A nice Sunday afternoon

August 27, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers,
Rich

My take on a book review

August 17, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Writing and other things

July 31, 2017

Yes, I missed writing to all of you over the weekend. However, while I apologize, I’m not sorry. I spent much of it writing, as in writing notes and dialogue for a new book.

The thing is, I now have three books in development, and I don’t know which one will make it to the publishers first. The first one is ‘Lucky Bitch,’ book 3 in the Mona Bendarova Adventures (MBA). Except for a couple of plot updates, and a definite timeline problem, I’ve almost finished rewriting the second draft of the book. The problem with this one is, I haven’t touched in a few months, as I wanted to finish up ‘The Trafficking Consortium’ (TC). That’s done now, and sales are exploding, so it’s time to move on.

The second book in development is a serial murder who-done-it mystery. I have written a rough outline, defined the characters, and written a few chapters. Well more like scenes and they are very rough. I had the idea during the final stages of TC, and I started writing notes for it over the past several months. I like the idea of completing the story, but I can’t do them all at once.

The third book is more of a jotting down notes, writing some scenes, and fleshing out the story line. I had not planned on writing this one, but my readers and followers are all asking for a follow-up to ‘The Trafficking Consortium.’ I did end the story with a bit of a hook in case I decided to write a sequel. I’ve got some ideas on how to take Avril’s story. Input from my fan base and readers of the story are welcome to throw me ideas. If you would like to contribute, send me your comments, and I’ll take them into account.

So, as it happened, for more than ten hours on Saturday, I wrote and wrote. Sunday I added a bit more, but nothing like Sat. My girlfriend wasn’t overly happy with spending the bulk of the day with my laptop in front of me. I did try though. I took the laptop with me to the porch, sitting alongside her while I wrote. She still complained to me later in the day and again on Sunday. What’s a guy gotta do? She wants me to write, get better at my craft, and earn what it will take to buy that house on the beach in the tropics. It’s a never-ending battle.

Maybe it’ll stop after I buy that beach house. I’m crossing my fingers.

Have a great day and a better tomorrow.

When family comes to visit

July 18, 2017

My sister just left. Whew, I’m tired. She and her husband arrived last Thursday and departed Saturday afternoon. Everyone had a great time. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. However, I’m still tired. As hosts, I tried to be up early and stay up late until they were ready for bed. So, what was I to do? I stayed up past midnight, ate and drank a bit too much, and talked into the wee hours of the night.

I miss my sister. I do. I haven’t seen her for at least two years(?). She lives three hundred plus miles away and until this past weekend, last came to visit me when I first moved to my adopted town back in the late eighties. Since then, I’ve gone to visit her. She has a bunch of kids, and she felt that kind of car ride would be difficult. I understand. So, I visited her as much as I can. I have only one kid, and he’s grown up and moved away. I have no pets to take care of, nor do need to find accommodations for them when I go away, nor deal with the hassles of taking them with me to contend with her pets.

The long and short of it, I’m just glad they came. I miss her.

I even had a chance to chat with her alone, one-on-one. Sometimes, I feel the need to tailor my conversation based upon whether her husband or my girlfriend is around. Even though I know that she is very traditional, she is still open and liberal enough to accept me for whom I am. She accepts me, faults and all. And boy, some say I have many faults.

What? Me? Faults? I kid of course, but that doesn’t change who I am. I like me as I am, and I hate tailoring myself to protect the feelings of others.

So, that is in part, why I haven’t written in a while. I’ve been busy. In the free moments I had, I spent researching how to redesign my website. I found a theme I like, and I’m playing with it to see how it turns out. If not, I’ll move on. Until then, I’m not buying the professional version until I am satisfied. It is going to take some work though. My old theme used page templates that don’t translate very way to other themes. It’s these templates that drive me crazy. They interfere with the SEO (Seach Engine Optimization) routines and are not compatible with the higher end online shopping cart systems. A big PITA (Pain In The ASS). Still, what I’ve accomplished over the past couple of weeks is promising.

