Novels by G. Donald Cribbs

3 of 25 Books Read & Reviewed in 2012: BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver

2012-01-24T07:32:00.000-08:00

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is so expertly crafted, spiraled and woven together like a glittering tapestry of words. It was truly an unputdownable read, one I will cherish and think back on for a LONG time. The concept is brilliant, but I can't tell you why, it would ruin it. Just read it. Just trust. I can't believe I waited to read this until after reading DELIRIUM.

The MC, Sam(antha) is popular, snarky, and a follower of the worst kind of stuck up girls in school. Through a twist of fate, she's forced to relive the same day for seven straight days, each day a new layer of onion skin peeled back and revealing how changes and perspectives missed can lead you to see what you've been missing all along, even things that have been right in front of your nose. I appreciate how the MC realizes the rut she's in and desires to be a better person. It took a few days (of the seven) to really get pulled into the story, but once I was in, I was in all the way.

So, so, so, very amazing. I feel like I've launched up, up, up from the pages and taken flight. Thank you, Lauren, for making me soar.

View all my reviews

2 of 25 Books Read & Reviewed in 2012: PERFECT by Natasha Friend

2012-01-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Perfect by Natasha Friend

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this was a great quick read, and likely a beginning YA book. I'd place it along the edge of MG/YA (Mid Grade/Young Adult). It's at the top of MG, and at the beginning of YA. The issues dealt with are solid and real, ones I found particularly compelling to want to keep reading to find out what happens.

The story centers around Isabelle Lee and her unlikely BFF, Ashley Barnum, the perfect popular girl at school. When both girls end up in a group for girls with particular disorders, Isabelle can't believe little miss perfect is in the same group.

As the story unravels, it becomes clearer how much both girls have in common and how a friendship sparked in group can help both girls find their way on the pathway to healing and wholeness again. Each girl has unique family issues that warrant their acting out, and I found the writing tight and well focused.

It was an enjoyable read for me, and I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this for a 7th or 8th grade class. I'd like to read more books by Natasha Friend, too.

View all my reviews

New Year's Resolution: Read 25 Books in 2012!

2012-01-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

In order to be a writer, let alone a better writer, you have got to read books. Period. It's like breathing. It stirs creative floodwaters, and urges the tsunami of a new book idea into existence.

Without it, desert. Tumbleweeds. Pocket lint. Stagnation.

So, for this year, I am increasing the number of books I read last year and will continue to do so until I am reading to a much more respectable level (52 books a year!). Baby steps.

So far, 2012 has started out great! I read an amazing book I got for Christmas, and devoured it hungrily. I'm finishing a book tonight (50 pp to go!) and reading another eBook, at the same time. I'll post a separate blog review here.

Man, am I hungry! Give me pages with words on them! NomNomNomNom.

If you'd like to take this challenge and join me, go here and sign up. Select your goal for the year and start reading. Feel free to check in here for great suggestions along the way. I'll review the books as I read them. Who knows? Maybe we have similar taste in books. Check out my TBR pile for suggestions.

If you read a book I've reviewed, I'd love to see your thoughts in the comments section of my blog post. And, as I get word of giveaways, and such, I'll post those, such as the great one on the side bar right now.

We've got a lot of reading to do, so let's get to it! I'm sure I'll be a better writer for it, so this is a resolution I am 100% on board with. Will you join me? I hope so! Share your thoughts below.

Happy reading!

1 of 25 Books Read & Reviewed in 2012: SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

2012-01-07T05:48:00.001-08:00

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What an amazing way to start off 2012! This book surpassed every expectation I had. I was completely and utterly shattered by everything about this book. I cannot recommend this book higher, because, unfortunately, my superpower is not in raising the maximum number of stars to at least one million. Best. Book. Ever.

Truly.

I am not just gushing here. Okay, I am gushing a little, but just a miniscule amount compared to the amaZING awesomeness that is SHATTER ME. Stop reading this review and RUN to the nearest bookstore and buy it. You won't regret it. This book is among my favorite Christmas gifts. And, believe me, I received autographed books. An autographed copy of this book (or an autographed bookplate to stick in my copy) would put it even higher on my list!

Now onto the description.

It is a bleak future, devoid of life as we know it. Plants and animals have died out. The environment is irrevocably damaged. It is our fault. We let this happen.

Even worse, this inextricable change has caused Juliette to have a terrible power. Her touch is lethal. Her parents don't want to deal with her, and when the truth of her powers becomes all too clear, Juliette is locked up in an asylum for a death she never intended to happen.

She counts the days minutes hours seconds and writes about it in her journal.

But when she's faced with a cellmate, things become even worse. Her cellmate is a boy. A boy she knows from her past. And she's not sure if he's there to help her or hurt her.

I would love to give you more, but you won't need it. Honestly, I was completely captivated by the end of chapter one. The ratio of questions to answers moves progressively forward, but elusively never enough.

The author expertly drives the story forward on the razor sharp edge of a knife. With it, she (gently) twists the blade in the reader's side and keeps twisting this way and that all the way through the book to the amaZING ending that is as mindblowing as the end of CATCHING FIRE from the HUNGER GAMES trilogy. I am not even kidding. The tension is palpable and kept me turning pages as fast as my fingers could find them as fast as my eyes my eyes my eyes scrambled down the pages devouring gorging reading every word and every lined out word I could find.

Juliette becomes torn between a boy she loves and a boy who thinks he loves her, in his own warped and twisted way. Namely, if love were equal to power. Without giving anything away, Juliette must decide whether to become a weapon of the evil dystopian government, or whether to risk everything for love and take matters into her own deadly hands.

I guarantee you won't be able to put this book down once you start. My wife and I even raced through the book to the end it was so good. I won, of course, but you can have your own wrestling match and get this book. Just don't tell your spouse you have it, or she'll try to steal it from you before you're done.

Oh, and this book has already been optioned for a movie. And, books 2 and 3 are on their way. Join the ranks of those who are gushing about this book, and salivating for book 2. You'll love me for it. You'll hate me for it. I'm okay with that.

Trust me.

View all my reviews

The Packing House Excerpt (Ending of Chapter 1)

2011-12-31T07:53:00.000-08:00

Since many readers have had trouble gaining access to the first full chapter of THE PACKING HOUSE, I am posting a portion of Chapter 1 below. If you'd like to read the beginning of the chapter first, click here, or email me at g.donaldcribbs@yahoo.com to request a copy.

After you read this excerpt, I'd love to hear your feedback. Would you like to read more? Do you wonder what happens next? Feel free to post a comment below. Enjoy!

By the time I collapse on my mattress later that night, I’m so tired I must conk out before I realize. I step down a set of stone stairs vaguely familiar to me, déjà vu at first a cold tingle then a shudder that seeps down my spine as it dissipates. Firelight dapples shadowed walls near the bottom. Cold air gusts past me, chills me until my teeth rattle and almost blows out the torches. The room opens to the right, but I can’t see around the corner.

As I step into the flickering light, I’m knocked on my face from behind so fast I only have time to put my hands out in front of me to break the fall. I gasp for breath. Sharp pain bursts along my ribs. My knees slam into the stones. Pain shoots down my legs and my side. The creature’s weight might as well grind me into powder on the cold stones beneath.

When I try to open my eyes, all I make out are white squiggles. I shake my head to break up the dizziness, when a massive creature breathes right behind me. It’s so close I can smell its rancid, sweat-rot stench. I may hurl. The heat from its breath raises hairs on my neck. Something drips on my back. A growl rumbles long and low.

I get a twinge in my spine from its grip, sharp stings that shoot up my back and emanate out to my shoulder blades. Whatever is behind me is huge. Its hulking mass presses me down into the ground. I sure as hell don’t dare move.

“C’mere, Joel!” the deep voice snarls near my ear.

Then I wake up.

Sometimes I wake screaming. My mother has found me a few times that way. About as comforting as getting caught jerking off under my blankets.

When that happens I roll toward the wall and mumble something about a bad dream. I’ll be fine. Go back to bed. Please, please, please don’t ask any more. I’ll never live this down if my mother holds my hand and chases away some boogeyman. I’ve got to man-up and figure this out on my own. Better that way in the long run, than to be labeled a loser. I’d be mortified with a ‘sissy’ sign blinking neon-pink above my head. At least Jonathan’s still asleep.

Count backwards from ten. Breathe. Count again. Slow it down, make it deliberate. I scrunch my eyes shut and will myself back to sleep. There’s at least four or five hours until it’s time to get up for school. I might have a test today. Better not think too much, just sleep.

Next thing I know, it’s light in the room, the roof of my mouth is sandpapery, I’ve got some rank morning breath going on, and if I don’t get to the bathroom right now, I am going to have a waterbed for sure.

As I find relief, I start to wonder about this latest nightmare. While I’m here, I strip down to grab a quick shower. The biggest problem I have making sense of the nightmares is I can’t seem to remember big gaps of my childhood, so I have no references I can use to track down the source. No time to dwell on it, the bus’ll be here any minute. I get dressed and head downstairs.

Breakfast is grab-what-you-can-and-get-out-to-the-bus-stop, so I snatch an apple, some Pop-Tarts, my backpack and head for the street corner. My mother is at work and Jonathan went in on the early bus for swim team, so I snarf breakfast, then freeze, my mouth crammed full of the last bits of apple, when my hand finds yet another can in my backpack. How did a second one of the forbidden Mϕnsters get in my bag? Jonathan.

The others come out for the bus as it pulls up. I’m the new guy, so, technically, it’s Redhead-Dude-With-Braces-And-Acne’s stop. I’m not good with names. We move too much for it to matter long. The girl is heavyset, plain, with nice hair. I like how it smells if I sit behind her on the bus.

The bus pulls into the drop off circle by the Broad Run High School, Home of the Panthers sign. Cheerleaders brush past in uniform and the football team’s sporting jersey hard-ons, as we all press toward the door. The football team’s all right, from what I hear, but I have yet to go to a game.

School’s a bust. I doze through most of my classes, but at least I overheard on the bus the history test has been moved to next week. If I knew where God was, I’d offer to kiss Him right on the mouth. Now I just have to make it through English class (easy for me), study hall, and I’m outta here.

We’re reading this book (I forget what it’s called), where Guy Montag is an anti-fireman who burns books for a living. I’m a reader, so this is a kind of nightmare I have had before. It makes me want to grab him by his jacket and ask him what the hell he’s doing that for? Like if I could talk to Montag, I’d catch him on an evening walk, the way Clarisse did. Maybe he’d lay off the bonfires and help me sort through all the bizarre ideas I have.

