Whirlwind nearly over, part 4

One's Home is their CastleThey say one’s home is their castle. I can’t help wonder about the truth in the statement.

The home I used to live in, the one I recently sold and moved from, used to be my castle. I loved my home. I did not envision leaving it any time soon. In fact, I was sure I would still be living there at least six more years. Instead, it’s now sold to new owners. Someone else is living with all of the upgrades I did along the way as well as with its issues that all homes have. It’s their castle now.

What I don’t understand is why I have moved on as I have. I have no interest in driving by to see what the new owners are doing. I heard from my moving company that the very same crew I used to move out was contract to move the new owners in. Small world? No, I don’t think so. I suspect how that happened and I don’t think it was a coincidence. It’s a local firm, not a national chain with a very good reputation in the area. Moving with a peace of mind http://sheridanbrothersmoving.com/ If you are moving, local or not and live in my area, check them out.

My new home is my castle now. It’s a nice home and I’m sure one day, I’ll come to love it as I did the old one. Sure, I love this home but as in all relationships, its different. I still don’t understand all its subtleties, all the things that make it unique and different from another house. Like a lover. You love your current partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, whatever. You love them deeply and would do anything for them. They are the best part of your life and complete you in ways that you want and desire. Yet, that does mean you didn’t love your previous lover any less. Just differently. Regardless of how or why you have a new lover, your love for them was just as deep. It was just different. At least, this is how I see the world. Perhaps you do to.

ghost in the haunted castleSo, I have a new home. It’s my castle. I love it now and as time goes by, I’m confident that I will love it more. For better or worse, it’s my castle and I’ve pleased to be sharing it with my lover, partner and best friend. Love you maggical.

Now, for those of you that know my perversion for Halloween, whatever am I going to do to celebrate Halloween?

Do you want to be entertained?

Same Old Stuff

Instead of watching the same old stuff on the boob tube, read a book, any book. It doesn’t have to be one of mine. Read any book that gives you pleasure, knowledge, or enjoyment.

Go ahead. I dare you. Pull the plug on the boob tube and read a book.

Book on green grassI don’t know about you, but I’m really tired of the same old stuff on the boob tube. I find it hard to become captivated by the story presented to me. All too often, I find that I am multitasking between what is on the screen, browsing the internet or just bored with the content. I could be shopping, catching up on the news, watching porn, or simply clicking link after link. Am I watching? Technically yes but in the end, do I even care? Usually not.

I know I’m not alone in this behavior. My girlfriend does the same thing. I suspect most of you out there do as well. My attention is split between the flat screen on the wall, the little screen on my lap and random thoughts.

In general, I read for the entertainment value. Picking up a good book allows me to focus my thoughts. For me, it takes a bit of effort to read. While I will read the occasional tutorial book, I most read novels, fiction or nonfiction. I like getting captivated into the universe the author created. I can’t multitask like I can do when watching the boob tube.

boobtubeBoob tube

By the way, in case, you don’t know, the boob tube is an old slur meaning the television set. Back in the day when TV images were displayed on a CRT tube, that was shaped somewhat like a boob, the term was appropriate. Today’s flat screen televisions look nothing like the old but I still think of them as boob tubes.

If you want something different in your entertainment climate, may I recommend reading a book? They’re still inexpensive, especially when compared to a Cable TV or Satellite TV bill. The best part, like a TV, if you don’t like the story, change the channel, or in this case, choose another book. It’s a lesson I learned a long time ago. There are so many books out there, there is no reason to suffer through a book that you don’t like simply to get through it. Put it aside and pick up another.

And guess what? You can read a book almost anywhere and at any time. You don’t need electricity, batteries, or devices to read them. Just sit down and turn the page.

I read all the time, in bed, at the table, on the throne, anywhere. I read curled up next to a window, on the beach, in the park, on the deck, and just about anywhere.

Again, I dare you. Pull the plug on the boob tube and read a book.

What do you think? Where do you read? Do you read, other than this blog of course? 😉 Please feel free to comment. I really want to hear from you and your opinions, even if you don’t agree with me.

One final thought. Thanks for reading.

Newest Release coming soon

The Breakup Upright BookThe Breakup

Check out the book cover for my latest novella, a dark erotic love story of misconceptions and misunderstandings.

