Spectrum Multimedia Inc. proudly announces the serialization of "Convictions", a heroic-fantasy work of fiction that has recently been brought to the Internet. Part text, part multimedia and all entertainment, the title is an online adaptation of Spectrum's unique "MediaNovel" product and can be enjoyed at the publisher's website.

The MediaNovel format is not a game but genuine storytelling that combines text with graphics, music, audio and video on a multimedia computer. The MediaNovel is part literary novel, part graphic novel, part motion-picture, part radio drama, part music CD and even part live theater - an electronic feast of words, colors, images, music and sound. A conventional hardcover book and accompanying "Digital Interactive" CD-ROM of "Convictions" will be released by the publisher in early June (ISBN 1-890250-09-0).

The online serialization begins with the entire first chapter from "Convictions", in which the protagonist, Redfern, has been led to Mount Rebirth to become a wizard in order to further the evil convictions of his father, Rex. The serialization utilizes a combination of standard text, MIDI music, Java-based audio and video, HTML and Active Server programming to tell the story and provide a taste for the MediaNovel CD-ROM component. Each week, about 15 new pages will be added to the website, until all 965 pages of the novel are online. Access to the website is free.

The "Convictions" title itself tells the story of a young wizard out to not just save his world, but his own dignity and honor, and was written for ages ten and up. Although the genre is heroic fantasy, "Convictions" contains several key social themes relevant to our own time and culture, and ultimately asks the question: To what lengths must convictions lie?

For more information about this compelling new literary format, or to make an advance purchase of "Convictions", visit the MediaNovel website. For a limited time, order the book for $24.95 and receive a free music CD specifically scored just for the novel. Have you experienced a good novel lately?