It seems like I’ve had crazy thoughts for a lot longer than the present, though, especially when it comes to Amber. I get so muddled when I think of her. There’s a fire in the pit of my stomach like I swallowed a live coal. This fire threatens to consume me.

Maybe Montag and I aren’t as different from each other as I first thought. Anyway, it’s this futuristic, kinda cool novel, and I am reading it. Beatty hunts him down when they catch Montag hoarding books secretly in his air vent. I knew he was a reader like me. His own wife turns him in.

My teacher makes us write our own story on the salamander. Not sure what the salamander on Montag’s arm has to do with anything. Is it a tattoo, or just a logo on his uniform? I consider a story or a poem. According to legend they’re not lizards, which are reptiles; rather salamanders are amphibians and have an affinity for fire. Reminds me of an Escher tessellation we studied in art class. Patterns that transform from one thing to another. I’d better go for extra credit if I can and draw a picture, too.

My grades are nothing but toilet water they’re so flushed.

This futuristic world we read about is as scary as my G.P.A. Up until now, I’ve held tight at honor roll. But, just like that time in the closet with Amber, it was a test I knew I would fail. Now, I can’t shake these nightmares. Neither could Montag. I would hate to live in a time where all books were banned. This book was, too. My English teacher said as much.

At the bell, I head to study hall, my last class. There’s a substitute today. Cell phones come out. Someone has their iPod up way too high. I can hear it across the room. No one could pay me enough to be a sub. Has to be right up there with garbage collector and sewage treatment plant worker. I prop a book between myself and my backpack then close my eyes, which have slammed shut all day.

The next thing I know, the substitute is standing over me, his hand on my shoulder, shaking me awake. Someone sniggers nearby.

“Wake up, young man. There’s no sleeping in study hall.”

I look up and try to get my eyes to adjust and stay open, blink a few times and look around wildly. What an idiot. I even forgot where I was for a moment. My ears and neck join the party that must dance across my face and cheeks. The heat from it burns across my skin.

“All right, I’m up.”

Giggles and whispers erupt all around me as I sit up and rub my eyes. Someone guffaws. My desk is askew. Odd…

A female voice remarks, “If I were him, I’d be totally embarrassed!”

“What’s your name?” the substitute asks quietly.

“Joel Scrivener, sir.”

The substitute leans down. “Joel? You might want to speak with a counselor about those dreams. You kept saying, ‘get off me, stop touching me, get off me!’ over and over.”

The only thing worse than getting caught asleep in study hall, is getting caught asleep and crying out from a bad dream in study hall.

More laughter, but this time it crackles nearby. A recording, presumably of myself, replays the sound of me jerking around in my chair, the desk legs scraping against the floor, then “Get OFF me!” and “stop TOUCHING meeee!”

The bell rings.

Down the hallway, students gather oddly in clumps. A cacophony of whispers, a chorus of cackles, and my voice playing over and over like my life jammed on repeat. My own brother laughs before he sees me. He’s with his swim team posse.

“Izzat rilly yer bro, man?” asks a blonde haired skater punk friend of Jonathan, pointing at his cellphone.

“You still owe me a fiver for the Mϕnster bet,” Jonathan says, slapping the back of his hand on Sk8terdude’s chest. So he bet off me, did he? Jonathan looks up and sees me staring right at him.

It doesn’t matter.

Now I’ve committed social life suicide. My life is officially over. I wonder how long it will take until everyone hears, and probably sees, a cell phone clip of my nightmare.

Only, this is one I can’t wake up from.

Giveaway #4: And the Winner is...

2011-12-30T19:16:00.000-08:00

As the year comes to a close, so too, the giveaways are wrapping up for this round. I will continue to connect with fellow writers, and as future giveaways and book tours pass by, I'll let you know of other giveaways you can join in on my blog. In the meantime, I hope you are all reflecting back on what went well with this year, and what needs improvement in the new year. If you haven't decided on a resolution, you've still got a day to come up with something, and start the new year off with a bang!

2012 is not only a leap year, but the year of the dragon in Chinese tradition. I hope you have a wonderful and prosperous New Year, and I'll see you back here when we'll have to concentrate a bit to stop writing 2011, and start writing 2012 on everything.

There are a huge stack of great books coming out, my TBR pile is massive, and I'm writing and editing like a maniac. So, let's get ready to rock 2012. Are you with me?

Oh, yeah, and the winner of the giveaway, an autographed copy of SUMMER ON FIRE by Kevin Craig was Amber Rose of Oregon. I used random.org to choose the winner. Here is her comment below:

[Vampyre Princess] said...

I want to enter! :) Awesome giveaway!

~Amber~

Congratulations, Amber! I'm so glad you participated and won. Thank you to all of the participants. I look forward to many more giveaways in 2012. Until then, stay safe, healthy, and fortify yourselves by reading lots of books, and writing them if you dare.

I know I will! If you'd like to share your New Year's Resolution, please feel free to post them in the comments.

A Dozen Best YA Books of 2011 & My New Year's Resolution

2011-12-26T11:48:00.000-08:00

This final week of 2011 is devoted to reflecting back on the year I wrote my first novel, revised it 7 full times (cover to cover--currently on ch 21/45 of the 8th full revision), and began writing a new sci-fi dystopian book with series potential.

I have also started and maintained social networking to begin the base of a writer's platform for myself as I strive to make 2012 the year I achieve agent representation, my first published book contract, and hopefully a career as a person fiercely devoted to the craft of writing.

As I have tinkered with this and my New Year's resolution, I came up with a list of a dozen YA books I've read this year that were my top choices. This is not a scientific list.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
The Mockingbirds and The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Boy Toy by Barry Lyga
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl/Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Hunted and Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
Summer on Fire by Kevin Craig
Destined by Jessie Harrell
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras by Scott Westerfeld
Crank by Ellen Hopkins

I have not placed numbers on this list on purpose. These are roughly ranked but not exactly. I liked many of these books equally next to other books in this list. They are seperated by the author who wrote them. They are are marvelous books you should read. I know I am better for having read them.

As for my New Year's resolution, this is what I have come up with:

To be a better writer today than I was yesterday. To write and read something every day until my book arrives!

This means that 2012 will be devoted to the following things to achieve this resolution. Since 2012 is a leap year, I've got 366 days to make this goal a reality. And, in fact, it's what I wanted for Christmas, too! I got 2 writing books to help with this:

Outlining Your Novel by K.M. Weiland

The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman

Here's a list of things I intend to do to attain my goals and resolutions as a writer. I am determined to be a lifelong learner, to educate myself daily in the writer's craft and to strive to reach higher with every day:

Organize my schedule to ensure that I am reading, writing, and revising on a regular basis.
Scheduling at least 2 Writer Workshops to improve my writing. Attend the workshop and pour myself into each part to get the most out of the workshop.
Complete a deconstruct of my first novel and use it to learn what a book is missing after having completed 8 cover to cover revisions on my own. Use this knowledge to help me as I write my current WIP.
Complete my current WIP with tighter, more purposeful revisions to get it query ready before my summer birthday.
Set apart writing time for blogging, twittering, Facebooking for the purpose of growing my audience and writer platform (not to just kill time in front of the computer).
Support fellow writers, get to know them better, cheer them on for writing achievements, publications, and with contests and giveaways.
Conclude that at the end of 2012, I am recognizably, measurably a better writer than the writer I am right now.
Never give up my dream of finding the very best agent to represent me and my books, and never give up on writing the very best book I can write, and finding a publisher who believes in my books more than I do.
Meet my readers and offer them a reachable writer who responds to every inquiry. Remain thankful for the privilege of sharing my books with readers.

What would you add to this list or take away from this list if you used it as a starting point for your own goals in 2012? Please post your thoughts in the comments below.

Finish well. Make every day count. As you lay your head on your pillow each night, only do so if you've accomplished something toward your goals. Sleep well, and do it again the next day!

Write on! Rock on! Let's Do This!

Giveaway #3: And the Winner is...

2011-12-23T10:19:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! The holidays are in full swing, decorations are out, cookies are being consumed way too quickly (confession time) and we're all in a shopping/wrapping frenzy in preparation. During all the craziness, try to slow down, spend time peacefully looking at the lights, listening to music, and remembering what it's really all about.

Love. Peace. Joy.

Keep that focus and try not to let every jerk driver who cuts you off and blares their horn, or annoying slow shopper in front of you while you're dragging your boys to go shop for mommy in all the chaos with a 20 minute window to make it through the store get you to lose that focus.

It's not about that stuff. It's about a precious gift and one that's eternal. It's about love. The most important thing of all. So, thank you for sharing the holidays with me. Thank you for participating in my giveaways, reviews of great YA books out there, and even about my own writing and projects in the works. I appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you. Sincerely. Thank you!

I know I've stalled long enough, so let's get to the important part, the reason you came by: Who won the autographed ARC of DESTINED by Jessie Harrell? I used Random.org to select a winner, knowing that Jessie herself posted among the comments. I figured, I'd let the numbers stand as they are, and if I drew #2, I would draw again. Thank you VERY much to Jessie Harrell for being such a giver to her readers. She said she was excited to get another book in the hands of her readers. So, here is the winner:

Victoria said...

Just added it to my goodreads! I hope I win! ;)

Congratulations, Victoria. Please get me your address and Jessie herself will send you an autographed ARC, one of the last in existence! Enjoy it. I know I loved the story, and I hope Jessie will find inspiration to write another amazing book for us in 2012. (Hint, hint, Jessie! That was a throwdown, FYI!)

I know I've got to finish my lastest revision on my WIP and hammer out my new book/series. And, I've got a short story to finish as well, so I will be plenty busy myself in 2012. What do you all have planned? Feel free to share in the comments below! Let's do it together!

I hope you'll take a moment and look around the blog for interviews, excerpts, and other giveaways. I currently have one more giveaway running. So, if you weren't selected, maybe you can enter my last giveaway of the year and warm up your Winter Solstice...

Until the new year, Have a blessed holiday, Christmas, Hannukkah, and a wonderful and glorious New Year full of amazing possibilities and dreams!

Giveaway #4: Winter Solstice Summer On Fire!

