WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://leonardbassed.com/Facebook page for author: https://www.facebook.com/leobassed/
Twitter page for author: https://twitter.com/LeonardBassed
BOOK BLURB:
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
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
Thank you for your time in
answering our questions about getting published. Let’s begin by having
you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Leonard: Initially I wrote The Witch Port Video Game pilot
script in June of 2014 after returning home from a trip I made to Los
Angeles, California in the USA.
Upon its completion I had grown to attached to the world and characters this
ultimately led my script into the shape of the finished novel, the first
installment in the series.
Is this your first book?
Leonard: The Witch Port Video Game, is my first published work
but I have other things that I’ve written. Some of which I hope to share some
day but for the time being I’m pretty content working on this project.
With this particular book,
how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you
choose this method?
Leonard: Being that this is my debut novel I chose to
self-published my book, wanting to maintain complete creative control of the
project. I was worried that had I gone the traditional route I wouldn’t have
had as much input as I wanted.
Can you tell us a little
about your publishing journey? The pros
and cons?
Leonard: I have definitely faced my fair share of challenges
but ultimately each one has been a major growth point for me. I have learnt to
really trust each step of the process. The experience was really rewarding and
empowering. The three major cons to my publishing journey were: 1) You don’t
know what you don’t know, so you need to do your homework. 2) The buck stops
with you, so you really need to be on the ball. 3) There is definitely still a
stigma attached to getting self-published, this makes certain people reluctant
to read your book, and its generally harder getting your book into stores.
What lessons do you feel you
learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing
industry as a whole?
Leonard: You get out of it what
you put into it. I believe in letting one’s work speak for itself.
Would you recommend this
method of publishing to other authors?
Leonard: I don’t have any regrets, but I don’t think
self-publishing is for everyone. It’s a lot of work and you really need to be
very self-motivated to produce really great work because no one is going to
push you or insist that you are thorough, that has to come from you.
What’s the best advice you
can give to aspiring authors?
Leonard: There is honestly no time like the present, its not a
race it’s a marathon. It’s about incremental progress that takes you closer to
your dreams. Develop a system of work that you enjoy.
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