Pandemic and the Purge Plague

Parallels of Covid-19 and the Purge Plague

Parallels of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Purge Plague

The parallels of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Purge Plague are eerily similar. Granted, the Purge Plague is a fictional pandemic, conceptualized in my Mona Bendarova novels. When I began writing the first novel in the series, ‘The Taste of Honey’ #TOH in 2011, the Purge Plague #purgeplague was the catalyst that started society on the road to where Mona’s community ended up. The Purge Plague was an unstoppable pandemic that ended up killing everyone and everything. Mother Nature corrected the imbalance we placed upon her.

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Angry Bitch Is Out

Angry Bitch

Yeah, that’s right. I published my eleventh novel, ‘Angry Bitch‘ over the weekend. Woo- hoo! It’s available now on Amazon for your Kindle, Kindle Reader, and in paperback. Oh, did I mention that you can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited? You can and you should. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think.

I’m relieved that’s done, however, whenever is the work ever done?

Now I can get back to Avril’s story. I left her hanging around with a noose tightening around her neck as she tries to figure out how to escape the clutches of the Consortium, or die trying.

Besides Avril and Mona, I have a couple more projects in the works, and ideas and notes for dozens more. There’s so much to do. I wish I could do them all, but I know I can’t. There’s not enough time in a day to get it done before another idea pops into my head. That doesn’t stop me from trying.

Angry Bitch

Angry Bitch 3D book coverIn the fourth installment of Mona’s story, called Angry Bitch, Mona comes into her own, as a Mistress of a House, and a peer within the Community dominated by males.

Not everyone is happy about Mona as a Mistress of a House and a peer of a Community dominated by men. Mona must fight to keep her more “Angry Bitch Is Out”

Reading while Homebound

Reading while Homebound

I’m stuck home because of the onset of the world-wide Coronavirus Pandemic, so reading while homebound is now something I can do. I noticed lately that people reading my books are up. So what can I do? I can help other authors and read a good book. I have a whole stack of them on my bedside table, which I have to dust off whenever I clean house. more “Reading while Homebound”

The Taste of Honey

The
Taste of Honey

Second Edition

Yesterday, I published the revised edition of ‘The Taste of Honey.’ I love this new version. I completely rewrote it from the ground up. It’s the same story but revised and updated to fall in line with the later books in the series.

Why might you ask? more “The Taste of Honey”

Happy New Year 2020

Happy New Year 2020

To all my fans and readers of my books, Happy New Year 2020. I hope it is a good one for you and yours. 

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? I’d love to know what they are. As for me, I don’t. There’s so much I want to do, I can’t prioritize them into a resolution. more “Happy New Year 2020”

Lucky Bitch Is Out

Lucky Bitch Is Out

Yes, that’s right. I released my latest novel, ‘Lucky Bitch’ over the weekend. Lucky Bitch is out. Woo- hoo! You should start seeing it in your favorite book reseller sight in short order. Be sure to check it out.

I’m relieved that’s done. But, whenever is the work ever done?

No, I have three more projects in the works right now. There’s so much to do. I wish I could do it all in short order, but I can’t. That doesn’t stop me from trying. I was even writing during the sports match last night that kept me up late. more “Lucky Bitch Is Out”

Lucky Bitch Cover Reveal

Lucky Bitch Cover Reveal

At long last, I’m about to publish my latest novel in the Mona Bendarova Series, called ‘Lucky Bitch.’ Here is the long-awaited Lucky Bitch Cover Reveal. That’s right. Book 3 in the Mona Bendarova Series will be out soon, as early as next week. I’m so looking forward to getting it done. I have too many projects in the works.

Book 4 in the series, titled ‘Angry Bitch,’ will follow suit in about four weeks. I might get it sooner, but with the holidays upon us, that will be a tough sell. Fans of the series will have to wait with bated breath. It won’t be long, you’ve all waited too long as it is.

In the meantime, here is the book description. more “Lucky Bitch Cover Reveal”

A Fresh New Look

Before I get into what I mean about a fresh new look, let me tell you about what I am up too. It’s been almost two months since I last wrote. Ouch! Yes, I know. I’m neglecting you, my fans and readers. Will you accept my apologies? Not that I am making excuses because I am not. I do have an explanation.

UnderCurrents and a Fresh New LookAfter I released my last book, ‘UnderCurrents,’ I looked at all of my projects in the works, and especially the books I wrote just before my head injury. While I wrote several chapters for the next book in the Consortium series, I knew that I wasn’t doing Mona any justice. Mona is the main character in the Mona Bendarova Series and the languishing Books 3 and 4. more “A Fresh New Look”

I am a Writer

I am a writer

I am a writer, living in imagination to survive in realityI am a writer, and I am proud of it. Despite the controversial topics of my stories, I am happy with what I write.

I read a quote recently that triggered this blog entry.

I’m a writer, and I live in imagination to survive in reality.
— anonymous

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Writing up a storm

Writing up a storm

For the last three weeks, I’ve been writing up a storm. One thing you don’t know is that I am back from a vacation in the sun, mild warm temperatures, and dips in the pool. It sure is nice to get away from the brutal snow and frigid temperatures.

I wrote while enjoying the blue skies in my shorts and t-shirt. Writing up a storm, I got a lot done. I’m working in the third book in the Consortium Series. I only have a few more chapters to write to finish the draft. It’s time to build up to the exciting climax, and of course the hook to bring you back for the next installment.

I haven’t given book 3 a title yet, but it will come. Right now, I’m using the working title of ‘Consortia,’ but I very much doubt I will use that. Working diligently, writing up a storm, I hope to have it out by early summer.

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Coffeegasm

Coffeegasm

Last week, my girlfriend gave me a refrigerator magnet with the definition for Coffeegasm written on it. I had never heard the word before, nor the meaning. Still, I loved the gift. Without a doubt, it’s me.

The definition reads.
Coffeegasm {noun}: that little rush you feel after the first sip of good, strong coffee.

CoffeegasmIt’s not a real word but so what. It’s an accurate depiction of what I feel when I take that first sip of coffee.

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I Feel Fortunate

Happiness is relative

I feel fortunate this is not meThat’s right; I feel fortunate. In fact, very fortunate. Why? Worldwide, this year’s flu season is a particularly nasty one and depending upon your authoritative source, with the flu shot being only 17% effective.

During the second half of January, I was laid up with a nasty upper respiratory virus infection. Commonly called a cold, I was very cautious, looking for signs that I can the flu, such as fever, nausea, and dizziness.

I took my temperature several times a day and didn’t once register an elevated temp. I did get my flu shot back in October, but frankly, I was worried I might be hospitalized.

I’m happy to say; I successfully steered clear of the flu. My cold did migrate to the early stages of bronchitis which I am still dealing with the aftereffects. My doctor fixed me up quite nicely. Thanks, Doc.

Research

U.S. Virologic Surveillance:Still, I am astounded by the volume of stories and news reports regarding flu-related hospitalizations and deaths. Some are quite tragic, such as a healthy mother going to the ER and sent home a short time later with a flu diagnosis and appropriate medicines only to die a few hours later at home. 63 children have died from the flu. WTF?

In researching this article, I visited the CDC.gov websites related to the flu. I didn’t know that there are so many varieties of the virus out there. I thought that there were relatively few but each had multiple strains due to mutation. Was I ever wrong. Oh, my heavens.

The following numbers relate only to the United States. World-wide, the numbers are even more staggering. To keep it simple though, let’s just look at the 2017-18 flu season, beginning Oct 1, 2017, to Feb 3, 2018. In the past week alone 16,641 confirmed tested cases were documented, bringing the seasonal total to 666,493 cases using samples tested by clinical laboratories. Among public health agencies, add 1453 new incidents for the week and 27,667 for the year. In the state where I live, each week we break a new record for the number of confirmed cases.

The long and the short, I feel fortunate?

I wonder when the virus might let up. I wonder more whether this is just the beginning for the human species. Are we in for a long stint dealing with out of control viruses? I’m happy that what I caught was just a cold. Actually, I feel fortunate to only have caught a bad cold. These influenza statistics are just too unreal. Maybe I should rewrite my ‘Taste of Honey’ books to use the Flu as the catastrophic event rather than my fictional protein purge plague.

Word of the Day — Lothario

Lothario

Lothario: noun | loh-THAIR-ee-oh

LotharioDefinition

: a man whose chief interest is seducing women
: lady-killer

Word Origin and History for Lothario

Masculine proper name, Italian form of Old High German Hlothari, Hludher (whence German Luther, French Lothaire), literally “famous warrior,” from Old High German lut (see loud ) + heri “host, army” (see harry (v.)). As a characteristic name for a lady-killer, 1756, from the name of the principal male character of Nicholas Rowe’s “The Fair Penitent” (1703).

Did You Know?

other words meaning LotharioLothario comes from The Fair Penitent (1703), a tragedy by Nicholas Rowe. In the play, Lothario is a notorious seducer, extremely attractive but a haughty and unfeeling scoundrel beneath his charming exterior. He seduces Calista, an unfaithful wife and later the fair penitent of the title. After publishing the play, the character of Lothario became a stock figure in English literature. For example, Samuel Richardson modeled the character of Lovelace on Lothario in his 1748 novel Clarissa. As the character became well known, his name became progressively more generic, and lothario (often capitalized) has since been used to describe a foppish, unscrupulous rake.

Examples of LOTHARIO

“He was now quite an elderly Lothario, reduced to the most economical sins; the prominent form of his gaiety being this of lounging at Mr. Gruby’s door, embarrassing the servant-maids who came for grocery, and talking scandal with the rare passers-by.”
— George Eliot, Scenes of Clerical Life, 1858

 

“He probably even envisioned himself as a prized Lothario, never for a moment identifying with this observation by the great songwriter Kinky Friedman: ‘Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail.'”
— Joe Fitzgerald, The Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2017

My Take

Seeing today’s word at Merriam-Webster’s site gave me great joy. I couldn’t believe my eyes at first. Finally the most prominent smile crossed my face, starting my day off with a bang.

Lady-KillerI discovered this word in researching my Mona Bendarova books. In the first book, ‘The Taste of Honey,’ I introduced a club where the estate owners would hang out, drink and socialize. At the time, I called it the Club. However, when I wrote the sequel, ‘Broken Steele’ I decided to give it a name.

After thinking about it, and researching the idea, I decided upon the name Club Lothario and even its own website ClubLothario.com. The name fits in perfectly with the membership of the club and their favorite pastimes. One definition, ‘lady-killer,’ is perfect for the storylines. I hope you will read the stories and discover for yourself, the society Mona, Charles and the rest of them live in harmony together. Maybe I’ll see you at the club. If so, I’ll buy you a drink.

I love learning the different contexts of these words of the day. Do you? Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all like to read them.

Have a great day.

Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Word of the Day.

Shocking but Happy Discoveries

Discoveries

I discovered something fascinating the other day, discoveries that shocked me, and made me very happy. It has to do with sales of my books, specifically, my printed versions.

Amazon had sent me an email regarding the royalties for my sales for the past month. Usually, I just delete them as they do not contain any specific information that I am interested in, other than a payout is coming. However, the format of one of those emails was different than the rest. I was intrigued.

Upon opening it, I realized that it was different than the standard fare, and denoted sales from an unfamiliar source. Digging deeper, I logged into my Amazon account and checked. Nothing. Huh?

Investigations

Discoveries regarding paperback versions of 'The Trafficking Consortium'After following sales channel after sales channel, I was stymied. I couldn’t figure out who generated these sales. Amazon is good at identifying transactions. They just don’t offer the seller information on who the buyer is, that is without paying for it. They know how to make money.

After investigating all of the sales channels my books are available through, I checked one last source. A source where I don’t expect many sales, as it prices my books reasonably high, considering the costs of producing the book.

I realized that this email had to do with sales of my paperback versions. WhooHoo!

Findings

People are buying the hard copies of my books. What’s more, I dug deeper, finding that I had a spike in paperback sales back last January. I missed that.

What an honor. Sure, it’s easy to purchase and download an eBook and read it on your favorite eReader. But holding a book in your hand, smelling the paper and ink, and feeling its weight as you turn the pages, well that is entirely something else altogether. I know many a reader who prefers holding a real book as opposed to the electronic version.

Most sales were people buying the book ‘The Trafficking Consortium.’ I suspected that. However, I noticed that someone bought every one of my books on the same day. I’m astounded, pleased, no, happy. This one person is not the only one. I noticed several sales of all of my books over the course of the month. To be honest, I’m shocked but very pleased.

Gratitude

Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to read my books, including ‘The Taste of Honey,’ ‘Broken Steele,’ and ‘Her Client Trilogy.’ You don’t know how much that means to me. What can I say? You, my fans, are fantastic.

And, oh, by the way, thank you Amazon.com. None of this would be possible without you.

Followup to ‘How do I think of these things’

Followup to ‘How do I think of these things’

In my last article, I wrote about how I come up with my ideas for my books. I received several comments from people who read my books. I found them interesting.

The first comment comes from a reader who read my first book, ‘The Taste of Honey.’ At the time, this reader wrote me and, if I recall correctly, told me she had a hard time with the story. She considered herself to be a traditional, conservative person and didn’t read all that much. However, a friend turned her onto the book and while struggling with the storyline, discovered an underlying unexpected love story that she loved. It turned her around, and she eventually wrote a compelling five-star review.

The following is what I received in response to the article.

“I found it insightful as well as a confirmation of what I already felt in my heart was the way you find your inspirations. I’ve always believed you to be intelligent and extremely creative. It’s nice to see you finding the right outlet for that creativity (of which you do so well!).” jb

Apparently, she knows me well, and yes, I am acquainted with this person.

Another reader sent me this comment.

“It’s hard to understand how you can write that in such detail and emotion. And, not wonder about you. […] After reading your statements and seeing that your girlfriend felt the same way, I think I feel much better. Maybe, lol.” gd

Her Client Trilogy StackedI am only just becoming acquainted with this reader, having recently received several comments and messages regarding my ‘Her Client’ trilogy. After reading the first book, she contacted with a note indicating how much she liked it. After reading the second book, I received a second comment expressing the need “… to think about this one?” implying that the story might have been a bit over the top for her. [No surprise. This book is intentionally horrific and deals with the real monsters among us.] Her followup to this comment to this book inspired me to write my previous article. The last I heard, the reader was just starting the third book, ‘Her Essentia.’ I have little doubt that she will send me an additional note.

Interestingly enough, the ‘Her Client’ books are my best sellers. I never expected that to happen. As a result, those are the kinds of books I will continue to focus on as I write.

The Trafficking ConsortiumI received many comments on the article. I hope it helps you understand where I am coming from and where I am going. My stories don’t come from personal experiences. Rather, they come from observation and wondering, “what if …”.

That’s how my latest book, ‘The Trafficking Consortium’ came to life. I was at my doctor’s office and as I sat in the waiting room, wondered “what if someone behind the counter and sent the medical history of a patient to someone who had no right to the file?” From there, the pieces just fell into place, and Avril’s story came to life.

The BreakupThen there’s ‘The Breakup’, a story about what a woman hopes will happen on a date of dinner and dancing. My ‘what if’ revolved around the word, dancing. “What was his definition of dancing?” Ginny is about to find out. The question is, will she be happy about it?

Overall, I don’t really know what to say. If you, my current and new followers, continue to read my books, what am I going to do but keep writing new ones that tickle your fancy and your emotions? I have notes on several ideas for future stories. Stay tuned.


maggicalExpressionsOh, and I almost forgot. I finally finished putting together my online art gallery. It’s called ‘maggicalExpressions.’ Links to it are on my book site.

Yes, that’s correct. I paint and draw when I need to disappear. Oh, yes, that’s what I do when I write. Well, it’s a different kind of medium, and I enjoy it. I hope you like them.


It’s a nice day today, blue sky, and lots of sun. I’m going to work on my book most of the day, and then I’m going to a party tonight. I can’t wait. It’s a themed party sponsored by a social club I belong to. It’s been way too long since I’ve attended one. I’m looking forward to it.


Have a great day and a better tomorrow.
Rich

How do I think of these things in such detail?

How do I think of these things in such detail?

Yesterday, I received this intriguing comment from one of my readers. My life partner girlfriend also wants to know the answer to this question. She cringes at many of my stories. As many times as I try to satisfy her with a reply, sooner or later, she brings it up once again. I figure everyone of my readers is thinking the same thing. So I thought I would give it a stab and try to answer the question.

The reader asked the following question.

“Just finished the 2nd book. [‘Her Overseer,’ book 2 in the ‘Her Client’ trilogy] and I need time to think about this one? Guess my question is how do you think of these things in such detail? It was pretty gruesome. Are there things you write about that you’ve done or want to do? Just wondering.”

Her OverseerThe book, ‘Her Overseer’ is gruesome. It is brutal and graphic. It is the second part of a three-part story within the ‘Her Client’ trilogy. There is a twist in book 3, ‘Her Essentia’ which I think readers will enjoy. My girlfriend cringed reading the first two books, but by hanging in there, she found redemption in the third book.

Frankly, I don’t know how I think up these scenes and describe them in such detail. They just appear in my head as I write them. To me, it is a natural progression of the story that seems obvious as I write.

I’ve been an avid reader all my life. From a young age, I’ve always been interested in mystery/suspense and true crime novels. Later I added science fiction to the list. The more fantastic the story, the more out there the characters behaved, the more I liked it. However, I’m not referring to fantasy stories such as depicted in today’s graphic novels and the like. I like realistic stories that are plausible and could happen in real life. Some of my favorite books from my early years included the true crimes of the FBI, which depicted the thoughts and reasonings of characters on both sides of the law.

 18" x 24" graphite on 50# matte paper
Today’s Challenge

My paintings and drawings reflect a naturalistic world. I love realism in my creative works. I don’t do abstract or fantastical creatures, such as depicted in much of today’s art. The one exception would be my love of mermaids.

Mythical, yes. Naturalistic, yes. Plausible … absolutely.

But fantastic creatures that nature could not possibly develop on this planet through natural selection … no.

I also believe in monsters. Not the kind thought up by the creative minds of scary movie, no, I mean the human kind of monster. The kind that actually exists.

I write what I believe could naturally occur, here on earth, by humans. Nature is uncaring and brutal. Sharks and other predators don’t care about the feelings of their prey. They kill and eat what they want and move on. Orca whales have been observed playing with and tormenting their prey before killing them. From the lowliest of life on earth to the king of the jungle, this is how nature developed life on our planet.

All humans have this drive built into our DNA. Societal norms try to adjust us to not act upon our baser instincts but wInterview Snippets on Mona's Storiese all let it out, at some time or another. A husband beating his wife to belting a misbehaving child when a simple spank of the hand would do, are just two examples of human instincts struggling for release. I could list thousands of examples supporting my belief. Fortunately, most of us suppress this impulse as best as we can.

My stories delve into the realm of humans who drop their shields and let out their baser instincts. My monsters are real, and I have little doubt that the monsters depicted in the ‘Her Client’ trilogy, are real and they exist. They hide and stay out of the limelight, but they exist. In the real world, a rare few are discovered and make the news, but I believe that the known monsters are a small percentage of the total out there. No one can convince me otherwise. My scenes are gruesome and describe a realistic interpretation of the human monster hiding in all of us.

As to the reader’s follow-up question, no I don’t write about what I’ve done, nor what I want to do. Like 99.99999% of the population, I suppress my inner instincts in everyday life. However, I will grant you, that perhaps it is possible, that as I write, I allow a tiny fraction of my basic human suppressed instinct out, enabling me to write in such detail.

I’ve been told that writers write what they know. I don’t believe this. Look at Stephen King’s novels. Do you really think he did all that he wrote about? Do you think he thinks about really doing it? I doubt it. Do I wish I could actually do what I write about in my scenes? Definitely not. I’m a pacifist at heart. It’s all in my imagination, knowing full well that these monsters do exist.

On thing I discovered in my writing journey is that I like to write from the character’s point of view, rather than a third party, observers point of view. I like to write what the characters think and feel. At times I will bounce from the protagonist’s point of view to the antagonist’s point of view and back again. I find it interesting to reveal their thoughts and ideas. I like to expose their emotions of surprise, love, lust, anger, fear, rage, bloodthirst, relief and revenge as the scene develops.

Find out how the human race survives 3DIn ‘The Taste of Honey,’ I wrote a scene where one of my main characters goes through an ordeal of her own choice. She is offered many opportunities to avoid the tribulation. Yet, she chose to go through the ordeal, knowing she would die in the end. All because she loves her family more than she loves herself.

I wrote the scene from her viewpoint. I tried to capture her every thought, fear, and desire she experiences. I tried to capture everything she endures, moment by moment, from her point of view. I attempted to convey all of her senses; taste, touch, sight, sound, and smell; as she lived and died throughout her ordeal. I believe I was successful and again, all from the characters point of view.

A Mermaids Irresistible CuriosityJust know that not all of my books are gruesome. My free short story, ‘A Mermaid’s Irresistible Curiosity’ is a love story with a twist. It’s not gruesome nor brutal. It’s a story about a misguided mermaid who lives a life of instant gratification who falls in love with a fisherman. You can find the short story on my website, RichardVerry.com. It free and you can download it and read it at any time.

I hope that this explains the question and alleviates any concerns about my writing. More importantly, I hope this explains things to the love of my life, my girlfriend, and committed partner in love and life.

Thank you

Thank you

I would like to take a moment to thank all of you that purchased and read my books. Thank youYou are the greatest, and I appreciate your support. My writing has transformed from something I dabbled in, to a passion that I cannot live without. I am writing new stories even now, and I have tons of ideas in my notebook. I look forward to sharing many with you as soon as I can. I am a transformed man, embracing change while bringing these stories to life.

