Can you trust negative reviews?

Why you can’t really trust negative reviews

feedback

Hello to all my friends and readers. I’m very interested in reviews, including negative reviews.

In preparing for the imminent release of my newest book Perfect Prey, the sequel to The Trafficking Consortium, I’ve kept my eyes and ears open to anything that might apply to you, my readers, and all readers alike about why one buys and reads books.

more “Can you trust negative reviews?”

My take on a book review

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.

The Trafficking ConsortiumNow 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.

Gifts for readers like you

Gifts for readers like you

If you liked my books, your friends and relatives may like them too. All of them are available on my website, richardverry.com, Amazon.com, or from your favorite eBook store.

Most are available to read for free with Amazon Unlimited.Free button

Several are also available in paperback; perfect for under the tree.

Thank you for your support.

To read the reviews by readers like you,
click on any of the book covers for more information.

The Taste of Honey
The Taste of Honey
Broken Steele book cover 3D
Broken Steele
The Breakup Upright Book
The Breakup
Mermaids Irresistible Curiosity book cover 3D
A Mermaid’s Irresistible Curiosity
Her Client Trilogy book cover 3D
Her Client Trilogy
Her Client Book 1 cover 3D
Her Client
Her Overseer Book 2 cover 3D
Her Overseer
Her Essentia Book 3 cover 3D
Her Essentia
The Trafficking Consortium
The Trafficking Consortium
Perfect Prey
Perfect Prey

 

 

Normal? What is normal?

Do you consider yourself ‘Normal’?

Of course I do. I feel that I am the most normal guy one could meet.

Sometimes, my girlfriend has a different opinion. From reading, editing to discussing my books and novellas, she thinks I’m something different. I suppose and hope that is why she likes me. Just to remind everyone, we’ve been together for over twelve years.

Having said all that, let’s get back to the question. I spoke recently about the imagery that flies around in my head all day. I suppose that makes me different, since I am convinced that most others don’t have those experiences yet abnormal? No way!

Webster’s Dictionary defines normal as:

  1. a: according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle
    b: conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern
  2. occurring naturally <normal immunity>
  3. a: of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development
    b: free from mental disorder

Open bookWhen I compare myself to Webster, if there is any question, then by definition, I am normal. While I am unique, I also personally know hundreds of people and by extrapolation, millions who think like me and enjoy similar interests as I do and follow the same shows, hobbies and genres. In so many ways I conform to standards and patterns that society expects of me. I work for a living, pay my taxes, maintain my own home, take the garbage out and enjoy a daily shower. That last is really important.

My mother carried and delivered me naturally, though she told me later that I almost killed her as I wanted to come out sideways. She tells me that they had to push me back in, turn me around before delivering me. Does that make me abnormal? No, I don’t believe so. Breech births do happen. Of what I know now, if I was born more than a hundred years ago, neither me, mom or my sisters might not be around. Medicine back then wouldn’t be equipped to handle the difference from a normal birth.

psychiatric hospitalAm I categorized as of having average intelligence? I think so. I definitely know that there are people smarter than myself and others who are not. That makes me normal.

That leaves ‘free of mental disorder’. That’s a subjective term in so … many ways. While I know that there is scientific, medical definitions of various mental disorders, no one has ever accused or diagnosed me of having one.

I can only conclude I am normal. What about you? Do you consider yourself normal? If so, why? If not, really? I want to hear from you. Perhaps I can turn your story into a book. We should chat. You can use the comment section below to get started. I would so enjoy hearing your story.

Under the weather – followup

Under the weather – followup

Yesterday, I wrote about my month-long cold/whatever it is/was. However, since I wrote about my ills over the last month, I feel the need to write a followup.

Most important of all is … thank you for all of the kind words sent to me wishing me get well soon. I really appreciate them. It means a lot to me. I don’t normally like to write or talk about health related issues. Normally, it’s no ones business. To demonstrate how I feel about that, when I broke my leg a 15 years ago, I didn’t tell a soul. Even though I was living alone at the time, I kept that private. That’s life and I dealt with it.

As I wrote yesterday, I did go see the doctor and go through several tests. Doc tells me that I am presenting a very strange case, one that doesn’t seem to fit normal progressions of winter colds and flu. Yes, I did get my flu shot this year. The tests came back either negative or within normal ranges. So, no help there other than discount the norms.

So, what’s going on?

