Stone Marshall

AN INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORY FOR MOTHER’S DAY

by Stone Marshall | May 10, 2015 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away.

As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing.

He asked her what was wrong and she replied, “I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother.

But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars.”

The man smiled and said, “Come on in with me. I’ll buy you a rose.”

He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother’s flowers.

As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home.

She said, “Yes, please! You can take me to my mother.”

She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.

The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother’s house.

To all mothers, A HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!

AN INSPIRATIONAL SHORT STORY FOR MOTHER’S DAY

Zoella and Minecraft battle back against demise of paper book

by Stone Marshall | May 10, 2015 | Minecraft News | 0 comments

At the dawn of the e-book era, it was feared the advent of new technology would eventually see the demise of the physical page.

But those worries should be put firmly to rest, according to a study, as the rate of digital book sales is slowing enough to end the debate.

The chief executive of the Publishers Association declared the question over the future of the physical book “redundant”, as research showed that children’s books had their best year of sales since Harry Potter.

Furthermore, the rise, of 11 per cent, has been inspired in no small part by the digital world, with bestsellers including books inspired by the popular computer game Minecraft and a novel written by the YouTube “video blogger” Zoella.

Publisher sales of books: physical and digital

The Publishers Association’s annual report, which takes into account physical and digital sales from more than 100 British publishing houses, showed that the overall book industry is worth £4.3 billion to Britain.

Since 2010, physical book sales have fallen by 13 per cent. Digital accounted for 17 per cent of book sales last year, but the rate of its increase as a proportion of the market has slowed. E-books accounted for 15 per cent of sales in 2013, 12 per cent in 2012, 8 per cent in 2011 and 5 per cent in 2010.

Sales of children’s books rose 11 per cent to £349 million, making 2014 the most successful year for the genre since 2007, when JK Rowling’s final Harry Potter book was released. For the publishing market as a whole, digital and physical, sales fell 2 per cent last year.

Cally Poplak, managing director of Egmont UK who contributed to the report, said: “The decline of reading for pleasure and the rise of digital have dominated the headlines recently, but here is the real story: 2014 saw the best performance for the children’s book industry since 2007 – the year of publication of the seventh Harry Potter novel.

Best sellers of 2014

1	Awful Auntie	Williams, David	September 2014	553,921
2	Minecraft: the official construction handbook		March 2014	548,017
3	Minecraft: the official combat handbook		March 2014	466,897
4	Minecraft: the official redstone handbook		November 2013	406,132
5	Minecraft: the official beginner’s handbook		October 2013	387,647
6	The long haul		November 2014	381, 842
7	Girls online		November 2014	237,598
8	Gangsta Granny	Williams, David	February 2013	223,700
9	Ratburger	Williams, David	February 2014	175,570
10	Beano Annual 2015		July 2014	167,014

“Children still love print; parents still value reading. The world of the child is squeezed for time, but books continue to have a special place. The golden age for children’s books continues.”

Hard copy fiction sales fell 4 per cent, although the Publishers Association still believes the book market is “buoyant”.

Richard Mollett said: “The main message from The PA’s statistics – as well as a variety of other quantitative and anecdotal data points – is that the question of how physical books will fare in the digital world is redundant; as is the corollary question of whether publishing will successfully adapt to the online age.

“Those who ever tried to maintain that this was a binary choice have been shown to be have been posing the question in the wrong way.

“It is not a question of either physical or digital winning out, but rather of the sector coalescing around a balanced marketplace where all formats have a place.”

Zoella and Minecraft battle back against demise of paper book

Minecraft: Xbox 360 Turns 3, Mojang Celebrates With Skins Giveaway for 20 Million Players

by Stone Marshall | May 9, 2015 | Minecraft News | 0 comments

“Minecraft: Xbox 360” is three years old, and Mojang is turning the occasion into one, big, fun-filled occasion.

Company officials revealed this week it will be marking the momentous occasion by “giving 20 million players of Xbox 360 and Xbox One users a heap of colorful skins.”

From May 7-17, users will be able to download up to three packs for free. Among the selections are a brand-new Mojangstas bundle and a few cheeky extras from the second and first birthday Skin Packs. Company officials add that while some veteran players may already have some of the older packs, this marks the first time any of the features have been available to Xbox One users.

Shack News reports last year’s pack featured a number of Microsoft’s most iconic character creations, including Conker, Master Chief, and even Viva Pinata.