Far and away, the most popular of my books are the ‘Her Client’ series, a study on what might happen if you piss off a client at work. Her Client Trilogy The main character in these books does exactly that but doesn’t know she did so. The day was a stressful one, and it’s about to get worse. She leaves work intending on having a quiet evening at home, drinking a glass of wine as she relaxes in her soaking bathtub. From the moment she walks into her home, thoughts of her tub are pushed aside as she has to deal with a home invader intent upon exacting his revenge upon her. The ordeal she suffers is horrific and, frankly, disturbing. These books are not for the faint of heart, as they document the darker side of humanity. The first book is available free on Amazon and your favorite eBook retailer.

I will tell you, I’m surprised by the success of ‘Her Client.’ I had no idea it would take off as it did. In many ways, it’s horror begs the question, how did I ever think this stuff up? My girlfriend is certainly questioning our relationship. Don’t worry. Our relationship is fine.

The Breakup‘The Breakup’ is a novella in the same genre as ‘Her Client’ and is a natural follow-up for readers of ‘Her Client.’ The main character is in love with her boyfriend and is certain that he is about to propose to her on a special date of dinner and dancing he has planned. She is an affable kind of girl, easy going, and very trusting. Her date does not turn out as expected, as her boyfriend’s definition of dancing usually ends in death. As I wrote earlier, if you liked ‘Her Client,’ you will like ‘The Breakup.’

A new book, titled ‘The Trafficking Consortium,’ about to be published, is in the final stages of review. It too is in the same genre as ‘Her Client’ and ‘The Breakup,’ but is more realistic. I would not call it horrific but you will cringe at what may, and sometimes does, happen to the victims. The Trafficking ConsortiumIt’s a full-length novel about what might happen if you came to the attention of an age-old global human trafficking ring simply by going for your annual physical at your doctor’s office.

In this story, the main character is noticed, selected, and kidnapped right off the street. After a harrowing time in an auction house, she is sold off to a foreign buyer who pays an exorbitant amount of money for her. As owned property, she has to figure out how to survive. Survival is not a given. Survival must be earned. She must use every bit of her wit and intelligence to persevere and explore every possibility of escape and return home.

Of all my books, so far, ‘The Trafficking Consortium’ is my favorite. It will leave the reader worrying that what happens in the book, might happen to you or your loved ones. Could this happen to you? Yes, it might very well. After reading this story, you will forever be on guard and watch what happens to your personal information. Look for it. It’s coming soon.

The Taste of HoneyMy semi-sci-fi series of books are also favorites of mine. ‘The Taste of Honey’ and ‘Broken Steele’ are a study of humanity, and how they must reinvent society a thousand years in the future. The human race overcomes a tumultuous reign of death and extinction events when scientists and corporations lose control of GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) which decimate the world. A thousand years later, humanity is the only animal species left on the planet. Broken Steele Even plant-life was affected by the scourge of the GMO’s, forcing people to make the impossible choice, at least by today’s standards. To those in the future, it’s not an impossible choice but an everyday fact of life. Softening the blow, they live in a society where there is no war, no coveting for property or territory, no crime, not a single agency, religion, or morality governing their lives. Sex is enjoyed by all adults, with multiple partners, and in every conceivable situation. It is the main stress reliever in a society struggling to survive extinction.

‘The Taste of Honey’ is my first published book and ‘Broken Steele’ is the sequel. A third book, entitled ‘Lucky Bitch’ is in the works and picks up after the end of ‘Broken Steele.’ All things considered, ‘Lucky Bitch’ should be released later this year.

I love the storyline introduced in ‘The Taste of Honey.’ In many ways, I would embrace living in their society, far from the turbulence of today’s life. After all, no one wants for anything, and everyone enjoys all the sex they could ever want. What’s not to like? Oh well, yes, there is that one little thing but what are the odds? Even if you are selected, you know that you will be helping your family, friends, and community with all that you can offer.

Lastly, available only on my website, ‘A Mermaids Irresistible Curiosity’ is a free short story of a very curious mermaid, who rises from the depths to checkout a very handsome fisherman. Mermaids Irresistible Curiosity She is ecstatic when he captures her and brings her on board. Discover what happens next to a willing mermaid, enthralled by the primal urges raging throughout her body. I wrote this short story decades ago. I love the twist that is revealed in the very last paragraph. Download and read it today for free. Unlike my other books, while it does deal in adult topics, this story is suitable for young adult readers sixteen and up.

Other than the exception mentioned above, all my books are suitable for readers eighteen and above. I hope you enjoy reading them just as much as I enjoyed writing them.

As I close this article, I want to once again thank all of you out there that bought and read my books. I will be the first one to admit that they are not for everyone. However, if you have an open mind, and an open heart, you might just find that you like them.

Read my reviews. Many can be found on my author site on Amazon or on my website, RichardVerry.com. You can buy and download all of my books to your Kindle or your favorite eBook reader.

Finally, thank you to all of you out there that sent me a note, kind or not. I welcome all thoughtful, constructive critiques. I try to respond to as many as I can. Without your feedback, I can’t become a better writer.

Have a great day and a better tomorrow.
Thank you for your support

Good day all my followers

Good day all my followers

I know it’s been awhile since I wrote to all of you. Trust me; the last five days have not been fun; issues with my post-concussion issues. My headaches climbed to stratospheric heights. Plus, this week is all about meeting with doctors and therapists. As much as I wish it, I’m not having fun, and writing stories were impossible. I’m telling you, I’m getting angry. I’m following my doctor’s orders exactly as prescribed, but I’m seriously looking at weed to allow me some semblance of a normal life.

The Taste of Honey
The Taste of Honey

Her Client Trilogy
Her Client Trilogy

That said, I want to thank all of those who purchased my books over the past week. I’ve sold several copies of ‘The Taste of Honey,’ ‘Her Client Trilogy,’ (‘Her Client,’ ‘Her Overseer,’ ‘Her Essentia,’) and ‘The Breakup.’ I’ve also seen an increase in followers and likes to my social accounts. It warms my heart and offers a bright light in my otherwise dim world. Thank you all.

What I really need to do is to work on spreading the word on my books. As much as I loved seeing the sales figures for the last week; when Amazon et. all take the bulk of your purchase price; not much is left over when all is said and done. Volume is where I can succeed so as much as many of you helped, I need to spread the word.

The Breakup
The Breakup

So, I have a mission for you, should you accept it. Please, spread the word. If you have read one of my books and liked it, please tell your friends and pass the word. And most importantly, if you have only read one of my books and liked it, how about trying another one. Can you do that for me, please?

Please, visit my Twitter (@richverry) and Facebook page (facebook.com/richardverryauthorartist) and like/follow them. Even better, subscribe to my blog, RichardVerry.com/blog. The subscription form is at the bottom of this article as well as on my home page.

As a thank you, I’m offering a free copy of my latest novel, ‘The Trafficking Consortium,’ currently available as an Advance Release Copy on my home page. Clicking the free button will direct you to a special page where you can download it for free. All I ask that you write a review and post it on my site. You can do that, right? Free buttonJust click the envelope on my home page, RichardVerry.com. This is a limited time offer. The promotion will end once the book is published.

It does deal with a tough subject, although the story is not as horrific as the ‘Her Client’ trilogy. I wrote it intentionally that way. Sure, there’s sex and death in the book but so do most suspense dramas. It’s a first person view of someone caught up in the human trafficking trade and what happens throughout their captivity. While they hate their captivity, they grow as a person and start to see their life in a whole new way. Suitable for all readers 18+. I think you’ll like it.

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Good morning

Good morning

Good cold morning. When I woke up this morning, I discovered we had a light overnight snowfall, and it was a whopping 6 degrees F (-14C), Brrr…. Now, a couple of hours later it’s risen to 16F (-9C). No matter how you cut it, it is still cold.

snow and trees covered in snowAfter making a cup of coffee, I sat down at my desk to consider what I would do today. Struggle over Lucky Bitch or begin working on a new story. Of course, I could do a Word of the Day … Nah.

Since I still haven’t figured out whether to kill the Bloodline storyline or not, I guess that leaves me with a new story. Okay, day decided, what else is there to talk about? Well, there’s the Golden Globes from last night? Did your favorites win? Don’t ask me; I didn’t watch them, and I care little about them.

Oh, I am thinking about putting down the keyboard and picking up charcoal, pencil, and paper and do some sketching. I have some really good ideas on what to put to paper. I would like to finish setting up my studio, but I ran out of supplies to continue. I should go to the hardware store, but, baby, it’s cold outside. It’s supposed to warm up mid-week so that should be a good time.

It’s strange; I used to love winter. The cold and the snow. I’d be outside sledding, skating, and even doing a little skiing. I’ve camped on top of a mountain in a tent pitched right on the snow. It was a good time, but that night, I froze, despite a solar blanket, cold weather foam padding, a 20below sleeping bag, parka with hood, thermal gloves, and ski cap. I didn’t sleep much that night and seemed to need to pee every half-hour. When the next morning came around and I broke camp, I discovered that my body heat and transformed six inches of snow into ice. I was sleeping on a bed of ice! Damn. Come to think of it; I think that was my last time camping in winter and maybe the start of my disliking the cold. Of course, age may have something to do with it. Nonetheless, I got the garbage out to the curb this morning for my weekly pickup and shoveled the driveway.

pailoa beach, maui, hawaii black sand beachEnough talk about the cold. I know others have it much worse than I do, so it’s stupid to talk about it. Man, I need to be in the tropics right now.

And with that, I’ll sign off, still undecided as to whether to write, draw, or for that matter, do nothing. Wouldn’t that be nice. Not in my nature but I can still fantasize. Oh, yeah! Lying on a black sand beach in Hawaii, with a drink in one hand and the love of my life at my side, holding my other hand. Heaven!

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Good Morning World

Good Morning World

This morning, as I sat at my desk wondering what to write to you about, I struggled. With what you ask? Good question.

at the computer with a dilemmaI keep looking to resume my Word of the Day takes and yet, every time I start, I put it away and do something else. I enjoyed doing them. It’s true. I’m also bored with doing them. Well, not so much bored but undriven.

I started them as a way of consistently putting out content in a time when my web host and another vendor struggled to correctly publicize my posts. If they failed to be forwarded to my social sites and email subscribers, then so what. I could always repost it easily enough, or just move on. The thing is, I didn’t what my regular posts disappearing and short changing you, my audience.

The problem went on for months, and if you are a regular reader of this blog, you know the background. They say they fixed the problem, but I am not entirely convinced. Yet, the only way to test it from my end is to … drum roll, please … post articles.

The Trafficking ConsortiumWhat I’m struggling with right now is that I have a dilemma. I have a desire to start a new novel, now that The Trafficking Consortium is finished. I have several ideas cooking in my brain which I’m excited about and would like to get started. On the other hand, I could finish up Lucky Bitch which only needs a chapter or two before I send it out for editing. While I like writing to you in my posts, I enjoy writing my stories so much more. The writers and artists out there know just what I mean.

Part of the problem with Lucky Bitch is that I am losing interest in the series. I had originally planned at least five books in the series. However, if I abandon the overall storyline established in Broken Steele, many questions and mysteries will be left unanswered and unsolved. If I stop now, I can use the end of Lucky Bitch to respond to the unresolved issues.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the characters as they live their lives within their community. Let’s look at it this way. They live in a world where recreational sex is the norm. Not just enjoying sex in bed but also in public, on the streets, at the club, and during office meetings. There are no issues of unexpected pregnancies, disease, or maladies from enjoying sexual relations. There are no social norms or moralities that interfere with the practice. On the contrary. To them, it is inconceivable to think of a monogamous relationship such what our society is based upon.

It’s every adult of both sexes dream. They recharge their batteries by sharing orgasms on a regular basis and among various partners. As a result, they never get bored, and they spread their DNA around a large pool, preventing issues from inbreeding. Damn, can I guy a ticket on that train, please?

Broken Steele Still, the storyline is getting convoluted, and I’m not sure I want to figure it out. I am thinking of scraping the drafts of Lucky Bitch and starting over. Would that be so bad?

The problem? What to do about the Bloodline, which somehow became an integral part of  the main character, Mona in her world in Book 2, Broken Steele. I need to resolve it or find a way to kill it off completely.

Part of me wants to do the later which will allow me to write new stories for Mona and her friends that standalone from novel to novel. I had originally wanted to do that, but somehow, I got excited by creating an even bigger conflict that would affect the entire community.

I have to give it more thought. Any ideas from you reading this article would be greatly appreciated.

So, it’s back to writing and living. And damn, it’s 8 degrees F (or -13 C) out there and very windy. Brrr, it’s cold out there and the prospect of going out and getting the paper is daunting. Bundle up!

Hey love, be a dear, and put on a pot of coffee, please?

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Gifts for readers like you

Gifts for readers like you

If you liked my books, your friends and relatives may like them too. All of them are available on my website, richardverry.com, Amazon.com, or from your favorite eBook store.

Most are available to read for free with Amazon Unlimited.Free button

Several are also available in paperback; perfect for under the tree.

Thank you for your support.

To read the reviews by readers like you,
click on any of the book covers for more information.

The Taste of Honey
The Taste of Honey

Broken Steele book cover 3D
Broken Steele

The Breakup Upright Book
The Breakup

Mermaids Irresistible Curiosity book cover 3D
A Mermaid’s Irresistible Curiosity

Her Client Trilogy book cover 3D
Her Client Trilogy

Her Client Book 1 cover 3D
Her Client

Her Overseer Book 2 cover 3D
Her Overseer

Her Essentia Book 3 cover 3D
Her Essentia

The Trafficking Consortium
The Trafficking Consortium

Perfect Prey
Perfect Prey

 

 

A note of appreciation

A note of appreciation

Every Way We've Tried To Fix Email (And Why It's Not Working)
Source: lifehacker.com.au

Good afternoon all you fans. I write to you today as a frustrated writer who may now see the light at the end of the tunnel. Why do you ask?

Since August, most of my posts have failed to make it to my email followers. While it royally sucked, the resolution may be in the works.

The publishing company that handles distribution of my posts to all of my followers uploaded a patch to server yesterday. This company handles all distributions, including social media as well as my email subscribers. So far, two days in a row, my email followers have received my posts. Whoo hoo!

However, I must admit, I am still hesitant to say that they fixed the problem. Only time will tell.

One good thing that came out of all this. I was forced to find a simple type of post that followers would like to read, rather than just the same only ‘buy me’ crap that often happened. That is when I stumbled upon the Word of the Day feature. It’s a hit as I have received many positive responses to my posts. Most of the responses tell me that they particularly like the ‘My Take’ portion, which I love doing, and it doesn’t take a whole lot of time. Time that I am using to writing my next story.

Trafficking of Women
Source: epthinktank.eu

So, be on the lookout for my next novel, that I hope to publish next month. It’s tentatively called ‘The Trafficking Consortium.’ The story is inline with the ‘Her Client’ but with many differences as well. If you liked any of my previous novels, you’ll love this one.

Now, a big thank you to everyone who is buying my books. Sales for the ‘Her Client’ series is phenomenal, as well as I have seen an increase in sales of my other books ‘The Taste of Honey,’ ‘Broken Steele,’ and ‘The Breakup.’ A big thank you to each and every one of you who bought and read them. Please, do me a favor. Write a review on the site from where you purchased the book(s). It would to a lot of good to get the word out.

Thanks for being patient with my publicizing problem. And, oh, by the way, winter is still here. Snow is on the ground as we had a record snowfall on Sunday, blowing the old record away by 300%. Wow. Now, if I could only blow away my sales by 300%, I could retire and write full-time. Hey, it’s all up to you, the reader. Thank you for your support.

Word of the Day: obfuscate

Word of the Day: obfuscate

Obfuscate
Source: maltawinds.com

Obfuscate (verb) AHB-fuh-skayt

Definition

1 a : darken

b : to make obscure

2 : confuse

3 : to be evasive, unclear, or confusing

Examples

“Time and again he has shifted, shaded or obfuscated his policy positions—piling on new ideas, which sometimes didn’t fit with the old.” — David Fahrenthold and Katie Zezima, The Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2016

“It was the trademark of San Francisco psychedelia to never put the year on a concert poster, and to obfuscate important details.” — Sam Whiting, The San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Oct. 2016

Obfuscate cartoon
Source: wordinfo.info

Did You Know?

To obfuscate something means to make it so that it isn’t clear or transparent, much like dirty water makes it hard to see to the bottom of a pond. The verb shares its ob-root (meaning “over, completely”) with obscure, another word that can refer to the act of concealing something or making it more difficult to see or understand. The rest of obfuscate comes from Latin fuscus, which means “dark brown” and is distantly related to our word dusk.

My Take

Obfuscate, I like this word. If one knows its meaning, it’s easy to use in common language. I can even see me using it in my novels. Any of my plots can darken obscure, confuse or evade the real action. While my writing is explicit, I like to hide undercurrents of thoughts, beliefs or opinions into my scenes.

The Taste of HoneyTake for example my book, ‘The Taste of Honey.’

Did you know that while most of the characters are not spiritual at all, the title character is very much so. She believes in life after death, and she believes in a higher power. None of the other characters do. In essence, the characters in the world I created in these books has lost all touch with religion, spirituality and the idea of life after death.

Not to obfuscate the plot but Honey intends to help her community in life and after. She believes that a higher power will allow her, through ritualistic means, to literally live on after her death and help her family and friends to overcome adversity and thrive for eternity.

Why Do I Feel Like My Path is Unclear
Source: highexistence.com

For the rest of the characters, their paths through life are clear and well known. They have no concept of life after death. Little by little, Honey is changing that, so that the main character, Mona, questions herself, her life and her role within the community. Her path becomes unclear as she tries to resolve the conflict of her upbringing with the ideals of her best friend, Honey.

‘The Taste of Honey’ is available right here on my website, or at Amazon.com, BN.com or your favorite eBook retailer. It is also available in paperback from Createspace.com.

I had fun looking for images related to this word. I hope you like the ones I chose, as well as the sexy bonus pic you will get if you share this post via Twitter.

I love learning the different contexts of these words of the day. Don’t you? Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all like to read them.

Have a great day.

Merriam-WebsterBrought to you by Merriam-Webster, Word of the Day.

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Hello Fans

Hello Fans

I know lately, all you have heard from me are my ‘Word of the Day’ posts. I didn’t mean for this to go on so long, my not sharing with you what is going on.

Concussion bannerThese last many months have been very strange for me. As you may recall, or not and that’s okay too, I suffered a severe concussion at work. That was in mid-July, and I’ve been out of work since then, as I’m still dealing with the after-effects. Now, mostly it’s the headaches and occasional short-term memory issue.

Then, in mid-August, my website began running into problems, which are still going today. It’s mid-November, and the vendor involved still hasn’t fixed it.

Every Way We've Tried To Fix Email (And Why It's Not Working)
Source: lifehacker.com.au

Apparently, I’m not alone with this problem, but I still had to involve my web hosting company and spend hundreds of hours on triaging the problem. Eventually, the company relented and reported that their email administrators had discovered a ‘race’ condition between their mail servers which affected me. I think that the servers are either overloaded or undersized. My tests seem to support that my posts that go out late in the day have a better chance of being delivered to my email subscribers than those that go out earlier in the day. That’s right. Not everyone is getting their mail sent to them. I received this note from them early this morning.

“I’ve let our developers know about this so they can investigate further.”

It’s the same problem that surfaced back in August, and they’re still dicking around with investigating the problem?

Another consequence of my concussion was that for a long time, I was unable to use my computers. Looking at the screen gave me severe headaches. While the headaches remain, I can now look at computer screens without making them worse.

I also suffered from cognitive thinking and short-term memory issues. What really disturbed me was that my continuous stream of creative thinking that was a part of my entire life … disappeared. For months, the imagery that was so much a part of me was gone. I felt like I lost a lover, a friend, a companion, and … well … me.

Broken SteeleI tried to encourage its return by editing my first draft of ‘Lucky Bitch’, the third book in my Mona Bendarova Series. That went okay for a while until I discovered that I had to rewrite the ending. I noticed that I had written much of the material included in the last couple of chapters in the first third of the book. What the fuck? I reached out to my beta readers asking for some help, which they graciously gave. However, without a creative stream of thoughts, I couldn’t rewrite the ending, so I put it aside for the time being. Shit. It’s going to be a full year since I published the second book in the series, ‘Broken Steele’. Shit, but I know that there is nothing I can do about it.

So, I kept working on restarting my creative stream. I’m happy to say, about three weeks ago, the creative stream suddenly flared back with a passion. In an instant, a fully formed idea for a new novel, from start to finish, flashed into my mind, demanding release.

The power of creative streamingSince then, I have been writing up a storm. I’m consumed with trying to get the novel out of my soul and down in print. Every day since late October, I write. Sometimes, only a few thousands of words get written down but often, I get ten thousand or more out. I’ve haven’t checked recently, but I think I’m over 100k words right now and still going.

It’s wonderful to have the stream back. My live-in girlfriend is at times upset with me as I bury myself in my office and write. In the afternoons and evenings, I’ll sit with her. She controls the TV remote while I pick up my laptop and write. She understands but still feels ignored. It’s a delicate balance but the consuming need to express myself outweighs the need to help her feel comfortable. Later that evening, I will put the laptop down and fully dedicate my time to her.

Creative Stream WorkingSo, I hope to have this new novel out by the end of the year, but we’ll see. It will need severe editing, as I don’t trust my mind right now to keep all of the characters and timings straight. Automatic spell and grammar checking are fantastic, but there are many things they cannot catch.

One thing I have noticed as I write, sometimes I’ll think of a word I intend to write only to look up at the screen and see an entirely different word. Huh? How did I think ‘dog’ and write ‘dolphin’ or ‘plane?’ Yes, it happens, and I can’t seem to correct it. Perhaps my physical therapy which starts next week will help with that. Frankly, I think just writing will ultimately solve that. I just hope that I don’t pass on an incongruous thought to you in my writing. And if I do, I trust that you’ll forgive me.

