Author Archives: PB Rippey

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About PB Rippey

Writer, mother, wife, 7th gen Californian, and keeper of the mini-zoo.

4:55a.m.

Posted on December 14, 2025 by PB Rippey

Oh hi! About to join my last BSU seminar before Winter Break, during which I’ll be completing a portfolio assignment and a critical essay. So: Shhhhhh (directed at the mini-zoo kneading my lap, nudging my ankles, or counter surfing in … Continue reading →

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On being a Grad Student

Posted on November 17, 2025 by PB Rippey

My grad student life is consuming, especially as I get up very early for some sessions–and sometimes I don’t go to bed at all but power through to the wee morning hours with a midnight coffee and I’m loving it. … Continue reading →

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No Kings

Posted on October 19, 2025 by PB Rippey

I made a sign and hiked to Good Trouble Corner on NO KINGS day in the USA and posted about my protesting on: Threads: @pbrippey1 Instagram: @pbrippey1 Bluesky: @pbrippey1 I cannot believe what is happening in my country. But it’s … Continue reading →

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Yeovil Literary Prize Longlist

Posted on August 22, 2025 by PB Rippey

UPDATE: I did not make the shortlist. Again, so grateful for MONSTER recognition! I’m allowed to announce now that my historical fiction middle-grade novel, THE MONSTER AT ELIZABETH LAKE, longlisted for the 2025 Yeovil Literary Prize. I’ll know in September … Continue reading →

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At Least Dust Them

Posted on August 18, 2025 by PB Rippey

Books on my desk that I squint at regularly as I world-build, revise, calculate financial bits, worry, shed a tear, laugh at something I’ve created (hopefully not unkindly), revise ad nauseum–yet books I never see. Seeing, replacing a few titles. … Continue reading →

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O California! (mini-summer-break edition)

Posted on August 11, 2025 by PB Rippey

I live in a state people visit from around the world. California is vast and geologically diverse end to end: deserts, mountains, marshes, volcanoes, ocean–we have it all. Many of our family vacations are CA vacations–there’s just SO MUCH to … Continue reading →

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More Good (Shh) News

Posted on July 9, 2025 by PB Rippey

August 1st I’ll be able to post good news about my historical fiction novel. In the meantime, I continue to revise my work and: sequester pets in the guestroom as workers repair water damage from a leak spanning 2 floors. … Continue reading →

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Donations for Texas Flooding

Posted on July 7, 2025 by PB Rippey

Do your own research. This is mine, for now: MERCY CHEFShttps://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/where-to-donate-help-central-texas-flood-recovery/ KERR COUNTY FLOOD RELIEF FUNDhttps://cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4201 SALVATION ARMY KERRVILLEhttps://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-to-change-lives-1586 RED CROSS (hope I’m right)https://www.redcross.org/donate/disaster-relief.html/?srsltid=AfmBOooHyXBosa9d9XKEsL2VBfzrIYQm23_ICrIQP4mmZTioDcFmDCCD Children died needlessly. You know that, right? So donate. PB

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Puppy Summer

Posted on June 19, 2025 by PB Rippey

My house still has a hole in the dining room ceiling, the upstairs bathroom has no walls, puppy only mostly uses his potty pads, cats are freaked by puppy and WILL PEE on his leash if it’s left lying around, … Continue reading →

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Threads

Posted on June 18, 2025 by PB Rippey

Threads post is currently 5,000+ likes. 229 supportive comments. 614 reposts. Please go to voteinorout and watch the video if you haven’t seen it already. Or use a search engine. 🙂 Yours in continuing to speak up in America at … Continue reading →

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Baby in the Laundry Basket

Posted on June 5, 2025 by PB Rippey

Ever woken up with a pounding heart because your dream was, once again, that you put a baby to bed in a laundry basket instead of a crib and suddenly you couldn’t find the baby when you went to the … Continue reading →

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Another Mslexia Longlist Placement

Posted on May 20, 2025 by PB Rippey

For my middle grade novel TROUBLE BENEATH THE WAVES, which I entered into the 2025 Mslexia Children’s & YA Novel Competition. I was informed yesterday that I did NOT make the shortlist: 😦 However, I’m thrilled TROUBLE made the longlist. … Continue reading →

