Book
Blast/Cover Reveal Questions
1
– What is your secret indulgence?
We
have a shake shop near the house that has something called a Vegan Raspberry
Nebula shake. When KC Wells and Becky Condit were in Milwaukee, Paul and I
bought them each one, and they loved it.
2
– Favorite way to unwind at the end of the day?
Sitting
on the couch, surrounded by the dogs, watching a movie, while they beg Paul and
I for popcorn.
3
– Favorite beverage (alcoholic or non)
I
usually only drink water, but once in a while we splurge and get ourselves a
root beer. I’d like to take it and make a root beer float… Ooh, now that’s a
thought.
4
– Did you have an embarrassing nickname as a kid?
Yup.
Will I say it? Nope. Since adulthood, the only people who know it are immediate
family, and they STILL call me it to this day.
5
– Favorite type of dessert?
Raspberry
nebula shake, made with vegan ice cream and vegan whip cream. It’s soooo good.
6
– What’s the most embarrassing gift you ever received?
Underwear
that my folks thought I should model for everyone. I was a little kid, and
hated it.
7
– What’s in your nightstand you don’t want anyone to see?
Absolutely
nothing! Paul has them filled with junk because he’s a packrat. I think the
most embarrassing thing in the nightstands MIGHT be a cassette tape of Frankie
Goes to Hollywood.
8
– What’s your favorite meal?
Paul
makes an awesome vegan pot pie. Now that I’m thinking about it, I may have to
blackmail him into making me one.
9
– What’s the worst thing you’ve ever put in your mouth?
Um….
Well, there was this guy, you see, and he gave me ‘calamari’. I had no idea
what it was, and I hope to hell I never have to have one of those rubbery
things in my mouth again.
10
– What’s the name of your favorite Crayola crayon color?
Brick
red.
11
– Do you prefer soup or salad?
I
love soups. Especially Italian Wedding soup. I can’t find a good vegan
replacement, but that’s okay.
12
– Favorite type of salad dressing?
Henri’s
dressing. Sweet and tangy, and the only one Paul likes, so we use it a lot.
13
– Favorite soup?
When
I wasn’t vegan it was Italian Wedding soup. After I went vegan, it was a tossup
for vegan noodle soup or vegan chili from our local health food store.
14
– What was the last Halloween costume you wore?
An
alien, complete with rubber mask and hands.
15
– Two weeks with a private yacht or jet – which would you use and who would you
take with you?
I
would take a private yacht to my private island with a bunch of friends (who I
won’t list, because I inevitably end up forgetting someone on the list) and
we’d sit on the private beach while naked cabana boys cater to our every whim.
16
– How old were you when you wrote your first story and do you remember what it
was about?
I
was fourteen. It was the story of Grant and Rusty, two teenage boys thrown
together under less than auspicious circumstances (Rusty’s mom kicked him out,
and Grant’s Aunt Helen took him in.) There’s also a murderer in there. I may
have had a tad of a sadistic streak for my characters.
17
– Favorite childhood book?
My Side of the
Mountain.
I WANTED to run away from home and live in the woods with Fearful, and
learn to live off the land. I pictured Sam falling in love with one of the
other teen boys there.
18
– Favorite childhood author?
Jean
Craighead George, the author of My Side of the Mountain. She tapped into my
love of nature and animals.
19
– Ability you wished you possessed?
To
be in multiple places at once. I have a very hard time saying no, and it gets
me in trouble sometimes.
20
– Skill you wish you had?
I
wish I could draw. I look at some of the things my friends on Facebook do, and
then at my silly little stick man, and sigh heavily.
21
– What do you wear when you’re writing?
Usually
sweats and a t-shirt, as well as a pair of slippers. Because now that I work at
home, I don’t have to impress anyone, and my dogs sure as heck don’t care what
I’ve got on.
22
– Do you have any particular music you listen to while you write?
Sometimes
the house gets too quiet and I turn on some music, but my taste is pretty
varied. Sometimes I’ll listen to new age music, other times Celtic, and (most
often) 80s music.
23
– Do you prefer tea or coffee?
I’m
not a fan of either. Though I used to like cans of Lipton Iced Tea, but that
was years ago.
24
– Underwear: Sexy or comfortable?
Underwear?
Is that like a requirement? Because if it is, I’m only going to say
‘functional’.
25
– Favorite place to write?
My
‘office’. I have my iPad, my laptop, and my desktop all going so I can keep in
touch with my writing partners.
26
– What was your first job?
Dishwasher
at IHOP in Cudahy Wisconsin. It was….a learning experience. (Mostly it taught
me I never want to do dishes again.)
