Linda Verji's Blog, page 2

WHAT I’M WATCHING: Alchemy of Souls

In the country of Daeho, Jang Uk (Lee Jae-Wook) comes from the noble Jang family. He holds an unpleasant secret about his birth, which people all around the country talk about. He is troublemaker.

Jang Uk happens to meet Mu-Deok (Jung So-Min). She is an elite warrior, but her soul is trapped in a physically weak body. She becomes Jang Wook’s servant, but she also secretly teaches him how to fight.

Seo Yul (Minhyun) comes from the noble Seo family. He seems perfect with good appearance, intelligence, and strong martial arts skills. Go Won (Shin Seung-Ho) is the crown prince of Daeho. He hopes to become a generous king.

MY REVIEW

Everyone I  know has watched this drama or is watching it. If you’re not part of the crowd then you’re missing out. You’re missing out big. Usually, I’m the type to wait until a drama is over then to binge it over a week. But once I got a taste of this one, I could not keep from watching it week after week after week.

This drama has everything; mystery, romance, thriller, and comedy. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to throw something at your TV. Every character that is introduced in the story has a major role in how the story goes. The leads, Mu-Deok/Naksu and Jang-Uk, are a pair to love. The two have more chemistry than the whole periodic table. You’ll root for them like you’ve never rooted for a couple before.

THE VERDICT: 9/10 because EVERYTHING about this drama is fire. Every character brings something fresh and exciting to the table – even the villains.

WATCH IT HERE

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DON’T LET ME FALL: The Story Behind The Story

Finally, Kenny’s story is written and published.

This is one of those books that just fell off my fingertips once I knew what direction I was going in.

Obviously, I would have loved to put everything I know about Kenny, Pat and their families in the book, but then we would have a 200k novel. No one wants that. So below are some background things that I didn’t mention in the book but could help you get a better picture of the characters and what drives them.

But before you dive in, make sure you’ve read the book because there will be major, major spoilers.

GET THE BOOK HERE! 1: MEET THE LEAD CHARACTERS

30 year-old KENNEDY ‘KENNY’ CARTER is a complex, complex woman. On one hand she is a responsible, driven, loving and loyal woman who would do anything and sacrifice herself to protect the people she loves. But she’s also an alcoholic who is bitter about the cards life has handed her and is very jaded when it comes to relationships. It was hard to reconcile these two sides of her just so she could get her happily-ever-after. I hope I succeeded.

32 year-old PATRICK ‘PAT’ HUGHES is the first born of four siblings and therefore used to running his and other people’s lives ever. He is a natural leader, charismatic, and responsible. Kenny is definitely not the kind of woman he should be attracted to. She doesn’t listen to him, throws his good intentions back at him, and her life is a mess. But still, he wants her. Why? Ask him.

2: THIS IS A REWRITE

If you’ve been with me since I started publishing, then you remember this book. I started writing the book in 2016 and couldn’t quite muster the energy to finish writing it.

In its first interpretation, it was called ‘Damaged Attraction, and Kenny went by the name Gabi (Marley was Ari and her book was Three’s A Crowd). But obviously, things have changed. The story got more complex and fleshier as I became older (and hopefully more mature). Hopefully, it got better too.

3: yes, cece passed on

You remember Cece, right? In DON’T LET ME BREAK, she was mentioned a lot and even had a scene or two. Cece is the sisters’ paternal grandmother (Gary’s mother). She was a big part of how Gary turned out because she enabled his bad behavior and even excused it.

When Kenny’s mother, Cynthia, went to jail for murdering Gary, Cece took custody of the girls, but she wasn’t a very good guardian. She assumed that Marley’s mental issues were as a result of being possessed and did weird stuff to ‘exorcise’ her. Kenny had to act as a wall between her grandmother and Marley, to keep the older woman from hurting Marley. As soon as Kenny was old enough, she got Marley out of the old woman’s house.

Kenny would’ve been within her rights to never talk to Cece again, but she’s a generous woman. She still took care of the older woman, and even when Cece had to be admitted to a care facility because of dementia, Kenny was the one who paid for it, and visited the elderly woman frequently.

In Kenny’s book, Cece doesn’t appear. Pat only mentions that Kenny took a leave to bury her. So, yes, she’s dead now. The woman was eighty-nine and quite sickly. Honestly, I personally didn’t like the older woman but R.I.P… I guess.

4: KENNY'S FAMILY GROWS

When we started this journey (i.e. the Carter Sisters series), the Carter family was made of three members; Kenny, Marley and Cece. In Book 1, Marley got married and had a baby girl. In Book 2, Cece died, Kenny got married and is pregnant. In future their family continues to grow.

