Graham Downs's Blog, page 37
January 21, 2014
Writing Prompts: Q's
I've decided that this year, I'm going to start a new monthly feature on my blog: Writing Prompts! Each month, I'm going to take a writing prompt, and try to do it on this blog, for all to see. I'm hoping that it will give you, my dear readers, an idea of my writing style (so that you might buy my stories <hint> <nudge>), ;) but also that it will help me to improve my writing skills, and also give me inspiration and new ideas for stories. This month's prompt was one that I randomly stumbled across on the Internet a few weeks back, but I can't remember where. It went something like this: Pick ten random words that begin with the letter Q, and write a paragraph beginning with each.So I found a list of Words that start with Q from ScrabbleFinder. I pasted all the words into one long list, and used random.org to randomise the list. Then I picked the top ten. Here goes: Queer how language use has changed, isn't it? Just look at the word "queer". Originally meant as something strange or weird, it's now a word commonly used by gay people to describe themselves. Kind of makes sense, I guess. Unlike faggot. What a bundle of wood has to do with a gay man, I'll never know!Qwertys is a valid word in Scrabble, according to the ScrabbleFinder website. Strange game, Scrabble. I've of course heard of "qwerty", the first six letters of the most commonly used keyboard in the English-speaking western world today, but I've never heard it in plural. Have you ever used a non-qwerty keyboard? Dvorjak, maybe? It's weird how a keyboard layout, designed to slow typists down, is still so popular today!Quotes are really popular today. "Words of Wisdom" quotes, funny quotes, and religious quotes; people love to post them all over social networks, and make quirky little memes out of them with cartoons and photographs. But have you ever stopped to wonder how many of them were really spoken by the person they're attributed to? "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." was never spoken by Edmund Burke, and Einstein never uttered the famous "definition of insanity"! How many others do we continually share, blissfully unaware that they're complete and utter hogwash? "...Quickens his pulse, as she runs her fingers seductively down his-" Oh, sorry. Are you still here? I was just reading... oh, it doesn't matter. What were you saying? Yes, yes, I'll get to it in a minute, I promise. No, I won't let it get into the state that it was in last week. The books will be in order before I leave today! Although who put Downs before Brookes yesterday is a mystery to me. Does nobody know the order of letters in the alphabet any more? Good grief! It almost makes me want to give up the library, sometimes. "Quite, yes," muttered Charles as James was finished his rant. But Charles wasn't particularly paying attention. James was a good friend, but he could really drone on sometimes. Just at this minute, it was about the state of the education system. James was saying that all teachers should be fired, and parents should begin teaching their children at home, from now on. Something about allowing all children to be educated in their own culture, according to their own pace. Charles could see his friend's point, but the topic was simply not one that interested him. He was far more concerned about his new device, which he said would revolutionise reading by eliminating the need for paper. His contemporaries thought he was crazy, and James wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise, to tell him about it. Well, they would soon see, he thought. Qurshes? No, man! This is South Africa; what would I do with a Qursh? What? Saudi Arabia, you say? Well how on earth did I get here, then? Bah, no matter. Do you take Rands? I really could use that water, you know. Thirsty, so thirsty! No Rands. Hmm.... Hey, you there, can I buy some Qurshes off you? How many Rands? Two Hundred Rand for one? Oh very well. Here you go. Ah, a Qursh. I've never seen one of those before. Now then, my good man, how many Qurshes for a water? Twenty? But I only have one, and no more Rands to buy any more. Oh, well.... Qindars? What now? But I was just in Saudi Arabia, and the gentleman wanted twenty Qurshes for a water. And now I'm in... ALBANIA?! Oh boy, here we go again! What's that humming sound to my left? It looks a little like a telephone booth, shimmering with blue electricity. Perhaps if I stepped in there, I would get back to my beloved South Africa. Oh dear, I am so lost! Quakers! Four of them, just over that rise. Be quiet, they have guns. In their fanatical beliefs, we are nothing but heretics. Never mind that we want to preserve the old ways. They believe that we are all priests. We believe that only the ordained can be priests. We must get past them, into their compound. We must get the Ark out of their possession, before they destroy it! Quays. On one of these quays is the boat we're looking for. And inside it, a million Rand's worth of cocaine. Enough to set someone up for life. But we need to be careful. The Cool Kids are also looking for it. This is war, my friend. Drug wars like these can get ugly. Here is no-man's-land, but not for long. Whomever gets their hands on this haul claims these quays for their gang, and we'll earn a hefty reward from the boss if we come through. Come on, let's go! Quashed, that's the word he used to describe what had happened to the charge. John knew that he should be relieved. He knew that he should be grateful, but still he couldn't fight off the intense guilt that now pounded in his chest. He hadn't meant to kill the man, but he had done so anyway. And now that the charge had been quashed, nobody would ever know. But he still would, he and his God would know. As he hung up the phone after hearing the news that the charge had gone away, he realised that he had changed his mind. Still seeing the face of the poor man as the last inch of life had left him, he set off towards the nearest police station, to confess to everything. Wow, that was harder than I thought it would be, but also strangely freeing! What do you think? Did you enjoy this small insight into how my mind works? Would you like me to do it again? Are there any of these ideas that you'd like me to explore further, maybe feature such a scene or concept in a story, or base an entire story around them? Please let me know in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Oh, and I should point out that numbers six and seven were not put there deliberately, nor were they put in that order deliberately. Strange how randomness works, sometimes!
