Graham Downs's Blog, page 41

April 30, 2013

Bonus Crossword: Win a Copy of A Petition to Magic

For this week, I thought it would be a good idea to run a competition. Seeing as it's Worker's Day tomorrow, and my readers are going to have some time to work on it, I've decided to publish a bonus crossword puzzle for everyone to have a look at.

As always, the answers will be published next week, and you can supply your guesses to me via Twitter or Facebook. But there's a twist, this time. The first person to send me the correct answers before next week Tuesday will win a free copy of my fantasy short story ebook, A Petition to Magic! This will be by way of a coupon code that I will send to you, to be redeemed on Smashwords. In addition, I will publish your name as winner on this blog.

So what are you waiting for? Get solving!

div.bk {position:absolute;font-size:0px;border-left:black 0px solid;border-right:black 0px solid;border-top:black 36px solid;border-bottom:black 0px solid;width:36px;height:36px;} div.hb {position:absolute;font-size:0px;border-left:black 0px solid;border-right:black 0px solid;border-top:black 5px solid;border-bottom:black 0px solid;width:37px;} div.hb0 {position:absolute;font-size:0px;border-left:black 0px solid;border-right:black 0px solid;border-top:black 5px solid;border-bottom:black 0px solid;width:39px;} div.vb {position:absolute;font-size:0px;border-left:black 5px solid;border-right:black 0px solid;border-top:black 0px solid;border-bottom:black 0px solid;height:37px;} div.vb0 {position:absolute;font-size:0px;border-left:black 5px solid;border-right:black 0px solid;border-top:black 0px solid;border-bottom:black 0px solid;height:39px;} div.hr {position:absolute;font-size:0px;border-left:black 0px solid;border-right:black 0px solid;border-top:black 1px solid;border-bottom:black 0px solid;} div.hr {position:absolute;font-size:0px;border-left:black 0px solid;border-right:black 0px solid;border-top:black 1px solid;border-bottom:black 0px solid;} div.vr {position:absolute;font-size:0px;border-left:black 1px solid;border-right:black 0px solid;border-top:black 0px solid;border-bottom:black 0px solid;} div.nu {position:absolute;font-size:12px;font-family:sans-serif} div.lt {position:absolute;text-align:center;width:36px;font-family:sans-serif} 1234567891011121314151617181920

Across
1 Went beyond the limit (12)
5 Gave permission to do something (8)
9 The left or right (4)
11 Support one's weight on one's buttocks (3)
12 Binary inverse operator (3)
13 Point that must be replayed, in certain racquet sports (3)
15 An openly gay person is said to be this (3)
16 An actually existing thing (4)
17 1978 album by Led Zeppelin (8)
20 Component parts (12)

Down
2 Releasing from a leash (10)
3 Unit of scoring in cricket (3)
4 An article (3)
6 Alcoholic beverage produced by SAB (6)
7 Discerned visually (4)
8 An enthusiastic emotion (10)
10 2012 film starring Nicolas Cage (6)
14 Of a fact (4)
18 To decompose (3)
19 Supported one's weight on one's buttocks (3)
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Published on April 30, 2013 08:03

April 26, 2013

Get my Fantasy Short Story, A Petition to Magic, FREE this Weekend!

Great news! This weekend only (26 to 28 April 2013), you can get my fantasy short story, A Petition to Magic, free on Smashwords. You can get it in a variety of ebook formats, including epub, mobi (Kindle), and PDF.

Click here, and proceed to check-out. When prompted, enter the coupon code GM92U, and 100% of the purchase price will be deducted. You won't even need to enter your credit card details!

Once you've "purchased" the book, you can choose which format you would like to download it in, or read it online.

Happy reading!
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Published on April 26, 2013 00:45

April 23, 2013

live sex cams: tkdot.com

For the past month, the search keywords that have driven the most traffic to this blog, by far, have been "live sex cams: tkdot.com".

Well, I'm here to tell you that if you reached this blog using those keywords, you've come to the wrong place! You won't find any live sex cams here (whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I leave for you to decide). Maybe one day, I'll amass some fans (preferably female ones) who are crazy enough about my writing to send me nude pictures or videos of themselves, and if that happens, you can be sure I'll link back to this post! For now, though, you're just going to have to do without.

What you will find on this blog are my monthly crossword puzzles, which are proving to be quite popular.

