Title: Backward Compatible
Author: Sarah Daltry and Pete Clark
Genre: Geek Romance
December
2013 release
Blurb:
Not too long ago,
in a town that,
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…
Playlist:
Trailer:
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, bitch,” 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 bitch 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.
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 Flowering series, including Forget Me Not, Lily of the Valley, and Star of Bethlehem.
Pete Clark:
Pete Clark likes
writing, animals, potato chips, and cheese. Midnight
Riders is 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. He also writes plays, both dramatic
and comedic.
When he is not
writing, Pete tends to ignore everyone around him and obsess over sports.
Social
Media Links:
Pete’s Website: http://punchmyselfintheface.wordpress.com
Sarah’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SarahDaltryAuthor
Pete’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PeteClarkAuthor
Pete’s Twitter: http://twitter.com/PeteClarkBooks
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
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