Now, on my head issues, cognitive issues are rampant. Do you know how long it took me to remember the word ‘promising’ in the previous paragraph? Way too long, let me tell you. Grrrrr!!!! Periodic chiropractic adjustments seem to work. My headaches live in the one to two range of ten. When they start to grow, doc tells me I’m out of adjustment. Damn, I didn’t know one leg could be shorter than another simply by being out of adjustment. A quick fix and I’m on my way. Even my neurologist is impressed. He’s put me on a decreasing dose of my meds with the intent to hopefully stop within 18 weeks. Knock on wood. Wish me luck.

Oh, I almost forgot. ‘The Trafficking Consortium‘ is now available in paperback from Amazon and Createspace.com. If you’re one to like a book in your lap rather than on a tablet or smart-phone, then now is your chance to get it at a decent price. Join the hundreds of others that have read the book. As always, I appreciate your honest critique and review posted on the site from where you bought the book. Thx.

Okay, that’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed reading about my latest news. Until next time, have a great day and a better tomorrow!

p.s. Theme photo is from the original Addam’s Family television series from the 1960’s, a take off of Charles Addam’s cartoons, which I devoured in my youth. By no means, do I want to equate my sister’s visit with the Addam’s. I love both, just differently.

Besides, Morticia Addams is hot!

Thunderstorms and other things

July 8, 2017

We had the most magnificent thunderstorm overnight. Despite their danger and possible damage to our environment, I love watching them form before breaking out in lightning and thunder. I love the feel of the concussive force against my chest as they roll across the landscape. I love seeing the bolts of light gather strength and reach out to the ground in impressive displays of their power.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I protect myself, mindful of the danger. I stay safe and if necessary, flat to the ground. I know the danger, having observed my mother get struck once when I was a kid. The experience scared me to death. Come to think of it, I had forgotten all about the incident until just now. It’s been decades since I recalled watching the bolt jump from the sky and touch my mother, pulling weeds from the garden. She was okay shortly later, but at the time, scary.

Perhaps I’ll write a story involving lightning and thunderstorms one day.

The other day, I made the commitment to once again, redesign my website. While pretty, maintaining it is problematic. The theme it uses are very restrictive and let’s not get started on the SEO components. I’ve tried to take advantage of several plug-ins only to find that they cannot work with the primary template of the theme. A template used on most of the pages of the site. It’s very discouraging.

So, sometime in the future, probably in the fall, I will release my updated site and add the functionality that I struggle implementing. Wish me luck.

My latest book ‘The Trafficking Consortium’ is selling well. It is outselling the ‘Her Client’ series by a significant amount. It pleases me that it has also brought traffic to my other books, including ‘The Taste of Honey,’ ‘Broken Steele‘ and ‘The Breakup.’ I still need to finish the third book in the Mona series, called ‘Lucky Bitch.’ The first draft is done but I need to go through it again, clean it up, send it to editing, and well, a whole bunch more before it is published.

I’m still hoping that ‘The Trafficking Consortium’ will take off and launch an exciting future. In the meantime, I’ve been tossing around ideas and framework for a new book. It’s a serial killer drama, and I have already written two scenes for it along with a rough outline. However, it’s too early to tell whether I will proceed with the concept. Time, inspiration and perspiration will tell. So far though, I like it.

Lastly, on my concussion recovery front, I am doing surprisingly well. It seems that the chiropractic work is succeeding. I am ecstatic. However, it’s only been a month and while these latest sessions indicate that I am ‘Holding,’ my body is still reacting to the realignment of my vertebrae. He calls it ‘retracing.’ There’s lots of information on that on the web so that I won’t go into it now. Let’s just say that the nerve endings in my brain must find new ways around the detours to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B.’ They are not happy and tortures my body until they settle down. Much like lightning. The parallels are uncanny.