I had fun looking for images related to my issues. I hope you like the ones I chose, as well as the sexy bonus pic you will get if you share this post via Twitter.

Right now, I need to get back to my novel. Parts of it are still up there in that noggin of mine, demanding a release from its captivity inside my skull. You’ll forgive me if I stop now and return to my novel.

This is Richard Verry, writing to you from my home office. Thanks for caring. I appreciate all of the kind words people have sent to me over these past several months.

Word of the Day: hoick

Hoicking up the dress
Source: webphoto.co

Work of the Day: hoick

Hoick: (verb) HOIK

Definition

: to move or pull abruptly : yank

Synonyms

buck, hitch, jerk, jolt, twitch, yank, hike

Examples

“to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion” <hoicked up his pants and hastily waded into the water>

“Occasionally he hoicks up the waistband of his trousers when he thinks no one is looking.” — Elizabeth Day, The Observer, 24 Feb. 2015

“The flutist … looks forward, unfolding a retinue of futuristic techniques—sounds that purr like a cat, pop like a cork or hoick like a spitball—on the way to a final improvisation….” — David Allen, The New York Times, 29 Mar. 2016

Did You Know?

Etymologists suspect that hoick is an alteration of the verb hike, which is itself akin to hitch. According to the evidence, hike entered the language during the first decade of the 19th century, whereas hoick appeared near that century’s close. The word hoick can be used for any type of abrupt pulling movement but is commonly used for the sudden pulling back on the joystick of an airplane; a rough, jerky movement when rowing; and a jerky, elevated shot in cricket. In fox hunting, the word hoicks is used to call attention to a hound that has picked up the scent and to bring the pack together.

Hiking up her dress
Source: webphoto.co

My Take

Hoick is an interesting word. To yank, to pull up, to hike up, to pull abruptly are just some of the synonyms for the word. I like it.

Especially when applied to pulling up trousers, hiking up one’s dress or adjusting one’s bra. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a woman absent-mindedly pull up on her bra straps because her breasts were pulling hard on the cups, forcing the bra-strap to ride her her back. I’ve never commented when it happens, yet I’m strangely drawn to watching her do it. It is over in a blink of an eye, but I smile inside never-the-less. I do the same to adjust the boys when they get jammed between my legs. It’s uncomfortable if not painful. So, I understand ladies. I do.

lilly-w-hoick
Source: investinyourchest.co.uk

In researching this word, I did not know that it is also the proper name for many people as well as a band and it’s heavily used in the game of cricket.

When I think about it, it is a word I can use in my books. Already, several scenarios are evolving in my mind in thinking about the Mona Bendarova Stories. In book two ‘Broken Steele,’ I might have utilized it when Jewel competed in her first dance competition. Of course, I published that book last year, so I can’t. However, dance competitions are common in these stories, so look for it in future stories. By the way, spoiler alert, Jewel ties for first place.

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

mw_logoBrought to you by Merrian-Webster, Word of the Day.

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Word of the Day: ab initio

Word of the Day: ab­ initio

ab initio (adverb) ab-ih-NISH-ee-oh

Saltatus Aeternum by A. Andrew Gonzalez
Source: sublimatrix.com/html/SaltatusAeternum.html

Definition

: from the beginning

Examples

“Like many of contemporary architecture’s most celebrated figures, [Zaha] Hadid is often presented as an artist who conceives her buildings entirely ab initio.” — Ellis Woodman, The Daily Telegraph (London), 3 Sept. 2012

“Two months ago, the Supreme Court ruled that Federal Court judges are not eligible to represent Quebec on its bench. Justice Nadon’s nomination was therefore void ab initio.” — André Pratte, The Globe and Mail (Canada), 29 May 2014

Did You Know?

We’ll tell you right from the beginning where ab initio comes from. This adverb was adopted at the beginning of the 17th century directly from Latin, where it translates as “from the beginning.” (Initio is a form of the noun initium, meaning “beginning,” which gave rise to such English words as initial, initiate, andinitiative.) Ab initio most frequently appears in legal contexts, but it is not surprising to find it used outside of the courtroom. The phrase is also used as an adjective meaning “starting from or based on first principles” (as in “predicted from ab initio calculations”).

My Take

Why am I surprised? Well, first off, I think of myself as a well-rounded individual. I don’t pretend to know it all, but I feel I know a bit and comprehend more. Well, maybe I am no so well-rounded as I thought.

First off, I never knew a single word in the English language could include a space in the middle of the word. Ab Initio has such a space. It is considered a single word though to me; it is two words. It can’t be of course, as the first two letters of the word do not include a vowel, an essential component in the English language.

However, I do understand the concept. When I first reflected on the word, I recognized its Latin roots. I then figured that it most likely is used in either the medical or legal vernacular. I’m not sure whether it can be used in everyday conversation.

When I researched the word, I stumbled upon a website devoted to the concept, ‘from the beginning to infinity’ or ‘ab initio ad infinitum.’ The site hasn’t been updated in over four years now, but I found it an interesting read. More importantly, through it, I found another artist who intrigues me, A. Andrew Gonzalez. I plan on adding him to my list of artists to study.

What do you think about the word? Can the average person use it in everyday conversation? Certainly, if you want to read my Mona Bendarova books, you need to read them ab initio. Hmmm, an interesting word, don’t you think?

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

By the way, if you share this post on twitter by clicking one of twitter buttons on the page, you’ll be treated with a sexier image related to this topic. My gift to you for sharing my post.

mw_logoBrought to you by Merrian-Webster, Word of the Day.

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Holy Missing Feed Batman!

Holy Missing Feed Batman
Source: keyword-suggestions.com

Holy Missing Feed Batman!

Before I lose it again, I want to send everyone an update. For more than two weeks, my posts have not been going out to my email subscribers. Holy missing feed batman. I do not know why, it is working at this moment, but it is. So while it is, I am sending out this update to let you know what is going on.

My social media sites received the updates but my email subscribers have not. If I had hair, I would have pulled it all out by now.

To my email subscribers, I apologize. I will strive hard to make sure that you continue to receive my updates on a timely basis. In the meantime, if you like, you can go to my blog site and catch up. They are all there. https://richardverry.com/blog.

For the past two weeks, I’ve worked extensively with my host provider and the plug-in author to try and figure it all out. Yes, there are two vendors involved with this issue, and both pointed to the other as the responsible party.

Me? I believe it was the plug-in that broke the feeds. Why? The first question I ask myself is, what’s changed? That’s easy. The plug-in changed. In fact, the publishers updated the plug-in several times over the past two months. They released a brand new version just before I noticed my posts were not distributed properly. They claimed my SSL certificate configuration was not correct. Of course, this was debunked pretty quickly by the hosting company as well as my research.

Patience and persistence

So, what did it come down too? Persistence and I don’t know what else. I can say, that I used Google to research all sorts of ideas. (Don’t you just love the Google search engine for looking up answers to problems?) I also did a thorough review of my site, I found broken links, carried over from a year ago when I migrated my site to a hosted solution, which I fixed. I also figured out a way to leverage server-side caching that was on my to-do list. But that is about the size of it.

I believe it is the plug-in server side programming as well as aspects of the plug-in client-side programming that are the root cause of the issue. But, could I get them to acknowledge it? Nope. Even now, they still haven’t. Yet, yesterday morning, my posts failed to distribute to my email subscribers, and today they do. What did I do? Nothing.

Find out how the human race survives 3DTo my email subscribers, I apologize. If you have read this far, thank you. In acknowledgment of your patience, I would like to offer you a free copy of my book ‘The Taste of Honey‘. Just click the book title to connect you to the free download page.

In the meantime, I will do everything I can to keep this feed up and working for you.

Until the next time, have a great day and a better tomorrow. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Regards,
Rich

Word of the Day: Scion

Scion: A graft, a descendant, an heir
Source: blueberrytalk.wordpress.com

Word of the Day: Scion

Scion (noun) SYE-un

Definition

1 : a detached living portion of a plant (as a bud or shoot) joined to a stock in grafting and usually supplying solely aerial parts to a graft

2 : descendant, child; especially : a descendant of a wealthy, aristocratic, or influential family

3 : heir

Examples

“The duke was the billionaire owner of swaths of central London, a friend of Britain’s royal family and the scion of an aristocratic family stretching back to the Norman Conquest.” —The Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2016

“The vibe of the place is a mixture of old-school cool and Brit eccentric. There are poems etched onto the wall by the artist Hugo Guinness, … a scion of the famous Anglo-Irish brewing family.” — Christa D’Souza, W, September 2016

Did You Know?

Scion derives from the Middle English sioun and Old French cion and is related to the Old English cīth and the Old High German kīdi (meaning “sprout” or “shoot”). When it first sprouted in English in the 14th century, scion meant “a shoot or twig.” That sense withered in horticultural contexts, but the word branched out, adding the grafting-related meaning we know today. A figurative sense also blossomed referring to one’s descendants, with particular reference to those who are descendants of notable families.

My Take

Well, knock me down with a feather. While I knew the word in everyday life (the car), I did not know its meaning. I did not know it meant grafting or its relationship to an heir.

In researching the word, I came up with thousands of relevant photos, most of them of the car. Since I don’t promote products in this forum, I needed to dig deeper. It was in this digging that it truly hit me, to graft one onto another. In it view of a descendant, examples are all around us, from the heir to a throne, to being the descendant of our ancestors. As implied in the photo, the branches of our genealogical tree can intermingle and intertwine, spreading out or coming together over the ages, merging before taking separate paths. It reminds me that we, the residents of this planet, are all related to each other.

In my Mona Bendarova Adventures, there is a scion on the way. Honey carries the heir, or scion, to Lee Marks. They commonly call him the ‘Little Master.’ Assuming he survives to adulthood, he is most definitely the scion to the Mark’s estate. He may not, but Honey is sure he will. I look forward to writing his story in later books within the series.

Please share with me your comments. I enjoy reading them.

Brought to you by Merrian-Webster, Word of the Day.

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Word of the Day: Truncate

The Truncate Cropped Sweater in Fiery Red
The Truncate Cropped Sweater in Fiery Red Source: www.karmaloop.com

Word of the Day: Truncate

Truncate (verb) TRUNG-kayt

Definition

: to shorten by or as if by cutting off

Examples

“Apparently, a federal law … requires printed credit card receipts truncate not only the credit card number, but also the expiration date.” — Jack Greiner, The Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2016

“Google’s own URL shortener service … instantly truncates the URL you’re visiting and copies the new address to the clipboard for use anywhere.” — Eric Griffith, PCMag.com, 23 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

Truncate descends from the Latin verb truncare, meaning “to shorten,” which in turn can be traced back to the Latin word for the trunk of a tree, which is truncus. Incidentally, if you’ve guessed that truncus is also the ancestor of the English word trunk, you are correct. Truncusalso gave us truncheon, which is the name for a police officer’s billy club, and the obscure word obtruncate, meaning “to cut the head or top from.”

My Take

Truncate is another word that is part of my everyday vocabulary. It joined my vocabulary decades ago when I became a software engineer. Truncating strings (letters or words, such as a last name, an error message, or other similar communications). I’ve also used it to truncate trailing spaces in a string, to minimize storage necessities or make a message easier to understand.

In everyday life, agencies and companies routinely truncate, or prune, portions of a string to protect the privacy of the end user. Displaying the last four digits of a social security number or a credit card number protects the identity of the owner of that number. I could come up with example after example, but I believe you get the idea. So, the next time you see a truncated string, just remember that it’s there to help protect your privacy or understand the message.

Other things that can be truncated include cropped shirts, cropped shorts, and cropped hair cuts. Cropped is another word for truncate. Look around and see what other examples you can find in everyday life. Share them by commenting below. In the meantime, have a great day.

Brought to you by Merrian-Webster, Word of the Day.

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Word of the Day: Vulnerary

Vulnerary
Source: alonasmorning.wordpress.com

Word of the Day: Vulnerary

Vulnerary
adjective VUL-nuh-rair-ee

Definition

: used for or useful in healing wounds

Examples

“Rebecca examined the wound, and having applied to it such vulneraryremedies as her art prescribed, informed her father that if fever could be averted … there was nothing to fear for his guest’s life, and that he might with safety travel to York with them on the ensuing day.” — Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, 1820

St. John’s wort can also help those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) due to lower sunlight exposure in the winter months. Its anti-inflammatory, vulnerary, astringent, and antimicrobial actions make it a powerful healer for wounds, bruises, burns, sprains, and muscle pain.” — Jane Metzger, Mother Earth News, 13 July 2015

My Take

Ah, a new word for me, and one that I can use in my Mona Bendarova books. In these books, there is a medical doctor who is researching the male child high mortality rate and other issues.

However, he is also the primary care physician for hundreds of thousands of patients. In a world where sickness has been eliminated, the greatest need for his services is trauma care. Trauma injury occurs frequently. Treatment is performed using natural and manufactured medicines.

Vulnerary is a word that I can apply to his treatments. Wounds, bruises, burns, sprains, and muscle strain is common and need for the Doctor’s services is frequent. I look forward to the opportunity to use the word.

If you are interested in further information on the science of vulnerary, check out this blog site  The Top 10 Best Blogs on Vulnerary

Brought to you by Merrian-Webster, Word of the Day.

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Word of the Day: Invective

Invective
Source: Vocabulary Pics

Word of the Day: Invective

Invenctive

noun | in-VEK-tiv

Definition

1 : an abusive expression or speech
2 : insulting or abusive language : vituperation

Examples

“The ongoing collapse of responsible broadcast and cable journalism and the explosive role that social media has assumed in this campaign have made for a nasty brew of invective, slurs and accusations….” — Susan J. Douglas, In These Times, July 2016

“At a moment when American political discourse has descended to almost unimaginable levels of … invective, we need our teachers to model a better way to discuss our differences.” — Jonathan Zimmerman, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

Invective originated in the 15th century as an adjective meaning “of, relating to, or characterized by insult or abuse.” In the early 16th century, it appeared in print as a noun meaning “an example of abusive speech.” Eventually, the noun developed a second sense applying to abusive language as a whole. Invective comes to us from the Middle French wordinvectif, which in turn derives from Latin invectivus, meaning “reproachful, abusive.” (Invectivus comes from Latin invectus, past participle of the verb invehere, one form of which means “to assail with words.”) Invective is similar to abuse, but it tends to suggest not only anger and vehemence but verbal and rhetorical skill. It sometimes implies public denunciation, as in “blistering political invective.”

My Take

It’s a shame really. I think everyone, at one time or another, have been either the victim or abuser of invective language. I don’t care to use it, and I can’t recall a particular instance over the last several years where I have used it. However, I do know that I have, as the feelings I sustained at the time, remain with me to this day. Push comes to shove; I will fall prey to using it. I have also been the victim of such language. For me, it can be degrading, demoralizing, and an outright assault upon my psyche.

That said, it’s a word that I intend to strive to remember and avoid practicing. Searching for an appropriate image found numerous examples, most of which are products such as guns, which I will not promote. Finding a generic one was harder. Persistence prevails so that I may bring one to you.

In my writings, you will find little invective speech, especially in the Mona Bendarova Adventures. Sure, there is coarse language, flavorful language, descriptive, and erotic language, but little in the way of abusive language. Oh, sure, a couple of my characters may utter short abusive outbursts, but they usually don’t last more than a sentence or two. Perhaps I should incorporate more of invective language in my stories.

What do you think? I would love to know. Feel free to share your comments with me.

Brought to you by Merrian-Webster, Word of the Day.

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I’m trying, I really am (repost)

I’m trying, I really am (repost)

It’s been awhile since I wrote. I trust you don’t mind. I do hope you missed me. I originally posted this earlier in the week only to discover that while it publicized to my social media sites, my blog subscribers did not receive it. Here’s hoping it’s been resolved.

The after effects of my concussion limit my screen time, and what’s worse, my creative thinking is at an all time low. Frankly, it sucks. I worry that it won’t return soon.

Concussion-photo
Will this headache ever go away?

In looking at my notes for story lines etc., I know that I had a good fix on the story line for each of my notes. Now, when I review them, it’s not so clear. It’s scary; that’s what it is.

Instead, I decided to focus my energies on editing the first draft of my latest book, ‘Lucky Bitch.’ Easy enough. I am managing to get through maybe two chapters a day before I have to stop and rest for several hours. That equates to one hour of screen time for every five or so hours of rest. It’s barely enough to get through the day. Even so, I have to take frequent breaks during my screen time to get anything done. Nerve racking, to say the least.

Back to editing. I use the tools I have available to me, read the book, chapter by chapter, fix the grammar, pay attention to the plot lines, verify the continuity of the story and so forth. All well and good. Right?

Okay, so I get to the second to last chapter, and I realize that I have to rewrite the entire section. WTF? The subject outline of the chapter is all wrong. I covered that plot line in Chapter 19, one-third of the way into the book. Oh, shit! What the hell am I going to do now? My creative thought processes are worthless at the moment. I have no doubt that they will return but honestly, when?

Concussion bannerDoc told me on Monday that I may be suffering the after effects of this concussion for the next two years. TWO YEARS? Oh, my fricking lord. That, after getting a pair of nerve block injections in the back of my neck in an attempt to stop the headache. So far, I’m on my third day and the headache, while diminished, remains constant.

As I review what I am going to do, I’ve decided this much. I will print out the two chapters and hand them out to my beta readers. I’m going to let them tell me which version they like better. Once done, I’ll incorporate the winner into Chapter 19.

In the meantime, what to do with Chapter 43, the second to last chapter of the book. Chapter 43 is intended as a vehicle to get the main character, Mona, away from home for the day, and acts as a setup for the closing chapter, crucial to the book.

So, that’s where I am. I’m jotting down notes as they come to me. Frankly, they’re not worth much at this point. Maybe I’ll stumble onto something. Either way, it may help in the recovery of my creative thought processes. Damn, I never thought I would miss not having them.

So, until next time, this is Richard Verry, Writer signing off and crossing my fingers to get back to where I need to be. Fans, I love you all. Thanks for your patience.

Trying, I really am

Trying, I really am

It’s been awhile since I wrote. I trust you don’t mind. I do hope you missed me.

The after effects of my concussion limit my screen time, and what’s worse, my creative thinking is at an all time low. Frankly, it sucks. I worry that it won’t return soon.

Concussion-photo
Will this headache ever go away?

In looking at my notes for story lines etc., I know that I had a good fix on the story line for each of my notes. Now, when I review them, it’s not so clear. It’s scary; that’s what it is.

Instead, I decided to focus my energies on editing the first draft of my latest book, ‘Lucky Bitch.’ Easy enough. I am managing to get through maybe two chapters a day before I have to stop and rest for several hours. That equates to one hour of screen time for every five or so hours of rest. It’s barely enough to get through the day. Even so, I have to take frequent breaks during my screen time to get anything done. Nerve racking, to say the least.

Back to editing. I use the tools I have available to me, read the book, chapter by chapter, fix the grammar, pay attention to the plot lines, verify the continuity of the story and so forth. All well and good. Right?

Okay, so I get to the second to last chapter, and I realize that I have to rewrite the entire section. WTF? The subject outline of the chapter is all wrong. I covered that plot line in Chapter 19, one-third of the way into the book. Oh, shit! What the hell am I going to do now? My creative thought processes are worthless at the moment. I have no doubt that they will return but honestly, when?

Concussion bannerDoc told me on Monday that I may be suffering the after effects of this concussion for the next two years. TWO YEARS? Oh, my fricking lord. That, after getting a pair of nerve block injections in the back of my neck in an attempt to stop the headache. So far, I’m on my third day and the headache, while diminished, remains constant.

As I review what I am going to do, I’ve decided this much. I will print out the two chapters and hand them out to my beta readers. I’m going to let them tell me which version they like better. Once done, I’ll incorporate the winner into Chapter 19.

In the meantime, what to do with Chapter 43, the second to last chapter of the book. Chapter 43 is intended as a vehicle to get the main character, Mona, away from home for the day, and acts as a setup for the closing chapter, crucial to the book.

So, that’s where I am. I’m jotting down notes as they come to me. Frankly, they’re not worth much at this point. Maybe I’ll stumble onto something. Either way, it may help in the recovery of my creative thought processes. Damn, I never thought I would miss not having them.

So, until next time, this is Richard Verry, Writer signing off and crossing my fingers to get back to where I need to be. Fans, I love you all. Thanks for your patience.

Ramblings and such

Ramblings and such

We’ve just closed out the month of August and the unofficial end to summer is this weekend. At least in the northern hemisphere. Those down under are about to move from winter to spring. As far as I’m concerned, all good times of years.

I have mixed feelings about the month of August 2016. It’s been one of the hottest on record. Not that I am complaining but it would have been nice to have had a bit more rain. Though, the south-west U.S. could use it more. I just wish I could have enjoyed the warm (hot) weather more. It just wasn’t to be.

Why? Well, as you may recall, I suffered a severe concussion in mid July. (See my post ‘I saw Stars‘.) Since then, I’ve been out of work much of the time, while I deal with the after effects. They include a constant headache ranging from 1 – 6 on the pain scale. I’ve also had to deal with a diminished ability to formulate several sentences together into a cognitive thought. When I write, I often fat fingered my typing or misspell words that I know how to spell. Then there are the times when I can’t think of the word I want to say, even though it is sitting right there on the tip of my tongue. I still have trouble maintaining my balance when standing still.

All of this sucks. I am so tired of the headache. My love tells me that she’d rather deal with the pain of childbirth rather than have the headache I have had for the past seven weeks. I can get irritable, and I’m restless — anxious to get back to a normal life. Most certainly, my quality of life has diminished. All I can do is follow my doctor’s instructions and continue to rest.

“Hey Doc, do you know what it’s like for a writer to deal with growing headaches simply because he’s writing?” Let me tell you all, it sucks. Guess how long it took me to write these short paragraphs. Too long, I tell you. Almost an hour. F*&K.