27
– What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Deep-fried
cheese curds. We had them at a restaurant in a small town in the middle of
Wisconsin (Amish territory). Paul likes cheese curds, but we’d never heard of
them deep-fried, so we ordered some. They were AMAZING! So good in fact, we
drove two hours to get some more a few days later.
28
– How do you relax at the end of a stressful day?
Usually
sitting on the couch watching television and eating dinner, but afterward, I
get back to working on Pride stuff until bed.
29
– Do you have any tattoos? If so, what are they?
Oh,
I wish. I have this strange aversion to pain. When I see pictures of guys who
have their genitals tattooed, I’m excessively jealous of their manliness.
30
- What has been the biggest surprise to your life after being published?
Hell,
BEING published was a surprise. After being published? Going to GRL in Atlanta
and actually having people know who I was. Amanda Atchley came up to me and was
all excited about meeting me, and I was completely flustered, because…well, I’m
me, and a nervous wreck around people. But she was more than sweet.
31
- Do you have any writing quirks that have to be done, or anything that you
have to have to write?
Not
really, but I do my best writing in the car when Paul is going grocery
shopping, because I’m away from all other distractions. I can usually do a
thousand words while he’s trolling the aisles.
32
- What it is like being in their head with all those characters?
It’s
never lonely. They like to chat all times of the day, and long into the night.
Whispering their evil and vile plans to me, encouraging me to hurt and maim
characters. Then I get yelled at by my friends who say I’m too bloodthirsty.
Obviously they never met some of the people I’m writing Pulp Friction 2015
with. <Glances over toward Laura Harner, Havan Fellows, and Lee Brazil.>
33
– Do you have characters who argue over whose turn it is next?
:hangs
head: Yes. Even characters who weren’t supposed to get another story are
knocking on the inside of my skull, asking me if I remember them. DUH! How
could I forget? You won’t let me sleep.
34
- What do you do to restore or refill when you need to recharge?
Turn
off the computer, flip the light switch, make a big bowl of popcorn, and watch
a movie. Of course I have an alternative: The company I used to work for gives
all employees who have 25 or more years of service a lifetime movie pass that
gets me into any Marcus theater for free (as long as the movie isn’t pass list
suspended). So we could go sit and watch it on the big screen.
35
– Most amazing place you’ve ever been?
Vermont.
It’s absolutely gorgeous. We got married there, on the deck of Moosemeadow
Lodge, overlooking the mountains. It was amazing.
36
– Have you ever had a character take off and go their own direction? If so, who
was the worst?
Benny
Peters. He was a HUGE pain in the butt. He was supposed to be Taylor’s best
friend in Pitch, and that’s all he was supposed to be. Then all of a sudden he
met Addy Dean, and he wanted a story about him and Addy.
So
I gave him his story (Wet Paint), and even THAT doesn’t satisfy him. Now he
wants something about him and his friends in college. So far I’m refusing to
budge.
37
- Most memorable moment as an author?
I
got a letter from someone who read Pitch that made me cry. He said how much the
story meant to him, and how much he enjoyed it, and I was all verklempt.
38
- How do you deal with interruptions from family and friends – how do you find
the balance and mark the space you need?
The
only real interruptions when I work are the dogs. Paul knows if I’m working, he
shouldn’t bother me, and he’s really, REALLY good about it. He’ll even make
dinner if I’m in the middle of something and don’t want to stop.
39
- What inspired you to write in the first place?
Growing up as a gay teen, there were so few things
that I could read that let me know I wasn’t messed up. In my head I made
stories about people like me who fell in love with the person they’d spend the
rest of their lives with, as well as people who supported them. My favorite was
Aunt Helen from ‘Free At Last’. She was super.
40 – What’s the hardest step for you as a writer?
Planning? Writing? Editing? Something else?
Edits. They are the bane of my existence. My editor
cackles gleefully over the fact that she’s making me fix things like timelines.
41 – Coke or Pepsi? (Or something else.)
For soda it’s either orange or root beer. I’ve
never been a cola lover.
42 – Sweet or Salty?
Both! Sweet and Salty rock together.
43 – Guilty indulgence?
A handful of carob chips as I’m writing.
44 – Best moment of your school career?
Walking across to pick up my diploma, knowing I’d
never have to set foot in that place again.
45 – What kind of shifter would you be?
Bear! Definitely. Silvia Violet wrote one of her
Wild R Farms about a bear shifter named Will. I’m not sure why she chose that
name for a bear shifter…. Okay, fine, I begged and pleaded. When it comes to my
shifters, I have no dignity.