In its product description, Amazon salutes “Minecraft” as equipped with new features uniquely designed for 360 console users. “Crafting has never been faster and easier,” the promo adds.

In short, the console puts the parameters of the game in the mind and hands of the users, essentially allowing one to do whatever with the game that their imagination can conjure.

Back in September of 2014, Geek Wire reported Microsoft purchased Mojang in a deal valued at $2.5 billion that instantly gave the tech giant retailer a far wider presence in the ultra-competitive industry of video games.

At that time, Mojang officials explained creator’s Markuss “Notch” Persson’s decision to sell by noting it was never his intention to have the “responsibility of owning a company of such global significance.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft Xbox chief Phil Spencer celebrated the acquisition by raving, “Minecraft inspires millions to create together, connects people across the globe, and is a community that is among the most active and passionate in the world.”

Minecraft: Xbox 360 Turns 3, Mojang Celebrates With Skins Giveaway for 20 Million Players

Happy Birthday Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition!

by Stone Marshall | May 9, 2015 | Minecraft News | 0 comments

Fire up your Xbox, load up Minecraft, then throw a freshly-baked cake at your television! It’s the most appropriate way to celebrate Minecraft: 360 Edition’s birth!¹It’s three years old! If console Minecraft was a human it would be gaining independence and learning how to use zips.

To celebrate this monumental occasion² we’re giving the 20 million players on Xbox 360 and Xbox One a heap of colourful skins. From today until the 17th of May three packs will be available to download for free. There’s a brand-new bundle featuring veteran Mojangstas and a few cheeky extras, our 2nd Birthday Skin Pack from last year, and our 1st Skin Pack from Minecraft’s first birthday.

Veteran 360 players might already have the older packs, but this is the first time any of them have been available on Xbox One. Be sure to snap them up, early(ish) adopters.

Big thanks to 4J Studios for doing such a great job on the console versions and massive thanks to you for playing our game, no matter your platform of choice.

Have a great day!
@bopogamel

Happy Birthday Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition!

The Future of Quicksilver Discussed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Joss Whedon

by Stone Marshall | May 9, 2015 | Awesome Book News | 0 comments

Avengers: Age of Ultron introduced a few great new characters into the MCU. Two of them include Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. I really liked these characters, and in separate interviews with Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Joss Whedon, they discuss the future of Quicksilver in the MCU.

I can’t really talk about this without going into SPOILER territory, so you’ve been warned:

Those of you who have seen Avengers: Age of Ultron are probably thinking, “what kind of future does Quicksilver have!?” The character met his demise while running into some enemy fire, saving Hawkeye and an awkward little boy from being killed.

But Taylor-Johnson suggested in an interview with CinemaBlend that he may not be done with the character:

“I mean, I thoroughly enjoyed working on [this movie], and I would love to be doing more movies with the guys at Marvel. Maybe there will be some case where that might happen.”

After it was pointed to him that characters in the MCU return from the dead all the time, Taylor-Johnson responded:

“I’d love to find what that loophole is, because I think they’re the best guys I’ve worked with in a long time.”

The actor obviously really enjoyed his time working with Marvel, and he really wants to work with them again, but Whedon says he intended for Quicksilver to stay dead. Talking to the Empire Film Podcast, he said:

“It felt very disingenuous for me, especially the second time around, to make what I refer to as ‘a war movie’ and say that there is no price and everybody walks away. In this movie, we’re saying, ‘Prove to me that you guys are heroes.’ And he’s the guy that does it.

“I knew it would be resonant, and make everything else work better and matter more. The city in the air, that’s just an explosion… Wanda’s grief, that’s extraordinary.”

In the end it’s not really up to Whedon if Quicksilver stays dead or not. That’s up to the executives at Marvel and Disney. He did prepare for Quicksilver to live through the ordeal and even shot some alternate footage for the ending.

“I said to Aaron, ‘The only way you’ll stay alive is if the Disney executives say, ‘Hey idiot, this is a franchise, and we need all these people and you’re not allowed to kill them off!’”

“We did actually shoot him in the last scene, in an outfit, with his sister. We also shot him, waking up, saying, ‘Ah, I didn’t really die from these 47 bullet wounds!’”

As much as I enjoyed Quicksilver in this movie, I really hope that Marvel keeps him dead, otherwise his sacrifice means nothing. It would really take the power out of that scene. I’m done with the Marvel death fake-outs.

The Future of Quicksilver Discussed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Joss Whedon

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