The Holder's Dominion
Author: Genese DavisPublisher: Beaver Pond Press
Publication Date: March 1, 2013Synopsis:
After her father’s death on a mountain rescue mission, Kaylie Ames watched her family shatter. She fled Tacoma for college in faraway Austin, figuring that even the worst campus drama would be a relief. But when her old friend Elliott turns up on his knees in the grocery store aisle, raving about something called a morphis, Kaylie feels compelled to enter Elliott’s unfamiliar world.
Guided by Elliott and his friends, Kaylie signs on to the massively popular online game Edannair. There she discovers a world of beautiful vistas and magical creatures, where people from all over the globe step into the roles of warriors on fantastical quests. But a real-world evil threatens the players: the mysterious Holder, leader of the elite team known as Sarkmarr, is coercing his followers into traumatic offline dares known as “morphis assignments.” To save her friends, Kaylie must infiltrate Sarkmarr and survive the Holder’s tests.
Will she find the courage there to hold her real-world family together?
“Genese Davis is astonishingly deft at creating believable characters with a few sentences. You fall at once into Kaylie's world, thinking you're in for one story, and Davis sneakily takes you on another ride altogether. It will keep you turning the pages.” —Christie Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi—Ascension and World of Warcraft: Arthas—Rise of the Lich King
Guest Post
Top 5 Benefits This Woman
Got by Gaming
By Genese Davis
1. Video Games Revolutionized the term “Team Building”
Multi-player games have constant collaborative components that give its players a sense of camaraderie and unity. When I started playing MMOs, I had no idea what an adventure it would be! I’ve met people from all over the world, and we don’t just sit around having idle chitchat. We collaborate together on massive scales, produce thousands of ideas together, and work easily with each other to achieve common goals. “Team Building” has a whole new epic meaning to me!
2. Video Games Made Competition More Fun
Even though growing up I didn’t really like competition, video games have shown me how healthy and fun it can be. Video games offer a unique approach to competition. It doesn’t really feel like “you against others” when you play. It almost feels like “you against yourself” for the purpose of improving your skill. Since discovering this world of PC and console games, I’ve played competitively with guilds in Final Fantasy XI and World of Warcraft, so I’ve witnessed the enormous efforts of players collaborating in a join effort to succeed. It is one of the most fascinating and remarkable experiences exclusive to MMO gameplay.
3. Video Games Improved my Visual Attention
Studies show numerous benefits to gaming such as: improvement in memory, faster reflexes, ability to make quick decisions, and improvement in visual attention. For example, real-time strategy (RTS) games compel you to build and engineer structures, vehicles, and artificially intelligent beings. You must also simultaneously solve puzzles and strategize to protect your holdings. But it’s one thing to talk about the benefits; it’s another to experience it. And I have. After playing video games, I’ve noticed self-growth in practical and personal ways. I’m more aware, I don’t have to dilly-dally at things, and even though I think my vision and memory have always been good, now I feel that they are great!
4. Video Games Improved my Self-Confidence
Games build confidence—especially video games. In video games, the player is the hero. The storylines in video games empower gamers to believe in themselves by giving direct feedback, i.e., “We couldn’t have won without you,” and, “Thank you so much; you saved us!” How often in the real world do we get that kind of direct feedback or compliments? Not often. We face peer pressure in school. We starve for feedback in the workplace. At home, stress feeds negativity. And TV teaches us that we’re not good enough and we’ll lose. Games teach us that we’re epic and we’ll win. My confidence has improved since playing video games. The players create an open, welcoming environment where everyone learns together and helps each other. It is a very therapeutic and inviting way to spend your free time. Through games we learn the habits of heroes—our batteries get jumpstarted.
5. Video Games Opened Up New Social Networks
There is a huge gaming community around the world that welcomes new members with open arms. Anyone can join no matter your level or game of choice. Being social and meeting new people is a significant benefit to gaming. Players are discovering and discussing artwork, storylines, history, skill sets, challenges, and collaborating on a planetary scale. Video games have opened up my social networks on a massive level. The next time you consider widening your social networks, video games are a great choice!
Davis is also the owner of The Gamer in You, an online movement offering new meaning to the word ‘gamer.’ As an avid supporter of artists and their craft, Davis has a keen affection for all types of artistry, especially theatre, filmmaking, music, photography, and art-gallery openings. She lives in Irvine, California, where she advocates for her other passion, animal rescue, and writes for independent film. Her motto is Lark your life!
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