THE PACKING HOUSE, a YA fictionalized CSA account

[BeautyforAshes]

I joined this board several years ago when I began the process to write about the lived experience I had with CSA. It has taken me 5 years of writing and rewriting this book, with cover to cover revisions,submitting to agents for consideration, and going all the way to the point where they offer a contract of representation,and then to receive a pass. The last one dragged out because the publisher closed in the process. As I wrote each of at least 16 cover to cover revisions, and countless internal edits, I struggled with times I was triggered, times I lost control and blew up in front of my wife and kids (I humbled myself and took responsibility for this, writing it into the book as penance), and wondered if I could ever fully "go there" and do this story justice. My goal was to be as honest as possible, and help the reader to know what it was like to go through te abuse, and the subsequent aftermath. Finally, I reached a point of giving up, and I decided to shelve the book.

I began a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling, and started my coursework. About a month later, one final submission finally responded (that's quick for a submission, mind you) with a contract offer to publish the book! I couldn't believe it. All these other times had dragged out for more months, only to end with a pass. Yet, this time, I was sent an offer to publish the book. I accepted, and took last year to get it ready to publish, while maintaining a 4.0 in grad school. My amazing editor gave me 3 levels of edits to help me get the book to where it is now. Those changes made all the difference. Next, my proof reader took it to an even greater level of revisions,and I am so thankful to have had their help to polish the book to publishable quality. The amazing thing is completing this while also attending grad school, which was its own challenge, since counseling makes you face and deal with all of your "stuff," often for an assignment or paper I had to turn in for a grade. I've also got a wife and four boys, yet somehow I kept it all together and I am very proud of where it is now. Feel free to ask me any questions you have about this process below.

So, why am I sharing this here? Well, the book was written for you. It deals with a teen boy running from his nightmares, his suppressed undealt with CSA trauma, and I am donating 20% of every book sold to Male Survivor to fund a scholarship for those who want to attend Weekend of Recovery (WoR) but cannot afford to go.

The book has been read by many who are survivors, and I have been told by my readers this book resonates strongly for them. I will tell you there is a trigger warning on the copywrite page, so be warned and take good care of yourself if you do read it.

The book is called, THE PACKING HOUSE, and is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble in both ebook (Kindle and Nook) or Paperback formats. I hope you will consider this book as a part of your recovery journey, and I welcome your feedback as well. If you would like, please do post your review, no matter what that is. I encourage an honest review no matter what. You have a right to your experience as a reader. It can also help others find good books to read. The two most helpful sites to post reviews are Amazon and GoodReads, but I welcome reviews posted on Barnes & Noble and YA Books Central, too.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comment here in this thread.

Regards,

BeautyforAshes

 

[Sterling]

i hope i get a a chance to read it!
U deserve to feel proud.
A role-model for us.



James

 

[BeautyforAshes]

James,

I see you are from Canada. The direct link for THE PACKING HOUSE on Amazon Ca is: https://www.amazon.ca/The-Packing-House-Donald-Cribbs-ebook/dp/B019J7MBDS/ref=zg_bs_15367041_42

Thank you for your interest and for your support. Both mean a lot to me.

Regards,

Beauty for Ashes

 

[BeautyforAshes]

Here's the synopsis for those who want to read the jacket copy to decide if you'd want to read more:

When sixteen-year-old Joel Scrivener has a raging nightmare in study hall and someone records it on their phone, he awakens to a living nightmare where everyone knows the secret he's avoided for ten years. Reeling from a series of bullying incidents posted on YouTube and an ill-timed mid-year move, Joel takes to the woods, leaving the bullies and his broken home behind. However, life as a runaway isn't easy. Joel finds it difficult to navigate break-ins, wrestle hallucinations, and elude capture. He races to figure out who his dream-world attacker could be, piecing clues together with flashes of remembered images that play endlessly inside his head. Besides these images, the one constant thought occupying Joel's mind is Amber Walker, the girl he's been in love with for years. Amber sees little beyond the broken boy Joel has become, despite the letters they've written back and forth to each other. But Joel is stronger and more resilient than he looks, and it's time he convinces Amber of this fact, before he runs out of chances with her for good.

Amazon: https://amzn.com/1513705598

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-packing-house-g-donald-cribbs/1123237767?ean=2940158049422

"In his debut novel, G. Donald Cribbs has written an emotional wallop about the courage and bravery of a young survivor. The Packing House is a tapestry of nightmares--the images that haunt Joel in his dreams and memories woven together with the painful experiences of a frayed and fractured family life, the take-no-prisoner bullying of adolescence, and the agony of loving and not knowing if it will ever be returned. And yet, Joel's story is one of strength and resilience as he hunts down the source of all this pain--a story Cribbs captures with sharp-eyed and utterly clear veracity. Three cheers to G. Donald Cribbs for endeavoring to tell this tough story and doing it so well."