No one knows. She suspects that I am the victim of serial multiple cold or other viral infections. She suspects that this is the case as each one, taken along presents differently and is treated differently.

Today, I am feeling much better. She’s put me on a new stronger regime of antibiotics, which seems to be doing the trick. And while I’ve heard this before, I am crossing my fingers. I plan on returning to work tomorrow. And after that, get back to writing. Whoo hoo!

 

I have a long way to go to finish up my next novel, ‘Lucky Bitch’, the third book in the Mona Bendarova Adventures. Time to buckle down and get writing.

Wow! I’m a serial victim? Sounds interesting. It could even an idea for a book or story. I’ll have to give it some thought.

4

Under the weather – followup

Under the weather – followup

Yesterday, I wrote about my month-long cold/whatever it is/was. However, since I wrote about my ills over the last month, I feel the need to write a followup.

Most important of all is … thank you for all of the kind words sent to me wishing me get well soon. I really appreciate them. It means a lot to me. I don’t normally like to write or talk about health related issues. Normally, it’s no ones business. To demonstrate how I feel about that, when I broke my leg a 15 years ago, I didn’t tell a soul. Even though I was living alone at the time, I kept that private. That’s life and I dealt with it.

As I wrote yesterday, I did go see the doctor and go through several tests. Doc tells me that I am presenting a very strange case, one that doesn’t seem to fit normal progressions of winter colds and flu. Yes, I did get my flu shot this year. The tests came back either negative or within normal ranges. So, no help there other than discount the norms.

So, what’s going on?

No one knows. She suspects that I am the victim of serial multiple cold or other viral infections. She suspects that this is the case as each one, taken along presents differently and is treated differently.

Today, I am feeling much better. She’s put me on a new stronger regime of antibiotics, which seems to be doing the trick. And while I’ve heard this before, I am crossing my fingers. I plan on returning to work tomorrow. And after that, get back to writing. Whoo hoo!

 

I have a long way to go to finish up my next novel, ‘Lucky Bitch’, the third book in the Mona Bendarova Adventures. Time to buckle down and get writing.

Wow! I’m a serial victim? Sounds interesting. It could even an idea for a book or story. I’ll have to give it some thought.

3

Under the weather – followup

Under the weather – followup

Yesterday, I wrote about my month-long cold/whatever it is/was. However, since I wrote about my ills over the last month, I feel the need to write a followup.

Most important of all is … thank you for all of the kind words sent to me wishing me get well soon. I really appreciate them. It means a lot to me. I don’t normally like to write or talk about health related issues. Normally, it’s no ones business. To demonstrate how I feel about that, when I broke my leg a 15 years ago, I didn’t tell a soul. Even though I was living alone at the time, I kept that private. That’s life and I dealt with it.

As I wrote yesterday, I did go see the doctor and go through several tests. Doc tells me that I am presenting a very strange case, one that doesn’t seem to fit normal progressions of winter colds and flu. Yes, I did get my flu shot this year. The tests came back either negative or within normal ranges. So, no help there other than discount the norms.

So, what’s going on?

No one knows. She suspects that I am the victim of serial multiple cold or other viral infections. She suspects that this is the case as each one, taken along presents differently and is treated differently.

Today, I am feeling much better. She’s put me on a new stronger regime of antibiotics, which seems to be doing the trick. And while I’ve heard this before, I am crossing my fingers. I plan on returning to work tomorrow. And after that, get back to writing. Whoo hoo!

 

I have a long way to go to finish up my next novel, ‘Lucky Bitch’, the third book in the Mona Bendarova Adventures. Time to buckle down and get writing.

Wow! I’m a serial victim? Sounds interesting. It could even an idea for a book or story. I’ll have to give it some thought.

Under the weather – followup

Under the weather – followup

Yesterday, I wrote about my month-long cold/whatever it is/was. However, since I wrote about my ills over the last month, I feel the need to write a followup.

Most important of all is … thank you for all of the kind words sent to me wishing me get well soon. I really appreciate them. It means a lot to me. I don’t normally like to write or talk about health related issues. Normally, it’s no ones business. To demonstrate how I feel about that, when I broke my leg a 15 years ago, I didn’t tell a soul. Even though I was living alone at the time, I kept that private. That’s life and I dealt with it.

