Richard Verry's Blog, page 41
March 30, 2016
Inspiration from Mark Twain
I recently came across this quote from Mr. Clemens and it gave me pause to think. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that he is so right.
“The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” — Mark Twain
However, I find it difficult to find the right word at times. The thesaurus is my best friend. I keep it handy and refer to it many times as I write. I scour on-line versions as well as a printed copy. I jump from word to word searching for the right one.
And yet, after racking my brain, time and time again, I sometimes can’t find just the right word to convey the meaning I want. When I get stuck, I’ll ask those around me. Otherwise, I’ll tag it and put it off until later.
Does this happen to you? If so, what do you do to get around it? I would love to read your comments on this topic. In the meantime, have a great day and keep on writing!
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March 27, 2016
March 23, 2016
Memories inspired by song
I was just having my lunch and the song ‘Light My Fire’ by the Doors came on the radio. In a microsecond, my mind retreated to the day that I first heard this song. The moment is crystal clear in my head. I can’t remember much else about that day but hearing that song always brings me to that moment.
What moment am I referring to you may ask?
As a small child and with my family, we were visiting my cousins from my father’s side, Midge and Trudy. They were sisters living in a second-floor apartment in or near Poughkeepsie, NY. I can’t be sure of exactly where but I know it was somewhere around there. Anyway, I digress. We were having a good time and I remember having fond memories spending time with them. Where they are today, is anyone’s guess. I remember them being about fifteen years older than I was and I was a small kid. Through them, I was introduced to ‘The Doors’, a Christmas gift they gave me one year, and even the layout of their living room at the time. Out the front windows, I could see the urban street below and hear the occasional siren of emergency vehicles going by. I can remember wondering, how can they sleep at night with all that racket. Little did I know that one day, I too would learn how to do that.
After the song was over, I started thinking about other songs. Eric Clapton’s song ‘Layla’ brings back to me a fellow by the name Jerry Romeo. He was a modern day Fagan from the book Oliver’. One summer I was part of his crew selling door-to-door subscriptions to the NY Times. We would jump from his van, spread out and attack the neighborhood. Afterwards, he introduced me to the therapeutic wonders of a plant commonly called ‘weed’.
Santana’s 1969 album entitled ‘Santana’ was just fabulous. So many songs on there. It’s cover fascinated me. A sketch of a lion, mouth wide open and hidden within, is the image of a topless woman, her nipples covered by the fangs of the lion. I was barely entering my teen years and just discovering the wonderful value of female gender. My cousin on my mother’s side Michael introduced me to that album to . I bought my own copy, along with ‘Abraxas’ as soon as I was able.
There’s ‘Roundabout’ on the Yes album ‘Fragile’, was first introduced to me by my best friend in high school, John Nicholas. Now there’s a guy I would love to hook back up with. I have no idea where he is today. He lost a couple of toes one summer driving a town lawn mower when he accidentally rolled it. Every time ‘Roundabout’ plays, I have to crank up the volume, blow my ear drums out and think of him.
Then there’s ‘Crimson and Clover’ which was the favorite song of a school bully by the name of Phillip Domineci. I always felt that I was his prime target. Years later, I hated the song, solely because of him. In recent years, I have come to kinda like it. You can thank Joan Jett for that. Then there’s ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ by The Who. Damn, so many memories related to that song, I can’t list them all.
Oh, least I forget ‘Gold Dust Woman’ from Fleetwood Mac. I turn that on with endless repeat when I’m a creative spirit, whether it be writing or painting. Hours later and often, well into the night, I’m still playing the song over and over as I put the final touches on the piece I’m working on.
The list can go on and on. One thing that surprises me with so many songs of my childhood is that while I liked them, I had no clue that so many of them had strong sexual undertones to them. At the time, I had no idea what it meant. I do now! A line from ‘Brandy’ by Looking Glass, “She saw its ragin’ glory” caught my interest but took me years to figure it out. The double innuendo is great.
I love the idea of the line “Won’t you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff” from Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Second Hand News’. So many of the songs of my early years have undertones that I missed and only decades later did I figure them out. I was young and stupid in those days. I wonder what my parents thought of me when they realized just how much I loved these songs.
What about you? Do you have memories such as the ones I describe? I look forward to reading them.
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March 21, 2016
Newest Release coming soon
March 18, 2016
Her Client
I’ve spent my entire life doing my best to help others. Rarely have I done something just for myself. Sure, I have a body to die for and I use it to my advantage. It has helped me advance but honestly, if I don’t, there’s always someone else who will take my place.
I don’t maintain long-term relationships. I simply don’t have time. I take care of the needs of my clients and if there is enough leftover, I’ll do something for me. Who am I kidding? I have just enough left over for a bath, a glass of wine and the occasional one night stand.
