Interactive mystery story aimed at digitally savvy teens

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On September 6, Random House Children's Books and the online community Stardoll launched Mortal Kiss, a paranormal mystery that will be serialized online globally through the end of October. The interactive story will include opportunities for its readers, mainly digitally savvy teen girls, to shape the story as it unfolds.

Mortal Kiss, which began running on September 6, will deliver three to five minutes of reading material daily, ending in a cliffhanger each week. Among interactive opportunities, users can access a map of Winter Hill, the fictional Northeastern US town in which the story is set; craft various personas and virtual environments; dress up the four main characters in outfits based on the storyline; and shop for items from the story. Users will also be able to vote on plot points and ultimately enter writing contests based on themes from the book.

Mortal Kiss is the first interactive story Random House, a leading global publisher, has published on a social networking platform. The Stardoll Network, which includes a series of social networks for seven- to 17-year-olds interested in fashion, celebrity, and entertainment, reportedly has more than 100 million registered users worldwide.

Mortal Kiss is the latest such endeavor in a trend toward online interactive e-books; other recent projects such as this one include the newly re-launched Choose Your Own Adventure series and the interactive fiction site Unknown Tales.

Read and participate in Mortal Kiss: http://www.stardoll.com/en/mortalkiss