Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation


Blake J. Harris - 2014
    Sega, on the other hand, was just a faltering arcade company with big aspirations and even bigger personalities. But that would all change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a man who knew nothing about videogames and everything about fighting uphill battles. His unconventional tactics, combined with the blood, sweat and bold ideas of his renegade employees, transformed Sega and eventually led to a ruthless David-and-Goliath showdown with rival Nintendo.The battle was vicious, relentless, and highly profitable, eventually sparking a global corporate war that would be fought on several fronts: from living rooms and schoolyards to boardrooms and Congress. It was a once-in-a-lifetime, no-holds-barred conflict that pitted brother against brother, kid against adult, Sonic against Mario, and the US against Japan.Based on over two hundred interviews with former Sega and Nintendo employees, Console Wars is the underdog tale of how Kalinske miraculously turned an industry punchline into a market leader. It's the story of how a humble family man, with an extraordinary imagination and a gift for turning problems into competitive advantages, inspired a team of underdogs to slay a giant and, as a result, birth a $60 billion dollar industry.

Hey! Listen!: A journey through the golden era of video games


Steve McNeil - 2019
    He took a Nintendo Wii with him on his honeymoon (obviously), and spent so much time playing smartphone games in bed in the dark that he got eye strain and had to wear an eye patch. The locals nicknamed him 'the pale pirate'.Steve's obsession with video games can be traced back to the golden period from the early 70s to the late 90s. In this book he will delve into these games - from the appallingly bad to the breathtakingly good. He will also take us through the nerdy geniuses who created them, their fierce rivalries and risks often leading to some of the most farcical moments in the history of entertainment.This is a story of obsession, full of tales of Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Mario, Sonic, Wolfenstein 3D, Worms and many more. It will also answer important questions about the golden age. Questions like: Why did Namco feel they had to change the name of Puck-Man to Pac-Man because they were worried about graffiti, when Nintendo were more than happy to bring out Duck Hunt?Joysticks at the ready. Let's Play!

The Nightmare Within


Glen R. Krisch - 2010
    Once exposed to the real world, the dreams evolve, adapting to their surroundings.From a boy named Kevin, he removes Mr. Freakshow, a nightmare feeding on the trauma of Kevin having recently witnessed his father's murder. Kevin will do whatever it takes to be free of his nightmare, once and for all. Mr. Freakshow will do whatever it takes to realize his immortality. Will Kevin survive his nightmare?

Finley (Decoy Dynasty #1)


K.T. Fisher - 2017
    When his band, Lunacy is in the market for a female vocalist, they discover rising star, Riley James. She’s gorgeous, has a rocking body and an even more rockin’ voice. She’s perfect for the band, and as soon as Finley sets eyes on her, he knows he has to have her, but the longer Finley gets to know Riley, the more he realises she’s also perfect for him. However, Riley doesn’t fall for his charms and fights him off at every turn but how long can she deny the sexy, determined Finley Parker? After the dramas of her ex-boyfriend, Riley doesn’t trust men so easily because all they seem to want her for is a one way ticket to fame and she’s not interested in becoming another notch in Finley’s bed post. She despises players and men who think they run the world because women literally throw themselves at their feet, but one thing Riley doesn’t know, is that Finley won’t give in so easily, he knows how hard to fight for something he truly wants and he has his eyes set on the beautiful Riley.

Trigger Happy: Videogames and the Entertainment Revolution


Steven Poole - 2000
    Thirty years after the invention of the simplest of games, more videogames are played by adults than children. This revolutionary book is the first-ever academically worthy and deeply engaging critique of one of today's most popular forms of play: videogames are on track to supersede movies as the most innovative form of entertainment in the new century.

Savage in the Sheets: A Friends-to-Lovers Romance (Savage in Love Book 1)


Lark Anderson - 2020
    Now I know why I never make it past date five.Jenna Savage here. Attorney. Reality TV watcher. Hopeless romantic. Forever alone…If only I could deprogram the aggressively bland bedroom habits I’ve adapted out of my system and become the savage I’m meant to be.Of course, in order to do that, I need help. And who better to be my mentor than Weston Singer, my best friend and a total stud.We lay out the rules, determined to maintain our friendship during my ‘training.’ But wouldn’t you know it, my heart has other plans.Now, I’m hopelessly in love with a man who has always been a love ’em and leave ’em type of guy. I should have seen this coming.Is it possible he could feel the same way?Or am I doomed to forever long for a man I can never have?Savage in the Sheets is a standalone romantic comedy novella that fits into the bigger Savage in Love world! If you LOVE to laugh! If you CRAVE a sexy SIZZLE! And if you HATE cliffhangers—this book is for you!

