Tag: detective

Sunset sunrise

Braxton Steele, love the name and hate the character!

January 4, 2016

Broken SteeleIn this second book of the Mona Bendarova Adventures ‘Broken Steele’, the reader meets an awful and cruel man. Even when we find out what may have caused his behavior, it doesn’t change my mind. I am glad he is dead. I find myself cheering for our heroine, Mona Bendarova, that she will be investigating to find out what caused his demise.

I like that the author, Richard Verry, chose a name that oozes sexuality and uniqueness. I find that Mr. Steele had both yet I still wanted him to die. He mistreated the women in his house and they were terrified of him. His was not the typical role of the masters in this community.

His death reveals more than a hated man who I wanted dead. I was surprised where Mona’s discovery takes the reader.

Will you be surprised too? Read the second novel ‘Broken Steele’ for yourself and find out. Afterwards, I encourage you to share your thoughts with the fans of the ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’ by commenting on the author’s website, RichardVerry.com.

by Janet Maggio

Countdown to 2016

2016 May it be a great one!

January 1, 2016

2016 scratched in sand2016 A great one to come?

You’ll note that the image I’ve used for this post is one where the year is scratched into the sand.

It’s beach sand and I wonder, will it be washed away from the surf, scraped away by some angry foot or harden and turn to stone for all eternity.

I wish that 2016 will be a superb year, filled with promise and hope for the future of our species. If anything, the past several years makes me wonder whether we as a species will be around a millennium from now. I wonder. There seems to be so much hate in the world, closed-minded people who insist that everyone believe and act as they do, whether we as a species can surmount these challenges and boldly move forward into the 21st century.

Girl with Santa hat in forestEven if we do survive to the 22nd and 23rd centuries, what will they say about our current period on this planet. I can’t help wonder that they would say “Just how the hell did the species survive?”

Mona and Honey live sometime in the next millennium, 35th century perhaps, and somehow, their community has figured out a way to accept each other for whom they are. They are opened minded enough to realize that all members of our species have something to contribute to society as a whole.

Let’s see if we can emulate their example and accept that each of us, have something to contribute to the global community.

If you have a greeting or a wish you wish to extend to someone, please feel free to share it here. I’ll be happy to repost it to all of my followers. In the meantime, may 2016 be a great one for you.

coffee latte

Mona’s love affair with Coffee

December 20, 2015

Tell me about Mona’s love affair with Coffee

Brunette in white drinking coffee outdoorsMona doesn’t just love coffee. She has an intimate relationship with it. She drinks it because she enjoys the flavor and aroma. However, her love affair with the brew goes much deeper than that.

Mona drinks coffee because of how it makes her feel.

To Mona,the first cup of the day, is extraordinary. The ritual of preparing the cup is akin to foreplay. Her senses become heightened. Her body heats up. Her mind is already anticipating an explosion of smells, tastes and pleasures.Colombian coffee

She prefers preparing the first cup of the day herself. Brewing of the coffee and pre-warming the cup is a ritual foreplay in preparing her aphrodisiac. Yes, to her, the first cup is an aphrodisiac. Just thinking about it gets her wet with anticipation.

Once the brew is ready and the cup warmed, she pours the dark liquid, inhaling the aromas as it splashes about in her favorite cup. Leaning over, Mona loves to just wallow in the rising fragrances tickling her nose with anticipation of that first sip.

coffee latteAdding just a bit of sugar-free vanilla and cream to the coffee, the delicate scents change and the foreplay of anticipation grows. Now the cup is ready and her body is demanding the satisfying pleasure it knows is coming.

Mona prefers to take that cup over to the windows overlooking her home, adding pleasant visions to the dance of foreplay. Continuing to breathe in the pleasant aromas wafting up to her nostrils, she gathers in the sights of the new day, the shining sun inviting her to gaze upon the wonder of her world.

Finally, with almost agonizingly slowness, she lifts the cup closer to her mouth. Pausing to take yet another deep breath of the fragrance, her body gushes with anticipation and moisture fills her core expecting the imminent orgasmic pleasure of the coffee.

heart of coffee beansAs the cup finally touches her lips, her body responds, begging for relief. After a pause, forcing it to wait yet again, the liquid finally washes over her tongue. Pleasure explodes in her mouth and throughout her core. Closing her eyes, Mona focuses her mind and body on the hot liquid teasing her taste buds, radiating pleasure up and down her spine.

Anyone blessed with observing this ritual knows that she seems to lose herself and become one with the coffee. Disappearing right in front of their eyes, lost in pleasure, it’s easy to see that she is lost to them for the time being.

This first cup of the day is always the best. After this first one, the rest are just not quite the same. It’s this first one that starts her day off right. While subsequent cups are pleasurable, none stand up to the experience of the first cup.

The best part is, that she can repeat the experience the very next day.

Bette Midler mermaid pink purple

Free Pass

December 19, 2015

Free Pass

What would you do if you had a free pass?

