Interview with Alex Hunter

The Mysterious Author Alex Hunter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to an Interview with...Alex Hunter

Author of Game Over.

 

A brief synopsis.

Sam and his friends Corey and Josh sit down to play Sam’s new computer game that he had for his birthday when something weird happens…the three boys get sucked inside the game.

They find themselves in the land of Allaire, inside a castle that has been taken over by an evil knight and his two sons.

In Book One they have to play through the levels, collecting coins and defeating little creatures. They also have to battle and win a fight against the first knight – Ulric, before they can safely return home.

What made you decide to write this book?

I have two sons, one 5 and one 8 and although my 8 year old reads well in school he rarely reads for pleasure – he’d rather play on a computer game. That’s when it hit me that I should write about a computer game, in order to get him reading.

Where did the title come from?

The title was actually my niece’s idea, and it fits well with the theme of computer games and the whole point of the book – will they get home safely or will it be Game Over…

Do you always write in this genre?

This is the first time I have written for children, I always wanted to write and always thought my completed book would be a grown up’s book. I have completed a book for teenage girls too but it’s on the back burner for now, while I concentrate on this.

If you ruled the World what would be the first thing you’d banish?

I would banish wood lice – they make my skin crawl!

 

What was your inspiration to write and when did you start?

I have always wanted to write and have always been an avid reader, so it’s probably where it came from. I remember writing a short story in an English exam and my teacher marking it as very Enid Blyton – I think it’s because I mentioned ginger beer!

(Ah, ever the alcoholic I see . Famous 5 or Secret 7 ?)

What was your destination to publishing? ie are you self published.

I finished Book One of Game Over in August 2011 and started sending it out to agents. It is such a soul destroying experience though and after several ‘no thanks’ I gave up. I found that while I waited for a reply off them I stopped writing. It was like the fun had gone out of it. When I decided in this year, 2012, to do it myself, I was suddenly excited by writing again.

So I self published through feedaread.com, and the results have been great. I paid for a professional editor and a cover designer, who also did the brilliant illustrations inside the book.

Share with the readers one little known fact about yourself.

I love karaoke. My favourite song to sing is ‘My Boy Lollipop’!

( I bet you’re not even old enough to remember Millie bringing that one out, you must have heard your parents play oldies )

Do you have a website to share?

Yes, the website for the books is www.gameoverbooks.com

Any links to the book/books

Yeah this is the link for feedaread:http://www.feedaread.com/search/books.aspx?phrase=game%20over

and this is the link to amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Game-Over-Alex-Hunter/dp/1781767718/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349893205&sr=8-1

Please feel free to share an excerpt.

Brill idea…okay here is little bit of Game Over, Book One!

Sam woke up on the morning of his tenth birthday, filled with excitement, and leapt out of bed.

He ran across the landing, in to his mum and dad’s bedroom and jumped on their bed, waking both of them up. They didn’t look too happy!

“Happy birthday, son.” Sam’s dad sat up, wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

“Happy birthday, gorgeous.” Sam’s mum smiled at him and pulled him in close for a hug. She was toasty warm.

“Shall we have some breakfast?” Sam’s dad was smiling.

“Yeah, I am quite hungry.” Sam’s mum had a twinkle in her eye.

Sam looked between them both, crestfallen, and then he caught their eyes and realised they were teasing. “Present time!”

Sam shouted and did a bit of air guitar just like the rock star he one day hoped to be.

Sam barrelled down the stairs, and his mum and dad followed.

On the sofa in the lounge was a pile of neatly wrapped presents.

Sam looked at them, his eyes wide. He knew that he was lucky. His mum and dad always told him so!

Sam couldn’t wait to open his presents and he knew that he’d be getting even more when his family and friends visited. Birthdays were awesome!

Sam had his fingers crossed for just one thing though.

If he was lucky (and he was always told that he was!) he would get the coolest, most awesome new computer game. And if he did, he would be the first one of his friends to have it.

And because he was so good at computer games, he would definitely be the first one to finish it. Out of him and his two best friends, Corey and Josh, he was always the first one to finish a new game. He finished Super Race Guy in just three days!

The game he was hoping for was so amazingly awesome that he was just itching to open up his presents and see if it was one of them.

He didn’t know what he would do if it wasn’t. Probably cry! Well, not really, because, you know, boys don’t cry. Just be sad. Very sad.

The computer game was called GAME OVER.

The adverts looked so cool. The game was set in a castle and you had to kill all the evil knights and collect gold coins and rescue a fair maiden. Okay, so that last part was a bit rubbish, but the rest was amazing!

Sam started opening presents that looked like they might be computer games. One wasa computer game but not the one he wanted. One was a book about evil wizards, pretty good but not GAME OVER. He opened all of his presents except one. He’d had some good stuff, a few computer games, some books, clothes… all the usual. But not GAME OVER.

And the last present was too big to be a computer game. It was a huge box, the size that a TV would fit into. A big square box.

Sam tried hard to smile at his mum and dad. He knew he was lucky…He loved all of his presents, but…

Sam’s mum and dad were smiling at him. They could see that he was disappointed, that he thought the last box was too big to be a computer game.

“Come on, Sam. Open up your last one.” Sam’s mum smiled at him.

Sam smiled bravely. Maybe he’d get GAME OVER for Christmas.

He pulled the wrapping paper off the box. It was covered in stripy wrapping paper. He opened the enormous box. Inside was a smaller present… Quickly, he pulled the wrapping off.

GAME OVER!

Yes!!! Sam punched his fist in the air. Yes! Corey and Josh were suckers! He got it first.

Thanks so much for sharing with us Alex. I’m sure there will be lots of parents excited by the idea of using this book to encourage their children to read. And probably just as many children wishing the game existed. Come to think of it, maybe a few of the parents will as well.