The Rise series & the Rise Universe came about for & because of a multitude of reasons. The author of the series, Mandy Collins-Moore, saw the potential for both meaningful & entertaining storylines based within the gaming community after she found the game 7 Days to Die & the incredible & diverse community that had sprung up around the game. Perhaps the video below, the first ever posted to Mandy's channel, might give you a little insight into Rise & some of the folks involved with the series. If you want to see even more about Rise, including interviews with some of the people the characters are based on, check out the Rise playlist.