Tag Archives: Life

Pitch Wars Query and First Page Workshop

August 12, 2020Contests, Critiques, Literary, Webinar/WorkshopAdult, Author, สำคัญ, Critice, Criticiúil, Critico, Critigol, Deadline, Критических, Критични, Критичних, Entry, 重要, 關鍵., Feedback, First Page, Inspiration, Κρίσιμη, 중요, Kritické, Kritieke, Kritik, Kritikal, Kritikus, Kritinių, Kritis, Kritiska, Kritična, Krytyczne, Life, Manuscript, Mentor, Middle Grade, Mikilvægt, New Adult, Pitch Wars, Quan trọng, Query, Rafflecopter, Story, Submission, Taua, Winners, Writer, Young Adult, 关键, بحرانیpdpabst

Pitch Wars is offering a critique workshop for your query and first page. That’s right, both will get critiqued this year! They have mentors lined up, and ready to give you feedback. So, if you are entering Pitch Wars, or just need extra eyes on your material, you can enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win.

Available age categories are:

Middle Grade
Young Adult
New Adult
Adult

Deadline for entry is August 16, 2020 at 11:59pm EST. Winners will be announced on August 17, 2020 at 10am EST. As always, good luck!

P. D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 22, 2018Holiday, LiteraryAdventurous, Authoress, Authors, Blog, Brenda Drake, Celebrating, Coworkers, Critique Partners, Daughter, Diana Debolt Johnson, Editors, Faith, Family, Food, Free Books, Friends, Gathering, God, Grandson, Ham, Happy, Happy Thanksgiving, Health, Healthy, Illness, Job, Juliian Boehme, Kathleen S. Allen, Life, Love, Meals, Mentors, Michelle Hauck, Opportunity, Readers, Religious, Remember, Supporting, Thankful, Thanksgiving, Turkey, Writingpdpabst

Thanksgiving is a designated time to remember what we are thankful for in life. For many, it’s having our health to spend time with family and friends while gorging on amazing meals until our stomach feels like it will explode. But there are others who might be joyful they survived a fatal illness to be here celebrating with people they love. Or maybe, there are those thrilled to still have a job, maybe paid off a mortgage, or even happy because they got that iPhone they’ve always wanted.

As for me, I’d like to thank:

My family and friends who’ve supported me with my writing. I LOVE you guys!
My daughter and grandson for bringing me joy in my life with their adventurous spirit.
My readers. (Because without y’all, I’d have no reason to have a blog!)
All my past and current critique partners (especially Diana DeBolt Johnson, Kathleen S. Allen. and G.Z Schmidt!). This includes anyone who has ever glanced at a few pitches/pages/chapters and offered feedback (the list is long).
Contest hosts for supplying fabulous opportunities with agents and mentoring, and for those who selected me at some point in the past, for one thing or another. (For example: Brenda Drake, Authoress (Jillian Boehme), and Michelle Hauck.)
The mentors that participated in contests. Your feedback was completely awesome!
All slush readers (agents, editors, mentors, etc.) are the bomb. We don’t send enough chocolate, and I apologize!
The creator’s of Preditors & Editors (linky still down), Writer’s Beware , Absolute Write Forums, Publishers Marketplace, QueryTracker and Manuscript Wish List. (I use them often.)
All the authors that allowed me to participate in their book releases or cover reveals!
For all the ARCs I received, because FREE BOOKS before they’re published is AWESOME!
I have a job and I adore working with all my coworkers!
And finally (but not last), to God for giving me the strength to get through each day.

I’m sure there are many things and other people I may have forgotten, and ask forgiveness if I have. Everyone in my physical and virtual life are very important to me. Y’all give me strength to become the best me. Thank you for being a part of my life!

Whatever your reason for being thankful today, I wish you the happiest of Thanksgivings!

XOXO

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

November 23, 2017Holiday, LiteraryAbsolute Write, Agents, Authoress, Authors, books, Brenda Drake, Brother, Chapters, Children, Contests, Daughter, Diana DeBolt, Family, Father, Feedback, Friends, Grandkids, Grandson, Happy Thanksgiving, Health, Jessa Russo, Jobs, Joy, Life, Living, Love, Mentors, Michelle Hauck, Mother, Pitches, Preditors & Editors, Publishers Marketplace, Query Tracker, Readers, Sister, Stuffing, Thank You, Thankful, Turkey, Writer's Beware, Writerspdpabst

As for me, I’d like to thank:

My family and friends who’ve supported me with my writing. I LOVE you guys!
My daughter and grandson for bringing me joy in my life with their adventurous spirit.
My readers. (Because without y’all, I’d have no reason to have a blog!)
All my past and current critique partners (especially Diana DeBolt Johnson!). This includes anyone who has ever glanced at a few pitches/pages/chapters and offered feedback.
Contest hosts for supplying fabulous opportunities with agents and mentoring, and for those who selected me at some point in the past, for one thing or another. (For example: Brenda Drake, Authoress (Jillian), Michelle Hauck, and Jessa Russo.)
The mentors that participated in contests. Your feedback was completely awesome!
All slush readers (agents, editors, mentors, etc.) are the bomb. We don’t send enough chocolate, and I apologize!
The creator’s of Preditors & Editors (linky still down), Writer’s Beware , Absolute Write Forums, Publishers Marketplace, and QueryTracker. (I use them often.)
All the authors that allowed me to participate in their book releases or cover reveals!
For all the ARCs I received, because FREE BOOKS before they’re published is AWESOME!
I have a job and I adore working with all my coworkers!
And finally (but not last), to God for giving me the strength to get through each day.

