Category: mystery/suspense

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Thank you, one and all

May 27, 2016

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+.

fire isolated over back background

FrankenFood, are we playing with fire?

May 18, 2016

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.

Open book

On Re-Reading Favorites

April 29, 2016

I’m curious. Do you re-read your favorite books? Would you ever even think of re-reading a book? Has the idea of re-reading a book ever crossed your mind?

I do. Over the years, I’ve re-read my favorites many times over. Books from my younger years are favorite re-reads. Many I’ve kept in my personal library, moving them from home to home over the decades. Others, I check out of the public library or lately, buy the eBook version even though I have the paperback or hard copy of the book.

They are my friends, my companions, and never once have they ever disappointed me. I’ve never regretted reading them. I’ve never regretted re-reading them. When I re-read a book, I realize a new innuendo to the story that I hadn’t realized before. It’s amazing. I still learn something from these books years after I last read them.

What are your favorite books or stories? Here are a few of mine.

The Harrad ExperimentAs I wrote awhile back, I am a sci-fi, erotic, mystery & suspense, and paranormal aficionado. My all time favorite author in the genre is Robert Heinlein. Kim Harrison, the author of the ‘The Hollows’ series, is another favorite. Charlaine Harris, the author of the ‘Sookie Stackhouse’ books and later ported to HBO’s ‘True Blood’ is among my all-time favorites. An obscure favorite later made into a movie, is ‘The Harrad Experiment’ by Robert H. Rimmer. To this day, I wish I had been one of the students in that story.

Another favorite is ‘Logan’s Run’, a cheesy movie but the book was so much better. In fact, I remember writing a similar short story years before this book came out. Of course, I was still in primary school at the time. I’m sure it’s just a freak coincidence.

Tess Gerritsen is an author I enjoy reading again and again. So are John Grisham, ‘Along Came a Spider’, and the early works by Tom Clancy such as ‘Patriot Games’. There are many, many others.

However, I do have a problem. There are so many new books and authors that I enjoy following, that it’s getting harder to enjoy these older books again and again. Do you have the same problem? Or, do you just wing it and read the next thing that captures your fancy?

Then there is the problem of the books and stories that I write. I love them dearly. A bit of my soul is in each of them and again, I like to re-read them as well. What am I to do?

What’s your opinion?

Christmas lights in pine

The Day After

December 27, 2015

The Day After

Christmas girl delivering presentsAs I deal with the day after hangover and fatigue from celebrating the holiday I can’t help but reflect upon all the good cheer I saw and experienced these last two days.

Forget about the gifts people exchanged. They were all very nice and appreciated, not only by me but the members of my family and friends as well.

Rather, it was the fact that we were all together, sharing ourselves with each other. The bar took a major hit, that’s for sure and I certainly did my share of imbibing. The meal we prepared was a hit and everyone got their fill. From the snacks, appetizers, the main course, the deserts and the after dinner drinking, no one seemed to be wanting.

For me, while it was a lot of work to host this gathering, the day ended with a smile on my face, a lightness in my step and warmth in my gut. Taking care of the needs of my guests and family was a joy. Thank you to all who came and those that could not. Thoughts of you were in the forefront of my mind. Thank you one and all for a very pleasant time.

And yet, as I write this, I can’t help but think of those not so fortunate out there. I can’t imagine how it must be for those with no one to share the holiday with. I can’t fathom being alone, hungry and destitute. I know many who tried to help the less fortunate over these last few days. However, I am worried that many missed the opportunity for even the smallest spark of hope and cheer in their lives.

Come next month, will we even remember the good deeds that we did this last week? Will we remember to continue doing goods deeds for others? I am uncertain as to the answer to these questions. They will still be hungry and alone. It is my hope that we remember those less fortunate every month, every week and every day and continue to strive to help as we can. Can we do that? Can I do that? I hope I can. I hope you can too.