2011-12-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

It's the first day of Winter Solstice! Only 88 days left until spring. Can you feel those buds shimmering inside their branches, humming in anticipation of spring? Well, if not, it'll come soon enough. Seasons change. Time moves irrevocably forward, and waits for no man or woman...

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Right now, I've got one giveaway ending at 9 p.m. EST for Jessie Harrell's amaZING debut, DESTINED, a YA fresh take on the Eros and Psyche Greek love story. If you haven't posted a comment to be entered, click here now!

And, starting today and running through next Thursday at 9 p.m. EST, Kevin Craig offers us his debut novel, a NaNoWriMo success story you will LOVE called, SUMMER ON FIRE. See how I did that with my blog title? Nice tie-in! It was all staged. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. These aren't the droids you're looking for...

Where was I?

Oh, right! Kevin has kindly offered to giveaway one autographed copy of this Stand By Me -esque story of three friends and all the trouble surrounding a barn fire that tests the bonds of friendship, loyalty, and the secrets found in small towns. You'll love how the story unravels as Kevin expertly weaves the story together and peels it back layer by layer. His characters are gripping and tenacious. You will fall in love with this story. It's so full of honest and vulnerable storytelling. If you want to see my 5/5 star review, click here.

Giveaway #4:
Summer on Fire by Kevin Craig (Begins Thursday, December 22nd)
Ends Thursday, December 29 at 9 p.m. EST
Winner Announced Friday, December 30th on the blog.

HOW CAN I ENTER? Post a comment at the bottom of this thread to be entered to win!

To learn more about Kevin and the various projects he's working on, including his second book currently in the process of publication, visit his blog here and his website here. If you don't already follow Kevin on Twitter, you can do so here. And, if you're on Goodreads, find Kevin here.

With such a scorching hot giveaway as SUMMER ON FIRE, you'll soon feel those buds stirring to burst forth from their branches, even in the cold of winter. Even at the beginning of Winter Solstice!

Stay warm! Eat a few cookies! Happy Hannukkah! Merry Christmas! Peace and Joy to you all this season and in the New Year!

Giveaway #2: HUNTED by Cheryl Rainfield, And the Winner is...

2011-12-21T04:55:00.000-08:00

We are on the cusp of Winter Solstice, where my third giveaway ends, one you won't want to miss. If you haven't already added a comment, make sure you do before you leave here. Also, yesterday was the beginning of Hannukkah, so I want to wish all of my Jewish friends HAPPY HANNUKKAH! I love this time of year with the festival of lights and Christmas lights--everything is illuminated!

And let's not forget about the cookies! My wife and I and our four boys made dozens and dozens of cookies. We have many family traditions, especially at this time of year. We also decorated gingerbread houses together. When I was young, I didn't have all of these traditions, but now that I have a family of my own, I'm blessed to share these things and begin my own traditions with my loved ones. I hope all of you have such traditions, and if not, now's as good a time as any to begin something new!

I know, I know, you all aren't here to listen to me wax nostalgic about holiday lights and traditions. You want to know who won the autographed copy of HUNTED by Cheryl Rainfield. I used Random.org to select my winner and the winner is:

VanillaOrchids said...

I have not had the chance to read any dystopian style books but I've been seeing a lot about them online. And, of course, I'd love to read some. So thank you for this opportunity!

Pam, please check your email and send me your mailing address, and I will get that out to you as soon as I receive it from Cheryl. I have also let Cheryl know, and she may opt to send it to you directly. For those of you on twitter, you may have followed Cheryl's amazing giveaway party throughout the day where she gave away amazing prizes to those posting the hashtag: #HUNTED. If you missed out, there's still more partying going on at Cheryl's blog, including:

If you missed my Twitter #HUNTED contest yesterday, you can still enter on my blog to win signed books, a Kindle, and more http://ow.ly/86jmS! So, make sure you head over and sign up to win any of these exciting prizes. I have said it before, but Cheryl is an author who pours herself into the pages of every book she writes, and she is SO giving to her readers! If you haven't read my interview with her yet, check it out here. She really knows how to celebrate the launch of a book, and I admire her so much for her example. Party on, Cheryl! Celebrate the beauty of taking what was ashes and polishing it until it shines and twinkles in the holiday lights! It's a celebration full of meaning and one well worth the effort and the payoff. It's why every page of your writing glitters with its own internal light.

Tomorrow another giveaway ends, but a new one begins! Check back here for more news! And, if you haven't read the excerpt from Chapter 1 of my book, THE PACKING HOUSE, check it out here and post a comment. Authors love to hear feedback! It's what every writer wants for Christmas.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukkah, and wishing you all an amaZING New Year!

My interview with YA Author Cheryl Rainfield

2011-12-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all my blog readers. I hope you're knee deep in holiday cookies, decorating and final touches on gift shopping for your loved ones. I know I am! I'm also loving all of these giveaways I've been so blessed and honored to host on my blog from such amazingly talented writers as Barry Lyga, Cheryl Rainfield, Jessie Harrell and coming up, another surprise this Thursday!

It's also WINTER SOLTICE, so get ready, the first offical day of winter arrives this week.

As promised, I have received answers for my Interview with Cheryl Rainfield, author of HUNTED, SCARS and other books. Cheryl provided amazingly intimate and thorough answers to my questions, and I think we're all in for a treat, so let's get to the interview.

What does a typical writing day look like for you?

Hm. It depends where I am in a book (and can also depend on how I'm doing emotionally). If I'm really into a draft (writing or editing it), I may start writing in the morning, after I take my dog out and have breakfast. But often, I'll find myself answering emails and doing some book promotion in the mornings, and then get writing or editing done later on. I've found that the amount of time I have to spend on book promotion is much, much more than I ever thought it'd be before I got published; it takes up as much or more time than my writing. But right now it feels important to me--I want my books to keep reaching people.

Since I work at home and for myself, I tend to work all day and into the evening--something I've got to try to change a bit, because I can wear myself out and then need a real break. Though I've always worked like that....

Do you have a daily word count goal? If so, how many words per day?

I don't work like that. I know many writers do. If I have any goal in my head, I may think 10-20 pages of writing or editing. But my focus, when I'm writing, is on letting the words flow, staying connected to my inner voice and to the characters and story. I have days where I don't write. I even take weeks off, or longer--it's just how I've always worked, and for me the time off helps me recharge (or sometimes it's just because abuse memories or the effects of the abuse are overwhelming me)--and then I'll dive back in and write like crazy. It's how I work best, personally. I think it's important for each of us as writers to find the way that works best for us.

How do you edit a WIP (Work In Progress)? Do you revise cover to cover? Do you target specific things? (adverbs, passive voice, dialogue, etc.)

I do multiple edits. Initially, it's more of a general edit--trying to make sure that the story is working, flowing, and looking for all the places where I need to pull threads through more consistently in the novel, need to fix areas, address issues mentioned in various places in the book, etc. Then I'll often do passes for separate issues, like one specific thread I'm making sure runs throughout the book, or making sure I have setting and physical description (which I usually leave out in my initial drafts; I'm far more focused on the emotional experience for the characters), or trying to make sure my language feels alive. I also do at least one complete read aloud of the entire manuscript; I've found that reading writing aloud helps me to hear when the language isn't flowing, when it's stilted, when something feels off, in a way that I don't get when I just read it silently.

I make notes to myself as I edit. I also can't seem to turn off my editor when I'm editing, even for one specific thing, so I'll often edit many smaller things on top of the one issue as I go, like the language and word choice--making it stronger or more vibrant, or more clear. I usually do many, many edits of the entire manuscript. For SCARS, I did more than 40 before it was accepted. For HUNTED, I did about 14 before it was accepted. For my next book, I did about 12 before it was accepted. So I think I'm getting better...but I think I'll probably always do multiple edits. It's important to me to make sure my writing is as powerful as I can make it and that it reaches the reader, moves them.

How do you find/create a character? Do you hear their voice while you're writing, or even between writing? At what point do you know you've found your character for sure?

I draw a lot on my own self and my own experiences, especially for the main character; there is SO much of me in both Kendra (from SCARS) and Caitlyn (from HUNTED). I also draw on people I know; I take bits and pieces of people, and the emotional truths that I've observed, and put them into characters. I think because I write with a lot of emotion and emotional truths, that's the way characters come for me--through their emotions, their hopes and dreams, things they need--and yes, their voices. I hear them best when I'm writing.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Writing a new story (I hope!)? Can you tell us any specifics? Do you have plans already?

I hope with many books published by then, and still writing many more books. And I hope my books will reach even more people, and keep moving people, touching them emotionally. I have another book coming out in 2013 (another edgy realistic stand alone), and hopefully there'll be many others as well. I have more books that I'd like to write in the HUNTED world--both from Caitlyn's perspective, and possibly from some other paras' perspectives, even ones not in HUNTED. And I have many, many other books I want and need to write. I went through such extreme trauma (abuse and torture within ritual abuse) that I think I have a lot to draw on, and a lot I need to write about. I think, I hope, that I'll always be writing.

Would you like to see any of your books as a movie? If so, which ones? Why? Would you like to be involved in the process? How so?

I would love to see HUNTED as a movie. I think it has a lot of potential for the screen; it has a lot of tension, a character that overcomes huge odds, and a lot of hope in the end. I've thought of SCARS as a movie, too, but I'm a bit more reluctant to see that as a movie, because I wouldn't want anyone to sensationalize the self-harm. But if it was done well, it could help more people understand about self-harm.... I'd love to be consulted about movies made out of my books. (smiling) I don't think that happens very often, though. But who knows; it could! I can dream. :)

Thank you so very much, Cheryl for your articulate and personal interview. You give so much of yourself to your readers and fans, and I think you clearly delivered on that here in this interview. I'm blown away by your answers and definitely will consider them in light of my own writing habits. You've got great tips for up and coming writers. Thank you for agreeing to this interview.

I know I can't wait to see what this new book is you have coming in 2013! I'll be watching to add it to my Goodreads TBR pile for sure! If you'd like to know more about Cheryl Rainfield, please see her details below, and go check out all of her sites on the links below.

If this blog post has inspired you to ask Cheryl a question, I invite you to ask her here, and who knows? She might even stop by and answer you here in the comments below!

