Penance of the Byronic Hero - Book Tour and Piveaway

​This is a journey on becoming what you hate, reflecting how you got there, and how to get back from it, if you can. 

Penance of the Byronic Hero
by Paula Macena
Genre: Narrative Poetry

Penance of the Byronic Hero is a narrative poetry collection that highlights emotional trauma in religious upbringings, specifically within marginalized communities, and how it reflects on personal relationships. Separated into four different acts, it recounts heavy topics in their rawest form, including mental illness and domestic violence, and the perspective of one who is toiling through these things and attempting to find a way out.


Penance of the Byronic Hero is full of heartache and beauty. Both the wonders and pains that come with the act of living. -Goodreads review

I was slightly skeptical of this book as I don’t tend to enjoy poetry collections. I find them to be disjointed, overelaborate, and somehow still flat and distant. Paula’s book was none of those things. The writing were clear reflections of a series of experiences and ideas. Acute relatability yet still unique expressions existed on every page. -Goodreads review


Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

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But I’m Still Looking for Answers

You used to go to an old coffee shop downtown,
which I usually ignore,
but this time I went inside
to see what was so good about it--
There had to be a reason why
you loved it so.

I still remember your favorite drink.
Only because you’d come see me everyday
with a steaming hot cup of it in your hand,
saying it tasted like vanilla and chocolate
and every good thing.

Oh, you’d brag about it.
So that's what I order today when I go inside:
to see what was so good about it.
Because there had to be a reason why
you loved it so.

As it turns out,
the old coffee shop wasn't all that great.
It had yellow walls with peeling paint,
and tired people rubbing their eyes,
trying to chase the sleep away.

Sure, it smelled of vanilla,
but it also reeked of the man's cigarette
who always takes the booth in the corner
next to the biggest window.

And as I took a sip of your favorite drink,
I found that
it wasn't that great either.
You always saw things differently than me, and
I don't know why I'm only realizing that now.

There was no particular reason why
you loved this place
or this drink so.

And there was no particular reason why
you loved me
so.
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Paula Macena is, above all, a writer. Aside from being published in Jr High the Magazine, Culturally Arts Collective, and Prometheus Unbound, her most recent poetry collection, Penance of the Byronic Hero was released in June 2023. In her pursuit of shedding light on marginalized writers, she hosts local writers’ events throughout Southern California. When she isn’t writing, you can find her making too much coffee, watching The Vampire Diaries, and staring lovingly at her cats.

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Website * Youtube * Instagram * Goodreads

 Being Brazilian-American in a religious community and growing up moving every few years—New Jersey, to Maryland, to Tennessee, and currently California—has given me a unique perspective, both as a person and as an author. I have a hard time explaining what kind of person I am, but in five words, I think I’d describe myself as ambitious, creative, stubborn, impulsive, and independent. All of these traits come across clearly in my writing, while also portraying the other side of the spectrum in my personality—the part that’s full of anxiety, and thrives on reassurance and words of affirmation. (I blame my Pisces moon!)
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My book is a must-read for anyone who’s on both sides of the same coin. Multi-faceted, who simultaneously crave solitude and the company of others. Those who have been hurt and knocked down, and tend to turn cold, but find it in themselves to try and try again. For lovers of Richard Siken, Ocean Vuong, and coming of age narratives with a redemption arc, this is for you.
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
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June 5
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
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June 6
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June 7
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June 8
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June 9
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June 10
miacaven
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June 11
Haley Cavanagh Books
I'm Into Books
Kenyan Poet

June 12
All Things Dark & Dirty
Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree
Painting With Words

June 13
Webs and Blogs For Writers
J.M. Northrup
Country Mamas With Kids

June 14
Books all things paranormal and romance
C.A.Milson
Literary Gold

June 15
Girl with Pen
Midnight Book Reader

June 16
Insane Books
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June 17
All The Write Stuff
Celticlady's Reviews
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June 18
The Scratching Post
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June 19
Scrupulous Dreams
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