What you will find on this blog are occasional reviews of books dedicated to writing and ebook marketing.

What you will find on this blog are random thoughts on various subjects, mostly related to the art of writing, English, and ebook publishing and marketing.

And last, but certainly not least, you will find on this blog, links to my fantasy short story, A Petition to Magic. Look it up on Smashwords, Booktango, or Amazon.

Go on, take a look. After all, if you have reached this post using the keywords "live sex cams: tkdot.com", I feel a bit obligated to at least leave you with something you might enjoy, even if there is no sex (live or otherwise) in it!
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Published on April 23, 2013 07:29

April 16, 2013

The Backward Approach to Ebook Success

I read a very interesting book over the weekend, called The Backward Approach to Ebook Success, by Ted Summerfield.

For the first couple of pages, I didn't think too much of it. It contained some useful information, but nothing I didn't already know. I felt that the author had a bit of a chip on his shoulder while writing it, and I didn't understand the title.

It got better! Basically, he is saying that you need to build your brand first, offer up some stuff for free, get people to know you, and then only consider publishing your first book for a fee. It's got some useful links to surveys and the terms and conditions of the various online ebook retailer sites, with explanations of how to interpret them.

Ted Summerfield speaks candidly about his experiences with publishing and selling his ebooks, and building his brand. He sets expectations for aspiring authors looking to make their millions overnight, and offers a fine introduction into the world in which we're all still exploring.

It's not a great read, but it's not terrible either. I have to say, I liked it, and if you've ever considered getting a book published, I think it'd be very useful to you!

While I'm about it, if you don't yet know about my fantasy short story, A Petition to Magic, go check it out! South Africans can buy the book, in Rands, directly from Kobo, here.

If you don't like Kobo for some reason, check out the links to the right of this post. There you can buy A Petition to Magic on Smashwords, Booktango, and Amazon.
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Published on April 16, 2013 07:34

April 9, 2013

Crossword Puzzle Answers - April 2013

I really hope everyone had fun with the crossword puzzle last week. For those of you who've completed it, or given up trying, here are the answers. Next puzzle in May!

April 2013

This crossword was created by Graham Downs with EclipseCrossword - www.eclipsecrossword.com

1C 2      D O W N 3  G N   456  7    R P P H I E L M         I I O Y 89    1011        M U T T A R U N E S       N H S   1213      S C C A G E       14  15T A O D U B         16E N A E Z 1718      1920        P R E S T F D A R E R         I E T A   21          F H E E D S L 22      Y E H D
AcrossHalf of AustraliaSymbol of the golden ratioFreddy Krueger haunted on this streetDog or person of mixed racial descentMarks of magical signifanceUsed to confine birdsSubgenre of reggae, some say a genreBritish black businessman, last name, in divorce scandalThis might describe one who wins in the famous British SAS mottoPays attentionYou with an accent DownLast name of American murderer; also rabbitsLarge black spectral dog, an omen of death for Harry PotterCard game, simulating open outcry bidding for commoditiesProvided with a horseRemove a mast from its socketNorwegian pop band expressing triumphSouth African organisation opposed to nuclear energyYou might wear one in winterHeadphone brand by famous musicianToo much of this might make a terroristSomething common2005 Australian thriller film directed by Brett Leonard


This crossword puzzlewas created by Graham Downs with EclipseCrossword. Try it today—it's free!
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Published on April 09, 2013 08:33

April 2, 2013

Crossword Puzzle - April 2013

Judging by the stats on this blog, my monthly crossword puzzle is still exceedingly popular. I haven't yet gotten anybody to send me any correct answers, but as long as you, my readers, are having fun, it's still worth it! Here's this month's puzzle.

As always, if you get the answers, you can send me a mention on Twitter, or a message on my Facebook Page. This first correct answer will get a mention from me on Twitter or Facebook, and this blog.

I'll post the answers next week. Have fun!

