Todd Mitchell

Fifteen-year-old James lies about himself to be considered "cool" when he gets into an exclusive boarding school, but soon unnaturally vivid dreams of being a demon-hunting warrior lead to self-destructive acts while he is awake.

The Secret to Lying

Embarking on a life in reverse after Dan's suicide, the Rider moves backward in time while enjoying simple pleasures and attempting to change a past marked by a disappointed little sister, an overwhelmed mother and an artistic girl with purple hair. By the author of The Secret to Lying.

Backwards

Bill Willingham

Holly Black

Alisa Kwitney

Louise Hawes

Rebecca Guay

At an impasse over what to do with an unconscious and injured angel found in a forest, a group of fairies decide to determine his fate with a tribunal, where each individual shares a story about angels.

A Flight of Angels

"An eleven-year-old girl discovers a family of panthers that were thought to be extinct. But when others find out they are alive, too, she must risk everything to save the species"--

The Last Panther

A teenage boy’s self-reinvention gets out of control in a sharp, funny, poignant, and compulsively readable novel that gives a familiar theme a surprising twist. James was the guy no one noticed — just another fifteen-year-old in a small town. So when he gets into an academy for gifted students, he decides to leave his boring past behind. In a boarding school full of nerds and geeks, being cool is easy. All it takes is a few harmless pranks to invent a new James: fighter, rebel, punk. Everyone’s impressed, except for the beautiful "Ice Queen" Ellie Frost and the mysterious ghost44, an IM presence who sees through his new identity. But James is riding high, playing pranks and hooking up with luscious Jessica Keen. There’s just one thing awry: he’s starting to have vivid dreams of being a demon-hunting warrior, a thrill that is spilling over into dangerous and self-destructive acts while he’s awake. As he’s drawn deeper into his real-life lies and his dream-world conquests, James begins to wonder: What’s the price for being the coolest guy around?

Enter the world of video game development in this collection of discussions with noteworthy game creators ranging from solo hobbyists to major triple-A veterans. Todd Mitchell--an industry writer, indie developer, and host of the popular development podcast, GameDev Breakdown--speaks to experts about their projects, their experiences, and how they broke into the game industry to do some of the coolest jobs in history. Interviewees include: Michael Hicks of MichaelArts, David Fox of Electric Eggplant (formerly of LucasArts, Rocket Science Games, and more), Paul Nicholas of Liquidream, Richard Rouse III of Paranoid Productions (formerly of Surreal Software, Midway, Microsoft, and more), Ryan Engle of Golf Scope, Jordan Mychal Lemos formerly of Ubisoft, Sucker Punch Productions, Hardsuit Labs, and more, Say Mistage and Michael Silverman of Silverware Games, Joshua Davidson and Ash Lyons of Gearbox Software, Rob Hewson of Huey Games (formerly of TT Games, Dark Energy Digital, and Blade Interactive), and Thomas Kildren of Fletcher Studios Games discussed include: Pillar, The Path of Motus, Maniac Mansion, Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders, Thimbleweed Park, The Suffering (series), The Church in the Darkness, Topgolf with Pro Putt, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, MatchyGotchy Z, Saints Row (series), Borderlands (series), Battleborn, Lego games, Booper, Get Home! and more.

Development Experts Share Their Stories

Inside Video Game Creation

A teenage boy's self-reinvention gets out of control in a sharp, funny, poignant, and compulsively readable novel that gives a familiar theme a surprising twist. James was the guy no one noticed -- just another fifteen-year-old in a small town. So when he gets into an academy for gifted students, he decides to leave his boring past behind. In a boarding school full of nerds and geeks, being cool is easy. All it takes is a few harmless pranks to invent a new James: fighter, rebel, punk. Everyone’s impressed, except for the beautiful "Ice Queen" Ellie Frost and the mysterious ghost44, an IM presence who sees through his new identity. But James is riding high, playing pranks and hooking up with luscious Jessica Keen. There’s just one thing awry: he’s starting to have vivid dreams of being a demon-hunting warrior, a thrill that is spilling over into dangerous and self-destructive acts while he’s awake. As he’s drawn deeper into his real-life lies and his dream-world conquests, James begins to wonder: What’s the price for being the coolest guy around?

"An Immensely valuable book! There are plenty of books out there on creativity, but none like this... an essential read for anyone who is seeking inspiration about the creative life." —Laura Pritchett, winner of the PEN USA Award for Fiction, author of Stars Go Blue Break free of toxic success myths. Transcend the suffering artist paradigm. Actualize your immense creative potential. If you've ever struggled with doubt, fear, procrastination, or disappointment while trying to create, this book is for you. Breakthrough goes where no other books on creativity dare to tread—exposing the toxic success myths that hold people back and revealing radical, perspective-shifting solutions. Through concise, friendly chapters that weave together personal experiences with guidance from research and nondual philosophical traditions, readers are given pragmatic ways to turn potential breakdowns into life-changing breakthroughs.

Breakthrough: How to Overcome Doubt, Fear and Resistance to Be Your Ultimate Creative Self

Patrick Ness

Ursula Dubosarsky

The sampler includes chapters from Ursula Dubosarsky’s The Golden Day, Patrick Ness’s More Than This, and Todd Mitchell’s Backwards. The Golden Day When their teacher goes missing during an outing, eleven girls grapple with the aftermath in this haunting, exquisitely told psychological mystery. More Than This From two-time Carnegie Medal winner Patrick Ness comes an enthralling and provocative new novel chronicling the life — or perhaps afterlife — of a teen trapped in a crumbling, abandoned world. Backwards An edge-of-your-seat thriller asks: Is it possible to fix a tragic future by changing the past — while experiencing life backwards?

Thrilling Reads: Exclusive Candlewick Press Sampler

The Traitor King

When ten-year-old Darren and his family show up at their family reunion and find their Uncle Will missing, Darren and his sister go in search of clues to discover what happened.

Todd Mitchell

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