Perceptions and Illusions

Labels: book cover, DTA, publishing

Those jokey Jupiterians are hard at work again, unfortunately.

There is some kind of proportion formula working between me and the Jupiterians. The more important a project is to me, the more likely the Jupiterians will exert themselves to play practical jokes. And right now my project is right up there with...with...well, it is so important I don't know what to compare it to.

I am working on the cover for the Department of Temporal Adjustment, and I am well aware that people do judge books by their covers. So I have to get it right. The cover must be superb and perfect. It must exude humor and excitement, without being funny or amateurish.

And while I am working hard to create the perfect book cover for the DTA--and it must be perfect since its job is to entice readers to first pick up and then read the book--the Jupiterians are throwing every possible distraction at me imaginable. Packages, all of a sudden, require signatures. The dog barks, and when I look, no one is around. My computer dies suddenly due to lack of power, even though I had plugged it in a few minutes previously.

But Jupiterians, I will prevail. Give me your worst.

Or, on second thought, you don't really have to. You've distracted me quite enough. I get the point, you are funny, funny, little Jupiterians.

What's that you say? You want me to put one of you, a Jupiterian, on the front cover? But the book is not about...

Oh, I see. You would be satisfied with life size image, one no humans would even notice.

I'll tell you what, Jupiterians. You leave me alone long enough to get this cover done, and I will seriously think about it.

Great! It's a deal!

They sound so cute when they giggle like that--at least they do as long as they aren't giggling because of some joke they played on me.

I wonder if they realize they are invisible to humans?

Labels: book cover, DTA, frivolity, Jupiterians, life, myth or reality, publishing

I'll be at the Seattle Bookfest tomorrow for several hours. Hope to see you there!

http://www.seattlebookfest.com/

Labels: Behold the Eye, Braumaru, Cerulea, events, publishing, Viridia, writing

Success! (Or at least, half success!)

This morning I reached the halfway mark. I am now officially halfway finished with the last rewrites I need to do of the DTA. I was beginning to feel I'd never get here.

So much for finishing them all before the end of summer.

I don't understand what has slowed me down so much, but every time I start work the phone rings, or the dog barks, or my computer won't work, or something else happens to keep me from progressing like I should.

Giggles? Do I hear giggles? Jupiterians, are you here?

What do you mean, you hope I liked your jokes? What jokes?

You were the ones who called me on the phone and hung up as soon as I answered? You made the dog bark? You made my computer suddenly shut down? Why?

I see. They were great jokes. I can tell you really have enjoyed the pranks you've pulled.

What is that? They weren't just pranks, they were for my own good? How so?

Well I appreciate your concern, but I really don't see how getting the manuscript finished sooner rather than later will hurt anything.

You want to make sure I don't publish until next year? Well there is no fear of that now. But why will 2010 be a better year than 2009?

You say it is because of 20 divided by 10. And what exactly does 20 divided by 10 mean to you?

Yes, well, it is 2 for me too.

Laugh away, Jupiterians. Laugh away.

It must be a cultural thing.

Labels: DTA, frivolity, Jupiterians, myth or reality, publishing, writing

The time has come for me to begin at the beginning of the "Department of Temporal Adjustment" and read it all the way through, making changes as I go.

I guess some people take a shortcut and call it 'revising'.

I will paste this morning's work below. If you want to compare, here is the link to the previous version.
**********************
Chapter 1

