Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour – The Witch Port Video Game by Leonard Bassed
THE WITCH PORT VIDEO GAME
Leonard Bassed
* YA *
Title: THE WITCH PORT VIDEO GAME
Author: Leonard Bassed
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 108
Genre: YA
Leonard Bassed had no plan to write a novel titled THE WITCH PORT
VIDEO GAME when he set out to create a movie script with a similar
name. “I had written the pilot script first and I kept the same ending
for the novel…everything from the script I wrote found its way into the
finished book version of ‘The Witch Port Video Game,’ said
writer-singer-actor Leonard Bassed. “I was able to spend more time
developing the characters and their world…the whole thing was just such
an organic experience and extremely enjoyable, creative for me.”
THE WITCH PORT VIDEO GAME tells the story through the lives of three
ordinary teens who live in the fictional town of Cradle Creek, USA – a
small town they hope to one day escape, attracted by the bright lights
and promise of the Big City. All three are students at a prestigious
performing art school with hopes of one day making names for themselves
in the entertainment world.
Mr. Bassed continued about his story, “A chance encounter the three
have with a girl named Bianca Morris threatens to derail their plans.
Bianca introduces them to an enticing video game, ‘The Witch Port Video
Game’. This encounter, coupled with the arrival of the MacQuoid
brothers sets in motion a series of bizarre events that spins their
lives into chaos and disarray as the three head into a world of sorcery
with an ultimate fight for survival.”
As a young boy growing up in South Africa, Leonard dreamed one day of
working in the arts. He wanted to write, to act, to sing. While drawn
to acting and song writing, he was also a good story teller. “The
auditions I would go out for as an actor were never reflective of the
kinds of roles I was after to play. It was this realization that led me
to writing the pilot script which I planned to pitch to TV and movie
producers. But, once I finished the script I’d grown too attached to
the characters and the wonders of their world that ultimately led the
script into the shape of a full novel,” he went on to say.
PRAISE
“While the book’s final moments leave us with a rather sudden, enigmatic ending, an end note does indicate a sequel
Witch Port Igniting the Coven
on
the horizon. For those who enjoy the entertaining literary chemistry
that results from inquisitive teens and their foray into the mysterious
world of sorcery, Bassed’s venture should prove an intriguing reveal.”
–Pacific Book Review
“Filled with cheeky references to famous pop-culture stories of
sorcery and mixed with some classic teenage angst, this book is a
fast-paced, suspenseful story. The novel’s premise that some teenagers
gain special powers through a video game is an updated, modern take on
magic and suits the story quite well for a 21st-century setting. The
author sets up the story mechanisms so that everything that happens
through the students’ video game play also happens in real life. The
author states that this novel was originally a screenplay, and those
elements shine through, from the descriptive settings to the fast pace
in which the action occurs on the page. It will be interesting to see
how the protagonists grow with their powers in the sequel.”
–The U.S. Review of Books
Book can be purchased at the author’s web site at www.leonardbassed.com
______________________
“I begin to hear an eerie
chant being recited in unison as the first three naked women make it to the
dark summit. Holding long, makeshift brooms, in their right hands, they chant:
“Drink the flight broth, wood in hand. Burn the root …” An elderly woman with
lanky hair picks up the goblet, takes a sip of its contents, and inhales the
smoke of an already burning smudge stick. The chanting continues: “Then dive
from the cliff…” This is perhaps the most startling scene I’ve ever
witnessed. The woman runs off the edge of the cliff, seemingly to plummet to
her death, but I hear “Not by wind nor by wings, airborne sisters thou shall
soar.” Suddenly, the woman who vanished off the cliff reappears, hovering in
mid-air on a broom. She begins cackling, and the louder her cackles, the higher
she floats. Soon a host of other women mimic her actions, cackling into the
night air.” – By Leonard Bassed
This is one of my favorite excerpts from my novel, ‘The Witch Port Video
Game’ because of the imagery it conjures.
My novel begins with Martin’s recollection of a vision he once had. In the
vision women are seen diving of a cliff and flying on their brooms, true to the
stereotypical portrayal of witches in the media and western folklore.
The women are depicted inhaling something resembling a smudge stick this
leaves the reader unsure whether they’re indeed flying or having some sort of
hallucinogenic experience brought on by the smoke.
Not all games should be played
–Leonard Bassed, Author of The Witch Port Video Game
The Witch Port Video Game illustrates that actions have consequences when three ordinary teenagers’ lives are thrown into turmoil and disarray through a chance encounter with a girl at a diner. It promised to be a fun time when the teenage friends, Martin Robinson, Francesca Dubois and Mackenzie Hollister sneaked away for an evening out. However, on this occasion, they happened to be at the wrong place, at a wrong time when a stranger, Bianca introduces them to a video game. The game seems awesome at first until a series of strange events occur which mirror what happens on screen. The realization that they have somehow being imbued with magical abilities through the video game is accompanied by the mysterious arrival of the MacQuoid brothers, who with Bianca as their co-conspirator wreak havoc on their previously peaceful lives in the idyllic fictional town of Cradle Creek.
This exciting account of magic and sorcery is a must read for young adults who are fascinated by magical realism and gaming. It gives the notion of sorcery a modern spin, while offering the reader intrigue and suspense. The novel makes references to current teenage culture and explores themes that young people still face today including orientation, peer pressure and substance abuse.
This indie debut novel is the first in a series and all “shall be revealed later”. The reader is invited to embark on this journey with Martin, Francesca and McKenzie, three unsuspecting teenagers who become entangled in something totally unsolicited and unplanned. Their very lives and those of their loved ones are at stake, as they struggle for survival. The story ends with a cliffhanger that will entice the reader back for more. You don’t choose sorcery – She chooses you…
For your copy of the book The Witch Port Video Game visit the author’s website: www.leonardbassed.com
Writer-actor-singer Leonard Bassed was born in the town of
Middleburg, Mpumalanga and raised in Johannesburg. He started taking
vocal lessons at age eight and studied drama throughout his high school
years. A mentor encouraged him to pursue an acting career. Leonard
went on to complete acting classes in both South Africa and later Los
Angeles. Currently, when not writing or singing, Leonard continues to
study acting techniques with the renowned Margie Haber Studio in
Hollywood. In his free time, he enjoys travel, reading and movie going.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://leonardbassed.com/
Facebook page for author: https://www.facebook.com/leobassed/
Twitter page for author: https://twitter.com/LeonardBassed
