We of the Blog of Sid Love are very happy to say ‘hello and welcome’ to the Author of the bestselling novel “Pitch” – Mr. Will Parkinson!

Will kindly answered a few questions for us that I had the pleasure of asking him.

Following these questions is my review of his debut novel Pitch and as an extra surprise Will generously added a giveaway for an e-copy of his book.

Thanks Will for taking the time to answer the questions. It was a pleasure to talk to you.

~ Danielle.

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The first question burning in my head is as I expect not surprising but still, Why writing under two names? Why is there Will Parkinson who wrote Pitch and Why is there Parker Williams who wrote 500 Miles?

Will writes young adult stuff. Parker’s stuff is a bit heavier. Not wanting to confuse anyone, especially those around school age, it was suggested that I write under two different names, one young adult safe and the other much less young adult safe.

Did you even think you were going to be an author? Did you ever write before you started writing in the m/m genre? And could you tell us something about yourself?

When I was a kid (fourteen) I used to write. My dream of having something published actually started there. My stories were about gay teens and their struggles, and since I wasn’t out, there was no way I could show them to anyone. I once wrote a science fiction story that I was really proud of (at fourteen it doesn’t take a lot) and took it to my father so he could see what I’d done. He took it from my hand and said, “What are you wasting your time on that shit for? It’s never going to amount to anything.” I was so hurt and confused, I took everything I’d written and threw it in a box and didn’t write again. 

Eden Winters wrote a book called, “The Telling”. It was actually to be my first m/m book and I fell in love with her boys. I wrote her and told her how much I loved them. I wasn’t expecting an answer, since to me authors were like gods looking down on us mortals. I was floored when a few hours later, Eden replied to me and we started conversing. She asked if I wrote, and I told her not anymore. She asked why, so I told her the story. She explained to me that stories don’t go away and they need an outlet. So, with severe trepidation because I figured that my writing would suck, I started a story. As I wrote, I shared it with some coworkers. Michelle, one of the ladies I worked with, came out of the office one night in tears because of something she’d read, and that was the happiest day of my life. At least till I got the contract for Pitch. 

As for me: I’m 49 and live in Milwaukee, WI. I have 4 dogs (Brownie, Sadie, Korey, and Casey) and 3 cats (Cider, Toeby, and Star). I’m vegan, meaning no animal products at all. I work at a hotel in Milwaukee and have for 26 years.

Talking about the release of Pitch having read it I must say, it couldn’t be more different than 500 Miles, one wouldn’t even suspect it to be written by the same person I think. Do you have people asking you about that?

Not really. True enough, a lot of people don’t know that Will Parkinson and Parker Williams are one in the same. However, I’m rather happy to keep the two of them separate, since I don’t want younger people tracking down my ‘adult’ works.

As a reader, I adored Benny. Do you have a Benny in your life? And what I would like to know is what did the character of Benny mean to you in this story?

No, Benny is definitely unique. For me, Benny was the stable part of Taylor’s life. He was the rock that you could pin your hopes to. I wanted him to be strong, but still be able to have emotions. Taylor couldn’t hurt him physically, but that didn’t stop him from being hurt emotionally.

Can you relate to any of the characters from Pitch yourself?

Taylor’s dad feels about his art the way mine does about my writing. I’m insecure like Addy, though never have I been physically abused, I want to be there for others like Benny. As a kid, I wanted to fit in somewhere, like Jackson. In all my characters there is a part of me (okay, not Kevin. Ew.)

You talk about baseball in this book I wonder if that is a sport you like yourself. Do you play sports, are you favoring a special team in a specific sport?

I’ve watched a few baseball games (I think they don’t like me at the ballpark in Milwaukee. Every time I went to a game, the Brewers never scored a run). My friends love baseball. Laura Harner and Mr. Webb (of Pulp Friction fame) share their love of the teams with me, and I’m happy about that.