January 14, 2014
My Interview with Books, Blogs, and Bits
On the back of the charity anthology that I took part in, I am not Frazzle!, I and all my fellow authors were recently invited to be interviewed by the literary website, Books, Blogs, and Bits. I immediately responded, because naturally, I love the opportunity to talk about myself and my writing! Each of us who responded were e-mailed a list of personalised questions to answer, which I thought was a really nice touch; most of the time, these sites have a generic list of interview questions that they give to authors.
My interview was published on 6 January 2014, and I'm really impressed with how it turned out. You can read the original interview here, but for your convenience, I've copied the questions and answers below: BB & B: You are a very busy gentleman—author, reviewer and librarian for Goodreads, blogger, and a computer programmer! How do you maintain a healthy balance between all these great things that you do? Any tips for other authors who find themselves maintaining a full time day-job while trying to pursue their creative passion? Graham: Well, it’s not easy, I’ll admit. My day job keeps me busy for long hours, but I always find time to read. Reading is incredibly important, and I find that Goodreads keeps me focused and disciplined in my reading. Since discovering that site a year and a half ago, I don’t read anything (except what I have to read for work) that I don’t review anymore. I really enjoy thinking of all the things that I’m going to say when I review books, as I’m reading them. As for my writing, well, I’ve always been the kind of person who really struggles with discipline. I always have at least three unfinished projects (writing projects, programming projects, household projects) on the go at any given point in time, most of which I’m sorry to admit will never see the light of day! The reading helps with my writing as well (you’ll hear a lot of authors say that); it keeps my imagination ticking, and when I’m struggling to write a difficult scene, or an ending for a story, I turn to a good book to clear my head and motivate me to press on. I also have an amazingly supportive wife, who has promised to support and back me in anything that I want to achieve. Having that kind of love and support is invaluable! BB & B: You are a fiction author. Your collection of stories range from fantasy to thriller. This is quite a range. Tell us what you love best about writing in these genres. Graham: To be honest, I don’t really think about what genre I want to write in; I come up with the story, and the genre comes naturally. My first book was a short story called A Petition to Magic, and I don’t think I could’ve told that story any other way. Next came Heritage of Deceit, which is a modern day thriller set in an office environment. The idea for Stingers just hit me, and I knew exactly how the story would play out before my fingers hit the keyboard. As for what’s next, who knows? BB & B: What inspires your stories and your characters? What fuels your creativity? Graham: I think the best way for me to be creative is to just “switch off” froma petition to magic technology and the world. Again, I think you’ll hear a lot of authors say that–it really works! I’ve always had a really vivid imagination, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve liked to tell stories. Growing up, I played a lot of table-top RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, and I was always ended up being the “Game Master”, the one in charge of telling the story. As to my inspiration, that’s a really difficult question to answer. Stories just come to me at the weirdest times. For A Petition to Magic, it was one particular scene where Solon was standing in his study preparing to cast his fateful spell. I dreamt about that one, one night, and it was really vivid. Heritage of Deceit, not surprisingly, hit me one day at work when I was struggling with a particularly difficult programming problem and decided to step away from my computer for a few minutes. And as I’ve mentioned, Stingers came to me as more or less a complete story, all at once. BB & B: To what extent do your characters remind you of yourself or someone you know? Graham: Well, it’s not intentional, but I think there’s a little bit of me in all of my protagonists. Solon the Wizard is a mirror of my fears of trying new things, or “getting back on the horse” when I’ve made a horrible mistake (although thankfully, none of my mistakes have ever killed anyone!). James Clarke is reminiscent of my Primary School days, when I was a bullied kid –although the bullying never escalated to the point that it did in Stingers. I guess that Lloyd from Heritage of Deceit is a lot like one or two people I’ve met in my career, whereas I fancy myself as being a bit like Robert. There’s probably a little bit of us in all of our characters, for better or worse, and there’s a certain amount of “confession” that goes on in all our stories. Writing is a writer’s special kind of therapy, of getting things off his chest. BB & B: You recently collaborated in a great children’s charity project—I am not Frazzle. What inspired you to be so giving of your time? Would you do it again? Graham: I just love to write. I saw a blog post by Darren Worrow (our editor on the project), looking for people to participate. His brief was very broad: A story, geared at adults, with at least one main character who’s a child. As I’ve already mentioned, when I read that brief, Stingers just came to me. I don’t know from whence it came, or why, but it just did. Before responding to Darren (and certainly before I knew whether he still had space, or whether I’d be accepted), I bashed out the first scene of the story, popped it off to him, and he loved it! Would I do it again? Absolutely! It was a huge honour to be part of such a big project, and to work with all the amazing authors. Words cannot describe how I felt when Darren told us all that the project was going on sale. Even though I’m not making any money off of it, and I’d never heard of the charity before I embarked on the project, I have humbled and grateful to be supporting that worthy cause, in my own small