Today is my stop on the book tour for Game On: 15 Stories of Wins, Losses, and Everything in Between. This tour is being hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours and I’m excited to share my interview with Laura Silverman today. So besides my interview I’ll also talk about this book! Keep on reading to find out more!

Game On: 15 Stories of Wins, Losses, and Everything in Between Edited by Laura Silverman
Genre: Young Adult Anthology
Publishing Date: January 18, 2022

A charming and inclusive YA anthology all about games–from athletic sports to board games to virtual reality–from editor Laura Silverman and an all-star cast of contributors.

From the slightly fantastical to the utterly real, light and sweet romance to tales tinged with horror and thrills, Game On is an anthology that spans genre and style. But beneath each story is a loving ode to competition and games perfect for anyone who has ever played a sport or a board game, picked up a video game controller, or rolled a twenty-sided die.

A manhunt game is interrupted by a town disappearing beneath the players’ eyes. A puzzle-filled scavenger hunt emboldens one college freshman to be brave with the boy she’s crushing on. A series of summer nights full of card games leads a boy to fall for a boy who he knows is taken. And a spin the bottle game could end a life-long friendship.

Fifteen stories, and fifteen unforgettable experiences that may inspire readers to start up that Settlers of Catan game again.

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Author Interview

What inspired you to start writing?

 I’ve been writing ever since I was a little kid! I always loved making up stories. I was lucky enough to have my passion nurtured by my parents and some fantastic teachers.

 

What were some of your favorite books growing up?

I was obsessed with Holly Black’s Tithe as a teenager, and to the surprise of no one, I’m still obsessed with Holly Black books to this day. I also felt deeply connected to Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl. I’ve read it at least five times now.

 

Besides writing, what other hobbies or interests do you have?

Like many others, I’ve had to pick up a lot of hobbies to get through the pandemic. After watching Queen’s Gambit, I learned how to play chess and have really been enjoying that! I also got pretty good at Super Mario and went through a blissful Animal Crossing phase. I love playing online games with friends like Codenames and Jackbox games. And, of course, I love reading!

 

Describe the Game On anthology in five words or less.

Competitive, romantic, adventurous, thrilling, and diverse!

 

What are the biggest differences between writing a full book or working on an anthology with other authors?

Writing a novel is definitely collaborative in its own way – you work with your editor, beta readers, authenticity readers, and so on. All of these partners help make the book great. But so much of the novel work is independent. You’re alone at your desk, and it’s up to you to create every character and scene. An anthology is so deeply collaborative. I come up with a short prompt and send it out to writers who work absolute magic with it. I’m blown away by their creativity every time. It’s really joyful to go back and forth with them editing the stories. I have 15 partners helping me create one book. Also shout-out to our brilliant editor Kelsey Murphy who put her all into this anthology and paid such careful attention to each and every story!

 

What do you hope readers take away from Game On?

My favourite thing about anthologies is that every reader can take away something different from the book. I’m hopeful there’s truly a story in here for everyone. From Yamile Saied Méndez’s story about young grief to Gloria Chao’s romantic puzzle-solving adventure, there’s so much excitement, creativity, healing, and laughter to be found in these pages.

Tour Schedule

This week there are many other amazing bloggers and bookstagrammers participating on this tour. If you want to see different reviews and learn more about what people think about this book, click here for the full tour schedule.

About the Author/Editor

Laura Silverman is an author and freelance editor and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. She earned her MFA in Writing for Children at the New School. Her books include Girl Out of Water, You Asked for Perfect, It’s a Whole Spiel, Recommended for You, Up All Night, and the upcoming Game On. Girl Out of Water was a Junior Library Guild Selection, and You Asked for Perfect was named to best teen fiction lists by YALSA, Chicago Public Library, and the Georgia Center for the Book. You can contact Laura on Twitter @LJSilverman1 or through her website LauraSilvermanWrites.com

Author Links

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An anthology tends to be a hit or miss for me, but seeing how each story deals with different games I’m really curious. I loved reading Laura’s answers and I hope to dive into this book soon. Do you like playing games? If you do, let me know what you love in the comments!