GAMETALES Children's Books Become Award-Winning Bestsellers

STARA ZAGORA, Bulgaria, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ Little kids create their own fairytale in a hit new book series coming out of the obscure country of Bulgaria. The GameTales, as the author calls them, already outsold all other national titles and won over 10 major awards and nominations.Now Nikola Raykov, an inspired father turned author, is releasing GameTales worldwide for free, hoping to make a difference in the lives of children and parents alike.

Gamebooks, such as Choose Your Own Adventure and Fighting Fantasy became popular in the eighties, allowing pre-teens, teens, and even adults to choose the fate of the hero. Raykov's GameTales seem to be the first original works created for small children (age 3 to 9). Only four similar books were published in 1984, according to the largest database of interactive literature, but were adaptations of classic fairytales, not original stories.

In only two years the GameTales have become immensely popular in their home country. The first book, The Big Adventure of the Little Gremlin offers "94 ways to read it and 20 different endings." Raykov's debut became an instant best-seller with children, parents, critics, and teachers raving about it. "The most amazing book you will ever hold" claims e-lect.net, while Yaga's Valley calls the author "the children's Terry Pratchett." He won over 10 awards and nominations including "Best Debut", "Best Children's Fantasy Author" and even a European nomination for "Best Creator of Children's Sci-Fi or Fantasy Books" on the 2014 Eurocon in Ireland.

Psychologists, educators, and teachers adore the innovative books and are now using them in over a hundred schools and kindergartens. Raykov's texts have been placed in school textbooks among the work of classic authors and studied in literature electives. They even inspired a class of second graders to create their own fan fiction based on the GameTales series.

The creator of those unusual books received his higher education in the USA and returned home, where he fell in love, married and raised his now 6-year-old son. "My child is my inspiration," says the writer. "I tried to create books that teach children about the importance of our choices, freedom and personal responsibility. They engage the little ones much more than regular books and spark their imagination. Kids become crucial part of the story." Raykov worries about the ever-thinning relationship between parents and children. "I have a strong bond with my son and I hope those books will inspire parents to read and play with their children. I promise them books filled with humor and adventures, but above all empathy, kindness and understanding."

Nikola Raykov is a well-known aficionado of creative commons and free sharing. "I didn't call a single publisher when I finished it. I knew they wouldn't allow me to share my e-books for free." The writer does everything by himself: design, publishing, marketing, and sales of the luxurious hardcover copies. "I proved that free sharing does not hurt writers" says the author. Now Nikola Raykov is embarking on an even bigger adventure, seeking to reach the children of the world with his just-released first book in English, with Russian and Italian editions to come out shortly. His GameTale Foundation aims to reach as many children as possible with its e-books and provide free hard copies for children with special needs, those living in difficult conditions, and children without parental care.

You can find more info and download free GameTale: The Big Adventure of the Little Gremlin on GameTale Foundation's website.

Media contact:
Nikola Raykov
Email
00359882288138

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SOURCE GameTale Foundation

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