“Left!” I yelled, unable to keep my voice low. “There’s the sign! This is it, turn right here!”
My husband quickly moved into the lane to turn right, and I realized that he must not have heard my directions clearly. I frantically tried to correct his mistake before we had to waste more time turning around yet again.
“No, no, no! I said left, turn right here!”
“That’s what I’m doing,” Tony said through gritted teeth with what appeared to be ultimate patience, “we are turning right.”
“You’re not listening,” I said in the calmest voice I could manage. “I said to turn left right here.”
“I don’t think you are listening, since that doesn’t make the least bit of sense,” Tony responded in a voice tinged with frustration. “We can’t turn left and right at the same time. Do we need to turn left, or right?” He seemed to be a bit distressed, but I couldn’t figure out what he was getting so upset about. All he had to do was drive the car and follow my directions—nothing complicated about it!
“Left, at this next road coming up…right here!”
“Just point.”
I pointed to the left, and Tony swerved into the left hand lane to make the requested turn.
Finally, we were heading in the right direction. I turned to smile at my husband and realized that in my excitement to get where we needed to go, I had probably handled the whole exchange the wrong way. My poor Tony was the perfect picture of the harassed husband, with his clinched jaw, tense shoulders, and that death grip on the steering wheel.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell,” I admitted sheepishly. He glanced in my direction and I cringed at the expression on his face. He was not a happy camper.
I glanced toward the back of the car to see if my loudness had upset the children who were being suspiciously quiet, and was relieved to find they had all fallen asleep.
“I am just so frustrated,” I continued quietly. “Do you realize we have been driving over half an hour, and we still cannot find that stupid road?”
“We’ll find it, don’t worry,” Tony consoled. “How are we doing on time?”
“We still have another half hour before her appointment,” I admitted, “but that doesn’t take into account that we are supposed to be there 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork. So in reality we really only have 15 minutes to find this place.”
I turned again to look at the sleeping children in the backseat. This wild goose chase of a drive had come about because my oldest daughter, Becca, struggled with chronic asthma. When I had heard that a neighbor’s child had been all but cured by one of the local doctors, I had immediately called to make an appointment for my child.
The receptionist had firmly but calmly informed me that the doctor was no longer taking new patients, and that there was a long list of people who were waiting for an opening. Pride had flown out the window as I had begged and pleaded, and had somehow managed to convince the receptionist to find room for my child.
I knew that it was paramount that my family arrived for the appointment on time. If we blew this chance there was no way any amount of begging and pleading would win a second one. Which was why I had allowed a full hour for a drive that should have only taken about 10 minutes.
Should have. Unfortunately, the directions given to me by the office staff had proven to be confusing, unclear, and just plain wrong. Half the streets I had been told to drive past had never materialized, and it seemed that the streets we were supposed to turn onto were elusive enough that I was beginning to suspect they had either been renamed or they had never existed at all.
I held on tight as my husband quickly made a right turn at my urging. But somehow, nothing looked quite right. We should have been in the middle of a series of medical offices, and this street could only be termed residential. It only took a few minutes of driving to realize that we must have made another wrong turn.
“Darn it! Sorry, I must have misread the sign,” I sighed. “As much as I hate to admit it, I think we might as well give up and go home. We’ll never make it there on time, and there is no way they’ll give us another appointment if we’re late to this one. Why would they give such bad directions?”
Tony made a block through the residential area and pulled back out into the main road. He drove for a couple of minutes, looking all around to get his bearings.
Tony was one of those rare people who had the most amazing sense of direction. No matter where he was he can always find his way. Put him in a city he has never seen, tell him where you want to go, and he’ll somehow miraculously get you there.
If he were a superhero he’d be Map Man, or the Right Direction, or, or…well, he’d be something that instantly identified him as the man with an infallible inner compass who always knew the right way to go.
But every Superman has his Kryptonite, and I’m afraid for my Map Man, it’s me. I must have my own personal magnetic field, because I seem to have an amazing talent for confusing directional issues.