Marley and Sebastian go ahead to have two more kids (all boys) while Kenny and Pat have one more child, a girl. Add that to all the wonderful in-laws that the girls have acquired, and its fair to say that their family is now bigger than they could have ever imagined. For two woman who believed themselves unworthy of love, this is a pretty big accomplishment. It just goes to show, nothing in life is predictable, and no one is unlovable. Sometimes happiness is just a footstep away. Never give up.

5: ALL ABOUT PAT'S FAMILY

Pat’s family was briefly mentioned in the book but not really explored. Pat’s dad, Jackson (after whom Jack’s Group of Clubs is named) died when Pat was just seventeen. Pat’s mom, Helen, raised the kids on her own. Helen is a nurse. Pat has three siblings; Yaya (30) who was a professional ballerina but now owns her own studio and is a successful teacher, Damon (27) who is a chef and owns Aize restaurant, and Chris (22) who is a college student.

The family is pretty close even though we only saw one event where they all appeared together, and Kenny is lucky to have them in her life. I might write stories for Pat’s younger siblings later, but that’s still up in the air.

6: SARA'S RELAPSE IS NOT HER FINAL CHAPTER

Sara, Kenny’s sponsor, was a victim of Nisha’s shenanigans. I know it seems like she was just collateral damage because I didn’t mention her in the epilogue but I’ve really been thinking about her. Anyone who’s ever had an addiction knows how hard it is to stay on the straight and narrow. Sara managed it for twenty-two years and that is incredibly commendable.

However, we have to recognize that falling down is a strong possibility when you’re dealing with issues of addiction. What matters is whether you pick yourself up afterwards, and though it isn’t mentioned, Sara eventually picks herself up again (though she does relapse a few times after).

Sara’s story was my way of making it clear that Kenny’s life isn’t going to be perfect from now on. She’ll always battle her addiction. Every day will be spent reminding herself just how much she gained by quitting and how much she would lose if she fell again. I don’t wish for her to relapse like Sara did, but I’m not ruling it out. Still, this is Kenny. She got this!

7: NISHA IS KIND OF PITIFUL

Barsha (the doctor) gave us a basic run down of how Nisha’s life was before she met Kenny, but I should expound. Nisha is the second daughter of Nepalese immigrants. Compared to her older sister, she was unexceptional. As often happens, her parents paid more attention to the sibling who had the most promise, in this case her sister. What worsened Nisha’s situation was the fact that both her parents worked which meant they had very limited time for their kids. They chose to spend that limited time on Barsha which left Nisha neglected.

This neglect caused Nisha to start acting out. Her extraordinary lies were all attempts to get noticed by her parents or just anyone really. She wanted to be loved too. At first she tried to make herself seem exceptional too; i.e claiming to have visited exotic places, be related to great people, have exceptional skills etc. But at some point she realized that eliciting sympathy by making her life out to be worse than it actually was was also a great way to get love. That’s why she won’t all out on the pity-party when she met Kenny.

If you think about it, her life is sad too. It’s no excuse for how she behaved, but it’s certainly an explanation. Maybe a good therapist can fix her.

LESSON: Raise your kids right, folks.

8: THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN TO LABRINTH’S ‘BENEATH YOUR BEAUTIFUL’

If you haven’t heard this song yet, I don’t know how to help you. What rock are you living under so I can come get you?

This is a beautiful song. Labrinth and Emeli have haunting voices that will stab at your heart, and the song’s lyrics will get you every time. It reminds me of Kenny and how high her walls were before she met Pat. Call me overdramatic, it almost feels like Pat is singing it to her.

Listen to the song again and tell me this ain’t Pat and Kenny.

Have you read Don’t Let Me Fall? Learn More About it

If you read it, have you reviewed it? Review it HERE.

Is there something you really want to know about Don’t Let Me Fall? Drop a comment below this post and I’ll answer it ASAP.

The post DON’T LET ME FALL: The Story Behind The Story appeared first on Linda Verji.

8 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘The Games We Play’

You’d think that by now I’d have stopped planning my books down to the last chapter in advance. After all, things never ever go the way I plan and my characters are ridiculously mischievous. But alas, I am a planner. The Games We Play was one of those books that started out one way, then completely went the other way.

So, why don’t we take a peek into the process that led to the birth of the book? However, before you read any further, make sure you’ve actually read the book because this post will have lots and lots of spoilers. I warned you!

