In a recent interview with IGN, David O. Russell discussed some of his plans for the upcoming Uncharted movie that he’s directing. Now, I don’t know about you, but after reading this it’s clear to me that he has never played Uncharted before. Comparing the Drakes to the Sopranos? A crime family? Meting out justice to a head of state? I’m sorry, what game is this exactly? I don’t remember anything like that in either of the Uncharted games. The more I hear about this, the more disappointed I’m getting. It could be a truly awesome movie, and I’m afraid for poor Nathan Drake at this point. Feel free to read the interview here.

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Hi Cassidy, thanks for interviewing me on WatchPlayRead, it’s fantastic to be here!

• If any song could be the theme song of your life, what would it be?

Great question! It would probably be Tonight Tonight by the Smashing Pumpkins. I’ve always loved that song and it contains the lyrics “the impossible is possible” which is how I try to live my life! I tend to listen to soundtracks more when I’m writing, though, and ideally I’d have Hans Zimmer (my favourite composer, he wrote the music for dozens of films including The Dark Knight, Inception, Gladiator and The Thin Red Line) and an orchestra following me around twenty-four hours a day to compose a soundtrack for my life as I lived it!

• How do you relate to the main character of the Furnace series, Alex? Does he share some of your traits and/or experiences?

Alex is me, but a version of me that made a few bad decisions in his life. When I was a teenager, I went through a phase of getting into trouble – nothing as bad as Alex, but staying out all night, getting into fights, drinking in biker bars, that kind of thing. Thanks to my family I got back on track before it became too serious, but Alex was a version of me that didn’t get rescued. Whereas I grew up and lived my life, he never got the chance to – he was stuck in this weird purgatory in my mind. Years later, when I was looking for a scary story to write, I realized that Alex’s life was the perfect starting place. He wanted to live, to have a story to tell, so I kind of just sat back and let him tell it. Luckily for me that story involved a terrifying prison and some incredible adventures! I wrote the story exactly as Alex lived it. It really felt as though I was just transcribing the events, rather than creating them – sometimes the story moved so fast I could barely keep up with him!

So yes, there are parts of Alex that are totally autobiographical, which is why I think – I hope – that his voice is so strong, and so believable. It’s why he’s a complex character, not a hero but not a villain either, just a regular kid who has made a few bad choices and is trapped inside this nightmare. Of course the more I wrote, the more Alex became a separate, unique individual – he’s a lot cooler than me for one thing! He’s more like a brother now than anything. I still feel so close to him, even though the series has finished. I know Alex better than I know any other soul on Earth!

• If they were to make a movie of the Furnace series, who would you like to play Alex?

Wow, a movie of the Furnace books would be the best thing ever!! There has been talk of it, and the books are doing the rounds in Hollywood, but nothing has been confirmed yet. I’d quite like to see a cast of unknowns – when you don’t recognize actors in a movie it makes the story more believable. Having said that, I always thought that a young Shia LeBeouf would have made a great Alex, and J. D. Williams (Bodie from The Wire) would have been ideal as Donovan. They’re both a bit old now! My choice for the warden would be Liam Neeson because I think he could play evil really well. Who do you guys suggest?

• If they made a movie of your life, who would you want to play you?

I got asked this question when I was studying film at college. Back then I said Bill Murray, because he’s one of my heroes, and I think I’d still pick him even though he’s way too old to play me! He’s just a genius.

• What made you decide to transition to young adult novels, after starting out writing children’s books?

I didn’t really set out to write Furnace for any specific age group – it could have ended up as a children’s, YA or even an adult horror. I just had this character, Alex, in my head and I knew he wanted to tell his story. I wrote down what happened exactly as I saw it. I didn’t censor it (well, apart from the swearing) and I didn’t try to force the book towards a particular age group. I think if you do that – if you are over-conscious of who you are writing for – then you sometimes end up compromising. And I didn’t want to do that. The story in the book is exactly the way that Alex lived it, and it turned out to be a YA one!

• What is your favorite book and/or author, and why?

My favourite book of all time has to be Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. In my eyes it’s the perfect story, with the perfect characters, perfectly written. It’s an incredible book. My favourite author, though, has to be Stephen King. He’s another one of my heroes, and one of the reasons I started writing. He has an amazing ability to create utterly real characters, people you totally believe in and who you genuinely care about, and his imagination is boundless. When the horror starts in a Stephen King book, you know the characters so well that you get totally sucked in to their world, their nightmares. You’re fighting for survival right there alongside them. It’s an amazing experience.