As I wrote yesterday, I did go see the doctor and go through several tests. Doc tells me that I am presenting a very strange case, one that doesn’t seem to fit normal progressions of winter colds and flu. Yes, I did get my flu shot this year. The tests came back either negative or within normal ranges. So, no help there other than discount the norms.

So, what’s going on?

No one knows. She suspects that I am the victim of serial multiple cold or other viral infections. She suspects that this is the case as each one, taken along presents differently and is treated differently.

Today, I am feeling much better. She’s put me on a new stronger regime of antibiotics, which seems to be doing the trick. And while I’ve heard this before, I am crossing my fingers. I plan on returning to work tomorrow. And after that, get back to writing. Whoo hoo!

 

I have a long way to go to finish up my next novel, ‘Lucky Bitch’, the third book in the Mona Bendarova Adventures. Time to buckle down and get writing.

Wow! I’m a serial victim? Sounds interesting. It could even an idea for a book or story. I’ll have to give it some thought.

Under the weather

Under the weather.

Who thought up that idiom to mean being sick anyway?

Most of you don’t know this but I’ve been under the weather much of the past month. I’ve used up a bunch of my banked sick days and I hate that. What started as a cold took a downturn after five days. After eight days, I decided to see my doctor. I love my doctor. She, that’s right she’s a woman, works with me to keep me healthy and strong. Before this $%^& cold, I hadn’t had a cold or flu for years. I guess it’s payback time.

Anyway, I digress. So I went to see Doctor Nancy and get fixed up. She tells me that more than half of her patients are experiencing what I am experiencing. I don’t know why but it made me feel better. Dumb eh? Feeling better because so many others are suffering the way I am. Sorry everyone who has what I have.

Doc puts me on a regime including antibiotics. Within two days, I’m feeling better. Whoo hoo! Over the next week, I know I’m not completely well yet but I’m progressing. I’m good with that.

Then, it hits me again this past weekend and I spend much of Sunday and Monday back in bed, coughing up my lungs and not getting much rest. WTF? Am I ever going to get better? I’m going back to see her yet again today but this time, before I meet with her, she’s scheduled me for various tests. Anything to get past this, I’m in.

Do you know what’s worse?

Those images floating in my head that I wrote about the other day, well they’re still there but it’s chaotic. I can’t make sense of them. Add to that, I can’t seem to keep creative thoughts long enough to write them down so I’ve done very little writing these past couple of weeks.

If it’s brainless and monotonous, I can do that. At least for short periods of time. If it’s more than that, I’m totally fucked. My head hurts, my throat hurts, and dare I say it, my chest feels like there is a rock in it? I hope not.

Wish me luck.

Share a warm wish with a loved one.

Countdown to 2016Warm wishes

As we close 2015, I am thankful for many things. I have shared many of them with you already.

If you wish to share a warm wish, a greeting to a loved one or simply give thanks, leave a reply below.

I will repost all warm wishes to all of my followers. I look forward to reading them.

Have a happy new year.

Holidays in Mona’s Realm

HOLIDAYS AS THEY RELATE TO MY CHARACTERS

Are there holidays in Mona’s Realm?

Hot Chocolate Warmest HolidaysHolidays are completely different in Mona Bendarova’s world. Introduced in ‘The Taste of Honey’, Mona’s community comes together for monthly and quarterly celebrations. There are no holidays per se commemorating people, specific events or beliefs.

Monthly celebrations are more of a community gathering where people come together and enjoy each other’s company. It’s a time for revelry, entertainment, eating, drinking, and enjoying sex. Seed is spilled and deposited into willing recipients frequently at these celebrations. Most fertile women wake up the following morning happy and pregnant after a night of pleasure. For the rest, they are simply happy and most certainly satiated.

Quarterly celebrations on the other hand are bigger and more involved events. Generally, they follow the seasons, roughly scheduled around the Summer and Winter Solstices plus the Fall and Spring Equinoxes.

The Spring Equinox hails the coming growing season where the community plans to produce the bulk of their non-protein based food. The Summer Solstice salutes the height of the warm sun, long pleasant days and short warm nights. The Fall Equinox celebrates the harvest gathering, giving thanks for what the land has given them despite the atrocities it suffered in the past.

Winter Blonde in White Knit DressThe biggest celebration of the year is the Winter Solstice. This festivity focuses upon hope and joyful reunions for the coming year. It is denoted by enjoying the rich milky way of stars lighting the night skies, providing a backdrop for a magical time of year. The longest night of the year is celebrated by staying warm, enjoying each other’s bodies and conceiving the greatest diversity within the gene pool. Even conceptions in the breeding farms don’t distribute the gene pool as much as what happens at this celebration.