41943863 - black diagram on pc screen. financial data on background.On a good note, I was looking at my sales figures for the month of August. Pretty decent. Amazon alone posted nearly 300 copies of my books, mostly in the Her Client trilogy. That’s 9.7 books per day. My other outlets also showed good sales figures. I guess word is getting around. Not bad for a new author, considering I published my very first book June 2015. Who knows what will happen in the next couple of years. So …

THANK YOU for reading my stories. It means a lot to me.

Next on my agenda, I plan on posting about my novellas. I haven’t quite figured out what I am going to write about but since they are selling well, I’m thinking you may be interested in how I came to write them, plus I may write about my character development, and so forth.

Until next time, have a great weekend and I’ll talk to you soon. Feel free to write me by clicking on the comment button. I look forward to reading them.

What’s for Dinner?

What’s for Dinner?

Without a doubt, after you read ‘The Taste of Honey’, you will know where your next meal comes from. Discover how the human race survives. Envision genuinely enjoying an office meeting. Appreciate & enjoy community sanctioned recreational sex.

What's for Dinner?
The Taste of Honey

Find out what others are saying about this book. Read the reviews on Amazon and on this site. For example, this is what one reader recently wrote, giving the book four stars.

Once I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down. I don’t typically read sci-fi but this author keeps you reading from one steamy chapter to the next. I like reading a book where I can follow the storyline easily and this is one of those books. Perhaps another Stephen King in the making?

Do you agree with the review? Write your own. I would love to read it.


Feel free to comment and agree or dispute my opinions. I love a challenge. Till next time, have a great day!

Interview Snippets on Mona’s Stories-4

Interview Snippets on Mona’s Stories

(Part Four)

What follows is the continuation of an interview I conducted with one of my readers. I captured their notes and turned it into this update to my blog. This is Interview Mona’s Stories part 4.


Q: Speaking of the Doctor. Does he have a name?

A: Of course he does. His name is Doctor.

Q: But that is a title or function of what he does. That’s not a name.

A: In Mona’s society, they are the same. He is the Doctor and his name is Doctor.

Q: Interesting. Fair enough. Tell me about the ‘BLOODLINE’. Can you elaborate on that?

Interview Snippets on Mona's Stories-4A: The ‘BLOODLINE’ is still a work in progress. I haven’t yet worked out all of the details related to them. Right now, they are an unknown to Mona and her supporters. They have a personal agenda that seems contrary to the society Mona lives in. They have been working on this agenda for at least three generations and frankly, she’s scared.

Q: So, she has no idea of what their endgame is?

A: No, she doesn’t. And neither do I? The ‘BLOODLINE’ was an invention developed in my second book in the series, ‘Broken Steele’ to explain tainted meat and the widespread the effects it had on a significant portion of the society.

Q: So, are the ‘BLOODLINE’ a villain?

A: Could be. I don’t know at this point. But they are a good source for conflict in Mona’s society. For tens of generations, Mona’s community has lived in peace and harmony, everyone knowing their place and everyone contributing to support the whole. Mona was born to a time when this harmony is about to falter, where stress and conflict are being felt for the first time in centuries.

Q: Are you saying that the ‘BLOODLINE’ could be the good guys?

A: Again, they could be. They don’t have to be the power-hungry, arrogant subculture that most of our books and movies assume. They could be advancing their own agenda in attempt to reverse the need to consume their own to stay alive. It remains to be seen as I work out the next couple of books.

Q: So, there are more books in the future?

A: Yes, I have outlines for at least two more books as well as a possible sixth book.

Q: I look forward to reading them.

A: Thank you. I hope you continue to enjoy them.


Care to Comment?

Feel free to comment and agree or dispute my opinions. I love a challenge. Till next time, have a great day!

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Interview Snippets on Mona’s Stories-3

Interview Snippets on Mona’s Stories

(Part Three)

What follows is the continuation of an interview I conducted with one of my readers. I captured their notes and turned it into this update to my blog. This is Interview Mona’s Stories part 3.


Q: Do you really believe that once we survive an extinction event, our very nature will be radically changed?

A: Yes, I do.

Q: I am a woman. Am I livestock in your books? A food source for others to consume?

A: I hope not, after all you are a beautiful woman. However, in the society that I have dreamed up, yes you are. In fact, so am I. Everyone is destined to become food and nourishment for others. From the moment of your birth, you will know without a shadow of a doubt, that one day, others will consume your flesh, produce products to stay warm, enjoy life, and fertilize crops with what’s left.

Interview Snippets on Mona's Stories-3Q: That’s a particularly horrific view of the future.

A: It is, isn’t it. I’m not saying that it will happen. I’m just speculating of what could happen. It probably won’t but it is not impossible. Nature has a way of reorganizing beings to deal with environmental conditions. In Mona’s world, nature is still trying to find a way to circumvent the constraints that man of the past imposed upon it. It may take tens of thousands or even millions of years to settle down. One thing I know, without a shadow of a doubt, nature will always find a way. Biology is a wonderful thing.

Q: So, what’s next for Mona and her society?

A: I’m still writing her story. The one thing about Mona, she is determined to find an alternate food source. She hates the idea of sending off her human stock to the conversion processing to be turned into steaks, roasts, etc. just so that others can live another day. In ‘Lucky Bitch’ she actively stopped the practice within her own household until she found out that her family was slowly starving to death, despite the fact that they were expecting to feed their household. Finding an ally in the Doctor, together they are trying. They may not solve the problem in their lifetime but that won’t stop Mona from trying. She has suburb investigative skills and working with a scientist like the Doctor, there is a chance that something will come out of it.


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Feel free to comment and agree or dispute my opinions. I love a challenge. Till next time, have a great day!

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Interview Snippets on Mona’s Stories 2

Interview Snippets on Mona’s Stories

(Part Two)

What follows is the continuation of an interview I conducted with one of my readers. I captured their notes and turned it into this update to my blog. This is Interview Mona’s Stories part 2.


Q: Are you an activist, passionate about stopping the practice of genetically modifying organisms?

Interview Snippets on Mona's Stories-2A: I’m not an activist. In fact, I’m not an activist about anything. I just write stories based upon my passions. If anything, I subscribe to facts science reveals. Take for example, obesity rates in the U.S. My country has been modifying our food sources for nearly a century in order to increase profits. In the 1940’s, obesity was a rarity. Today, it is the norm.

Check the statistics. For example, in the 1950’s,
the widespread use of corn syrup was added to our food supply as a cheaper way to produce food. Compare the graphs of the introduction of corn syrup to the obesity rates in this country. You will find a near perfect duplication of the charts, separated by only a decade. For every change in the production of our food supply, an exact change in the obesity rate occurs a decade later. 70 years later, corn syrup is now a staple in our diets. I try to avoid it but it is virtually impossible.

Q: How does that relate to the premise in your books?

A: To me, human arrogance is the relate. We presume to know better than what Mother Nature and millions of years of natural selection has produced. I believe we are digging a hole that the human race will find difficult to get out of. It may not happen in our lifetime or our children’s lifetime but I believe it is coming. We ourselves are going to cause a massive extinction event. Assuming our species survives, will be radically changed forever.

Q: And that is what ‘The Taste of Honey’ and the follow-up books speculate.

A: Yes, exactly. I don’t wish it to happen to anyone but I do feel powerless to prevent it. I believe an extinction event is inevitable and we will have caused it. How our extinction manifests itself is the question. All I know is, and I am firm in my belief, we will be causing our own extinction.


Care to Comment?

Feel free to comment and agree or dispute my opinions. I love a challenge. Till next time, have a great day!

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Interview Snippets on Mona’s Stories-1

Interview Snippets on Mona’s Stories

(Part One)

What follows is the continuation of an interview I conducted with one of my readers. I captured their notes and turned it into this update to my blog. This is Interview Mona’s Stories part 1.


Q: Richard, as you talk about the Mona Bendarova books, it seems to me that you are passionate about them. Are you?

A: Yes, I am. I’ve been dreaming up this society for years now. I have picked at it, revised it, poked holes in it, reworked it, revised it and re-examined it for a very long time. I tend to compare Mona’s culture to the world I see around me in my everyday life. Even in my sleep, my dreams compare the two. Frankly, it scares me. This really could happen.

Take, for example, my new book ‘Lucky Bitch’. In this story, Mona, the submissive property of Charles, breaks through the glass ceiling to become the Mistress of her own estate. As Master and Mistress, she is no one’s property. She is her own person, responsible to no one but her house and all it contains. She is eager to do well and break the cycle developed hundreds of years before her time. A cycle developed due the arrogance of her ancestors.

Q: By ancestors, you mean us, people living today?

A: Yes, I do. The society Mona lives in is a direct result of what we are doing to our planet today. People talk about global warming. Some believe it, just as I do. Those that do not are fools.

Interview Snippets on Mona's StoriesI think we should be just as concerned with what our food-producing industry is doing to ever increase profit. They are playing with the genomes of every living organism on the planet. Grafting plants are one thing. Mother Nature will either integrate the graft or it won’t. However, we are splicing genes at the genetic level, extracting one gene sequence and replacing it with another.

They believe they know what they are doing. But really? Do they?

How many mistakes have been made that the public are not aware of? Take for example the news surfacing over the past couple of years. Deadly substances such as Anthrax, plague, and Ebola are accidentally transported from high secure facilities around the world in unsecured and vulnerable containers.

In my mind, it’s not a matter of if something goes wrong but rather when. What will we do when a wildfire genetic maelström is released upon the planet. Will we be powerless to undo its damage?

Q: And?

A: And when it happens, all life on this planet will be affected. My stories of Mona’s culture is simply one possible result of the extinction event that we are building towards all on our own.


Care to Comment?

Feel free to comment and agree or dispute my opinions. I love a challenge. Till next time, have a great day!

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What’s on Tap-2

What’s on Tap 2

Yesterday, Saturday, did in fact turn out fantastic. Except for my ongoing, continuous headache, I couldn’t be more pleased. I am trusting that today will be more of the same, regardless of the weather, sun and heat. Whatever it turns out to be, I’m ready for a glorious day. Perhaps I’ll go see a movie?

InterviewOver the past month, I have been posting portions of an interview I gave several months back. Frankly, I was happy to transcribe portions into my blog. It not only helps my readers to more fully understand the basis of the books I write but it’s been helping me get back into sync with these stories. I have many more planned and I need ways to keep them fresh in my mind.

Starting tomorrow, I will be posting a number of smaller snippets from the interview. Generally, they are short answers to individual questions that move from topic to topic. I hope you enjoy them. Look forward to them starting Monday.

As always, I look forward to your comments. Please feel free to write me and let me know what you think. I always enjoy reading them.


Feel free to comment and agree or dispute my opinions. I love a challenge. Till next time, have a great day!

Please accept my apologies for the repeat post. Circumstances beyond my control screwed up the first post.

What’s on Tap

What’s on Tap

Yesterday, Saturday, did in fact turn out fantastic. Except for my ongoing, continuous headache, I couldn’t be more pleased. I am trusting that today will be more of the same, regardless of the weather, sun and heat. Whatever it turns out to be, I’m ready for a glorious day. Perhaps I’ll go see a movie?

InterviewOver the past month, I have been posting portions of an interview I gave several months back. Frankly, I was happy to transcribe portions into my blog. It not only helps my readers to more fully understand the basis of the books I write but it’s been helping me get back into sync with these stories. I have many more planned and I need ways to keep them fresh in my mind.

Starting tomorrow, I will be posting a number of smaller snippets from the interview. Generally, they are short answers to individual questions that move from topic to topic. I hope you enjoy them. Look forward to them starting Monday.

As always, I look forward to your comments. Please feel free to write me and let me know what you think. I always enjoy reading them.


Feel free to comment and agree or dispute my opinions. I love a challenge. Till next time, have a great day!

Happy Saturday

Happy Saturday

That’s right. The weekend is here. Two whole days of not having to go to work. Two whole days of skipping the grind that pays the bills and keeps food in my belly and a roof over my head. It’s a beautiful day here in Rochester, NY. Blue sky without a cloud in sight. Moderate temperatures and low humidity, I think I’ll spend the bulk of it out on my patio, soaking it all in.Happy Saturday

So for me, the day is starting off well. I got almost nine full hours of sleep. I can’t remember the last time that happened. Certainly well before my knock on the noggin.  more “Happy Saturday”

Gratitude

Gratitude

What is gratitude? The way I see it, it is being thankful for someone or something that enriched a person’s life. The way I feel when I see people buying my books. Thank you. You are all awesome. A special thank you to those that recently purchased ‘The Taste of Honey‘ and ‘Broken Steele‘. I really appreciate it. Be sure to look for the third book in the series, ‘Lucky Bitch‘, coming soon.

I would be especially grateful if after reading my books, you would post a review. Reviews are the lifeblood of a book. I appreciate each and every one of them.

Plus, sales aside, reviews lift my spirits and soothe my soul. Thank you for your kindness and your review.

Tired of the Olympics

Tired of the Olympics?

Tired of the Olympics?Have you had enough of the Olympics? After more than two weeks of competition, the last medal has been awarded, the last anthem played and the venues sit empty.

If you’re tired of the games or simply anxious to replace them with something else, might I suggest reading a book. Perhaps, one of my mine or someone else’s. Anything that cuts your fancy. For a few hours, you’ll find yourself lost in a story that will captivate you, intrigue you, or take you to another world.

Mine are available right here on my site RichardVerry.com, at Amazon or Smashwords, or your favorite eBook retailer. Don’t like eBooks? Most of them are available in paperback. Check them out and write a review. I would love to read it.

No matter what you do, enjoy a good story, one that you can see yourself as one of the characters, feel what they feel, smile, cry, laugh or scream. It doesn’t matter. It’s the journey that counts. The journey to the podium and the party.

Club Lothario

Club Lothario

How did you come up with the name Club Lothario?

When I wrote the first book, ‘The Taste of Honey’, I did not have a name for the club. I simply referred to it as ‘The Club’. In the first book, it was simply a vehicle to support a couple of scenes I wanted to write outside of a house. For the second book, ‘Broken Steele’, I decided the club was going to take on a larger part in the stories. I needed a vehicle to foster conflict as well as resolution. I needed a place estate masters could go to argue issues, meet in private and coördinate effort for the community. I needed a champion for Mona, separate from Master Charles. The Club needed a name. more “Club Lothario”

Club Lothario, what is that?

Club Lothario, what is that?

Ahhh … Club Lothario is one of my favorite inventions for Mona’s culture. With so many women, I decided that men needed somewhere they could go to hang out apart from women but could still interact with them as desired.

Think of Club Lothario as a mix between a men’s social membership club, civic center, strip club, high-end restaurant, and private meeting-house. It supplies solitude from the stresses of maintaining an estate. It offers relaxation, socialization and nourishment to its members. Various calming services are offered, including sexual intimacy to solitude from the everyday responsibilities. This is my concept of Club Lothario. more “Club Lothario, what is that?”

Community Games

Community Games

The Olympic Games are here and already, they are half way done. Medals have been given with the winners standing on the podiums to receive their accolades and hear their national anthems. I must admit, I’ve been watching. Swimming, gymnastics, soccer (football), and rugby are just some of the sports I’ve watched.

Community GamesI’m fascinated with the games. They only happen every four years and for most of the sports, it is their only place to shine before the world. Forget basketball, golf and tennis. The athletes who participate in these sports have somewhere to go after the games and earn a living playing their sport.

What about archery, Track and Field, Handball, and Field Hockey? Let’s not forget swimming and gymnastics after all. Where do these athletes go after the games. Is there such a thing as a professional field hockey league? How about a professional archery league, or any of them. Nope. The only way they can make a living and still play in their sport is through endorsements. If you’re lucky enough to someone to sign on and endorse you.

As I was thinking about the Olympic Games, I couldn’t help but compare them to the games that are routinely played at the Community Celebrations in the ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’. Set in a post-apocalyptic world millennia in the future, Mona’s community knows the value of competing in games. The difference of course is the her games are decided not on wins and losses but life and death. Winners live, losers don’t. It’s that simple.

As I think about the games, I can’t help be relate them to the real life gladiatorial games of the roman era or the fictional games brought to life in ‘The Hunger Games’. Contestants fought to win and stay alive. Most failed and died on the field of play. The same is true in Mona’s world. Who would have thought that dance competitions were waged with a noose around one’s neck and the winner is the sole survivor. Many stories in the past have hosted hunting games, where the prey are people. In Mona’s world, they too have a similar hunt, only the prey are released arms bound and naked knowing full well that they will not survive.

Life and Death Community GamesYet, why do they do it? To continue to comparison, in Mona’s world instead of country competing between country, it’s house estates against other house estates. They compete for the honor it will bring their house, where their family lives. They also know that their deaths will not be wasted. Their bodies will be converted to feed their families. It is the way of things in her world and they all accept it as a natural order of things.

Really though? Why do they willingly go off and compete in these games? I’ll tell you. It’s a far better fate than being one of thousands, transported to a conversion procession center that is no different from a slaughterhouse. At least this way, they can use every means possible to win and survive. Afterall, it is possible to win and survive. Just ask Julie in ‘Broken Steele’. She wins her dance competition. Which means, she lives to see tomorrow and feast upon the meat of her competitors. Now that’s a gold medal in of itself.

Thank you

Thank you

A new fantastic review of ‘The Taste of Honey’ appeared on Amazon the other day. Thank you Reenie K for your comments. I do appreciate them. BTW, I hope your prophecy comes true. Wouldn’t that be something. Gotta keep writing, that’s all there is to it.

Thank youI also want to thank all of my readers out there who continue to buy my books. It’s really nice to see the sales charts documenting all of the hits. What’s really cool is to see the numbers not just from Amazon but the other eBook retailers out there, including Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo to name a few. Thank you to each and everyone of you.

Thanks too to my loving girlfriend and partner in crime. She puts up with a lot to help me get these posts and stories out. I have two projects going at once and sometimes, I hole up in my office writing, leaving her to wander the rest of the house doing who knows what.

After months of little rain, we finally experienced significant rain as well as a few thunderstorms over the last couple of days. It is a welcome relief. I love my thunderstorms. Every chance I get, I sit in the safety of my garage and watch the light show around me as the wind drives bullet sized rain onto the ground. Weather wise, I love living in the northeast U.S. Our weather is mild compared to the rest of the country yet diverse enough that I am never bored.

Finally, a quick report. A month ago tomorrow, as many of you know, I suffered a severe concussion. I saw a galaxy of stars in that moment. While I am progressing, I am still not past it yet. Constant headaches, fatigue and short term memory loss are still an issue. I am back to work, though on half days. That’s good. I need the job to support my writing. I see Doc again this week and I can’t help wonder what will come out the other side. Crossing my fingers.

It’s been a good week overall and I am looking forward to the coming weeks ahead. How about you? Are you in a good space? Either way, feel free to comment. I look forward to reading them. I am Richard Verry, reporting to you from my home office, drinking my first cup of coffee. Delish.

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Imagination leads to creativity

Vivid Imagination

I read this quote on imagination the other day on social media. Though I’m sure I don’t have it exact, word for word, I know that this is the sentiment.

“I don’t subscribe to the stuff I write about. I just have a vivid imagination.”

This statement rings clearly in my psyche. The sentiment allows me to explain to people about the stories I capture in my writings and in my artwork. In short, it describes me in a very succinct way. I believe it fits me to a tee.

When you read the books I write, you feel the anguish my characters feel. Sit inside the minds of the perpetrators as they deliver their punishments to their unwilling victims. Follow along inside the minds of the victims and feel their pain. Identify with the characters and cringe as they do as they suffer their unwanted brutal attacks. Cheer for the sufferer even time they achieve a victory against their attacker.

Imagination 38931463 - open door to another reality, abstract ethereal backgroundsWhile I wrote these stories, that is true, picturing myself as the perpetrator is disturbing to me. Violence against any living being, human or otherwise, I find as abhorrent. I cannot imagine me actually doing the violence I write about. Frankly, it turns my stomach. I can’t imagine myself forcibly raping another person, man or woman. It is unimaginable to view myself as a boxer, fighter, soldier or whatever. I just can’t see it. I don’t consider myself a pacifist, I simply abhor the notion of violence against another.

Why is it then that I enjoy movies that portray acts of violence? Why are my favorite video games fraught with hunting down, attacking and killing other characters? I saw a movie the other day, entitled ‘Vice’ starring Bruce Willis. I had never heard of it before. I never saw trailers or other promotions for it. I simply saw it on my online guide and watched it.

While I enjoyed it, I cursed it at the same time. The premise of the movie was one I have been developing on my own to wrap many of my storylines into a single volume. Shit! So now, I can’t use that one anymore. It would have been perfect. But, I digress.

Garters Thigh High Stockings vectorOther people have trouble seeing the conflict in my mind. Most say, “If I can write it, I must be able to do it.” It’s also been suggested that “If I can write it, I must be a misogynist.” While I understand how people make that leap, I don’t agree with it. I simply have an active imagination which I choose to document.

Besides, not all of my imaginative visions are violent. Many are loving, touching scenes of people who are deeply into each other. Others are sexy, usually graphic scenes of the greatest gift Mother Nature could have given the human race. That, of course, is SEX. In case you haven’t noticed. I love sex. I love the beauty I see in mature adult women’s bodies. It doesn’t matter how old they are, how big or small, or whether they are tall or short. The mature, naked female body, in my opinion, is the best gift God or Mother Nature gave us.

Unfortunately, these other scenes running through my imagination are already being written by thousands of other authors. From what I can tell, they sell well enough. If I want my writings to support my lifestyle, perhaps I should write my own.

Sorry but I don’t want to regurgitate the same thing that others are already doing. I want to write unique stories that no one else is writing. Just as I love seeing women who are different from most, who wear asymmetrical clothing, custom jewelry, interesting piercings, gorgeous tattoos and other adornments that are uncommon and individual, I like the idea of writing fresh stories that are unique and different. 

