August 2017 · Richard Verry, writer

A nice Sunday afternoon

August 27, 2017

I just asked my girlfriend what I should write about in this iteration of my blog. I hadn’t a clue. Why?

I’m spending the day in the warm sun, sitting on my porch, writing scenes and character bios for my next book. No, I’m not letting the cat out of the bag just yet. It’s too early in the process to tell you that. Who knows, it might never come to pass.

However, writing is what I’m doing, as well as catching up on email, social media, connecting with friends and, of course, day dreaming. I’m feeling better, and while my left over concussion headache is still with me, like a squatter who refuses eviction, I have my creative steam back. Ideas are appearing in my head, creating scene after scene that I want to capture, whether for this new book or another. It’s maddening sometimes, I can’t catch them any faster, so I lose them before I can write them down. Damn! I wish I could type at the speed of light.

Speaking of which my typing sucks at the moment. I think of a sentence I want to type, and after I type it, I find that several words are mistyped, often so badly that even the word processor doesn’t know what to do with them. Fsxk. See what I mean? Fuckk, oh fuck it already.

Here in the United States, we are having our unofficial last week of summer. For those that know our holidays, next week we celebrate the holiday known as labor day, a day set aside to honor the workers of the country. Workers who get things done, often at the behest of others. I count myself in their ranks, never reaching the heights of the one percenters.

Not that I care. For the most part, I liked my life, and I am enjoying my current life. The only way it could be better is that I get a movie deal from one of my books, and earn enough to buy that beach house, with an attached pool, and paint and write full-time, all while scanning the young bikini clad lovelies walking along the ocean and enjoying afternoon delights with my girlfriend before retiring to my hammock with a drink in my hand. Okay, that last sentence was wordy. Fuck it and go have another drink.

Cheers,
Rich

My take on a book review

August 17, 2017

I received a one-star review on my book ‘The Trafficking Consortium’ the other day. It contained two words “Terrible ending.” I won’t say who it was that wrote the review, it’s not important. What is important is that the reviewer liked the book enough that they read the entire thing. If they read the entire book, how can it deserve only a single star? There had to be some redeeming value to the story.

Now me, if I’m going to give a book a bad review, I’m either going to do one of two things. Abandon the book during the early chapters and move on to another book. There’s plenty of other stories out there. Or if I choose to read the whole thing and decide to write a review, I will be detailed in my evaluation of the book, pointing out specific things that riled me.

I’ve written a couple of bad reviews in the past, but it’s not often. I grew up taught that if I can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. I guess that is why I don’t write many bad reviews.

As I pondered the review last night, I realized that the book did just what I wanted. It left the reader with a question or a desire for more. While people reading a book dealing with felonious acts want nice clean endings, I like putting in twists. If they want the details neatly wrapped up, prosecuting the offender, and the victim fleeing their harrowing experience, then they may or may not get their wish.

In my case, as I repeat throughout the book, there is no escape for my heroine. Why should the reader think that she would? Is it because they retain hope that she will find a way to freedom? Well, as my readers of my other books well know, I like leaving a hook at the end. This book is no different.

Though I originally intended to write this as a stand-alone novel, so many people are asking for a sequel, and I’m considering it. The hook I left in the book allows me to do that. Who knows, there may be a trilogy in it. I can envision many scenarios that will allow that to come to pass. There couldn’t be a sequel if I wrote Avril’s story so that she found a way to escape to her old life. What’s the fun in that?

I don’t plan on writing a comment on the site with the review. In my head, I’m dismissing the review. Better to leave well enough alone.

Until next time, have a great day and a better tomorrow.

Time slips by

August 15, 2017

Hello, everyone. I’ve been meaning to write and have gotten bogged down in posting an entry in my blog. Damn, it’s been, what two weeks, since I updated it. Sorry folks.

To catch you up, my regular full-time job that pays the bills interfered with attending to my website, writing, and of course updating my blog. Unlike most careers I’ve worked, the month of August is one of the toughest, most demanding months in the entire calendar. What I actually want to be doing is sitting on a beach, soaking in the sun, drinking a cocktail, read a good book, take a swim in whatever ocean I’m sitting in front of, and of course, writing my next great novel.

Not going to happen.

What is going on is that I leave work, spend an hour or more at the gym, and barely have enough energy to eat dinner and spend a little time with my girlfriend, only to fall asleep in the chair in the living room. I’m ready for bed by 8? WTF? Multiply this by 14, and you know what I mean.

On weekends, I’ve been able to recover somewhat through rest, but it takes the entire weekend to do it. However, I try to fit in a couple of hours either with formulating and writing several notes for my next novel or by working on my new website design.

I happy to say, I like the new design, and it’s probably ready for real-time. However, I can’t check the security cert yet, which means I can’t check the online purchase modules. Hopefully, I can work with my hosting provider and work out those details this week. If I can, I’ll be promoting the new site this coming weekend. Look for it.

I’ve also been checking sales, and pages read of my books. I’m pleased to see what’s happening. Thank you to each and every one of you who either purchased outright or read my stuff via Kindle Unlimited. The book release of ‘The Trafficking Consortium’ has jump started the lagging sales of my other books. Even the free copy of ‘Her Client’ didn’t do that, as I had hoped. Sales of my other books have also jumped back on the charts.

Thank you, everyone. You are making the months of July and August a happy time for me. One that I seriously need.

As I wrote the last couple of sentences, I couldn’t help but think of Snoopy (from the Peanuts® cartoon) jumping up and down in joy. You put smiles on my face over these past several stressful days when I needed them the most.

Next on the agenda, seriously begin writing the next great novel. Hopefully, I can get it ready for the winter holidays. Until next time, have a great day and a better tomorrow.

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