Graham Downs

Monthly Newsletter :: October 2018

Hi there,

And with that, we're into the third quarter of the year. I've actually started seeing stuff in my inbox over the past few weeks on effective Christmas marketing! It's way too early for that.

What's more, next year is 2019, and after that, the decade's over. Have you achieved everything you wanted this year?

Anyway, on to this month's news.

Financial Report: September 2018

I said in last month's newsletter that I did a little better in September than in August, and I did. I've got the final figures for you.

As always, all amounts converted to South African Rands, using the exchange rate at the time of this writing:

  • Income: R215.01
  • Expenses: R120.12
  • Profit: R94.89

I sold one print copy of Memoirs of a Guardian Angel last month, and one of Stingers. Both were private sales.

On top of that, one person bought the Kindle Edition of Heaven and Earth: Paranormal Flash Fiction from Amazon.

Featured Author: Kelan Gerriety

Born in 1989, Kelan Gerriety first fell in love with writing in primary school with her childhood best friend during sleepovers that turned into elaborate storytelling under blanket covers and in secret notebooks. This came slowly and with great difficulty, years of speech therapy and occupational therapy and terrible spelling abilities almost scared her from working closely with words, but in the end, the beauty of words overpowered all other challenges. 

The world is alive with wonder and magic and more possibility than she could ever express, but she picked up a pen and decided to paint her universe.

Click here to follow Kelan on Facebook.

It does not rain. Not unless someone is killed.
It’s been four months and the soil is hard and dry. People are suffering, the dam is low. Sarla, Dyle, Jex and Aila are the next chosen offerings. They will be sacrificed for rain, that is if they don’t escape first. The escape through the canyon is full of dangers, but stars shine on the other side.
Surely it is safe where stars deem it fit to shine?

Book one in the EON Series follows a desert dystopian tale, an escape story with unforgivable costs. it is the first story in this stand-alone book series to introduce us to Taipan, a place as deadly as the land from which they run away.

"Gerriety’s imagination and attention to detail are woven together by her unique writing style, creating a blow by blow reading experience that left me utterly torn, protesting out loud the cruelty of this small place and, most importantly, wanting more – the way it should be.”

Chantelle Roberts – Author of
Prayer for the Blood Angel and Moon Runner

Click here to find out where you can purchase your copy.

Fantastic Review of Memoirs of a Guardian Angel

This month, I had the incredible good fortune to be reviewed by the esteemed Jennie Rosenblum of the blog Jennie Reads.

She had really good things to say. Please click here to read her review, and share it with all your friends!

My Second Periscope Session

My second Periscope session, where I spoke about my month in books, happened on Friday the 5th. I was a little less nervous than last month, but it was still quite hair-raising.

Still, I think it went a little better. This month, I held my phone in my hand instead of propping it up on my desk, so it was easier to read the names of people who popped in. And one person did pop in, although they never said anything.

I'm getting better at this; maybe by November, I'll be a pro!

Click the image below to visit my profile, and watch the session. And don't forget to follow me, so you get notified of my next session.

Blog Posts

Here are all the blog posts I wrote since my last newsletter. To read one in your browser, click its link:

Featured Book: The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

This was an incredible end to The Strain trilogy!

Two years after the apocalypse, the world is a bleak place indeed. Pretty much the only form of human resistance consists of our intrepid band of Eph, Nora, Fet, and Gus, whose progress we've been following since book one. Humans are farmed in camps for blood, or forced to do menial labour in exchange for food stamps. A dystopian world if I've ever seen one.

The writing is tight and on-point, the world is described in vivid detail, and the ending... oh, the ending. I just wish I could tell you more without spoiling it.

We also learn a lot more about the origins of The Ancients and The Master, and we find out what happens when a pregnant human gets infected with vampirism.

I wish I could write a more useful, balanced review. A good review is supposed to contain a bit of what the reviewer didn't like, or maybe point out something that people might not like about the book. But try as I might, wrack my brain as much as I can, I can't think of anything. If you're into horror, dystopia, or vampires, you need to read this series.

My Review: 5 / 5 Stars

About the Book

The night belongs to them, and it will be a night eternal... After the blasts, it was all over. Nuclear Winter has settled upon the earth. Except for one hour of sunlight a day, the whole world is plunged into darkness. It is a near-perfect environment for vampires. They have won. It is their time. Almost every single man, woman and child has been enslaved in vast camps across the globe. Like animals, they are farmed, harvested for the sick pleasure of the Master Race. Almost, but not all. Somewhere out there, hiding for their lives, is a desperate network of free humans, continuing the seemingly hopeless resistance. Everyday people, with no other options - among them Dr Ephraim Goodweather, his son Zack, the veteran exterminator Vassily, and former gangbanger Gus. To be free, they need a miracle, they need divine intervention. But Salvation can be a twisted game - one in which they may be played like pawns in a battle of Good and Evil. And at what cost...?

Click here to find out where you can get your hands on a copy.

Thanks for reading this edition of my newsletter. I'll see you next month. 

Yours in Reading,
Graham

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Graham Downs

Verwoerdpark
Alberton
South Africa

https://www.grahamdowns.co.za/

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