Author Gary Sheerin and HD Interactive Bring Books to Life

Authors and publishers recognize the need to create an experience for readers that goes beyond the book to games, websites, and more.

2011-03-03

TAMPA, FL, March 03, 2011 (Press-News.org) With the growing popularity of e-readers like the Kindle, publishers and authors are recognizing the importance of engaging readers through a variety of non-traditional media. Author Gary Sheerin and web development company HD Interactive (HDI) have branded and marketed the Peter's Packets series as e-books with an additional interactive experience to reach and entertain readers.

"Kids today have the opportunity to surf the Internet, play games on all sorts of devices, and more," said Sheerin. "I didn't want to just write the books, I wanted to create an experience akin to a Disney story or the Harry Potter series, so I went to HD Interactive. They came up with a great plan to involve the audience in more than just reading."

The first two books in the series, Virus Games and Gh0st Rat, bring readers into the world of the Packets, creatures that only the main character, Peter, can see and understand. In each story, Peter and his Packet friends battle computer viruses to save the day.

"Gary approached us to help brand and market this great series in as many media as possible. He wanted to really connect with readers and offer them a multitude of ways to enjoy the characters and plots outside of the books," said Sean Carey, HD Interactive CEO. "The first step we accomplished was a redesign of the brand, including a new website, book covers, a super fun game, and a cool new museum exhibit."

The current exhibit at Tampa's MOSI displays characters and involves patrons with the Virus Game storyline. Now, HD Interactive will use their skills to expand the exhibit and bring the plot and characters to life, revamping it to include the newest book in the series, Gh0st Rat.

Sheerin's new website, ghostrats.com, projects the feel and look of the books. Subtle Flash animations and unique sounds create a cinematic feel that extends the excitement of the series. HDI also helped Sheerin create a Facebook page where readers could discuss the books and interact with each other.

With all the action going on in the books and the detailed virus characters, HDI knew a Gh0st Rat game would be a fun, interactive way for people to enjoy the series even more. The game will be available in iTunes and other marketplaces soon.

Taking advantage of QR technology to help promote the book, HDI created business cards with codes on them that lead to Amazon, where the books can be purchased and enjoyed.

As Gary writes more novels, HD Interactive will be expanding his website and working on more ways to entertain readers.

HD Interactive develops projects for some of the world's most recognized brands, including Adobe, Disney, Siemens, Hilton, Universal Studios, EA's Madden '08, Warner Brothers and Pepsi. We specialize in Adobe Flash, Flex, and AIR solutions, Augmented Reality products and marketing, iPhone application development, and interactive training and entertainment. For more information on HDI and its products, please visit http://www.hdinteractive.com.

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