What I find most fascinating is the more violent the story, the more graphic and brutal it is, the better it sells. WTF? I recognize that either you like the stories or you don’t. There is no middle ground. I’m okay with that. I’m just thankful for the thousands out there that do like and buy the stories.

Whether you believe me or not, I don’t subscribe, support and live this behavior. It is the product of my vivid imagination. Those closest to me, my friends, family, and lover know the truth. In reality, I’m a pussy. Just don’t try to stop me. That’s when my fangs come out.

In the meantime, as long as people buy it, I’ll continue to write it.

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Care to comment? Please do. I always love reading what others have to say.

Cultural Changes of The ‘Purge Plague’ (Part 5)

Cultural Changes caused by The Purge Plague

Over the last four segments, I wrote about the roots of the plague and the causal effects on Mona’s community. In this segment, I cover the cultural effects which resulted.

cultural changes due to gene splicing 58592066 - abstract education and science backgrounds for your designIt should be noted that while the plague was halted, it was not eradicated. Over centuries, people made many attempts to revive the extinct species. Huge stores of seeds were set aside on the chance that one day, they could be replanted. Attempts to germinate these seeds failed. A millennium later, survivors made little progress finding an alternate source of high protein food stores.

In the early days, societal controls fell apart as starving people sought ways to find the nutrition they needed. Populations started to diminish once more. On the verge of succumbing to extinction, the survivors banded together to deal with the stresses of trying to live. Through trial and error, often violent, they eventually settled on a systemized process to select candidates for conversion through random selection. Over centuries, everyone accepted that one day, they would help feed the future generations.

Population Disparity

Due to the disparity of numbers between men to women, it became commonplace for sterile women to supply the bulk of those converted for food. Afterall, they represented more than three quarters of the population. Still though, everyone submitted to conversion processing at some point in their lives. There were no exceptions. From birth to conversion, people lived their life based upon this eventual fate. In between, everything they learned, did and produced was focused meeting the needs of society. They became the primary producers, workers and sex toys. In short, each person lived to serve and contribute.

In summary, due to the inability to satisfy basic nutritional needs, they turned to each other. To manage the conversion process, a complex society arose to fairly deal with the new reality. No one was immune from this fate but a culture developed to de-horrify the practice. In time, the stigma of consuming themselves disappeared. It became a simple fact and accepted as a part of life.

 


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Excerpts

Excerpts from an interview I gave some months ago. The question explored dealt with the ‘Purge Plague’, a vehicle I invented to explain how Mona’s culture came to be. This is the final installment in a five-part series published over the past several days. Feel free to comment on the link at the bottom. I welcome your insights and opinions.

The ‘Purge Plague’ (Part 4): Physical Changes

Physical Changes caused by The Purge Plague

Besides high male mortality rates and a shift in a woman’s difficulty in carrying children, there were other changes to human physiology. The last-ditch gene splicing efforts manifested itself in significant physical changes to the human body.

physical changes due to gene splicing 57855271 - evolution, female portrait against abstract science backgroundsWoman tended to have longer legs, shorter torso, wider hips and fuller breasts. Fertile women were constantly pregnant, averaging several dozen multiple birth deliveries. Besides feeding their young, they also became the world’s milk and dairy producer. Expressed milk was turned into yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products.

Emotionally, all women became extremely submissive, exchanging power for security. At the same time, most lost their maternal instincts. They were easily sexually aroused, eager to find opportunities to enjoy frequent sexual relations.

Men tended to grow taller and stronger, especially in the shoulders and legs. They picked up the nurturing gene that women lost. They cared for the women and progeny within in their homes. Like women, men were eager for sexual release. Testicles grew larger, tripling daily semen production. Prostates grew in size and strength, producing larger volumes of seminal fluid and stronger ejaculations. As a result, men were more easily able to attain and maintain an erection, capable of delivering vast quantities of viable semen on a daily basis.

For both men and women, lack of regular sexual orgasms resulted in a diminished quality of life. As a consequence, lack of sex lead to irritability, discomfort, anguish, and physical suffering. For men and women, sexual releases several times a day became the norm. Quite literally, life became painful without regular sexual contact among all members of the community.

 


In my next post

I will summarize the changes to the human race as a result of the ‘Purge Plague’.

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Excerpts from an interview I gave some months ago. The question explored has to do with the ‘Purge Plague’, a vehicle I invented to explain how Mona’s culture came to be. This is the fourth installment in a five-part series that I will publish over the next several days. Feel free to comment on the link at the bottom. I welcome your insights and opinions.

Consequences: The ‘Purge Plague’ (Part 3)

The Purge Plague: Consequences

Solving the human extinction event wasn’t without its consequences. Besides finding an alternate food source, other changes occurred. The new genome made significant changes to human physiology. Sickness had been wiped out. The common cold, cancer, infections, and the various maladies associated in pre-plague days were nonexistent. Within one hundred years, no one ever got sick.

Consequences of gene splicing 58592001 - abstract science and technology backgrounds for your designLife expectancy shortened. Three out of four women were born sterile. The rest became prolific baby factories, capable of delivering multiple babies in each pregnancy. As such, the terms ‘bitches’, ‘litters’, and ‘sows’ came into common everyday language. Cycles shortened from 28 days to 23 days. Gestation periods dropped to under 30 weeks. Over time, those that could bear children were highly sought after. Those that could not bear offspring, eventually contribute their meat.

Over time, sterility became defined as either not being able to conceive or conception was difficult and rarely came to term. For example, despite having been pregnant, since her offspring weren’t viable, Mona is considered sterile. Over time, population censuses implied that women of this class were evolving into a third sex. However, in Mona’s time, this was not yet the case. Women in this class became the workers and playmates to their masters. They were also the primary livestock for the community.

Men weren’t immune to change

The single most significant physiological change occurred in men. Mortality rates for men skyrocketed, resulting in near 100% mortality by age 1. Of those that did survive past age 1, matured slowly, enfeebled and frail. With 30% dying each subsequent year, not until nearing the age of 20, did surviving males began to thrive, grow and mature. By 25, they were virtually assured of a long and prolific life, one among 10,000 women.

Within a century, a man’s primary role was to impregnate as many women as possible. Women became the producers of all other necessities of life. In short, women had all the power in their society but due to their submissive nature, exchanged it to satisfy their own needs.

 


In my next post, I will explore further physical and psychological changes as a result of the “fix” to the ‘Purge Plague’.

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Excerpts from an interview I gave some months ago. The question explored has to do with the ‘Purge Plague’, a vehicle I invented to explain how Mona’s culture came to be. This is the third installment in a five-part series that I will publish over the next several days. Feel free to comment on the link at the bottom. I welcome your insights and opinions.

The ‘Purge Plague’ (Part 2) : Extinction?

Extinction – The Purge Plague initiates an unstoppable event

Resolving the runaway genome infection among human populations was not without its perils. The plague had already caused the extinction of almost all life on the planet. While it was too late to save the other species, scientists at the time saved what they could. GMOs initiate a near extinction event 57855271 - evolution, female portrait against abstract science backgroundsIt became a race to find an answer before the total extinction of human race.

Desperate to find a solution, scientists took chances and spliced genes they might not have otherwise done. With human population under a million and declining rapidly, they tried one more daring and dangerous splice. Unsure of what would happen, they tested it directly on human subjects and crossed their fingers.

gene splicing at the genetic level 27282224 - dna molecule, structural fragment of z-form, 3d illustration

Success?

Surprisingly, they found success. Test subjects recovered and began to recover. Buoyed with success, they deployed the new genome on a massive scale. Within a generation, they had turned the tide.

Unfortunately, it was too late for other species on the planet. Every high protein plant had already died out. Every animal, fish, and insect perished. Wiped out forever, were dolphins and whales, halibut and flounder, trout and bass, crab and lobster, and fish of all kinds. Extinct were dogs and cats, horses and mules, cattle and sheep, insects including beetles, bees, and mosquitos (no loss there). Gone too were soybean, legumes and beans, broccoli, lentils, and asparagus. The list went on and on.

Except for humans, nothing survived. Everything high in consumible protein became extinct. What survived could barely be considered a viable food source. Attempts to repopulate species from seed stock failed.

Humans were effectively … alone … rulers of a decimated planet.

Plus, they were hungry. Without significant sources of food high in protein, humans had little choice. They could either wither or turn to the only source available to them … themselves.

 


In my next post

I will explore the changes to human physiology that occurred as a result of the “fix” to the Purge Plague.

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Excerpts from an interview I gave some months ago. The question explored has to do with the ‘Purge Plague’, a vehicle I invented to explain how Mona’s culture came to be and how it survived a near-extinction event. This is the second installment in a five-part series that I will publish over the next several days. Feel free to comment on the link at the bottom. I welcome your insights and opinions.

The ‘Purge Plague’ (Part 1), What brought it about?

The Purge Plague, can you elaborate on that?

purge plague gene splicing GMO genome 57855280 - mankind and evolution, female portrait against abstract science backgroundsThe Purge Plague is a speculation that I came up with to justify the culture of Mona’s world. However, it is a speculation that I firmly believe is possible, if not likely, to occur. Most of all, it is The Purge Plague that causes the near extinction of the human race.

Let’s compare the post plague era with today’s world as we know it today. For centuries, we’ve been cross-breeding plants and animals to create new subspecies. Most fail and the subspecies dies out. Some, however, become a new species and reproduce, creating copies of themselves.

Over the last sixty years, scientists and corporations are doing more than that. They are slicing genes at the genetic level. Sometimes, they do it to see if they can. More often than not, there is a specific goal they are trying to attain.

gene splicing 27282224 - dna molecule, structural fragment of z-form, 3d illustrationBe it crops or animal stock, gene splicing is happening today. Farmers, big and small, are trying to develop hardier crops, resistant to insect and disease. Another goal is to produce more usable product per acre, regardless of the species. More product for less cost means higher profits.

Consequences

The Purge Plague speculates what would happen to life should a gene splice replicate on a massive scale with undesirable results. As a result, the resultant genome is so hardy, so resistant to eradication, that it spreads across the planet, modifying the DNA of every living plant, animal, and insect. The genome rapidly invades every organism on the planet, humans included.

Consequently, species fail to reproduce or are without critical biological systems to process nutrients from the foods they ingest. Specifically, consumable proteins that are nutritional in nature and necessary for life. Without being able to ingest consumable proteins; plants, animals, and people wither and die. Even today, vegans ingest proteins in the form of legumes, beans, nuts, and similar plant sources.

Think what would happen if all of these species died out suddenly, all at once. Mass extinction.

 


In my next post

I will explore the extraordinary lengths taken to halt the plague.

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Excerpts from an interview I gave some months ago. The question explored has to do with the ‘Purge Plague’, a vehicle I invented to explain how Mona’s culture came to be. It is a five-part series that I will publish over the next several days. Feel free to comment on the link at the bottom. I welcome your insights and opinions.

Tell me about Mona’s culture (part 5)

What follows are excerpts from an interview I gave some months ago. I’ve condensed it to a five-part series, published over the past week. This is the final segment. I hope it will provide insight into the world I created with the ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’. Feel free to comment on the link at the bottom. I welcome your insights and opinions.


In many ways, Mona’s culture seems like a utopia. I mean, what’s not to like? Everyone has access to unlimited sex, unlimited partners, and unlimited pleasure. Your wants and needs are completely satisfied. You wake up in the morning, alone or with company sharing your bed, picking up from where you left off last night.

At breakfast, some lovely naked wait staff serves you, delivering food and drink right to the table. Man or a woman, it doesn’t matter. You are attended too.

What’s not to like?

After breakfast, you do your chores, whether it is cutting the grass, preparing the next meal of the day, or attending to and serving your household members. The workload is pretty easy.

You spend quality time in the playroom and get fucked on a regular basis. You have a roof over your head and three squares a day.

What’s not to like?

Except that thing about feeding upon one another in order to survive. That’s a bummer, right?

Honey's PortraitWhat if you knew and accepted from birth that one day, you would feed your companions, just as you are feeding upon them now? Does it then become an acceptable and moral practice? Maybe.

What if by converting and feeding your companions, you knew that you would live forever? What then?

I submit to you that Honey, the title character of Book 1, believes she will. She firmly believes that she will live on in Mona and the rest of her family. By living in them, she will have the power to help them successfully navigate through their trials. Besides, she loves them. This way, she will be forever bonded to them.

If you knew that, without a shadow of a doubt, you will live forever. Simply by others consuming your meat, would you? I think I might.

 

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Tell me about Mona’s culture (part 4)

What follows are excerpts from an interview I gave some months ago. I’ve condensed it to a five-part series, which I intend to published over the next week. I hope it will provide insight into the world I created with the ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’. Feel free to comment on the link at the bottom. I welcome your insights and opinions.


With hundreds of female submissives within each house, women serve in roles best suited for their talents. Outside of delivering offspring, they maintain the house, care for offspring, work the slaughterhouse and prepare the meals. They serve as maids and valets, greeters and waitstaff, landscapers, drivers, and trainers. They serve their Master and house guests, satisfying both carnal and nutritional needs as necessary.

woman holding flogger behind neckMany are also playmates to their masters, be it in bed or the playspace, each serves and submits, each according to their talents. From birth to maturity, regardless of sex, everyone is trained on attitude and techniques in pleasuring sexual partners. By the time they are attached to a house, members have the necessary training to attend to required duties.

Take Mona for example. She is an extreme masochist. As a pain slut, she relishes torment delivered by the hands of her Master, her body building to climax and orgasm. To her, it’s a good kind of pain that her body desires and demands. Submitting to Master Charles is an event she eagerly looks forward to and deeply misses when withheld. The same eagerness resides in each of the submissive women, though their desires may differ from one to another.

Unfortunately, attachment to a house is not a foregone conclusion. Assuming they survive to puberty, they are subjected to a battery of training and testing. Despite excelling in their training, if they are not selected to a house, their usefulness diminishes. Without the security of a house, conversion is usually the next step in their journey. Nothing is wasted and their contribution to society is complete.

In my next post, I’ll finish up my description of her culture.

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Tell me about Mona’s culture (Part 3)

What follows are excerpts from an interview I gave some months ago. I’ve condensed it to a five-part series, which I intend to published over the next week. I hope it will provide insight into the world I created with the ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’. Feel free to comment on the link at the bottom. I welcome your insights and opinions.


As I wrote the last time, women are genetically born to be naturally submissive to their Masters. It’s in their genes. Membership of a house brings residents security and protection at the expense of becoming the property of the house.

5045638_sResidents bound to the house, serve the needs of the house. They can be traded, transferred, and converted. Males are not immune to this practice either. They too are bound to their estates and are routinely converted when their usefulness to the house and community comes to an end.

Masters are charged with the care, feeding, and nurturing of everyone within their house. They must take care of basic necessities. They must give them an opportunity to grow as a person and rise above their eventual fate. Take Mona for example. As revealed in Book 1, she is already holding a senior rank within her house. She is a Senior Lead Investigator within her Master’s security business. She has a private office and staff to support her. Over the course of the series, she grows and matures, and in Book 3, ‘Lucky Bitch’ becomes the Master of her own house.

The primary responsibility within a house is the birthing new members. The sex of the offspring is less important as the need to keep up with live births. Birthing a male child is a rare event, inducing a time for caution as well as celebration. Hopefully, it will survive to maturity though the odds are greatly against it.

Men are encouraged to have sex with as many fertile women within their house to minimize inbreeding. Frequent community celebrations encourage diverse carnal liaisons among attendees to further diminish inbreeding. Certainly Mona, as Master of her own house, has a problem when it comes to this responsibility. However, she has a plan.

Out of responsibility rather than desire, men also make monthly rounds of the breeding centers, naturally depositing their seed in ovulating women, impregnating as many as possible. Over time, males tend to tire of this arduous duty and can fall behind in their duties. However, few fail to perform their duty for fear of increasing the risk of their own conversion.

In my next post, I’ll continue my description of the culture Mona lives in.

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Tell me about Mona’s culture (Part 2)

What follows are excerpts from an interview I gave some months ago. I’ve condensed it to a five-part series, which I intend to published over the next week. I hope it will provide insight into the world I created with the ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’. Feel free to comment on the link at the bottom. I welcome your insights and opinions.


Following the ‘Purge Plague’ and over hundreds of years, societal rules changed to accommodate the new reality. War, religion, and social injustices fell by the wayside. Gone also was the concept of money, love, marriage, and monogamy. In Mona’s contemporary time, they simply have no comprehension of these concepts. Survival of the species became paramount.

Earth of two mindsThe last-ditch effort to save the human race through gene manipulation caused other consequences and society continued to adapt. People perished by the billions. Genetic changes within females caused them to become extremely submissive to males while males suffered extremely high mortality rates. Within two generations, population disparities between men and women became extremely unbalanced. Within a century, only one male in 10,000 survived to adulthood, leaving about 66 men for every million women.

To compensate, a system arose to regulate and deal with progeny and food supply. Live births surviving to maturity are graded and categorized for the quality of their meat. Meat that one day will feed their community. To ensure fairness, an elaborate system developed to secure equitable conversion processing among everyone. Out of necessity, progeny remained unnamed until maturity and bound to a house.

With the dissimilar distribution of men to women, society accommodated the shift by distributing a single male and master per estate.

The Master became ‘the dominant and the deciding authority’ in all things related to their house. The rest of the residents of a house were generally women. While women could rise to become the Master of a house, admittedly, this was a rare event. Otherwise, women submitted to the needs of their house and Master.

In my next post, I’ll expand upon the consequences of past decisions.

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Tell me about Mona’s culture (part 1)

What follows are excerpts from an interview I gave some months ago. I’ve condensed it to a five-part series, which I intend to published over the next week. I hope it will provide insight into the world I created with the ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’. Feel free to comment on the link at the bottom. I welcome your insights and opinions.


Mona’s Culture? What an interesting question.

Estate HouseMona lives in a feudal world set thousands of years in our future. She lives in a world without a central power or government. Instead, her community consists of loosely linked estates, commonly called houses, each named after the owner of their estate. Residents who live on the estate refer to the owner as ‘Master’. Loosely tying the estates together, is Club Lothario. The club acts as a central meeting-house, civic center, and relaxed governing body. The club acts to ensure each house meets their quota to the community.

Their culture evolved to deal with a near extinction event more than a millennium in the past. Cultural roots go back to a time when gene manipulation of the food-producing animals and plants was common place. Eventually, larger profits were sought, mistakes were made and aggressive genome manipulation ran out of control. Unsurprisingly, the plague nearly wiped out all life on Earth.

The ‘Purge Plague’, as it was later called, caused in the extinction of every insect, animal and most of the edible plant life, leaving the planet devoid of any and all sources of consumable protein. As the plague ran on over decades, the world was quickly stripped of life. Humans were about to follow suit.

Through extraordinary and expensive measures, scientists at the time were able to halt the extinction of the human species. In one massive, last-ditch effort of gene manipulation, the human race was saved.

Despite halting the extinction, the stigma of genetic manipulation survived. Over time, the idea of gene splicing was abhorrent to the population. It didn’t take long before all gene manipulation was banned all around the world.

As with all actions, there are consequences. The most significant consequence was, in order for humans to survive, they learned to consume the only source of protein available … themselves.

In my next post, I’ll expand upon how their culture evolved.

[twitter_follow screen_name=”richverry”]

On the Mona Bendarova Adventures

Do you like the genre of science fiction? I am not a fan yet if a story has character development, conflict and some resolution, I am interested. That is what I have found reading Richard Verry’s ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’.

IMG_20160617_111433I guess I have to wait for the third book in the series, ’ Lucky Bitch’, hoping there is some resolution for the main character, Mona. I am hoping the author will introduce new characters and more conflict. I truly enjoyed his first two books where I met and immersed myself  into the characters he introduced. All you had to do was mention a character name and I could tell you how the character relates to the story. That is a credit to the author, Mr. Verry, who vividly created the characters and the story.

In the midst of these stories, Mr. Verry describes a future world where his characters come alive and live. Again, I can understand his vision knowing I have been drawn in by the characters and the world they occupy. Like ‘Star Wars’ and most recently, ‘Independence Day’, we need to see these types of movies soon after they are released. I am okay with it since I can identify with the characters even if the setting is in the future.

So for those that love character development no matter what genre it is in, take a leap of faith in reading ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’ and enjoy the world that the author created. I can affirm to you that you will embrace these characters and the books. Start with a ‘Taste of Honey’ and follow it up with ‘Broken Steele’. ‘Lucky Bitch’ will soon follow.

I honestly can tell you that I am looking forward to reading it.

Janet M.

Rest assured, I’m still with you.

Just a quick note to let you know, I’m still here. I’m recovering nicely. As I am able, I am working on a five-part post that I hope to publish next week.

In this five-part post, I will be exploring the culture that Mona Bendarova lives in. For most of you, you know that Mona is the lead character in my series of novels called ‘The Mona Bendarova Adventures.

Taste Of HoneyIn the first two books, ‘The Taste of Honey‘ and ‘Broken Steele‘, I tell a story of a woman in another time and culture. She lives in a world very different from the one we live in today. Yet, it is plausible on so many levels. The third book in the series, ‘Lucky Bitch‘, continues to explore this culture, and I hopefully will have it out this fall. Be sure to look for it.

When you read the stories, you’ll wonder, could the world she lives in, really happen?

Check it out and let me know what you think.

In the meantime, dinner’s on the table. Time to eat.

One Week Left

Less Than One Week Left in the 50% off Summer/Winter Sale for ‘The Taste of Honey‘. Don’t miss out. Sales ends midnight, July 31, 2016. 50 %off only at RichardVerry.com and Smashwords.com.

When you read this story, you’ll ask yourself this question. “Could this really happen to us?

