Reflections

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Girl with Santa hat in forest

Today, instead of answering my interview questions, I’d like to mention stuff that comes to mind.

Broken SteeleFirst and foremost, thank you — thank you to those who have been purchasing my books. The bulk have been sold both in the UK and in the US. Thank you. A big thank you to whomever purchased my sequel to the Mona Bendarova Adventures, called ‘Broken Steele’. It’s really nice to see the appreciation of someone who took the time to buy and read it. Thank you.

To everyone who has read my books, in addition to my thanks, I would ask that you write a review on the site from which you purchased the book(s). Seems that Amazon and the like tend to not promote a book until a certain number of reviews have been published for it. I really would appreciate it.

Now, on to other stuff.

Snow finally comes to Rochester, NY. We’ve been extremely lucky this year. Last year, we were buried under many feet of snow for the bulk of the season. Houses, mine included, took a big hit from ice and snow damage. This year, nothing, zippo, nada until today. Any yet, it’s not a lot, under an inch or so and most melted under the afternoon sun.

Now, as I write the Mona Bendarova Adventures, I am constantly wondering what her weather is like. So far, except for the occasional rain or thunderstorm, it’s been pretty temperate. After all, if I want my characters naked much of the time, indoors and out, it has to be warm enough to allow it. (Or, does it? I wonder.)

As I write the third book in the series, I have definitely introduced a change in climate. It’s the end of the growing season and the days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping. How low should I take them is the question. Will there be snow on the ground at some point? I haven’t decided.

What do you think? Should there be? Should the members of Mona’s house and community have to deal with in climate weather? Should they have to deal with snow, ice, tornado’s and or hurricanes? Do I put the community in a temperate zone, the equatorial zone or closer to the poles where seasons are more dramatic? Part of me wants them in a temperate zone, where it’s not too hot or too cold. Yet, for drama sake, more extreme weather can lead to more interesting plot lines.

The nice thing is, my characters will have to deal with anything I write into the stories.

I am interested in hearing what you have to say. Send me a comment from the link below and let me know your thoughts and why you think that. At this point, I can bend it in whatever direction you like.

A Reader’s Perspective.

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The Breakup background

A Reader’s Perspective

by Janet Maggio

I ask myself why readers are buying the ‘Her Client Trilogy’ en-mass compared to the ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’?

1-Her-Client-3DThe ‘Her Client Trilogy’ are short novellas depicting a woman, Jolene who is tortured, brutalized and sold into Human Trafficking. Is it because this subject is relevant to today and the Mona Bendarova Adventures are depicted in a futuristic setting?

I hear from the author, Richard Verry, that his latest book in the Mona Bendarova Adventures, ‘Lucky Bitch’ deals with terrorism on Mona and her household. That is relevant in today’s society with what is going on globally and for some in our own city.

The Taste of HoneyI also believe that Mona herself represents today’s woman. She is powerful, independent and dominant in her own right. She may not realize it in the first book, ‘The Taste of Honey’ yet as the reader reads through her adventures, it becomes apparent that is what the author had in mind for Mona. She doesn’t recognize it early on as some women in today’s society don’t yet they don’t call us the stronger sex for nothing!

Do you feel the same or have a different perspective?

Read the ‘Her Client Trilogy’ and the first two books in the Mona Bendarova Adventures, ‘The Taste of Honey’ and ‘Broken Steele’ and compare them.

Afterwards, I encourage you to share your thoughts by commenting on the author’s website, RichardVerry.com.

Weekly Update

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Happy Holidays in typewriter

Progress Update

I’ve decided to begin posting progress updates on my writings. I’ll try to do this weekly but you’ll forgive me if I miss a week.

‘Her Client Trilogy’

0-Client-3DSales are still going well. I find it interesting that sales seem to be split pretty evenly between North America and Europe. If anything, the nod goes to Europe. Thank you all for support. I’m working on a marketing plan to boost those numbers. Wish me luck.

‘Lucky Bitch’

Fishnet girl with belt in handAnother 3,000 words written. Progress is slow as I’ve been sick. Preparing to market the book continues.

The Breakup Upright Book‘The Breakup’

A new novel currently in editing. In the same genre as ‘Her Client’, I have high expectations with this novel. Due to the success of ‘Her Client’ I have written story lines for at least three more books. I can’t wait to get started on writing those.

Marketing Efforts

CreativWriter

I need visibility to my site and my works. I’ve hired Leah Hart of CreativWriter. So, here’s to the new year, full of confidence as I take the next step into the future. I’m excited.

Why? Because it’s all going to work out. Cheers!

Be sure to look for ‘Lucky Bitch’

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woman holding flogger behind neck

woman with two floggers‘Lucky Bitch’

Be sure to look for the latest book in the Mona Bendarova Adventures.