Therefore, celebrations are a holiday in a sense. They provide an opportunity to ensure the survival of the human species. It is a way to enjoy life yet most importantly, to preserve it.

Now, as I reflect upon these celebrations, I can’t help wish that our own holidays follow a similar scenario. Fun and revelry among friends and strangers where sharing joy, pleasure and seed is expected, world-wide? What’s not to like? Not that I expect to see it come to pass in my lifetime but I wonder what our lives might be like sharing similar celebrations. I firmly believe that we would be better off if we divorce ourselves from out petty differences, slice away the personal agendas and welcome our differences as opportunities to grow.

IDIC MedallionAs I write this, I am reminded of the concept ‘IDIC’ introduced by Gene Roddenberry in his original TV series, ‘Star Trek’. ‘IDIC’ stands for Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. I embrace this view of the world. I firmly believe we are better with our differences than without. Rather than homogenizing our species, it’s our differences that allow us to grow stronger.

What do you think? Can we all embrace our differences, enjoy our humanities and love our fellow-man? I do.

Please, share your thoughts with me. I welcome constructive view points, whether I agree with them or not. Perhaps one day, world-wide, we can celebrate a holiday of love, joy and pleasure.

What was YOUR favorite part of ‘The Taste of Honey’?

The Taste of HoneyWhat was YOUR favorite part of the book?

There are many favorite parts. They include among many, Mona’s dungeon play with Master Charles, the execution scene of Honey’s perpetrator, Mona’s investigation into Honey’s disappearance, Mona’s budding relationship with Renée and Honey’s final scene as she is preparing for her live roasting.

As I look back at each scene and how I felt when I wrote them, I realized that it was Honey’s roasting scene that was my favorite part. While the sex and her spitting is graphic, it was the love story that developed out of it that really captured my interest.

I wrote it from the first person perspective so that the reader would connect with Honey and accept her decision for a live roasting.

What I really liked about the scene is that you’re inside her head, experiencing what she experiences. You feel her final hours as she has her final sex with her Master, loving him as he discovers that he, in fact, loves her also. You, as the reader, experience the spit pushing into her sex, traveling through her body and exiting out her mouth. Ewe! You are right there with Honey as they gut her insides. You see what she sees as she is carried over to the fire pit and begins to roast. Through her eyes, you see her family and friends looking on, before she succumbs to the heat of the fire.

010-ReflectionsBWWhat I really liked about this scene is how I felt as I wrote it. When I started the writing the scene, my mind seemed to divorce itself from my body. My fingers flew over the keyboard. As the scene developed, I got wrapped up in her character. I felt for her. For awhile, I became her.

Ultimately, the scene defines the love relationship between Honey, her Master, her family and her closest friends, including Mona. Her spirituality is so strong that no one can divert her from this course. Even her own Master has told her over and over again that she did not need to do this. In this moment, he realizes that he loves and needs her. He needs her in his life and doesn’t want her to roast.

Honey, however, believes that she has a higher calling. Honey believes that her actions will help save them. She believes that her decision will allow her to live forever in him and her loved ones. As a result, they will live healthier and happier lives.

So, for those and for many other reasons, that is my favorite part of the book. What’s yours?

How did you come up with the Mona character?

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?

How did you come up with the title ‘The Taste of Honey’?

The Taste of HoneyHow did you come up with the title? Did the title come first or did the story?

For months, I had a concept of what I wanted to write. I had developed the idea of a future history of the human race dependent upon consuming themselves to survive. Originally, I had thought at it would be the result of a devastating war that put the species on the brink of extinction. It wasn’t until later, that I came up with the GMO angle running wild, systematically wiping out all protein based biologically life on the planet.

Yet that didn’t help me decide on a specific story line. I wanted a story in which I would highlight a main character who would by the end, decide to be live roasted and her meat consumed by her family and close friends. I wanted the live roasting to be the character’s choice and not forced upon the character. Further, I wanted the other main characters to feel comfortable with consuming the meat of one who had been one of their own. I struggled over months to find a way to carry out that goal.

In that time, I wrote draft after draft but none of them spoke to me. Then one day, while sitting on my deck, enjoying roasting under the summer afternoon sun, the phrase ‘The Taste of Honey’ hit me. It was a eureka moment. As I reflected upon the phrase, I decided immediately that it would be the title of the story.