Last question has to be: Are we as readers going to see Benny and Addy’s story? And will that story also contain some loose ends of Pitch and the MC Taylor and Jackson like perhaps a certain special erotic scene?

Okay, I’m going to be honest and tell you something no one else knows (yet). When I wrote Pitch I was told that YA meant “NO” sex. Had I known that something would have been okay, I would have done a scene for Taylor. In Wet Paint (Addy’s story) there is a brief scene with him. There is a mention by Benny about Taylor and Jackson, but since it’s not their story, they probably won’t get much beyond cuddle time. In the Facebook chat I did for Harmony Ink, someone asked about a scene where Taylor and Jackson share a tender moment from Benny’s perspective.

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Reviewed by Danielle

TITLE: Pitch
AUTHOR: Will Parkinson
LENGTH: 180 pages
PUBLISHER: Harmony Ink Press
BLURB: The day Jackson Kern walks into Taylor Andrews’s classroom is a momentous day in Taylor’s life. He’s had crushes before, sure, but as time goes on, this is starting to look a whole lot more serious. Still, Jackson doesn’t return Taylor’s feelings.

Taylor has his own admirers, though. Kevin Richards is used to getting what he wants, and what he wants right now is Taylor, so when Taylor rejects him, Kevin retaliates. At first Taylor’s entourage rallies around him, but then Kevin takes his deception one step further and Taylor sees his support dwindle, teaching him the valuable lesson about who he can truly consider a friend.

REVIEW:

Young adult, mmm what was I getting ready to read? That’s what was crossing my mind when I picked up this title. As I normally read more the adult themed books I was curious as to what to expect.

The story starts out very easy and simple, reading a bit like a fairytale. What surprised me and kind of fascinated me at the same time is that I couldn’t lay it down. It drew me in like in a comforting warm bath, and even though the main characters do not even make a connection until half way through the story, there are so many things that capture your attention.

The story revolves around two students, Taylor and Jackson, but there are a few side characters who grab your attention fast and easy. There is Becca, the ‘girlfriend bitch’ and Addy, the young man with scars on his body and soul. And then, there is Benny – and OMG! Benny is fantastic. He grabs you by your heart and doesn’t let go. Benny is someone I think anyone would want in their lives. He is Taylor’s best friend but I sincerely think we all want a Benny in our lives.

As I mentioned before, it is only half way through the story that Jackson and Taylor finally connect. It is in quite an intense way when it finally happens and it opens up gates as things have been building between them then for 2 years.

Still there isn’t a moment where the story gets boring and I personally could have been satisfied with the story ending there with some loving.

But the author took me by surprise and turned to full on drama. Student blackmail, hurt, and dreadful choices; they all come in turn. A bit over the top … mmm perhaps.
But as a reader, it certainly got me to the point that I wanted to know how it ended ASAP.

The ending is everything lovely. It is tender, honest, emotional and carefully planned. The spin on the end it makes me very eager to know if Mr Parkinson will come up with a follow-up as I really would like to read Benny’s story 🙂

Looking back I can honestly say this book surprised me. I think it is a nice, simple read because it feels comfortable but with an added dose of drama. You flow right into the lives of the characters and I think you can easily relate to and love at least one of them.

It does feel a bit drawn out, if I have to make a critical note and I personally miss the sexual part that I prefer in a story and as the main characters are definitely attracted to each other, there could have been some in the story.

Perhaps Mr. Parkinson will make up for that in the next part 🙂

4 stars from me

Danielle’s Rating:

BUY LINK: Harmony Ink Press  ::  All Romance eBooks  ::  Book Store

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GIVEAWAY

Will Parkinson generously offered a giveaway of his debut novel – Pitch!

To enter, leave a comment to this post and let us and the author know why you would like to read this book. Don’t forget to leave your email address so that we can contact you.

Good luck from us at the blog!

~ Danielle

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CONTEST ENDS ON 23rd AUGUST, 2013 @ 11:59 PM Central Time!!