You're Invited to a Launch Party!

You are invited to the release

of Tristi Pinkston’s new novel

Dearly Departed

on Friday, January 14th,

at Pioneer Book

858 S. State, Orem

6 – 8 pm

Refreshments, prizes, and fun!

Bring a package of socks to be donated

to the homeless, and you'll be entered in an

additional drawing.

Hope to see you there!

Book Review: "Secret Sisters" by Tristi Pinkston

Okay, before I get to the review, I have to get something off my chest. I read a lot of books. I mean, really. Because I love reading. And I read lots of young adult books because, well, that’s my genre and what I need to know, and those are the stories I love. But.

Lately, YA books have been getting heavy. Or, at least, the best ones are. Heavy in topic. Heavy in emotion. Heavy in words and pages. Yikes! And even though I’m dying to read them, I find myself staring at the stacks of books on my nightstand warily, putting off opening them because I know that the minute I do, I’ll be sucked into a world of drama.

That’s how I like my YA books.

But no one can read ALL drama, all the time. To do so would be, well, exhausting. Which is why I also have a grand appreciation for short, entertaining books that make me laugh out loud. You know what I mean? Feel good books.

But I’m picky. Always. I still insist on reading books with well defined characters, thoughtful plots, and just all around good writing. Let’s face it. A writer’s style and voice can make or break the book.

The point is I’ve been excited for the release of Secret Sisters for something like two years. Ever since Tristi brought the first chapters of this book to our critique group, I’ve been completely hooked. (And just so you all know, this is the first in a multi-book series, so I’m still hooked.)

Right off the bat, I fell in love with Ida Mae. She’s so matter-of-fact and thoughtful, and just downright fun. Put her together with her sidekicks…er, I mean, Relief Society counselors, Tansy and Arlette, secretary Hannah, and zany—and totally hunky—nephew Ren, and let the spying...um, I mean, sleuthing, um, I mean, investigating begin.

This cast of characters will have you laughing out loud in the middle of the day, perhaps while you’re in the grocery store or driving your car, when out of the blue a great line pops into your head. One such as, “Sister Babbitt, why is the Relief Society here?”

Yes, that really happened. And people stared. I appeared to be nuts. Don’t worry, I’m used to it.

If you’re looking for a quick, light-hearted read that will have you giggling for days after you’ve finished, add Secret Sisters to your list. This one’s a keeper. Thank goodness it’s the first of a series. I know there will be several more books to which I can look forward.

**Afterthought** In reading my own words, it sounds like this is a young adult book, which it is not. Although, young adults would probably like it too. This book has been classified as chick-lit for the elderly. Or just plain old fun!

Here’s the blurb:

Ida Mae Babbitt, president of the Omni 2nd Ward Relief Society, didn’t mean to become a spy. But when visiting teaching stats are low, and she learns that one family under her care is in financial trouble, she’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they have what they need. If that includes planting surveillance cameras in their home and watching them from a parked car in the woods…well, isn’t that what any caring Relief Society president would do?


With the help of her counselors, Arlette and Tansy, Ida Mae soon learns that there’s more to the situation than meets the eye.


But it’s all in a day’s work for the Relief Society.


To purchase your copy of Secret Sisters, click here.


To learn more about the author, Tristi Pinkston, check out her blog or website.

To learn more about Valor Publishing, check out their blog or website.

Over the Top Bloggy Award

Last week was a little trying for me. I don’t really know why, a bunch of small things added together with some not-so-small ones and by the end, I was ready to run away and start a new life in another country. Well, okay, maybe not an entirely new life. Still, sometimes I feel that way, you know?

And then my friend Ronda awarded me with the “Over The Top” blogger award, and the fact that she would think of me, and her reasons behind giving me the award made my week. I am one lucky lady to have such supportive and wonderful friends like Ronda, and our larger Authors Incognito group, as well as my other writing groups and all the extended support I get every day from each of them. Also, I have some amazing and wonderful friends who are not writers, and who love me no matter what.

Thanks to a combination of those people, this week has been wonderful, and so much better than last week. Hooray for awesome friends. Thanks, Ronda, for the award. And now, I’ll try to do justice to your fun questions.

1. Where is your cell phone? Right next to me on my bed (since that’s where I’m sitting right now.)

2. Your hair? Clean, just past my chin, auburn this month, flat because it’s almost bedtime.


3. My mother? Um, what about her? She’s my mother.


4. Your father? Same deal. Neither of them live very far away, so I see them regularly.


5. Favorite food? Snow crab. And really, I’m not very picky.


6. Your dream last night? Can I plea the fifth on this one? No? Let’s just say it involved me, my friend Jen, Las Vegas, shopping, lightening and some seriously amazing thunder. Oh, and probably a bestselling novel—or I could be inserting that in mentally, not sure. Don’t remember much else, sorry.