Cheryl Rainfield is the Author of:

Hunted (WestSide Books, Dec 15, 2011, F&W Canada, Jan 2012)

Caitlyn, a telepath on the run from government troopers, must choose between saving herself or saving the world

Read the first 6 pages: goo.gl/Z4ciy

Get fr-e-e HUNTED goodies: goo.gl/sq0zu

Scars (WestSide Books, 2010)

Kendra must face her past and stop hurting herself before it's too late

GG Literary Award Finalist, ALA's Top 10 Quick Picks, 2011 Rainbow List

and hi-lo fantasies Dragon Speaker: The Last Dragon and Skinwalkers: Walking Both Sides

Cheryl's Book Blog

The Packing House Excerpt (Beginning of Chapter 1)

2011-12-19T11:35:00.001-08:00

Since many readers have had trouble gaining access to the first full chapter of THE PACKING HOUSE, I am posting a portion of Chapter 1 below. If you'd like to read the ending of the chapter, click here, or email me at g.donaldcribbs@yahoo.com to request a copy.

***UPDATE***
I have recently added a "Prelude" to Chapter 1 and have posted it on my Facebook Author Page. You can read more here.

After you read this excerpt, I'd love to hear your feedback. Feel free to post a comment below. Enjoy!

1 | Monster

            My brother’s being nice to me all of a sudden.

Either that or he’s trying to get me in trouble.

I mean to find out which one.

The tell-tale sign? This morning he gave me a forbidden Mϕnster drink he stole from the fridge. One of the jerks my mother dates stashes them at our place, but they’re off limits for us. Like police lights rolling red-blue-red-blue from every reflective surface off limits. He’s gonna get an ass whooping for sure.

            I corner him in our sparse room. Not like he has anywhere to hide behind crates that are makeshift furniture and mattresses on the floor for beds. The smell of tuna hits me like a cross-uppercut.

“Gah! Jonathan!” I say, blocking my nose with my shirt. “What died in here?” Jonathan’s green eyes try to work on me the same way he would sweet talk one of his many girlfriends. He plays the silent act. His head pivots from one side to the other in response to my question. He’s asking for a beating.

            “All right, we can do this the hard way,” I say, grabbing his ankles and pulling him off his bed. An incriminating lump moves under his blankets. I knew something was up. “Oh, ho! You’re hiding another stray? Wait’ll Mom finds out. Mo-om!” I holler over my shoulder in the direction of the landing. Nothing but crickets. Typical. I wonder if she’s got one of her boy toys down there. Jonathan flumps back on his mattress and uses his hands to keep his captive well hidden.

            “Cut the crap, Joel. You hide stuff, too,” he snaps, “and, I’m gonna tell Mom, if you tell on me. Go ahead. Call her again.”

What could my younger brother possibly have on me? If he wagers he could smuggle his latest pet in under our mother’s nose, she will find out. It’s just a matter of time. I’m not too worried, having seen his track record. I circle back to the question of what dirt he thinks he has on me. Then I remember the Mϕnster from before school.

            “Hey, why’d you slip me a Mϕnster this morning anyway? You know that’s grounds for a beating.” Lately, my mother’s been letting her acquaintances help out with the parenting, such as our consequences, as she calls it. “Remember that security guard Mom was seeing? He thought he was some kind of tough guy. Tom, the Enforcer!” We have a quick laugh over tough-guy Tom.

            “You didn’t get much sleep last night. No one did. I figured you could use it.” Jonathan looks at me funny, then back at the blanket. Whatever it is, the lump thinks his hands blocking all exits is some kind of game. My money’s on a kitten. Jonathan’s in high school now. He shouldn’t be grabbing strays up off the street.

            “Is it a kitten? You’d better let it get some air, or you’ll kill the sorry thing before Mom catches you.”

Jonathan gives me a terrible glare, like I’m the one sneaking around.

“Just sayin’.”

He lifts his blanket up, and sure enough, it’s a wobbly, calico kitten, maybe not old enough to be away from its mother yet. Kinda like a tiger with its striping. Maybe it’s more like patches. I shake off newborn kitten cuteness.

“You know that’s probably not even weaned yet. How are you gonna give it milk?”

I can tell where this is going; I’m not covering for him again. I mean it.

“I’m stashing it for this girl I met at school. Her parents won’t let her keep it at her place, so I offered to take care of it. I figured it might get me somewhere later. You know what they say,” he says. I just shake my head. Always thinks with his dick. I must have heard this at least a thousand times before.

“You can’t be serious.” As if I expect to get anywhere. “You are so bus-ted. Are you willing to lose swim team for a kitten? Hope it’s worth it.”

“Oh, it is. Trust me. It’s gotten me a few in the sack, working this angle. Don’t even mind. And, I won’t lose swim over this.” I stare at him a moment and decide whether to pounce on his ego or his claim of conquests.

“Why do you use them like that, Jon?” I ask instead.

“Girls? They’re like water to a swimmer,” he says, gesturing as if he packs a python in his pants. “It’s like diving in. At first the water takes you—she’s the dominator and you’re surrounded, she’s got her hands on your goods, but you know you’ve got to teach her to work with you if you’re gonna medal. If you let her take over, you’ll drown. It’s enough to drive you out of your mind if you don’t do something about it. So, I do. Hey, she wants me so far,” he shrugs.

I didn’t ask for the book report, but that part is true. Jonathan gets all the girls after him whenever we start at a new school. As much as we move, none of the new girls have any idea how big his prior track record is. Lucky for him we got in this school before sign ups were closed out for the year. Maybe it’s because he’s a swim jock? They all love his curly hair and pool water blue eyes. If only I were that lucky.

Closest I ever came was with this girl, back when dad was around, where I used to call home. All these places we bounce between now are like the shimmer trail a snail leaves in its wake. It gets crazy sometimes. Her name’s Amber. I got pulled into a version of spin-the-bottle and ended up in the closet for seven minutes in heaven with her on the first round.

I’d known her since we were young, but not like this. She was acting so strange. That was the year her breasts became cleavage and my hands itched to know how they felt cupped in the crevice of my open palms. We came this close to our lips touching, a tangled dance in closet darkness, before the air hitched between us at the sound of her father’s staccato footsteps on the basement stairs.

The thudding drum of my heart pounded mercilessly in my ears, blocking out every other sound. I thought it would rip right out of my ribcage. But I could feel her trembling there in the dark. I fumbled for the knob in a confusing swirl of panic that he’d find us like that, the abrupt halt as I beat back my desire to finally kiss Amber Walker on the lips, and the painful reminder a bulge pinched uncomfortably between my legs. How could I come that close, only to have it end in such utter failure?

“Eventually, this is all gonna catch up to you,” I say to Jonathan, snapping out of my reverie. “Mark my words.”

“Fine by me,” Jonathan says. “But once they start showing resistance like the second half of a race and get too serious, I ditch them before I’m eating the wake of my competition. I don’t have time for regret, just time to dive in and race again.”

“What are you gonna do when they want something more?”

“Best thing for those serious types is to focus on the next race, there’s always another heat, a few more seconds to shave off.”

“You treat ‘em like that-”

“-that’s why it’s all good when we move. Got to dive into that fresh pool of girls.” Jonathan makes a few thrusts, and grabs himself in the crotch to drive his point home.

“Just swear to me you’ll sheathe that thing every time you do it, okay?” My tone is creeping in the direction of lecture mode, but I’ve got to say this, since no one else will. “STDs are as real as AIDS, Jon. Watch what you’re effing with.”

That last line hangs heavy in the air, a drawn out pause before Jonathan nods with half-assed acquiescence, then turns his attention back to the blanket. He coaxes the kitten with small bits of tuna. I turn to holler down the stairs again. This time Jonathan interrupts.

“You had another one of your nightmares again, didn’t you? Last night.” He lets this drop and float for a bit. Whaddya know? My little pisher of a brother is extorting me with actual substance here. Unbelievable. I turn to face him.

“All right, out with it. What did you hear?” I stroll over and flop on my mattress, leaning forward. “You see something? You got nothing. What are you trying to front?” We’re at a standstill, which makes no sense since we’re both sitting.

“I know what I know and that’s all I’ll say.” I want to pummel it out of him, but he’s right. They are back and worse than ever. Fourth time this week I woke up, gasping for breath, bathed in sweat, shaking uncontrollably. Probably couldn’t hide it to save my life, even if I tried. If my nightmares keep Jonathan up, too, I’ve got bigger problems.

Does he even know what the kids at school are saying?

******************************

Now click here to read the ending of Chapter 1.

And the Results Are In: Giveaway #1 Winner Is...

2011-12-15T07:57:00.000-08:00

I had hoped for a greater turnout on my first blog giveaway, but I am glad it was at least a 50/50 battle. I used www.random.org to obtain the results and the winner is: Mike Hays!

Congratulations, Mike! Please email me at: g.donaldcribbs@yahoo.com with your mailing address and I will get that shipped out to you, hopefully in time for Christmas! Also, if you haven't read The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, well, now you've got a compelling reason to do so! Enjoy the autographed book, and please come back to share your comments once you've received it and/or read it!

For those of you who missed it, here's what Mike said in his comment:

Mike Hays said...

Figment.com highlighted these books and Barry Lyga a while back and I have him on the TBR list. Great contest!

Thank you to all who entered, and if you didn't win, I hope you'll take a few minutes and check out the other contests that are still open on the blog. Just click the logo at the top to find my most current blog posts. In fact, I'll be posting a new giveaway starting next week, so be sure to check back for that!

Have a Great Weekend!

Autographed YA Giveaway #3 is Here!

2011-12-14T06:36:00.000-08:00

If you've been following my blog over the past few weeks, you've noticed I have several giveaways going on simultaneously. We're in the season of giving, after all, and it's better to give than receive. Plus, I am so blessed to know many amazing writers in the YA world and I am happy to share their autographed YA giveaways with you. Writers themselves are amazing. They pour their heart and soul into a novel, and then they give it away! Who else does that?

Okay, so before I give you this week's giveaway, I've got a rundown of my first two giveaways with links to enter before they end and you're left out in the cold without a name in the hat or a chance to win. My first giveaway times out today, so don't wait, hurry up and get in on the drawing before it's too late!

Here's a rundown (click on the link to go to the related post and enter now. Just post a comment to be entered to win.):

Giveaway #1:
Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga
Ends Wednesday, December 14 at 9 p.m. EST
Winner Announced Thursday, December 15th on the blog.

Giveaway #2:
Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield
Ends Tuesday, December 20 at 9 p.m. EST
Winner Announced Wednesday, December 21 on the blog.

