Archive for the ‘Puzzle Reviews’ Category

Review: Grounds for Murder Jigsaw Puzzle

Monday, November 10th, 2008

Not all puzzles are created equal – I know, jigsaw puzzles have always been a tradition in my family, so I’ve had the opportunity to put a lot of jigsaw puzzles together over the years. The Grounds for Murder jigsaw puzzle published by Bepuzzled is more than just a puzzle – it’s an experience.

Grounds for Murder Jigsaw Puzzle

Grounds for Murder Jigsaw Puzzle

Not only do you get a well-built puzzle packaged in a sturdy box, but this murder mystery jigsaw puzzle also includes an 11-page story booklet written by author John Stutz. I enjoyed the 20 minutes it took me to carefully read the story; I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing any clues that might help to solve the puzzle along the way. The story walks you through a murder mystery brewing at the Spill the Beans Coffee Shop. A waitress watches a mystery unfold and plays the role of detective herself.

The story leaves you with the responsibility for solving the mystery – and the remaining clues are found only in putting the 1,000 pieces of the puzzle together. I had a group of friends come over for the evening – summarized the mystery story for them – and we went to work on the puzzle together. The puzzle took us about an hour to finish. I’d say one person could plan to spend 4-5 hours finishing the puzzle, depending on how much puzzle experience you have.

It was exciting to put the puzzle together and discover the clues that each bunch of pieces offered. Little by little clues began to pop out: a bag of coffee beans here, an airline ticket there, and the scattered jewelry in every part of the 23’ x 29’ finished puzzle. Putting the puzzle together proved to be a challenge – the puzzle is different from the picture you see on the box cover.

After finishing the puzzle, we spent some time talking about the clues as a group. Each person then offered up their ideas for solving the mystery. The solution to the mystery shocked us all – none of us were near the correct answer, but as we read over the story again and looked at the clues offered in the puzzle – the Grounds for Murder mystery jigsaw puzzle unraveled itself to us.

I’d recommend the Grounds for Murder mystery puzzle to anyone planning a fun get-together, or for the average person that enjoys the occasional puzzle now and then. The puzzle is average difficulty, and probably best suited for teenagers and adults.

You can buy the Grounds for Murder mystery puzzle at Wholesale Puzzles also sells several other mystery jigsaw puzzles for up to 30% off retail prices.

Aspiring Authors - Jigsaw Puzzle Review Guidelines

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

This is a continuation of information set forth in the “Help Us Write Jigsaw Puzzle Reviews” post. Read on:

WHO AM I WRITING TO?
Members and customers of Wholesale Puzzles – online shoppers mainly from the United States and Canada, but also from around the world. They are looking for a jigsaw puzzle to purchase and enjoy, and are reading your article because they know very little about the puzzle, or are seeking an honest second opinion.

JIGSAW PUZZLE REVIEW & ARTICLE GUIDELINES

Jigsaw Puzzle Review Purpose
-Inform and entertain the reader,
-Explain what the puzzle is all about & how it’s played,
-Includes both pros and cons of game, and
-Suggests if the puzzle is of good value, and for whom.

In short, the jigsaw puzzle review is meant to help a customer decide whether or not that puzzle is right for them. These articles will be posted on this blog for customers to read.

A Few Suggestions
-Review or article idea must be approved before article submission.
-You must have actually put the puzzle together in order to review it!
-Content should be original and unique.
-DON’T include: tips or tactics (submit as a tip/tactic article), extreme opinions (I hate this game)
(quick note-if you have strong feelings against a puzzle, feel free to review it on the product page at the store).
-Personal Photos or accompanying images are appreciated.

Samples of Good Product Reviews:
Apples to Apples Review (329 words $23.03 store credit - This article has an enticing heading, is personal, and explains the game).
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/314374. (While a little longer than we’d like, this article has a good heading that gets your attention. It adds a personal feel to the article, then goes on to explain the general setup and play of the game. The article finishes by giving opinion on the game.)

Help Us Write Jigsaw Puzzle Reviews & Articles

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Love spending time with a good jigsaw puzzle?

Enjoy sharing your opinion with others in written form?

Then please accept our invitation to have your articles published on the Wholesale Puzzles Blog.
EARN STORE CREDIT for well-written product reviews, white papers, and other miscellaneous articles.

HOW IT WORKS

1. Choose a Topic
Want to write about your favorite jigsaw puzzle experience? Review a jigsaw puzzle? Offer suggestions for good puzzles for children? Have a few puzzle solving tricks up your sleeve you wouldn’t mind sharing? Tips for beginners? Share your opinion! Check in the comments below to see if your article idea hasn’t already been taken.
2. Submit Your Idea for Approval
Submit your idea by leaving a comment below. Your idea submission should include your name and email address along with your article’s topic, a brief outline, and expected word count. Don’t worry, your comment will not be posted - Using the comments to contact the blog editor is simply the easiest way to go. We will let you know as soon as possible if your topic is approved. A topic may be declined if it has already been covered recently, or if it is irrelevant or inappropriate.
3. Write Your Article!
Be sure to wait until you’ve received approval, so you’re not wasting your time! The blog editor will email you (using the email you provided in your comment) to let you know. Now write! Make it informational, entertaining or both! Edit it well – authors who submit poorly written articles may not be asked to author again.
4. Submit Your Finished Article
You’ll be given more instructions on how to submit the final article when your idea is approved.
5. Your Article Will be Edited and Posted
Articles requiring too much editing will be sent back to the author for re-writing. We reserve the right to edit your submission in any way. Your style is important, and we will try hard to preserve that style. However, we may edit for grammar, clarity, organization, appropriateness, or liveliness – and we reserve the right to decide what entails the definition of each of those points. You will be notified once the article has been edited and accepted. The timeline for posting articles is entirely at our discretion. Blog authors can choose whether or not their name appears as the author of their article.
6. Collect Your Store Credit and Spend!
You will receive $.07 store credit per word. ($17.50 cash for 250 words, $35 cash for 500 words, etc). Payment will be received after the article has been posted. It is important to note that unnecessary words/fluff, run-on sentences, and wordy paragraphs will be edited and removed from the article, and payment adjusted.