Can you just be with one person or if you have the chance to have a free pass, would you take it? Most of our contemporaries are comfortable being in a monogamous relationship. Our culture dictates that as the norm but could it be different in another world? What if it was acceptable in that culture?

Bette Midler interviewMy partner and I have had discussions about this and we have given each other a free pass. It appears unlikely either will be used yet that is why we have a mind to fantasize, to ask ourselves, what if?

For me, it’s Bette Midler. I find her fun, bawdy and an interesting free spirit. Bette however, as free-spirited she is, has been in a committed monogamous relationship far longer than I have been.

Ah, it’s fun to dream and fantasize.

Bette Midler mermaid on pianoIn the books, ‘The Taste of Honey’ and ‘Broken Steele’ , Mona has no such constraints. She lives in an environment that is open-minded and sexual activity is about enjoying each others bodies and desires. The community believes in a culture of no restrictions when it comes to enjoying the joys of life.

Open liaisons are common in Mona’s world and it’s not unusual for such activity to occur during a business meeting or a social gathering.  Her family and community are people who know how to enjoy sex and may use it for more than simple fun. They see it as a fantastic way to ease stress and tension or to cure illness and similar maladies.

I do think about the differences in the two worlds. I enjoy and love being in a committed relationship yet I do admit the thought of a free pass makes me think more of Mona’s world. I would love to live in a world of open sexuality where it is considered normal without judgement. Both cultures have their pluses and minuses.

What do you think? I encourage you to chime in on the discussion.

Broken Steele book cover 6x9

What aspect of the book will women love in the Mona Bendarova Adventures?

December 15, 2015

Broken Steele Spine Cover 6x9What aspect of the book will women love in the Mona Bendarova Adventures?

I think that women, reflecting on what they just read, will love the idea that they have all the power within the society I’ve created. They outnumber men, sixty six men for every million women. It may seem lopsided yet with numbers like that, how could the gender not be a power house to contend with. It is they that have the control over their own destinies. They may not know it and the reader may not get that sense while reading the initial book, ‘The Taste of Honey’ yet as they continue to read the subsequent books, ‘Broken Steele’ and ‘Lucky Bitch’, it becomes obvious that the women have the power and are in control of their destinies.

small of back with jeansThere’s no sickness, racism, sexism nor prejudice, immorality or desire to take what is not there’s. There may be the occasional aberration but that just supplies the necessary conflict to make a story worth reading.

Everyone enjoys each others bodies. To them, enjoying sex is a natural and healthy activity. Both genders like to play together. They find suitable activities that give each what the other needs. They are not selfish, self-centered nor unfeeling towards others. Therefore, fighting among themselves is non-existent. Men are mostly nurturing to those under their houses and take their responsibilities seriously. All women, in all societies, crave those characteristics.

Everyone knows what is expected of them. No one shirks their duties. No one runs from their responsibilities.

The practices that some of the female readers may consider foreign or even gruesome need to consider that in the universe I created in these books, the female gender do it out of caring for their house and their community.

Everyone is healthy and life goes on.

Bonfire on beach

Why does Honey want to be live roasted?

December 10, 2015

The Taste of HoneyWhy does Honey want to be live roasted?

I can only document some of her reasons. Honey explains it best in her first biography ‘The Taste of Honey’. I can tell you from what the author Richard Verry wrote that she firmly believes she will live on in the lives and bodies of those that consume her meat. But to do so requires much more than a simple conversion and consumption. For the author, who wrote her words, it has to be done in the proper way.

To Honey, this means that in order for her spirit to be transferred properly, it has to be sealed inside her meat and then consumed as quickly as possible after roasting. In order for that to happen, she has to be roasted alive.

Spinning and roasting on a rotisserie spit from Honey’s perspective happens all the time. This is a hard concept for a reader to grasp, yet the author conveys Honey’s thoughts and feelings so eloquently that the reader ends up rooting for her.

Honey’s deep rooted spiritualism takes it a step further. She not only wants to live on forever in her family, she believes she needs to. She believes it so deeply that she has spent years convincing her Master and even Mona that this is something she wants to do.

So, in order to achieve her goals, she arranges to be spitted and live roasted at a celebration celebrating her contribution to her house and community. It’s a special occasion and many of those in attendance do not understand the significance of what Honey wants to do. In fact, many just think it’s just another one of the monthly barbecue roasts where several sows are roasted and served to the gathered.

To Honey though, the affair and her roasting is everything. Determined to succeed, it is her love for Master Lee, her family and close friends that drives her to her final destiny.

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

November 25, 2015

‘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’

November 23, 2015

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

October 18, 2015

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

‘What was the end goal of the antagonist?’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But enough of this digression.

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

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

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

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

Writing is awesome and I couldn’t be happier.

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

Regards, Rich

maggicalExpressions

Thank you

September 20, 2015

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.