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M’s DAY 2025

Posted on May 14, 2025 by PB Rippey

My husband told a joke at the dinner table and I spit out my salad from laughing and looked up trying to swallow and there was an amber stripe on the ceiling from a leak in the teen’s bathroom upstairs … Continue reading →

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Poetry Month

Posted on April 28, 2025 by PB Rippey

“We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry.” — William Butler Yeats I’ve had lots of quarrels with myself these past few weeks, none of them poetic, but enough so that I forgot April … Continue reading →

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Ellen Hopkins (SCBWI Kite Tales Interview Edition)

Posted on April 25, 2025 by PB Rippey

If, like me, you’re a member of SCBWI you’ve probably already read this interview with Ellen Hopkins. If you’re not a member of SCBWI but are a writer or reader or have a book on your shelf or under your … Continue reading →

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April Cruelty (Remembrance of Things Past Edition)

Posted on April 16, 2025 by PB Rippey

Early twenties, fresh out of a British graduate school for acting, back home working as a hostess for a local resort restaurant (but of course), gathering my finances-what-finances as I prepared for a move down the coast to Hollywood—I met … Continue reading →

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Rain=Writing Weather

Posted on March 19, 2025 by PB Rippey

March is: first consistent rains since January’s wildfire evacuation. Terrible for burn zones, desperately needed for upcoming dry seasons. March is: positive writing news I’m not allowed to share, yet. March is: writing schedule–9am to 1pm (also 4am or 7am, … Continue reading →

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Bath Spa University

Posted on February 18, 2025 by PB Rippey

Sept. 2025 I’ll be starting the MAWYP at Bath Spa University: Masters in Writing for Young People (Online International Program). BTW: 1. As you know, Bath Spa University is in Bath, UK, a city renowned for hot springs fashioned into … Continue reading →

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Evacuation Advice (IRL Edition)

Posted on January 29, 2025 by PB Rippey

I’m a 7th generation Californian, born in Pasadena. Because of my experiences with SoCal fires (all of which involved fleeing or watching others flee on TV), I can confidently advise that if you smell smoke, GET OUT. If you smell … Continue reading →

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The Hughes Fire (Evacuation Edition)

Posted on January 25, 2025 by PB Rippey

View from my upstairs windows. This was the beginning of the Hughes Fire and this is why we left. We were in the WARNING evac zone, but a mile up the road was the GO NOW evac zone. What would … Continue reading →

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Return of the Winds (Santa Anas Edition)

Posted on January 21, 2025 by PB Rippey

Januray 1st: We attended the 2025 Rose Parade, front-curb seats thanks to my Pasadena cousins. January 7: Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire and 24/7 fire watch in my ‘hood, Watch Duty the only reason we had minutes of sleep that … Continue reading →

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Los Angeles Fires

Posted on January 15, 2025 by PB Rippey

The same Pasadena cousins we watched the 2025 Rose Parade with evacuated their home a week later because: Eaton fire 1/7/25. Same day, my in-laws evacuated Santa Monica as the Palisades fire raged towards their home. I live in Valencia. … Continue reading →

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Parades Make Me Cry

Posted on January 7, 2025 by PB Rippey

2025 Rose Parade was no exception. Seated front row on folding chairs plunked in the gutter near the corner of Allen and Colorado–the marching bands shook my internal organs, I forced myself not to ugly cry when horses passed, especially … Continue reading →

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Christmas Books

Posted on December 30, 2024 by PB Rippey

‘Orbital’ was on the top of my Christmas list. I’m only a deer’s-trail in as I stop and re-read sentences and whole pages and savor and blink hard and hope the book won’t’ end. I’m grateful Samantha Harvey won the … Continue reading →

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December Decor

Posted on December 9, 2024 by PB Rippey

My stocking is hung with extra special care. Also, still reeling from the Mslexia longlist notification. Yours in hope and creativity and a reminder that if your unicycle, like mine, is still hanging from your garage rafters since 2019, maybe … Continue reading →

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