Sweet Spot Book Blog: Poughkeepsie Enhanced App by Debra Anastasia Tour ~ Guest Post, Review, Giveaways

Poughkeepsie Enhanced App by Debra Anastasia Tour ~ Guest Post, Review, Giveaways

Welcome to the Poughkeepsie Enhanced Collector’s Edition App Tour!

Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia has been a cult hit bestseller since 2011. A homeless guy counting the smiles of a kind train commuter spiraled into a novel that was nominated by the Rockstars of Romance as one of the most romantic stories ever and won 2^nd place! It was a story that deserved getting a jumbo-sized enhancement. Extra scenes out the ying yang was, of course, a huge part of the fun. Getting to spend some of those previously undiscovered first moments with Blake and Livia or the moment he proposed was worth exploring. In Debra’s wildest dreams she imagined Poughkeepsie with its own soundtrack, anchored by her favorite musicians. When blockbuster talent Ron Pope signed on with fourteen songs and then Rustic Overtones agreed as well, she knew things were going to get crazy cool.

After almost two full years of development, the Enhanced Poughkeepsie is ready. Debra lost count of the hours spent, as did the developer poured into this. It was beast, and more amazing than she could have ever imagined. This app became the most exceptional reading experience Debra could devise for her readers.

~~~***~~~

Guest Post on Interactive Apps
by
Debra Anastasia

When I was planning out the Poughkeepsie Enhanced Collector’s Edition, I wanted more than just extra scenes, videos, pictures, and sounds --which sounds like crazy talk. (But of course that's what I known for.) I decided we needed to do more, give more, and have more. That sounds dirtier than I intended. But I wanted to think outside of the box and with Omnific Publishing there really isn't a box. So, I was able to include a recipe for frittatas and a knitting pattern design by Shannon Lumetta. There are many small details that I felt were important for me to show the reader. There’s a video about how to knit a stich, which was so important to Mouse. I also show you how to make a paper rose which is something Blake does for Livia in the nightclub scene that touches her heart. Both these things showcase the spirit behind the book, that small things can give the people around you joy. Also, the readers gets to follow along and make a few keepsakes of their own.

I wanted it to be an interactive sort of experience for the reader who is revisiting Poughkeepsie or trying it for the first time. My developer also helped me work games into the product so that you could find out which Poughkeepsie man would be your ideal match or which Poughkeepsie girl you're most like. Interacting with readers is one of my favorite things to do. I can't imagine doing the author thing without having Twitter and Facebook and email as a way to reach out and to be contacted by the readers. So for me the Enhanced app is sort of the next generation of reading where I can combine all different forms of media into a book. Books for me were always a special experience from the buying of it to the opening and savoring when it was time to read. That putting this virtual frame around Poughkeepsie felt natural and exciting. I look at books as an entire journey. To be able to increase that experience for the readers was so tempting. And now having created this app I have to say I'm extremely satisfied with what it presents as an experience.

A huge thank you to Sweet Spot Book Blog for letting me play today!

It is our pleasure to be part of the Enhanced App tour! Thank you for stopping by, Debra!

Summary:

Immerse yourself in the world of Debra Anastasia’s Poughkeepsie.

Experience this bestselling novel for the first time…again as you break all the rules about books with Omnific Publishing and Debra Anastasia. In this enhanced version of the novel, you’ll enjoy insights from the author, music by Ron Pope and other artists to set the mood, and images and video that bring the scenes to life as you read. You’ll delve deeper into the world of Poughkeepsie through nearly 50,000 words of added scenes (more love, more drama, more romance!) and informative insights into how this marvelous story and its characters came to be.

Self-contained in this app (no wifi needed after downloading):
•complete novel Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia
•author/director’s pop-up commentary
•music by Ron Pope, Rustic Overtones, Monoxide G, Violet Winter, Bo Heart, and Jeff Epstein and the City Line Singers
•more than 100 images to enhance the story
•videos of your favorite characters in action
•special animation
•sound effects
•interviews with the characters, author, and more
•interactive games
•trailers for the Poughkeepsie Brotherhood series
•how-to knitting instructions
•how-to instructions for making a paper rose
•recipe for the dinner Livia makes for Blake

Poughkeepsie Enhanced Collector's Edition Trailer

This app is available for all kinds of devices!

It is available now as Enhanced Poughkeepsie for iPad

Website for Droid, iPhones, and Computers is coming soon! Visit http://www.DebraAnastasia.com

https://twitter.com/Debra_Anastasia

Debra’s Facebook Page

For more information. The website app (which is the same content as the iPad app) will be available this week.

~~~***~~~

All three of us here are Sweet Spot Book Blog have read Poughkeepsie when it was previously released. We continue to LOVE & ADORE this story!
Our original 5-Star reviews can be found HERE and HERE.

~ Enhanced App ~

Five Plus Stars!

Enhanced App is a phenomenal version of Poughkeepsie!

Let me start off by saying that I have been reading Debra Anastasia's stories since before her first book was even published. I helped cheer her on when Poughkeepsie was released to the world back in 2011. To me there is something truly special about this story. It begins and ends making you smile and in between is an absolutely riveting story about three men who are brothers down to the heart and soul.

It's been a few years since I've read Poughkeepsie. When Ms. Anastasia announced that this story was being made into an interactive app, it definitely peaked my interest. This was my first time reading a book this way. When you first open the app, there is an instructional page and even a video starring Debra Anastasia showing you how to navigate through all the features. I loved everything...and I mean EVERYTHING that she added to enhance Poughkeepsie! There is really so much to say, but my favorite parts include the music (Ron Pope has gained a new fan), the images embedded through the chapters, the interviews and special character scenes. I've followed Debra via her blog for years, so I recognized several posts as extras including the “Old Love” story featured in Ch. 8, which made me cry all over again. I liked the fact that Ch. 7 can be entirely read to you since this particular chapter is a sampling of the audiobook. I also adored the background histories of the cardboard piano and the tattoo, both of which have become symbols to this story. There is even a train whistle for one of the many sound effects. Debra even shows you how to knit and make paper roses!

One of the things I truly loved is Ms. Anastasia's commentary for certain scenes. She highlights her favorite quotes and explains what inspired her to write specific scenes. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes is poignant, but what she has to say will make you laugh and cry through it all! She was truly and deeply inspired by several visuals and music while writing Poughkeepsie, and she pays homage to all that.

If you've read Poughkeepsie before, the Enhanced App will allow you to experience the story again in an entirely new dimension. I found re-reading this story via the app made it all the more enriching. If you've never read this story before and wonder which version to get, of course you will get what works for you (print, e-book, audiobook), but if you have the means and the device, the Enhanced App is a beautiful and phenomenal version. I can see all the hard work put into this app. It is absolutely worth it! Thank you, Debra Anastasia, for creating something that allowed me to fall in love with Poughkeepsie all over again!