I’ve experienced everything from vision changes, extreme neural and physical fatigue, and dry mouth. It seems I can’t go a minute or two without taking a sip of water. I wake up with a dry mouth and to bed with one. The dry mouth symptom started minutes after my first adjustment and is only now, four weeks later, starting to settle down. Doc tells me that this is normal as my body is flushing built up poisons.

That’s all well and good, but I need to pee every twenty minutes or so. Too many times I find the bathroom already occupied, as I stand outside, restless as my body jerks around trying to contain the imminent expulsion of poisons.

“Damn it! Whoever’s in there, get the hell out, please!”

Hello all my fans and readers

July 2, 2017

It’s been, maybe, more than a week since I last wrote to you. Sorry about that. Marketing, headaches, and producing the paperback version of ‘The Trafficking Consortium,’ focused my attention these last several days.

Let’s start with marketing. Alright, so the image I’ve chosen is not directly related to my business, but the image does make it feel that way. Bickering. Plew! Sometimes I feel like it’s a terrible waste of time and then other times, not. For two weeks or so, I paid for Facebook advertising. The results weren’t too bad, and I sold some books. Was it enough to offset the cost of the advertising? No, but this time round, I didn’t expect to come out ahead. I do know that I generated enough to minimize my overall costs, and perhaps, will come out ahead in the months to come. So, I figure mixed results. Now I am off and trying a different tactic, Amazon advertising. This model is different. Where Facebook charges every time the advert is displayed, Amazon will only charge when someone clicks on the advert. I don’t know which will work better, but I do know, that one has to focus on the target audience for the advertising to be effective. Let’s see what happens.

On the headache front, I saw a chiropractor for several adjustments. He specializes in upper cervical services, and I must say, the results are positive. My headaches are now in the low-intensity range, and I’m hoping soon, they will disappear altogether. The trouble is, I am drinking water as I have never before. I wake up with a dry mouth, spend the day with a dry mouth, drinking vast quantities, and still go to bed with a dry mouth. Doc says that it is a good thing and that I am flushing the poisons from my body. I also feel extremely fatigued, feeling like I need sleep all day long. It’s hard to function, and I can’t multitask as I am accustomed. Both maladies will resolve themselves, or so the Doc says. It all has to do with something he calls, ‘Retracing.’ There’s a YouTube video on the subject. Check it out. I’m not sure what to make of it all, but I put my trust in his tender care.

Lastly, I’ve been working on formatting ‘The Trafficking Consortium’ for print publication. I can’t believe how many times I submitted a version to the printing house, only to reject it myself as I am proofing it. Hopefully, the version I uploaded yesterday will be my final and approved, version. Knock on wood.

It’s so odd; I never expected that I would be rejecting my proofs. The printing company, yes, me … no. However, I know that it will be a better product. Afterward, I will update the e-book version to match the printed edition. Don’t worry, the edits are minor, and anyone who already purchased the e-book version will get a free updated version.

And, oh, BTW, check out the new 5-star review from a brand new reader of mine. I was sooooo excited to read it. Thank you, Amy. Here’s the link to her review.

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

Everything is possible, nothing is impossible, it's all in the attitude

Marketing and Self-Publishing

June 26, 2017

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to writing and marketing my books. I’ll tell you; I much prefer writing over marketing. As an independent publisher, I have to split my valuable time between the two. It seems that at most times, the split is not even. Rather, the nod goes to marketing rather than writing.

Which is a curse in its own way. The best marketing tool is good inventory, though the definition of good, in this case, is broad. Spending much of my valuable time in marketing is, in some ways, an evil. A necessary evil, but an evil nonetheless.

For the average reader and customer of books, I know you don’t necessarily care about this topic, but believe me, it is the bane of most writers, even those that have made it in this competitive world. Regardless of how we market, we all do. Whether we do book signings at the behest of our publishers or spend a few minutes a day following up with our social media drills and the like, it takes time away from our real passions, writing the next great novel.