Now onto today's giveaway. I've already featured this on my blog. You can read about that here. Also, I have reviewed the book on Goodreads here. Check out my review to learn more about this amazing book. I was surprised how much I liked it, since I figured it was a "girly" story. My son, Trenton says "girl" as if it rhymes with squirrel. So, I would say it's too gwirrely! Ha! (watch out, I'm using exclamations with abandon!) My point is: I was wrong. (Just don't tell my wife. She'll tease me mercilessly!) What's cool about this story is it appeals to males from the quest aspect of the storyline. Also, Jessie incorporates many twists and turns and the Greek mythology is cool, as well. Anyone here seen 300? Read the graphic novel? But, I digress...

Giveaway #3:
ARC of Destined by Jessie Harrell (Begins Wednesday, December 14th)
Ends Thursday, December 22 at 9 p.m. EST (the beginning of Winter Solstice)
Winner Announced Friday, December 23 on the blog.

In order to be considered for the random.org drawing next Friday, you'll need to add a comment at the bottom of this post. That is all. Easy, huh? Jessie is mailing this prize herself (saving me postage...thank you, Jessie! You Rock!!) so you never know what might go in the package along with the ARC. Heck, I don't even have a hard copy. Mine is in electronic format.

Jessie's debut novel, DESTINED, is a great read and if you don't have it on your TBR list/pile/mountain, then hurry up and add it! Jessie's book has been burning up several of Amazon's bestseller lists already and it only came out November 17th, not quite a month ago. Way to go, Jessie! If you don't already follow Jessie Harrell on Twitter, follow her here: https://twitter.com/#!/JessieHarrell and if you aren't already following Jessie's blog (what, are you crazy?) you can follow her blog here: http://jessie-harrell.blogspot.com/

So, what's on the list for an autographed YA giveaway next week? Check back here and find out. Of course, you'll want to do that anyway to find out if you've won Giveaway # 1, #2 or #3.

I appreciate you visiting my blog and I hope you'll take a moment and look around. You'll find out lots of information about my first novel, THE PACKING HOUSE, as well as my current WIP I started with NaNoWriMo. If you'd like to read my first chapter, click the link in the upper right corner of my blog. If you don't have dropbox, it may not work for you. In that case, please email me at: g.donaldcribbs@yahoo and I'll send it to you directly as a .pdf. If you do read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts, good or bad. I want it to be the best debut I can muster, and I still have time to revise! Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Facebook as well for more updates and news on writing and such.

I wish everyone a Happy Holiday and a most wonderful New Year. I hope you'll keep writing and reading and I look forward to all the new year brings. Blessings!

Another Autographed YA Giveaway!!

2011-12-09T05:05:00.000-08:00

In case one giveaway isn't enough for you this holiday season, in the spirit of giving (and seriously, what could be better than an autographed book?), I present to you another free, autographed YA book. After speaking with the author, I was so excited about this giveaway, I couldn't wait until my first giveaway was finished to post this one, even if they overlap. Call me crazy. Go ahead. I'm fine with that (besides, it says I'm WEIRD at the top of this blog, anyway).

If you're interested in increasing your chances, I suggest entering both contests by adding comments below each post. My first giveaway can be found here. To give you a hint about what book it is, I've already blogged about this book here, and I've given it a 5/5 starred review on Goodreads here.

All that is required to be entered to win is for you to post a comment on this thread.

This book comes with a lot of great freebies. Watch the book trailer, read the first six pages, check out comics and post cards and articles about her book. The author has them collected here. Once you've read the book, I'd suggest reading through all of these freebies, and downloading them as well. It will help as you salivate and wait until Book 2 comes out. Oops, I guess I let it slip! This is Book 1 of a series. Still haven't figured it out yet? Okay, okay, I'm getting to it! Go hold a horse or something.

This giveaway is an autographed copy of HUNTED by the amaZING Cheryl Rainfield, an exciting futuristic dystopian paranormal thriller about a girl named Caitlyn and her mother on the run from the government. Caitlyn has mental telepathy, reading people's thoughts, and she can suggest thoughts to others as well. The government hates anyone with paranormal powers, and calls them PARAs. The story is chock-full of fast-paced, cliffhanger chapters and I absolutely FLEW through it. My heart was pounding and I stayed up and read it as fast as I could get through it. My hands were sweaty and I was enthralled by this book. It's my first paranormal read, but I found it absolutely delicious. I think you will, too.

So, what are you waiting for? To coincide with the book's release on December 20th, I am beginning the contest now through 12/20/11 at 9 p.m. EST. I will randomly select one person who has posted a comment below. I will announce the winner on December 21, and send you your prize right away. I cannot guarantee a Christmas delivery, but I will do my very best. Cheryl is sending it to me as soon as she gets her copies. Trust me, it will be worth the wait!

If that wasn't exciting enough, I also interviewed Cheryl about her writing and will post it on my blog next week. In the meantime, check out several recent interviews at this link page. I feel so honored to know Cheryl, let alone having the privilege of giving away one of her autographed books. She's such a great person to know, and so supportive and thankful and humble to her fans. We are fortunate to know her. She is one of those rare people that makes the world an all around nicer place to be. I have learned much from Cheryl and I am grateful for her friendship.

If I haven't provided a link to something related to Cheryl Rainfield, check out her website here:

http://www.cherylrainfield.com/

I welcome your comments below. I hope you will take the time to enter both contests, and I hope you'll check back for more great news and giveaways in the future. Happy reading!

Speaking of reading, if you haven't read the first chapter of The Packing House, it's posted in the upper right corner of my blog. Email me if you have any trouble viewing it and I will send a copy to you right away. My email is: g.donaldcribbs@yahoo.com I welcome your feedback as well.

You Could Win This Autographed YA Giveaway!!

2011-11-30T05:57:00.000-08:00

December has crept upon us; it's GIVEAWAY time!! I love this time of year. Everyone brings out their best (moreso in person, less when behind the wheel of a car...) Lights cover everything, and in the book world, there are TONS of giveaways.

YES!!

So, today, in the spirit of giving, I ask you to consider the amazing writing range of Barry Lyga. I have read three of his books in the last year, and am anxiously awaiting several more in my TBR pile. On Barry's webpage (http://barrylyga.com/new/) he posted an offer to bloggers like me to receive GIVEAWAY books to share as prizes. This is all part of Barry's Blogger Book Bonus. What I love about this is he is supporting bloggers, readers and writers all at the same time. Please show your love for awesome authors who go above and beyond for their fanbase. I know I'm a FANBOY...

Speaking of FANBOY reminds me of my two Goodreads reviews on Barry's THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF FANBOY AND GOTH GIRL (read my review here), and GOTH GIRL RISING (read my review here). Surprisingly, or maybe astonishingly, I gave both 5 of 5 stars. They are truly that good! If you are on twitter and haven't yet followed Barry, add him here: https://twitter.com/#!/barrylyga

Okay, okay, so the GIVEAWAY is an autographed copy of GOTH GIRL RISING and a couple post cards from Barry's books. How cool is that? Okay, so here are the requirements to be entered to win:

1. You must post a comment below. Tell me why you'd like to win this book, or what is it about the books that intrigues you, or whether you've read the first book. Any comment. No rules. No requirements. Apparently, being creative with the contest is too much work. Keep It Simple, Stupid (I'm directing that at myself).

2. The contest will run until December 14, 2011 9 p.m. EST. I will choose a random winner from those entrants who have met all the requirements to be considered for the GIVEAWAY prize, and I wish you all the best of luck! I'm looking forward to the entries!

While you're here, I hope you'll poke around my blog and learn a bit more about me and my first book, THE PACKING HOUSE, as well as future and upcoming projects I'm working on. Feel free to email me or comment about what you like or don't like, and I look forward to hearing from you! If you'd like to read an excerpt from THE PACKING HOUSE, click on the link in the upper right corner of the blog and read Chapter 1. If you are unable to read it (because you don't have Dropbox) email me and I'll send you the first chapter. When you do read it, I'd love to hear your feedback. You can email me at: g.donaldcribbs@yahoo.com

Check back here on December 15th when I announce the winner of the GIVEAWAY!! And, if you need something to do while you wait, go read THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF FANBOY AND GOTH GIRL (if you haven't already).

P.S. I've got another autographed Giveaway coming this week. Watch for it!

A YA Book Giveaway coming tomorrow!

2011-11-29T07:32:00.000-08:00

How would you like to WIN a free autographed YA book? Well, get ready. Tomorrow, I've got a blog post for you that will knock your socks off! I will be reviewing two books by this author, and giving a signed copy of his amazing book (to be revealed tomorrow). All you need to do is follow this blog and get ready to answer the contest question. The blog goes up tomorrow.

p.s. There's lots of BLUE on the cover. It's the sequel to another YA book I also love, and you should read them both!!

Author Update: When Personal Life Affects Your Writing

2011-11-26T10:40:00.000-08:00

This blog post is a little unusual, so please bear with me. I began November with gusto, and have an exciting WIP I am writing, or was writing, or started and fizzled out on, and completely choked and now I'm not going to finish #NaNoWriMo (NationalNovelWritingMonth). My sincere apologies to #NaNoWriMo. I have failed.

Okay, now onto the excuse part of today's post.

I have a good reason for fizzling out, and it occurred to me, it might also happen to other writers out there and you might be feeling a bit lost, a bit off, a bit dried out, and a bit alone. Well, I'm here to tell you, you're not alone. Something happened in my personal life that has caused my writing to take a huge hiatus.

My mother passed away unexpectedly.

I know, I know, you're sorry to hear that, you wish me well, and all that nicey nicey stuff. Thank you. Sincerely, thank you. I mean it: Thank. You. Okay, okay, so let's move on. What do you do when this happens? Well, you give yourself some slack. You let things happen when they happen, and when they don't you "refill the writerly well of creativity and thought." At least, that's what I'm doing. I'm also spending a bit more time than usual with family and friends. It helps with the sense of being alone. That's especially difficult when you lose a parent (for those of you who haven't experienced this yet).

So, what does that look like? Well, for me, it means I'm attacking my TBR (To Be Read) pile a bit more voraciously, and loving that part. I'm giving myself permission to be a bit less on top of my blog and my social media platform building routine and I'm just listening to the quiet parts of myself and taking time to process this loss. It's a huge one. Trust me. I don't wish this on any of you. Don't get me started with all that was involved in taking care of things related to my mother's passing. Suffice it to say, it hasn't been easy, and a lot has been asked of me, and I did what was asked, and now that it's over, I can breathe and fill the well, and look forward to the time when I can take up the keyboard and write again.

