You might have seen our #ChoicesChallenges on our social pages...Our team recently participated in the Green Mobile Game Jam alongside other mobile gaming companies, with the goal of finding innovative ways to educate and empower millions of players about climate change. Here to tell us more about how we're taking action is the Rising Tides Book Team:

Let's kick this off with some intros... Take it away, Saran!

Saran: I’m the lead writer for Rising Tides! I’d also like to think that I’m Pixelberry's resident eco-freak and wildlife expert, but I’ll let others be the judge of that.

Cat: I was on the brainstorm and outlining team for Rising Tides (and helped writers with edits). You may know me from my work on America's Most Eligible and Queen B.

Sara: I'm one of the writers for this project. I’ve previously worked on Queen B, Mother of the Year, and the Freshman series, along with the odd scene for Blades of Light and Shadow.

Jessie and Amanda: We are Producers for Rising Tides! We get to do a lot of fun behind the scenes work and make sure that everything is running smoothly and efficiently with our books.

The waves are rollin' in! Tell us a bit about Rising Tides..

Saran: To give some background on how this project came to be: Our CEO, Oliver, inspired by Greta Thunberg’s activism, decided that Pixelberry has a duty to use our platform and speak up about climate change. During the Global Climate Strikes, he got in touch with a local high school that was planning a walk out, and some of us Pixelberries on our own time organized a city wide Climate March to meet up with them to protest outside of Mountain View’s city hall. It was really inspiring to see the students taking a stand. Not long after, we started working on Rising Tides, and then in the midst of that, we got connected with the United Nations (UN) for their Playing for the Planet initiative. The rest is history!

Sara: The heart of this story is the relationship with your sister and the ways you inspire each other. You'll get to see how you, your family, and your community come together after a natural disaster to protect your town and your planet.

Cat: Our aim with this book is to raise awareness about how corporate practices (and everyday individual choices) affect the planet, and what we can do to help protect the earth. Climate change is obviously a huge issue that concerns our entire team, so it's cathartic to be able to channel our hopes, fears, and frustrations into our writing.

As part of the Green Mobile Game Jam and Playing for the Planet, you collaborated with other game companies. What was that like?

Saran: It was incredibly cool. Knowing how many other people in the industry are concerned about climate change and are committed to helping gave me a lot of hope. Every studio had really creative ways of getting their point across within the format of their games. The game jam was also overseen by the United Nations (UN), and it was WILD to me that clips of our game were being previewed at official UN and conservation summits. I think it’s great that the UN realized what a powerful and prevalent platform games could be for spreading this message and inspiring action.

What's something you're excited for fans to see unfold in Rising Tides?

Cat: One thing we wanted to touch on is the way young people and minorities are treated in regards to activism. Your sister is a teenager, and possibly a woman of color depending on your choices, and in the beginning of the book you'll see her concerns dismissed and overlooked. As you become more and more involved with her campaigns, you both have to fight to make your voices heard; this, I feel, is one of the most true-to-life elements of this story. We wanted to raise awareness about the fact that everyone deserves a say in the fight against climate change, particularly since many of the staunchest environmentalists are Gen Z. Teenagers and kids deserve a future without the threat of a dying planet.

Saran: I’m hopeful that players will learn some stuff they may not have known before and use that knowledge in real life!

Amanda: Yes! And let's not forget the fun animals within the story!

What are some eco-friendly practices you use at home?

Saran: The big one for me is trying to cut out plastic however I can, so using plastic-free products and avoiding products that use a lot of plastic in their packaging. I try to find ways to upcycle things wherever I can and try not to buy things I don’t need. I also went vegetarian and then vegan a few years back since meat and cheese use a lot of energy and contribute to greenhouse gas production. I use old tablecloths and sheets to sew my own clothes (much like our dear Charlie), or else buy used clothes from thrift stores to cut down on clothing waste. Once in a while, I find ways to volunteer and get involved with conservation groups in my area, from fundraising to literally getting down in the dirt and digging up invasive plants, But most importantly: I VOTE! Making small changes in your day to day habits is great and we should all do them, but ultimately our governments have a lot of power over how our countries are going to prioritize and handle climate change.