46 – Twinks or Bears?
Both are nice to look at, but my preference will
always be Bears. Big ol’ growly bears who can pull you into a hug and let you
know that you ARE being hugged.
47 – Coffee, tea, or something else?
Something else. Definitely. If it’s one of those
types of beverages, I prefer hot chocolate with some vegan whip cream or
marshmallows. It’s something warm and soothing on a nice chilly night.
Or hot apple cider! I do love my sweets.
48 – What’s your favorite color?
It depends on my mood, but it’s usually yellow or
red.
49 – Favorite of your books?
500 Miles. I was really pleased with how it turned
out.
50 – Favorite of your characters?
Benny Peters. Best friend you’ll ever have. When I
wrote Pitch, I pictured him as a protector for Taylor, and then Addy. In Wet
Paint he fulfills that role to the nth degree, but realizes sometimes he has to
back off.
51 – Harry Potter or Twilight?
Harry Potter. I’ve never read the books, and only
saw the first two movies, but I do enjoy the world that JK Rowling built.
52 – Three things on your bucket list?
1 – Travel overseas.
2 – Live somewhere that’s not colder than a witch’s
nipple in December.
3 – Live a happy life with the family that I made.
53 – You meet a time traveler who will take you
‘anywhen’. Do you go to the past or the future?
The future. I want to see what becomes of mankind.
Do they finally get their heads out of the sand and work for the betterment of
all, or do they destroy themselves because of greed and prejudice?
Do we
have to be so stringent? What about a slice of cake next to a piece of pie, and
smother them with vanilla ice cream? I’m all about inclusion.
55 – Dog or cat? Yes. ;)
I have three cats and four dogs. All of them are
shelter rescues except for Brownie, who we got from the neighbor who decided
they didn’t want her.
56 – You’ve been bitten by something radioactive.
What power do you get from it?
With my luck, the only thing I’ll get is a bad case
of the fleas. Though being Flea-Man does have advantages. I mean check it out!
FREAKY FLEA FACTS
1
Fleas are wingless insects that get onto hosts by jumping.
2
Fleas have been on this planet for approximately 100 million
years.
3
There are over 2,000 species and subspecies of fleas (that we
know of).
4
In almost all species of fleas, the females are larger than the
males.
5
If it doesn’t have to move around much, a flea can live anywhere
between 2 months and 100 days between meals.
6
If they were human sized athletes participating in the long jump
in the Olympics, certain fleas could break the current world record by
approximately 970 feet.
57 – Eat out or dine in?
Honestly, I’d rather eat in. Unless we’re talking
about Classic Slice pizza. THEN I’ll eat out.
58 – What is the best gift you’ve ever received?
A ring that fit my finger perfectly, and the man
who said ‘I Do’ afterward. Though I admit, sometimes I want to see if there is
a return policy on both.
59 – Best gift you ever gave?
A friend was getting married, and I wanted
something unique for a gift. I went to the store and ordered a pair of silver
wedding wine glasses and had them engraved with their anniversary, but 25 years
into the future, because they’d have to stay married to use them.
They divorced a few years later.
60 – What’s your favorite cookie?
Chocolate
chip. Almost anything with chocolate chip in it. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip.
Double Chocolate Chip. Chocolate Chip with Walnuts. Screw it, just give me the
chips and I’ll be happy!
Author Name: Parker Williams
Book Name: Scent of the
Heart
Series: Shifting Needs
Book: Two
Series should be read in order
Release
Date: June 15, 2015
Blurb:
Casey Scott grew up being told he’d never amount to
anything, and despite the unwavering
love and support from his best friend, Jake, the idea sticks
in the back of Casey’s mind. When he
discovers he has a unique destiny in an enclave where
shifters and humans live together, he
seizes the chance, wanting for once in his life to be
someone special.
Tsvetok Yerokhin lost his parents to the evil ruler of the
enclave when he was a boy. The
responsibilities of raising his two younger brothers nearly
overwhelmed him and self-doubt
took over. When the new Alpha and his Protector arrive in
time to save his life, Sev is grateful,
but he’s even more shocked when he scents his mate with
them.
Casey isn’t prepared for the feelings that sweep over him
when he meets Sev, but he refuses to
act on them because he’s straight. Still, there is something
so alluring about Sev that Casey can’t
help being drawn to him.
As the two explore the edges of their new discovery, an evil
returns, determined to control the
enclave or destroy it. The Alpha and Protector are powerless
to stop it, but Casey holds the key
to victory. If he can discover what it is, he has a chance
to save them all. To be the hero.