• What would you do for a Klondike bar?

Being from the UK, I’m afraid I don’t know what a Klondike bar is! However, if it’s chocolate (or any kind of candy for that matter) then I’d do pretty much anything for it. I don’t have much willpower when it comes to sugar! It’s probably better to ask what I wouldn’t do for a Klondike bar…

• What was your inspiration for the Furnace series?

Like I say, Alex was the real inspiration for Furnace. I wanted to write something really scary, and I couldn’t think of any ideas that genuinely terrified me. But I had this character in my head, this version of me, and I realized that Alex’s life was the perfect starting place for a horror story. I also drew on my own worst fears – being accused of a crime I didn’t commit, being buried alive, being hunted, mutant dogs (I love dogs, but ever since I saw one of my best friends get their ear chewed off by an Alsatian I’ve been a bit nervous of them)! I wanted Furnace to be a frightening experience for the reader, and I knew that if I wrote about the things that I was scared of then the fear and panic and claustrophobia in the book would be real.

• Since WatchPlayRead is a geek’s paradise, what is something that makes you geek out?

Everything! I am a total geek, and proud of it! I love comics, I play video games (including Warcraft – I’m Gordzilla on Chamber of Aspects if anyone wants to look out for me), I collect weird toys and action figures, I’m in love with all things Japanese, I get ridiculously excited by sci-fi weapons and gadgets, I build weird inventions as research for books (usually with my little brother Jamie) and I’m utterly obsessed by horror. Being a geek means you get to stay young at heart, it’s a great thing!

• Any hints on what’s to come in the future for Alex and the Furnace inmates?

I don’t want to give too much away for those of you who haven’t read the books. But I will say that the series gets more terrifying and more action packed with every new installment! In Solitary, Alex and his friends discovers that there are even worse horrors than the warden and his freaks in the blood-soaked tunnels beneath the prison. And in Death Sentence, Alex realizes that in order to defeat his enemies, he may have to become one of them…

I really hope you all enjoy the books!

• Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible?

I’d love to be able to fly. I have dreams about it sometimes, and the feeling of pushing up from the ground and soaring into the air is exhilarating. I hate planes – they’re number one on my list of fears – so being able to fly between countries by myself would be so awesome. Being invisible would be cool for a little while, I think, but it would soon get a bit boring. Being able to fly would never lose its appeal.

• What made you decide to become a writer? Did you have any other ideas for your life before you started writing or was this what you always wanted to do?

Yes, I’ve always wanted to be a writer, ever since I was six or seven. When I was really young I used to think that books were magic, that they appeared on the shelves by themselves. As soon as I realized that real people wrote books – and I have my parents to thank for that as they used to make up stories for me and my sister – I thought that if other people could do it then so could I. I’ve still got some of my first stories, and they’re pretty awful, but I kept writing and kept reading and gradually got better. I’m so lucky to be able to make a living doing the thing I love most, and I think that anyone out there who wants to be a writer (or who has any kind of dream) should just go for it. Anything is possible.

The only other job I’ve ever wanted is to be a truck driver. I still think that I’ll have a break from writing and spend a year driving those massive rigs back and forth across the States, and maybe even up the frozen rivers. It would be awesome!

• Any advice for aspiring writers out there?

I think the most important piece of advice is to never, ever give up. No matter what happens, no matter how long it takes, don’t ever lose sight of that dream. You have to want to be a writer because you love writing, because you have stories that you want to tell. The road to publication can be a rocky one, and yes there will be rejections along the way – almost all writers go through the same thing. Harry Potter was rejected by about twelve different publishers before Bloomsbury took it on! I compare getting a rejection to going on a bad date. You want to find somebody special, somebody who totally understands what your writing is about, who shares the same excitement for it. You’re not always going to find that connection with the first editor you contact, or the second, and so on. In order to find your soulmate you have to meet a few frogs along the way! If you get a rejection, just mark it down to experience and keep writing.

If you’re passionate about your writing, if you love telling stories and creating characters and building worlds, if you keep working at it and keep dreaming, then you WILL be successful.

Other than that, the best piece of advice I can offer is to read and read and read and read. It’s the best education a writer can get.

Good luck with your writing!!

And thanks again for interviewing me on WatchPlayRead, it’s been great! :-)

The post Alexander Gordon Smith Interview appeared first on WatchPlayRead.