I stalled out on my book, but my characters are still tapping my shoulder, asking me to continue, and ideas are still percolating in my mind. I don't think I'll be away for too long, but I'm giving myself permission to be away as long as necessary. Grieving takes time. Also, I have a non-fiction project I could start and allow myself to be busy with that, while I wait for the creativity to flow again.

Each of you may handle something like this differently, and that's okay. Seriously. Lighten up and don't beat yourself up for not being "productive" enough. Just step back and let the creative well be filled and let yourself have some time to process. I know it's helping me.

The flip side is also true: If you are hard on yourself and you do try to make yourself work, you'll probably get a big pile of poo on the page/screen and toss it out later anyway. If that is what you need to do to see or understand, then by all means, give it a go.

I wish you all the best this holiday season, and I hope you spend time with family, friends and loved ones. Be thankful for who you have in your life, and fill the well. When your well starts to overflow again, then it's probably time to get back to writing.

I welcome your thoughts, comments and feedback on this, and I hope you'll follow the blog and keep coming back, too. If you still feel it's necessary to offer your condolences, feel free. At least I'll get some comments on this blog post!

Also, if you haven't read chapter 1 of THE PACKING HOUSE, it's at the top right corner of this blog, and you can email me at g.donaldcribbs@yahoo.com or post your feedback in the comments section. I'm not fishing for pats on the back, just serious comments on what you liked, didn't like, and anything that could help me improve the writing would be a HUGE BLESSING to me. And, if you want to read more, that would make my millenium. Go ahead, tell me you want more. I dare you!

Friend Friday: 2 Reviews on 2 Great Books You Should Read!

2011-11-11T06:58:00.000-08:00

Continuing my Friend Friday Feature, I'd like to share with you two great books I've recently read and reviewed on Goodreads. One is currently available, and another is yet to be published. (Last time, both were as yet unpublished. If you'd like to read about DESTINED by Jessie Harrell and HUNTED by Cheryl Rainfield, read more here.) Since my To Be Read pile is long and never ending, I am sure to have future posts like this for you to keep up with all the great books out there. I hope you'll keep coming back to see what other books I've read, what I think about them, and you'll read them, too! See? It's an all around win.

The first book, SUMMER ON FIRE by Kevin Craig is a great read, and a quick one. That's because it's on the shorter side for a book. However, it's short for a timely reason: it was a product of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) which happens every November. See? Yet another example of a NaNoWriMo project that has been published. This was published June 30th, so you can read it NOW! Go ahead and click on my GoodReads 5/5 star review, and while you're there, add it to your To Read pile. You can find my review here.

Next on the list is THE RIVALS by Daisy Whitney. This is the sequel to Daisy's debut novel, THE MOCKINGBIRDS which is also a great read. I was a fortunate recipient of an ARC of THE RIVALS so I got to read it early. I know, I know, you're jealous. But, trust me, it's worth the wait, and I'd recommend you to read BOTH books to get the full impact. I've also reviewed THE RIVALS at GoodReads with a 5/5 stars rating. I sure have a lot of those. But, I also read the BEST books out there, so you should keep that in mind. Don't worry, I'll judge each book on its own merits. I don't just give those away. So don't see these reviews as flattery. Each one is earned. These writers ROCK. But, see for yourselves and go read my review of THE RIVALS here. THE RIVALS is slated for a February 6, 2012 publication date (subject to change).

There you have it. 2 new books you've got to go read NOW. Before you go, please share in the comments what books you've read recently and if I haven't read them, maybe I'll add them to my ginormous To Read Pile. Have a great weekend, and keep coming back for more book reviews! If you like (or don't like) this feature on my blog, I'd appreciate your comment below.

If My Blog Seems out of date, blame it on NaNoWriMo!

2011-11-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

If you're new to the writer phenomenon currently underway around the globe, it's National Novel Writing Month. Crawl out from under your rock and join us as we race through the month of November, trying to complete the challenge of writing 1667 words per day to complete the coup de grâce (literally, death blow) of 50,000 words of a novel by month end. This is no small feat.

This year, I am participating for the first time. And, for those of you wondering, I am not in the "Must Finish This Race and get all 50K words" camp. Rather, I'm on the "I'll go as far as I can and rejoice in the words I have toward a completed novel by the end of the month, and enjoy the writerly companionship along the way" camp. So, I hope you will consider joining me (yes, there's still time for a late start) and about 100,000+ others as we write our way through November.

Since I'm working on this new book, I thought I'd share a bit of what I am writing about. My first book, THE PACKING HOUSE, is a YA contemp. If you'd like to see more, dig around in the blog here, or read chapter one in the upper right corner. If you do read it, I'd love to know what you think. Please share your thoughts in the comments below. My current WIP is a dystopian sci-fi novel with series potential. I have sketched out a four book series, similar to Madeline L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time Quartet (info here), or Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Series (info here).

Here's a quick blurb:

Synopsis

First of a Quartet Dystopian Sci-Fi YA novel, where fraternal twin Brea Carmichael begins hearing from her captured twin brother Brian through idioglossia/cryptophasia twin-speak, uncovering a government secret in a society where there is no disease or disability. Those with diseases and disabilities are considered Outcast, and a threat to the purity of the perfect society. The story begins on Brea's birthday, which she hates...

Excerpt

          I hate my birthday.
          Every year it plagues me with its incessant need to make me older. It reminds me of my impending death. For a fourteen-year-old I guess that’s pretty grim to say, but I can’t help it.
          It’s because of him.
          I can’t get his voice out of my head, even though I haven’t heard it in person since we were born together. Every year it seems I hear him more insistent like a conversation I can’t get away from. It keeps playing over and over in my mind, a dark mirror reflecting back toward me. Maybe I’m crazy.
         Two things I am certain of: we were both born nearly fifteen years ago, and so far, only one of us has died. This means I’m next. It could come at any time.
         I punch a series of commands on the iHome control panel and stare into the mirror’s hard surface. The lines on my face gouge the surface of my skin under the strong light that clicks on in response to my commands. I hope it’s just the wattage. My reflection stares back at me, eyes reflexively scrunching beneath the intense light. I take a deep breath and try to relax as several mechanical arms move swiftly in to mist, curl and dry my hair, completing the programmed instructions.
        There’s no better way to deal with this than jamming to some tunes. I revert to my iBracelet so the music can travel with me. Flicking my wrist with two sharp waves in the air, I wait for the iPad to appear, hovering as usual beneath my waiting hand. I punch in my username and password and pause for the login to complete.
        Once the app loads the room is suddenly filled with my favorite song, a thumping tune from my playlist, pounding out the angry theme song my taste in music seems to echo. I can’t help but join in, hands keeping the staccato beat of the drums, head rocking to the thrum of the bass. Good thing the hair controls can’t get pissed at me.
        Today’s a day for more volume. I allow myself a few moments, giving my body over to the music that touches a chord somewhere deep and soul-reaching. I know damn well it won’t drown out his voice that comes rushing in right on cue like a discordant tune railing hard against the one I’m jamming with. I try anyway. After all, it’s my birthday. Or should I say our birthday?
        I’ve never been good at lying.
        Especially with myself. It’s hard to look in the mirror and ignore what I plainly see in front of my face. Coupled with the last few measures of my favorite tune, his is one that clashes, yet holds layers that are familiar and entwined with mine. I can’t get away from his voice because it’s so close to my own, a syncopated rhythm woven indelibly with my own.
         Bree. C’mon. Stop ignoring me. Would you deny your own brother? It sucks, but it’s my birthday, too. I need your help to get out of here.
         I look away from the mirror so I don’t have to see what’s sliding hotly down my face. Pathetic. Why do I let it get to me like that? I played right into it.
         Well, no more.
         While I’m already logged in I shoot a quick text to Margaux my best friend, the only one I’ve told about the voice I keep hearing every birthday.
          I heard him again. Meet me at our spot. God, I hate my birthday.
         I wipe my face on my sleeves, flick my wrist to log off, and head to the kitchen for some form of breakfast. My parents are still sleeping. Most parents let the iHome take care of such mundane needs. I’d rather not let them see my like this. I type in my usual request, steak and eggs on a toasted bagel. It’s portable and fills me, both of which I need right now. I’m late.
          One of these years I’ll figure out how to keep up with technology. It’s supposed to work with you, right? Either I’m completely stupid, or ignorant enough to lag behind everyone else.
          The smell of my breakfast makes me ravenous. I wolf down every morsel in a matter of minutes, steak juices dripping down my fingers. I lick those as well. I decide I’d rather eat it here, before stepping through the teleporter. I hate the taste of food after its particles have been sent through one of those. It’s unnatural. Margaux texts me back.
          Oh, Brea. So sorry! Hugs. Margaux.
          After washing and sterilizing my hands at the sink, I step onto the circle of the teleporter and use the remote app on my iBracelet to send me to the receiving area at the front of our school. Margaux’s already at our spot in the gardens, arms crossed until she sees me stepping off an identical round pad. Other students beam in; at least I’m not the only one late.

Happy writing to you all! I'd love to hear what you've got in the works, even if you're not participating in NaNoWriMo. Write something anyway, and tap into the creative vibe floating around us all. Oh, and thanks for your patience as I play blog catch up.

Ava Jae: Writerly Blogger Extraordinaire! (Friday Follow)

2011-10-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

     A few weeks back, I posted about the top five bloggers to influence me. This list is always changing for me, but if you haven't read it, you should, and you should follow ALL OF THEM! Do yourself a favor and follow these fellow writers and their blogs because they are filled with awesome and win. Today, I'd like to follow up on and highlight one of these special blogger/writers, Avalon Jaedra. If you don't follow her twitter, you should rectify that as well: @Ava_Jae.

     While I have written for years, I didn't seriously pick up the writer pen until about a year ago. I started a twitter account and befriended Ava. We even swapped chapters of our WIP and did our best to help one another improve what we had written. I also started following Ava's blog. I have not stopped following this information since. I could argue every post is filled with something for every writer to take away with them. That's rare to find. I know I've grown as a writer, and a blogger because of advice and points Ava has posted weekly.

     Another important factor in suggesting Ava to you is how supportive and encouraging she is. Any time I have asked her a question, she has tried her level best to reply to me and offer any support or help she can. Writing can be a lonely profession. It's easy to get isolated in the island of your WIP and lost in the boat of editing, waves chopping hard against you. And, from around the corner, you can trust Ava to fire her *Confetti Cannon* to cheer you on.