So, if there are any publishing house out there interested in exclusive rights, let’s talk. I’m open to ideas.

In the meantime, I’m going to drink another cup of coffee and muddle on. I have some ideas for my next novel. Have a great day and a better tomorrow.
Rich

Hello my Fans

June 16, 2017

Hello my fans,

Please accept my apologies for not writing for almost two weeks. These past days have been quite hectic as a result of my PCS (post concussion syndrome) and the release of my latest novel, ‘The Trafficking Consortium.’

Let me tell you; there is good news on both fronts.

First, let me tell you about my book. Avril’s story about being kidnapped and sold into the underworld of human trafficking is doing quite well. In the first two weeks, more readers than I can imagine are reading it, and I received my first review yesterday.

Five stars! Can you imagine? I am ecstatic. You can find the review on Amazon’s website. Click any of the book titles and it will bring you right to it.

The reader/reviewer, Bibs wrote:

Another Winner, Another Panty Melter
“You did it again Richard. I couldn’t put it down. A very fast paced read. If you have not read a book from this author, you’re missing out. Every book I read of Richard Verry’s has been excellent. Please pick one up today, and you will be hooked. Thank you, Richard!!”

Wow! What an endorsement.

Bibs has reviewed many of my books, but by far and large, I believe that this one is by far the best for my career as a writer. Personally, I agree with the reviewer, but then again, I’m biased. Thank you Bibs.

If you haven’t yet read ‘The Trafficking Consortium,’ I suggest that you do. I’d be interested if you concur with the review or not.

There is more good news regarding my PCS. Over the past two months, I’ve been miserable. I was suffering near unbearable pain, at times moaning and screaming in a poor effort to deal with my headaches. They reached new highs during that time, and if you have read my recent posts, you already know this. Last week, I hooked up with yet another new doctor, this time, a chiropractor. He did a full assessment on my issue, concentrating on my neck and skull. Using a CBCT (a type of 3D cat scanner), he found that my C1 and C4 vertebrae were out of position, and not just on one side but both. The doc reported that discovering both sides out of position is rare. My C1 (also called Axis) was both skewed and rotated out of whack, making the opening for my spinal column smaller, pinching nerves.

CBCT - 3D Cat scan — Rich’s CBCT 2017-06-06

After getting my first adjustment to pop them back into the correct position, I felt better almost immediately. Within hours, my headache dropped to low levels. On my second adjustment appointment, he reported that both C1 and C4 were still in the correct position and no adjustment was necessary. I was both ecstatic and disappointed. The later because he denied me the opportunity to be adjusted again. How dumb is that? That’s what expectations can do. Yet, I was happy that his prior adjustment held. After all, the vertebrae had gotten used to being out of alignment and may very well want to get back to its old position. He tells me that this is very possible. On my third adjustment appointment, he needed to adjust me once more, which he took care immediately. The funny thing, over the past two days, I knew that I was out of adjustment, my headaches were growing worse and a bad fatigue had set in.

What really excites me is that someone finally found a physiological cause to my perpetual headaches. With the vertebrae out of alignment, they were pinching the nerves of the brainstem and spinal cord. The nerves have to transgress a very snug opening, so to have the vertebrae shrink their pathways even smaller, well, I could have been suffering from a host of issues. The brain, after all, controls the entire body.

I’m in good spirits and anxious to see whether this is the right treatment for me. If so, I can drop seeing the voluminous doctor and therapy appointments I attend each week. Better yet, I hope I can wean myself off the pills I’ve been taking to manage the pain. Wish me luck!

Well, that’s it for the time being. I look forward to today and tomorrow, getting back to writing and the like. Have fun.

The Trafficking Consortium released

June 4, 2017

The Trafficking Consortium released

These last several weeks have been hard, but I have some good news. I completed the final steps in order to submit for publication my latest book, ‘The Trafficking Consortium.’ I uploaded it to Amazon last Wednesday. Sales for the first three days are off to a great start, selling numerous copies in the U.S., Great Britain, and Germany in only three days. This without any real marketing.