Find out how the human race survives 3D

Classifying my books

The last couple of days, I have been writing about how different my books are. I also wrote that I intentionally wanted to write books that were different from others. I wanted them to stand out from the rest out there.

To me, this is a good thing. I didn’t want to write something that stood out. That’s the thing about me. I don’t consider me as being ‘vanilla’. There are aspects to me that don’t fit the mold that society likes to fit each of us into.

The same goes for my books. As best as I can tell, they don’t fit into the nice and neat classifications that the publishing industry established.

And that’s a problem.

What do I classify my books so that you, the reader, can find them.

Certainly, they are fiction. After that, what?

I can tag them as erotica but are they really? I tag the Mona Bendarova books as mystery/suspense. They are … and yet not, at least in the traditional sense. Some people have told me that they think they are SciFi. I never thought of them that way but I can see how they do think of them they way. I sometimes think of them as a utopia but it could also be a dystopia.

My other books reflect stories of criminal acts but are they really crime novels? Since they also include sexual acts are they erotica? I don’t think so and from everyone I’ve contacted, they agree. Maybe ‘Dark Erotica’ but not everyone allows that classification.

So, what are they?

Any help would be appreciated. Write me and tell me your opinion. I appreciate your opinion.

Since my books are different and other musings

Broken Steele book cover 6x9 The Taste of Honey book cover 6x9First off, thank you to the fine folks who purchased my books, ‘The Taste of Honey’ and ‘Broken Steele’ in the past week. They were purchased right after I saw stars and suffered a significant concussion. I’ve been offline a lot since then, so I missed it. Thank you. I hope you are enjoying them. Be sure to look for the third book in the series ‘Lucky Bitch’ due out very soon.

Speaking of seeing stars (details will be found in a post I did earlier in the week), I resting as I recover. Frankly, it’s driving me crazy, sitting around being so inactive. Normally, I have lots to do, my day filled with activity. Until a day or so ago, even sitting at this computer and writing was problematic. But, just so you know, I’m on the mend and I’m looking forward to getting back to a normal life.

What I really want to write about today is how my books are different. In my last post, I wrote how I hoped my books were different from others on the market. That was my intention when I wrote them. I wanted to find my niche in the market. I believe I have succeeded.

However, being different and unique is a blessing and a curse. While I love writing these stories, marketing them is another story. First, though, let me give you a little background as I understand it. I could be mistaken in some of my understandings so I welcome comments correcting me.

The publishing industry is going through significant changes, just as the music industry did. The jury is still out on how it will shake out. For me, and thousands like me, this is a good thing. We authors are not dependent upon a relative few to publish our work. We can publish them ourselves, market them ourselves, and earn royalties on our creative works.

I find the indie-publishing aspect relatively easy. It took a while to figure it all out but with six unique selling published works, I’ve figured out the formula for getting them published.

I can write a book, I can publish a book. Two down, one to go. Marketing a book.

This I find is the hardest of all. Even though I am a college grad with a Master’s Degree, I did not learn much about marketing. I suck at it and I know it. Which is why I depend on others to help me.

The biggest problem I need to figure out how to overcome focuses on targeting a specific audience. That means, how do I find you? If you are reading this post, I’m ecstatic. It means I have already found you. But how do I find more like you?

Word of mouth is ‘the’ thing that everyone agrees with. So, I ask you. Will you help me? Will you spread the word, talk to your friends, neighbors, coworkers, the waiter who pours your coffee, and every man or woman on the street you come into contact with? Can you get people to like my website and my facebook page? Ask them to follow me on facebook (richardverryauthorartist), or twitter (@richverry), or my blog (richardverry.com/#subscribe). Thank you.

Next time, I hope to write about how I think my books are different and how to categorize them into the slots the publishing industry places them in. It’s a murky road, fret with thorns and brambles. Perhaps you can help me there too.

Feel free to write me and share your opinions.

Spread the word.

How are my books different from other books on the market?

Are they different? I certainly hope so. I spent a long time trying to find storylines that others hadn’t already written about. So, yes, they are.

First, a little background. I am an avid reader. I’ve been reading since I can remember, somewhere about the age of six. By the time I was in 4th grade, I had read every ‘Hardy Boys’ books, every ‘Nancy Drew’, ‘Tom Swift’ and hundreds of others. I’ll never remember them all. I just remember having a voracious appetite for books.

Book-3D-loopI lived in worlds that others had envisioned. Worlds that either exists or could exist. I found ‘Star Trek’ when it first aired. I was reading all sorts of Science Fiction by then. ‘Star Wars’, ‘Battlestar Galactica’, ‘Firefly’, ‘Dr. Who’ and a host of others was easy to love. SciFi isn’t the only genre I like to read. I like to read historical dramas, erotica … well … let’s just say, fiction of all sorts.

Why am I telling you this? It’s because when I decided I wanted to write a novel, I didn’t want to redo what others had done. I knew I could write something in those worlds that was plagiarizing someone else’s work. I just didn’t want to write something remotely similar to everything I’ve ever read. I wanted something new, fresh and even controversial.

I came up with at least two different genres. One is brutal, graphically depicting the depravity of the human race. The other is a world where people respect, honor and support each other … well, most of the time. What’s a story without conflict? Both are paranormal fantasies.

I particularly like Mona Bendarova’s world. There is no war, no religion, no self-righteous do-gooders who push their agenda on others. People live in harmony, enjoying life to the fullest and sacrificing when necessary to ensure the continuation of the species.

What makes them different? I try to tell it real. I don’t like dancing around a scene. I’ve read a lot where the author paints a grand scene leading up to ‘the’ moment, only to fast-forward to the next scene. I hate that. I am left wanting and unfulfilled. I can be angry that the author chose to dance over the real action.

As in my paintings, I try to depict realistic scenes; be it sex, violence, love, or simple conversation. My scenes can be raw. They can be soft and sweet. What makes them different is that they are complete, uncensored depictions of human nature. It’s the real deal.

If you like realism, if you like the complete story, if you like the uncensored version, you’ll like my books. Enjoy and let me know what you think. I’m always interested in hearing what you, the reader, has to say.

Good books are friends

My girlfriend and I had chinese food for dinner the other night. I’d like to share with you what my fortune cookie had hidden inside.

“Good books are friends who are always ready to talk to us.”

For the readers out there, I think you will agree. Good or bad, they talk to us, reach into our souls and stimulate emotions. I don’t know about you, but I have conversations with my books. Yes, the books themselves. I talk to them and they respond.

IMG_20160617_111433I also have conversations with other readers about books, either mine or someone else’s. We can debate whether it was a good read or a bad read. We can argue about the elements of the characters, the plot or the outcome.

My favorite books are those that I cannot predict where the story is taking me. Not just the ending either. I want to be surprised and jolted all along the way. Just when I think I figured out ‘who done it’ or whether the couple will final get together, the best stories for me those that change direction. By the time the last page is turned, I want the story wrapped up. I want all of the pieces to fit, like a jigsaw puzzle.

So far, from what people tell me, my books fit that criteria. However, I would be interested in what you, the reader of this blog, thinks. Write me. Fill out the comment field below and lay it on me. Tell me whether your favorite books talk to you and what it is about them that makes the book one of your favorites.

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

Your’s in reading and writing, Rich.

Mid-Summer Musings

I know it’s been a week since I’ve last posted a note. Sorry about that. I took the time to revise my website, RichardVerry.com, getting it to load faster, and remove some of the bloat that time inevitably creates. If you haven’t been to the site lately, please stop by.

29869517 - an image of a useful sale button 50%

One reason to stop by is that I am running a sale on some of my books. Check out the webpage for details. I can say this, some of the books are either free or 50% off.

Her-Client-Trilogy-advert1aI want to thank everyone who has been buying my ‘Her Client’ books. I did an analysis of sales for the past month. It appears that I am selling a decent quantity of these books each day. However, I did note some interesting facts.

Fact 1: Book 1, ‘Her Client’ sells twice as many as Books 2 & 3, and Book 2 ‘Her Overseer’ sells twice as many as Book 3 ‘Her Essentia’.

Fact 2: Sales on Books 2 & 3 follow that same curve as book 1, only a day or two later. That tells me this. If I captured your interest in Book 1, you are sure to buy books 2 & 3 a day or two later.

Fact3: Sales are the best reviews. I heartily believe that. However, I would love to hear from the readers on what you thought about the books. Write me, I welcome your comments. In the long run, your comments will help me write better and better books.

Be on the lookout for other books in the ‘Her Client’ genre. I have one already published on my site called ‘The Breakup’. It is also available on many other sites. I hope to get it available soon on Amazon. Frankly, I’ve been holding off on publishing it to Amazon as I am running an experiment. I’ll tell you more about the experiment in the future, but for now, the best place to get the book, ‘The Breakup’ is from my site.The-Breakup-advert5a800x300

Stop by and check out the site and read the reviews by readers like you. You might be surprised at mind boggling and enthralling the stories are.

Till next time, I hope you are have a great day and a better tomorrow.

Lucky Bitch is a reality

After months of hard work, plenty of interruptions and numerous diversions, last night I finished the first draft of ‘Lucky Bitch’, the third book in the ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’. Whoo hoo! ‘Lucky Bitch’ picks of about three months after the end of ‘Broken Steele’, which ended with Mona making the biggest decision in her life. A decision that will forever change the life she has ever known.
The Taste of Honey book cover 6x9Broken Steele book cover 6x9Of course, the book is not ready for prime time. Now comes the part where I reread it, edit it, cut and cut, and rewrite segments. I have a lot of work ahead of me but you know what? It’s a labor of love and I expect the work to go easily. After that, it goes to the editor and somewhere by then, I need a book cover prototype developed. Stay tuned!

To celebrate, I’m offering the first two books for 50% off for the month of July. Use the discount code: SSW50.

Mona Bendarova Adventures

  • Book 1: The Taste of Honey
  • Book 2: Broken Steele
  • Book 3: Lucky Bitch (coming soon)

In preparation of the release of ‘Lucky Bitch’ download and read your own copies for 50% off. That’s just a $1.50 a copy.

This discount is available only from smashwords and Richard Verry.

This discount is not available from Amazon but you can buy the book at discount for your Kindle or Kindle Reader. Use the discount code : SSW50 to get your discount from either site.

Don’t delay. This discount expires at midnight, July 31, 2016.

Be sure to enter your discount code SSW50 at checkout. Your 50% savings will be applied then. SSW50

Mona Bendarova Adventures Reviews

Still not sure? Well, read what others have said after reading them. Then read the books for yourself. Remember, use the discount code: SSW50

[good-reviews category=the_taste_of_honey]

Use the discount code : SSW50

[good-reviews category=broken_steele]

Use the discount code : SSW50

Free buttonOkay, if you have read this far, thank you. As a way of saying thanks, I will also share with you another one of my books, for FREE.

Get it and read it at https://richardverry.com/books/her-client-trilogy/#herclient.
No discount code required.

Working Hard

All my life I have strived to do better, improve myself, help the community, love my family, and cherish my significant other. It’s hard work but it’s easy work as well. Seems like a contradiction, doesn’t it? I don’t see it that way. Take for example, the quote I just found.

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.”

Working HardWhen I read this, I didn’t need to study it. My mind instantly went to points in my life where I felt each of these emotions. I’ve had my stresses in my life but once I’m past them, I tend to forget about them. The feelings remain but the facts fade. I guess I do that as a way of protecting myself and staying healthy.

Most poignantly are the passions in my life. Building a shelf, lashing a complicated structure to protect life and limb, painting a portrait to get it just right, writing and rewriting a piece of dialog for a story; these are all passions I love.

I pour my heart and soul into my passions. My girlfriend and significant other is the most important passion in my life. I tend to put aside other passions in order to do for her. Helping others, even the little things, is also important to me. Whether it’s offering a drink to a house guest, helping someone find their lost keys, or helping someone in distress, I do with the love of passion.

When I put aside time to work on my creative works, my passions really come alive. I recall and relive those feelings. I get lost in the creative process. Even now, as I write this entry, my body and soul are coming alive as these feelings flood every nook and cranny.

Time seems to slow or even stop. Adrenaline floods my body, my mind focuses on the work and everything else disappears. It’s a wonderful feeling. In my mind, I go somewhere else. Just ask anyone who has observed me in this state. I’m gone from this world and I’m in another world. I’m so far gone, that it frustrates my girlfriend to no end. Whether she wants to make dinner, spend time with me, or just ask my opinion, she finds it hard to break in. When I finally acknowledge the interruption, I can get upset, even angry. I lose my train of thought. I lose my mojo.

I don’t mean it. I would prefer to not snap and get upset. She doesn’t deserve the response and she tries to be patient but at times, not. Sorry honey. Together, we work it out, make adjustments and move forward.

Yet, I can’t get away from this alternate reality I go to in my mind when I’m creating, painting or writing. It’s fun. It’s addicting. It’s a far better alternative to prefering alcohol, drugs or just being a dickwad.

I can’t wait to re-enter the zone of my passions. What about you? What are your passions that you love.

Leave a trail

Good morning all you readers out there. I had a long and tiring weekend but today I’m refreshed and happy. I spent Friday night with friends who cooked us a fine meal and engaged me with spirited conversation well into the night. Saturday, I went to a wedding at the ball park. After the wedding, the reception was held in one of the ball park suites where a battle raged on the field. After the game, I were treated to fireworks. I’ll bet that there aren’t too many people who can honestly say that they had fireworks on their wedding night.

Not that kind! Well, that too but I am referring to the kind where gun powder is fired into the air which explodes into a multitude of light and sonic boomers. I had a wonderful time. Sunday was recovery day. I was wiped out and I needed to rest and recover.

But I digress. I read a cool quote this morning which I’d like to share with you.

“Do no go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Reading this quote, I was hit with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, following the path is easy. It’s what is expected. Fall in line, conform, and do as your told. I know that my girlfriend would welcome this from me, at least, some of the time. Yet, one of the reasons she loves me is that I do blaze my own trail. I go my own way. I forage ahead and damn the consequences.

Leading Line To The Kyoto GatesAdmittedly, I’ve gotten into trouble on a number of occasions and paid a price for my independence. Yet, it is who I am. One thing I’ve learned in life is that to be happy with myself, I have to be who I am. If I’m not happy with me and who I am, how the f**k can I make someone else happy.

So, I walk where there is no path. I am enjoying this period of discovery. It’s filled with wonder and joy. True, I make a wrong turn now and then and I need to back track a bit. So what. It’s a learning experience. What I still need to figure out is how to leave a trail. I do so in my professional life. Yet, I need to figure out how to leave a more lasting trail in my personal life.

I have talent for doing things. Whether it is hanging a TV on the wall so it won’t fall off or grilling a steak to perfection, I manage to do things in creative ways that people appreciate, or so they tell me. Yet, it is not enough. I want to more. I want to blaze a trail for others to enjoy.

Which is why I write and paint. I can express myself in ways that is impossible to do in real life. Perhaps some of my creative works will survive my life. Wouldn’t that be cool? Can you imagine? What if a hundred years from now, some picks up one of my books and reads it, or stumbles across one of my paintings and says, “Wow!”

What would Mona think? Would she enjoy someone reading her story well after her author moved on? I think she would. There is a lot of me in Mona.

What about you? What do you think?

Followup to Goals without a Plan

Yesterday, I wrote about goals without a plan is nothing more than a wish. In fact, I believe it’s more than that. It’s wishful thinking.

However, once you have the plan, you are already on the road to meeting your goals. For me, that’s the fun part. Taking the first step, then the next and then, the next one again. I’ve always believed that to reach the summit, you must put one foot in front of the other. Step over over the pebbles and eventually you’ll step over the stone, and eventually the mountain.

Earlier, I stumbled upon this followup quote.

“There’s no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.”

Makes sense to me, despite that I wish that it were possible to jump ahead of the line and go right to the top.

No Elevator to SuccessThe image I’ve displayed shows the quote surrounded by a spiraling stair case. I can’t imagine how many steps it would take to climb that stair case and reach the top. Hundreds? Thousands?

However many there are, in real life, it takes much more to achieve our goals. My goals. I’ve spent decades learning, experiencing, and experimentation before deciding upon my goals. Some of my goals have fallen to the wayside in favor of newer, more interesting goals.

Do you know what I find if fun? Working on my goals, figuring them out and taking the steps to achieve them. For me, it’s sitting down in front of my computer and transcribing the dialog running through my head. It’s picking up a pencil or paint brush and putting it to paper or canvas. Adrenaline begins racing throughout my body. I’m excited and the imagery in my mind feeds off the adrenaline and suddenly, my fingers can’t move fast enough. Whether it’s typing on a keyboard or stroke after stroke of my pencil or brush, I pour my heart and soul into each creative work.

Years later, I can look at a painting I did, notice one of my books on the shelves and the excitement returns in an immeasurable instant. Every so often, I review Honey’s story in my book, The Taste of Honey, and I’m filled with joy, wonderment and concern. I want her to be saved. I want her to thrive. I know that she has a goal in mind and that goal will survive death. She’ll make it happen. She has a plan. You’ll see as you delve into her world along with her best friend, Mona Bendarova.

Damn, I love what I do. I hope you do and if you don’t, well that’s okay too. You’re welcome to your opinion. Who am I to tell you what to think. So, to conclude, I hope I can instill this one thought and it’s a motto I’ve lived with my entire life. As far as I can tell, no one else has said this and I’ve repeated the mantra in my head every day of my adult life, and I’ve been around a while. I would be interested in your comments and responses. Please send me a note. I’ll be happy to read them.

My personal motto is this.

“Nothing is impossible. Everything is possible. It’s all in the attitude.” – Richard Verry

Sales are the best review but are they really?

Hello friends and fans. Yesterday afternoon I got a pleasant surprise. Someone bought a copy of my book, ‘Broken Steele‘ from Smashwords. Thank you.

Book-2D-loopHowever, that one little revelation got me poking around all of my sales outlets. To my surprise, over the past three months, unbeknownst to me, hundreds of copies of all of my books have been downloaded from various sites. Many are free copies of my book ‘Her Client’ but many of you out there bought your own copies of my other books from various sources. I noted sales on iBooks for the Apple platform, B&N for the Nook platform and even Kobo for who knows what eBook reader.

I’m ecstatic.

Thanks to all who have purchased and downloaded one of my books. I hope you enjoy them. Please, I would be interested in a review or two from you. Of course sales are the best review so I must be doing something right.

Read what others have said about my books. Many are summarized right here. Feel free to read them and decide for yourself. Thank you for giving me a slice of your valuable time. I appreciate it.

[good-reviews]

 

Someone just purchased Broken Steele, thank you.

I just received notice that someone purchased a copy of my book ‘Broken Steele‘. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It would be fantastic if you would post a review of the book. I’ll give you a gold star should you do. This book, as well as all of my books, are available on my website, RichardVerry.com and at book retailers such as Amazon, Smashwords, iBooks, B&N and a host of ebook retailers all over the world.

Broken-Steele-advert3a-800x300

When you read this erotic, kinky, and captivating, tale, you will wonder who your friends are and can they be trusted.

For those of you who might not be aware, ‘Broken Steele‘ is the gripping sequel to ‘The Taste of Honey‘ and is the second book in the Mona Bendarova Adventures. It picks up after Honey is rescued and before she delivers her first male child. It is another mystery for Mona to solve when she is called upon to find out who brutally murdered the master of another estate in her community. Along the way, she uncovers a plot that is threatening the entire community. A community who for years has experienced peace and tranquility which is now shattered with fear, angst, and unrest.

She solves the mystery but now her own life is in great peril as many in her community are ignorant of the growing threat and simply can’t deal with the consequences. Mona’s own life is now in jeopardy as well as those who are close to her.

Good luck Mona. It appears you have a long and perilous journey ahead of you. Book three in the series, ‘Lucky Bitch’ is in the works. Be sure to look for it.

Suitable for readers 18+.

Thank you Her Client purchasers

Her-Client-Trilogy-advert3aOver the past 48 hours, the number of people buying and downloading my ‘Her Client‘ trilogy jumped significantly. Thank you to all that purchased a copy. I appreciate your support. I can only attribute this turn of events to the recent review on Amazon for the books written by Bibs. I’ve noticed significant jumps in interest and I can’t thank you all enough. You’re the best Bibs. Thank you again.

As a result, I am rejuvenated to continue my writing. The day I found the review, I ran home, kissed my girlfriend and went to my office. For several hours, I worked on my writing. In this case, I’m working a significant redesign of my website. I have come to realize that the landing page (home page) has gotten bloated, which forces the site to load more and more slowly. Plus, my analytics are showing a high bounce rate. Having everything on the home page doesn’t encourage a viewer to click links and drill down. It’s a delicate balance and while I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I’m still a ways off to being happy with it.

In the meantime, between a full-time job, responsibilities after work, and a loving partner and girlfriend; I find that I time slice between them. What I would love to be able to do is write long into the night and be up for a new day at the crack of dawn. I used to do this years ago during my stints in drawing and painting. Unfortunately, my body doesn’t allow me this luxury any more. Crap! I have so many ideas and stories, not to mention images floating around in my head that need to get out. Can I get another life? How about clone myself and send the clone to my day job while I write or paint. Could that even work?

Wish me luck. I plan on doing significant work this weekend on all aspect of my books. Website work, several chapters in ‘Lucky Bitch‘, book three in my Mona Bendarova series, and work on another book that I started last month in the ‘Her Client‘ genre.

You’ll find my Mona Bendarova books, The Taste of Honey and Broken Steele on Amazon. You will also find Her Client, Her Overseer and Her Essentia, the three books that make up for the trilogy. They are also available as a single paperback volume from https://www.createspace.com/6052481. My sixth book The Breakup is available exclusively on my website for just 99 cents.