     So, RUN, don't walk to WRITABILITY, Ava's awesomesauce blog on writing tips, tricks and thoughts from one writer to cyberspace every M,W&F (another great tip I took/borrowed/okay I totally stole it from Ava Jae!): http://avajae.blogspot.com/

     What do you like about Ava's blog? Or about Ava herself? Post your comments below.

An Idea With YA & Classic Literature (Friday Reads)

2011-10-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

When I first read the Young Adult Novel, Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, it literally took my breath away. The writing was fresh, edgy and visceral at times. I found my stomach in knots nearly the entire time I was reading. When I came to my senses again, and after much thought, I began writing lesson plans to teach this novel in my classroom.

It is my belief that novels like Speak create bridges or windows to classic literature, and should be used as a vehicle to get our students to tackle the more challenging works of literature.

Having said that, I immediately come to the defense of Young Adult Literature, a genre of writing that has really taken off in recent history, and one, I would argue, attains a level of sophistication that would rival even the pillars of classic literature being taught in today's middle and senior high classrooms.

One of my goals as I read amazing examples of Young Adult Literature is to pair them with the literature typically taught in American schools. Many of the works of classic literature have become dusty, stale, and dried out. Few students believe they have anything to say to them, and would benefit from finding new inroads, such as found in Young Adult Literature. Therefore, I am taking the challenge upon myself to find great examples of both classic literature and Young Adult Literature and pair them up so that my students can engage in reading again, and love the process along the way.

What great pairings would you suggest? Speak easily pairs with Saliger's Catcher in the Rye or Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Daisy Whitney's The Mockingbirds pairs wonderfully with To Kill A Mockingbird. What pairs spring to mind for you between classic literature and YA novels?

Please post your ideas in the comments below.

Top 5 Writing Tips This Week (Writerly Wednesday)

2011-10-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

Around the blogosphere, I have gathered the Top 5 Writing Tips for the week. Check out these great tips below and share your own in the comments section. Share the writerly love and strive to better yourself as a writing professional.

25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer, by Jocelyn K. Glei.

Many great quotes for writers, organized by topics we know all too well.

7 Character Types that Build Your Story, by Adventures in YA & Children's Publishing.

Essential characters for most stories and how to use them better.

The Dangers of Character Overload (Most Common Mistakes Series #10), by K.M. Weiland.

I highly recommend this ENTIRE series of "Most Common Mistakes Writers Make Series."

5 Great Bits of Wisdom from a New York Times Bestseller, by Jenny Hansen.

Great practical advice from NYTimes Bestseller, Susan Mallery.

Advice for Character Creation and Plotting--Keep it Real, by Scott Eagan.

If your scenes seem forced, your characters come across like cardboard, or it just doesn't feel right, read this blog for great advice.

And, there you have it. Five great resources of writerly advice to help all of us on our pathway to writing success. I'd love to hear any other suggestions you might have in your travels this week. Please share them here in the comments section for everyone's benefit.

Motivation Monday Breaking Through Writer's Block

2011-10-10T04:54:00.000-07:00

     Writer's Block is a common fear for writers. How can you avoid this terrible trap? There are as many treatments as there are for the common cold. But, before you go whipping together a pot of chicken soup for your writer's cramp, check out these tips that might get you back on the path to writing your masterpiece.

     Writing is a skill to be practiced. But sometimes we are at war with ourselves. The creative side is literally in one side of your brain, while the editing/revising side is in the other hemisphere. Both are essential to good writing, and both need the other side to shut the heck up while they're working on your masterpiece. It's a lot like switching hats, gears or whatever writerly voodoo you might practice.

     Sports have similar superstitious practices, like rewearing the winning pair of socks. What do writers do in such instances? I'll leave that for another blog at another time.

     Writing is such a mental exercise, it's easy to get side-tracked and lost down the hallways and passages of our mind. Even easier is the trap of getting hung up on something, or simply beating ourselves up over ridiculousness. In such cases, I think it's a matter of payback from your warring creative self and editing/revising self. They must have gotten together while you weren't looking and paid someone to trip you up. Knowing you as well as they do, well, they used the cheap solution: YOU!

     I might be exaggerating a tad.

     When you find yourself staring at the blank page, the blank screen, etc. it's time to step away. Get out of your own head. Go read a book, or spend time with family, friends, and recharge your creative well and your editor's well with soul-nourishment. Writing is an art of capturing what is real and true in life. If you hole up and spend too much time writing, and not enough time living, you'll get off balance and shoot yourself in the foot.

     Having a bullet lodged in your foot doesn't make for good writing. FYI.

     Diving back into the stream of life is a good start, but it's often not enough. When this happens, it might be time to dust off writing prompts, or poetry exercises that can help reawaken your muse. Brainstorm new project ideas, outline plot points, fill out a character analysis worksheet. K.M. Weiland has a great one on her Wordplay Blog. Sign up for her emails and get a free pdf book download, "Crafting Unforgettable Characters." It's a great way to see how your character's flaw can be used in developing a story that resonates with your reader. And, it comes with a multi-page worksheet to fill out for each character. Don't miss it!

     One of my favorite writing exercises takes me back to my college days, where I wrote poetry with friends in a group called The Wooden Nickel. We got together in any writer's paradise, the school library (bookstores ranked a close second), and we all got out paper, wrote for a set time (say five minutes), and passed our papers to our peers and continued writing. You can allow yourself to read all of what was written before, or just the last sentence, or even the last line to get started. Once you've mastered this technique, go full out, and write without knowing what was written before.

     My writing friends and I were often amazed at how the creative energy in the room led us to discover poems and ideas that wouldn't have existed otherwise. And, we wrote some surprisingly good poems. One of us might write about the beach, another a hike in the woods, another a relationship, etc. When the poem came back around to the writer who started it, they would read the whole thing and add a finishing line. Then, we'd share what we wrote. Tons of laughter often ensued.

     But, it helped us to avoid that nasty writer's block curse. If you are going to do it with a story, make a list of words everyone must use in their story, which might be particular objects or vocabulary to incorporate, and pick a genre. Write a story using a loose structure based on the selected genre and with the mandatory words/objects, and see what happens. Try a fairy tale, a soap opera or even a murder mystery. Anything goes, just agree and write.

     Finally, when you're back in the writer's saddle again, celebrate the place you're at. Don't let your editor/reviser have access to your writing when the creative muse is at work. Tell your editor/reviser, he'll have his turn, and back off. Give the creative muse full access to writing down everything he likes, and write as fast as you can so you don't miss anything. When you're done, and you've let it sit for a few weeks, then your editor/reviser can have at it. They're in separate parts of your brain for a reason. Keep them divided. Enjoy each stage of writing. And, feed your soul the food it needs so you don't wind up with a blank page or screen before you.

     Panic doesn't make for good writing. Refill the well and relax. Happy writing!

     I welcome your thoughts, tips and suggestions on how you overcome writer's block, and what you do to keep your muses amused.

Friend Friday: 2 Book Reviews for Upcoming Releases!

2011-10-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Prepare to be jealous. I have been fortunate to read two upcoming releases by two of my favorite YA authors, Cheryl Rainfield (Hunted, now December 15, 2011) and Jessie Harrell (Destined, November 17, 2011). Both books were so good, I gave them 5 star reviews on Goodreads. Check out the HUNTED review here, and the DESTINED review here.

Even though both books are YA, they are as different as dystopian and greek myth retold. HUNTED is a futuristic paranormal dystopian thriller, and the first of a series (YAY! Cheryl is writing book 2 right now!). DESTINED is a retelling (and improvement upon) the Greek tale of Eros and Psyche, with alternating POVs and several exciting twists and turns. I highly recommend adding both books to your ever growing To Be Read pile.

Check back soon, I'm currently reading SUMMER ON FIRE by Kevin Craig. And, for those of you who did notice a little jealousy creeping in, not to worry. These release dates are right around the corner. Oh, and I also did line edits for DESTINED. If you'd like me to read or edit your book, let me know!

Meet the Author Monday

2011-09-20T06:13:00.000-07:00

Going around the blogosphere recently is a wicked game of tag. Kind of reminds me of other initiation rites I experienced in college, like getting creeked. For those who don't know what getting creeked is like, imagine living in the "JOCK DORM" and looking up from your dorm room bed where you are chilling, to see a room full of your hallmates grinning like the Cheshire cat. This is disturbing to say the least. Jock Guys do not look good with a Cheshire cat grin on their faces. Just saying.

I had just witnessed a fellow hallmate get creeked, and he's much more buff than I ever was, even in college. They handcuffed him, and he BROKE THE HANDCUFFS. Then, because he didn't cooperate, they saran-wrapped him head to toe and carried him down (3 flights of stairs and across campus) to the creek, stripped him and threw him in. When he got out, they only gave him a diaper and bib and baby bonnet to wear; they had taken his clothes elsewhere. With this kind of initiation experience in mind, I quickly decided cooperation was a good thing to minimize the impending embarrassment. Did I mention I'm not a jock?

So, the guys taped my wrists with packing tape, lifted me up on their shoulders (there were a dozen or so jock guys involved), and carried me awkwardly down the hall, down three flights of stairs through the main campus center building, past security ("it's his birthday, okay?"--which sadly worked) and down across the covered bridge and to the creek. I was a little creeped out to envision a dozen guys stripping off my clothes, so I opted to take them off myself. (I'm a helper, it's what I do.) They took my clothes and I jumped in (bonus points for cooperation?) Yay. I was "one of the guys." They cheered and whooped and thought it was hilarious, me standing naked in the creekbed. Passersby stopped and gawked at my nakedness. After climbing out, they were nice enough to give me my clothes back and security even drove me back to my dorm. I didn't have the heart to tell him it wasn't my birthday. I just let him talk on and on about his own fond memories.

In the spirit of revealing more personal information, and the current tag game going around (nope, no one has tagged me yet!) I've decided to post these "Meet the Author Monday" blogs to share such amusing anecdotal stories and tales from my life. I did consciously use the word "author," because I am confident I will achieve this title soon. Also, I'd like to suggest a few things:

1. Learn to laugh at yourself.
2. Find ways to incorporate your funny experiences in your writing.
3. Don't take yourself so seriously.

