Backward
Compatible
Sarah
Daltry and Pete Clark
Genre: Geek Romance
Book
Description:
Not too long ago,
in a town that,
depending on your current
location,
is either not super far
or actually quite close…
It is a time of chaotic hormones.
Two nerdy gents
home for winter break
have discovered a female gamer
at a midnight release.
During the break,
the gamer trio manages
to reveal the game’s secret boss,
a hidden enemy
with enough power to destroy
anything in its path.
Pursued by other gamers
who want to be the first
to beat this boss,
George and Katie race to level
up,
and, in so doing, restore decency
and sexual activity to their
personal galaxy…
Excerpt:
“These graphics
suck,” George says and I look back at the screen. We’re standing in the middle
of the Estate, colorful orbs quivering ahead of us. We each have to choose our
starting advantage. Waterfalls shimmer in the distance and the sunlight streams
over multicolored stones in the courtyard.
“Amateurs,”
Lanyon concurs. “I mean, they couldn’t have five waterfalls?”
“Your ironic wit
is mind blowing, but choose your damn orbs,” I tell them. I consider. Magic,
defense, offense, stealth, and charisma. I always go for magic as a black mage,
but I wonder if a druid needs something else. Screw it. I need charisma in real
life, too.
“Charisma?”
Lanyon asks. “No one ever picks charisma.”
“We’re a party
of a thief, druid, and a bard. We’re screwed regardless.”
“You two
underestimate the mighty power of my lute,” George argues.
“Did you start
with charisma?” Lanyon asks.
“Hell, no. I
have charisma in spades. I started with stealth.”
“Great. A
stealthy bard,” I sigh.
“She’s right,”
Lanyon concedes. “We’re screwed.”
However, it
actually isn’t bad at all at first. We power through the Estate and make it to
the Yobanaria Dale with no resurrections and all at level ten. I’m impressed.
George hasn’t actually fought anything, but he has some pretty awe-inspiring
charm mastery already. I think I might have a serious crush. He seals the deal
when he buffs my hailstorm spell without even being asked.
“Can you guys
watch El Thiefelo? My mom wants me to eat supper,” Lanyon says.
“Yeah, we’ve got
it,” I tell him. “The first boss is in the elven ruins anyway, so we should
grind a bit. I think he’s a twelve.”
George and I
explore the Dale, taking out bats and Joba spores. It’s fairly quiet, except
for when we combo with his charms and my spells and he yells out, “Eat lute,
b**ch,” but it’s nice. We work well, almost inherently understanding each
other. I’ve never been able to play this effectively with anyone. I try not to
think about his eyes. Stupid boys, being cute and stuff.
By the time
Lanyon comes back, we’re all at level 12, although Lanyon leveled up just by
standing by a door while we played. Still, we are ready to take on Balsa the
Proud. As a black mage, it took me about nine seconds. Trees don’t like fire.
However, druids don’t have the same level of black magic and all elemental
magic is weakened by the need to draw from the elements nearby. Sadly, trees
seem to avoid storing fire runes in their villages. I expect this to be a
little more challenging. It might even take fifteen seconds.
“First boss.
Also known as the freebie b**ch to sucker the young folks into a false sense of
security,” Lanyon announces as he runs into the center of Balsa’s lair. The
cinema plays and then, in a moment of pure absurdity, El Thiefelo is squished
as Balsa steps on him.
“Can someone
revive me?” Lanyon whines.
Bonus
Materials:
Gamer Nerd’s Love Song Video:
Music Playlist: http://hypster.com/create/playlist?playlist_id=6805166
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-0qwqxUYTw
Top
More than Ten:
Sarah’s
Favorite Video Games:
1. Borderlands 1 and 2
2. Fallout 3
3. Persona series
4. Eternal Darkness
5. Silent Hill series
6. Final Fantasy series
7. Skyrim
8. Dragon Age series
9. Mass Effect series
10. Fable series
11. Bioshock series
12. Magic: The Gathering
13. Perfect Dark
14. Heavy Rain
15. LA Noire
16. Parasite Eve
17. Catherine
18. Zuma
Pete’s
Favorite Video Games:
1. Bioshock
2. Resident Evil 4
3. Uncharted 2
4. Eternal Darkness
5. Goldeneye
6. Ms. Pac Man
7. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
8. God of War III
9. Dead Space
10. Silent Hill 2
11. Infamous 2
12. Portal
13. Defender
14. Super Metroid
15. Mass Effect
16. Castlevania
17. Call of Duty 4
18. Dragon Warrior
19. Perfect Dark
20. Arkham Asylum
21. Limbo
22. Rogue Squadron 2
23. Medieval
24. Parasite Eve
25. The Walking Dead
26. Metal Gear Solid
27. Team Fortress 2
28. Kagero: Deception 2
About
the Authors:
Sarah
Daltry:
Sarah Daltry writes about the
regular people who populate our lives. She's written works in various genres -
romance, erotica, fantasy, horror. Genre isn't as important as telling a story
about people and how their lives unfold. Sarah tends to focus on YA/NA
characters but she's been known to shake it up. Most of her stories are about
relationships - romantic, familial, friendly - because love and empathy are the
foundation of life. It doesn't matter if the story is set in contemporary NY,
historical Britain, or a fantasy world in the future - human beings are most
interesting in the ways they interact with others. This is the principle behind
all of Sarah's stories.
Sarah has spent most of her life
in school, from her BA and MA in English and writing to teaching both at the
high school and college level. She also loves studying art history and really
anything because learning is fun.
When Sarah isn't writing, she
tends to waste a lot of time checking Facebook for pictures of cats, shooting
virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window.
She has written several books,
most notably Bitter Fruits, an urban fantasy in the Eden’s Fall series, and the
six-part New Adult contemporary Flowering series. Her most recent release is
Primordial Dust, a YA fantasy.
Pete
Clark:
Pete Clark likes writing,
animals, potato chips, and cheese. Midnight Riders was his first published
novel, although he can also proudly say he finally finished Helix Crashing, the
fantasy novel he has been working on for over a decade. In addition, he has
written Across the Barren Landscape, a collection of linked Western short
stories, and Tales from Midnight’s Graveyard, a collection of non-linked
horror, science fiction, and fantasy stories. He also writes plays, both
dramatic and comedic.
When he is not writing, Pete
tends to ignore everyone around him and obsess over sports.
Sarah’s Website: http://sarahdaltry.com
Pete’s Website: http://punchmyselfintheface.wordpress.com
Sarah’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahDaltry
Pete’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PeteClarkAuthor
Sarah’s Twitter: http://twitter.com/SarahDaltry
Pete’s Twitter: http://twitter.com/PeteClarkBooks
Tour
Giveaways
1 $25 Amazon gift card
2 signed paperbacks of the book
(by both authors)
1 Ebook copy
1 Signed paperback of Midnight
Riders by Pete Clark
1 Ebook of any of Sarah Daltry's
titles
1 Backward Compatible packet
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