Blonde with open back tshirt facing wallNow, at that time, I wasn’t even thinking about publishing the story. I just wanted to write it. Now that I had a title, the rest of the story came together in a flash. Within minutes, I was furiously writing notes, capturing thoughts and ideas before they flashed out of existence. For me, it was a race to document the ideas, never mind whether I would use them all.


A couple of hours later, I had a clear concept of what I wanted to write and I began writing anew. Honey was not only to be the subject of the title but she would be a main character in the story.

It was a journey of self discovery, of retrospection and of desire. Desire in the sense of curiosity of seeing the story come to its conclusion. I knew what I wanted to write but I wanted to see it written on paper. The story took on a life of its own and before I knew it, it was no longer a short story but a full length novel.

An Editor’s Viewpoint

An Editor’s Viewpoint

by Janet Maggio

woman with shackled legs sideI just completed editing the novellas included in ‘The Client Series’. I look forward to editing Richard Verry’s writings since I see first hand what a great author he is becoming, especially with character development. As in any book, I like to define myself with one of the characters. ‘The Client Series’ was difficult for me. It identifies with one of my greatest fears against the female gender and it is so timely with what is happening in the world today, Human Trafficking.

I like reading and editing with Rich. Those sessions have created heated discussions and since Richard knows I am impatient, he keeps telling me to hang on and “you will feel better” after reading ‘Her Essentia’. I hate to admit it yet he was right! I do feel better.

I hope you enjoy the series too. Please read all three and I implore all women to get through them all.

It will soon be available on his site, www.richardverry.com.

Inspirational Authors

Inspirational Authors

I woke up this morning with thinking about my early days of reading. They started out when I was about seven years old. I read lots of YA books in those days, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew (yep her too), Tom Swift are some of my more memorable books. I grew from those quickly and looked for more interesting stories. I soon discovered authors Arthur C. Clark and Isaac Asimov.

Robert A HeinleinIt was when I discovered Robert A. Heinlein that I found my favorite author of all time. My very first book of his that I read was ‘Methuselah’s Children’. I was immediately hooked. I still have that particular 1958 edition in my library. It’s been republished over and over since it was first written in 1941.

Methuseulah's Children 1958 book cover‘Methuselah’s Children’ was Heinlein’s early stories into what became his ‘Future Histories’ books. Over the decades, this author managed to weave many of his other books into the ‘Future Histories’ line.

It was his character, Lazarus Long and his many incarnations, that really captured my interest. He was a ruthless yet caring character who could live, love and protect his family and friends. His story lines are filled with polyamorous love and sex of various flavors and experiences. Lazarus Long was a loaner and a family man. He was a father, a son, a husband, a widower, a soldier, a tradesman, a lover and a sinner. Deep down, he was a pacifist but would ruthlessly act to protect the worthy and the needy. He loved life and abhorred violence for violence sake.

As I read everything I could find, I was enamored with his books. I couldn’t get enough of Robert A. Heinlein. I was saddened when he died.

As I think about those days, reading his stories, I now realize that Heinlein helped shape me to be the person I am today. Instinctively, I’ve always known that about him. Now I understand it.

Who is the person that most influenced you in becoming who you are? I would enjoy reading your comments on my site www.richardverry.com.

Who is Renée?

Renée is through and through a submissive. She has little drive to direct the course of her own life and would rather live the path others have set for her. However, when assigned a task, she is relentless in doing her best work. She allows nothing to stand in her way with achieving her goal. I know many people, men and women alike, who are very much like her. You may know someone too.

As a submissive, she looks to her Master and his delegates for direction in all things. She firmly believes in that authority that includes all aspects of her life, even if it includes her conversion. Ready, willing and able to serve, she does so with enthusiasm and wonderment. She tends to see the good in life though she knows that not everything is perfect. She just chooses not to deal with the bad things.

She is young but has managed to rise in the ranks to 5th year standing within her house. She is smart and knows how to manage assets and categorize data. She is a whiz with a data terminal and can usually look up the answer to virtually any question that is stored somewhere in one of the voluminous databases available to her.

She is a 46.7kg (103 lb) with a small petite frame. She has short black hair and medium-sized breasts with well-rounded ‘C’ cups and perky dark nipples. Due to her small frame, she appears to have a narrower waist and larger hips than one would expect.