In the Shadows (Tip of the Spear Book 1)


Julie Mellon - 2015
    Now on the run from her ex-boyfriend, will she have to give up everything in order to survive? Jason Powell has everything he ever wanted. After years in the military, he lives life on his own terms. Now a partner in a private investigation firm, his job allows him to travel to exotic places and he has his pick of women – what more could he ask for? Then he meets Jessica and his world is turned upside down. Can Jason protect Jessica from her ex-boyfriend while also accepting his feelings for her? Can Jessica trust her growing feelings for Jason, or is she convinced that they exist because he is her savior? Will these two live to see a happily ever after, or will the danger hiding in the shadows take everything away?

Who Likes Short Shorts


Pete Sortwell - 2013
    The book was so successful, he wrote a series. The series was so successful, he spent the next year releasing other projects he’d been working on. Now, for the first time the stories he wrote while learning his craft are available on Kindle and in paperback.From people stuck on roofs, to stalkers following their wives, to weight watchers’ meetings, this book is filled with oddballs, thieves, lowlifes, and other such lovelies. This book also contains the side story to Pete’s debut novel ‘So Low, So High’, so if you’re interested in finding out more about Fred, then this is the place.Short stories:Noang lishHeroLose-loseSo low, so highWeighTWATcherSMulti-storeyApt PupilOne flew over the policeman’s bonnetWin-winInside I’m dancing*Contained in this book are also samples of all Pete’s other books. The short stories amount to around eleven thousand words.

In a Moment


Caroline Finnerty - 2012
    Their relationship is only held together by a thread. As their marriage disintegrates around them, Adam tries desperately to salvage it – while Emma does everything in her power, not only to avoid the issue, but to avoid him. But what has brought them to this point? Why is Emma traumatised by the very sight of him? And why is Adam having recurring nightmares? Jean McParland has long been living her own nightmare, battling with her son Paul whose violent outbursts have terrorised her and his younger siblings in their own home. Torn between her love for her eldest son and fears for the other children, Jean has shied away from taking decisive action . . . while their lives continued to spin out of control. Then, in just one moment, Adam, Emma and Jean’s lives became inextricably linked and were changed forever.

The Way of Caine


Miles Holmes - 2013
    Now, just months after the Lion’s Coup and his full commission as a warcaster, he has been secretly assigned by Scout General Rebald to investigate plots against King Leto in lands just north of the Bloodsmeath Marsh. The game changes, however, when mercenaries camped inside Cygnar’s borders threaten hostility against the country’s divided nobility. In a test of grit and arcane power, Caine alone must make choices that will affect all the nations of the Iron Kingdoms.Follow Cygnar’s most unpredictable warcaster from his early days on the streets and roofs of Bainsmarket to his first covert mission in the shadowy Cygnaran Reconnaissance Service as you uncover The Way of Caine.

The Love Triangle


M.S. Parker - 2019
    After I gave my heart - and my virginity - to Jarek Rockwell, I realized my father was right. How can I trust Jarek when all evidence points to a huge lie? But who is the real bad guy, Jarek Rockwell or Amaury Michaud, the high-class respected socialite who has been courting me? One wears a mask of deception – the other is fighting for my love. Alicia Bonnaire, Princess of Belgium is caught in a vicious, no-holds-barred love triangle. The pro-athletes, Jarek and Amaury must compete for Alicia’s heart. Find out what happens in The Love Triangle (Filthy Rich Royals).

Shattered


Donna Ball - 1997
    a desperate mother... a frantic call in the night... is this a cruel hoax, or the work of a maniacal serial killer? The peaceful resort town of St. Teresa-by-the-Sea on Florida's Forgotten Coast is known for its low crime rate, pristine beaches, and great fishing. But tragedy can come even to Paradise, as Carol Dennison found out two and a half years ago when her fourteen-year-old daughter, Kelly, disappeared on her way to a Tallahassee concert. Now, just as Carol as beginning to rebuild the pieces of her shattered life, she receives a midnight call from someone who calls her "mama" and begs for help. Is this a cruel prank designed to terrorize and punish Kelly's father for the role he played in bringing a recently paroled criminal to justice? Or is it possible that Kelly is still alive?A grim investigation uncovers a connection between Kelly and other girls who have gone missing along the Gulf Coast in the past few years. When the body of one of those missing girls washes up on the shores of St. Teresa-by-the-Sea, the police are forced to admit they may have a serial killer in their midst. And with over three thousand college students poised to descend on the tiny community for spring break, their only hope for stopping him before he strikes again is the frightened voice of a teenage girl on the telephone... and the desperate determination of the parents who love her.Shattered is Donna Ball at her best: spine-tingling terror, chilling realism and unforgettable characters. No parent will ever watch her child leave the house in the same way again.Praise for the work of Donna Ball:"A maelstrom of suspense… gripping, intense”--Rendezvous“[Ball] knows how to keep a story moving”--Kirkus Reviews“A major talent of the genre”--Publisher’s Weekly“A must read”--Examiner.com

