Dear Reader,
I am a writer and words are my weapon. I want to hurt you. I want my words to be salt, and I want to pour them into your open wound. I want my words to be jagged pieces of mirror that you can see yourself reflected in. I am a sadist otherwise known as an artist. My books are a call to women who have been doubled over by heartache, bound by boredom, captives of a past that will not let them go, victors of a past that tried to kill them. I have a disease you see, it’s called human nature, and I am fascinated by it. So, if you choose to read Mud Vein remember that about me. I’m not writing to entertain you, or to make money, or to have my book propped neatly on a shelf in Target. I write to explore the dark corners of myself, and I want you to come with me. I’m a little bit like you. I think you’ll see yourself in the pages of Mud Vein. I haven’t told you very much about it on purpose. I want you to go in blind. I want you to stumble across a thought, a sound, a hurt-which you had thought special to you. And realize I have felt them too, someone you have never met. If you choose to read Mud Vein, please don’t ask yourself what it says, ask yourself what it means. And once you read my black words, on a white page, e-mail me and tell me your interpretation. I can’t wait for your thoughts.
I expect nothing less than being twisted up and mangled inside from your stories. Looking forward to that happening again with Mud Vein.
Seriously can’t wait! Sounds awesome! #XOXOtheNerdGirl
Hello again!
just finished reading mud vein. T_T
So amazing. Heartbreaking. Terrific. Brilliant. Powerful. Awe-inspiring…
I can’t think of any adjective to describe it to really give it justice.
Please please tell me you have paperbacks for them! :O :O :O cause I would like to purchase in bulk again with my friends here in the PH. 😀 😀 😀
I also received the books I ordered last time from you and your street team!
I am so looking forward to more of your books!
Thank you very much!
Hello, I have just finished mud vein. WOW. It’s so outrageous and gripping I don’t even know how to thank you for delivering such a touching insight into your perception of human nature. I firstly have to thank you for the songs you have mentioned in the book as I felt they and the artists showed a connection to the characters. Also, I love and still am spending time linking the senses imagery to my real life, that helped me touch with the characters and intrigued me throughout. I have to say, I really did not think it was going to be her therapist! I was waiting for some twist like in unravel (by calia read), but the way you merged the therapist in was mind blowing. I had to re read the same lines over and over trying to get my head around it. Although I found it nazi-like, I did wholly think that she helped and was felt compassion towards her for the great lengths she went to prove true love. It was touching. And oh Isaac! You couldn’t have made him any more perfect than you did. I love him, and will always continue to love him. He was such a caring and wholly moving character whom I just felt at times to kidnap and keep for myself. But I must say, I hope you give us a little chapter on Isaac after the ending. Does he stay with his family? Whats his reaction to the letter? Or when she dies, what does he do? God I just need more, I didn’t want it to end but I just couldn’t put it down.
You have created the most magnifying and inspirational book. It brings your through an emotional turmoil using realism to connect with the reader, me. Thank you so much for sharing your personal dialogue and thoughts with the public and being brave enough to touch subject areas most authors would skip over.
You’ve added a little piece of literature into the puzzle I vision my life to slowly appear as.
Mission accomplished. A million times over.
Jesus, Woman!!!! Can you put out a warning sign with your books! I just spent two days reading Mud Vein. Unfortunately, I picked it up on a week I was feeling a little down and the weather was gloomy. Mud Vein just threw me to the floor. I closed it and felt very much like Senna did when she read THOSE words in the third book placed in the white box. I almost vomited too. I expected half the ending but not the finality. Trying to say as little as possible without spoiling but it’s hard. Just know that you wrecked me, again. I enjoy your writing but I need to time it better with my emotional psyche. So please, next time, a warning.
Mud Vein blew me away. I cried the ugly cry and sat in my seat blubbering like a baby as I finished it. Best Book I have EVER read. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I can’t stop thinking about this book. I dreamed about it after finishing it at midnight last night and woke up thinking about it.I am in awe of you and your talent. All I can say is thank you….
