As much as serious book lovers may dismiss Mills & Boons as publishers of formulaic low brow romance, it cannot be disputed that since its inception in 1908, the publishers have contributed greatly to the traditional form, releasing thousands of books a year. So news of their latest project may actually ruffle a few feathers with a digital storytelling platform that looks to make the Kindle to feel a bit old hat.

Having made a success of the transition to digital books, the publishing world must look with great interest to the publishing houses new transmedia project which brings together over 800 pieces of digital content in multiple formats.

The Chatsfield is a digital, fictional luxury London hotel that his home to over 800 pieces of digital content that weave together the story lines of hotel staff and guests, with different characters communicating in different ways. Characters have their own video blogs, you can access their email inbox and follow them on Twitter. You can even email or call characters and be guaranteed a reply. Another interesting aspect is that the story will operate in real time, with the Hotel having it's doors open for just the next three months. However readers will be able to piece the stories together at any point. In a bid to bolster the Chatsfield's media presence, social interactions will be rewarded with extra content. It's not linear storytelling and maybe starts blurring the lines between reality and fiction, but for the purist (of sorts) there are fifteen new ebook titles in the hotel's library.

Unconventional ways of storytelling, that utilise the potential offered by digital seem to be on the rise. We recently looked at the Echo Project, a novel that came with an accompanying tablet companion, adding extra layers to the narrative.