way. BB & B: Like many authors, you must have a ton of ideas for stories. How do you decide which of your stories to bring to life and devote to paper? Graham: I know what you’re thinking: you’re probably thinking that, as a computer programmer, I must have this carefully organised folder of story ideas, maybe I’ve even written a computer program to help me keep track of them all, and that I carefully choose what my next story will be from that list, based on market trends, genre, and so forth. None of that is true, though. Most of my ideas aren’t even stored anywhere outside of my own head. The ones that get written are the ones that choose to be written when I sit down at my keyboard, stare at a blank screen, and start typing. You see, I don’t decide; the story does! BB & B: Do you have any current projects and what can fans expect from you in the near future? Graham: You know, every time someone asks me what I’m working on currently, they get a different answer! I’m busy with a really short horror story, which I’m hoping is going to be accepted into a well known Independent Author Magazine. But I might not finish that, we’ll see how it goes. Then I have two ideas which might actually turn into novella length books, but I don’t think I’ll be any more specific than that, because by the time someone interviews me again, I may have forgotten all about them and be working on something completely different! BB & B: Do you have any closing words you’d like to share? Graham: Ooh, an open-ended question; those are difficult! Readers, keep reading. If you’d include my stories in your reading, even better! Even better than that, though, is if you’d leave a review of each when you’re done. Reader reviews are independent authors’ bread and butter, and not just because we don’t have access to the insane marketing resources that big businesses do: we all tend to be an insecure bunch, and we’re never truly sure if anybody out there is actually reading what we’ve put out into the world. So, good or bad, please leave your thoughts on our stories. Every word of encouragement or criticism means that somebody has read our work and taken the time to say what they thought. You, dear reader, are the reason we keep writing! Writers, keep writing! It’s a labour of love, and most of us will never get rich off it, nor even ever make enough to quit our day jobs. But it’s as necessary to us as breathing. I hope you enjoyed reading my interview as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you have any questions, pop them in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! And please do check out all my stories, including Stingers, which you can find in the wonderful anthology, I am nt Frazzle!
My interview was published on 6 January 2014, and I'm really impressed with how it turned out. You can read the original interview here, but for your convenience, I've copied the questions and answers below: BB & B: You are a very busy gentleman—author, reviewer and librarian for Goodreads, blogger, and a computer programmer! How do you maintain a healthy balance between all these great things that you do? Any tips for other authors who find themselves maintaining a full time day-job while trying to pursue their creative passion? Graham: Well, it’s not easy, I’ll admit. My day job keeps me busy for long hours, but I always find time to read. Reading is incredibly important, and I find that Goodreads keeps me focused and disciplined in my reading. Since discovering that site a year and a half ago, I don’t read anything (except what I have to read for work) that I don’t review anymore. I really enjoy thinking of all the things that I’m going to say when I review books, as I’m reading them. As for my writing, well, I’ve always been the kind of person who really struggles with discipline. I always have at least three unfinished projects (writing projects, programming projects, household projects) on the go at any given point in time, most of which I’m sorry to admit will never see the light of day! The reading helps with my writing as well (you’ll hear a lot of authors say that); it keeps my imagination ticking, and when I’m struggling to write a difficult scene, or an ending for a story, I turn to a good book to clear my head and motivate me to press on. I also have an amazingly supportive wife, who has promised to support and back me in anything that I want to achieve. Having that kind of love and support is invaluable! BB & B: You are a fiction author. Your collection of stories range from fantasy to thriller. This is quite a range. Tell us what you love best about writing in these genres. Graham: To be honest, I don’t really think about what genre I want to write in; I come up with the story, and the genre comes naturally. My first book was a short story called A Petition to Magic, and I don’t think I could’ve told that story any other way. Next came Heritage of Deceit, which is a modern day thriller set in an office environment. The idea for Stingers just hit me, and I knew exactly how the story would play out before my fingers hit the keyboard. As for what’s next, who knows? BB & B: What inspires your stories and your characters? What fuels your creativity? Graham: I think the best way for me to be creative is to just “switch off” froma petition to magic technology and the world. Again, I think you’ll hear a lot of authors say that–it really works! I’ve always had a really vivid imagination, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve liked to tell stories. Growing up, I played a lot of table-top RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, and I was always ended up being the “Game Master”, the one in charge of telling the story. As to my inspiration, that’s a really difficult question to answer. Stories just come to me at the weirdest times. For A Petition to Magic, it was one particular scene where Solon was standing in his study preparing to cast his fateful spell. I dreamt about that one, one night, and it was really vivid. Heritage of Deceit, not surprisingly, hit me one day at work when I was struggling with a particularly difficult programming problem and decided to step away from my computer for a few minutes. And as I’ve mentioned, Stingers