GET THE BOOK HERE! 1: MEET THE LEAD CHARACTERS

27 year-old APRIL MERIT is the kind of girl everyone would love to have as a friend. She’s cheerful, generous, and has the patience of a saint. She is half latina and half black.  Both her parents are alive, and she is the middle child of three. She wanted to be a nurse but somehow ended up as a hostess at Tellers.

34 year-old ROMAN TELLER is a former baseball player turned entrepreneur. Both his parents are alive. He has an older sister but is quite close to his cousin Greyson (from YES, CHEF) and even owns a restaurant with him. His greatest fear is ending up broke which is why he instinctively saves money and avoid anyone who tries to ‘steal’ it from him (read that as gold-diggers).

2: APRIL SHOULD'VE GOTTEN PREGNANT EARLIER

lol. I think I just heard you groan.

Yes, this was going the secret baby route. The original manuscript had April getting way earlier. Also she was going to hide the pregnancy from Roman. Of course that would have racked up the drama index, but after thinking about it I decided that Roman had been punished enough – throwing in a secret baby would have been cruel. I’m cruel but not that cruel.

3: JASON PITTS FROM 'THE GAME' WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND rOMAN'S CHARACTER

While Roman’s looks match Ryan McPartlin, his character is close to Jason Pitts from The Game (as played by Coby Bell). I haven’t watched The Game in a minute but from what I remember, Jason was extremely frugal. Roman isn’t quite as frugal but he’s close. The book wasn’t meant to trash thriftiness, but it was more of a caution that you shouldn’t let money ruin your relationship.

4: CHARLIE'S STORY WAS ITS FOUNDATION

If you read Yes, Chef, then you know how Snow was snatched right from under Charlie’s nose. He was sleeping on the job and Greyson snuck in and took off with Snow over his shoulder.

So, I couldn’t help asking myself; what if Charlie had realized Snow’s value earlier, before Greyson came into the picture, would he have had a chance to repair the damage to their relationship? Also, what if Snow was still in love with him, would they have made it? Roman and April were born from those questions.

5: APRIL WAS ORIGINALLY FROM A LARGER FAMILY

If you read the Wattpad version then you know that initially, April had eight other siblings. But I changed it. Why? Laziness. I’m sorry – eight siblings? And I’d have to say something about all of them in the book? Phew! I got tired.

6: THE SADDEST PART FOR ME WAS WHEN APRIL HEARD ROMAN TALKING TRASH ABOUT HER

I felt bad for April, I really didn’t. When strangers talk smack about you, you can brush it off, but when it’s someone who you really like and who you often ride for, it stings. Can you just imagine yourself in her position? How she managed to stop herself from storming into that room still remains a mystery. I almost changed the lead character to Javier at that point. Fortunately, Roman redeemed himself later. But it was a very, very, very close call.

7: WE ALL FEEL BAD FOR JAVIER

Poor kid! He probably would have been good for April with his easy-going ways and passion. Now we’ll never know because our girl was too into Roman. Oh well! At least he still has Eva (the best-friend who he threw the party for).

8: JEALOUS BY LABRINTH WAS ON CONSTANT REPLAY

I know it doesn’t exactly match the tone of TGWP, but it’s pretty close to how Roman felt when he lost April. Also Labrinth knows how to pull those heartstrings.

Have you read The Games We Play? Learn More About it

If you read it, have you reviewed it? Review it HERE.

Is there something you really want to know about The Games We Play? Drop a comment below this post and I’ll answer it ASAP.

The post 8 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘The Games We Play’ appeared first on Linda Verji.

WHAT I’M WATCHING: W – Two Worlds

Oh Sung Moo, the father of cardiothoracic surgeon Oh Yeon Joo, mysteriously goes missing while writing the last chapter of his webtoon “W”.

Yeon Joo goes to his office looking, but a hand from his monitor suddenly pulls her in, and she finds herself on the rooftop of a building, next to a bloodied man. She manages to save the person, only to realize that he is Kang Cheol, the main character of her father’s webtoon.

Yeon Joo later discovers she can only enter and leave the webtoon depending on Kang Cheol’s feelings.

MY REVIEW

I haven’t seen anything quite as unique as W. Most Korean ‘travel’ dramas have characters moving between the past and present, but W has them moving between the real world and the manhwa (comic) world.

W is a fantasy romance starring Lee Jong Suk as Kang Chul and some girl (I didn’t bother to learn her name since I’m here for the hawt gentlemen) as Yeon Joo. Yeon Joo is a surgeon living in our world, and her father is the author of a popular web-comic, W.