‘Her Client’, a woman reader’s perspective

December 13, 2015

1-Her-Client-3DFrom a reader regarding ‘Her Client’

A lesson was learned when reading ‘Her Client’ than just the terror and fright I felt. Now that I completed the series, I can reflect on a small part of the initial novella. It is the knowledge of making each person I meet to feel special and to take the time to make that happen.

I am not saying if Jolene did that, it might have prevented her subsequent torture. I am just referring to myself and saying I need to stop and take the time to make my family, friends, co-workers and the consumers I come in contact with every day to feel special from our interaction.

I know it is harder than just writing these words and we all have days like Jolene. We all feel we are busy and we just want to go home, make a drink or have a good soak. Yet, the point Jolene and I need to understand is that everyone is important.

I need to make my clients feel special even when I want to leave the office and go home like Jolene. Money may not be lost in my business like in Jolene’s case yet for all our clients they need to know they are being heard and how they feel matters.

Janet Maggio

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How did you come up with the Mona character?

December 8, 2015

The Taste of HoneyHow did you come up with the Mona character?

When I finally figured out the title of the story ‘The Taste of Honey’, I knew how I wanted the story to end. Honey was a main character who wanted to live forever in her family and close friends. In her mind, for whatever reason, she firmly believed that her spirit could only continue on through a live roasting on a barbecue spit. Gruesome, I know, but in Honey’s universe, it’s a common practice among the community.

Knowing how the story was to end, I needed to create characters with whom Honey would share her meat. As I thought about how Honey would meet her end, I needed an avenue to get there. So, I hit upon the idea that she goes missing and someone hired to go find her.

BeautyIntroduce the investigator, Mona. Since my universe incorporated pervasive bdsm play, I decided that this character would be a masochist who enjoyed extreme play. So, her first name became Mona. Mona would be a play on the sound ‘moan’, which she would do a lot during her play.

To come up with her surname, I wanted her name to reflect her sexuality. Eventually, I came to the concept of ‘bend her over’.With a hidden message decided, I contracted it to Bendarova. To date, only one person I know has made this relate and called me on it. She smiled as she told me.

That’s how Mona Bendarova came into existence. She’s a smart, masochistic investigator who loves sex. Who’s your favorite character?

Reflections BW

Who is Honey?

November 15, 2015

Who is Honey? Hmm … Let me tell you about her.

Honey is an intelligent, complicated woman and a bit naïve. She sees the good in everyone. She has no concept of others having self-centered personal agendas. As a result, it gets her into trouble at times, yet it doesn’t stop her from believing in others. She holds no animosity towards those that transgress against her. She is quick to forgive and forget.

The Taste of Honey

In a society that has forgotten the past and had to rewrite all the societal rules in order to survive as a species, Honey embodies the concepts of love, family, honor and service. She is a sharing woman, happy to help when called upon.

Her goal in life is to live forever in the bodies and cells of her family and close friends. By living on in them, she hopes to help, advise and assist whenever they are in need or in trouble.

Honey is approximately 29 years old. She is a tall high-waisted, blonde with green eyes. She has a good figure, exercises regularly and cares for herself as well as her family. She’s a lusty bitch who never gets enough sex from either gender. She prefers giving pleasure rather than receiving it.

On the surface, she may seem superficial yet when you get to know her, it becomes apparent that there is much more to the woman than meets the eye. She is open and approachable. People gravitate to her as they feel warm and happy just by being near her. No one seems to understand why but they simply accept it.

She is a respected senior member of her house and leads by example rather than by direction. The junior members look to her for guidance of their own fates.

She is a spiritual person, believes strongly in life after death, but only in the right circumstances. In a society where spirituality is an extinct concept, others don’t understand her spiritual belief. No matter, Honey has the confidence to believe what she believes and will not force her beliefs upon others. If asked though, she will be open and honest in expressing her values.

She loves her Master. He is the love of her life. Like most people in the community, the concept of a binding love is foreign to him. All she knows is that she loves him and will do whatever she can to make him happy.