Back from editing, publication formatting is in the works. Look for it soon on my website or at your favorite eBook site.

Return to the Shelf

Her Client Book 1 cover 3DBack in mid-February, I posted an article regarding my books that comprise the ‘Her Client Trilogy’. Those books include ‘Her Client’, ‘Her Overseer’, and ‘Her Essentia’. In the article, I reported finding numerous editing mistakes missed by my editor. I was shocked to discover so many errors and inconsistencies. Therefore, I immediately pulled the entire series of books from the market so they could be re-edited.

Recently, I found a quote from an acquaintance of mine who uses it in her professional life. I love it and I subscribe to that sentiment with the works I produce. The quote reads as such.Her Overseer Book 2 cover 3D

“I strive for perfection, I’ll settle for excellence.” – Nichole Kellett.

Instinctively, I applied this concept to my artwork and when I began writing, I tried to apply the same meticulous attention to details. It’s unfortunate, in my zeal to move on to the next project, I allowed the release of a flawed product. Aghast, I pulled the books.

Her Essentia Book 3 cover 3DI’m happy to report that through numerous reviews, edits, and post edit reads, the flaws were corrected and many improvements to the flow and content of the stories were implemented.

The entire series was re-released as a new edition, along with new book covers. Those who purchased the original version will be able to download the second edition for free. If you purchased them directly from my website, I’ll be sending you and email with the revised version download instructions attached. For those who purchased them from Amazon or another retailer, please work with your retailer to get the revised edition. BTW, my experience with Amazon has taught me that when an author updates their book, they will attach a note to your list of books, allowing you to update the book. I encourage you to do so.

Her Client Trilogy book cover 3DI’m also putting together a paperback bound edition of all three books in the trilogy. The paperback edition will soon be available on my website, Amazon.com, and Createspace.com.

As a service to the rest of you, I am making the first book, absolutely free. That should make your day!

What makes me happy is the actual writing, creating the scenes, imagining the dialog that my characters might think and say, and putting all together into a cohesive story. Post production is tedious, strenuous, and frankly, sucks. I will be using a new editor for my future writings so that I can concentrate on the fun part of my novels. The creation and development of the story.

This experience has taught me a lot. I will strive hard to prevent these mistakes from reoccurring. I feel I have learned from my mistakes and I will grow from them.

Granted, my books are not for everyone. I never intended for them to be. In fact, if you’ve read some of my previous posts, you know that publishing my first book was done almost as an afterthought and after I was pressured by my beta readers to publish it.

For those who do like the genre I write in, I think you’ll appreciate the fine tuning that went into them.

‘Her Client Trilogy’ is suitable for those age 18 and above and contain scenes of graphic violence and criminal acts of assault, sexual abuse, and torture.

A concise, succinct view of my world

I read the following quote the other day on social media. Though I don’t have it as exact as it was written, I know that I’ve captured the sentiment.

“I don’t subscribe to the stuff I write about. I just have a vivid imagination.” – author unknown.

This quote rings clearly in my psyche. The sentiment allows me to explain to people about the stories I invent and capture in my writings and in my artwork. In short, it describes me in a very succinct way. It fits me to a tee.

Her Client Trilogy book cover 3DWhen you read my books, you will feel the anguish my characters suffer, male and female alike. You will feel what they do as they are tormented, brutalized, sexually assaulted and even killed. You will also live inside the minds of the perpetrators as they deliver their horrendous punishments to their unwilling victims. You will follow along inside the minds of the victims and feel their pain. You will identify with the characters and cringe as they suffer.

While I wrote these stories, I find the behaviors of my perpetrators as disturbing. I strongly believe that the idea of an act of violence against any living being, human or otherwise, as abhorrent. I cannot imagine actually doing the violence I write about. The idea that I can be thought of as someone who does, turns my stomach. I can’t imagine myself forcibly raping another person, man or woman. I can’t imagine myself as a boxer, fighter, soldier or whatever. I just can’t see it. I don’t consider myself a pacifist, I simply abhor the notion of doing violence against another.