7. Favorite drink? Dr. Pepper rocks!


8. Your dream/goal? You already know this answer—my novel on the New York Times Bestseller List. Duh!


9. What room are you in? My bedroom.


10. Your hobby? Besides writing? Reading, listening to music, driving around in my car, shopping, traveling, hanging with my family.


11. Your fear? Something happening to my husband or kids.


12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? A bestselling author living on a tropical island.


13. Where were you last night? In Las Vegas.


14. Something you aren't. Fake, a liar, perfect.


15. Muffins? Yes please. I like all except ones with walnuts in them.


16. Wish list item? Trip to Hawaii. Macbook Air, new carpet, living room chairs.


17. Where did you grow up? Everywhere. =) Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Utah.


18. Last thing you did? Caught up on three days worth of email.


19. What are you wearing? Pajamas.


20. Your TV? On. Watching “The Breakup”.


21. Your pet? Two golden retrievers, Tika and Dixie.


22. Your friends? THE BEST!


23. Your life? Is now complete. =) Full, awesome.


24. Your mood? Calm, content, happy.

25. Missing someone? Always.


26. Vehicle? 2004 Ford Mustang convertible. Red.


27. Something you're not wearing? Jewelry. (Are ya shocked? Yeah, well, I don’t wear it to bed.)


28. Your favorite store? That is a loaded question. Depends on what I’m shopping for, and the purpose for which I need it. Express maybe? Victoria’s Secret? Dillards? Really, I have to choose just one?

29. Your favorite color? Depends on my mood. Usually green or purple. Or pink. Or blue.


30. When was the last time you laughed? A few minutes ago. I laugh regularly.

31. Last time you cried? Last week, I think.


32. Your best friend? Besides Gary and my kids, Jennifer, Tiffany, Raylene, Lori, Mitzi, and Tova.


33. One place that I go over and over? The schools. Drive to school, pick up from school, drive to school, pick up from school. It’s a never-ending cycle. Same thing with the grocery store. Can’t figure out why…


34. One person who e-mails me regularly? My writing groups—SuperEdits, AuthorsIncognito, NovelThoughts, ANWA—my cousin Kellie, my coauthor Cindy…wow, do you really want this list? It’s pretty long.

35. Favorite place to eat? Mexico, a cruise ship, the beach, the mountains. (No one said it has to be a restaurant.)


Now for the five I've tagged to receive this award:



1. Rachelle: For always being there when I need encouragement or a good edit. Also, for her ability to continue on when most other people would give up, and seeing the forest for the trees. You are a constant example to me.

2. Danyelle: For patience and strength, and a deep and abiding ability to encourage others and be a good friend. Even as she collected rejection after rejection, she always rejoiced with others when they found success, and continues to do so every day.


3. Josh Perkey: Who watches out for others, gives excellent input, and is generally an all around great guy/editor. I’m so lucky to have him for a friend.


4. Darvell Hunt: Who is the head and heart behind Authors Incognito, and who has toiled and labored at his writing as long or longer than anyone else I know. Success is headed his way very soon.

5.Tristi Pinkston: For always saying it like it is with class and panache. The Storymakers wouldn’t be the same without her, and neither would Authors Incognito.

Since I was limited to five people, there are others I didn’t tag. Cindy Beck was tagged by both Karlene Browning and Ronda Hinrichson, and Connie Hall is dealing with a lot of things and I’m not sure she’s up to answering all these questions. But she definitely deserves an honorable mention for her sweet generosity, kind heart, and stalwart strength.

Thanks again, Ronda. And good luck with the release of your book, Missing.


Hey, you five, if you answer this tag, let me know. I really want to read your answers. Thanks. Until next time, write on.

Nichole

Up To The Challenge!

By Nichole (Duh!)



I suppose, being that it's already July 3rd, that perhaps I should map out my goals for Tristi Pinkston's July writing challenge. Considering how I'm participating this month, and all.



In April, I had some big, lofty plans for what I hoped to accomplish. But as it turned out, April was just not my month for writing, or editing, or even cleaning my house. And...I didn't get much of anything done. So, basically I blew the whole challenge. I was not up to it.



However, July is an entirely different story. For one thing, even though my kids are out of school for summer break, I will not have to carve out four or five days for a "spring break" family trip. (Our summer trip is weeks in the past, so that's a good thing.) Also, the Storymaker's conference isn't this month. I know I'm not involved in the planning for that conference, per-se, but because my writer's group is sponsored by the Storymakers, there was lots of plotting and planning going on--especially for social things among ourselves. We sure are quite the chatty bunch when we get together. Plus, we just don't see each other nearly often enough. Then, take away Easter (which requires shopping and preparation that the July holidays don't) and my daughter's birthday, and...yeah. July is looking more productive. I hope.
So--short story long--my official goal is going to be realistic enough to reach. Because, even given all the things I just listed, it's still summer, the kids are still out of school, and I still end up staying up late into the night if I want to write.


This month I'm planning to add 30,000 words to my work in progress--hopefully bringing it to a conclusion or coming close enough that I can go back and do some serious rewrites that will help shape the plot. That way, when I take my chapters to critique, I will know they're relevant.