came to me as more or less a complete story, all at once. BB & B: To what extent do your characters remind you of yourself or someone you know? Graham: Well, it’s not intentional, but I think there’s a little bit of me in all of my protagonists. Solon the Wizard is a mirror of my fears of trying new things, or “getting back on the horse” when I’ve made a horrible mistake (although thankfully, none of my mistakes have ever killed anyone!). James Clarke is reminiscent of my Primary School days, when I was a bullied kid –although the bullying never escalated to the point that it did in Stingers. I guess that Lloyd from Heritage of Deceit is a lot like one or two people I’ve met in my career, whereas I fancy myself as being a bit like Robert. There’s probably a little bit of us in all of our characters, for better or worse, and there’s a certain amount of “confession” that goes on in all our stories. Writing is a writer’s special kind of therapy, of getting things off his chest. BB & B: You recently collaborated in a great children’s charity project—I am not Frazzle. What inspired you to be so giving of your time? Would you do it again? Graham: I just love to write. I saw a blog post by Darren Worrow (our editor on the project), looking for people to participate. His brief was very broad: A story, geared at adults, with at least one main character who’s a child. As I’ve already mentioned, when I read that brief, Stingers just came to me. I don’t know from whence it came, or why, but it just did. Before responding to Darren (and certainly before I knew whether he still had space, or whether I’d be accepted), I bashed out the first scene of the story, popped it off to him, and he loved it! Would I do it again? Absolutely! It was a huge honour to be part of such a big project, and to work with all the amazing authors. Words cannot describe how I felt when Darren told us all that the project was going on sale. Even though I’m not making any money off of it, and I’d never heard of the charity before I embarked on the project, I have humbled and grateful to be supporting that worthy cause, in my own small way. BB & B: Like many authors, you must have a ton of ideas for stories. How do you decide which of your stories to bring to life and devote to paper? Graham: I know what you’re thinking: you’re probably thinking that, as a computer programmer, I must have this carefully organised folder of story ideas, maybe I’ve even written a computer program to help me keep track of them all, and that I carefully choose what my next story will be from that list, based on market trends, genre, and so forth. None of that is true, though. Most of my ideas aren’t even stored anywhere outside of my own head. The ones that get written are the ones that choose to be written when I sit down at my keyboard, stare at a blank screen, and start typing. You see, I don’t decide; the story does! BB & B: Do you have any current projects and what can fans expect from you in the near future? Graham: You know, every time someone asks me what I’m working on currently, they get a different answer! I’m busy with a really short horror story, which I’m hoping is going to be accepted into a well known Independent Author Magazine. But I might not finish that, we’ll see how it goes. Then I have two ideas which might actually turn into novella length books, but I don’t think I’ll be any more specific than that, because by the time someone interviews me again, I may have forgotten all about them and be working on something completely different! BB & B: Do you have any closing words you’d like to share? Graham: Ooh, an open-ended question; those are difficult! Readers, keep reading. If you’d include my stories in your reading, even better! Even better than that, though, is if you’d leave a review of each when you’re done. Reader reviews are independent authors’ bread and butter, and not just because we don’t have access to the insane marketing resources that big businesses do: we all tend to be an insecure bunch, and we’re never truly sure if anybody out there is actually reading what we’ve put out into the world. So, good or bad, please leave your thoughts on our stories. Every word of encouragement or criticism means that somebody has read our work and taken the time to say what they thought. You, dear reader, are the reason we keep writing! Writers, keep writing! It’s a labour of love, and most of us will never get rich off it, nor even ever make enough to quit our day jobs. But it’s as necessary to us as breathing. I hope you enjoyed reading my interview as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you have any questions, pop them in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! And please do check out all my stories, including Stingers, which you can find in the wonderful anthology, I am nt Frazzle!
January 6, 2014
Crossword Puzzle - December 2013 Answers
Hi, there No winners this month. It's a pity, because I was really hoping someone would get this one, being such a special edition! So we're well into the first month of 2014. If you're back at work already, then I'm sorry to hear that, but I hope you had a good holiday! Without much further ado, the answers to my final crossword puzzle of 2013:
So how did you do? Well, I hope! And if you missed the questions, let it be the last time! If you sign up for my free monthly newsletter, you'll get the questions delivered to your inbox every month, and soon as they're posted. Simply punch your e-mail address into the box at the top-right of this page, and never miss another one of my monthly crossword puzzles! Until next week, have a good one, and may 2014 be everything that you wish for it to be!
So how did you do? Well, I hope! And if you missed the questions, let it be the last time! If you sign up for my free monthly newsletter, you'll get the questions delivered to your inbox every month, and soon as they're posted. Simply punch your e-mail address into the box at the top-right of this page, and never miss another one of my monthly crossword puzzles! Until next week, have a good one, and may 2014 be everything that you wish for it to be!
December 30, 2013
Crossword Puzzle - December 2013 (Happy New Year!)
Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you all had an amazing 2013, and that 2014 turns out to be everything that you want it to be. If you're going to be partying tonight, please be responsible. Don't drink and drive, and don't get up in anybody's faces. Be considerate, and remember that everybody else has just as much right to enjoy themselves as you do. Last week Sunday, I tweeted an article, celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of the crossword puzzle: 
1 Character from the Orient, in this famous Christmas Carol (4)
5 Sound of an explosion (6)
7 A story expressing great sorrow (8)
9 A woman's body part (4)
10 Third word of KKK (4)
12 Flemmish painter Jan van, born 1395 (4)
13 Popular American auction site (4)
15 2001 film about a famous boxer (3)
16 British Thermal Unit (3)
17 Afrikaans acronym for South African national carrier (3)
18 "Take on Me" band (3)
19 A vase-shaped pitcher (4)
21 An Overzealous maniacal fan for any celebrity or athlete (4)
22 Blackthorn (4)
24 German-Baltic-Russian noble family von (4)
25 People who yodel (8)
28 Champagne and Orange Juice cocktail (6)
29 Boats for towing larger boats (4)
Down
1 Arabic word for dog (4)
2 International Boxing Organisation (3)
3 Neither (3)
4 Korean (offensive) (4)
5 An eccentric person (4)
6 A sterile donkey (4)
7 Submissively (8)
8 Seventh Days (8)
9 Common laws of a local authority (6)
11 Court prophet in the time of King David (6)
12 Without difficulty (4)
14 Currency of China (4)
20 An enclosed space (4)
21 Sumerian minor God of War (4)
23 Make changes to (4)
24 English pianist (1890-1965) (4)
26 Australian bird resembling the ostrich (3)
27 It burns in a fireplace (3)
As you can see, I also promised that my monthly crossword puzzles would continue into 2014. For my last crossword of 2013, I thought it might be appropriate to create one that was inspired by that very first, one hundred years ago. Well, loosely inspired anyway. As you'll see, the shape is quite similar (except that mine is a smaller board), but that's where the similarity ends: the clues and answers are completely different. In case you've never played with me before, here's how it works: First, you print out the crossword puzzleNext, you complete itOnce you've completed it, you send your answers to me, in one of the following ways: Scan in your completed grid, and Tweet it to meCopy your answers and send me a Facebook messageIt's probably not a good idea to paste your answers into the comments below; you don't want to ruin it for anyone else! I'll be posting the answers next Tuesday (7 January 2014). If I've received the correct answers before then, the first person who gave me the correct answers will get a shoutout on this blog! If you send me the answers via Twitter, I'll mention you there as well. Simple enough? Well, here's the puzzle. Good luck!The Crossword Puzzle Turns 100 http://t.co/r2HfQei9fE via @PublishersWkly And MY monthly crosswords WILL continue in 2014!
— Graham Downs (@GrahamDowns) December 22, 2013
And here are your clues:
Across1 Character from the Orient, in this famous Christmas Carol (4)
5 Sound of an explosion (6)
7 A story expressing great sorrow (8)
9 A woman's body part (4)
10 Third word of KKK (4)
12 Flemmish painter Jan van, born 1395 (4)
13 Popular American auction site (4)
15 2001 film about a famous boxer (3)
16 British Thermal Unit (3)
17 Afrikaans acronym for South African national carrier (3)
18 "Take on Me" band (3)
19 A vase-shaped pitcher (4)
21 An Overzealous maniacal fan for any celebrity or athlete (4)
22 Blackthorn (4)
24 German-Baltic-Russian noble family von (4)
25 People who yodel (8)
28 Champagne and Orange Juice cocktail (6)
29 Boats for towing larger boats (4)
Down
1 Arabic word for dog (4)
2 International Boxing Organisation (3)
3 Neither (3)
4 Korean (offensive) (4)
5 An eccentric person (4)
6 A sterile donkey (4)
7 Submissively (8)
8 Seventh Days (8)
9 Common laws of a local authority (6)
11 Court prophet in the time of King David (6)
12 Without difficulty (4)
14 Currency of China (4)
20 An enclosed space (4)
21 Sumerian minor God of War (4)
23 Make changes to (4)
24 English pianist (1890-1965) (4)
26 Australian bird resembling the ostrich (3)
27 It burns in a fireplace (3)
December 24, 2013
All Time Blog Stats (And Merry Christmas!)
This blog has been running for a year now, and I thought it might be a good time to share with you how it's gone. I've had lots of fun this year, and it's interesting to see which of my blog posts have stood the test of time, and where the traffic comes from. Most Viewed PostsThe top viewed posts on this blog this year are (drumroll, please!): Crossword Puzzle - March 2013live sex cams: tkdot.comMy First Book: A Petition to MagicWorld Retina Week PromotionCrossword Puzzle - July 2013 AnswersThe third most viewed blog post of all time was also my second ever post on this blog, back on 26 December 2012! (My first ever blog post was on Christmas Day, 2012, entitled Merry Christmas!). I'm glad to see that post is still being viewed today! The number one post is a bit perplexing. I'm not sure what was so special about my March 2013 Crossword Puzzle. Even more perplexing is that people appear to be more interested in the answers to my July puzzle. Number two made me chuckle a bit. I wrote it back in April, in response to an observation at the time that I was getting a disproportionate number of views from the Google search lave sex cams: tkdot.com. I had no idea where those searches were coming from, or why they pointed to my blog, but I thought I should give them a place to land on. Of course, if you use that search term in Google now, you'll find that that post is the number one result! The World Retina Week post also brings back some good memories. I ran a promotion back in September (during World Retina Week), promising to donate R10 to Retina South Africa during the week. I didn't make any sales that week, but hopefully I got people to SMS and donate to Retina South Africa (The SMS number is still active, by the way). Top Web Searcheswww.grahamdowns.blogspot.comgrahamdowns.blogspot.commike@moretechtips.netlave sex cams: tkdot.comtkdot.comLooking at the first two, it's interesting to note that many of these "Top Searches" type statistics seem to include searches for web addresses, quite high up in the stats. I'm grateful, at least, that people clearly want to come to my blog. Why they're searching Google for the address, instead of just typing the URL directly into their address bar is a mystery, though. The last two most searched for terms that led to my blog are evidence of what I observed back in April, but I still have no idea how people got my blog using those terms. Number 3? No idea. I don't know who mike@moretechtips.net is, or why he'd be linking