Unfortunately, the hero has to be willing to make the
ultimate sacrifice, and for Casey that
means losing his heart.
Pages or Words: Approximately 69,000
words
Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance,
Romance, Paranormal, Bisexual, Fiction, Gay Fiction, New Adult
Excerpt:
Casey had slept in
the early evening, exhausted from his activities of the day. First the twins
came, and their birth wasn’t easy. One of them, the boy, refused to come out.
Normally shifter births were in and out in less than an hour. This one had kept
him elbow deep for four. When the child was finally born, he had a full head of
fluffy gray hair, indicative of his mother’s rabbit side. When they’d asked his
advice on what to name their new son, Casey had said Thumper. His parents had
fallen in love with the name, and Casey learned that people who had never seen
a movie had no idea what humor was.
Then there was the
incident with the stupid skunk in the forest. He hoped to hell Jake never found
out, because after all the crap Casey had given him, he knew for a fact there
would be hell to pay.
His intent had been
to sleep a few hours, then try another dreamwalk. They always left him drained
when he didn’t have a tether to this world. Casey shook his head. Six months
ago he never would have talked about different worlds, men that could become
animals, or ghosts outside of his weekly Dungeons and Dragons game. Now it
seemed he was actually living a campaign. He was a shaman, a wizard of sorts.
Jake was a paladin, righteous and good. Zak was…well, Zak probably would have
been royalty. With his demeanor and attitude, he would have made a great king.
He’d been dozing
fitfully; his dreams filled with visions of future events, where a fork in the
road left him with too many decisions. One was life, the other was death, but
both were fraught with peril. The knocking at his door had jolted him awake,
and he was actually glad for it.
Sev looked absolutely
miserable as he stood at the door. This would be only the second time the man
had come to see Casey. Most everyone else in the enclave had stopped by, even
for a friendly visit, numerous times. Yet Sev always hung back. This time,
Casey needed to understand what was going on.
When they came in
contact, skin on skin, Casey had no idea what happened. A surge ran up the
length of his arm, seemingly connecting him to Sev. He could tell the man
across from him needed his help. Sev was different from all the others in the
enclave who’d come and talked to him in the last six months. He didn’t need
advice; what he needed was someone to understand.
Sev sat at the table,
looking for all the world as if he were lost. He sipped the calming tea that
Casey had brewed, his eyes downcast as he told Casey his story—the death of his
parents, the problems he now had with his brothers, and his uncertainty that he
was doing the right thing. Never before had Casey wanted to pull someone into
his arms and promise them that everything would be all right. He’d heard so
many stories after Elizar’s defeat—beatings, rape, murder, and still he was
able to maintain a detachment. Not with Sev.
“How can I help?”
Sev sighed. “I don’t
know that you can. I just wanted to talk to someone.”
Casey could see the
shine of tears when Sev finally lifted his head, and his chest tightened as he
stood and wrapped his arms around the man. He didn’t have words, and he
couldn’t think of any other way to comfort him. Not one of the salves, potions,
ointments, teas, or other remedies on his shelves had the power to offer the
healing that a hug brought.
“Thank you, my mate.”
The words were so soft Casey was certain he had misheard
them.
Sales Links:
About the
author:
Parker
Williams believes that true love exists, but it always comes with a price. No
happily ever after can ever be had without work, sweat, and tears that come
with melding lives together.
Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28
years before he decided to retire and try new things. He enjoys his new life as
a stay-at-home author and also working on Pride-Promotions,
an LGBT author promotion service.
Where to find the author:
Connect with
Parker on: Twitter: @ParkerWAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parker.williams.75641
Publisher: Parker Williams
Cover
Artist: Laura Harner
Tour Dates & Stops:
Cate Ashwood, Rainbow
Gold Reviews, Velvet Panic, Havan Fellows,
Book
Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Full Moon
Dreaming, MM Good Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Fangirl
Moments and My Two Cents, The Hat
Party, 3
Chicks After Dark, Mikky's World of Books, The Fuzzy, Fluffy
World of Chris T. Kat, Love Bytes, Dawn’s Reading
Nook, Charley Descoteaux, Inked Rainbow Reads,
Becky Condit, Andrew Q. Gordon, Bayou Book
Junkie, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Hearts on Fire,
Divine
Magazine, Happily Ever Chapter, Nic Starr, My Fiction Nook, Wicked
Faerie's Tales and Reviews, Christy Loves 2 Read,
Molly
Lolly, Carly’s Book Reviews, Amanda C. Stone,
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