This is where stuff gets complicated. The main character in Yeon Joo’s father’s comic is Kang Chul. Yeon Joo’s father decides to kill off Kang Chul’S character because Kang Chul has become a little too real, as in sometimes he writes his own storylines. The creatives out there will appreciate the irony because we often complain about characters taking over our work and driving it to unexpected destinations. In W, it’s real. Kang Chul is driving his own bus. Get ready for a wild, wild fantastic ride.

I loved Kang Chul. Suave, rich, handsome, kind… starts out as imaginary then transforms into a real man. The best parts for me were when he pulls Yeon Joo into the comic and she tries to get out by forcing a ‘to be continued’ (You’ll understand what I mean when you see it). The ‘slap’ and ‘get naked’ parts were especially hilarious. I’m on episode 8 right now and I can’t wait to finish it.

THE VERDICT: 9/10 for sheer creativity and spunk

WATCH IT HERE

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7 Things You Didn’t Know About Yes, Chef

Writing YES, CHEF was an ‘interesting’ experience. Of course I started out with a plan, but as every writer knows, characters are rebellious, head-strong, annoying buggers. They never follow the script you give them. And the characters in Yes, Chef were the worst. They had me pulling out my hair in an attempt to make the story make sense.

This is me pulling back the curtains so you can see what went on behind the stage. But if you haven’t read the book, you should probably go do that first because there are loads and loads of spoilers in this post.

GET THE BOOK HERE! 1: MEET THE LEAD CHARACTERS 2: MY ADDICTION TO HELL'S KITCHEN INSPIRED IT

You already guessed that though, right? Don’t judge me. I like food, I like cooking it, and I like watching it get cooked. I think I’ve watched every season of Hell’s Kitchen, Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, Master Chef, Cutthroat Kitchen…. I’ve even gone International. Go ahead; ask me anything about the Great British Bake Off….

3: I STARTED WRITING IT IN OCTOBER 2016

You probably assumed that I was just chilling out on some sunny island with sexy cabana boys between August 2016 and February 2017 because I didn’t publish anything. I wish that were true. Unfortunately, when I wasn’t fighting various random illnesses, I was trying to figure out where I was taking Yes, Chef. You wouldn’t believe it but I have an 80,000 word manuscript that was going to be the original Yes, Chef but got discarded. Which brings me to the third thing you didn’t know…

4: SNOW WAS GOING TO HAVE MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER

In my original script, Snow was going to have MPD (or DID) and the story was a thriller. You guys, the Yes, Chef you’re reading now is a really tame version of what I’ve got in my drawer. Don’t worry though. I’m still going to publish that Manuscript after editing it a little and changing some names, so keep an eye out.

5: I THOUGHT ABOUT INCLUDING RECIPES

I saw a few people wondering why I didn’t throw in a few delicious recipes. And I was going to throw them in… but then I though y’all might not like that and think I was just adding random stuff to pad the book (as if my books aren’t long enough). Next time I’ll go with my instincts.

6: GREYSON'S BACKSTORY CHANGED

I saw a few people wondering why I didn’t throw in a few delicious recipes. And I was going to throw them in… but then I though y’all might not like that and think I was just adding random stuff to pad the book (as if my books aren’t long enough). Next time I’ll go with my instincts.

7: CHARLIE MIGHT BE AN ALCOHOLIC

Someone in the reviews commented that Charlie seemed like an alcoholic, and the truth is I was torn about that. Charlie is not really an alcoholic but he is in that danger zone. Anyone who’s lived with a budding alcoholic knows what I’m talking about… i.e. they’re not the type to go to work drunk yet and when the occasion calls for them to be sober, they can rise up. But when they have free time or some money, they get stupid drunk… like pee on myself, vomit on you, sleep in a ditch drunk. Charlie’s at that point where you can’t really say he’s an alcoholic because he’s shown that he can do without it, but you also can’t say that he doesn’t have a problem. Basically, Marlene should be focusing on fixing her son before he gets ‘unfixable’, not stalking his ex-girlfriends.

Have you read Yes, Chef? Learn More About it

If you read it, have you reviewed it? Review it HERE.

Is there something you really want to know about Yes, Chef? Ask way. Drop a comment below this post and I’ll answer it ASAP.

The post 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Yes, Chef appeared first on Linda Verji.

WHAT I’M READING: Jilted by Eve Vaughn

Skylar Brown is set to marry the man of her dreams. Ashley is everything she’s ever hoped for in a man: smart, intelligent, sexy and madly in love with her. Or so she thought. When she meets her groom at the altar, she’s in for a surprise.