You’ll find my books on my author’s link on Amazon. www.amazon.com/richard-verry/e/B00YQLXU2E. In fact, you’ll find most of my books on all sorts of eBook platforms, including iBooks, B&N and a host of other sites.

I hope you’ll check these gripping tales out for yourself.

1-Her Client-Front Cover Her Overseer Book 2 coverHer Essentia Book 3 CoverThe Taste of Honey book coverBroken Steele book cover very smallThe Breakup

 

A Big Thank You

Her Client Trilogy book cover 3D
Her Client Trilogy

I wish to express my gratitude for the fantastic reviewsreviewsreviewsreviewsreviews 5 star reviews that Bibs left on Amazon for my trilogy, ‘Her Client’. You brought a big smile to my face. Thank you, I really appreciate the reviews. A paper back version is also available at CreateSpace logo .

Bibs is correct. These books are not for everyone. Yet, I wrote them because I saw a market and people are responding. The-Breakup-advert4aIf you liked ‘Her Client’ you may enjoy reading ‘The Breakup’, currently only available off my website, RichardVerry.com. Just $0.99.

In the review, Bibs wanted to know if I would continue Jolene’s story? I have considered it. If you are, sent me your comments, including ideas on how you think Jolene should carry on. If there is enough interest, I will see what I can come up with.

Do you know what the trouble is? I have outlined over thirty stories in the same genre and I really want to bring them all to life. I’m working on two more right now, in addition to finishing up the third book in my “Mona Bendarova” series entitled ‘Lucky Bitch’.

Her Client Book 1 cover 3D
Her Client, Book 1 in the Her Client Trilogy

Her Overseer Book 2 cover 3D
Her Overseer, Book 2 in the Her Client Trilogy

Her Essentia Book 3 cover 3D
Her Essentia, Book 3 in the Her Client Trilogy

Thank you for the reviews.

I am Richard Verry and I appreciate the support.

Holiday weekend with Charles Bendarova

It’s 97 degrees Fahrenheit or 36 degrees Celsius. It’s hot. Really hot. Stifling hot on a cloudless day, the hot sun beating down on everyone and everything. Going outside is something I don’t relish. Yet, I had the opportunity to invite Charles Bendarova over to share a beer and catch up.

Charles is a good friend of mine. Of course he’s a fictional characters in my Mona Bendarova Adventure series. Yet, he is a dear friend. Tomorrow, he will be going to his communities Summer Start festivities but today, he could give me a couple of hours to kibitz, shoot the breeze and share stories.

Taste-Of-Honey--advert4aTogether, we sat on the porch and shared a beer. Well, several as it turned out. As the afternoon wore on, we talked about a lot of things. Take tomorrow for example. He told me the barbecue tomorrow was going to be a big affair. Several competitions were planned and he intended to win the dance competition. He had once again entered Jewel, his latest personal sub in training, to compete and this time, he had high expectations of her winning. Of course, I wished the two of them luck.

Soon enough, we got on to the talk of sex. I felt bad that I couldn’t offer him an attendant. Especially knowing that if the tables were turned and he had been hosting my visit to his home, we would be sharing beers while any number of gorgeous women attended to our desires. A big part of me wanted to go with him to his barbecue on the morrow but then again, who would then write the stories that come out of it. Yes, Charles knows full well that we are a team. Without me, his stories could not be told and without him, I wouldn’t have stories to tell.

Broken-Steele-advert2aEventually, we got to talking about Mona. Charles is really worried about her. He’s worried because she’s on her own and no longer under his protection. Officially, that is. He confessed that he still looks after her, watches out for her, and does his best to protect her ass. Still, she’s on her own and he’s very worried. I am too. Mona has challenges to overcome just learning how to run her own estate. Yet, Charles and I know different. Many segments of the community don’t like the fact that a woman is now in charge of her own estate. She is the boss. She is the master of the house and mistress to hundreds of people under her. She must figure out how to feed everyone, take care of their needs, and care of the welfare of her housemates.

I feel for Charles, I do. Yet, I don’t know how to help him. He needs to figure it out for himself. I can only report the stories as it unfolds. I agreed with him, Mona has much to learn and she doesn’t need obstructive behaviors of members of her house and community working against her and making it even harder for everyone.

What I didn’t know until recently, Mona has had to deal with acts of terrorism within her own house. I was surprised, to say the least. Mona’s community hasn’t known behaviors like this for centuries. Charles is dumbfounded, to say the least. He reported to me that he suspects that several of Mona’s household have been assaulted and killed. He was shocked and nearly powerless to help.

I felt for him but I didn’t know what to say. Except to say, I tilted my glass of beer towards him, clinked the together and we each drained them. After draining a few more beers, he bade me goodbye. I wished him well.

Tomorrow, while Charles is partying it up at the barbecue, I’ll be writing more of his stories. Stay tuned.

Thank you, one and all

Thank you, one and all

A big thank you to David who gave me a pair of reviewsreviewsreviewsreviewsreviews for The Taste of Honey and Broken Steele. You’re awesome man. A big thank you also to everyone who bought my books these last couple of weeks. Apparently, the ‘Her Client Series’ is quite popular and a lot of you around the world are reading them.

My books and more, including another free one, are available on my website, RichardVerry.com as well as on Amazon for your Kindle, Smashwords, B&N, or at your favorite eBook retailer for your iPhone, iPad, Nook or what have you. You can even purchase paperback copies from these sites.

To get a taste of my stories, feel free to read the opening chapter from ‘The Taste of Honey‘.

Taste-Of-Honey--advert4aAs one reader wrote:

I’ve been under the comforter most nights, reading Richard Verry’s title, “The Taste of Honey” and calling out from under there, saying “go ask Daddy” and returning promptly to my hot and steamy read.

Hot and steamy? I couldn’t agree more and I’m confident you’ll agree. Right now, I’m working on the third book in the series, ‘Lucky Bitch’ which promises to be just as hot and steamy. All three books have intrigue, suspense, mystery, kink, and lots of sex with a healthy dose of romance.

As another review wrote:

The plot is intriguing and kept me spell-bound throughout the book. I found it to be well-written & the author draws you in with not only his clever storyline but also his complex characters. The more I read, the more I understood the emotional turmoil the various characters were going thru. I am excited to see where this author takes us in the next adventure!

So, if you are looking for a good book to read this weekend, download a copy of ‘The Taste of Honey’ and it’s sequel, ‘Broken Steele’. You’ll be sucked-in and captivated all weekend long. Then, be sure to look for ‘Lucky Bitch’ which is in the works.

Thanks again for your support and drop me a line with your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you.

Suitable for readers 18+.

Unofficial start of summer in America

Unofficial Start of Summer

In the United States, we are about to celebrate the start of summer. The unofficial start of summer that is. Memorial Day is an official national holiday created to commemorate our fallen soldiers in past and present military actions. Unofficially, it is our unofficial start of summer.

But I wonder, the same occasion remembers our fallen dead while we celebrate the coming of summer. Interesting, isn’t it?

Mona Bendarova’s Community Holidays

Celebrating the unofficial start of summer
Find out how the human race survives

I can’t help wonder what Mona Bendarova and her community would do to celebrate the coming of summer. I refer to of course to my books, ‘The Taste of Honey’, ‘Broken Steele’, and  the soon to be released ‘Lucky Bitch’.

Mona and her community would celebrate one of the biggest parties of the year. While roasting meats over a number of barbecue pits, they would prepare tables of delicacies, and imbibe on all sorts of hard and soft beverages.

Competitions abound as cheering audiences root for their favorite contestants and betting flows freely celebrating both winners and losers. Capping the holiday off everyone enjoys wild group sex among a number of partners well into the next day.

Reading her stories, you will get a sense of what I am referring to. It’s a time everyone looks forward too. Sounds like a fun time. Eat, drink, fornicate, and be merry.

I’m looking forward to my celebration of the coming summer in a completely different way. There will be many similarities yet, there will be significant differences, especially when it comes to the menu. As I eat my share this weekend, I can promise you that I will think about Mona and her housemates, friends and acquaintances.

FrankenFood, are we playing with fire?

USAToday published an article entitled “Genetic ‘frankenfood’ found not harmful to human health”. The article goes on to state that a committee of 50+ experts compared disease reports from North America where Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are commonly used in food sources with disease reports from UK and Western Europe. According to these experts, there is no significant difference or increases in the incidence of specific health problems.

Good news, right?

Not so fast. I do understand that GMOs are being used with good intentions. They are being introduced to promote greater yield per acre, more drought & insect resistant, and other similar reasons. All good on the face of it.

For me, the problem is more to do with those behind the modifications being made to the genomes of our food supply. They are run and paid for by major corporations. Their motives are not to benefit the human race (or their customers). Rather, they are profit motivated. The stockholders in these corporations want bigger and bigger profits so they can increase their overall wealth.

I’m sorry but that is not a reason to mess with our food supply. I disagree with the practice. I would prefer that it stop but I know it won’t. I can only hope and pray that nothing goes wrong.

While I am not a fanatic on a cause, I can’t believe this report. Why you may ask?

Taste of Honey book cover small
Find out how the human race survives

Something going wrong is the underlying basis of my ‘Mona Bendarova’ series of books which opens with the ‘Taste of Honey’. Granted this is fiction but I based the books on the very concept that something goes wrong with playing with the genomes of our food supply.

To me, there are too many unknowns. My books are set a millennium in the future where we lose control of GMO’s and they wreak havoc on the food supply. We lose control of how the organisms replicate and they destroy our food sources ability to provide the proteins we need to survive. The ‘Purge Plague’ as it became known in the stories, caused the extinction of every consumable protein source on the planet. Every insect, plant, and animal died out within 100 years. Towards the end, humans managed to survive with a last-ditch effort to prevent their own extinction by radically changing their genome. However, to survive and move forward, a major sacrifice was required. A thousand years later, a social system arose to ensure the long-term survival of their species. Read ‘The Taste of Honey’ and it’s sequel, ‘Broken Steele’ to find out more.

In the meantime, I am a staunch believer that playing with our food sources and their genomes is akin to playing with fire. One day, we will get burned. I believe we will suffer a major catastrophe related to this practice. I only hope that we or our children never see the day.

Read “Broken Steele” if you liked “The Taste of Honey”

If you liked “The Taste of Honey”, be sure to read “Broken Steele”. Why?

Broken-Steele“The Taste of Honey” is actually the first in a series of 3 books whose main characters include Mona, Honey, and Renee. “Broken Steele” picks up the action after Mona solves the mystery of Honey’s disappearance and before Honey’s significant contribution to her community. In “Broken Steele”, the saucy details you come to expect play out as you learn more about the community the characters live in. You’ll find out what drives them and how they enjoy life to the fullest. Don’t miss out on the juicy sexy action as Mona, Renee and all the others enjoy their lusty passions while Mona works on solving yet another shocking mystery.

If you start reading “Broken Steele” before “The Taste of Honey”, don’t!. Read them in sequence or you’ll miss out on the saucy details the first book sets the stage for the rest of the stories. Then, be sure to look for the third book in the series, “Lucky Bitch” due out soon. Plus, I’m told that the lusty action won’t stop there. Sign up for my blog and you could win a free copy of ‘The Taste of Honey”. Winners are selected randomly from each weeks new subscribers.

Look over what others have said about the stories posted right on Amazon. I’m confident that if you like saucy, racy, and risque excitement, mystery and suspense with a healthy dose of kink and sadomasochism, you’ll agree with these readers.

TOH reviews

Whirlwind nearly over, part 9

Good morning all my fans and followers. I appreciate you taking the time to read my ramblings and thoughts of the day. With this post, I will be closing this thread on what a whirlwind this last month has been. Whew! I really thought I was going to close it down several days ago but then my lady’s job vaporized.

Speaking about her job et. all, she is doing fine. In many ways, she seems relieved and calm about everything. Her job, while stressful only some of the time, has taken a great weight off her shoulders. She is much more animated and lively. She is sleeping better and living life to the fullest. I like this new lady that I have committed to.

Thanks to all of you out there that sent me well wishes, concerns and offered advice on moving forward. I am taking them all to heart and will definitely use them to help me. In turn, that will allow me to help her as needed.

Taste of Honey book cover 3D

As I reflected upon the past week, I couldn’t help but compare this experience to Mona Bendarova’s world. Just to recap, Mona is the main character in my books in the Mona Bendarova Adventure series. In the first book, ‘The Taste of Honey’, she solves the mysterious disappearance of a woman, only to find out that she was kidnapped and imprisoned against her will by a jealous competitor.

Broken Steele

In the second book, ‘Broken Steele’, she solves the mystery of the brutal and violent murder. In turn, she is rewarded with her own estate and in the third book ‘Lucky Bitch’ currently in development, she moves out of the only home she has known her entire adult life to take the helm of mastery of her own home. She is out of her depth here, struggling to figure out her new environment while caring for and feeding her large estate.

Early in this thread, I wrote that I will incorporate my experiences with Mona’s move to her her estate. I can’t help compare Mona’s struggles with her new home with my new home and the household’s sudden job loss. Throughout the third book, she deals with passive aggression, acts of terrorism, and emotional and physical fatigue of her new situation.

A core group of friends and lovers are there to help but it’s obvious that the community around her are split on whether to support her or aggressively work against her. Mona feels the pressure of many who want to oust her from her new position. She is unprepared to deal with it. Their community prides themselves on collaborative support, in both work and play. This growing conflict is an unknown and she struggles with how to deal with it.

Even members of her own estate, people she would do anything for, even defend them to the death if necessary, seem to be against her. Yet, she may have to defend her house to the death. She is attacked, assaulted, suffered the brutal killing of supportive friends with their bodies put on public display as a warning message to others. The message being of course, “This is what could happen to you should you side with Mona.”

Climbing the Broken LadderThe main issue here is that she is a woman occupying what has become thought of as a man’s entitlement. For almost two hundred years, no woman has become the Master of an estate. She was granted the estate for her guiding work on a job well done, benefiting the entire community around her. Yet, much of the community hates the idea of a ‘woman’ in charge of an estate. What’s next? Will she rise to the ‘Head of State’ of the entire community? It could happen. The current character who holds the title is nearing the end of his tenure and people are looking for a change.

Sound familiar? What will happen if my own country elects a woman president this coming November? What will happen if they don’t and instead, elect her opponent? I have my own opinions which I will not write about. What I do know is that my country, USA, is going through some interesting times. It remains to be seen whether these are good times or bad.

Mona, what would you do? What will you do?

Crossing my fingers.

Whirlwind nearly over, part 6

BeatlesWoke up this morning, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head ….

Thank you Beatles for the inspirational song ‘A Day in The Life’ to start my day off right. All of the above was true, except for the last statement. I haven’t needed to drag a comb across my head in decades. I used to have hair like that but it’s been gone since my early twenties. I did shave though, so maybe I should modify the line to “dragged a razor across my face”. Nah!

The point is, in getting up, I realized that there is nothing I have to do this afternoon and evening. I have a free night off. There’s no vendor I need to meet with, no deliveries I have to be home for, and my hot tub is slowly doing its magic on my ravaged body. Even my living room, dining room, and kitchen are starting to shape up. My office is getting there. I’m still getting used to my new writing desk.

Whoo hoo! I have nothing I have to do tonight. The very thought is wonderful in of itself.

So, what is the plan when I go home today after work? I have no fucking idea. Isn’t that great!

I might open a box or two, I’m in the market for a couple of storage cabinets so maybe I’ll shop for them. Online of course from the comfort of my easy chair. I could just sit behind my computer screen and write. ‘Lucky Bitch’ is begging for attention. I really should do that and maybe I will. Maybe I’ll just lean back, close my eyes, do nothing, and vegetate.

What I suppose I’ll do is whatever fancy’s me. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll decide when I get home and strip off my work clothes. I might even take an air bath.

Life is slowly returning to normal.

Whirlwind is almost over, part 5

As I reflect upon the last few weeks, I can’t help think about what I can do to incorporate my experiences into a book. Granted, I’ve barely written 2500 words these past weeks and I haven’t given much thought to the story-lines I’m working on. However, now that I am in the short rows of the move, my mind is beginning to return to the scene of the crimes.

The good news is, I can apply my experience to the new book that I am writing, called ‘Lucky Bitch’. Mona Bendarova’s third book is the perfect opportunity to incorporate my experience. At the end of the second book in the series, ‘Broken Steele’, Mona is given the opportunity to become the Mistress of her own House. ‘Lucky Bitch’ opens with her move to her new home and the struggles she faces in taking over the care and management of her home and their occupants.

Bonfire on beachShe is excited and nervous now that she is responsible for the care and feeding of hundreds of people. Think of the medieval age of feudalism in Europe and you’ll get a sense of what she is up against. While she has access to technological advances we enjoy now, they are just a resource. People don’t live their lives in their devices, preferring to interact with each other directly, face to face.

Her new responsibilities aside, she faces challenges of moving in, organizing the house, and setting up her private personal spaces. Her dedication to her house is so great that she puts off her own personal comforts in favor of meeting the needs of the people living under her roof. Sure, she has help and many of them do their best to help her. However, Mona is uncomfortable with delegating responsibilities. Until now, her only responsibilities were to her own Master, Master Charles. She looked to him for guidance and performed to his expectations. Now, Mona is the one her house is looking to for direction and guidance and Mona feels like a fish out of water, not that she knows what a fish is, being they have all been extinct for over a millennium.

Mona works tirelessly, barely getting 3 hours of sleep each day. Her world is exploding in storm and fire. She is working so hard to take care of her home that she is failing to take care of herself. Her staff and household members see this but their pleas fall upon deaf ears.

Additionally, there are many in her community as well as within her own house that do not accept that a woman now has ownership and Mastery of her own estate. They resent her and try to discredit her. She’s earned her position but like the sexual disparity of today’s workforce, she’s broken through the glass ceiling, only find that she fights prejudice and resentment. Both emotions are something foreign to her. The nice and friendly community she grew up in is quickly becoming a community of distrust. Factions are lining up on either side of the blurred issues. Things will only get worse before they get better.

How does this relate to my recent move, you ask?

My own fatigue and abuse I’ve done to my body gives me a frame of reference that I can apply to Mona. I’ve ravaged my body in coordinating my move. I suspect it will take many months before I recover. In the meantime, I can write into ‘Lucky Bitch’ much of my own experiences. I can feel for Mona and in turn, include those feelings into Mona so that you, the reader, can feel the aches and pains that we each go through.

Time to get back to work and finish the book. My initial draft is still not finished, though it is close. As I rewrite the draft, I plan to insert my aching back into her experiences and hopefully make it more real. Wish me luck.

Whirlwind nearly over, part 3

Last time, I wrote about springing the surprise of my move on a dear friend and his wife. Though the move is officially over and I am living in my new home for a couple of weeks, it’s not really over. There are too many boxes left to be unpacked, window treatment to hang, furniture to deal with, and a plethora of other things to do. Most of my friends, (that being my books and artwork), are still packed away. Very little is hanging on the walls and there is still much to do.

The worst part?

I can’t find a damn thing. Well, that’s not completely true but it feels that way. Take for example, my favorite keyboard for this computer I’m writing on. I CAN’T F’ing FIND IT! So, I’m using a spare which I don’t like but I normally have attached to another computer I keep hooked up in the basement that handles my backups. Which BTW, that computer is not hooked up either. Other than lights and one utility outlet next to the circuit breaker box, there are no outlets to give it life. I need to get an electrician in to wire up the place.

But I can’t do that either right now! I don’t know how I want to utilize the space. There are still boxes galore to sort, organize and empty. It’s a problem for sure but a good problem. I foresee me being happy in this new home for many years to come.

There was one bit of good news which happened yesterday. My hot tub is now hooked up, filled with water, and today I’m going hot tubing. My body feels ravaged from this whirlwind of a move. Every bone and muscle in my body feels like I’ve been working out at the gym for hour after hour all day, everyday for over a month. My back is sore, my shoulders ache and even my ass hurts. Not from sitting mind you. Sitting doesn’t help that either. Rather, it’s aches and pain that radiate out from my ass down the back of my legs. My hamstrings and calves feel the brunt of the aches but every now and then, a shooting pain jumps from my ass and shoots right down the back of my left leg. Yeow!

Be Relaxed, Be Renewed, Be RestoredTo help restore my body, I went to my favorite masseuse and got a full body, deep tissue massage. Relaxing MassageI knew I screwed my body up something fierce during the heyday of the move. Was I ever right. Tammy, my masseuse whom I highly recommend, runs her own business BeMassageAndWellness.com. She found damage that I didn’t even know about. She found a problem in my right shoulder that was so bad, she worked on it for much of the session. She found the same issue on my left shoulder as well, only not as bad. When she was working on my left hamstring, it felt like she was digging a hole deep into the earth, even though she was barely pressing with her magic fingers.

I routinely see her but I must admit, I skipped a couple of months due to the move. I guess I should have listened to her. What I like best about her, is that she follows up the following day, asking me, how do I feel. Such service is rare and extremely appreciated. So, if I may. If you are in need of a talented, caring, and professional masseuse, you can’t go wrong with booking a session with Tammy. She’s a hero in my book.

Till next time when I expect to wrap up this little experience, I hope you have a great day and a better tomorrow.

Whirlwind nearly over, part 2

The other day, I wrote about why I had been pretty quiet of late. I moved from one home to another. The big question is … why did I not write about the move before now?

14269901_s
Snow Bird

It all has to do with a dear friend of mine. He and his wife have been bugging me for years to sell my home and move to one near them. I love them dearly and yet, I loved the house I used to live in. Frankly, I resisted the urge to up and move. They are also snow birds. For those of you who don’t know the term, it means that they fly to their winter home in Florida and return in the spring. Yup, they roost in the warm sunshine of Florida while I live and work in the North East snows and cold weather.

17059963_sSince the decision to sell and move occurred while they were in Florida, I decided I wanted to surprise them. Since they read this blog, I couldn’t write about it till now. The more I thought about it, the more the evil in me wanted to surprise them.