I'd love to hear your favorite initiation story. Did you ever get hazed in college? Another common one was ice water dumped on you in the shower. Of course, most of the guys on the hall typically walked down to the shower with the towel in their hands, and completely naked. It's just the way guys are. What stories do you have to share? I'd love to hear your zingers in the comments below. Oh, and the picture is my tattoo, a dragon and phoenix entwined.

Friday Follow: Great Blogs YOU Should Follow!

2011-09-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

We are in a great age of writing. Many writers are accessible online and maintain blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts, among others. After reading a great book, we can easily find the writer online and share our enthusiasm. Sometimes, as what happened with me, the dormant desire to write surfaces and comes alive again as a result of this almost instant interaction.

Great writing inspires others to write greatly. I've always had a dream to write, but having a family deterred me. I am blessed with a lovely wife of more than 11 years, and have four boys to keep me constantly busy. I love it, I truly do. But, back in my single college days, I was a writer, and I spent most of my free time working on honing the skills to write. My focus was primarily poetry. Once I was married and had children, I thought I had to put that aside until later when I had the time to write.

Wrong.

If writing is your passion, and you recognize you are a writer, don't bury that seed and hope it comes back some day off in the future. The time is NOW to write. I alluded to direct interactions with writers. That actually happened for me. I read a fantastic book, The Mockingbirds, by Daisy Whitney, and found her twitter account online. I wrote her a few tweets, and she wrote back. WOW. I know it's not a masculine thing to do, but I couldn't help the SQUEE factor.

I then wrote Daisy an email and shared with her my desire to write. She took the time to respond and has encouraged me several times as I took the plunge and wrote my first novel. Daisy is a very busy woman. She has an online business she runs in the day, a website and blog, and is a full time writer as well. During the time I wrote my first book, she finished the sequel to her first book, The Rivals, which is set to be published in February 2012 (I can't wait!!!), and wrote and is publishing a third book, When You Were Here, which is currently in the early publication process. Oh, and she is already working on ANOTHER new book. Daisy is a WRITING MACHINE! and definitely inspires me in my writing. One thing she shared with me when I referred to the difficulty of finding time to write was, "write during the interstitial times, such as when you take your son to karate." Thank you, Daisy. That was a world-changer and eye-opener for me.

I know I've rattled on here quite a bit, but my point is this: If you want to write, don't let anything stop you. Get out there and write. And, while you're at it, get reading! That's RULE #1 of writing. Read to fill up the "Writer's Creative Well," and out of that comes your own writing, written in your own voice.

To help you along the way, I'm sharing the top five blogs I go to for writing tips, encouragement, and for sharing the writerly journey. If you haven't done so, create a twitter account and follow writers to learn more about the process they and we are going through. Many writers share these things online, and you might stumble across a great book giveaway, or other opportunities to win autographed and other nifty prizes. What have you got to lose? Check out the list below and share your own great resources in the comments section.

Oh, and GET WRITING! Make a daily goal and shoot for that as a minimum each day. Try to write around the same time each day if you can. Set it up like a schedule. For myself, I write during nap time, after bedtime and when I take my son to karate, but you already knew that, didn't you?

TOP FIVE BLOGS YOU SHOULD FOLLOW NOW:

1. Daisy Whitney's Author's Blog: http://daisywhitney.com/blog/
2. K. M. Weiland's Word Play Author's Blog: http://www.wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com/
3. Ava Jae's Writeability Writer's Blog: http://avajae.blogspot.com/
4. Tymothy Longoria's Aspire No More Writer's Blog: http://tymothylongoria.wordpress.com/
5. J.A. Bennett's A Book, A Girl, A Journey Blog: http://abookagirlajourney.blogspot.com/

Please share your faves in the comments below. Have a great weekend!

Meet the Newly Agented Writer, Tymothy Longoria!

2011-09-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Writers rejoice when a talented fellow writer becomes an agented writer. That just happened for a good friend of mine, Tymothy Longoria. He has joined Martin Literary Management as of last week. Join me in cheering on a fellow writer. Click the link and read all about Tymothy's writing, including an awesome exerpt here. Oh, and if you're curious about his new agent, her name is Bree Ogden. You can follow her on Twitter @breeogden and if you haven't followed Tymothy yet, he's at @tymothylongoria

Rock on, Tymothy! So excited to see your vision in Stories: Book One come to fruition. Stay tuned! I know I will.

Fire Salamander in The Packing House

2011-09-14T06:01:00.001-07:00

Ray Bradbury, in his early dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, described a fiery future where books are burned and banned. Guy Montag, the thinking fireman, must choose whether he accepts this future, or rejects it for another. Within the flames of a book bonfire, Montag has an epiphany, setting him on a course that drags the reader through the flames of the rest of the book.

The first section of this book is called, The Hearth and the Salamander, and makes reference to Montag's "professional symbols": a salamander on his arm and a phoenix disc on his chest. Clearly an allusion to the fire salamander of myth, the creature is known to have an affinity for fire and often has been associated with the attributes of a fire elemental.

In The Packing House, Joel is a sixteen-year-old plagued by recurring nightmares, many of which have connections to fire. You'll have to wait for the book to know these specifics, but there is a distinct reference to the fire salamander, as depicted in the stunning artwork by Onzamano above. In fact, there is also a reference to several books the MC reads throughout the novel, but none of them are named.

Care to make a wager as to one famous novel in particular referenced in The Packing House? Here's a hint: read chapter one, which is conveniently posted at the top right of this blog, and see for yourself. I am confident you'll sort it out right away. Just stick your hand in the fire and don't get burned.

God's Eyes in The Packing House

2011-09-13T08:19:00.001-07:00

God's Eyes are a common craft in VBS. If you've ever taken Popcicle sticks and wrapped colorful yarn around, you know what I mean. However, many of you probably do not know the origin of where these crafts come from, or what they really mean. Often, the sentiment associated with God's Eyes are something like, "God is always with you, always watching over you, always protects you."

The real origin might surprise you. Check it out here. The Huichol, a people group from Western Mexico create God's Eyes to see what is unseen, to understand what has not been understood, and to know what is unknown. The four colors and the four corners illustrate the four basic elements: air, earth, fire and water.

How does this connect with The Packing House novel? You'll have to wait and see for yourself. It's something that connects Joel with Amber. I hope you'll read about it when the novel comes out. I welcome your comments below. And, while you're here, join the blog so you don't miss out on other hints, announcements, contests and tidbits as more information can be shared. Thank you for stopping by!

Rorschach Inkblot Test, Is My MC a Little Crazy?

2011-09-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

What does the classic, ten picture test mean for my main character, Joel in The Packing House? That's a great question. And, one you'll need to read about halfway through my YA novel to discover. For those of you on the straight and narrow, here's a glimpse of what the test looks like. Imagine yourself sitting across from a shrink, showing you each card, and asking you what you see.

How would you answer? I'd love to hear your comments below. The picture has them numbered, so you can just list them in order and share your response. I'm not a psychologist, so don't worry. I don't think you're crazy.

Find out what Joel thinks of this test in The Packing House, a YA contemporary novel about a boy with recurring nightmares and his need to figure out the root cause.

In Memoriam: A 9/11 Tribute Through Poetry

2011-09-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

The Death of A Poet

By day's end we are spent,
our lumbering through this
living slumber to the last look
light leaves us at the lake shore,
swan-like fierceness flickering
under feathers white and tomb-like.

How horribly the waters part
beneath us, surround on all sides,
grapple us with long ripples,
bony strokes pressing us to
the lowest point of the lake floor.
There the silt settles from waters

stirred and cycling around us,
laid with whispered prayers
and dreams too terrible
to remember by morning.
How stunned and numbly we wake,
shake off the watery shroud,

breathe awareness through
lungs drowned by night's respite.
We stumble down to lividity, hers,
a thought unshaken by morning's breath,
desperate death where the heart
stops and air escapes altogether.

Now words stick fast to the inner
walls, my chest still grasping for air,
stubbornly held by the dream's
dampened and delicate darkness,
drifting in the swan's scything path
and death, which is a letting go.

G. Donald Cribbs, copyright (c) 2011

*allusion to "Der Schwan," by Rainer Maria Rilke

The Packing House Back Cover Blurb

2011-09-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

Sixteen-year-old Joel Scrivener's vicious nightmares return and force him to stop avoiding a problem he thought had to do with his parents’ divorce. Driven by an embarrassing viral video of himself in study hall where he fell asleep, Joel must figure out who or what is the source of his bad dreams, before his brother Jonathan joins the school crowd and leaves Joel isolated and alone.

When Joel discovers his mother gambled away the bill money, landing them in yet another school and what might as well be a meth-lab trailer park, Joel runs away. His decision to break into a school building is soon derailed when he’s caught, first by his brother, and then his mother. Running from his problems solves nothing. For Joel, it earns him a full, psychological exam.

His ally through it all is Amber Walker, childhood friend and kindred spirit, who also happens to be the only girl he’s ever loved. Amber is conflicted. A true friend would help Joel lose the bad-boy reputation he’s recently acquired. If they’re more than friends, something she has not yet admitted, Amber must sort through her true feelings for Joel.

After Joel's mother ships him off to live with his grandmother, Joel finds a way to improve his failing grades and get his life back on track through his writing. But, when a project for his grandmother leads him directly to the root cause of his nightmares, the truth it uncovers threatens to destroy everything Joel desperately strives to overcome.

The Great Pony Car Debate: Camaro vs. TransAm

2011-08-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

On the left is a 1981 Chevrolet Z28 (in red), a great ponycar for all of you car fanatics, aficionatos, etc.

Join the debate and keep coming back here to discover how this relates to the brothers in The Packing House. Joel and Jonathan are the brothers in question.

On the right is a 1981 Pontiac TransAm (in blue). Make your vote for favorite ponycar in the poll to the right, and if you don't like either of these choices, add your fave in the comments below!

Thanks for your participation.

M.C. Escher's Tesselations

2011-08-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

One of the themes of The Packing House is transformation. An artistic movement related to transformation is the art of tessellations. M. C. Escher is a well-known tessellation artist. You can check out his official site here.

Besides "Metamorphosis II" (above), "Reptiles" (below) is one of my favorite Escher tessellations. Stay tuned to this blog to find out what role tessellations play in The Packing House. You'll be transformed!

The Packing House

2011-08-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

"We have ways within each other that will never be seen by anyone." --Jelaluddin Rumi, 13th Century Sufi Poet.