Veronica Bane's Blog - Posts Tagged "mara"
Everything's coming together!
Black Hill Press now features the novella description and editor's note for Mara on its website! It makes everything feel so official.
Also, I'm putting together an author website at veronicabane.com that's coming together nicely.
Thanks for keeping up with me on Goodreads! Much more to come in July/August, so stay tuned.
Also, I'm putting together an author website at veronicabane.com that's coming together nicely.
Thanks for keeping up with me on Goodreads! Much more to come in July/August, so stay tuned.
It's here! It's here!
When it's been your dream to write and publish books since you were young and squirrely, there is nothing like holding your book for the first time.
It's got pages. It's got a cover. It's got my name. The characters that have bopped around in my brain for so long are there on the page.
It's thrilling.
To put it in perspective, I spent the majority of today reading The Diviners after I finished up some other work, and I finished the book in the early evening. The ending had me craving more, more, more, but sadly, a sequel to The Diviners isn't due until next year. It was such a rush, though, to read, and I can only hope that some people have that experience with my own book.
To reading and writing, friends! Never stop.
Early buzz for MARA!
Thrillist ran a great piece about "three beach reads that live up to their designer covers" recently, and Mara was one of them! Read on to see what they said.
"Mara is a Veronica Bane's fanciful coming-of-age story steeped in a particularly fiery brand of teenage angst. Something like The Outsiders by way of Carrie, in other words perfect for a heavy bout of high school nostalgia while sweating out that hangover."
Read more over at Thrillist.
So exciting! August 3 can't come soon enough.
"Mara is a Veronica Bane's fanciful coming-of-age story steeped in a particularly fiery brand of teenage angst. Something like The Outsiders by way of Carrie, in other words perfect for a heavy bout of high school nostalgia while sweating out that hangover."
Read more over at Thrillist.
So exciting! August 3 can't come soon enough.
Less than a week away!
I can't believe that Mara is due to be released this coming Saturday! If you don't know, I'll be reading excerpts alongside other fantastic Black Hill Press authors at The Last Bookstore in Downtown Los Angeles. If you're local to LA, please click here for more information.
It's hard to believe that July is already coming to a close. I know that I made so many goals at the beginning, and I'm going to work hard to finish them in the limited time that's left. One of my goals was to finish a lot of writing, and I've been working steadily on that. With that in mind, I have a writing thought to share with you all.
When you're writing a first draft, it's wise to keep it to yourself. Opening your draft (no matter how fantastic it is) up to criticism when you're still working can keep you from moving forward. Once you've completed that draft and given it a bit of polishing, however, it's important to seek criticism from people you respect. Equally important, however, is to really consider the criticism. That does not mean that you have to take it. As a writer, you must decide how to be true to your work and your voice. Nevertheless, it's important to hear people out. If your character's purpose or the point of a scene isn't coming across to multiple readers, ask yourself if that scene or character is necessary.
Many, many times, you will need to cut those characters and scenes completely. Cutting down on fluff lets the rest of the story shine. When writing is too cluttered, it's hard for the reader to wade through. Yes, it's your story, but if you want people to be able to access it, you need to give them a clear path. Make your story's big ideas cohesive and coherent.
Like I said, the end of July is calling. Back to work for me, and hope to hear from all of you very soon about your thoughts on Mara! If you haven't already added it to your "to-read" list, please do. See you cats on the flip side!
It's hard to believe that July is already coming to a close. I know that I made so many goals at the beginning, and I'm going to work hard to finish them in the limited time that's left. One of my goals was to finish a lot of writing, and I've been working steadily on that. With that in mind, I have a writing thought to share with you all.
When you're writing a first draft, it's wise to keep it to yourself. Opening your draft (no matter how fantastic it is) up to criticism when you're still working can keep you from moving forward. Once you've completed that draft and given it a bit of polishing, however, it's important to seek criticism from people you respect. Equally important, however, is to really consider the criticism. That does not mean that you have to take it. As a writer, you must decide how to be true to your work and your voice. Nevertheless, it's important to hear people out. If your character's purpose or the point of a scene isn't coming across to multiple readers, ask yourself if that scene or character is necessary.
Many, many times, you will need to cut those characters and scenes completely. Cutting down on fluff lets the rest of the story shine. When writing is too cluttered, it's hard for the reader to wade through. Yes, it's your story, but if you want people to be able to access it, you need to give them a clear path. Make your story's big ideas cohesive and coherent.
Like I said, the end of July is calling. Back to work for me, and hope to hear from all of you very soon about your thoughts on Mara! If you haven't already added it to your "to-read" list, please do. See you cats on the flip side!
Success!
