For today’s Blogger Book Fair guest post, I’m happy to play host to Michael Brookes, author of Faust 2.0 and The Third Path Trilogy. Mr. Brookes gives us a little insight into writing for someone else’s universe and the challenges involved. As both an author and a gamer, I find his unique position fascinating!

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I consider myself a very fortunate person. I have two jobs, both of them involving my great life passions. During the day (and many evenings and weekends) I work as a mild mannered executive producer for one of the UK’s leading independent game developers. I love computer games and have done since an early age when I first played a game called Elite back in the mid-eighties.

Now nearly 30 years later I work for David Braben, the man who along with Ian Bell wrote the game that hooked me in so many years ago. Pretty cool, but it doesn’t stop there. After a successful Kickstarter campaign we are now developing the sequel to the game called Elite: Dangerous.

And it gets better 🙂

My other great passion is writing. I love creating stories and have done since a very young age. It stems from my love of reading, so in the time that I’m not working, I’m writing. Most people would prefer not to have two jobs, but I love it and now those two passions have become intertwined.

David had read my first novel (The Cult of Me) and enjoyed it and asked me to write the official novel tie-in with the game. I hesitated for maybe a nanosecond before accepting and I’m looking forward to the challenge. However it does present a new problem (solution opportunity!) that I’ve not encountered before.

One of the great things about writing is creating your own world and filling it with characters and a story. With Elite the world already exists and I have to fit the story within the confines of that world. It’s possible to change some things, but it has to remain true to the game.

This has meant that I have had to do a lot more research and preparation than I would normally have to do for a book.  I need to know every detail to make it authentic. It’s a lot of fun and the great part is that the histories being created are replicated in the game as well as the book I will be writing.

And that is another fusion of my two passions.

Games are a great way to tell a story. That might seem sacrilegious writing that in a guest post on an author’s blog, but the two are not mutually exclusive concepts. A great story is a great story no matter what medium the story is told in. When writing a book you have to create a world that supports the story, in a game the challenge can be greater, not only are you supporting the story in open games like Elite you have to be able to support the player’s story.

It’s not an easy task, but I’m happy to face it.

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Is it the rebirth of an ancient evil in a new realm? Or something much worse?

A sexy looking avatar grants wishes for people across the web, but nothing is truly free, and for those who accept, what price must be paid?

Sarah Mitchell must discover the truth of this creature and stop it while it can still be stopped, but why is a mysterious lawyer dogging her every step?

Faust 2.0 is the first book in the new Mitchell & Morton series.

Available now on Kindle:

Amazon (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Faust-2-0-Morton-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B00CTA3YIE/

Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/Faust-2-0-Morton-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B00CTA3YIE/

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About Michael Brookes

Michael Brookes is an Executive Producer with a leading UK games developer. Working in games and writing are two of his life passions and he considers himself fortunate to be able to indulge them both. He lives in the east of England, enjoying starry skies in the flattest part of the country. When not working or writing he can sometimes be found sleeping. Which is good as that is where many good ideas come from.

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Other Books by Michael Brookes

The Cult of Me

The first book in ‘The Third Path’ trilogy.

For too long he dwelt apart, watched those who passed him by. With his unique abilities he entered their minds and inflicted terrible suffering upon them. They didn’t even know who he was. The game has lasted for years, but now the game has become stale. On an impulse he decides to make a final and very public last stand. After surrendering himself to the police he enacts his plan to seize the prison for his final bloody act. 

There he discovers that he’s not as unique as he once thought.

Buy now from:

Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/The-Cult-Third-Path-ebook/dp/B008O7ZVXW/
Amazon (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Cult-Third-Path-ebook/dp/B008O7ZVXW/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cult-of-me-michael-brookes/1112888391?ean=2940016637747&isbn=2940016637747
iTunes (US): https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id639396634
iTunes (UK): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/id639396634

Conversations in the Abyss

The second book in ‘The Third Path’ trilogy.

Stealing Lazarus’s miracle gifted him immortality. Combined with his natural ability of invading and controlling people’s minds this made him one of the most dangerous people on Earth.

But the miracle came with a price. His punishment was to be imprisoned within the walls of an ancient monastery and tormented by an invisible fire that burned his body perpetually. To escape the pain he retreated deep into his own mind.

There he discovers the truth of the universe and that only he can stop the coming Apocalypse.

Buy now from:

Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BCP08JU/
Amazon (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BCP08JU/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1115281270?ean=2940016700465&isbn=2940016700465
iTunes (US): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/id647298331
iTunes (UK): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/id647298331

An Odd Quartet – Drabble Enhanced Edition

A quartet of dark short stories (10,000 words total) each with a twist in the tale. The drabble enhanced edition also contains some of my favourite drabbles (100 word stories).

The Yellow Lady
Grave robbing is a dirty business, in more ways than one. When he disturbs the grave from a childhood scary story he discovers it’s not always treasure to be found.

This Empty Place
At the heat death of the universe, Death contemplates his existence.

Forced Entry
Terrorists seize an average suburban house. A Special Forces hostage rescue team is sent in and encounter more than they were trained for.

The Reluctant Demon
A young demon prepares to take his possession exam.

Buy now from:

Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/An-Odd-Quartet-ebook/dp/B009QJMMPC/
Amazon (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/An-Odd-Quartet-ebook/dp/B009QJMMPC/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-odd-quartet-michael-brookes/1046494250?ean=2940016693453
iTunes (US): https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id636526301
iTunes(UK): https://itunes.apple.com/uk/book/id636526301
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/An-Odd-Quartet/book-IW9-ulByxE-fcgKdLgZT8Q/page1.html