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December01, 2006 - The Reaper Reader >> |
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Subscriber, hello! Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Shot In The Dark Mystery Games Ezine! We've got lots of fun stuff in store for you, and I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to forward this ezine to anyone who can use party tips, a bit of mystery in their lives or just a good laugh. =================================================================== In This Issue: - Note from the Mystery Maiden - Did You Know? Trivia Bite - Article: 7 Sanity Savers for Savvy Hosts - Mini-Mystery of the Month - Sleuth Joke of the Month ==================================================================== Are you a CSI lover? A forensic fanatic? Play DSI - Death Scene Investigation Case 1: He Didn't Know What Hit Him, available for our low introductory rate of $24.99 at http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com/dsimain.html. ==================================================================== Note from the Mystery Maiden According to dictionary.com, the definition of inaugural is: "marking the beginning of a new venture, series, etc." I like the idea of embarking on a new journey, and an adventure it has been. This is the second version of this ezine, as my inaugural version was accidentally deleted because I am still learning how to use this program! From what I remember, my original editorial mentioned something about winter and how I am trying to keep positive about the cold by writing exciting new kids and adults Christmas-themed murder mysteries, which will be available on the website, www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com, by mid-November. The Kid's Mystery game, entitled "The Christmas Crankster," will be the first Christmas-themed game available, and will be the second kids non-murder mystery game available from Shot In The Dark Mystery Games! Enjoy the ezine! ==================================================================== In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy said, "There's no place like home!" And there's no place like your home to play The Wizard of Oz Murder Mystery Game. All your favourite characters arrive to discover who plotted to kill the Wicked Witch of the East! Visit http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com/wizardofozmain.html to get The Wizard Of Oz Murder Mystery Game for the low introductory price of $24.99! ===================================================================== Did You Know? Mysterious Trivia Bite During the filming of Alfred Hitchcock's North By Northwest, while on location at Mt. Rushmore, Eva Marie Saint discovered that Cary Grant would charge fans 15 cents for an autograph. ==================================================================== Putting on the perfect kid's party can be tough. Shot In The Dark Mystery Games has got you covered! Our Kids Mysteries do not involve murder. Currently available is The Summer School Swiper, available for the introductory price of $24.99. Coming soon - "The Christmas Crankster" and the all-new kids detective series, "The ABCDetective Agency". Visit http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com/kidsmysteriesmain.html ===================================================================== Article: 7 Sanity Savers for Savvy Hosts For most of us, throwing a party means pressure. Many people find the stress of organizing a gathering enough to burst their balloon, so to speak. The Shot In The Dark Mystery Maiden insists that need not be the case. Everyone should be able to throw a murder mystery, birthday, anniversary or dinner party with confidence! Here are seven tips from Mystery to ensure the planning process is not a painful practice. 1. Keep lists When planning a party, keep a list of preparations in your pocket, purse or wallet. It’s instant peace of mind! Some people prefer to keep their lists on a computer, but there are benefits to choosing a notebook instead, which you can keep with you at all times. First, don’t underestimate the power of striking an item off your list. Items you accomplish are tiny triumphs that keep you motivated. Also, ideas come at the most inconvenient times. With your piece of paper and a pen at the ready, you will be sure not to forget a moment of creative genius! Third, the act of writing something down on a piece of paper clears it from your mind, and you will find it easier to think, relax, sleep and be ultimately more productive. 2. Plan “buffer days” When I host a party or facilite someone else’s murder mystery game, I allow myself one or two “buffer days” before the party. To create buffer days, you must plan to have the pre-party tasks completed one or two days before the party. Then, if something does go wrong, you have time to enact a contingency plan. For example, a vital guest cancels at the last minute leaving you with a character (or a place at the dining table) to fill. Because you’ve planned buffer days, you now have two whole days to find someone to take their place. Buffer days also help with food preparation, cleaning – anything else that could go wrong. If the heavens smile on you and everything goes to plan, you now have two days to relax so you greet your guests with a friendly smile rather than a forehead full of worry lines. 3. Be assertive with RSVPs. Some parties, including mystery game parties, require the host to know who is attending ahead of time so she can assign characters or create place cards. Many hosts feel uncomfortable calling guests who are on the fence to ask if they will be attending definitively. Remember, you do not have to be aggressive, but you do want to be assertive. There is nothing wrong with calling your guests who haven’t committed and asking them for a solid answer. If they can’t commit, tell them you’re sorry to hear that, but you’ll have to move someone else into their place. With the guest list solidified, you will have one less thing to worry about in the final hours before your party. 