The Black Hill Press Release Party/Novel Reading last night was an absolute blast! I was lucky to be surrounded by some fantastic authors. In addition, so many people came out to support all of the wonderful novellas, and I was just a giddy mess the entire night.
Reading from Mara was a thrill, and I just felt so loved afterwards. We actually sold out of copies of Mara at the event which made me unbelievably happy!
For those of you that were unable to join us last night, please visit Amazon to purchase a copy. Currently, Mara is 10% off for a limited time.
Thank you all for your continued support! I can't wait to hear what you think of Mara. :)
Reading from Mara was a thrill, and I just felt so loved afterwards. We actually sold out of copies of Mara at the event which made me unbelievably happy!
For those of you that were unable to join us last night, please visit Amazon to purchase a copy. Currently, Mara is 10% off for a limited time.
Thank you all for your continued support! I can't wait to hear what you think of Mara. :)
Purchase MARA for only $2.99!
For a limited time, Black Hill Press is running a back-to-school sale on the Kindle versions of their novellas. As a result, Mara is currently only $2.99 on Kindle! Hurry... this deal won't last long!
Interview at Lit Up Reviews!
I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by the lovely ladies over at Lit Up Reviews. Read the excerpt below and then head over to Lit Up Reviews for the full interview!
As a flowery writer, I admire anyone who can condense something as complex as an extended story into a novella. How do you decide if an element is necessary or not and what is your criteria for cutting something out?
First, a lot of the cutting came down to word choice. I played around with writing screenplays before I started to write Mara, and it taught me a lot about making words and action stand on their own. In a screenplay, a writer has to make one small character detail speak volumes about who they are as a person. I took that experience with me when I started working on my novella. So, in writing Mara, my goal was for characters’ actions and dialogue to communicate their motivations and intents. Also, I’m a big believer in word economy. For example, if a strong verb can say what you mean, don’t waste a string of adjectives or adverbs. Let each word have its individual power.
Read the rest over at Lit Up Reviews!
As a flowery writer, I admire anyone who can condense something as complex as an extended story into a novella. How do you decide if an element is necessary or not and what is your criteria for cutting something out?
First, a lot of the cutting came down to word choice. I played around with writing screenplays before I started to write Mara, and it taught me a lot about making words and action stand on their own. In a screenplay, a writer has to make one small character detail speak volumes about who they are as a person. I took that experience with me when I started working on my novella. So, in writing Mara, my goal was for characters’ actions and dialogue to communicate their motivations and intents. Also, I’m a big believer in word economy. For example, if a strong verb can say what you mean, don’t waste a string of adjectives or adverbs. Let each word have its individual power.
Read the rest over at Lit Up Reviews!
Blog tour!
I am so excited about the blog tour for Mara that is just around the corner! From November 17-20, I will be touring some amazing blogs. We will be doing excerpts, reviews, and more. In addition, there will be a giveaway to link back to the blogs that participate.
If you're interested in being one of the blogs, please head on over here to sign up. I can't wait to hear from you!
If you're interested in being one of the blogs, please head on over here to sign up. I can't wait to hear from you!
Blog tour and GIVEAWAYS!
Hello everyone!
We're so close to the release of Miyuki by Black Hill Press! To celebrate, the Miyuki blog tour is running throughout March. Check out the schedule here!
In addition, now is your chance to enter to win copies of both Mara and Miyuki on Goodreads. Enter now and don't forget to add both books to your shelves!
We're so close to the release of Miyuki by Black Hill Press! To celebrate, the Miyuki blog tour is running throughout March. Check out the schedule here!
In addition, now is your chance to enter to win copies of both Mara and Miyuki on Goodreads. Enter now and don't forget to add both books to your shelves!
The Cost of Paper!
Hello everyone! Exiciting news!
Black Hill Press just released an anthology full of familiar faces, including Miles and Mara! That's right! If you're still wringing your hands after that ending in Miyuki and want to spend some extra time with Miles and Mara, you're going to want to get your hand on The Cost of Paper. This special anthology features work by some fabulous Black Hill Press authors and artists, and a short story of mine called "Recycled" is included. Grab your copy by heading on over here to purchase it on Amazon. You also can get a digital copy for FREE from Black Hill Press's website. So, what are you waiting for? Get reading!
Black Hill Press just released an anthology full of familiar faces, including Miles and Mara! That's right! If you're still wringing your hands after that ending in Miyuki and want to spend some extra time with Miles and Mara, you're going to want to get your hand on The Cost of Paper. This special anthology features work by some fabulous Black Hill Press authors and artists, and a short story of mine called "Recycled" is included. Grab your copy by heading on over here to purchase it on Amazon. You also can get a digital copy for FREE from Black Hill Press's website. So, what are you waiting for? Get reading!