Whatever your reason for being thankful today, I wish you the Happiest of Thanksgivings!

XOXO

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Prisoner of Ice and Snow by Ruth Lauren

March 4, 2017Literary, ReviewsApril, Author, Author Debut, Betrayal, Bloomsbury, Bloomsbury Children, Book, Bow And Arrow, Childrens Books, Deception, Demidova, Female Character, Five Stars, Katniss Everdeen, Life, Pre-Order, Prison, Prison Walls, Prisoner of Ice and Snow, Reading, Royal Family, Ruth Lauren, Story, USA, Valor, Winterpdpabst

Prisoner of Ice and Snow by Ruth Lauren is available for preorder and will be released by Bloomsbury Children’s Books USA on April 4, 2017. And yay, I received an ARC for my honest opinion. First, check out the cover! Who doesn’t like a strong female character holding a bow-and-arrow? My mind instantly went to the success of Katniss Everdeen. And when I learned that this young female character named Valor intentionally got herself thrown into prison, I was like “What? Who does that?” and HAD to read the story to see how she conducted herself within the prison walls.

Ruth Lauren wove a great tale of deception that kept me guessing. The story is fast-paced with a character full of courage. Valor vows to break her sister out of Demidova’s prison where no one has escaped in centuries! Oh yeah, I should mention her sister’s serving a life sentence for stealing from the royal family. I frequently cringed when Valor talked to another prisoner, worried she’d be exposed for her plans to escape. Punishment within Demidova’s prison were beyond harsh, often ending in a prisoner’s death. And oh my goodness, Ruth painted such a wintry picture of the prison, I stayed bundled in my quilt while reading. Seriously, this is a great read that’ll leave you rooting for Valor and her sister to escape Demidova! (And hoping she’ll wallop a few heads on her way.)

Ruth Lauren lives in a Victorian house in the West Midlands in England with her partner and a lot of children and cats. She likes chocolate, walking in the woods, cheese, orchids, going to the movies, and reading as many books as she can. She’s been a teacher and worked in lots of different offices, but she likes writing best. Prisoner of Ice and Snow is her debut novel. Find her at www.ruthlauren.com or on Twitter at @Ruth__Lauren

Pre-Order Now! Amazon , Bloomsbury , Kobo , BN , Google Play , Target , BAM! , Goodreads

HAPPY READING!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA Fiction

Monthly Mumbles

March 18, 2016LiteraryAmy Tan, College, Diversity, Life, Literature, Monthly Mumbles, P.D. Pabst, Reading, Sherman Alexie, Work Life, Writingpdpabst

Creative Pencil

I’ve been told that I should occasionally write a post about myself. So I’ll start giving updates on what I’m doing or what I’ve done. Late last year, I got a promotion with my day job (working as an ASM for a fortune 500 country). This is great except I now work 50-60 hours per week, which really cuts into my writing time. So, on my days off I binge write blog posts to schedule (including this one). Then because I’m a glutton for punishment, I decided to finish my degree and signed up for classes. This semester I’m taking THREE! But I will finally be finished with my degree in May. Woot!

So, when do I have time to write? I MAKE TIME! (Even if just a little each day. Refer to an earlier post I wrote.) I recently started a middle grade novel with sort of a Hobbit-ish feel (which I’m really excited about). And for those who knew about my last novel THIS SCARY MANOR BLOWS being in the hands of agents, yes it is still with a few. Waiting can be so difficult. The best cure is to write something new and forget about the old. Speaking of new, I’m up to 106 book ideas that I’ve made notes on (or started in some way). Since I might not be able to write all of them in this lifetime, I’ll need to reincarnate myself. Just sayin’.

Now, I have to tell y’all about a great diversity book I read for my Lit284 class called THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY of a PART-TIME INDIAN by Sherman Alexie. But I’ll warn you that sometimes the racist verbiage is a little tough to swallow. But the story is based on Sherman’s own life growing up on the reservation, so it wouldn’t be real if he kept the hard stuff out. Right? And have no fears about it being serious and deep, although there are some deep issues happening. This story is funny and inspiring about the underdog coming out on top. (Seriously, you’ll be asking yourself why you’re laughing when someone just died. So not cool, and yet there you’ll be.) The next book I’m currently reading is THE JOY LUCK CLUB by Amy Tan. (I know, hard to believe I haven’t read this story yet!)

That’s all for now. There be more from me later.

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

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