here. I'm grateful if he is, though! Hopefully next year we'll see some more "logical" searches bringing people to my blog. Top CountriesUnited StatesSouth AfricaLatviaRussiaGermanyThis one's a bit disappointing, but at the same time, flattering. This is a South African blog, after all, but I guess this is the nature of the Internet. Of course the United States would be on top. They're the powerhouse of the Internet, and most Twitter and Facebook traffic comes from there. I don't really know what interest my blog would be to Latvians, Russians or Germans, though. But hey, I'm not complaining! If you are in Latvia, Russia, or Germany, drop me a comment and let me know what keeps you coming back. I'd love you hear from you! Top BrowsersFirefoxChromeInternet ExplorerOperaSafariWell, obviously, the top three powerhouses are there! I'm a bit sad that Firefox beat out Chrome, since Chrome is my favourite browser, but the margin was pretty small, with Internet Explorer trailing behind at a distant third. Opera's pretty cool too, and I guess Safari's on the list because Macintosh is too (see below). Top Operating SystemsWindowsMacintoshLinuxiPhoneAndroidSo Windows continues to be the Operating System of choice on the PC, with Macintosh trailing quite far behind. I'm quite pleased, though, to see that Linux and Macintosh are actually neck and neck, since I'm personally a huge Linux fan! On this blog in particular, mobile traffic is still lagging behind, but the proportion of mobile versus desktop traffic does seem to be increasing. And as we know, iPhone and Android are the top mobile phone operating systems in the world today.But Last WordsThank you for reading to the end of this rather long post. I hope you find these stats as interesting as I do. If you have any observations to make, I'd love to hear from you! Just pop them into the comments below. There will be a Crossword Puzzle next Tuesday, for New Year's Eve, but until then, have a wonderful Christmas. May God bless you and your family on one of the most important days of the Christian calendar, and as you're sitting around the tree tomorrow morning opening presents, may you not forget the true significance of the day!
December 17, 2013
I am not Frazzle! Available Now!
A couple of weeks ago on this blog, I mentioned that I had written a short story called Stingers, for an anthology entitled I am not Frazzle! And other stories for grown-ups. I said that all proceeds from the sale of this book would go to a local children's charity in the UK, the Devizes Opportunity Centre. I also said that I believed that the book would be out by Christmas. Well, guess what? I didn't lie. You can now buy I am not Frazzle! in paperback, from Lulu! Here's the book description from that site: Here is the deal, we take 10 great authors, give them the freedom to write a story in their own style and genre as long as the general theme has children involved. Next we put them in a big pot (the stories not the authors) and mix them up a bit to see what comes out at the end. And here it is, a marvellous mixture of inspiring, entertaining, funny and thought provoking fables that will delight every grown up from here to the Land of Lorff ... Huh? What do you mean you’ve never heard of the land of Loff? Well my friend, read on..... Authors include: Darren Worrow, Maria Miller, James Cruickshank and James Penhaligon, Richelle E. Goodrich, Cecily Magnon, Holly M. Kothe, Nancy Brooks, Paul Howard, Graham Downs and David Darby. All proceeds of this book will go to the children’s charity; The Devizes and District Opportunity Centre.For now, it's only available as a paperback, and you can buy it by clicking on the following button:
December 10, 2013
My Interview with IndieAuthorLand
I was pleasantly surprised yesterday afternoon when the following tweet showed up in my mentions column on TweetDeck:
What arena are we in here?I always struggle to define what genre my writing is in, but I guess I would put this one firmly in the thriller genre. What kind of readers will it appeal to?People who like thrillers, but not long, complicated conspiracy theories. This is a quick story with a plot that’s easy to understand (but definitely not boring!). Tell us a bit more about your main characters.Well, there’s Lloyd. He’s the one who discovers the artefact on the Internet. He’s very much your typical ADD kind of guy. Nothing keeps him interested for very long. At the start of the book, he’s bored and looking for an outlet for his talents. Lloyd’s friend Robert is much more pragmatic. He hears Lloyd’s theory, but wants to check it out. He takes his time finding proof that Lloyd is right, and then he carefully ponders what to do next. Carla is young and naive. She’s in love with Robert and constantly pines for him, but he doesn’t seem to know she’s alive. As the story opens, she’s your typical drama queen. Have you written any other books that we should read next?My last book is called A Petition to Magic. It’s a short fantasy story about a new queen. Desperate to prove herself, she agrees to hear the case of a farmer who claims his neighbour stole his cow. Hearing such a case is unheard of for the ruler of a kingdom, but you’ll just have to read the story to find out how it turns out! Tell us a bit about yourself.I was born in Alberton (South Africa) in 1980. I’ve always had a vivid imagination, and a passion for telling stories. I played a lot of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop RPGs when I was younger, and still like to play them whenever I get time (which isn’t very often). For a day job, I’m a computer programmer, but I still love to write. My stories simply have to be told. Do you have a website where we can keep up with your work?You can check out my blog at http://grahamdowns.blogspot.com/ From there you will find links to Heritage of Deceit and A Petition to Magic, and I’ll be updating it with more books as they release. You can follow me on Twitter at @GrahamDowns, where I tweet about all sorts of things from writing and publishing, to programming and IT, to business, to Christianity. My Facebook page is much more focused to my writing, so if you’re not interested in any of the other stuff, you can Like me at http://www.facebook.com/writergraham/What’s next?I’m currently working on a short story called Stingers, which I’m submitting to a short story anthology that will hopefully be out by Christmas. All the proceeds from sale of that anthology will go to a children’s charity in the UK. I can’t divulge more at this stage, but it’s really exciting stuff! If you're a reader looking for new authors to read, then IndieAuthorLand is a great resource! If you're an up and coming author, looking for exposure, it's just as good! Go check them out at http://www.indieauthorland.com/.
