E-book Expert Jeff Gomez Writes the First Fully Interactive Novel for the iPad

LEONIA, NJ, November 22, 2012 (Press-News.org) Jeff Gomez, author of four previously published novels and the non-fiction Print is Dead: Books in Our Digital Age, has just released Beside Myself, an interactive novel for the iPad. Now available worldwide on the iTunes App Store and released independently by the author, the app makes use of the iPad's features and functionality by allowing the novel's chapters to be either shuffled or arranged like a playlist. The reader can also choose to follow one narrator at a time throughout the story (with the ability to read the story again from the point of view of a different narrator, seeing the book's events from another perspective as well as being served up an alternate ending specific to that narrator).

"The success of literary apps like The Silent History and Inkle Studio's Frankenstein have shown that users crave and want to have an interactive experience with text and information," says Gomez. "However, most of the literary works that have been made into apps have been simply that: books turned into apps. The 'enhancements' these apps deliver are mainly around the edges of the text; the extra material does not contribute in any meaningful way to the book's story. I believe that the time has come to fully unite technology and narrative, and Beside Myself is a major step in that direction."

Powered by ScrollMotion , additional features of the app include photographs of locations from the novel, original music by French electronica artist Melodium, touch screen menus and buttons, social media sharing, the ability to send characters from the novel (and the author) emails from within the app, and more.

Founded in 2000 by two former Random House executives — Jennifer Richards and Rachel Tarlow Gul — OVER THE RIVER PUBLIC RELATIONS is a distinctive publicity firm that creates marketing, media, and word-of-mouth campaigns for businesses, organizations, experts, and authors. At OTRPR, we deliver personal attention to our clients, along with the resources normally associated with larger PR companies.