She likes to wear high heel stiletto shoes. She can never have too many. Having worn them since a younglings, her feet have evolved to take the shape of wearing heels, even when she is barefoot. She tends to walk on the balls of her feet and her heels automatically elevate off the floor.

Since meeting Mona, she has discovered an ability to research data and draw conclusions from her research. She is also an excellent administrator, capable of overseeing the running of a house. Her duties as a House Hostess give her access to knowing at all times what might be going on within her house. This enables her to deal with issues or problems as they arise. These talents will prove useful to her in the future.

If you are curious and want to learn more about Renee, I invite you to read the book, ‘The Taste of Honey’. I look forward to reading your comments.

How I came to write ‘The Taste of Honey’ (part 2)

With a title, I had a really rough idea of how I wanted the story to go. At the time, I wasn’t thinking I would publish it but I want to write a fresh and new story. As I researched the story idea, I found little that someone else hadn’t already written about my idea. Great! Time to get writing in earnest.

So, with a title and a rough, and I mean really rough, concept, I began writing. No outline, no framework that existed except in my head. As the stories developed, I wrote draft after draft refining it as I went along. I wrote a future history and an encyclopedia of the rules and concepts of the universe I was creating. Over the years, the drafts and the supporting material got more and more refined.

This process went on for two years. During that time, I didn’t tell anyone that I was writing a full length novel. As the months went by, I would pick it up and work on it. At other times, weeks would go by without even thinking about it. Six months before I finished it, I resolved myself to work harder at it. Diligently, I would write a chapter a day or so. Then, a funny thing happened.

I started waking up at four in the morning with awesome dialog running through my head of this scene or that one. Like the imagery that invades my thoughts, the dialog my half asleep mind developed was perfect. Instead of trying to fall back asleep, I would get up and write for a couple of hours. On weekends, I would write well into mid-morning.

My lady-love would wake up and begin talking to me and I’d ask her to hang on until I finished my thought. At times she’d be okay and at other times, not. Oops! Not good. But the unwritten dialog was just too good to interrupt. I had to capture it and I beg forgiveness and kept on writing.

Then, while on a trip to Florida, I did a final push and finished the book. That’s when I involved my girlfriend and other friends, editing it again and again. They all told me, “Rich, you need to publish this. It’s too good not to.”

So, I published it and immediately began writing in earnest, driving myself to continue Mona and Honey’s story. Four months later, I released the sequel ‘Broken Steele’. I’ll tell you about how that came to be written in a future blog.

How I came to write ‘The Taste of Honey’ (part 1)

I wrote ‘The Taste of Honey’ at a time in my life when I was bored with painting and was taking a break. That’s about the time I stepped up my reading, voraciously consuming book after book.

At the same time, my brain kept intruding my thoughts with imagery and scenarios that I captured with my drawings and paintings. I couldn’t capture them fast enough and so many slipped away.

Taking a break from drawing and painting, I started browsing the net for anything that might interest me.  I was reviewing the things I used to do as a young man and realized that I used to write stories. Keeping that in mind as I browsed the net, I stumbled upon a series of adult graphic stories that I absolutely loved. As I devoured them, I thought, I can write this, too. I began by keeping a running dialog in my mind of possible topics.

Whenever I thought of a fresh story idea, I would research the subject and usually found that many people had already written and published a story that was too similar to my idea. So … I went back and kept looking.

Somewhere along the way, the title ‘The Taste of Honey’ jumped into my head. I had the title, now I just needed the story! As I thought more about the title, the story started to materialize. I don’t know how other authors do this, but this is how I did it. I would enjoy reading about various methods used so feel free to share.

More to come tomorrow. Please join me then.

Please check out ‘The Taste of Honey’. The first chapter is available for free on this site as well as on Amazon and other e-book retailers. ‘The Taste of Honey’ is available right now on this website as well as Amazon and other book online retailers.

Mona and Honey give thanks

BeautyYesterday, BFF’s Mona and Honey spent the day together, sharing memories and creating new ones. Since Honey is carrying, Mona took it upon herself to go visit her friend. A lot has happened since they first met six months ago.

They talk about everything, from the smallest little details of their daily life to the big ones involving their respective Masters. The one thing they do not talk about is how they came to meet. Honey was stalked, attacked, kidnapped and almost killed. Everyone else thought that she had simply run away from home, shirking her duties to her family and community.