Due out early 2016, Mona’s story continues right after the end of ‘Broken Steele’ when she takes possession of the Mastery of her own House. She struggles and has to do deal with various issues, including a prevalent distrust by her own household members as well as the community at large.

The distrust stems from the simple fact that she is a woman. She is a woman who has risen to powerful position in a world where the female gender serves in a subservient role. It can be compared to a woman here, in the United States, achieving the highest public office. It’s just not widely acceptable. Therefore, it makes sense that the women of her own house are uncertain whether they like the idea of her new role.

40959834_s-cup of coffee on the table in coffee shop vintage styleIn the early months of her ascension to Mastery of her own House, she deals with redefining her house and what it offers the community. Distrusted by her community, family, sabotage, she is the victim of terrorism when several of her household are brutally murdered for simply talking to her one pleasant afternoon.

Mona is stronger as a result but questions her decision as to whether she made a good choice.

Be sure to read this follow-up book that drives right to the heart of some of our problems that we are experiencing today. I’m looking forward to finish writing it. I want to find out, like you the reader, how she fares in a new world where she is the one everyone looks to and everyone distrusts simply for being a woman in power.

Weekly Update

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Happy Holidays in typewriter

Progress Update

I’ve decided to begin posting progress updates on my writings. I’ll try to do this weekly but you’ll forgive me if I miss a week.

Her Client Trilogy book cover 3D

‘Her Client Trilogy’

Sales of my new series, the ‘Her Client Trilogy’ are going very well. For a relatively new author, I am ecstatic. 45 copies in 7 days, mostly from U.S. and Europe but in other areas of the world as well.

Thank you all for support. I’m working on a marketing plan to boost those numbers. Wish me luck.

 

Fishnet girl with belt in hand‘Lucky Bitch’

55,000 words written to date. Great progress, a bunch to go. I can’t wait to find out how it all turns out. I hope to write at least 5,000 words a week, more if I can. A modest goal to be sure but I expect that the holiday season will definitely impact my ability to write. Marketing efforts are slowing the progress with the novel but as long as I am writing, I don’t care. It’ll be out within the next couple of months. I hope you’ll look for it.

 

The Breakup Upright Book‘The Breakup’

A new novel currently in editing. In the same genre as ‘Her Client’, I have high expectations with this novel. Due to the success of ‘Her Client’ I have written storylines for at least three more books. I can’t wait to get started on writing those.

 

Marketing Efforts

CreativWriter

I need visibility to my site and my works. To do that, I need to raise awareness. Since I know little of marketing, I’ve realized that I need professional help. Just as one hires a moving company to pack up one’s stuff and move it to a new home, I need to do the same thing. Therefore, I’ve decided to boost my marketing efforts but hiring a publicist.

It’s a risk. I know. I don’t want to throw hard-earned money after a bad marketing plan. The past few months, I’ve been investigating whom to hire. There are a lot of unknowns out there. To help figure it out, I’ve been testing the waters.

Now, I’ve decided what to do. I’m hiring Leah Hart of CreativWriter.

Update 10/2016: Leah Hart appears to be out of business. None of her websites are active and her social accounts, at least the ones I know of, are all inactive.

I originally started small with her. I hired her to boost my Twitter followers. I instantly went from a handful of followers to over six thousand in just six weeks. I then hired her to redesign my web site and build an e-commerce presence. Done and done. It’s time to take it the next step.

So, here’s to the new year, full of confidence as I take the next step into the future. I’m excited. Why? Because it’s all going to work out. Cheers!

Lucky Bitch

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woman holding flogger behind neck

woman holding flogger behind neckLucky Bitch

With all of the posts of late regarding ‘The Taste of Honey’ and my new series, I would be remiss in mentioning that the third book in the Mona Bendarova Adventures, ‘Lucky Bitch’ will be coming out early next year.

Mona’s story continues right after the end of ‘Broken Steele’ when she takes possession of the Mastery of her own House. She struggles and has to do deal with various issues, including a prevalent distrust by her own household members as well as the community at large.

The distrust stems from the simple fact that she is a woman. She is a woman who has risen to a position of power in a world where the female gender serves in a subservient role. It can be compared to a woman here, in the United States, achieving the highest public office. It’s just not widely acceptable. Therefore, it makes sense that the women of her own house are uncertain whether they like the idea of her new role.

25758923_s-coffee cups and natural beans and nutsIn the early months of her ascension to Mastery of her House, she has to deal with revamping the services her house offers the community. There is distrust by her community, family, sabotage and even terrorism when several of her household are brutally murdered for simply talking to her one pleasant afternoon.

Mona becomes stronger as a result but still has to deal with uncertainties in her own mind as to whether she made the right decision.