4. Make the dress code clear to your guests. Picture it: you’re hosting a late-October murder mystery party. You put on dress clothes, light candles and set the table nicely. Your first guests arrive in jeans and t-shirts. The next guests arrive dressed up as their character. Your third group of guests arrives in zombie costumes, assuming it was a Halloween theme. You’re not the only one who can be embarrassed in this situation. Guests also worry about being under-dressed, over-dressed or inappropriately dressed. This can all be avoided with a simple “formal dress” or “dress as your character” notation on your invitations. 5. Craft a fabulous guest list With a fantastic guest list, your party will undertake a life of its own. With a dull guest list… well, your party will follow suit. Think of the people you know. Though they are all your friends, some may thrive as a murder mystery game character, slinging accusations as fast as they do martinis, while others may thrive in a quiet dinner party setting. Craft your guest list to your party theme, sit back and watch the magic. 6. Prevent anticipatory anxiety Hosting an event can create anxiety and tension. Anticipatory anxiety – that is, anticipating every possible outcome, is the number one reason throwing parties can be stressful. Remember – not everything has to be perfect. The only person expecting perfection is you – your guests are probably just delighted to see you and excited about playing the murder mystery game. So ease up on yourself and don’t expect perfection. If you begin to feel anxious when you think of your upcoming murder mystery party or dinner event, relax. Sit down for fifteen minutes and read a book, or do something you like to do. You will recharge your body batteries instantly and prevent a physical reaction that is harmful to your health. 7. Keep a crisis companion Designate a crisis companion – someone who can be on-call at the last minute in case things go horribly wrong. This could be a spouse, an older child or a friend. Your crisis companion can help you by running last minute errands, finding more chairs when your guest list suddenly doubles, or even reminding you to remain calm if you freak out. If you chose a friend as your crisis companion, you can return the favour and become her crisis companion for her next event. Even though you may not use your crisis companion, knowing they are there to help will make your preparations less stressful. Mystery Maiden writes and facilitates murder mystery, general mystery, forensics and custom mystery games for Shot In The Dark Mysteries. For more party host tips, quizzes and more, visit www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com. The Mystery Maiden can also be reached via email at mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com =================================================================== Hosting a party need not be stressful. Shot In The Dark Mystery Games cares about the sanity of our hosts. Visit our new website, Host Help, which offers articles and games to help any person host a game their guests will never forget! Visit http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com/hosthelp.html. =================================================================== Mini-Mystery of the Month: A Skillful Shooter? Barney Buckler was a well-liked man, a rich philanthropist who had a love of cars and making sick children smile. But Barney had a greedy side also, and liked to live his life surrounded by luxury. As most rich people, he had crossed a person or two in his rise to the top, which was why when his body was found, inside his car on the side of the road riddled with bullets, the list of suspects was long. DSIs found no gun shot residue on his clothes, which meant he must have been shot from outside the car. Yet, he was found with all of the windows up, doors locked and all glass remained in tact. How was Barney shot? Email your answer to mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com for a chance to win a Shot In The Dark Mystery Games prize! This month's prize: A free murder mystery game of your choice! ===================================================================== Baseball fans in your life? Throw the party of the century with Murder On The Mound, an adult mystery game with a baseball theme. Not only do your guests need to figure out the murderer, but also how the victim was killed! Visit http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com/motmmain.html to take advantage of the limited time introductory rate of $24.99! ===================================================================== Sleuth Joke of the Month: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip near Milpitas. As they lay down for the night, Holmes said: "Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see." Watson said "I see millions and millions of stars." Holmes: "And what does that tell you?" Watson: "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?" Holmes: "Somebody stole our tent". Have a sleuth joke? Email it to mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com for a shout-out in our ezine (That means free promotion and fame!). ===================================================================== Mystery on the Blog has been extended! This exclusive, free murder mystery game is available on the Shot In The Dark Mystery Games blog at www.blogcharm.com/shotinthedarkmysteries. Play along and email your accusation to mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com before November 15th for a chance to win the free Shot In The Dark Mystery Game of your choice! ===================================================================== Please feel free to forward this ezine to anyone who can use host tips, or just a little fun in their inbox! If you wish to reprint the article herein, email mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com for express consent. Want to subscribe? It won't kill ya! www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com and click on the link in the top right corner. To leave us, follow this link: http://www.zinester.com/cgi/unsub.cgi?86646&0& |
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