While on vacation in a sunny northern town, I happened upon a sign that told the too brief tale of a local lamplighter from the late 1800s, who did nothing at all interesting so far as I could see. Except that he had stood where I was standing, climbed a ladder and lit lamps just a few yards away. It made me feel connected to that long ago soul and I wondered what it would be like to visit him, and what his life could possibly have to do with video games, since that’s the genre of the book I’ve decided to write. An idea took root, and it’s been growing ever since.
The lamplighter’s name was and is True Green, but it’s his apprentice who is the focus of the novel. Marty Knox is a hot indie video game designer who is driven to tell stories in the only medium he knows. He’s approached with an offer from a major game publisher, an offer he’d have to be crazy to refuse, but because of his special relationship with his creations, he feels he has to turn down the chance of a lifetime. There’s more at stake than even Marty understands and even with True’s help, he may not be able to save everything he holds dear.
The story blends time travel, weird fiction, fantasy and adventure, all through the eyes of a gamer who’s too close to the worlds he plays in.
Thanks so much for reading. Since all my published work to date has been ghostwritten, I never get the chance to connect with readers, and I crave it like an earl craves sandwiches.
I post indie book reviews regularly at http://ouratomictomorrow.com. Check out Inkshares Digest, posted twice weekly, and be sure to follow me here if you’d like to be featured in future.
Chapter One: Greater Hunting Lion, 900HP, Str 7, Toughness +1
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