Tony, tired of driving around aimlessly, pulled into a half-empty parking lot and turned off the car.
“Okay,” my husband said more calmly than I deserved, “tell me again the directions they gave you.”
“They said to turn left out of our driveway, and then take another left…”
“Wait, wait wait! The doctor’s office told you to take a left out of our driveway? How did they know that we would need to take a left?”
“Oh, they didn’t. I added that part. I knew we’d need to take a left.”
“So leave out the part you added, and read to me exactly the directions they gave you.”
“Well, to be perfectly honest I didn’t exactly write them down. I mean, you know how people around here say go north until this road, and then go west, or east, or north by south west. It is so confusing. So when I wrote them down I converted them.”
“What does that mean, you converted them?”
“You know, got rid of all that north, south, east, west stuff.”
“You converted north, south, east, and west to right, left, and straight?”
“Yes, it was easy. I just remembered that if you face north, east is to your right, south behind you, and west to your left.”
My husband closed his eyes for a moment and seemed to be muttering to himself. I couldn’t hear exactly what he was saying, but I’m pretty sure I heard something about the ‘lack of common sense’, ‘how can someone so smart be so dumb’, and that ‘it might be true that blondes are airheaded’.
I was beginning to get a bit miffed as he mumbled under away under his breath, but I decided that I should pretend I couldn’t hear him and keep my mouth shut. After all, if Tony put his mind to it he might be able to get us to the appointment on time. I evidently couldn’t. I could only get us more and more lost.
Tony stopped mumbling and pulled himself together. “So,” he asked in a voice he probably thought was kindly but I found patronizing, “what is the address again?”
“It’s on 15th,” I said, looking at my notes.
“Is that 15th Avenue or Street?” I could tell that he was trying his hardest to keep his frustration in check.
“Um, I didn’t write that down. I only wrote down 15th N.”
Tony slammed his hand down on the steering wheel, startling a pedestrian who just happened to be walking by as the horn beeped. Tony smiled and waved an apology to the pedestrian, and then turned to me.
“Sweetie, I think I know our problem. I know why we couldn’t find the streets we’re were supposed to find.”
I hated it when he called me sweetie in that particular tone of voice. It made me feel that he thought I had the brain of a 3 year old.
“How could you possible know why we were having so many problems just by hearing the name of a street?” I challenged. “I mean, we’re on 15th right now!”
“Very true. But we’re not on 15th N. We’re on 15th NE.” His response was smug, as if he knew something that I couldn’t possibly comprehend.
“15th N, 15th NE, what’s the difference. It’s the name of the street, 15th that counts, right?”
“Not quite. 15th NE and 15th N are in different parts of town. 15th N is on the other side of the highway. I’m pretty sure it’s in Greenwood.”
“Greenwood? I just don’t get it. How do you know what part of town by the N, S. E, W thing?”
“NW is West Seattle, S is south of downtown, NE is over here near Northgate...,” Tony looked at my face and sighed. I must have looked as confused as I felt.
“I’ll explain later,” he said patting my leg. I hated it when he treated me like a child. “We have to hurry if we want to get Becca to the appointment on time.”
I decided to let the ‘treating me like a child’ thing go for now. Tony evidently thought he can still get us to the appointment on time. I’d deal with his attitude later. Maybe. After all, I probably was the reason we had gotten lost in the first place.
Tony took a moment to get his surroundings and I could see the exact moment when his internal GPS system kicked in. He must have blocked my magnetic field and gotten his compass working again, because Map Man was alive and well and ready to save the day. Amazing!
“If we go this way....” Map Man began, but I grabbed his arm to stop his words.
I had seen a most unusual sight.
“Tony,” I whispered, “do you see those men? The ones right over there?”
“Why are you whispering,” Tony whispered back, “no one outside the car can hear you.”
“Over there, across the street.” I gripped Tony’s arm tighter. “Those three men who are dressed like old-timey aviators. They are walking like they have steel rods stuck in their back. All three of them. Do you see them?”
“Yeah, I see them. But even though they are strange, I think there’s nothing to worry about. We’re pretty near the U district. It’s probably a fraternity prank, or they have to walk around like that because they are being hazed.”
“I don’t know,” I said as I wondered if I could convey the weird feeling I had about these men to my level-headed husband. “They look somehow beyond U district strange....they look like, well, like they are straight out of an old sci-fi movie.”
“Don’t worry about it. Like I said, they are probably trying to join a frat. We need to get moving, or we’re going to be late.”
And again, the condescending pat on the leg.