010-ReflectionsBWMona found her, rescued her and saved her from almost certain death. She discovered who the perpetrator, who was later punished. As a result of the events, the traumatized Honey and Mona became best friends. Neither would have it any other way.

In sharing time together yesterday, they relished the opportunity to be thankful for finding each other and their respective lives, their housemates and their Masters. Sharing a superb meal together, they talked, laughed and even cried long into the evening.

Not to be left out, they also included many of Honey’s housemates into their circle of fellowship. Till now, most of them would usually leave them alone, knowing that they needed their time together alone. Besides, most of them were in awe with a bit of hero-worship towards Mona. Their honor restored through Mona’s relentless search to discover the truth of Honey’s disappearance, they believed they owed a debt to Mona. Mona didn’t think so. She was just doing what she does what she does.

So, yesterday, the two women invited them into their circle, answered questions, posed some their own and enjoyed each others company well into the night.

As Mona drove home afterwards, she reflected upon the warm feelings, emotions and fellowship offered her that day. She couldn’t help but feel grateful by their attentions. After all, in her mind, what she did for that family was a very small thing indeed. She would have done it for anyone.

But one thing could be said for the day. She was very thankful that Honey was forever, a part of her life.

What I am Thankful For

Throughout my country of the United States, we are celebrating Thanksgiving. This holiday was established to celebrate a day of thanks, from our earliest days through today and into the future. It is my belief that it is a day to thank our maker, our family, our friends and everyone who touched our lives in one way or another.

Thank you one and all. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Give the Gift of Reading


Don’t know what to give someone for the holidays?

Give the gift of reading by giving ‘The Taste of Honey’. Available on Amazon or right here on this site. You’ll be able to share many hours together comparing your favorite scenes.buy now from amazon yellow small images


Broken Steele book cover 3DAlso available is the sequel, ‘Broken Steele’ also available at Amazon or right here on this site.

buy now from amazon yellow small images

LGBT Readers Will LOVE “The Taste of Honey”

LGBT readers are going to LOVE “The Taste of Honey” by Richard Verry. Is it because it’s sexy and delicious? Suspenseful? Tantalizing? Imaginative? Probably all of the above. Escape into this secret world of romance, passion, lust, ecstasy, and a whole lot of lesbian action.

Here are some readers’  favorite lines from the book “The Taste of Honey”:

“Your first loyalty is to your Master.”

“I wonder why she had hid it from our prying eyes.”

“Can you tell me if Honey had any unfulfilled wishes or desires she aspired too?” 

“There was no evidence of the moon in the sky, thereby allowing the stars to shine brightly, filling the night sky with thousands of friendly pin dots.”

If you’ve had a chance to read the book, select your favorite quote and post it in the comments section on the blog (not on the Facebook post) as a comment below!

A Guest Post by Leah Hart at CreativWriter.com About “The Taste of Honey”

I’m about as sheltered as they come – VERY strict upbringing and reading romance novels in my childhood home was practically forbidden.

Then I became a rebel.

I was the kid checking out trashy romance novels on the Bookmobile when it drove through my neighborhood. I’d carry a satchel for my books and treasures, and at night, made sure I had batteries in my… flashlight. (Get your head out of the gutter!)

Midnight hours flew by and 2 a.m. would roll around within what seemed like minutes. Steamy romance novels filled my head with all sorts of allusion of what it would be like to be a sexy grown-up. That was then, and this is now. I find myself doing the same thing with Richard’s book only I have kids playing in the background. So I’m hiding so I can concentrate on reading! 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.

I actually enjoyed Richard’s book very much, from beginning to end. His books were a bit of a stretch for my usual taste, but I’m glad I delved in and had a read. Right now I’m finishing up “Broken Steele”.

Have YOU read Richard’s books yet?

LEAH HART is a fellow author. 

Read “The Taste of Honey” Before “Broken Steele”

If you want to read any of my books, be sure to start with “The Taste of Honey” first. Why?

“The Taste of Honey” is actually the first in a series of 3 books that have the characters of Honey, Mona and Renee. If you start reading “Broken Steele” before “The Taste of Honey” you’re going to miss out on all of the saucy details that the first book of the series offers.

Here’s what the reviews are saying about this series:

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So if you’re looking for some great reads this weekend, start with “The Taste of Honey” and then move on to “Broken Steele” and follow these lovely ladies in their adventures.