April 2013

This crossword was created by Graham Downs with EclipseCrossword - www.eclipsecrossword.com

1  2              3        456  7                                    89    1011                                          1213                        14  15                    16          1718      1920                                                21                        22             
AcrossHalf of AustraliaSymbol of the golden ratioFreddy Krueger haunted on this streetDog or person of mixed racial descentMarks of magical signifanceUsed to confine birdsSubgenre of reggae, some say a genreBritish black businessman, last name, in divorce scandalThis might describe one who wins in the famous British SAS mottoPays attentionYou with an accent DownLast name of American murderer; also rabbitsLarge black spectral dog, an omen of death for Harry PotterCard game, simulating open outcry bidding for commoditiesProvided with a horseProvided with a horseRemove a mast from its socketNorwegian pop band expressing triumphSouth African organisation opposed to nuclear energyYou might wear one in winterHeadphone brand by famous musicianToo much of this might make a terroristSomething common2005 Australian thriller film directed by Brett Leonard


This crossword puzzlewas created by Graham Downs with EclipseCrossword. Try it today—it's free!
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Published on April 02, 2013 07:35

March 31, 2013

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone, He is risen! God bless, one and all, and have a great day!
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Published on March 31, 2013 02:21

March 26, 2013

Do you enjoy writing, or having written?

“Some writers enjoy writing, I am told. Not me. I enjoy having written.” ― George R.R. Martin.
I posted that quote on my Facebook Page on 13 March 2013, and invited comment.

I commented myself, that I find that I'm the complete opposite! I enjoy the process of creating whatever it is I happen to be creating, be it an application or module at work, or a book or story at home. I always feel a sense of emptiness when that project is finished, because there's nothing more to be done on it.

One of my fans, who is also a writer, responded to my comment that she enjoys receiving cheques. The writing, she says she does because it's her job, but her enjoyment comes from holding the finished product in her hands, and seeing the financial rewards come in from that work. I hope that I'm interpreting what she said correctly! I trust that she will correct me if I've misunderstood!

I think that the two of us are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but there must be some middle ground. So I'd like to open it up to a wider audience. If you're a writer, which one are you? Even if you're not a writer (I'm a computer programmer in my "day job"), can you relate to either—or maybe even both— of us?

I'd be really interested to find out!
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Published on March 26, 2013 08:06

March 19, 2013

Meet a Jerk, Get to Work, How to Write Villains and the Occasional Hero

I read this book last weekend, and I think that what I wrote about it on Goodreads says it all. Here's what I had to say about it:

I simply adored this little article!

I don't want to steal the author's thunder, but it's basically about observation. It's about watching and listening to real people in real situations around you and drawing your inspiration from them, specifically to write murder mysteries, but really it's applicable to any genre.

The article really gets the creative juices flowing. I might just consider writing a murder mystery at some point!

Seriously, if you want to write better characters, give this article a read. You can find it on Goodreads here. It's a free download on Amazon and a couple of other e-book retailers, so give it a Google.

While you're about it, do have a look at my short story, A Petition to Magic. Find it on Goodreads here. You'll find links to the book on Smashwords and Booktango, but it's available from other retailers as well. As above, Google it!
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Published on March 19, 2013 07:36

March 12, 2013

Crossword Puzzle Answers - March 2013

I know a few people who've been struggling to get this month's crossword puzzle completed by today. Nobody's given me the correct answers yet, though.

So, I figure it's time I put you all out of your misery. The answers to the March 2013 Crossword Puzzle!

March 2013

This crossword was created by Graham Downs with EclipseCrossword - www.eclipsecrossword.com

1  2  3W I V E S 45      Z J I E E 6      78        S I D E S C E L X N   9            T T H U D R Y A       M I T 1011  12    R H O B N E       13  14E O O G A P 15          G O O X E R   16      T E N D Y 17          C O R N Y R   A 18  19  20G U T S S       E U I       D R F 21      F E E T
AcrossPolygyny has many of theseThe first wife of OrionEtruscan goddess of the earthThe 34th Discworld novelA shelf for heatingWomen's clothing store in the USIt's stickyOmegaOf a jokeYou have to have it to take something onSix of these under ground DownDeceitfully craftyAnnoy with trivial mattersPolitical institution or body in a RepublicTeenage girl's life is over if she gets oneSouth African clothing storeStyle of heavyweight wrestlingCrouched in fearAlso ReggieOf a sound typically made by an owlDog, with a puglike faceIt's considered rude to do thisImprisonedType of natural surfaceRemove lumps from a powdery substance


This crossword puzzlewas created by Graham Downs with EclipseCrossword. Try it today—it's free!
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Published on March 12, 2013 11:10