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.

What to say

May 27, 2017

What to say?

I’m sorry to say; I don’t have much energy to say much. I’m still miserable with my ‘Post Concussion Headaches,’ and I really don’t want to talk about it with all of you. You don’t deserve it. I don’t like it when my own family can think of nothing else but sharing their aches, pains, and health issues in their lives so why should I add to the discomfort.

In the meantime, I’ve been struggling to figure out what to write about in what’s going on. The only thing I can think of is my latest book, ‘The Trafficking Consortium.’ It’s so close to primetime. That is — publication. After I finish this post, I plan on working further on it. But I don’t know. My attention to details in this endeavor is ever so important, and I don’t want to screw it up. But, I’m going to plug through it and make the best of it.

The trouble is, what to do next after this book is laid to rest. As my brain is still recovering, I don’t have an idea of what to write next. My creative thought processes have all shut down. Once in a while, I get a glimpse of an idea at four in the morning when I briefly wake-up, but it’s not enough to wrap an entire story around. At best, it may become a scene in a future story and then again, maybe not. All I can think of is to return to the third book in the Mona Bendarova stories, tentatively titled ‘Lucky Bitch.’ It needs work and a rewrite of a couple of chapters. I am hoping that I can figure that one out and in the process, stimulate a new story to write.

Have fun at an office meeting — Find out how much fun an office meeting can be

The problem? As much as I love the first book, ‘The Taste of Honey,’ the characters, and the plot, I’m not sure I like the direction the second book ‘Broken Steele’ took Mona and her family. It’s getting very dark, and the community she lives in is becoming divided. Where once there was harmony among all, a growing discontent is splitting the mindsets of the population. Discord is growing as acts of terror are released upon the innocent and guilty alike.

I suppose my discomfort in the stories is a result of the growing friction in my own country where our citizens are splitting apart from within. It’s not something I care for, and I honestly don’t know what I can do to help.

However, my Mona stories could be an avenue with which to work out my issues, and perhaps, help the country to resolve its differences. One can only hope.

This is Richard Verry, signing off for now. Thanks for your support and spending your valuable time with my endeavors. If you haven’t read ‘The Taste of Honey’ yet, I urge you to give it a go. It’s available in paperback or eBook and Kindle at Amazon.com or your favorite eBook seller. Oh hey, it’s also available right here on my website, https://richardverry.com/stories/mona-bendarovas-stories/the-taste-of-honey.

I’m Miserable

May 20, 2017

I’m miserable

Okay, it’s official. I’m miserable. I feel broken. Do you know when you see someone for the first time in a day, the usually greet you with “Hi! How are you?” You know they are expecting the answer “Fine.”

I can’t say it anymore. I just can’t. I finally came up with an appropriate response. “I’m miserable.”

“What? Oh, how come?” they respond with the obvious.

In my head, I’m thinking “Oh, shit. Not fucking again.” I want to scream at them and say “Duh!”

What I do say is “You know, it’s this thing that is constantly going on.” pointing to my head.

“Did they forget from yesterday? It’s the same shit every day, only everyday is a bit worse.” I’m thinking. Please stop asking “How are you.” I’d rather hear “Are you okay?”

I’ve relapsed and the pain in my skull is the worse I’ve ever felt since this all started. It feels like a crushing hand griping my entire skull and squeezing. Everything else seems to have resolved but the headaches? No. It’s almost as of my brain is saying in the only way it knows how. “Enough is enough already? Stop trying to fix me.” It’s true. Before my relapse, I was pushing hard to increase stimuli and repair the broken synapses in my brain. I guess I pushed too hard. The worse part? I thought I was about to resolve it all and return to normal. Shit!

For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m suffering. Oh yes, I am well aware that there are others all across the world suffering greater hardships and dealing with painful, even deadly situations. I get that. I really do. I feel for them and if I had it in my power to ease their suffering, I would. I do when I can, but it will never be enough.

However, I’m in pain. Each and every day. Some are worse than others, but over the past four weeks, my headaches have reached new heights. Most days, I’m barely making it through work, then on to an injury related appointment, be it physical therapy, counseling, doctor, or yet another damn assessment or test.

After that, I arrive home wiped out, depleted, and a mess. I lie down in bed, resting, often with my loving girlfriend lying next to me, trying to comfort me but honestly not knowing how. The fact that she is there, right there next to me, touching me, is comforting. Thank you hon. You may never truly understand how much you help simply by lying next to me, but trust me, it is a welcome respite from the painful crushing headache, if however brief.

I know I’m needy right now. I will not apologize for that. I need her more than ever, and I know she is just as frustrated with our lives right now as I am. I say this. Thank you, my love, for trying, and I beg forgiveness when impatience lashes out. I understand, even it takes a day or so to realize it.

I’m a mess and I know it. Thankfully, I do speak to a counselor, though these days, it’s more like venting and screaming the words that I can’t say anywhere else. That’s the thing. I keep so much bottled up inside because it’s just not right to vent to my girlfriend, coworkers and friends. They understand but there would be consequences to venting to them. I could lose my job, lose my friends and the worse would be isolation from my loving girlfriend who is the center of my world.

As for all my friends, family, and acquaintances, I have received your kind words, your reaching out to say, “I’m thinking of you.” et. all. They make me smile, and I plan on reaching back, especially in your time of need.