Other people have trouble accepting my explanation. Many have said to me “If I can write it, I must be able or willing to do it.” While I understand how they made that leap, I don’t agree with it. I simply have an active imagination and I choose to document the products of my imagination. I will never, ever, do any of these behaviors for real.

What I find most interesting is the more violent the story, the more graphic and brutal it is, the better it sells. Really? I also recognize that either you like the stories or you don’t. There is no middle ground with these stories. They are not for everyone. I’m okay with that.

Whether you believe me or not, I can’t help you. I don’t subscribe, support and live this behavior and that it is just my vivid imagination. If you can’t believe it, then I can’t help you. I can only reaffirm my beliefs and core values do not include this behavior. Those closest to me, my friends, family, and lover know the truth.

In the meantime, as long as people buy it, I’ll continue to write it.

Insights in ‘The Revenant’

The RevenantYesterday, I went to see the movie, ‘The Revenant’ starring Leonardo Di Caprio. Now that I understand the word revenant to mean, ‘a person who has returned, especially supposedly from the dead’, I couldn’t help think of the similarities between that movie and Richard Verry’s trilogy, ‘Her Client’.

Both characters survive brutal, gruesome and violent attacks. Both Jolene, the heroine in the ‘Her Client Trilogy’ and DiCaprio’s character Hugh Glass in ‘The Revenant’, sustain continued physical and emotional breakdowns. Jolene has her past best friend’s voice playing in her mind while Glass has his dead wife doing the same for him. They are motivated not to give up and both fake their death to fool their attacker.

Her Client TrilogyFor both stories, the ending outcome is satisfying to the reader as well as the moviegoer.

The audience of one, me, is cheering forthe’ main character in both of these genré. It just takes reading the three novellas and sitting through two hours and thirty-six minutes to come to a satisfying climax. I admit it was agonizing at times, yet getting to the end where the heroes come up on top was fulfilling.

In short, the two creative works had many more similarities than I had expected. What grabs the viewer and the reader is having each main character overcoming certain obstacles and barriers. You follow their struggles through crisis after crisis. You root for them to succeed and cheer when they do.

If you liked ‘The Revenant’, you’ll like ‘Her Client ’.

What do you think? Do you see the similarities I saw or do you disagree? Write a note below and tell me your thoughts.

Where did your characters for ‘Her Client’ come from?

The characters in ‘Her Client’ developed differently from the ‘Mona Bendarova Adventures’. In ‘Her Client’, I had an idea for the story-line and I started writing the first lines of the story without naming the main character. When it came time for a name, the name Jolene just popped into my head. Great, I thought, and kept on writing.

Her Client Book 1 cover 3D
Her Client, Book 1 in the Her Client Trilogy

Jolene’s character was somewhat well-defined in my head as I wrote the story. I wanted her to be up and coming in the business world. She was to be intelligent, beautiful and sexy. When I thought about what careers she might be involved in, I shied away from the media related professions. More ideas like pharmaceuticals, legal, Wall Street et. all came to mind. I decided to make her an account executive in charge of handling people’s money. I also wanted her to be overburdened, trying to make a name for herself in her chosen industry. Just as doctors, lawyers and stock brokers work long and late hours to rise above the rest, so would Jolene.

Unfortunately, it also gets her into trouble as she attracts the wrong kind of interest. Enter Jeremy.

When I started writing about her adversary, I asked myself, “Hmmm, what name could I use here?” I didn’t want to choose a name of anyone I was familiar with and after thinking about it for a few minutes, I stumbled upon the name Jeremy. And no, before you ask, this character is not based upon anyone at all. He is purely fictional and he’s pure evil. He can be your best friend and a snake in the grass waiting to pounce.

Her Overseer Book 2 cover 3D
Her Overseer, Book 2 in the Her Client Trilogy

Both characters have many layers to them. Jeremy has several businesses but the one he is most proud of and makes the most money from is his illicit business … human trafficking. The phrase is never used yet the reader knows it at the end of the first book. Jolene’s starts out as a naïve woman, intent only on doing what is right for her clients. She is a giver and a cheerleader. Yet, she is also damaged and has spent the last ten years working out a past tragedy that in her mind  feels was her fault. It’s not but the human mind is not logical or reasonable.

