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Why do I write romance?

Whether I’m writing young adult as Will Parkinson or scribing something a tad racier as Parker Williams, the reason I write what I do doesn’t change: People need to see others like themselves.

When I wrote Pitch, I did it because when I was a teen, there were no books about growing up gay. Yeah, there were some adult books, but even they were ‘safe’ reads, nothing too racy or challenging. As a young adult, though, the pickings were extremely thin. Books like “Reflections of a Rock Lobster” by Aaron Fricke were like gold, as far as I was concerned.

As a kid, I enjoyed writing. Even if they weren’t stories I’d ever share with anyone, I had Grant and Rusty, and scores of others to keep me company.

Now that I’m an adult (cough), I write some YA stuff (as Will Parkinson) to give back to my younger self. To show other kids that they’re not alone in the world. Pitch was my first effort. I didn’t know the ‘rules’ of YA stories then, and I’d like to think that my writing has gotten better thanks to the friends that I’ve made (KC Wells, Sjd Peterson, Tom Webb, Laura Harner, Becky Condit, Max Vos, and so many others).

I think Wet Paint (my current work in progress) is going to be better than Pitch. At least that’s my fervent hope. It will be a tougher read than Pitch, that’s for sure. Issues that were raised in the first book are resurrected in this one. Addy, one of the characters in Pitch, will have to deal with some emotional baggage he’s been carrying around forever.

On the other hand, Parker Williams is teaming up with K.C. Wells and revisiting her Collars & Cuffs world with new characters Scott and Ben.  Favorites in Alex, Leo, Thomas, and Peter will show up and another character gets a mention. Working with Kc was a very heady experience.

So now you know (at least a little better) why I write what I do. It’s important for kids today to have access to YA literature of all shapes and sizes, but it’s vitally important for them to know that there are characters like them in the worlds that we create.

First Round of Edits for Someone to Keep Me: DONE!

Someone to Keep Me, the collaboration between Kc Wells, author of the Collars and Cuffs series, has just completed the first round of edits.

God, what a journey this has been. When Kc first asked me about writing with her, I turned her down flat. Her being from England and me being from the US, I honestly thought we could not make it work. But when I read An Unlocked Heart and helped her to plan Trusting Thomas, I had an idea for a story that we could try. I approached Kc with it and she said hell yes. (But in a nicer way because she’s British and you know how sweet and proper they are.)

Scott Keating is an embarrassment to his family. He’s small, non-athletic, doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps. He’s kept hidden away, home schooled, and lonely. His parents give him a Nook, filled with information about the career that’s been chosen for him, but Scott finds out that it’s also a window to the outside world when he connects to the Internet via the browser. What he finds is unlike anything he’s ever known. Who he meets is the catalyst for the start of his journey.

Jeff is smooth as glass. He says all the right things, worming his way into Scott’s heart. When Jeff utters those three little words, Scott is over the moon. When Jeff offers to fly Scott to England to live with him, Scott doesn’t even hesitate.

When he arrives, Jeff isn’t there. Scott is afraid. He’s in a strange country (I mean it’s England after all), has no money, nothing but the clothes on his back. What can he do but sit and cry.

Enter Ben Winters, who has just seen his sister off at the airport. He finds Scott and immediately offers assistance. Ben takes Scott to Collars and Cuffs, the place he tends bar, to meet with the owners Thomas Williams and Leo Hart. Thus begins Scott & Ben’s tale.

It was a thrill writing with Kc. Even though our styles were different (she’s more of a planner, I prefer seeing where the story takes me), we melded our styles, each being able to write the characters with little difficulty. The only thing we had to do was read what the other wrote to make sure differences in language were accounted for. From that the story evolved.

Kc and I would like to thank Max Vos and Becky Condit for reading the story for us and helping us move it along. We’d also like to thank those who beta read the story for their valuable input and their time.

Look for Someone to Keep Me coming in January from Dreamspinner Press.

 

Trusting Thomas by KC Wells

Trusting Thomas is coming to Dreamspinner Press on October 7th, 2013. You can click the picture to pre-order the book!

What’s on tap for Kc Wells & Parker Williams?

KC Wells and I were lucky enough to get a contract for Someone to Keep Me from Dreamspinner Press. It’s the story of Ben & Scott and also features characters from An Unlocked Heart and her upcoming book, “Trusting Thomas”.

Scott Keating is American. He’s stifled at home. His parents have his life mapped out and won’t accept any deviation from their plans. Scott wants more from life. He wants to be loved and belong. He meets ‘Jeff’ online. Jeff is everything Scott is looking for. He’s attentive. He’s friendly. He knows all the right things to say. Scott thinks he’s too good to be true. When Jeff invites Scott to come live in the United Kingdom, Scott jumps at the chance. The problem? Jeff isn’t there when Scott shows up. He’s alone in a foreign country. No phone. No friends. No Jeff. He’s afraid and doesn’t know what to do.

Enter Benjamin Winters. He finds Scott on a bench and is drawn to help the young man. He takes Scott to see his bosses, Leo and Thomas, who offer to help Scott find a way to stay in the UK. The thing is? When Leo’s submissive, Alex, talks to Scott, he believes the lad needs more than someone to help him. He needs someone to keep him.

