User:BookGame
Eric Maurice Royster
[edit]Eric Maurice Royster (born January 25, 1988) is a black American writer, inventor, author, and publicist. He’s the founder of the Florida based Book Game Publications Corporation, which specializes in a unique division of its own called “private publishing.” He’s designed and invented several things from a young age, including a specialized rifle and a card game called “53 Stickup.” Eric Royster is best noted for using aggressive tactics and strategy to achieve ends in his writing and publishing career. He wrote about them in several controversial books, and later moved on to make himself and The Book Game apart of York City history.
Background
[edit]Eric Royster was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised by a single mother along with two younger sisters. The family moved to York, Pennsylvania in 1995 followed by the birth of his youngest sister. Eric displayed seemingly preternatural intelligence at a young age, learning how to read at a year and a half, and understanding college level textbooks before the age of ten. Despite his intellect, he found his school studies to be boring which led to poor grades. He ended up having to attend summer school several times, and ended up repeating the 8th grade. His mother, unsatisfied and impatient with how he applied his knowledge, sent him away to the boarding school Scotland School for Veterans’ Children. She hoped there, they would force him to apply his intellect towards schooling.
Scotland School never forced him to apply his intellect towards school, even though it was often encouraged. Though the staff at Scotland School saw and understood the importance of an education, few people believed that he wouldn’t find success without it. In his time at Scotland School and all its resources made available to him, Eric learned how to build computers, websites, and even designed a weapon to patent. His weapon design and prototype made the front page of his local paper in York County in his sophomore year. People still esteemed him to be one of the smartest people in his class despite his grades. In 2007, Eric did not graduate from high school, but simply decided it was better for him to go into business for himself. As it turned out, when all his other ventures dissatisfied him, he found a notebook amongst his high school effects in which he wrote what would be his first book “With all my Heart”, in February 2008. Eric was unsure of his capabilities as an author, but Stanley Ringgold, the father of his youngest sister, was also a father figure and positive role model since he was four. Eric believed Stanley never lied to him, believed in him, and was right for telling him to take his writing as far as he could in the best way he knew how.
He later moved on to establish the foundation of his publishing career after experiencing the success behind “With all my Heart”, and has published more titles ever since.
Publications
[edit]"With all my Heart" (2008)
"With all my Heart II: Curse of the Dead Woman’s Ring" (2010)
"With all my Heart III: The End of Eternity" (Unreleased)
"The Book Game Code of Honor- Res Ipsur Loquitor" (2008)
"The Machiavellian Bloodlines" (2010)
"Burning Men" (2011)
"The Book Game Dream Dictionary" (2011)
"The 52 Stickup Card Game" (2009)
"Book Game Universe: Permanently Inspired" (Documentary- Unreleased)
With all my Heart: The Movie
[edit]“With all my Heart: The Movie” was a yearlong, production-value based project based off of Eric Royster’s book “With all my Heart”. Initially there were no monies available to begin the movie, so Eric in turn began to network with local businesses. He also wrote his second book “The Book Game Code of Honor: Res Ipsur Loquitor” to raise money for it. He provided a free (or mostly free) advertising service in return for something the business could let him use for his movie. York businesses provided clothing, food, building space, and resources to suit the movies needs. The movie off of production value alone was worth $10 million dollars. However because of this, this lead potential actors to believe that Book Game Publications had more money than they led people to believe. They wouldn’t take a chance with it unless they were paid upfront. Book Game associates eventually found new actors who would take a chance with the movie. Eric was almost killed several times being robbed at gunpoint, but after the ill-fated murder of associate Donell McIntyre, the death of another due to a medical illness, and the shutdown of several key York businesses, the movie’s production came to a halt. As disappointing as the project’s failure was, Book Game associates crowned Eric Royster “King of York City” (see “The King of York City Honor”) with a handcrafted crown. The event was hosted by Karla Heberlig at the Legacy Hall of Martin Memorial Library on October 15, 2009. The event was to celebrate the efforts put forth by all those who participated in the project. Eric created and designed the “53 Stickup” card game with faces of the associates on it to commemorate the event.
The King of York City Honor
[edit]Since the 2009 coronation at the Legacy Hall, there have been many speculations that raised the question as to how one becomes crowned the king of a city. While some regarded it as a silly event, the theme behind it is written in the pages behind Eric’s title “The Machiavellian Bloodlines”. In it, Eric states:
“The crown isn’t always about power and authority, but mainly about servitude and it will be an insufferable thing to bear at times.”
This book takes readers from the dark motifs of its inception, to the foundation of the Book Game in the form of guidelines. Honor is everything to a true king and nobody can take it from you unless you let them. In the context of this book, it shows everyone exactly what you live up to and what they can expect from you. The entire plan was only to discover different venues in publishing before establishing anything concrete. Eric served his supporters loyally until the movie’s unexpected end. Together, they still dominated and established some victory over rivals, brutal streets, and the ever-changing politics through writing and publishing.
Legal Disputes and Political Rivalry
[edit]Eric has been the target of two legal disputes within the first two years of his publishing career. However, he’s been reputed to manipulate the system to his own advantage by unusual, but effective means. He claimed:
“I’m always ready to agree on reasonable terms…but that doesn’t mean other people are. So I don’t know how much manipulation could be involved there. The people who sent me to court were people who didn’t know how, or didn’t want to use their heads to solve their own problems. So I can’t be faulted if everything didn’t go their way.”
The outcomes of these disputes involved any type of legal standing against him to be ineffective, if the pursuant didn’t or wouldn’t halt the legal process.