They'd told me that my interview there would only be published today. Anyway, I'm really happy with how it turned out!Here's the text of the interview:Heritage of Deceitis about a guy in an office who, while surfing the Internet one day, comes across something he thinks is a relic from an old genocide. Even more exciting, he firmly believes that it exists, and it’s right under his nose! If true, the artefact could bring lots of families the closure they desperately need, not to mention lots of money, but it won’t be easy to find out. It’s a thrilling novelette, with a love interest, and lots of twists and turns.Heritage of Deceit by @GrahamDowns is a thriller about a man who finds evidence of a genocide http://t.co/x0eDon42iB
— IndieAuthorLand (@IndieAuthorLand) December 9, 2013
What arena are we in here?I always struggle to define what genre my writing is in, but I guess I would put this one firmly in the thriller genre. What kind of readers will it appeal to?People who like thrillers, but not long, complicated conspiracy theories. This is a quick story with a plot that’s easy to understand (but definitely not boring!). Tell us a bit more about your main characters.Well, there’s Lloyd. He’s the one who discovers the artefact on the Internet. He’s very much your typical ADD kind of guy. Nothing keeps him interested for very long. At the start of the book, he’s bored and looking for an outlet for his talents. Lloyd’s friend Robert is much more pragmatic. He hears Lloyd’s theory, but wants to check it out. He takes his time finding proof that Lloyd is right, and then he carefully ponders what to do next. Carla is young and naive. She’s in love with Robert and constantly pines for him, but he doesn’t seem to know she’s alive. As the story opens, she’s your typical drama queen. Have you written any other books that we should read next?My last book is called A Petition to Magic. It’s a short fantasy story about a new queen. Desperate to prove herself, she agrees to hear the case of a farmer who claims his neighbour stole his cow. Hearing such a case is unheard of for the ruler of a kingdom, but you’ll just have to read the story to find out how it turns out! Tell us a bit about yourself.I was born in Alberton (South Africa) in 1980. I’ve always had a vivid imagination, and a passion for telling stories. I played a lot of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop RPGs when I was younger, and still like to play them whenever I get time (which isn’t very often). For a day job, I’m a computer programmer, but I still love to write. My stories simply have to be told. Do you have a website where we can keep up with your work?You can check out my blog at http://grahamdowns.blogspot.com/ From there you will find links to Heritage of Deceit and A Petition to Magic, and I’ll be updating it with more books as they release. You can follow me on Twitter at @GrahamDowns, where I tweet about all sorts of things from writing and publishing, to programming and IT, to business, to Christianity. My Facebook page is much more focused to my writing, so if you’re not interested in any of the other stuff, you can Like me at http://www.facebook.com/writergraham/What’s next?I’m currently working on a short story called Stingers, which I’m submitting to a short story anthology that will hopefully be out by Christmas. All the proceeds from sale of that anthology will go to a children’s charity in the UK. I can’t divulge more at this stage, but it’s really exciting stuff! If you're a reader looking for new authors to read, then IndieAuthorLand is a great resource! If you're an up and coming author, looking for exposure, it's just as good! Go check them out at http://www.indieauthorland.com/.
December 3, 2013
Crossword Puzzle - November 2013 Answers
Well, well, well, so nobody got it in time to get a free copy of Heritage of Deceit. Never mind, you can still buy the book from a variety of different places (in print, or as an e-book). I hope you had fun trying to get the answers, though! If you don't want to know yet, close this tab now. Otherwise, see below:
Next one coming Christmas Eve! (Wow, I can't believe Christmas is almost here already!)
Next one coming Christmas Eve! (Wow, I can't believe Christmas is almost here already!)