Labels: DTA, publishing, writing

I'm happy to say that this morning I finished the Department of Temporal Adjustment (working title)!

It is such a satisfying feeling to complete a book. This book represents 2 years worth of hard work, 2 years of Saturday mornings spent on my computer, and 2 years of fun!

Okay, okay, I'll admit it. The hard work isn't really over yet. I now need to let it "brew" for a few months, and then I need to read it from start to finish. Again. I'm sure I'll make a few changes here and there.

And then the publishing process will begin.

In the meantime, I have two more books fighting to get out of my brain. One is a picture book, and the other is a YA novel.

I wonder if I can work on both at the same time?

My, my, my. Haven't I got a lot of fun times ahead of me!

Labels: DTA, publishing, writing

I've just added myself as an author to the GoodReads site. It looks like a really good place to go to find new things to read.

I'm both excited and nervous about the upcoming bookfair at the Olympia Timberland Library. I know it's silly to be nervous about the little 10 minute talk I'll be doing. After all, I get up in front of people and speak almost every day.

But this is different. This will be a chance to speak from my heart about my books, something I passionately believe in. Which is probably the problem. I've already discovered that I am always nervous when I talk about my own books.

It could be that the more emotionally involved a person is with a topic, the more emotionally charged their speech will be.

Good grief! If I break out in tears I'll be horrified! I can imagine myself up there in front of the audience, blubbering away. Some people will be embarrased for me, and will look anywhere but in my direction. Others will get up and leave. Still others will snicker, glad that they aren't the idiot at the podium. At least one kind soul will bring me a tissue.

Enough of that nonsense! That is not the scenario that will play out! I will not focus on the worst that can happen, I will instead plan for the best. I'll wow them with my description of Braumaru, enthrall them with the concept of dream travel.

And, oh yes, I will somehow remember to breath.

Labels: Behold the Eye, Braumaru, Cerulea, life, publishing, Viridia, writing

1. Buy the books for yourself (apparent, I know, but sometimes it really doesn't hurt to state the obvious. You would not believe the number of people who have asked me for a free copies of the Behold the Eye trilogy, even though I have to pay for the books just like everyone else)

2. Buy the books to give as gifts.

3. If you have ever purchased anything on Amazon.com, you can write a review. So go ahead--write one! (You could start with Braumaru) You don't have to use your real name, the author does not need to know that you are the reviewer. (I wouldn't, I promise!) The more reviews posted, the more popular the books seem, the more popular the books become! (People love to read what is popular, no one wants to feel left out of the know)

4. Make a list on Amazon.com that includes the books, and include other already popular books of a similar nature. You know the old saying, birds of a feather flock together!

5. Talk about the books to friends,acquaintances, and random people you meet on the street. (you might get the right person interested, and suddenly, the books are to be made into a movie. I can see it now, everyone will be talking about my trilogy. The bright lights of Hollywood, the...oh, sorry, I got a little carried away)

6. Teachers often read novels to their class. If the books are appropriate for school, like my Behold the Eye trilogy (5th grade and up), ask a teacher if he/she would read it to his/her class. Or, be still my heart, use it as a classroom novel!

7. Request the books at your library. Most public libraries welcome purchase suggestons, there is usually even a form online. (You do all have library cards, don't you?)

8. Ask bookstores if they carry the author...they probably don't now, but you never know, they might start.

9. If you come across a site that allows comments about books, don't be shy! Use every opportunity to get the word out about the books. There are a lot of people out there who would probably love the books (i.e. Behold the Eye trilogy) if they only knew about them. Spread the word! Spread the word! (You might even post a link to the author's site, which will also help.)

10. Books like the Behold the Eye trilogy are not backed by a big New York publishing budget. As a matter of fact, the small publisher who published the trilogy has an exceeding slim budget, one of those typically called shoestring. Since I want the books to do well, I have to do the marketing work myself. Alas I, like everyone else in the world who works fulltime and has a family, am very busy. So any and all support counts for a lot. If you want to help my books, it would be a very friendly gesture if you just let people know about them. Maybe we can find out if word-of-mouth advertising really works! (I struggled to come up with a really good metaphor about how knowledge of the trilogy could spread, but I somehow kept mixing growing flowers with exploding stars. It didn't work, so I'll just spare everyone and leave it out.)