The story line follows 4 characters as they try to unravel a mystery surrounding a notorious serial killer known as the “Origami Killer”. His M.O. is to kidnap young boys, and drown them in rain water (6 inches to be precise). I suppose the true “main” character is Ethan Mars. His son is the Origami Killer’s most recent victim and he is sent on a terrifying mission to try and find him before it’s too late. You also get to play as Madison Paige, a journalist with a soft spot for Ethan and an eye for the truth, Norman Jayden, an FBI agent with an almost obsessive need to find the killer, and Scott Shelby, a private investigator trying to figure out who the killer is. Each time you switch between characters (you don’t get to choose when), the screen updates with the date and time, as well as how deep the rain water is by now. You’re goal is to find Ethan’s son, figure out who the killer is, and do it all before the rain water gets to 6 inches deep.

Shortly after Ethan’s son is taken from him, he receives a package from the Origami Killer. In this package are 5 origami figures. Each one represents a challenge that he must meet. After he has successfully completed the challenge, part of the address where his son is being held is text messaged to him. Each of the other characters have opportunities to investigate into the case by interviewing people, searching houses, and things like that. What’s interesting about this game is that there is a chance you will fail, or worse yet: die. You are thrown into different dangerous situations, and depending on how quickly you react (QTE), you will either survive or could get injured or killed. It makes playing this game super intense. This type of gameplay helps to get you in the mind of the character. You really want Ethan to succeed, and along with him, all the other characters. Along with being able to change the outcome of the game (22 possible endings!), you can win different trophies for the choices you make. Each time you play the game, you can add to your trophies, or you can just go back a chapter and choose again.

I loved this game! I was pumped to find out about the possibility of 22 endings, and as a bonus you can download an additional “prequel” level for Madison Paige which also had 5 possible endings. Since the game only took me about 9ish hours to beat, I’m going to have to play again. Hopefully I can see all 22 endings, but if not at least I know I have the possibility. If you don’t have it already, I suggest you purchase this one immediately.

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The second book in his Furnace series (of 5 books total), Solitary: Escape from Furnace 2, starts where the last one ends. Alex is still attempting to escape the hell that is Furnace prison. In the first book, a boy he befriends tells him about the horrors of solitary. I can’t imagine how awful that would be. I think in normal prison that would be terrible, but in Furnace, it’s a million times worse and you’re likely to die before your solitary confinement is up. That’s exactly what the guards and Warden are banking on. In book 2, Alex is thrown in solitary for his escape attempts. It’s worse than he dreamed of, but he’s still determined to survive and escape. He meets an unlikely ally, and together they set out on their second plan to escape. A new aspect to this book is the sense that Alex has been thrown into the middle of a war waging here in Furnace. A war between those who run the prison, and a mysterious resistance. It doesn’t delve too deep into how it all started, but you get a feel for the desperation everyone feels at getting out of Furnace, and exposing it for what it really is.

While working out the details of the escape, Alex has to face horrible things, things that can’t possibly be real, but are. He’s also forced to make decisions no 14 year old boy should have to make, which makes this experience all the more traumatic to both him and the reader. My brother is 14 and I can’t imagine him having to go through what Alex goes through, so this really hit home for me. It throws you into his mind and you’re able to feel the exhaustion, fear, and frustration with the whole situation.

We also get to dig a little deeper into the mystery surrounding the Warden. He is a creepy fellow, one who seems to suck the life and hope out of whoever is around him. It’s still unclear what’s going on with him, but you find out that he may not be the one calling all the shots. There is obviously much more to this prison than just getting criminals off the street, but what is it exactly? I’m hoping (praying!) that this will be answered in the other 3 books to come.

I don’t want to give too much away, especially if you haven’t read the first one, but you should definitely go out and get these books as soon as you can. This story is one you can’t put down (I read the 2nd book in 6 hours)  and you’ll be dying to know what happens next. Unfortunately, this book ends with a huge cliffhanger and the 3rd installment isn’t out in the United States until August 2011, but you can bet I’ll snatch it up the second it’s put out on shelves.

So thank you, James Patterson, for raving about these books, and thank you, Alexander Gordon Smith, for writing them. They’re seriously awesome.