Cat: There are a lot of things, from reusable straws to reusable water bottles, that I always have on-hand! I'm fortunate to be able to avoid disposable straws for accessibility purposes, but they even have reusable metal boba straws, which is dope for someone who is as boba-addicted as me.

Jessie: We try to be energy efficient and turn off lights and electronics (including the power strips) when we're not in the room or using them. Am also looking forward to starting my own compost bin and having a garden!

Amanda: Knowing what is garbage, recycling, and compostables is something we take seriously in my household. We also try to stay resourceful in using water. For example, I water my plants with the “water waste” from my fish tank.

Sara: I’ve been a vegetarian for 17 years, since I was 11. It was originally about the cute animals, but learning that it’s eco-friendly as well helped inspire me to stick with it.

Another thing I try to do is take a look at my spending habits. Man-made climate change is so much bigger than any individual’s habits. When damage is being done on a much larger scale by corporations, it’s important to take a leaf out of Charlie's book and find and support the companies who are looking to the future and changing their habits for the good of the planet.

Speaking of Charlie... We know there are so many characters to love, but which one resonates with you the most?

Saran: I feel like everyone is going to say Charlie, and honestly, I’d die for her, but my runner up is Mel, the owner of your local hardware store. She was originally meant to be a one-off character for a scene, but I loved her so much, I had to bring her back in future chapters. She is, to put it mildly, one feisty plant momma.

Cat: I can't possibly choose between my two faves: Charlie and Robin. Charlie is your little sister who's really the heart of the book, in that she's the one who's pushing for environmental activism from the beginning. She's passionate and creative, and determined to shape a better future for herself and her peers. Robin is a hotshot journalist who helps you get to the bottom of the disaster that strikes your hometown. They have a really fun personality, and it's sweet to see how they fall in love with your town the longer they stay there.

Jessie: I think the younger sister really resonates with me. She reminds me of my best friend's little sister in how she approaches everything head-on and full-force. They're both incredibly passionate and determined to make the future a better place for everyone.

Amanda: I think the main character resonates with me the most; the real challenge in showing awareness is figuring out and knowing where you stand in these situations.

Any final words you'd like to share with our fans?

Saran: I’ve been involved with environmentalism for years, so getting to put my passion to play in a book like this is a dream come true. Looking for ways to mobilize people and give them hope was really important to me while writing. I want to show players that there’s a whole range of ways we can all get involved. There are ways to start small and work your way up to bigger goals, like getting involved in activism or campaigning for green initiatives. If nothing else, I hope players will walk away from this story with more ideas about how to make the world a better place, and a little more hope for how we can make that happen.

Sara: It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of wrongs that need righting. I’d love for this book to give you inspiration and hope to address those wrongs, and also remind you that life doesn’t stop in the face of the troubles of the world around you. In Rising Tides, you rise up to fight for change, but that doesn’t stop you from falling in love, pausing to appreciate nature with your sister, and bicker with your parents. The future is ours, and we can and should fight for it, and take care of each other along the way.

Jessie: I think it's important for games to talk about important issues that are happening in the world around us, so I'm very glad the team tried to really shine light on how we can all do our part!

Cat: Whether you're well-versed in eco-friendly practices or not, we hope you get something meaningful out of Rising Tides. We only have one planet, and there's no such thing as a small step when it comes to protecting it.

Well said everyone! Thank you to the Rising Tides Book Team for taking the time to answer all our questions. We're looking forward to sharing the team's passion about climate change in tomorrow's release of Rising Tides! With a few more months of 2020, we have more sneak peeks of upcoming books -- so get ready!

-Shae & Aly