She has a vision for the future of the human species, contrary to the rest of the community that she keeps to herself. It’s not until she meets Mona, that she finds a kindred spirit and a key instrument in bringing her vision to reality.

So, why is the book entitled ‘The Taste of Honey’? I invite you to read the book and find out. I look forward to reading your comments.

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Writing is awesome

October 18, 2015

Something happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I was well into writing the third book in the Mona Bendarova Adventures, ‘Lucky Bitch’ when a question arose in my mind. I had a vision of where the books were going to go but then I asked myself a fundamental question.

‘What was the end goal of the antagonist?’

  • Yes, what was their end goal?
  • What was their motivation?
  • What did they hope to accomplish?
  • What was driving them to do what they were doing?

Since they were only recently discovered, no one seems to know, including me. I thought I did. But did I? Are they striving for power? Glory? Control? Something else?

Are their goals the same as Mona’s with the exception of how they are trying to get there? Does it really matter to the community how they accomplish those goals as long as they get there? Or is it something subtler.

I really wanted something more subtle. Hunger for power and glory? It seems everyone does that. I want something different. Both sides appear to want change. Mona certainly is trying to find a way to change their food source production for something better. Is that what the antagonists are doing?

Without giving too much of the plot away, I got momentarily stuck trying to answer this question.

So I did what I do best. I put the book off for a while to ask questions, gather data and do research. The research is well on it’s way and I think I have answered the key question. I have to rewrite some of the chapters I have already written but so what. It might even be better then it was before.

As the ‘Riddler’ said. “Questions, Questions. I have so many Questions.”

So, while my subconscious continues pondering the question, I turned my attention to a diversion. I decided that I would write a story that was bouncing around in the back of my mind. I really thought that it would be a simple story about a single night.

Then a funny thing happened was as I was writing it. What started as a short story, turned into a novella and then into a regular novel. Then, as I was completing it, I had an inspiration of what would happen to the main character the following day. Voilà, I ended up writing a total of three novels as a trilogy. None are as long as one of my full fledged Mona Bendarova novels. But they turned out to be novels in their own right and I think a good read.

Right now, they are going through editing and I hope to publish them very soon. ‘Her Client’ is first book in the series is be called ‘Clients’. Be sure to look for them. I have a web page on these books right here on this site. Check out the links to my library.

Now, these books are a big departure from all of my other works, published and unpublished. They aren’t for everyone, in fact, they will attract a much smaller audience. However, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head so, ergo, I wrote it down.

But enough of this digression.

What I found amazing was how clearly the direction of the characters appeared in my feeble brain and how easily the words flew from my fingers. It was almost as if I couldn’t write fast enough. In about two weeks, I wrote something on the order of 60,000 words. There was no struggle, no issues with plot lines or dialog. The action is hot and heavy, and rife with disturbing concepts that will sure get people talking.

What was so f***ing  amazing was, I had the best time while writing these stories. It was fabulous, exciting and I could think of nothing better to do in my day. Writing these stores gave me a high better then just about any high I’ve ever had. It was wonderful. I’m only sorry that their done.

If only I could write like this every day. Instead, I have to balance it with my real job that pays the bills. Damn.

Well, it’s back to the grindstone. More to write, more to publish and more to market. And then there’s my job. Don’t get me wrong. I love my job and I enjoy my work. But it has been my career for decades and while I love it, I just don’t have the passion as I do for my other ventures. The writing and my painting, well that is my passion and I welcome any opportunity to enjoy either.

Writing is awesome and I couldn’t be happier.

Thank you for reading my books and as always, I appreciate the precious time you spent reading my posts.

Regards, Rich

maggicalExpressions

Thank you

October 11, 2015

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015BNI1D8 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015BNI1D8

Broken-Steele

Thanks to everyone to purchased ‘Broken Steele’. The following is growing and I am ecstatic. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Available from Amazon for your Kindle or Kindle reader and in Paperback, I believe you will find the story an exciting and fun read.