In the meantime, instead of making it through one day at a time, I’m working on making it one minute at a time. Now, if I can only just finish up my book and submit it for publishing, damn, I’m so far behind. I just know that I have to get these polishing touches just right. Not the story mind you. That’s done and put to bed. It’s all the blurbs, cover art, book categorizing, and a bunch of other things that can make a book a success or failure. You indie-publishers all know what I am talking about, it just has to be perfect from the onset. Then there is the guy who want’s to help publicize my work if I cooperate and help publicize his work. I’m excited at the prospect. I just can’t get the motivation going to do anything but survive right now.

Now, back to resting and sleeping. Thankfully it’s the weekend where I can get a break from the past week … maybe.

Till next time, I wish you a good day and a better tomorrow. I think about you, my fans, often and I look forward to the day where I can get back to normal. (Though, my girlfriend will be the first one to tell you, I’m not normal. I smile and say “Thank you, love.”)

Quiet lately

May 14, 2017

Quiet lately

Apologies all. I know I have been quiet lately. I had a relapse with my post concussion shit and my headaches reached new heights over the last three weeks. For the first time in my life, I truly feel like I am suffering.

I have been working hard over the past couple of months to increase the level of stimuli to my brain, in order to force it to repair the damaged nerve connections. It’s been working and I am progressing. I just think that my brain finally said ‘enough is enough. Give me a break already’ in the only way it knew how. By beating the shit out of me and intensive my headaches to new levels.

A nerve block into the back of my skull and plenty of rest (i.e., doing nothing but sleeping and parking myself in my recliner) seems to be helping. BTW, two needles into the back of my head was not my first choice. The burning and shooting pain that came with it almost took me down all together.

Add into the mix the numerous emotions as a result, and I was barely able to do much beyond my mandatory responsibilities. Yes, I’m not going to list all of the emotions I had to deal with over the past two weeks. I’ve made my girlfriend suffer enough as it was.

So while I have a few moments of clarity, I’m writing to you to let you know that I am thinking of all of you. I plan on continuing my regime of rest today, hoping that by tomorrow, I can start the work week off and not crash by mid-afternoon.

I’ll write when I can. And, I am oh so close to releasing my latest book, ‘The Trafficking Consortium.’ That’s first on my agenda when I can spend quality time on it. Stay tuned. Thanks for your understanding.

There’s such a thing as too much

April 29, 2017

There’s such a thing as too much.

That’s right, too much of a good thing is often too much.

If you love ice cream, eating a cone every so often is a savory treat that coats your tongue with exploding flavors as its cooling succulence slips down your throat. Even eating it once a day, in small portions, is manageable. Force fed it continuously, hour after hour, every day, well I know that I will soon hate the stuff.

That’s how I feel about some bloggers I follow. Many I eagerly look forward to, soaking in their insights on the world around them. I enjoy reading about their inner struggles and their ways in coping with life.

What I don’t like are posts done six to ten times a day, touting this or that, or promoting their wares. I want to support them. I really do. However, I am finding that I simply delete the unread post from my inbox. I am treating the posts as junk mail. Yes, I know it’s not fair. However, is it fair to be inundated with a dozen posts or more every day? Nope. Perhaps you feel the same way?

Just over a year ago, I was working with a publicist that wanted me to post something of 300 to 600 words at least daily, more if I could manage it. The idea was that the more I post, the more people would find me, and follow. At the time, I knew nothing. I trusted what I thought of as an expert. So, I tried. Six months later, we parted ways, but I still decided to follow the recommendations.

What did it get me? I started hating the idea of posting an article, especially daily articles. It took a lot of time away from my novels, stories, and painting. I also started to feel like it was too much ice cream.

Fortunately, I suffered a severe concussion last summer that I am still dealing with the aftereffects today. What it did for me in posting articles was first, a well-needed break. Then, I had a whole new topic to write about and share.

In the writings, I knew that I had to give you, my readers, something they wished to read. I did not want to fill them with fluff about marketing my books. I wanted to give you want you liked. I also had trouble with cognitive and creative thought, so I landed upon the idea of posting the ‘Word of the Day.’ Using M-W, I used them to add my personal two cents to their daily word.

Easy I thought. The trouble was, I was really getting into researching the word, finding images to support the word and then adding my two cents. Towards the end of last year, I was spending upwards of two hours a day, fascinated by the word, and digging deeper into it. As the holidays rolled around, I found that I was, once again, getting tired of the daily grind of blogging.

As you may have noticed, I have since cut down my posts to once or twice a week. I can manage that, I think. Since my cognitive and creative streams of thought are slowly returning, I am writing once again, focusing on the final tweaks to my new book, ‘The Trafficking Consortium.’ I’m even thinking about a sequel to the story, but that’s down the road.

Limiting my posts gives me the time to work on why you follow me. Many of you are looking forward to my next release, and have written me asking when, et.all. How cool is that? Anyway, with summer approaching, I must decide between blogging and writing. I think writing is going to win every time.

Followup to ‘How do I think of these things’

April 14, 2017

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

I 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.

I 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.

Then 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.

Oh, 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

Richard Verry, writer

Opening the mind to what is possible.

Category: Richard Verry

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?

What to say

What to say?

I’m Miserable

I’m miserable

Quiet lately

Quiet lately

There’s such a thing as too much

There’s such a thing as too much.

Followup to ‘How do I think of these things’

Followup to ‘How do I think of these things’

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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What to say?

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I’m miserable

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Quiet lately

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There’s such a thing as too much.

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Followup to ‘How do I think of these things’

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