Mills and Boon launches digital series ‘The Chatsfield’
From The Telegraph:
Mills and Boon, the Harlequin-owned book publisher best known for its saucy women’s fiction, is embarking on a new chapter in storytelling, with the launch of digital series The Chatsfield.
The series is not just an eBook, or an eBook with hyperlinks or video added. Harlequin has taken traditional storytelling and turned it on its head, creating non-linear stories in bite-sized chunks that are designed to be told in real-time.
The series is set in a luxury hotel called The Chatsfield. The main character is an executive assistant called Jessie Loe, who after an embarrassing break up accepts a challenge from her best friend to stay single for three months.
. . . .
The characters tell their stories side-by-side using multiple digital, social and mobile channels – including their own Facebook, YouTube, blogs and Twitter accounts, as well as traditional publishing. It is up to the reader to find all the pieces of the story and stitch together the bigger picture.
“The intriguing nature of a hotel is that anyone can come and stay. From politicians to footballers, to newlyweds or stag parties… there are always scandalous stories to tell, and who better to tell them than the people who see all the spectacle; the staff,” said Harlequin.
. . . .
For people who want to engage on a deeper level with stories, there is a hotel check in, where a profile can be created, a mystery can be solved, and badges can be awarded.
Link to the rest at The Telegraph
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I know I’m not in the demographic targeted, but all that I can think is “No. Just no.” Isn’t real Facebook enough of a time sink? Now you can go to a fake Facebook and follow the drama of made-up characters. There are enough real narcissists online that are happy to tell you all about their dirty laundry and romantic foibles. Personally, I avoid the lot. But that’s just me.
I can’t even follow my own life, how could I follow theirs.
What is this badges stuff? Everyone keeps wanting to give me badges whether it is for listening to Audible downloads on my phone to reviewing books.
I don’t need no stinkin’ badges.
Really.
Like stickers for little kids when you want to reward them without pushing candy?
It might attract some people. It’s more likely it would draw away gamers than readers, though, as the experience sounds vaguely more like interacting in a multi-player game than reading a book.
So I have to spend time to track down all the bits of the story on different media platforms? Not going to happen.
Sounds like a great idea for the right audience!
Why do people keep assuming hotels are somehow exciting and luxurious?
As a story-telling device, they’re obnoxious.
Maybe because people cheat on their spouses in hotels? Or so I am told by movies, at any rate. Plus, they make good murder scenes. Or so I am told by TV shows, at any rate.
That being said, I agree that they are mostly pretty dull places for fiction or real life.
WELL, my husband and I have had quite a few…ahem…adventures at hotels. I’d be down for a hotel-focused romance series.
This looks terrible.
At least “Jessie Loe” didn’t name her blog “the down loe”.
Since when has “single” meant “not dating”? Is this a UK thing?