Vera Brook

Writer

Sand Runner

SAND RUNNER is a contender in the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC)!

I’m thrilled to report that SAND RUNNER, my near-future science fiction novel, is a contender in the inaugural 2021 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC). What an honor! And very, very exciting.

Image credit: Hugh Howey’s blog (https://hughhowey.com/the-spsfc-begins/).

Huge thanks to Hugh Howey and Duncan Swan for organizing, and to all the book bloggers and reviewers for reading & judging the entries!

And best of luck to all my fellow indie science fiction writers! I look forward to reading your books in the future.

SAND RUNNER by Vera Brook as ebook and paperback

Update:

Sadly, SAND RUNNER did not make it to the next round of the competition. But the reviewers’ verdict was that “Fans of YA are likely to get a kick out of it.” I can live with that! 🙂

Thank you to all the SPSFC reviewers for their time and effort reviewing the submissions, and congrats & best wishes to all my fellow indie writers, no matter what the outcome. And maybe the future iterations of the SPSFC could have a separate YA category? That would be great.

Vera’s writing update

Dear Readers,

Thanks so much to those of you who emailed me asking about the Sand Runner series. (I mean it! There’s no better motivation for a writer to finish a book than a reader waiting to read it. So feel free to bug me any time. I love it.)

So… to answer the question.

Yes! I am absolutely writing the next book in the Sand Runner series. In fact, it’ll be at least two more books, because there is too much story to fit into one and I’ve grown attached to some characters and want to bring them back.

It’s taking so long mostly because of Life (moving, moving again, changing jobs, etc.). But another reason is my own creative brain. It’s been spinning new story ideas like crazy lately, anything from short stories to whole series, and I always cave in and drop everything to write them down and sometimes get sucked in for days or weeks. I also took several long dives into the writing craft (raise your hand if you’re a nerd like me and love learning).

On the bright side, once I catch up, I hope to have several new books out relatively soon, and also to get better at staying in touch with my readers. (My dream is to start going to book festivals and such, to meet readers face to face. But I need more books out to make that work. Fingers crossed.)

So thanks again for your messages and your questions. And please stay tuned for book 3 in the Sand Runner series and much more to come!

Vera

Vera on writing the Sand Runner series

Here are three interviews with Vera, in which she talks about writing and publishing the Sand Runner series, and the literary, scientific, and technological inspiration behind it.

Buttonholed Book Reviews (2017)

The science and technology behind prosthetic limbs is fascinating, and advancing so fast that reality is starting to look like science fiction. But to me, the human side of the story is even more interesting. If we have technologies like bionic limbs, how would we use them and misuse them? And how would they change the way we live our lives?”

Liz Loves Books (2017)

In terms of what the readers can expect? High stakes, a fast-paced plot, and lots of suspense. SAND RUNNER was inspired by science and technology—specifically 3D printing and bionics. But that’s just the background. The story is really about a group of characters who have to learn to trust and rely on one other in life-or-death situations, even though they don’t always see eye to eye. And Kai is at the center of this. The story is about him finding out what he’s made of. And also what he wants in life, what he values, and how far he’s willing to go to fight for his dreams.”

Painting with Words (2018)

Writing is an amazing activity. You start with nothing but a blank page and your imagination & life experience, and you can create whole new worlds. I love that creative freedom, and the feeling that there are no limits to what I can imagine and write about.
 
I also love the surprises that come in the process of writing fiction. For me, writing is half careful, deliberate construction, and half a discovery process. The initial idea for a story or a novel can come from anywhere, and that’s always a thrill. (My advice: Write all the story ideas down. You may think you will remember them, but you won’t.) But after the initial idea, it can take me a good while to figure out the logic of the story and to fill in the details, and the final draft can be completely different from that original spark of inspiration.”