Labels: Behold the Eye, blogging, Braumaru, Cerulea, family, librarian, life, publishing, Viridia, world, writing

I love to write. To me, it is like going on a long walk in the fresh Spring air, with birds singing, the wind gently blowing, and the glorious sun shining. A walk like that usually leaves me invigorated and refreshed.

I love my family. They are funny, intelligent, wonderful, witty people---every single one of them. I adore spending time with them, chatting, laughing, and exchanging stories. Time spent with my family leaves me feeling loved and safe, like all must be right with the world.

So life must be perfectly grand, right? I mean, here I have too different aspects of my life that I absolutely adore, so if one isn't available, the other must be waiting on the sidelines.

If only it were that simple, but unfortunately family and writing clash horribly. It is my own fault really, because I can only write in a quiet environment with little or no distractions. Probably because the scenes I'm writing play out in my head like a movie.

So when a member of my family enters, the movie abruptly switches off. Ideas scurry away like a mouse from a cat. Thoughts disappear like smoke in a windstorm. My ability to write melts away like ice on a hot skillet.

Well, you get the drift.

Such is the life of a writer with a family, and frankly, I wouldn't give up any part of it!

Oh, by the way:

Viridia is now published! Look how fabulous they all look together on the Amazon page.

Labels: Behold the Eye, family, life, publishing, Viridia, writing

I was so happy yesterday! I ran a report to see which books have been checked out most in the last 30 days in my library, and was totally shocked to see Behold the Eye: Braumaru listed as #1! I ran another report, but this time for most checked out in 1 year. Braumaru was #4. Not bad for a book that has only been published about 8 months!

Then I got home, and waiting for me was a rejection letter from a contest I had entered Braumaru. Not only had I not won, but the reviewer thought that the book was too complicated for kids in Middle School, so they would become frustrated and not finish it.

Listen, I know that not everyone who reads my books are going to like them. This is a fact. I can live with it. I expect it.

But I would much prefer for the reviewer to state that s/he did not like my book rather than say that the middle school/young adult crowd are not smart enough to understand my books. That they would not be able to follow the storyline.

It makes me wonder if the reviewer actually reads fiction written for this age group. Does s/he not understand that books that have been dumbed down are quite often mundane and boring? Is it possible that s/he is not aware that the young mind is perfectly capable of handling and detangling complicated plots? Could it be that s/he does not know that a book that challenges while it entertains is a powerful encouragement to continued reading? Books need to be fun!

I am a mother, a librarian, and a writer.

As a mother, I've watched the reaction my children have had to various stimuli. And after watching, I made a conscious decision to be involved in what they were exposed to. Yes, I will admit it. I made careful selections (aka censoring) of my children's computer use, television viewing, and book choices. But my choices were never to dumb things down, only to keep out the inappropriate.

As a librarian, my job is to choose reading material that will encourage the love of reading and learning. I spend hours every day evaluating books to that end. What age group do I evaluate for you ask? Kindergarten through 12th grade. And to do this I ask a lot of questions of the kids, about what they like in a book, what keeps their interest, what makes them think!

As the writer of the Behold the Eye trilogy my goal was to write a story that I, as an adult, would enjoy reading, and that I could read aloud to my child.

Which is why I know some people will not like my books. The Behold the Eye trilogy has no vulgarity, no vampires, and no scenes that would make a person blush.

They are complex, interesting, and fun!

Labels: Behold the Eye, Braumaru, Cerulea, family, history, librarian, life, publishing, Viridia, world, writing

Viridia now has a front cover!

Did anyone guess that it would be green?

Labels: Behold the Eye, book cover, publishing, Viridia

The following is the press release put out by the publisher.


A moving story of love and friendship

Seattle, WA: Cerulea, the newly released second installment of Veronica Tabares’ Behold the Eye trilogy, takes readers into ever more fantastic depths, daring to lift the veils between reality and illusion.

