths. Cindy appeared with wet hair in a bun after a morning swim. Stella appeared with a doggie smile and ran along the center yellow line of a busy Brooklyn street. Her father appeared as he had looked at 45, rather than 76, the age at which he died, standing straight and tall in his white T-shirt and navy-blue police pants.
Those “visitations” led Mark to consider the possibility of an Afterlife where the dead are safe and well. That idea became the basis for The Next Shift.
Mark is a graphic designer, jewelry designer, and writer. She spent many years editing and ghostwriting urban novels published by Teri Woods and Harlem Bookworld and has also edited several biographies. She studied graphic design at the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, New York, with a minor in journalism. Her career began in advertising agencies before moving into corporate literature. In 1994, she and her business partner formed Group 33 Design Associates, followed by i33 communications in 1996. i33 was one of the first web development firms in New York and designed websites for Fortune 100 companies at the onset of the tech revolution.
The Next Shift is intended for readers interested in murder mysteries, crime, police stories, baseball, and New York City history. The book may also appeal to readers interested in the Afterlife, Mafia stories, and Italian food.
The book is scheduled for publication in August 2026. Reviews and testimonials are forthcoming.
About B. A. Mark :
B. A. Mark is the pen name of Barbara Colasuonno, a graphic designer, jewelry designer, and writer. Her professional experience includes advertising, corporate literature, web development, editing, ghostwriting, and biography. The Next Shift brings together several subjects that have remained part of her life and interests, including New York City, baseball, police work, classic cars, and the possibility of an Afterlife.
Contact Media :
Contact Name: Barbara Colasuonno
Website URL: https://thenextnovels.com/