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To continue where I left off with my last review, I started with Zen mode. I tried out the audio-visual effects. There are 4 different ways you can modify these:

• Breath Modulation – When this is turned on, it plays a breathing track. The aim is to have you breath in time with the sound, to relax and control your breathing. You can do just audio, or it has a neat visual representation of the in and out breath. You can also modify the volume and speed that this effect runs at. It works really well, which was surprising. When I had this turned on, I automatically tried to match my breathing with the sound playing, and it was really calming.
• Ambient Sounds – With sounds like rain leaves, ocean surf, and forest, it’s hard not to get relaxed when this effect is enabled. My favorite was rain leaves. Again, you can modify the volume of this, choosing to make it front and center or a background noise.
• Mantras – While this effect is enabled, it will play little inspirational messages on screen while you play. You can choose between options such as positive thinking, prosperity, and my personal favorite, weight loss. I didn’t really notice the mantras during the game, I was too focused on breathing and listening to the awesome background sounds I had turned on. Plus it took a little while for me to figure out where the messages show up on screen (on the little blue meter down at the bottom of the screen).
• Bianural Beats – I had no clue what this was when I first saw it, so I clicked enable and the first thing that happened is a little warning pops up saying that some people experience mood changes, dizziness, muscle twitches, etc. while using this mode, and if I experience any of these, contact a doctor immediately. I was intrigued. I went ahead and clicked okay. One thing to keep in mind with this, is you have to use headphones to enable it. What this effect does is plays different frequencies in each of your ears, to help your brain into different states. Hmm… sounds interesting. There are a bunch of these: sleepy time, chill cycle, euphoria, and more. I tried to use these, but unfortunately they  just gave me a headache. I’m not saying they’ll do that for everyone (I’m ultra sensitive to headaches) but I couldn’t really use it long enough to figure out if they really worked as advertised.

Ultimately, the Zen modes special effects really did help make it a more relaxing game and I enjoyed tailoring the effects to match my mood.

Onto the Quest! On Quest mode you play four different (new) Bejeweled minigames to uncover a hidden relic. There are 40 different minigames in all that you can play. Each time you beat a new minigame, you win a little gem and it gets you closer to uncovering the relic for that level. They are fun little minigames, such as Scratamax where you have to match 120 or more gems in 20 moves or less. It seemed impossible at first, but remembering that there are bomb gems that can help you accomplish this goal helps. Many of them are timed, which adds to the rush of playing them.

Overall, Bejeweled 3 was exactly what I expected of it. I really enjoyed playing the new modes and minigames that came with it, and that’s its biggest draw. The one complaint I had was I didn’t like the music, or the creepy voice that kept telling me when I got a match. Both were easily remedied by turning them off. Other than that, I’d say it’s worth the $20 purchase. Which you can find at your retail store, or can purchase online through Popcap Games, website.

The post Bejeweled 3 Review, Continued. appeared first on WatchPlayRead.

Finally, winter break is here and I can play to my hearts content.  Normally priced at $19.95, I got it courtesy of PopCap Games to try out on my PC. (Thanks PopCap! You rock!)

If you’ve never played Bejeweled before, I highly recommend it. I just got a new phone and need to download it desperately because it’s one of my favorite games to play. Basically you have a screen full of jewels which you have to try to match up in rows of three or more. The more you can match up, the better your score. Each time you match a row, they disappear and more jewels drop down to take their place.

There are new game modes which I was excited to try. I like the basic Bejeweled game but it’s always fun to play other game modes which can offer you a new challenge. The modes are: Classic (of course), Zen, Lightning, and Quest. I played Classic for while (refreshing my intimidating Bejeweled skills), and then moved onto the other modes to get a feel for them.

Zen mode is a really chill, relaxed, no-pressure mode. You can play forever on this mode. New jewels just keep dropping onto the screen to match up so you can keep going endlessly.  I would suggest this mode if you are looking for something to kill time and want a fun way to do it. Apparently there are also little audio-visual effects you can tailor to your liking to help you fully achieve that “Zen state” while playing. I have yet to play with these but I’ll figure out what works best for me. I like that you can customize this mode and it’s the one I think I liked most besides Classic.

Lightning mode scares me a little. I’m not very fast and so I have trouble keeping up with these fast versions of games. It’s challenging and moves quickly (hence the name). The faster you go, the better your score. You can even achieve things like speed bonuses which adds additional points to your score at the end of each round. I only played this for a bit because I didn’t do very well. I’ll have to give it another go. This is the type of mode I’d recommend to those of you who like lots of fast paced, exciting  game-play.

Quest mode gives you different stages to beat in order to level up. I haven’t played this one yet but I’ll let you know what I think when I do.

Overall this game has met my expectations.  The only complaint I’ve had so far is that I don’t really dig the music, but that’s hardly a deal breaker. It’s fun, challenging, and one that I’d recommend to anyone. I give it 9 out of 10 Jewels. Stay tuned for more details on the game.

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I. Can. Hardly. Wait.