2042: The Great Cataclysm


Melisande Mason - 2011
    Australian oceanographer Nick Torrens working for the US government finds a massive new fault line in Pacific Ocean. These tectonic plates are about to subduct causing a global chain reaction of undersea earthquakes. A nuclear dump in the Bering sea threatens to escalate the disaster by creating huge underwater explosions, triggering the eruption of dormant volcanoes in the region, leading to the destruction of the North Pole. New islands rise from the seabed displacing the oceans creating huge tsunami and unprecedented sea levels that no amount of dykes can hold back. International press bans for seven days are ordered to allow governments to prepare evacuation plans before major panic begins. The CIA tries to prevent Nick from releasing the news prematurely. It’s a race against time as Nick escapes the CIA and has only a few days to return to Australia before all international flights are grounded. He joins his family and they are forced to experience the event when they are trapped by looters in a skyscraper on the oceanfront as massive tidal waves approach. The devastation is total and climates are changed as the earth tilts on it’s axis and people struggle to survive.

5 Editors Tackle the 12 Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing


C.S. Lakin - 2015
    The prose feels off. The scene isn’t gelling. The dialogue sounds stilted or clunky. But they don’t know why or how to fix it. This book lays it all out 5 Editors Tackle the Twelve Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing demonstrates the deadly dozen pitfalls on the road to a strong story, along with revisions that show writers exactly how to avoid novel failure.No other writing craft book offers such detailed instruction in how to spot and remedy the major flaws of fiction writing. What makes this book an important addition to a writer’s bookshelf? More than 60 Before and After passages showcase each of the twelve fatal flaws, which are then picked apart and examined to help writers spot these flaws in their own writing and fix them. Five editors with extensive background in both editing fiction and writing novels bring a wealth of insights, examples, and solutions to these flaws, using various genre styles and POVs. Each chapter ends with a checklist to help writers seek and destroy these fatal flaws in their manuscript, followed by bonus Before and After passages to help them test what they’ve learned. This in-depth guide to self-editing is an invaluable resource for any writer of any genre. It shows, not just tells, how to write better fiction. Using it, you’ll be armed with the tools and skills you need to conquer the twelve fatal flaws of fiction writing. Here are some of the 12 fatal flaws: Overwriting—the most egregious and common flaw in fiction writing. Nothin’ Happenin’—Too many stories take too long to get going. Learn what it means to start in medias res. Weak Construction—It sneaks in at the level of words and sentences, and rears up in up in the form of passive voice, ing verbs, and misplaced modifiers. Too Much Backstory—the bane of many manuscripts. Backstory has its place, but too often it serves as an info dump and bogs down pacing. POV Violations—Head hopping, characters knowing things they can’t know, and foreshadowing are just some of the many POV violations explored. Telling instead of Showing—Writers have heard this admonition, but there’s a lot to understanding how and when to show instead of tell. Lack of Pacing and Tension—Many factors affect pacing and tension: clunky passages, mundane dialogue, unimportant information, and so much more. Flawed Dialogue Construction—Writers need to learn to balance speech and narrative tags and avoid “on the nose” speech. “Underwriting”—just as fatal as overwriting.

Yours for a Song (Haven Springs Book 1)


Amy James - 2017
    A stunning kickoff to what promises to be a thoroughly addictive series.” -AD Cole, LuxuryReading.com World-renowned musician Eli Archer just wants to escape the fame and scandal that have swallowed his life. When he runs away from New York to the quirky, artistic mountain town of Haven Springs, all he wants to do is hide from the cameras and write the ten songs that will redeem his reputation. But his first stop in town is a visit to the emergency room, landing him straight in the arms of the buttoned-up but irresistible Dr. Claire Taylor. Although Claire can’t ignore the charisma of the gorgeous rock star, she has her eye on her own finish line: marriage and children—she’s thirty-five and running seriously late. The last thing she intends to do is get sidetracked by a sexy but transient musician-type. Then when homeless teenager Zoe and her annoying little dog work their way into Claire and Eli’s hearts, can either of the adults open their minds to a makeshift family they didn't plan for?