Yes, you guessed it. The surprise has been sprung. Last week as a matter of fact. They returned a week ago Monday and we all met up for dinner at my place. The old place and were they ever in for a surprise. The sold sign on the front lawn and closing happening the following day. They were shocked and speechless.

Together, we all went out from dinner, saying goodbye for the last time to the old house, ate a fabulous meal while we spilled the beans on everything we had hidden from them. After dinner, we all went to the new house and introduced them to it.

Can you feel the evil grin on my face throughout all this?

They also surprised us by showing up with a new car, which they bought while still in Florida. I am looking forward to entertaining and playing domino’s with them and the lady in my life long into the evening. Their closing comment to the two of us was ‘You done good.’

I couldn’t be happier.

 

Thank you!

The Taste of Honey
The Taste of Honey

A big thank you to the person who bought a copy of my book, ‘The Taste of Honey’ the other day. I really do appreciate it.

As you read it, you’ll find out just how to have an office meeting. You’ll never go to another meeting without thinking twice ever again.

I hope you will post a kind review.

 

Peanuts

What is your favorite Peanuts character?

I don’t know why, but I’ve been pondering this question for a couple of days. I compared each one to what I think is important in my life and decided that Snoopy was the best fit.

A dog you might ask. Look at it this way and take the species aspect out of it.

Snoopy has a very active imagination. He’s a fighter pilot flying in an open cockpit bi-wing fighter plane. He plays baseball. He knows enough to get enough sleep. He decorates his house for the holidays. He is a writer, a good friend, and a party animal. He tells it like it is and makes no bones about it. He questions idiocy and doesn’t take shit from anybody. Most importantly, he unconditionally loves his friends and family.

He is an independent soul and won’t be forced to conform. He believes what he believes and lives his life accordingly. You either take him as he is or you don’t. It’s not so much that he doesn’t care. Rather, it’s more akin to not being aware that some people may not appreciate him.

Snoopy and I are very much alike. That is why he is my favorite ‘Peanuts’ character. Who is yours and why? We could get into a very interesting dialog.

Thank you fans

Broken SteeleThe Taste of HoneyI’ve just noticed that two more people purchased my books. First, someone bought a copy of ‘Broken Steele’, the exciting sequel to ‘The Taste of Honey’, which someone also bought. Thank you all. I appreciate it. I hope you enjoy them.

The third book in the series, ‘Lucky Bitch’ is in the works. I hope to have it ready in a couple of months. It picks up a few months after ‘Broken Steele’ ends, providing new challenges for Mona to survive. Yes, that’s right. She’s got a target on her back. Fortunately, she has a close circle of friends who help watch her back. I can’t wait to find out how it will all turn out.

‘The Taste of Honey’ and ‘Broken Steele’ can be purchased on my website RichardVerry.com or at your favorite book retailer such as Amazon. They are available as ‘real’ paper books or for your favorite eBook reader.

Facing Challenges

I read a quote on FB earlier today and it struck home as it relates to my blog post the other day on Chaos. The quote reads.

“We don’t grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges.” Author unknown.

I found the quote interesting. I’ve instinctively believed in this concept, I found the reminder to be welcomed. It’s one thing to keep trudging through life, working out challenges and over coming obstacles. We all do it.

It’s quite another to realize that individually and as a species, our growth only comes about when we ‘work the problem’ and find solutions to meet the need.

Of course, most solutions reveal other challenges but so what? More challenges = more opportunities for growth. I welcome any and all opportunity for growth.

Broken SteeleOvercoming challenges and growing is a central theme to my ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’ novels. The characters in those books had to overcome a challenge so devastating to the human race, that they found a most ingenious if not difficult to accept solution. However, as a species, they embraced the solution and a thousand years later, the human race is still around. I’m not sure I would like to live in that environment but if I did, I would be well versed in the reasons why and would accept them.

However, that wouldn’t stop me from working towards over coming the new challenges that arose as a result. Mona and company are doing exactly that. She is determined to find a new solution to the new challenge. Overcoming it won’t be easy. In fact, it will be extremely hard, being there are social, moral and scientific obstacles in her way. Little by little, book after book, Mona is enlisting the help of those around her and perhaps, one day, they will find a solution and grow yet again.

This brings me back to our current lives. Mona’s are fictional. Ours are real. Today, we have plenty of obstacles which challenge us daily. Social disorder and chaos is happening right now, all around our planet. It is up to us, the current tenants of our world to come to terms with these challenges. Once we do, we will grow exponentially.

Can you imagine what we could do with that? Can you imagine where we could be in a thousand years. I can. How about you?

The other day

A few days ago, I posted that I had a terrific idea for scenes and dialog for my next book, ‘Lucky Bitch’. As a result, I decided to take a couple of days off from posting updates to this site and concentrate on writing these scenes.

I am pleased to report that, despite working a full-time job and other responsibilities at home, I was able to write 13,000 words over three days. For me, that’s an awesome accomplishment. Normally, I average about 2,000 words at a sitting and if I can get 7,000 in a week, that’s a good week. So, this is just another way to think that numbers count.

Typing furiouslyNot to be too self-absorbed but I’m patting myself on the back. After, congratulations for these mini-accomplishments are few and far between. Whoo hoo!

When you get to read these scenes, you’ll realize that Mona is in for some awesome fun instead of the strife and terrorism she’s been dealing with in this third book. I can’t wait to finish it so that you can all read it.

Thank you, everyone, for your patience. It’s been a good day and I hope it was a good one for you too. Till next time, this is Richard Verry, reporting from my desk with some tired but eager fingers on the keyboard.

You’ll forgive me

Silhouette of nude girlI woke up this morning at 4 am with scenes and dialog coursing throughout my brain. Ok, I was half asleep at the time but my mind was certainly active. Instead of rolling over, I got up and started writing.

And writing.

And writing.

I’m not sure when I’ll get to writing decent reviews but I will. I am just asking for a bit of time, maybe a couple of days so that I can get it all down. Good thing the first thing I did was take voluminous notes. Man, is Mona gonna have some fun in these new scenes in my book ‘Lucky Bitch’ which is getting oh so close to finishing. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

In the meantime, have a great couple of days. I’ll touch base when I can. Thanks.

Why does Mona love coffee so much?

heart of coffee beansFirst off, Mona just doesn’t love coffee, she adores it. She can never get enough of it, though there is nothing like the first cup of the day, prepared just right. For her, the first cup is more than a delicious drink. For her, it’s an experience. It’s sensual, even erotic. When that first few drops touch her tongue, all else around her disappears. She tends to leave the aphrodisiac liquid sit on her tongue, pressed against the roof of her mouth for as long as she can before allowing the coffee flow down her throat. Even then, the flavor is left behind, coating her tongue, her mouth, and her throat. There is nothing quite like it and only her lovers deposits rank higher on her pleasure scale.

coffee latteBut it’s not just any coffee either. Her preferred cup is a skinny free vanilla latte, which translates to a light blended coffee, topped off with steamed skim milk and dosed with a shot of sugar-free vanilla extract.

It’s a complicated recipe and it starts with the right kind of coffee bean. Not to dark or rich, it has just the right amount of flavor without assaulting the palette. To do it right takes a bit of time and generally, she likes to make it herself. However, being a senior member of her house, others have taken up the challenge to learn how to make it for her and generally they do a fine job of it.

What’s even more impressive, is watching her take that first cup of the day. Charles comments upon his impressions of her coffee experience many times throughout the books. He loves to watch her disappear inside herself, divorcing herself of everyone and everything around her as she savors the erotic experience. To him, it’s as if she is experiencing an orgasm in that moment. He should know, he has enticed many an orgasm from her in the years together. He knows exactly she expresses her pleasure. He would swear that they are too similar to be anything else than an orgasm.

spilled coffee beansNow, the question remains. Does she love coffee for the orgasmic experience, or does she love it for how it makes her feel or does she love it simply for what it really is, just coffee?

We each have our likes and dislikes. We each prefer some kinds of food and drink over another. We certainly like some people better than others. Mona prefers coffee over tea, red wine over white, bedmates who are male over female ones. The list can go on and on. The thing that makes her and her community special is that it is alright to prefer one over another. It’s a matter of preferred choices.

That doesn’t mean she won’t indulge in these other experiences. She regularly sleeps with female partners, drinks tea on occasion and drinks hard liquor over wine. The variety is what offers her the ‘spice of life’. Upon returning to her preferred tastes, the experience is enhanced and the love affair is renewed.

To Mona and her friends and community, there is no right nor wrong in any opinion or feeling. They just are and that is okay.

That my friends is a world I would love to live in.

What is your favorite aspect of Mona?

Reflections BWMona is a fascinating character. I love her. There are many attributes that I could say about her but no matter how many I list, many will be missed. She’s smart, attractive, intelligent and loyal. She will do anything for her house and her Master. She loves coffee, high-heel shoes and red wine.

On top of all of her attributes, she is particularly skilled in giving pleasure as much as in receiving it. She excelled in her training during her formative years. She’d be thought of as a black belt in the sexual arts if there were such a ranking. She doesn’t even recognize it herself, but she can read the emotions and body language of her partner and respond accordingly. As a result, her talents both upright and horizontal are always in demand.

As a submissive, she defers to the wishes of her Master. She would do anything for him. He doesn’t even need to ask at times and she is there to answer his desire. However, she also expects to have her needs met by Charles. Just like the bulk of her community, she is a highly charged, sexual woman. She needs him to satisfy her just as she does for him.

woman silhouette striped stockingsBut the question is: ‘what is my favorite aspect of Mona?’ For me, that has to be her masochism.

Mona is not just a masochist, she is an extreme masochist. She not only enjoys sessions in the dungeon getting her ass whipped, she craves it. She lives for it and can’t wait for the next session, even if she is still recovering from the last session.

She is what some might call a ‘pain slut’. Physical pain is an aphrodisiac and when tormented, the endorphins in her body flood her every cell with pleasure beyond compare. Fortunately for her, she has Master Charles, a skilled sadist who enjoys tormenting her almost as much as she enjoys being tormented.

And just to be clear, I’m not referring to abuse here. There is a concept of good pain versus bad pain. Snapped bones, twisted ankles, and sprained knees are examples of bad pain. Beaten to within an inch of your life, bloody and bruised could also be considered bad pain. Bad pain is not something Mona enjoys and she would be the first to say that this was abuse. However, being beaten because you enjoy it, ask for it and negotiate a power exchange would be an example of good pain and something to be desired.

Most people won’t be able to understand the difference but I hope you will trust me when I say that ‘yes’ there is a difference. I’m not sure I understand it either but I have met and played with ‘pain sluts’ before and I have come to appreciate them. They are real, feeling people too.

woman with two floggersWhat makes her character even more complex is that she is more than a submissive. Throughout book two, she is learning that there is more to her than she understands. She is also learning that she is a dominant and at some level, a sadist. She understands just how pleasurable pain can be and is starting to realize that giving pain is just as satisfying as receiving it can be. She doesn’t understand it yet, but she really is a sadomasochist.

She begins exploring this new aspect of herself in the third book in the series, currently under development. When you read it, you’ll begin to see this other side of her psyche for yourself. Of course, I need to get off my ass and finish writing.

So, until next time, this is Richard Verry reporting to you from my computer keyboard.

When I was a child

boy typingWhen I was a child, I remember going to school, learning my “A, B, C’s”, reading, writing and arithmetic. I remember dinner with Mom, Dad, and my sisters. I remember Saturday mornings hanging out by myself. I remember coming home from school and playing, watching TV, hanging out and doing homework. How much I dreaded homework.

The other day, I had a revelation. I realized that what I learned back then, I’m applying each and every time I write an article posted on this blog. I realized I am writing a 300-600 word essay, each time I write a post.

This revelation brought me back to my childhood when I dreaded writing similar essays in school. I remember the basic structure and objective of the essay writing process. Back in those days, I had zero intention of doing this on a regular basis. Even after the internet came along followed by social media, I never intended on doing this, let alone every day.

Yet, here I am, writing a new essay each day, day after day. Huh? How did I ever get here. Well, if you will indulge me, let me tell you.

A couple of years ago, out of a desire to get this story idea I had in my head out of my head, I wrote a book. That book, ‘The Taste of Honey’, eventually got published. The Taste of HoneyThat started the ball rolling and now I have six published books, another in editing and another in development. I also have at least a dozen storylines written out waiting for free slices of time in my day to pump them out. I’ve hired a publicist to help me expand my exposure.

Whoa? A publicist? Yup, that’s right. I’ve hired a publicist and slowly, I’m going from being in the red to being in the black. Ink that is. To expand my brand. Oops, my brand? My ‘name’ is my brand? Apparently so but I digress. I’m told that if I am to expand my brand, I need to talk about it, my books and things that are of interest to me but more importantly, of interest to my followers. And yes, I now have followers. A lot in fact but she tells me that I need more. To get more, I need to blog, daily.

At first, when she told me that, I thought it would be easy. What’s 300 to 600 words? That’s nothing, compared to my novels which number in the tens or hundreds of thousands of words.

Now, after doing this for several months, it’s not so simple. To come up with a fresh thought or idea that would be of interest to others each and every day. That’s hard. This is work. Hard work and I have to think outside the box. I have to come up with original ideas and work them down to just a few hundred words.

Documenting facts and figures.I’m not composing an article of random thoughts, flushing incoherent crap from my brain. I’m composing an essay, focusing on a single subject with an objective supported by facts, informed opinion or data. Essays that I learned how to write in school decades ago are now articles posted on my blog. In some ways, I feel like I’m a reporter for a newspaper. Techniques that I learned a long time ago and went unused, unexercised and unpracticed for more than forty years are now being forced into use. Ouch.

I can tell I’m getting better at writing these articles. I’ve made mistakes and I’ll make more. They say ‘practice makes perfect’. Well, I’ll never be perfect but that doesn’t mean I won’t try. I’m more determined than ever to work hard and perfect my skills. My novels are what drive me and I want them to be successful.

As I finish this essay, I would like to close with this thought. Here I am, writing another one and I am very curious.

How am I doing? Am I meeting your needs or couldn’t you care less?  I would love feedback and constructive criticism. I look forward to reading your comments. Thank you in advance for your precious time in reading this article.

This is Richard Verry, writing to you live from Rochester, NY. I trust you will have an awesome day.

Free!

‘The Taste of Honey’

Click the link https://wp.me/P6UOUi-tN to get your free copy of ‘The Taste of Honey’.

The Taste of HoneyI’m making this offer to celebrate reaching my goal of 10,000 Twitter followers. Be sure to get your free copy today.

It’s a tale of suspense and mystery for mature audiences. When Honey disappears, apparently shirking her duty to family and community, Mona is charged to find her and bring her back home. Only she discovers all is not right and someone else is orchestrating events to their personal agenda.

Read The Taste of Honey’ and find out how Mona solves this mystery.

Where do my Characters come from?

Q: Where did your characters come from? In your head?

A: Thin air. That’s right, I came up with them from thin air. The process that I followed what makes this interesting.

010-ReflectionsBWThe beginning was coming up with the concept of the story that I had rolling around in my head for months. I knew what I wanted to write yet I didn’t know how to write it. I reflected over weeks that turned into months before I came up with the basis of the books as they exist today.

One day, I had a flash of inspiration and I came up with the title, ‘The Taste of Honey’. Once I had that, the character ‘Honey’ was obvious. Her attributes, mindsets and beliefs hadn’t been worked out yet but I had her name.

BeautyHow I came up with ‘Mona’ happened completely differently. I knew I was writing an adult themed story that would be full of sex and kink. I also wanted this character to be a strong, confident woman who is more than capable in thriving in her world.

First and foremost, she was a sexual woman who enjoys all forms of sex and intercourse. After reflecting upon her fundamental characteristics, I decided that she would be vocal in her sexual play. She would be a moaner. Ergo? ‘Mona’. Her last name was a bit more of a challenge but eventually I decided on a play of words. Think of, ‘bend her over and screw her’. ‘Bend her over’ became ‘Bendarova’.

Broken Steele Spine Cover 6x9Charles, as Mona’s owner and Master, had to become ‘Charles Bendarova’ by rule. Honey’s master came about from the adverb masterly, as in Master Lee. His last name Marks was just a name I liked a lot and it sounded good.*

In ‘Broken Steele’, the new characters I introduced came about very differently. Due to a disaster of working with two different bankers in my real life, I took their names and reworked them into Braxton Steele and Ryder Moro. I consider them villains and their characters definitely reflect that.

The rest of the characters come from a list of names I keep in my notes for the books. They get on the list because I like the names and I choose them as necessary. Since women outnumber men thousands to one, the list of possible women’s name is huge and I burn through them by the dozens in each book. Some are recurring characters, such as Renée. Others don’t survive a single book. To avoid confusion for the reader, I don’t reuse a name though I know that it does happen in real life. Certainly, there are enough names in our languages to avoid duplication.

None of these characters are based upon real people, though I reserve the right to do so in the future. There is a lot of me in Mona and Charles. I split my likes between them. Mona, loves coffee and Kamikaze cocktails. Charles, loves a good steak and a single malt scotch. Of course, both love sex and kinky play, just as I do. For the others, no one character is based upon anyone in particular but I reserve the right to inject attributes from those in my life who have left an impression on me. Good or bad, these attributes help make the characters believable.

The characters in ‘Her Client Trilogy’ came about completely different from what I wrote about above. I’ll write about those characters in a future blog.

So, that’s my story. That’s how I came up with my characters. For those of you who are writers, how do you come up with your characters. Or, if you are an artist, how do you come up with your vision? If you’re a musician, what process do you use to come up with your next song, composition or symphony?

I’m curious. Please, share your thought processes. I’d love to read them.

What do I think?

What YOU think about the characters in the Mona Bendarova Adventures?

Broken SteeleWhat do I think about these characters? I love these characters. I think that they are wonderful, deep characters. Just as an onion is built on layer upon layer, Mona and Honey especially have many layers to them. Each of them were born and raised in a time when the odds of living past their mid-twenties are low. These two women have something about them that allows them to survive and excel.

The Taste of HoneyMy first book, ‘The Taste of Honey’, deals with Honey’s strong desire to do what is right for her family and her Master. She deals with being kidnapped by her sister housemate who attempts to murder her.

Honey’s resolve to give back to her family is what allows her to survive against all odds. She has a deep spirituality that she draws upon to find the strength and will to overcome her ordeal. Her convictions are to do what she believes is the right thing to benefit her loved ones and the man in her life.

BeautyMona, on the other hand, is a smart, confident and intelligent woman who knows what she wants and has the talents and skill sets to see beyond the obvious. When facts point to the obvious, her community accepts them as truth and judge accordingly. Mona figures out that there are holes in the story and relentlessly pursues the truth. She figures out that there is something wrong and resolves the mystery. She also knows what she needs to be happy and what the Master of her House needs. She delivers and accepts his attentions for the benefit of all.

The other characters were created to make these two women real and believable. Lee and Charles, the Masters of their own houses, are flawed yet strong men. Their responsibilities are beyond what men of today have to deal with. Yet, while they both rose to their positions they would each say that are not powerful men, just influential. They both know the real power in the community resides in the whole, the men and women of their community.

The villain in the story is a naïve character. She is self-centric, self-absorbed and very arrogant. She mistakenly believes she can get what she wants regardless of the hurt she inflicts upon her own family. She gets what is coming to her in the end. However, her story doesn’t end in the first book but continues in subsequent books.

As for the rest, I like them. Some are wishy-washy. Some are strong and some are weak. They provide interest with the stories. When I think of them as a whole, I think of them as the frame around a painting, enhancing the primary subject centered inside the frame.

Let me know what you think. More importantly, write a review and post it. I would enjoy reading your viewpoints. Please, do it today.

10,000 and climbing

Whoo hoo!

I’ve just noticed that I went over the 10,000 twitter follower’s mark. Thank you everyone. Thank you.

Tweet AnnouncementAs a gift to my followers, I am making available a free copy of my book, ‘The Taste of Honey’. Just click this link, you’ll be taken to a special page on my site where you can download the full book, in the format of your choosing.

https://wp.me/P6UOUi-tN

After you read it, I would appreciate a review on Amazon but it’s not required. Just click this link and you’ll be reading my début novel within minutes.

Thank you again. I love and appreciate you all.

Reporting from Rochester NY, this is a very appreciative Richard Verry.

https://wp.me/P6UOUi-tN

Reflections

Woke up this morning with even more snow on the ground. Still not enough to justify having the snow plow clean out my driveway. I don’t know which is worse, having a lot of snow or just enough to make driving treacherous.

Don’t get me wrong, I like snow and I don’t worry about driving in it. I’ve driven a car or truck most of my life and I consider myself a good driver. Still, a thin layer of snow seems to me to be more dangerous than a significant snow fall.

Why? I don’t think most drivers understand just how dangerous it can be. That thin layer easily converts to ice or worse black ice. For those who don’t know, black ice is prevalent in western NY and consists of a slippery thin layer of frozen water that is impossible to see. It’s so thin that one does realize that they are on it until they spin-out. It’s slippery as hell.

coffee latteSo, what’s the best way to deal with it? Go slow or don’t go out at all. Me? I don’t care what you do, just don’t lose control and smash into me. Stay home had have a hot chocolate, a glass of wine or a stiff drink.

What would Mona do? Well, she would either stay home and have that drink, enjoy the company of her household members or enjoy a good romp in the bed. If she had to drive, she would keep her wits about her and allow the road conditions dictate her speed. Better yet, as a senior member of her house, she would have someone else do all the driving while she sat in the back, enjoying the ride.

I’ll be enjoying the snow from the comfort of my living room, a nice drink in my hand and a fire burning in the fireplace. Enjoy the evening everyone. And for those south of the equator, enjoy the summer sun.