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"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you
simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." - Henry David Thoreau

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The Latest News  

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November 22, 2011

Interactive Fiction Comes to Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone 7

A couple of weeks back Howard received a phone call from Bill Zack at Microsoft.

Naturally, when Microsoft calls the phone is answered on the first ring.

Bill asked Howard about his plans to bring his interactive fiction titles to the new Windows Phone.

Howard promised he'd look into it.

And he did.

All Malinche Interactive Fictions are ready-to-go for the latest Windows Phone 7 right now.

Just download the Frotz.Net app for your Windows Phone from the Zune marketplace and you're ready to go.  You can enjoy the entire Malinche interactive fiction library right from the comfort of your Windows phone.

 

June 1, 2010

Interactive Fiction on the iPad

This really isn't new as far as news goes -- Frotz for the iPad has been out for a few weeks now and available for the iPhone and iPod Touch for quite a while.

Here's what is new - the first-ever (as far as we know) step by step illustrated guide to loading interactive fiction on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch.  This guide has everything including the obligatory gratuitous plugs and blatant self promotion.

Interactive Fiction on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch - Check it out

May 31, 2010

Book Expo 2010 Trip Report - Posted By Howard Personally

The last time I attended BEA - back in 2004 - I walked away well educated of the book industry and convinced that Malinche was way ahead of its time in the book publishing world. That's a far cry from being way behind the times in the game publishing world considering we publish TEXT adventure games...

Six years later, BEA 2010 is proof that the book publishing world has matured to the point where Malinche's interactive fiction offerings makes more sense to the mass market.

At BEA 2004 I found myself explaining what interactive fiction to a sea of blank stares of incomprehension.  The only way I could adequately convey the concept was to sit down with people and actually demonstrate Pentari: First Light and Greystone on laptops. This time? A full explanation in two lines or less with a nearly-universal response of "Oh cool!"

An entire eBook section in the exhibit hall was filled with companies large and small embracing the eBook age.  Google seemed to be leading the charge with their Google Editions initiatives.  For the record - we signed up and uploaded the entire Malinche library today.

Show Highlights:

Sitting in on the Google Books presentations.  Google's changing everything again.  Cloud-based eBook publishing.  Brilliant! No need for a particular device- Google Editions are designed to be accessible by everyone (except for Kindle owners at this point...) We're all in at this poker game.  I enrolled us today and uploaded all eight of my commercial releases.

Learning about Barnes & Nobles pubit! Barnes & Noble is rolling out a digital publishing platform similar to Amazon's.  Look for Malinche eBooks on the Nook this summer.

Meeting with John Goodwin, president of Galaxy Press - Galaxy Press is the publishing arm of L. Ron Hubbard's fiction library.  As the president of a publishing house with such an impressive inventory, Mister Goodwin was refreshingly reachable.  He was right there on the floor the whole time demonstrating the multi-platform nature of his library (ebook, pbook and abook). Truly a nice man and a top professional.  I'm taking a page from his book where humility and access are concerned.  Added bonus - I was impressed at their approach to retro publishing.  The entire line of L. Ron Hubbard pulp fiction novels have been reprinted to keep them true to their origins; smaller size, original cover art and even the font on the pages and the feel OF the pages.  Tremendous!

Book Expo America 2010

The Gang at Galaxy Press

Meeting with Ken Ventura, author of Man vs. boy - Ken and I are cut from the same cloth as we both write what is true even if we risk offending the politically-correct crowd.  He writes non-fiction, I write fiction but that just made our meeting of the minds more interesting.  His book, Man vs. boy is something that I feel belongs in every man's library. Ken radiates a powerful aura born of confidence and conviction.  He's also a mighty fine fellow to talk to. His writing is powerful stuff.  I drilled through 100 pages of his book on the train ride back to New Jersey.  I had the whole thing (381 pages!) polished off by Saturday morning.  Let me tell you - I *never* read non-fiction so voraciously.

Book Expo America 2010

Howard posing with Ken Ventura - Friends from the First.  He liked my Star of David,

I admired his lapel pin - the US flag and the Israeli flag.

Listening to Gary Vaynerchuck I'm ashamed to admit it but I never heard of the guy until I was strolling through the eBook area of the exhibit hall for the last time.  The speakers were loud - his words were even louder.  I stopped by, sat and listened.  And I'm so glad I did.  His two books Crush It! And The Thank You Economy have shot to the top of my "must read" list.

Book Expo America 2010

Gary Vaynerchuck explaining how The Thank You Economy works. Thank YOU Gary!

Book Blogger Con Reception.  I was one of the only men in a room of some two hundred book-loving women.  Heaven, right?  Yes, but not for the reasons you may be thinking.  I learned firsthand all about the book blogging world from the perspective of the reader.  I've been blogging as a writer for years but lacked the insights of the other side of the book food chain.  I am ignorant no longer! One question no one could seem to answer is -- Why are so many book bloggers female? Heck, why ask why? :)

Special shout-outs to:

Amy Reads, The Book Smugglers, April Conant, Alea Adou, Maura4u, Reading with Tequila,, Marie Cloutier, Gail Yates and Red House Books.

AND EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS to literary agent Claudia Gere for kick-starting everything.

The chewy chocolate chip cookies were fab too.

May 28, 2010

A Pinch in Saint Petersburg On Sale Now in Standard eBook & on Kindle

May 25, 2010

See you at Book Expo America!

May 24, 2010

A Pinch on Saint Petersburg is on Sale Now!

 

Archived News can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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