“Cerulea’s overwhelming message is clear – that hope is never lost,” says Tabares. “As with the first book of this trilogy, Braumaru, Cerulea is fantasy adventure that will appeal to readers of every age.”

Awaking in a strange world, Vickie struggles to understand what has happened to the world she once knew. Confused and lost, she is befriended by three companions who journey with her to the land of Cerulea, to find the secrets to help her return home.

Meanwhile, in the normal world, Vickie's friends slowly piece together the evidence pointing to her vanishing and to the strange characters that may have some hand in her disappearance. But the power-hungry Roland, bent on using Vickie for his own sinister purposes, has other plans. Vickie must race to find her answers before Roland can realize his sinister scheme.

"Though the haze of sleep, dreams and imagination blur the boundaries between worlds, those with the ability to dream travel, armed with the secret knowledge, can move within those worlds," says Tabares. "But they may often get lost – or worse. Cerulea is a chronicle of that amazing journey. "

About Veronica Tabares

Raised in Memphis, Veronica Tabares has traveled across many states and career fields. She has sold artwork to businesses, produced web content for a tech company, performed story time as a children’s librarian, and taught 6th graders how to be safe on the Internet. Tabares has a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Washington. She currently lives in Seattle with her husband and four lovely daughters.

Labels: Behold the Eye, Cerulea, publishing

Labels: Behold the Eye, Cerulea, publishing

How is it that no matter how hard I try to perfect the manuscript, when I get the proof I always find something I need to change?

Is there a gremlin in my computer that makes changes just as I finalize my final draft?

Or maybe I was hypnotized sometime in my past, and I am the one sneaking in little mistakes that need to be corrected.

Oh, wait, now I have it figured out. It is those pesky Jupiterian aliens! They must be really slow readers, and they want to have the book in hand well ahead of anyone else in their bookclub!

Labels: Behold the Eye, Cerulea, publishing

Can you believe it! My proof was lost in the mail!

I wonder if it was delivered to the wrong address, and the recipient has not even looked at the package yet. After all, I'm sure there are many people who only open their mail once a month or so.
-or-
It may have fallen off a conveyor belt in the post office, and it is gathering dust behind all the noisy machines. But since my book is a friendly book, so I'm sure it will be making friends with all the other lost packages that have fallen behind the machinery throughout the years.
-or-
Aliens from Jupiter had read the first book, and just couldn't wait to read the next one!

Naughty aliens!

Labels: Behold the Eye, Cerulea, publishing

I should have known! Today is Sunday, and the proof copy of Cerulea isn't here yet.

Doesn't it seem that the more something is anticipated, the longer it takes to arrive? Like...like...Christmas, or a loved one who has been away, or maybe a vacation. You wait, and wait, and wait and it seems that you have to keep waiting FOREVER.

Things that are dreaded, well, there is no slowing down how fast they come! A test, morning after a long night, and Monday appear magically. Blink your eyes, and there it is!

Labels: Behold the Eye, Cerulea, life, publishing

Five days! That is all I have to wait until I have the Cerulea in my hands!

The proof has been printed and is on the way. The feelings I am experiencing are just like those I had with the "birth" of Braumaru. Anxiety, excitement, fear, joy, etc.

Yes, yes, yes. I know that publishing a book is not the same as giving birth to a baby. I do have 4 children after all! I have experienced the joys and pains of childbirth.

But still, there are some similarities....

Labels: Behold the Eye, Cerulea, publishing

Cerulea only needs a few finishing touches and it will go to the printers.

I am so excited. I can't wait to get the proof in my hands!

Here is a preview of what the front cover will look like.

Labels: Behold the Eye, book cover, Cerulea, publishing

I've been working hard to get Behold the Eye: Cerulea ready for publication. My oldest daughter is doing the illustrations, and I have no idea how far she has gotten.

Which makes me anxious.

She's told me many times that she is working on them, so I guess I'll just have to trust that she'll get them done on time.

On second thought, I bet if I ask nicely, she'll let me see what she has done so far. After all, I do have a vested interest in the illustrations. I can't publish without them.

My plan is to publish late July, early August.