The groom said no…

Devastated after being publicly dumped by the love of her life, Skylar is left to pick up the pieces of her of her shattered world. But what will Ashley do when he runs into Skylar again and learns that she wasn’t the only one he left at the altar?

I am a sucker for second chance romances and characters who grow, and Eve Vaughns knows how to spin a second chance tale. This book had me shaking my head and giving the characters so many side-eyes, I’m surprised I’m not yet cross-eyed.

Let’s start with Ashley. This man can hold a grudge – seriously. I know I hold grudges but Ashley made me a little scared. Apparently men who are scorned can be dangerous too. Days before his wedding to Skylar, he gets a DVD showing Skylar in a compromising situation. Instead of confronting her, he waits until their wedding day to  let her know that this wedding is not happening. Skylar is devastated, wants to talk it out. But Ashley is too hurt to discuss anything and he kicks her out of his world.

Five years later, the two meet again and… you guessed right, messiness ensues. Painful messiness.

Ashley was cruel at times, but I don’t think that it makes him any less of a hero. The thing about real life heroes is that sometimes they make mistakes, they are not perfect. Some get cruel when they’re hurt, some shut down, some want to talk it down. And maybe he didn’t have to work so hard for forgiveness – but I think that Skylar saw his sincerity and didn’t want to waste time dragging out the forgiveness. If it were me though… huh! *snorts

Get JILTED on Amazon

Have you read it? Let me know in the comments section.

Got a book you think I should read? I never turn down recommendations.

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WHAT I’M READING: Beautiful Lies by Renee Williams

First, let me just put it out there; Latham ain’t worth sh*t. I’ve never wanted to walk into a book and punch a character so badly. Whoever birthed him needs to come get his ass. Oh my God! That dude was so trifling, even the word ‘trifling’ didn’t want to be associated with him.

*Breathes out.

Okay, now that we’ve got out that little rant, let’s get to the book lol. I’ve read (and loved) many Renee Williams books, but this one hit me right in the feels. To say Danielle got a bad hand in life would be an understatement. One moment you’re on top of the world, and the next the person who was supposed to be your partner in life stabs and throws you down to the wolves. Luckily, she’s got a great support system. And she’s got Noah.

Noah. Noah. Noah. Every woman deserves the kind of love this man gives at least once in their lifetime. While Latham was being a colossal bastard to Danielle, Noah stepped up and stepped in to provide her with the love and support she needed. I love this man. But I bet you’ll love him too. So go ahead and check out the book. Below is the description:

ABOUT BEAUTIFUL LIES

Danielle

Letting him go was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
My husband promised me forever. He made me believe we could weather any storm as long as we had each other. Now, he’s telling me he’s sorry. He’s not in love with me anymore. But, how am I supposed to get over him when my heart won’t let him go?
Until I had to start over.

Noah

I know she’s not ready. I even understand how difficult all of this must be for her, but I never planned on falling for someone who wasn’t prepared to love me. However, the heart wants what the heart wants, and mine wants Danielle. I’m willing to wait, and when she’s ready, I’ll be right here waiting to pick up the pieces he threw away. I plan to show her that when destiny calls you have no choice but to answer.

Get BEAUTIFUL LIES on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1PHKKQ9/

The post WHAT I’M READING: Beautiful Lies by Renee Williams appeared first on lindaverji.

WHAT I’M WATCHING: Alchemy of Souls

Everyone I know is watching this drama right now or has watched it. If you’re not part of the crowd then you’re missing out. You’re missing out big. Usually, I’m the type to wait until a drama is over then to binge it over a week. But once I got a taste of this one, … Continue reading WHAT I’M WATCHING: Alchemy of Souls

WHAT I’M WATCHING: Love Like The Galaxy

I’m going to be honest! Even though I don’t post about Chinese dramas, I watch them a lot. Like a lot. I also watch lots of Filipino, Thai, South African & Turkish dramas but that’s a story for another day. But I enjoyed this show so much that I thought I should stray from my … Continue reading WHAT I’M WATCHING: Love Like The Galaxy

NEW RELEASE: Don’t Let Me Fall

Though Kenny seems resilient, self-possessed and admirable, she’s just a broken, scarred woman who is still imprisoned by her traumatic past and her dangerous vices. Can a woman like her be loved? DON’T LET ME FALL is now available for your reading pleasure. Kennedy ‘Kenny’ Carter has always known that romance and happily-ever-after weren’t in … Continue reading NEW RELEASE: Don’t Let Me Fall