About Mark and His Work
Mark Parsons has written approximately two hundred articles for national publications as well as a pair of non-fiction books. His YA novel, ROAD RASH (Knopf/Random House) is a band-on-the-road novel which explores coming into adulthood and being responsible for one's decisions. It was named to the 2015 ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list, as well as Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books of the Year list.
His latest YA novel, THE 9:09 PROJECT, was also a Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year pick as well as a Kirkus Best of 2022 selection, and garnered the following critical acclaim:
★ "A wryly funny, extremely intelligent, and sweetly romantic contemporary novel full of biting sarcasm and... tender yet powerful emotions. Exquisitely drawn characters and deeply authentic emotions." —Kirkus Review, starred review
★ “An engaging, thought-provoking title that is easy to read, hard to put down, and will have readers wondering about the characters long after they’ve finished it. . . . highly recommended.” —School Library Journal, starred review
"A character-driven work that celebrates the healing power of connection and creativity, encouraging readers to take a closer look at the world around them." —Publishers Weekly
“The novel’s greatest strength is its characterization. The relatable characters come alive on the page, their portrayal being, yes, picture perfect.” —Booklist
"A strikingly honest depiction of loss, grief and healing. This strong internality adds to the novel’s appeal." —BookPage
His latest YA novel, THE 9:09 PROJECT, was also a Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year pick as well as a Kirkus Best of 2022 selection, and garnered the following critical acclaim:
★ "A wryly funny, extremely intelligent, and sweetly romantic contemporary novel full of biting sarcasm and... tender yet powerful emotions. Exquisitely drawn characters and deeply authentic emotions." —Kirkus Review, starred review
★ “An engaging, thought-provoking title that is easy to read, hard to put down, and will have readers wondering about the characters long after they’ve finished it. . . . highly recommended.” —School Library Journal, starred review
"A character-driven work that celebrates the healing power of connection and creativity, encouraging readers to take a closer look at the world around them." —Publishers Weekly
“The novel’s greatest strength is its characterization. The relatable characters come alive on the page, their portrayal being, yes, picture perfect.” —Booklist
"A strikingly honest depiction of loss, grief and healing. This strong internality adds to the novel’s appeal." —BookPage
Random biographical notes from Mark…
I was born and raised in California, and currently reside on the Central Coast with my wife, also a children’s author. (A better, harder-working, and much more attractive children’s author, by any measure…) I’ve been a drummer since the age of twelve, and my wife and I occasionally make frightfully loud noises together in the band Risky Whippet, along with our college-age sons. We’ve also been known to run long distances together. For fun.
Prior to writing full-time I was an instructor for a Fortune 500 corporation. For some reason I have an affinity for arcane machinery such as classic British motorcycles, antique talking machines, and turn-of-the-century large format cameras. On the more modern end of things, I’m very interested in audio engineering and production.
And... please don’t tell my editor, but I would pay to write.
Prior to writing full-time I was an instructor for a Fortune 500 corporation. For some reason I have an affinity for arcane machinery such as classic British motorcycles, antique talking machines, and turn-of-the-century large format cameras. On the more modern end of things, I’m very interested in audio engineering and production.
And... please don’t tell my editor, but I would pay to write.