Labels: Behold the Eye, Cerulea, publishing

New Book for Young Adults Traversing the Landscape of Dreams

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Braumaru, a new book for young adults by first-time author Veronica Tabares, takes its readers on an expedition through the magical world of dreams.


"A fortunate few get to experience the rarest dream of all," says Tabares. "This brand of dream has no connection to the imagination and does not occur in the human head. Instead, it happens in a realm of its own - in the baffling, mysterious, and dangerous land of dreams."


Braumaru, the first book in the Behold the Eye trilogy, follows Micah, a young boy who lives in a world very similar to our own. Micah has completed his Rite of Passage, but he awaits true manhood, when his birth gift reveals itself.


Meanwhile, Vickie, a 6th-grader in our world, wants some excitement in her life. In her attempt to write a ghostly bestseller, she begins to truly observe her world and its mysteries. That is how she crosses paths with an unscrupulous janitor who hopes to travel to Micah's world and satisfy his quest for power.


"What happens when someone discovers how to travel through the land of dreams, and the lives of our world become entwined with those of the other dimension" says Tabares. "Read Braumaru to make that timeless, magical journey yourself."


About Veronica Tabares


Raised in Memphis, Veronica Tabares has traveled across many states and career fields. She has sold artwork to businesses, produced web content for a tech company, performed story time as a children's librarian, and taught 6th graders how to be safe on the Internet. Tabares has a Bachelor's in Anthropology and a Master's in Library and Information Science from the University of Washington. She currently lives in Seattle with her husband and four lovely daughters. For more information, please visit Behold the Eye: Braumaru (http://www.veronicatabares.com).

Labels: Behold the Eye, Braumaru, publishing

I just realized that I have not posted an image of the book.

How remiss of me!

I'll remedy that right now.

As I said before, Behold the Eye: Braumaru is available on Amazon.com

Labels: Behold the Eye, book cover, Braumaru, publishing

I have the next week off from work.

You might wonder what plans I have for the extra time. Will I be sipping tea, reflecting on the wonders of our universe and the state of our economy?

Not likely!

I still have books 2 and 3 to prep for publication. There is a lot of hard work ahead of me, but luckily I've never been afraid of hard work.

Wouldn't it be nice, to sit back during this week and just write. Writing is relaxing to me, and such a joy.

But I guess if I really want others to be able to read what I write, I have go the next step. I have to make it presentable!

I will be so happy when I have all three of the trilogy out. I feel like I've made a contract with anyone who reads the first book, a binding promise that I won't take too awfully long to make the second and third available.

VT

Labels: Behold the Eye, publishing

I did a search on Amazon today, and I couldn't believe that I actually found my book! It is available ahead of schedule, which suits me just fine.

You can find it at:

Behold the Eye: Braumaru on Amazon

Take a look!

The book was published by Sun Break Publishing.

Labels: Behold the Eye, Braumaru, publishing

I received my second proof today, and I feel like Goldilocks...it's just right!

It was a joy to press the button that gave my okay. Behold the Eye: Braumaru has now officially gone to press.

The word is that it should be available on Amazon.com as soon as two weeks.

Labels: Behold the Eye, Braumaru, publishing

It's such an odd sensation.

I hit "Publish" for my last post, and immediately the doorbell rang. It was my proof!

It is such a wonderful feeling to hold my own creation in my hands for the first time. In some ways the experience is quite like giving birth.

In both cases, there is wonderment that the time has finally arrived.
There is the joy of finally seeing what had before only been imagined.
And when emotions are finally calmed, there is the realization that in reality, the work was only beginning!

Because just as a child needs nourishment, guidance, and love, so does a book.

If I want my book to grow big and strong, I need to let people know it is out there!

Labels: Behold the Eye, Braumaru, publishing

I received an email telling me that the proof copy of Braumaru is on the way!

I'll have it in my hands any day now, and if all is well, it will soon be available for everyone!

I can't wait to see it in print. I especially can't wait to see if my daughter's illustrations look as good as I think they will.

Labels: Behold the Eye, Braumaru, publishing