I’m ecstatic.

Oh yes, I have been talking about it for months now, but now it is a reality. Now begins the daunting task of marketing the book. Seeing the early results, I’m trying something new. I’ll let you all know in the months ahead how it goes. All that is left to do is the prepare the paperback version and upload it to the printers. If you get a chance, check the book out. It is available for free on Kindle Unlimited or just $2.99 to purchase it outright for your Kindle or your favorite eBook reader.

It’s a brutal erotic suspense thriller about Avril Gillios, a young woman in her mid-twenties, who get’s caught up in an international organized crime ring specializing in human trafficking. The thousand-year old organization call themselves ‘The Consortium.’ Their affluent and influential members can order or acquire anyone, men and women alike, to satisfy their unique needs and desires. From organ acquisition; to perverse sexual satisfaction; or feasting upon their prey, they seemingly operate above the law all across the globe.

Told from Avril’s point of view, the story describes how this criminal organization targets her, kidnaps her right off the streets of NYC and sells her to the highest bidder; marking the beginning of a new life, forever barred from returning to the only life she ever knew.

She must navigate the perilous events that threaten her life to survive her ordeal and attempt escape. Sold to a sadistic monster, her captivity is relatively comfortable. Locked in a luxurious suite with all the trimmings included in the most elegant high-end luxury apartments enjoyed by the upper one-percenters, a cage is still a cage.

She endures brutal beatings and violent ravishments as her new owner trains her to be compliant to his demands and needs. Along the way, she discovers that her sadistic owner loves her, in his own way.

Confused and bewildered, she must figure out how to navigate the ever narrowing serpentine path to escape the growing threat to her life. Her captor eventually gives her an impossible choice, one that takes away all doubt of what he intends to do with her. However, he requires that she select the path that her life will take. Failing to choose is the same as choosing a horrific, slow, and painful death.

Will she choose life or death? I encourage you to find out for yourself.

What is there to say?

June 4, 2017

What is there to say?

That is a very good question. I continue pushing through, minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day. Besides the constant elevated headache, I’m fatigued both mentally and physically. My emotions are raw and all I can do is think about sleep. Ah, blissful sleep, a time when I don’t register my pain and discomfort. And yet, there have been times, when I dreaded going to bed to sleep. What an awful way to live.

It turns out that I must be my own care manager as well as a patient. Sucks, big time, let me tell you. My doctor’s treating my post-concussion symptoms are all specialists, who only know their own narrow field of expertise. The doctor who is managing my case, simply tells me, that they only assess and refer me to specialists. They are not in the business of treating.

“Say what? What kind of shit is that?” I thought as they told me that. But there it is. I have to make the phone calls, follow-up interactions between the various doctors (and yes, there are a lot of them), the pharmacy, and the insurance company handling my worker’s comp claim.

And let’s not get into the impact all this has had on my retirement plan. I just got my statement. My income reported to the plan was about half of what I should have earned last year. It’s not going to be much better next year. I knew I lost some money by being out of work, but really, almost half of my typical income? On top of that, I have to make up the lost time to retire with full benefits, which means I will have to work an additional six months before I retire. Crap!

As of today, I am on two new meds, and so far, I am getting some good results. The next couple of weeks will tell. I am hoping for good news.

Richard Verry, writer

Opening the mind to what is possible.

Category: Richard Verry

A nice Sunday afternoon

My take on a book review

Writing and other things

When family comes to visit

Thunderstorms and other things

Hello all my fans and readers

Marketing and Self-Publishing

Hello my Fans

Hello my fans,

The Trafficking Consortium released

The Trafficking Consortium released

What is there to say?

What is there to say?

Opening the mind to what is possible.

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Hello my fans,

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The Trafficking Consortium released

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What is there to say?

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