Books - Fiction
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THE 9:09 PROJECT—new YA novel from Delacorte Press/Random House. Out now!
Summary: The story follows Jamison Deever, a 17-year-old with synesthesia, as he throws himself into a photography project in an effort to stay connected… to himself, to the world, and most of all, to the one person who understood him. As part of this project he returns to the same corner each evening to take a photograph at exactly 9:09 pm, never realizing what this gesture might inspire in others. (Oh yeah - the story’s also about mind-reading skeleton bartenders, ancient talking machines, the perfect shade of yellow, and finding love amidst this mess we call life...) Available as book, ebook, and audio. The Penguin/Random House page for this book is here, with buy links to IndieBound and Bookshop.org as well as other outlets. We always encourage supporting your local bookshop. Acclaim for THE 9:09 PROJECT ★ "A wryly funny, extremely intelligent, and sweetly romantic contemporary novel full of biting sarcasm and... tender yet powerful 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." --BookPage A Kirkus Reviews Best of 2022 Selection A Broadart Books Staff Teen Selection A Bank Street College of Education’s Children’s Book Committee’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year 2023 Selection Educators & Book Club Facilitators: Book Discussion Guide for THE 9:09 PROJECT 
ROAD RASH—a band-on-the-road YA novel—was named to the ALA's “Best Fiction for Young Adults” list, and to Bank Street College’s “Best Children’s Books of the Year” list.
Summary: The book follows a young drummer—seventeen-year-old Zach Ryan—as he gets kicked out of his band and scrambles for a while, only to land in a better band. An older band. A band about to go on tour. Mix together three or four guys, a couple of girls (plus one back home), a sweaty old motorhome, and several weeks on the road together making music every night, and things get… complicated. Available as book and ebook. The Penguin/Random House page for this book is here, with buy links to IndieBound and Bookshop.org as well as other outlets. We always encourage supporting your local bookshop. | ||||
Mark's answer to a blogger’s question captures the motivation behind the book:
Q: “What is your favorite thing about ROAD RASH?”
A: “Good question. There were several things about the writing of ROAD RASH that I found wonderful, or enlightening, or humbling. (Or frequently all three.) But my favorite thing about the book itself is that now there’s a book out that “Gives the drummer some!” I mean, he/she is the dude in the back, sweating it out, laying it down, holding it together, all while driving that damn bus down the road every night. And what do they get for it? Uh… drummer jokes? The chance to haul more gear than the rest of the band combined? Blisters and a bad back? A stunning lack of respect/attention from the media, the crowd, and the world at large? (All of whom seem to fixate on the lead singer or occasionally the lead guitarist. But never the drummer.) So yeah, among many other things I’m thankful for, I’m pretty stoked to have a book out there that gives a little love to the people who’re the true heartbeat of the music.”
Q: “What is your favorite thing about ROAD RASH?”
A: “Good question. There were several things about the writing of ROAD RASH that I found wonderful, or enlightening, or humbling. (Or frequently all three.) But my favorite thing about the book itself is that now there’s a book out that “Gives the drummer some!” I mean, he/she is the dude in the back, sweating it out, laying it down, holding it together, all while driving that damn bus down the road every night. And what do they get for it? Uh… drummer jokes? The chance to haul more gear than the rest of the band combined? Blisters and a bad back? A stunning lack of respect/attention from the media, the crowd, and the world at large? (All of whom seem to fixate on the lead singer or occasionally the lead guitarist. But never the drummer.) So yeah, among many other things I’m thankful for, I’m pretty stoked to have a book out there that gives a little love to the people who’re the true heartbeat of the music.”
“Where Road Rash crescendos is in its treatment of tumultuous friendships among bandmates, confounding but transfixing first romances, exhilarating tastes of teenage travel freedom, and for the passion for pursuing the dreams of a future in music. A must-read for young garage-band types.”
--Booklist
“Readers and especially musicians should enjoy debut novelist Parsons’s look at a band on the run.”
--Publishers Weekly
“A road-trip adventure in romance and friendship that is ultimately all about the music… Readers will find their heads nodding and toes tapping as though they were in the crowd.”
--Kirkus Reviews
“The play of relationships and the plot arc of dreams realized broadens the appeal beyond those with ‘Guitar Hero’ dreams.”
--The Bulletin
“A must for teens and adults who are into music or just darn good stories! …A great fresh coming-of-age voice.”
--Stratton Magazine
--Booklist
“Readers and especially musicians should enjoy debut novelist Parsons’s look at a band on the run.”
--Publishers Weekly
“A road-trip adventure in romance and friendship that is ultimately all about the music… Readers will find their heads nodding and toes tapping as though they were in the crowd.”
--Kirkus Reviews
“The play of relationships and the plot arc of dreams realized broadens the appeal beyond those with ‘Guitar Hero’ dreams.”
--The Bulletin
“A must for teens and adults who are into music or just darn good stories! …A great fresh coming-of-age voice.”
--Stratton Magazine
Non-Fiction Writing
Mark has written approximately two-hundred articles for national publications on various subjects such as drumming, audio engineering, sporting goods, photography, etc. He continues to write articles to this day because short non-fiction contains some essential elements of writing not always found in book-length fiction: clear, concise, factual writing set within a limited word count and a short time horizon. “As with any craft, it’s important to practice the fundamentals,” he says. “Also, I really like writing for outlets which focus on subjects I care about. It’s difficult to write interesting prose on a subject you have no passion for.”
His take on writing effective non-fiction is that the author doesn’t necessarily need to be the world’s foremost authority on the subject at hand. “But you can’t be lazy. You have to do significant initial research, so you know the right questions to ask,” he explains. “Then you have to talk with the real experts and gather enough information to cover what your readers want to know. Then you have to present that information in a way that conveys all the essentials, yet is easily understood by the readership. And the writing has to be interesting—no one wants to slog through a boring recitation of facts. When you boil it down, at the heart of a good journalist or non-fiction writer is a ‘good explainer’.”
His take on writing effective non-fiction is that the author doesn’t necessarily need to be the world’s foremost authority on the subject at hand. “But you can’t be lazy. You have to do significant initial research, so you know the right questions to ask,” he explains. “Then you have to talk with the real experts and gather enough information to cover what your readers want to know. Then you have to present that information in a way that conveys all the essentials, yet is easily understood by the readership. And the writing has to be interesting—no one wants to slog through a boring recitation of facts. When you boil it down, at the heart of a good journalist or non-fiction writer is a ‘good explainer’.”
Also, Mark has previously written two music-related non-fiction books. The Drummer’s Studio Survival Guide is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of achieving professional sounding drum tracks on recordings, and Keep the Peace is a how-to book on soundproofing for musicians, so they can practice their art without disturbing their neighbors. The books were derived from two popular series of magazine articles which Mark expanded via added additional written material and photographs, along with interviews with several experts in each field (professional drummers and engineers for the first book and architects, acousticians, and studio owners for the second). Additionally, Mark used the construction of his recording studio, Polar Productions, as a test bed for many of the concepts explained in Keep the Peace.