Be sure to read this follow-up book that drives right to the heart of some of our problems that we are experiencing today. I’m looking forward to finish writing it. I want to find out, like you the reader, how she fares in a new world where she is the one everyone looks to and everyone distrusts simply for being a woman in power.

Why did I write ‘The Taste of Honey’ (part 2)

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‘The Taste of Honey’ is a tale that everyone can find something in it for them. Whether they describe themselves kinky or not, they can connect to the characters and place themselves in the middle of the action.

My books are not meant for everyone yet I am pleased with my writings and most importantly staying true to myself. You will definitely find something that will connect you to my books.

For my ‘vanilla’ friends, I would like to share a comment from my traditional sister. She struggled to get through the book yet by the end she came to realize that she was crying. She exclaims that it was  due to the love story that reveals itself along the way. I thought if she was able to find a connection to my characters, so will you.

It is my belief that there is something for everyone in the book. Whether you’re monogamous or poly-amorous, gay or straight, kinky or vanilla, there’s something for you. There’s romance, suspense, mystery, crime and punishment. The only topics that I will never include in my books are religion, terrorism and war. These are concepts that I believe the human race has experienced and now it’s time to move forward.

Honey’s story contains violence and pacifism. There is also a spiritualism to Honey that is hinted in this book and expanded upon in the sequel,’Broken Steele’. It will grow deeper in the third book, ‘Lucky Bitch’ which I’m currently writing.

These books are ultimately, a paranormal fantasy. Some of the scenes you may want to partake and enjoy yourselves. Others, may feel that they will forever remain in the realm of fantasy. Either way is fine though I am hoping Chapter One will one day become a reality for me! (Yep, my mind will always go there!)

In my mind, that is how all business should be conducted. If you ever get to participate in a similar meeting, please share your experiences. I am also interested in reading your constructive critiques. Maybe even a dialogue over each of our thoughts will occur. I will look forward to that discussion.

Please check out ‘The Taste of Honey’ and when you are ready to move on, try ‘Broken Steele’. The first chapter for each is available for free on this site as well as on Amazon and other e-book retailers. ‘The Taste of Honey’ and ‘Broken Steele’ are available now on this website as well as Amazon and other book online retailers.

My follow-up to Leah Hart’s thoughts on reading ‘The Taste of Honey’

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Having read Leah’s comments on her experiences in growing up reading trashy romance novels, I was struck with how similar our backgrounds are. Even though we are from different parts of the country. I can remember the same drive to read anything and everything, even under the covers with a flashlight.

What a wonderful memory Leah. Thanks for reminding me of those days. As a young boy, I tended to read YA books that involved solving mysteries, investigating the universe or simply the human body. Yes, like Leah, I was a rebel. Searching for my identity, I can remember the day when I noticed girls and became infatuated with the female form.

I distinctly remember when in seventh grade, I realized that the girl across from me, I won’t reveal her name here, sat there in a skirt with her knees wildly parted. I remember thinking “What was it that I found so interesting?” as I concentrated on looking up her skirt. To this day, I have no idea if she was doing it on purpose or not.

From that day forward, I read more adult fare, including steamy romance novels. While I didn’t care for those at first, I read them anyway in order to find the sexy steamy scenes that permeate the genre. I read almost every Harold Robbins novels by the time I was seventeen. Others followed as well.

What really hit me though was discovering the ‘The Harrod Experiment’ by Robert H Rimmer. Now that was something right up my alley. I still have that original copy in my collection and I pull it out and read it every so often. I can recall how I yearned to become a part of that experiment. Imaging, a college course that encouraged young adults to sleep around and learn about the human body in a controlled, safe way.

Writing ‘The Taste of Honey’ stems from those days. My roots in writing, in fact in all aspects of my life, branches out from there. My tree of my life is based in the seeds planted those days. Writing my stories reflects upon actual, real life experiences or fantasies made up in my mind in a fervent desire to experience as much as I can before I leave this earth forever.

If you can put yourselves in my shoes or have been where I’ve been, I know you will enjoy ‘The Taste of Honey’ and it’s sequel ‘Broken Steele’. The third book in the series, ‘Lucky Bitch’ will be out early 2016.

Writing is awesome

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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

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Thank You

The Taste of Honey

Thank you to those who bought my book ‘The Taste of Honey’ this past week. You’re awesome. Thanks for your support. I hope you like it. I would appreciate it if you would write a review.

Broken-Steele

Broken Steele

In the meantime, ‘Broken Steele’ is now available on Amazon.

The official release is Oct 1, 2015, but you can order it today and it will be automatically delivered to your Kindle or Kindle reader on Oct 1. The paperback version should also be available by then.

Check it out and let me know what you think of it while I am busy writing the third book ‘Lucky Bitch’ in the series. Stay tuned for word on that one.

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