Then why was I assaulted, beaten, raped and sold into human bondage to be tortured and murdered? I have since learned that what happened to me could happen to anyone.
It could even happen to you.
~Jolene
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018ZSC4SE
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March 15, 2016
Return to the Shelf
Back 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.
“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.
I’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.
I’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.
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March 13, 2016
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.
When 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.
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March 9, 2016
Thank you fans
I’ve just noticed that two more people purchased my books. First, someone bought a copy of ‘Broken Steele’, the exciting sequel to ‘The Taste of Honey’, which someone also bought. Thank you all. I appreciate it. I hope you enjoy them.
The third book in the series, ‘Lucky Bitch’ is in the works. I hope to have it ready in a couple of months. It picks up a few months after ‘Broken Steele’ ends, providing new challenges for Mona to survive. Yes, that’s right. She’s got a target on her back. Fortunately, she has a close circle of friends who help watch her back. I can’t wait to find out how it will all turn out.
‘The Taste of Honey’ and ‘Broken Steele’ can be purchased on my website RichardVerry.com or at your favorite book retailer such as Amazon. They are available as ‘real’ paper books or for your favorite eBook reader.
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March 7, 2016
Happy Birthday Lou
Yesterday, March 6, was the anniversary of the birth of Louis Francis Cristillo. If you don’t know who Mr. Cristillo is you will probably know him by his stage name, Lou Costello.
Lou Costello has always been a favorite actor of mine since I was a small boy. For my entire life, I’ve admired him, been entertained by him and his partner, Bud Abbott, in movies, television shows, and radio dramas. Throughout my childhood, I laughed at his antics, cringed when he seemed to be in danger, and rooted for him to get past his latest challenge. Growing up, I knew nothing about his background other than he was born in Paterson NJ, a town I’ve been to. As an adult, I discovered he was also an Italian American and veteran of vaudeville and burlesque. Who knew?
Realizing that his birthday was yesterday, I looked up his biography.
This is what I found on IMDB.COM.
“Lou Costello was born Louis Francis Cristillo in Paterson, New Jersey, to Helen (Rege) and Sebastiano Cristillo. His father was from Calabria, Italy, and his mother was an American of Italian, French, and Irish ancestry. Raised in Paterson, Costello dropped out of high school and headed west to break into the movies. He got a job as a carpenter at MGM and Warners. He went from there to stuntman and then to vaudeville as a comic. In 1931, while working in Brooklyn, his straight man became ill and the theater cashier, Bud Abbott, filled in for him. The two formed their famous comedy team and, through the 1930s, they worked burlesque, minstrel shows, vaudeville and movie houses. In 1938, they got national exposure through the Kate Smith Hour radio show and signed with Universal Pictures the next year. They debuted in One Night in the Tropics (1940). Their scene-stealing performances in that film landed them their own picture the next year, Buck Privates (1941), with The Andrews Sisters. It was a runaway hit, grossing what was then a company record $10 million on a $180,000 budget. In 1942, they topped a poll of Hollywood stars. They had their own radio show (ABC, 1941-46, NBC, 1946-49) and TV show (The Abbott and Costello Show (1952)). After the war, their movies shifted formula to one in which they met various monsters or found themselves in exotic locations. The team split up in 1957, with both winding up completely out of money after troubles with the Internal Revenue Service. After that Lou appeared in a few television shows and the movie The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959), released a few months after he died.”
My all time favorite movie, across all genres and the decades is one of his, “The Time of Their Lives“. Admittedly, it is not one of the more famous of his movies but to me, it’s priceless. He plays his usual comedic character set during the American Revolution. He played a poor tinker who, along with Melody Allen, was shot, killed, and erroneously branded as traitors. Each of them wakes up as ghosts, eternally bound to the estate they died on. Centuries later, they are freed from their torment and move on to their next lives. In between, though, is a story full of antics, comedic relief, and dual love affairs reunited. I absolutely love this movie and watch it frequently.
Lou Costello introduced me to the likes of the Andrew Sisters and other ‘A’ listers in the music and acting fields. His classic ‘Who’s On First‘ comedy routine he does with Bud Abbott is the absolute best. I have it on my regular playlist in my music player. I smile every time I hear it and if I’m having a bad day, it is my go to audio track to make me feel a better.
My only regret regarding Lou Costello is that he died long before I discovered and recognized his talent. In fact, I was still wearing diapers and my world revolved around my mother and father. My regret is offset by knowing that Lou’s middle name is the same as mine. Hey Mom and Dad, am I named after him?
If you know and appreciate Lou Costello the way I do, then I urge you to remember him with a nod of your head while recalling you favorite memory. If you don’t know who he is, please look him up. Though best known for his antics with his partner, Bud Abbott, he was a versatile actor, comedian, stuntman, athlete, and family man. There is much to this man than I can write here. Please, just take a moment and look him up.
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