Tag Archives: kidlit

Yeovil Literary Prize Longlist

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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More Good (Shh) News

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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Welsh Cakes (Delectables Edition)

Placing in the SCBWI Sue Alexander Grant Competition tossed me into a novel-revising fever since my last post, interrupted by actual fever/flu and the teen getting fever/flu during the same week the husband got Covid and was quarantined in our … Continue reading

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Follow Mary Averling

So much focus these days on first pages of mss and I maintain my opinion that it CAN take more than a first page to keep a reader reading and that there’s nothing wrong with that, however, the first page … Continue reading

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MAE RESPICIO’S: ISABEL IN BLOOM

Mae’s new book was recently released. I’m halfway through and highly recommend it. Beautiful, sincere writing offering direct connection/insight into the novel’s young heroine as she navigates a brand new life in San Francisco, CA. Mae was my workshop leader … Continue reading

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‘Rough’ Words = Cat Bedding

Here is Shadow snoozing on draft #10000000000000000000… Yours in almost TGIF, PBInstagram: @pbrippey1

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Conference Time

2nd day, Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshops held not in Big Sur–Hwy 1 such a mess this time of year–but in Monterey, 4.5 hrs from home. I arrived in Monterey with my husband the day before the conference started. Mini-break … Continue reading

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Cannery Row & Pacific Grove

Pre-kidlit conference exploration of Cannery Row and dinner in Pacific Grove. Visiting Pacific Marine Laboratories never gets old as I can never not seem to romanticize Ed Ricketts. Never actually explored neighboring P. Grove before–its views are, to plop a … Continue reading

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Latest Kite Tales

Read the latest edition of Kite Tales (tri-region SCBWI blog) and the interview with April Halprin Wayland via Paige Vinten Taylor. Valuable (IMO) advice/insights packed into one interview–excellent. Yours in keeping creative minds humming, PB

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Just Call Me: Revision

I’ve got a pretty good rhythm going revising: 2 kidlit/eco-fiction novels and 2 women’s fiction novels. I am a morning person now–not sure I’m TRULY a 5:30a.m. morning person? But that alarm seems to work if I want to feel … Continue reading

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MONSTER PLACES 4TH

I went from stepping away (previous post) to receiving 4th place in this year’s SCBWI Sue Alexander Grant competition for my MG novel THE MONSTER AT ELIZABETH LAKE. I am beyond thrilled. Nothing like good news to keep my butt … Continue reading

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May, June Swoon, Hi July

As June comes to a close, my son paused by my computer, touched my shoulder, whispered with dread: Mom–what’s the date today? I told him: Dude, it’s only barely almost July. He was clearly relieved the summer was still before … Continue reading

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Summertime &

School’s out for summer & we’re living on a timetable, this helmet-of-grey-clouds-June crammed with little trips here/there + revising revising revising my work + swimming laps 4-7 days/week+ reading Demon Copperhead. I’LL TAKE IT! Yours in keep-on-writing-in-summertime, PB

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SCBWI/LA TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS

The SCBWI-LA booth was busy on Sunday 4/23! Wonderful for the authors signing books. So many parents and kids visited our booth, it couldn’t have just been the bubble machine attracting everyone–I mean, even meandering teens lingered. Zeena M. Pliska, … Continue reading

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Hearts on the Horizon

Hurtling towards February, my birthday month, I’m still writing every day thanks to Nephele Tempest’s December Writing Challenge AND I almost have my synopsis ready (though–are synopses ever really ready?) for my women’s fiction novel AND the synopses for my … Continue reading

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December Writing Challenge Results

December ’22 was a zephyr on steroids, for me. For you, too? And yet–Christmas Day passed in slow motion: walks, long phonecalls with out of town family, cooking-while-socializing (sans panic), everyone snoozing by 10pm (except for the gaming teenager). So–Nephele … Continue reading

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O Loglines!

To be 100% honest, I hate writing them. I tell myself: fantastic writing exercise! Or: you’ve just written 5 potential maybe-winners! Or: it’s midnight WTH. And: time to pay somebody. Query letter, synopsis, logline are sometimes the ONLY bits in … Continue reading

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Night Writing Paradise

If I was to write solely by night, every night I would want to do it here: Which is also here: Here: And especially here: Sadly, this installation is temporary. I did let them know I’d be happy to take … Continue reading

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JANUARY 1, 2023

HAPPY WRITING NEW YEAR! PB

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The Flexible Writing Schedule

I love when authors I admire share writing schedules/non-schedules. Most seem to have a set routine–which I marvel at as I tend to ricochet around the hours–or the hours ricochet around me when I’m at my computer. I’m most focused … Continue reading

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Merry Christmas!

Hope that on the 25th you were warm, dry (even if in an airport), or getting sunburned, but most of all SAFE. Yours in love, PB

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Solstice Check-in

December 21st and I’ve written or revised novels every day this month except for 1, when I was in the throes of that chest cold going around. Still feeling the chest cold. Writing anyway, keeping to agent Nephele Tempest’s December … Continue reading

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O Holy Decor!

World’s tiniest Santa Claus tries to break into our house! Every night! Through January!

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SCBWI-LA and CenCal Writers Day ’22

So happy to finally attend in person again. Looking forward to seeing one of my favorite kidlit authors, librarian and conference host, Sally Rogan. Full day of mass-info-absorption in an inspiring environment. See you there. #WritersDay2022

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O Summer! (Goals Edition)

School’s out for summer! My giant goal–apart from making every Tuesday an outings-day for the teen, i.e. museums, Olvera St., 3rd Street Promenade, Zuma, downtown library, Vasquez Rocks, that room where you can go and break crockery for an hour, … Continue reading

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