Dear Tarryn,
First of all I would like to thank you for the experience of reading Mud Vein. It irrevocably spoiled any future reading for me. I finished it yesterday and I have no idea how I’m going to get over it and move on- start another book, wake up without tears in my eyes, live…
It was my ultimate reading experience. Why?
I learnt how to read when I was 5. Since then I’ve spent all my life reading books. I’ve got a degree in literature. And I’ve never felt what I’m feeling now after reading a book. Nothing has ever influenced and moved me this way. Such despair, grief, anger and anxiety that I don’t really know what to do with myself.
I have also never felt such a strong connection with a character. I’m dying with Senna now. I took to her from the start since we’ve got so much in common- attitude to life, to people (however, being a teacher I like asking and answering questions), similar age, missed opportunities that will never come back and this fucking darkness inside. This book was like a journey into myself and I discovered I’ve got mud vein in me, too.
Unfortunately I don’t have Isaac by my side trying to overcome the darkness in me. If I had an Isaac, I wouldn’t file a restraining order against him. This is someting I will never be able to forgive Senna.
And finally, here comes the ending. I was reading and thinking what an amazing and truly unique book it was. Everything felt so alive, I listened to “Landscape” all the week doing whatever I had to do at home. Almost non stop. It was somehow similar to my experience with reading “Maybe Someday” by Coleen Hoover two weeks ago.
And then I got to the ending of the book. Suddenly everything felt so wrong. I kept saying to myself: NO, NO, NO! It can’t finish this way!
You’re a real sadist Tarryn, how could you? All this struggle almost for nothing? To die of cancer anyway? Isaac keeping Senna alive at any cost not to meet her for THREE MONTHS after everything they have experienced together and letting her finally die ALONE? No, this feels so wrong. You broke my heart with this ending. He should have left his wife, because he was with her for all the wrong reasons. Isaac didn’t love her, she was only his second choice. He said to Senna that when he’d seen her in the cabin, he’d taken his first breath in three years.
I was blinded by tears reading the last pages! Think about someone reading MV who suffers from cancer. What message does the book give? There is no hope. The fight is for nothing…
Tarryn, I feel like you stabbed my chest with those words and you’re still twisting the knife. This is how I feel. I planned to start “The Opportunist” as soon as I finish MV. Now I’m afraid of beginning this journey with you.
Anyway, you are a genius, the best writer in the world. Don’t be so cruel to your readers. I can’t even listen to “Cosmic love” now because I know I”ll burst out crying as soon as I hear the music.
Hugs and kisses,
Kate from Poland (probably your biggest fan in my country)
WOW WOW WOW I finished Mud Vein last night. I have read all your books and you are fantastic. I think I am still in a little shock about the book but I loved it could not put it down. I have to say that I would really like for you to have done an epilogue or maybe a novella from Isaac’s POV we don’t really know that much about him especially how he felt when he got that letter from Senna.
Can’t wait for another of your books.
thanks Glenys
Ageee 100% would love to hear from him
At 36 I woke on morning and realized that I wanted out my marriage. That was 6 months ago & I’m still to chicken shit to get out. He is the love of my life, he is the man I supposed to marry and have two extraordinary children with, of that I’m 100% certain. He handles me when I need handling, he makes laugh, he has perfect penis (seriously, it’s perfection) and loving him is easy.