November 26, 2013
Crossword Puzzle - November 2013 (Win a copy of Heritage of Deceit)
You know, I've been doing these crossword puzzles for a long time now, and I really hope you're enjoying them... Oh, who am I kidding? I love putting them together, and I would do them whether people tried to answer them or not! Well, here's the November 2013 one:
Across
1 Anteater (8)
7 Deadly virus, originating in Africa (5)
8 Twice a year (8)
9 Picasso (5)
12 Opposite of glossy (5)
16 Breed of freshwater fish (4)
17 Having two of something (4)
18 Bundle of sticks used for fuel (5)
21 An unpowered flight (5)
24 Existing within (8)
25 Of the moon (5)
26 Settle in a safe place (8)
Down
1 Collection of songs (5)
2 Event to hurl insults at someone (5)
3 The place of an event (5)
4 Type of seaweed (4)
5 Where babies gestate (4)
6 A Mexican dish (4)
10 Before bravo (5)
11 Spanish for Lucius (5)
13 Declare invalid (5)
14 Drifted with the tide (5)
15 Young woman (3)
16 Taxi (3)
18 Pre-Euro currency of France (5)
19 Yellow and Blue (5)
20 Ten Percent (5)
21 A sea with a narrow mouth (4)
22 Is not (4)
23 Ireland (4)
Is this your first time here? Welcome! How do you play, you ask? Well, you give this crossword puzzle a go, and when you think you've got it right, you send me your answers on Facebook or Twitter. You can send me a photo or scan of the completed puzzle, or you can just send me a list of your answers. However you get it to me, get it to me! I'll be posting the answers to this blog on Tuesday, 3 December 2013 (and if you get them first before then, I'll mention you as the winner), so you have until then to get them to me. Oh, and just to make things interesting, let's have a little wager. As many people now know (although you may not, if this is your first visit), my latest story, Heritage of Deceit will officially be released on Sunday, 1 December 2013. If you're the first to tweet or Facebook me the answers to this crossword puzzle before then, you'll get a free copy. How about that? So what are you waiting for? Good luck, and get solving!
Across1 Anteater (8)
7 Deadly virus, originating in Africa (5)
8 Twice a year (8)
9 Picasso (5)
12 Opposite of glossy (5)
16 Breed of freshwater fish (4)
17 Having two of something (4)
18 Bundle of sticks used for fuel (5)
21 An unpowered flight (5)
24 Existing within (8)
25 Of the moon (5)
26 Settle in a safe place (8)
Down
1 Collection of songs (5)
2 Event to hurl insults at someone (5)
3 The place of an event (5)
4 Type of seaweed (4)
5 Where babies gestate (4)
6 A Mexican dish (4)
10 Before bravo (5)
11 Spanish for Lucius (5)
13 Declare invalid (5)
14 Drifted with the tide (5)
15 Young woman (3)
16 Taxi (3)
18 Pre-Euro currency of France (5)
19 Yellow and Blue (5)
20 Ten Percent (5)
21 A sea with a narrow mouth (4)
22 Is not (4)
23 Ireland (4)
Is this your first time here? Welcome! How do you play, you ask? Well, you give this crossword puzzle a go, and when you think you've got it right, you send me your answers on Facebook or Twitter. You can send me a photo or scan of the completed puzzle, or you can just send me a list of your answers. However you get it to me, get it to me! I'll be posting the answers to this blog on Tuesday, 3 December 2013 (and if you get them first before then, I'll mention you as the winner), so you have until then to get them to me. Oh, and just to make things interesting, let's have a little wager. As many people now know (although you may not, if this is your first visit), my latest story, Heritage of Deceit will officially be released on Sunday, 1 December 2013. If you're the first to tweet or Facebook me the answers to this crossword puzzle before then, you'll get a free copy. How about that? So what are you waiting for? Good luck, and get solving!
November 19, 2013
Coming Soon: I am not Frazzle! And other stories for grown-ups
I mentioned in my newsletter last month, that I was busy writing a short story for an anthology which would be out by the end of the year. At that time, I wasn't able to divulge any more information than that. However, that situation has now changed! The anthology is called "I am not Frazzle! And other stories for grown-ups". As the title implies, these stories are for adults (but they're absolutely not erotica, so get that out of your dirty little minds), but they all feature children and children's issues as important themes. It should be out by Christmas, and I'm pleased to announce that all proceeds from sale of this book will go to a local charity in the UK, called Devizes Opportunity Centre. Go check them out; I'm told that they do awesome work with kids with disabilities and other difficulties. For this project, I'm really pleased to be in the company of some very talented authors, not to mention great people. The volume will contain the following stories: "A Wish for Lucie" by Maria Miller"I Am Not Frazzle!" By Darren Worrow"Simon" by Dave Derby"The Storekeeper" by Cecily Magnon"Stingers" by Graham Downs (That's me!)"The Beauty of Ugh" by Richelle E. Goodrich"The Candy Vendor's Story" by Nancy Brooks"Mirror Image" by Holly M. KotheAt this moment, I must confess that I have no idea how much the final product is going to cost, but with such a fantastic line-up, I am very sure that you will not be feeling like you over-paid, should you buy this book! Please consider supporting this worthy cause, by Liking the book's Facebook Page to stay up to date with new developments, interviews with the authors, and information about when and where it will be available as we get closer to release. Oh, and while you're about it, don't forget to Like my Facebook Page as well. (That is, unless you already Like it, in which case, well done!) One more thing: Don't forget that Heritage of Deceit releases on 1 December 2013. It's currently on pre-order, so reserve your copy today!