Eric Royster vs. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
In 2008, Eric was set up with a stolen pistol he ended up using for “With all my Heart: The Movie”, by an angry family member. Police only had a statement from the complaining witness which was the angry family member, and the stolen pistol offered to them by the same person which wasn’t in his possession at the time of his arrest. York County Police charged Eric on October 14, 2008 with a misdemeanor in receiving stolen property. Having no effective counsel and for other reasons, on January 26, 2009 he plead “no contest” in a plea agreement offered by the DA. He was sentenced on his first charge to 15 months on probation. However, upon realizing that he couldn’t keep up with the stipulations of his probation, and continue his movie’s endeavors at the same time, he absconded from probation six months later deeming his career more important than politics. Consequently, he was apprehended January 8th 2010 by The PA Fugitive Task Force.
Political Rivalry: The Book Game vs. The Bracey Campaign
During the time Eric was on the run in 2009, he got involved with the mayoral candidate Kim Bracey and her campaign. Kim Bracey would not only become the first black mayor of York, but the first female mayor as well. His goal was to document his experience in “The Machiavellian Bloodlines”, and take a place in history. Eric hoped that his book had the makings of a Machiavellian sequel. He made Kim clear of his intentions, which she agreed to on her terms, and soon they began to work with each other. Over time, Eric began to believe that some of the campaign members were only planning to use him for the purpose of votes, and were going to try to cheat him out his end. The late Dr. James Woodyard, who was formally with the campaign, confirmed their possible intentions to Eric in a meeting at Martin Library. This is when Eric chose not to stay for the political race, but for his book. As expected, on November 5th when the election was won, Eric was given a demand a few days later by politician and husband Vernon Bracey not to keep Kim’s name his book, as well as to take out any pictures. It became quickly evident that Vernon or anyone in the campaign didn’t think he was capable of publishing a book no matter how much he talked about it. Vernon Bracey was a reputed elitist around York City, and a campaign member with deep political ties in York County. So when Eric refused, Vernon became angry. He began to claim Eric “stalked” his wife in police reports. He also sent police to his home with warnings, even though Eric had more than what he needed to complete his book and didn’t deal with the campaign or Kim Bracey anymore.
Vernon’s behavior began to escalate in knowing he was going to finish that book against his wishes. In turn, Vernon began to look for a way to imprison him and he found out that there was a bench warrant out for Eric’s arrest from probation. He located the angry family member that set him up before, as well as a few angry former associates of Eric’s, and they all conspired in an effort to set him up together. Eric noticed the police surveillance vehicles around the house, and finished a hurried but completed version of “The Machiavellian Bloodlines” on New Years’ Day. He stored it on his computer, a thumb drive, as well as several of his trusted businesses associates around York. Nobody would find it or stop it. On January 8th, 2010 he was apprehended.
Eric remained detained in York County Prison until his trial February 1st, where he verbally admitted to Common Pleas Judge John S. Kennedy, that he simply went on the run for his career. Eric was sentenced to spend three months in York County Prison before re parole in April and being placed back on Probation. However, understanding how his rivals were able to use probation to keep him down, probation had to go. So he submitted in writing to complete his time in York County Prison.
In his time there, he organized prisoners to run a book printing operation out of the prison. He used prison resources, and other prisoners to print, edit, and sell over 500 copies of “With all my Heart II: Curse of the Dead Woman’s Ring”. His goal was to save up enough money for transportation down south to a relative upon his release. He was caught six months later and sent to the hole for it. However, other relatives vouched to let him stay with them and pay for transportation seeing he had no other family in Pennsylvania. He was also the first person in the prison to ever receive a perfect score on the GED testing program. He was prepared to print “With all my Heart III: The End of Eternity”, but was sent to minimum security where he was released early on good behavior December 3rd, 2010. He found that the thumb drive, along with the files saved on the computer was missing. In minimum security, The 53 Stickup card game found its way in the prison, and became very popular amongst the gamblers having several regular players a day. Eric documented his time in prison in the title “Burning Men”. The day after his release, he contacted a member on the Bracey Campaign to make Vernon aware of what his knowledge on what he did. He also did it to let him know that “The Machiavellian Bloodlines” was still on its way out. Bracey admitted to what he did in so many words, and threatened a lawsuit, but remained out of viable options. Eric recovered his files and went down south on a well deserved vacation, feeling as though he explored all the venues he wanted to take. He began the construction of the Book Game Publications website, enrolled in college, and he later sought incorporation in Florida.
Eric, and Book Game associates singlehandedly proved Vernon’s, as well as his rivals’ ambitions were futile. The County of York ended up spending over $50,000 dollars in taxpayer money in prison expenses, while in an already cash strapped financial state to house Eric Royster over personal issues. As for the lawsuit, Eric saved an overwhelming amount of evidence to be a formidable adversary in court, including emails documenting illegal activities accidentally sent to him.
Since then, they have raised taxes 14% percent.
Inspiring Figures
[edit]Eric quotes in the unreleased “Book Game Universe: Permanently Inspired” Documentary:
“While I’d like to say all my inspiration comes from within, I’d be lying if I said if I were my own influence. Some of my inspiration is family and everyday people. My grandparents remain to be the biggest influence. If it weren’t for them, I don’t think I would’ve had a real chance to realize my goals in the end. Regular people inspire me they’re my job. Sometimes they don’t seem like much, but I found if you can show them something they can’t see for themselves, sometimes they open up and begin to change things and people. I like to do it by writing about them or writing something for them. Another is music performer Rihanna. You have to have vision as a leader, and that means you often see things that aren’t really there. You have to keep going until everyone else can see what you see, no matter how hopeless things get. If you don’t, you’ll give everyone a reason to think you need to be committed.
Rihanna was once someone nobody believed in like me, but saw something she wanted to be and did her best to become it all the time. You’re never really done trying being the best…there’s always something out there to fight or hunt down, and that’s what you really have to be in it for: Domination…Nothing else.”