-Brendan Kiely, author of The Gospel of Winter, and co-author of All American Boys (with Jason Reynolds), winner of the Coretta Scott King Award and the Walter Dean Myers Award.

"THE PACKING HOUSE is as an enthralling and important piece of fiction that tastefully and honestly addresses the topic of sexual abuse of minors."
~IndieReader

[img:center]https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UgDlpzmHXj0/Vu7M501M00I/AAAAAAAABZU/0ry7JteX6Pg5Nomc541IlQ7zTMil_Jiig/s1600/WhatReadersAreSayingAboutTPH.jpg[/img]


Beauty for Ashes

 

[unhappycamper]

Got it! Good stuff.

Peace.

John

 

[BeautyforAshes]

Thanks, John, for your purchase. I hope the book is not too triggering for you. Regards,

Beauty for Ashes

 

[unhappycamper]

Thanks, John, for your purchase. I hope the book is not too triggering for you. Regards,

Beauty for Ashes

Hey, I'm writing a [heavily fictionalized] account of the Bad Thing That Happened To Me, so I've gotten lots tougher about triggers! To quote Gertrude Stein, "The way to say it is to say it."

Peace!

John

 

[BeautyforAshes]

John,

Glad you are able to write about your abuse experience. While I found the process cathartic, at times I was incredibly triggered.

Regards, B4A

 

[BeautyforAshes]

Want to read the first chapter of THE PACKING HOUSE before you purchase? It's here on my blog:

https://gdonaldcribbsbooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-packing-house-excerpt.html?m=1

 

[txb]

Thanks for posting this, and thanks for writing your book. Congratulations on being published! As a kid I really wanted to read books that I could relate to, or books about kids going through the same things as me, but I was always disappointed. I still want to read books like that now, so I'm going to order your book.

I want to write - as a career, or as half a career because I don't think it's very well paid. I'm really good at thinking up ideas but actually getting it down in a way that makes sense is hard. I'm about 45k words into a story right now. I'm thinking my idea is terrible, it's the worst thing anyone ever wrote and no one would ever want to read it. Did you ever feel like that when you were writing? Do you think this is normal?? I'm trying to write through it anyway. It's surely better to have a finished novel that sucks than to have just two chapters of perfect writing. I never show anyone my writing either, which obviously I'll need to do at some point if I want to get published. Did you find it hard to deal with rejections and criticism? I'm sure that sort of stuff is never easy for anyone, but I feel like it's something that's extra hard to deal with when you're a survivor.

 

[BeautyforAshes]

Txb,

Thanks for buying THE PACKING HOUSE. I have been having trouble with logging in lately. I can only do so on my phone, otherwise I would have responded sooner. It's perfectly normal to feel that way when you're writing. I have probably felt that way several times. You may feel a first draft is complete garbage but you have to write something in order to edit it and fix it so really no matter what the first draft looks like it can all be salvaged. I look at feedback and criticism as essential to the writing process it's just something you have to expect. Sure no one likes to be rejected but if you keep trying eventually you'll get further along in the process. Best of luck to you in reading and revising your story. We need many more. I'm glad you're sharing yours.

Regards,

B4A

 

[txb]

Thanks. Your book arrived today. It's on my shelf! I'm reading something right now, but I'll start it as soon as I'm finished.

I know that I have to try and adjust my thoughts on feedback and criticism. It's hard when you are scared of rejection. Especially since writing is such a personal thing. Like everything is an idea from inside my head, so it would be like people were criticising my personal thoughts and ideas. I finished writing my first draft yesterday. I made the mistake of reading a really great book just before I finished, making me think I'm crazy to even consider being a writer. I'm going to keep trying though.

Are you going to write any more novels?

 

[BeautyforAshes]

TXB,

Yes, I have many more novels and series to share. I have started a few of them. While I am in grad school I am not getting much writing done, but I know what I am writing next. Here's a preview:

First, I am 12,000 words into book 2 of this 2 book duology, tentatively entitled, UNPACKING THE PAST. Book 2 begins exactly where book one end and takes off at a very fast pace.

Next, I have started a new series which is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story with a twist. The girl is the Beast the boy is the beauty and this is set in a French like country and uses steampunk technology. In some ways the girl is like a Joan of Arc or female Charlemagne. If I do it right it will be quite a bit.

I have a few other Series in mind including a dystopian series about twins and multiples being stolen by the government to cure all the diseases in the world and their twin siblings will break them out and come to the rescue.

Keep writing. You'll get there. Just don't stop. Regards,

B4A

 

[unhappycamper]

I just finished THE PACKING HOUSE. I won't use the term "enjoyed," because of the subject matter, but I couldn't put it down very often. It's always good to bring CSA to light. I did enjoy the writing style, with the cutaways to Joel's thoughts, and the poems distilled his inner reality and prepared us for his growing awareness in a...well, a poetic way.