 

Writing this book with KC was simply incredible. I have to be honest, I wasn’t sure we’d mesh well when we were writing, but that wasn’t a problem at all. She’s an amazing partner in crime. So much so, in fact, that we decided that we were going to write a new book together. Damian’s Discipline is also part of the Collars and Cuffs world. Not directly, but more like an offshoot of it.  We’re still working on the plot and details, so I won’t say too much about it. It’s going to be something different than either of us has tried before. Damian is mentioned in Someone to Keep Me, as is the person he’s going to need to deal with. (Won’t say who just yet. You’ll need to read STKM to find out.)

Then while we were putting everything together, I got the idea for a THIRD book. This one is hush-hush so I won’t say anything other than the characters are Eli and Jarod and this one will be something we haven’t really seen before in M/M BDSM stories.

Finally, there’s another story that I asked KC if she’d like to write with me. It’s not BDSM and it doesn’t have a title yet, but it’s going to be a ghost story. We’re trying to create a world different from anyone else.

I think that’s what I like best about working with KC. Things go in many different directions when we put our minds to it. In Someone to Keep Me we had the whole story plotted out, beginning to end. Then while I was at work one night I had an idea for a different direction for the characters. I thought for sure KC would say ‘no, we have it already planned out’, but when I got home I was so excited I had to write it out. I showed it to her and she loved it and we added it into the story.

I hope you’ll join us on our adventure. It’s going to be a hell of a lot of fun. In fact, here’s a bit from Someone to Keep Me just to tantalize you. (Remember this book is unedited as yet so this may change.)

SOMEONE TO KEEP ME

KC Wells & Parker Williams
Copyright 2013
Dreamspinner Press

“Excuse me, but are you all right?”

The voice was low and firm. I lifted my head and saw a man, possibly in his late twenties, looking at me anxiously, deep brown eyes filled with concern. Swiftly I straightened, wiping my face.

“I’m fine, thank you,” I reassured him, pasting on a fake bright smile. No way was I about to discuss my personal affairs with a complete stranger. I met his gaze, hoping I could bluff him.

No such luck.

Those brown eyes narrowed. “Sorry, mate, but I’m not buying it.” It was difficult to follow what he was saying. His accent was kind of flat and the words sounded funny. Well, funny peculiar to my ears. “I think you’re in trouble.” His expression softened. “Want to talk about it? Maybe I can help.”

I shook my head vigorously. What I wanted was for Jeff to turn up like he’d promised and take me home. The thought of Jeff brought fresh tears to my eyes. I couldn’t hold them back any more. I couldn’t help but think that maybe even being back home would be better than this.

“Where are your parents?” he asked.

I huffed a quick breath before almost looking him in the eyes. “I’m eighteen.” I sighed.

He put his hands up. “Sorry. You just look so much younger. I thought you might be lost.”

I tried to give a smile, but I don’t think it came out very well. “I get that a lot.” I was really fighting the urge not to cry. The guy would think I was a real basket case. I swallowed hard.

“Okay, that’s enough.” His voice dropped even lower. “You can’t stay here. Come with me.”

I dragged my sleeve across my eyes and nose, and stood up. For some inexplicable reason, I found myself doing what he said. I couldn’t help myself. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“What have you done to be sorry for?” he asked me, looking perplexed.

“You don’t even know me.” I snuffled. “I’m a mess, but you’re still being so nice about it.”

“That’s enough of that,” he said, hand stretched out toward me. “Come on, let’s go.”

“W-where are we going?” I stammered. He looked around and his eyes lit up.

“There’s a café just over there. Why don’t we go sit inside, I’ll get you something to eat and drink, and you can tell me everything.” Something in the tone of his voice made me think he wasn’t about to take no for an answer. And to be honest? I didn’t want to say no. My stomach grumbled loudly and he laughed. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. I sneaked a peek at the café. It was public, so he’d be less likely to try anything funny, not that I thought he would. And he was definitely growing on me. I didn’t have a clue why he affected me the way he did, but I somehow knew I could trust him. I nodded tearfully and he grasped my arm. He glanced around. “Where’s your luggage?”

I gestured to my body. “No luggage—just me.” I tried to smile, but the situation was still too raw. A flicker of surprise flashed across his face, and then it was gone. He gave me a lopsided grin.

“I can’t wait to hear this.” He held out his hand. “The name’s Ben Winters, by the way.”

I took it, his fingers folding around mine in a warm but firm clasp. “Scott Keating.”

I can’t believe the company I keep…

This has been a simply amazing journey for me. 500 Miles was my first published work and it garnered a lot of support from friends and readers. When I found out I was nominated for book of the month at Sid Love’s blog, and the company I was keeping? Holy hell.

Mr. Webb, Laura Harner, Rhys Ford, SJD Peterson, Amy Lane,  Poppy Dennison. I admit to a fangirl moment. Or five.

Stop in and vote today. You can vote for two books daily, so make your choices count!

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