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My husband Chris Kirkham was offered the chance to play and review the game Plants Vs. Zombies, made by Pop Cap games, but I got to it before he did. Although I’m married to a big nerd, I consider myself to be an even bigger gamer nerd than he is so I jumped at the chance to play the game and review it.

This was the PC version. These games are often made for apps on smart phones, iPods, etc. I didn’t have much hope for this game to be honest. I mean, come on. How fun can a game about plants versus zombies really be? Boy, was I wrong. I didn’t want to give it a chance but once I started playing I couldn’t stop. It sucks you in. It’s all about strategery (Yes, I realize that is not a real word. Thank you, Will Ferrell.), and killing zombies.  These are two quick ways to gain fans. Who doesn’t want to kill zombies?

If any of you read the earlier review by Nicholas West (the Mac version), he pretty much sums up the game for you. The premise of the game is to protect your home. Nothing too unique there. It’s all in the way you protect it that this game stands out from the rest. Yes my friends. You plant some plants, the zombies attack, you save the day. The plants they introduce to you are your every day, common variety Sunflowers, Peashooters, Potato Mines, and Puffshrooms, to name a few.  The zombies that attack range from your average brain-eating Zombie, to a Zombie Yeti.

You  are charged with protecting your front yard, back yard, and roof. In order to plant the heroic flora, you are responsible for collecting “suns” which come from not only the sky, but from sunflowers or other UV inspired plants.

The first level moves pretty slow, allowing you the chance to get a feel for the game and plan out your strategy. Each round after gets progressively harder and more challenging, but you also get new plants and zombies, so it’s never the same game twice. As you kill zombies, you are also able to collect coins. After a few rounds, your neighbor, Crazy Dave, comes to visit. He was, personally, one of  my favorite parts of this game.

He opens shop, giving you the chance to purchase additional weapons, tools, and things to assist you in your mission. The more money you earn, the more things you can buy (obviously). You also get an almanac, which allows you to view the different plants and zombies you’ve encountered throughout the game, to remind you of their strengths, weaknesses, and purpose. From the main menu, you can view your achievements and almanac, and you can access mini-games as well. Those are fun, although I never get much into things like that. I enjoyed the game itself much more.

I haven’t beat the game yet; I suppose I have some more work to do to truly call myself a “zombie-slayer” but this is a super fun, addicting game that I would recommend to even the most die-hard gamers. So go out my followers, and slay away!

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Along with him, Robert De Niro is rumored to be playing Nathan Drake’s father and Joe Pesci his uncle. Um… did I totally miss something? Did Drake’s family members appear in the game at some point? Because to my recollection, the only time someone from the Drake family line showed up, it was in mummified corpse form. Who knows? Maybe Pesci or De Niro will be able to show off their acting chops playing a dead guy. Somehow I highly doubt it.

On top of this “interesting” casting decision, according to the LA Times, the writers have apparently also decided to butcher the story line. Anyone who has played either of the “Uncharted” games knows they already have a pretty solid story line. Sure, we could use a little more background (particularly of the delicious lead character), but other than that, the story is entertaining, suspenseful, and quite adventuresome. Writers of this fine film have decided the story isn’t good enough, and want to turn it into a “National Treasure”-esque plot. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the film “National Treasure” but that’s not what I’m looking for with this film.

When I found out this game was being made into a film, I was fully ready to support it. I still may see it, out of curiosity sake. Maybe they’ll do an awesome job and I’ll be eating my words. But I’m willing to bet that this won’t be the case. I have a gut feeling that I will walk away from the theater with my head hung in shame wondering why I wasted my money. This is truly just my opinion on this whole situation…  why fix what ain’t broke? What do you think?

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The book chronicles the monotony of his life in prison and his plans to escape, and does an amazing job at giving you the sense of desperation and fear that he feels on a daily basis.  I suffer from claustrophobia and this book brought that out in me. The description of the descent into Furnace, and the overwhelming, thick, hot air that they breathe makes you feel like you’re there. Alexander Gordon Smith does a great job of describing the situations they live in and what the prisoners have to suffer. It was a great book, and I’m glad to find out that it’s one out of five. The second book, Solitary: Escape from Furnace 2, comes out on December 21st. I have already pre-ordered it from Amazon to download immediately. My only complaint was it wasn’t long enough, but knowing there is more to come helps ease that disappointment. Don’t be fooled by the “young adult” genre, it was intense and extremely entertaining. I highly suggest reading this book (series) if you enjoy horror and suspense novels.

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