To sum up our courtship for you: I was the good time girl he met me, I was good time girl that wanted to make her parents proud. So he walked into Hooters (yep, I worked at Hooters & I was an A cup at the time), we chatted for a bit and he asked me out. I said no, I didn’t know this guy from Adam, heck no! I told him sure and gave him my number because I wanted a nice tip. He called the next day and left a voicemail “Hi Angie, this is Tony. The drink guy from Hooters. I’m sober now & I still want to take you to dinner. Call me.” I deleted it, I had already gotten the tip. Apparently he was a Hooters regular & I had no clue. Don’t judge him. He was 27 with a perfect penis, where else do expect him to be. I was bored on a Monday night, nothing happens on a Monday night. So, I went out to dinner with him. And on that boring Monday night, I had my first real date in a looonng time. We dove right into a relationship. It was easy & he was fun, we had fun. I thought I had the fucking jackpot with him. Here I had the love of a man that my parents adored and we still had fun. Of course I married him. Then I woke 6 months ago with a back ache from my daughter having her foot in my back all night long & discovered a I had built a wall around my heart. Six months later I can’t nor am I sure if I want to break down that wall. I woke up and reliazed I’m a thinker, yes we are, but before I wouldn’t allow my thoughts to run too deep, because deep thoughts are not fun & easy. He’s a fixer and he can’t fix me. That’s driving him a little bananas. I have two little people who love their life, how do I break their hearts and take it away? I can’t breathe some days, some days I can push down my thoughts and carry on. There is so much more to this, to us, to me. But that kinda sums it up…. Not really. I need advice and therapy is pricey. I don’t know you, so judge away but tell me how divorce affected you and your family.
I’m late to the party on this blog entry but your post pulled at me. I’d love to hear how your life played out!
I have to admit I was not ready for Mud Vein. I was coming of the Love Me with Lies Series when I decided to read this. I did not read this letter to the readers, but in a way I am glad. This story caught me by surprise and slapped me in the face. I was frustrated when I finally finished but after sleeping on it can only say WOW!!
There are so many elements in this story that are true and although we often escape to novels, the reality is we don’t always get the happily ever afters.
This is a beautifully written, twisted, lovely expression of acceptance, struggle, reality vs perception, and obsession vs love. The essence of how our lovely convoluted minds work to show what is our humanity. And as if not enough, it a cautionary tale to wake up, recognize our mortality, see what is right in front of us, and learn to accept help when needed.
AMAZING!!!
This book hit me so deep that I’m still trying to come down from it. I don’t think I’ve ever envisioned the surroundings described in a book so clearly that I felt like I’ve been in those rooms and places before. I saw them clearly both in color and black and white depending on what was taking place in the story. It was hauntingly beautiful.
When, or better yet, how did you sleep while writing this book? I doubt I would have been able to!
It was simply captivating.
This was my first time reading your work….. when I read I like to be sucked in from the first page, I want to be consumed, I want it to be an experience that I dont want to end and leave me wishing it wasn’t over when I close the book. Mud vein was all of that! I couldnt put it down. Picked up 3 more of your books without hesitation. Thank you. Good books can be hard to find
I LOVED your book. I couldn’t put it down. As a matter of fact I may even read it again to see what I missed now that I know where you are going with it. I read a lot and I have never recommended a book to other people because everyone has their own preference. I have made an exception with your book. I have challenged all of my facebook friends to read it and let me know what they think. Such a deep book and like nothing I have ever read. Will you ever write a book from Isaac’s point of view? I would really love to see it from his eyes.
I secretly went into work late to finish this book. Bravo to your creative writing. I was spell bound and my heart swelled for these two characters. Being fresh off my read and I type the word character to describe them, deep in my heart and mind they are there..Not letting go. Not characters. And that my friend is the sign of a GREAT book!
Have not every read a book quite like this one before! Congratulations on you achievement. Originality is a tough ask and you nailed it.
I particularly loved the realism of the emotions in the snow bound cabin. Spectacular!
Lucky your spelling seems to better than mine! Reread my comment. Oops.
Wow. I began the book this morning and didn’t put it down till I finished. I’m totally emotionally wrecked – but I loved it. Thank you!
I am hurting and exhausted and so thankful for the experience of reading this book. This all too brief journey has opened me up and ripped me apart then put me back together in a wholly different configuration. I feel jagged and raw. I cant fathom finding another book that makes me feel this way but its a feeling that is suffocating and addicting.
This was one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. I felt so many things and didn’t relate to one character, but parts of all of them. I read this in two days and checked out of life for a while to get lost in your words. Such a welcome escape. Thank you!