The Taste of Honey Archives · Page 4 of 8

On the Mona Bendarova Adventures

July 29, 2016

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’.

I 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.

July 27, 2016

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‘.

In 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

July 25, 2016

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?”

Since my books are different and other musings

July 22, 2016

First 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.

Good books are friends

July 15, 2016

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.

I 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.

Working Hard

June 28, 2016

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.”

When 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

June 27, 2016

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.

Admittedly, 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

June 23, 2016

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.

The 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?

June 15, 2016

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

However, 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]

Thank you Her Client purchasers

June 10, 2016

Over 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.

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