After she is sold off into bondage, she encounters her next nemesis, Jon in ‘Her Overseer’. Originally, I had not intended to write a follow-up book to Jolene. However, as the first book ended, it seemed logical to continue her story with what happens after she unwillingly enters the world as a trafficked victim. Jon’s name just happened to appear in my head as I wrote the second story. I liked it and it stuck.

Her Essentia Book 3 cover 3D
Her Essentia, Book 3 in the Her Client Trilogy

Again, as in the first book, when I finished this story, I asked myself “What might happen if Jolene survives and returns for a third story?” Enter Jules in ‘Her Essentia’. Jules is Jolene’s childhood best friend who was killed in a tragic traffic accident. Jules convinces Jolene not to give into death but to return to earth and finish the vow she made in the first two books. You’ll need to read the books to find out how it turns out. Suffice to say, all three are gruesome, violent and graphic.

It wasn’t until the books were in the editing stages that I realized that all of the characters names began with the letter ‘J’. How about that? I’m not sure how or why that happened. It just did. Since then, I’ve been taking pains to avoid use of the letter ‘J’ in defining new characters, though I almost fell into that trap with another story, ‘The Breakup’ which is due out soon.

I hope you enjoy reading my answers to these interview questions. It’s been fun to remind myself of the processes I went through to create these characters.

For those of you who are writers, how do you come up with your characters. Or, if you are an artist, how do you come up with your vision? If you’re a musician, what process do you use to come up with your next song, composition or symphony?

I’m curious. Please, share your thought processes. I’d love to read them.

Her Client Trilogy, a new series coming soon

0-Client-3DYesterday, a guest blogger referenced her experiences with editing my lasted series of books, ‘Her Client Trilogy’. I haven’t written much about this series but I can tell you this, its raw, dark even disturbing. The series will be released with in the next few days. I hope you will look for it.

When I started writing the first book in the series, I had only a general idea of what I wanted to write. However, as the chapters flew by, it took on a life of its own.

The first book in the series, ‘Her Client’ introduces Jolene, an account executive who over sees the accounts of perhaps way too many clients. On one particular day, she is so overloaded with dealing with the issues of her clients that she is unable to personally return a call from many of her clients.

1-Her-Client-3DOne in particular seemed to be quite insistent and in the end, the work day expired without being able to return his call. What happens next is what this client does in response.

What happens when you ignore a client?
What happens when they lose a ton of money as a result?
They want compensation.
They want their money back.
They want payback.

Jolene must compensate the client.
Her story is gritty and brutal.
Her experience is cruel and sadistic.
It is terrifying and never, ever ending.

2-Her-Overseer-3DThe second book, ‘Her Oversees’ in the series follows her story as she continues to deal with the events of that long hard day.

What happens when you piss off your owner?
What happens when you disrespect your owner?
What happens when you disobey your owner?
They punish you.
They enjoy punishing you.
They enjoy hearing you scream.

Jolene must suffer the punishment of her owner.
Jolene delivers scream after harrowing scream,
Jolene begs to be let go, to let her go home.
Jolene plans her own revenge.
Jolene plans to kill her owner before he kills her.
3-Her-Essentia-3D
The third book ‘Her Essentia’ in the series takes an unexpected twist. We follows her story as she finally responds to the torment she suffered.

Her story is gritty and brutal.
Her torment is cruel and it is sadistic.
It is terrifying and it is never, ever ending.

What happened to her could happen to anyone.
It could happen to you.

I hope you read Jolene’s story. Whether you enjoy it or not, I hope it raises awareness of what can happen, to you or anyone. I welcome constructive comments and I will be happy to respond to all reasonable questions.

I wrote it simply to take my mind off a different story line for a short time. I needed a distraction and this story provided it. However, as the story developed, it took on a dark, twisted and sadistic slant.

I hadn’t intended to make it so but that’s how it came out. It’s a better story for it. Just to be clear, I do not subscribe to the scenes presented in this story.

This book is intended for adult mature audiences only.

This book is a dark, gritty, realistic depiction of the darker side of human depravity. It contains criminal scenes of sexual assault, violence, bondage, brutality, sadism and strong language. This book is not suitable to readers under the age of 18 or who are offended by realistic dark topics.
It is part erotica and part suspense thriller. Read it with an open mind or don’t read it at all.