Overall, the book was a tough read for me, since some of the "action scenes" were way too close to home, but I'm glad I read it. I'm looking forward to the sequel. Peace, all!

John

 

[BeautyforAshes]

John,

Thank you very much for reading and sharing your experience of THE PACKING HOUSE on the discussion board. While I am sorry to hear that it was difficult for you to read because of what it brought up for you, it sounds like it resonates strongly with you. I hope as you have time to process Joel's story, it will positively contribute to your recovery journey.

If you are able, it would be a huge help to me and in getting the word out about the book, to share your thoughts in an honest review on Amazon. Reviews elsewhere do help, too, but I receive the greatest benefit from reviews on Amazon. I n fact I am only 5 reviews away from a new benefit.

Thanks again, John. Your post means a lot to me. Blessings to you!

B4A

 

[BeautyforAshes]

I must announce that my publisher, Booktrope, has recently announced it will cease to exist as of May 31st, 2016. This means if you were considering getting a copy of THE PACKING HOUSE, you only have until the end of this month to make your purchase. Again, 20% of all books sold will go to Male Survivor. I will seek a new opportunity to republish this book, preferrably with a wider reach and better support/marketing. I will let you know as I hear or learn new information.

Thank you to each of you who have read it, supported, posted reviews, and encouraged others to read it as well. Your support helps me continue to challenge myself to take further steps of healing and recovery. I let it go, and invite the possibility it can return again in a new way.

B4A

 

[Logan]

Thank you for letting us all know of the time limit.

i just placed my order.

 

[derekjw]

Any chance this book could be made available in the google play store?

 

[unhappycamper]

Or maybe through Amazon Createspace. That can sell paper copies and Kindle versions.

Plus, if the buyer uses "Amazon Smile" and designates MaleSurvivor as the charity, MS will receive some money on each sale.

John C.

 

[gdc]

Update on The Packing House online availability through INKITT:

Take a moment to help The Packing House Return to Publication: Here's How:

First, I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read all or part of The Packing House. I know several of you purchased a copy and commented here. Thank you! One way to support this project, which is my survivor story, (if you haven't yet) is to post your honest review on sites like GoodReads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, where they have a huge impact in finding new readers.

But today I'm posting about a new opportunity, and I need your help to get The Packing House republished in paperback, eBook, and audio book formats! As you may know, the publisher for The Packing House, Booktrope, went out of business a couple years ago, and publishing rights reverted to the author (me).

I am posting here to ask a favor: I am in the process of completing data gathering requirements for a website and publisher, Inkitt, which uses a sophisticated algorithm to assess reader habits and determines whether a book has market/reader appeal or not. Here's where you come in:

Read The Packing House Free on Inkitt: https://www.inkitt.com/stories/thriller/232589

PLEASE NOTE: TRIGGER WARNING. This book may be triggering. Please use precautions when reading. However, many readers, even fellow survivors, found this book a part of their healing, which I hope for each of you as well. You know yourself best.

Whether you've previously read The Packing House or not, you can be a part of the data gathering phase. Simply follow the link above and read your way through the entire book for free. While you have the online book open, click the "thumbs up" to vote for The Packing House (this feature may only be accessible via the Inkitt app, which is an easy way to read on the go via your phone or electronic device). Next, you can post your honest review once you've read through the book. If you happen to have a handy review you've already written, simply copy and paste it into the box via this link below:

Copy and Paste Your Review on Inkitt: https://www.inkitt.com/stories/thriller/232589/reviews/create

The algorithm studies how many chapters you read in one sitting, how long it takes you to read the book cover to cover (43 chapters), whether you vote for the book, or post a review, etc. All of this data is compiled, and Inkitt determines if each book posted is worthy of offering a publishing contract or not. I am currently at 22% completed with the data gathering. Either it's worth the risk, or it's not. You can have a direct say in whether The Packing House should be offered a second publishing contract or not! Thus far, they've published over 50 books using this approach, most landing in the Amazon Top 100, and so far, The Packing House is well on its way toward republication. I need your support to help it reach its goal. I'd love to be able to offer readers paperbacks, eBooks, and audiobooks once again.

Thank you for supporting me and this project. I'm working on book 2, Unpacking The Past, and getting The Packing House back into print is a sure way to get me to complete book 2. If you've read the ending, you might have a reason to want me to hurry up with book 2. I hope you'll take a few minutes and support The Packing House in any way you feel comfortable. You can also use the links on Inkitt to share The Packing House for free across social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, so others know they can read and review The Packing House as well.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read The Packing House, and for showing your support by posting an honest review.

Blessings to you all!

B4A, author of The Packing House Duology