MARK PARKER, Author

In the past, whenever I've been interviewed, one of the questions that often comes up is what I enjoy doing when I'm not writing. That's an easy one to answer. I suspect for most writers it's the same. I enjoy reading.  People laugh when they see my library, because not only is it pretty extensive, but it's rather broad in scope, as well. You'll see everything from Stephen King to Mary Higgins Clark, Margaret Weis and George R.R. Martin, to Danielle Steel.  What can I say?  I like it all. I enjoy mysteries of every kind, taught, gritty suspense thrillers, and even the occasional romance novel, especially if it's well written. They say a writer can best hone his or her craft by reading as much of as much as possible, and that's the reason for the ecclectic choices that teem my bookshelves to near overflowing.

 

Most recently I'm enjoying a number of books, short story collections, and even works of non-fiction.  I have just begun reading Below by first time author, Josh Lockwood by Pinnacle Books. In the immanent tradition of one of my favorite novels of all time, Jaws. by Peter Benchley, Below tells the story of professional diver, Will Sturnman, and oceanographer Valerie Martell, who together encounter an ungodly lifeform that has migrated north, and is leaving a gruesome string of corpses in its wake.  Sounds good, huh? So far...it is!

 

I'm also really enjoying Pines and Wayward by Blake Crouch. Both books are in Crouch's Wayward Pines Series, which is being adapted for television by writer and director, M. Night Shamalan.  The books introduce us to the quintessential small town of Wayward Pines, Idaho, and the odd happenings there. The town is encircled by electrified, razor-topped fences, but for what purposes? With each step Secret Service agent Ethan Burke takes toward unriddling the truth of Wayward Pines' many mysteries, he soon comes to the terrifying conclusion that he may never make it out of town alive...

 

On a whole different note, I am reading some non-fiction works (spiritually based mostly) that include: Eckhart Tolle's Stillness Speaks, Joel Osteen's Break Out! - 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life, and Shirley MacLaine's What If... - A Lifetime of Questions, Speculations, Reasonable Guesses, and a Few Things I Know for Sure, that poses some rather introspective questions like: What if each of us could remember our untapped origins in the cosmos? Or: What if all that we are is simply the result of what we have thought? You know...just some light reading. ;-) 

 

As you can see, I try to be as diverse as possible with the kinds of things I read. Besides, I have pretty diverse tastes, so it's never much of an issue.

 

What are you reading? Follow me on Twitter (@MarkParkerBooks), or click LIKE on my Facebook page (Mark Parker Books), and let's swap reading suggestions. I'm always interested to learn what folks are finding to be good reads. If you click on the thumbnail book covers below, you will be redirected to Amazon's website, where you can read reviews of these titles or even purchase a copy for yourself. I only ask that you don't forget to check out my titles while you're there! ;-)

 

Happy reading!