Ta da! That's it.



Wish me luck!




PS. There's still time to enter my summer rocks contest. See the post below for details!

I Won the Superior Scribbler Award

My friend Jordan has given me a blog award for helping her with a recent query letter. In that case, I should give one right back to her, since she also helped with mine. But I think that's against the rules, so I'm going to have to pass the joy on to other people who have helped me during my writing journey.

The trick, I think, is picking only five people out of a whole lot who help me every day.

These are the rules:

Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.

Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Though choosing five bloggers has been extremely difficult, I've chosen people who've helped me recently, and who I know will respond to this award with a post of their own.

Many thanks to: Cindy Beck, Rachelle Christensen, Tristi Pinkston, Ali Cross, Elana Johnson, and Connie Hall. (I know, I'm a bit of a cheater to give it to six people instead of five. I told you it was a tough choice!)

Thanks for all your help, you guys! I wouldn't survive this whole writing thing without you.

Peace and Love--until next time.

Book Review: "Agent In Old Lace" by Tristi Pinkston

By Nichole Giles

About the book:

Shannon Tanner has it all, a perfect family, perfect job, perfect boyfriend—or so she thinks. What Shannon doesn’t know is that her boyfriend, Mark, is stealing money from her father and making money doing it. When Shannon learns Mark’s secret, he turns on her, and Shannon’s life abruptly goes from perfect to perilous.

In an effort to protect Shannon, the FBI assigns their only female agent to go undercover as her personal bodyguard. But when the agent gets injured the day before the assignment, they turn to the next best thing: their top agent, Rick Holden—in a dress.

Life seems safe again for Shannon with Rick by her side and Mark apparently gone for good. Then Shannon gets word that her best friend has been kidnapped, and it becomes clear that Mark isn’t going to stop any time soon. Shannon realizes the only way to save herself and her friend—and stop Mark once and for all—is by sending Rick, her only source of protection, away. Can Rick save Shannon before it’s too late?

My Take:

I have to be honest. This is not my first experience with a Tristi Pinkston book. And while her only other published novels are historical fiction, the switch from historical to humorous romantic suspense seemed like a natural transition to me. That might sound crazy, unless you know Tristi personally. She just has that many facets—humor being a prominent, shiny one for her.

From the first line of the book, Tristi had me hooked. “Shannon Tanner felt as though she’d stepped into a Fortune 500 magazine…” And the story takes off from there, launching right into the main conflict—Shannon’s seemingly perfect boyfriend gone a little postal and throwing all sense of religion out the window by trying to murder Shannon and keep millions of dollars stolen from her father. In steps the hunky FBI agent, Rick Holden—and well, you’re going to have to read to know the rest. I’ll give you a hint, though…the plan involves pantyhose, a wig, and lipstick—but not for Shannon.

Tristi delivers romantic suspense with a humorous twist in this not-so-classic thriller. It was a delightful read, one that kept me up—on the edge of my seat, or, okay, bed—until three a.m. so I could get to the conclusion.

More honesty: I was one of the lucky people who got to read this book before it went to print. (Look for my name in the acknowledgements!) I loved it the first time I read it (yep, that was the three a.m. time) and the second time—bound and covered—as well. This is one of those books you can read over and over again and enjoy even more each time.

“Agent in Old Lace” rates a five out of five on Nichole’s Diamond Scale.

To purchase your copy of “Agent in Old Lace” by Tristi Pinkston, check out your local Deseret Book, or click here.

To learn more about the author, click here.

INSIDER TIP: Tristi will be launching another book this October. “Secret Sisters” is the first in a series, and a definite MUST HAVE. Don’t miss Tristi’s next book—it’s absolutely hilarious!

Agent in Old Lace Launch Party

If you don't already know by now, my good friend Tristi Pinkston is launching her new book, "Agent in Old Lace" tomorrow at Providence Book in Pleasant Grove, UT. I'm way excited for this launch because I was one of the lucky critique groupies who got to read this before it went to press. Of course, as is true with all of Tristi's work, I loved it.

Everyone's invited, so come join us tomorrow for books, refreshments, prizes and a killer sale going on at Providence before they close the doors permanently. Feel free to bring a friend or several.

Date: Saturday, May 16th
Time: 3-5 p.m.
Place: Provident Book - 661 West State Street, Pleasant Grove

If you're not able to come, and would still like to purchase a copy of the book, you can do so here.

Tristi's Contest

This week, my good friend Tristi Pinkston will be launching her new book. "Agent in Old Lace" is a romantic suspense that will keep you laughing all the way to the end. (And yes, I've read it and that's my own blurb. I loved this book!)

Now, hot off the press, she's giving away a prize package containing a still warm copy...that is, if you like to play games. Click here to find out the contest details.

"Agent in Old Lace" is set to hit store shelves in the next couple of weeks. Watch for it so you can be sure to get your copy.