Available now at
Evernight Publishing ~ Open World –
C.O.V.E.N. by Casey Moss
The
world of C.O.V.E.N. (Clans of Vegas – Endless Night) first appeared in
Evernight Publishing’s anthology Keyboards
& Kink (available here: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/keyboards-and-kink/
& at other fine e-tailers) in Casey’s story, AFK.
In
AFK, we saw a peek into I-D-8
Entertainment’s in-production MMORPG: Clans of
Vegas – Endless Night, also known as C.O.V.E.N. when Beth and another gamer got
sucked into the game for real.
Now,
when it comes to Open World, it’s
actually made up of parts from two novellas that had been previously published.
Those stories were my very first published ones released in 2008 under my alter
ego’s name. A few years ago, I received the rights back on them, and they sat
in a file until this year. There’s been some major work done to revamp them
from a sci-fi’ish plot to the computer gaming one present in the book today. I
am so excited these stories, and more to come in the C.O.V.E.N. world, have
found new life and a great new home with Evernight Publishing.
In
the story, Open World, some of the
employees of I-D-8 have joined together for a LAN party to test the game. For definitions
on the computer gaming term: open world, check out http://www.techopedia.com/definition/3952/sandbox-gaming).
Here’s a look into the story…
Here’s a look into the story…
~ Blurb ~
The
world has broken out in wars. Las Vegas has been ravaged by chemical warfare and
is now home to several clans and creatures.
Welcome
to I-D-8 Entertainment’s newest game: Clans of Vegas—Endless Night.
Friends
and family have gathered for a crunch time playtest of C.O.V.E.N.. When a
horrible thunderstorm hits, everyone’s sucked into the game for real. In the
MMORPG, Hope Collins is kidnapped by Buzz and forced to submit to his whims.
Her boyfriend, Alden, has to delay his quest of defeating a clan’s prince to
save her, but time and circumstance don’t seem to be on his side. Faith Collins
is bombarded by strange dreams brought on by Buzz. Her boyfriend, Tavis, learns
to dream walk, but can he help break the spell she’s under and save her before
she’s lost to him?
C.O.V.E.N. is more than just a game. It’s a whole
other world.
~ Excerpt ~
A
hot trail of sweat trickled down behind Alden’s ear and slipped beneath the
collar of his shirt. The world around him all of a sudden seemed off. Not sure if it was the spring heat
of southern Nevada, the fire in the grill’s shallow pit or a twinge of
foreboding raising his temperature, he shifted his stance and studied his
surroundings. The atmosphere rippled away from him in an agitated wave, giving
him the impression it wanted to consume everything it touched. Fine hairs
lining the nape of his neck rose to attention and tickled his skin.
Feeling
as if something menacing stared at him, Den spun from the barbecue. He held a
pair of foot-long tongs in his hand like a weapon and scanned the small groups
of people nearby. Coworkers wandered about. They ate from paper plates and laughed
and talked about office antics, appearing to enjoy the afternoon. Others hung
out under the open-air, wooden pavilion next to the community’s club house.
They all act as if they have no cares in
the world.
But
then why should they? The C.O.V.E.N. project hadn’t hit too many glitches. Several
more months, God willing, the latest and greatest massively multiplayer online role-playing
game, Clans of Vegas: Endless Night would hit the shelves. They’d all get their
bonuses. He and Hope could finally take their relationship to the next level.
Life promised to become great real soon.
Yet,
despite his positive thoughts, another shiver swept through him. Not wanting to
dismiss his ‘gut feelings,’ he squeezed the utensil, gritted his teeth and
focused in on close conversations. People discussed the previous morning’s
meeting. One man remarked, and those around him agreed, how wonderful it was
when everyone functioned ‘on the same page,’ especially in terms of the
C.O.V.E.N. project. It made each person’s workload progress much smoother. A
pair of women walking toward him compared notes on their daughters’ recent
ballet recitals. Some teens behind the adults chatted about an upcoming dance
and who planned to take who. Innocuous topics.
Dammit. So then why do I feel uneasy?
~ Bio ~
Casey
Moss delves into the darker aspects of life in her writing, sometimes basing
the stories on reality, sometimes on myth. No matter the path, her stories will
take you on a journey from the light-hearted paranormal to dark things unspeakable.
What waits around the corner? Come explore…
~ Casey Moss Links
~
Website: http://caseymossbooks.com/
Website: http://caseymossbooks.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyMoss_
Evernight Publishing: http://www.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Open-
All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.
Thanks so much for having me on your blog today! :)
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