Walnut Springs Press March Madness Sweet 16 Questions--Tristi Pinkston

From the cozy mystery genera come the talented Tristi Pinkston,

author of 

The Secret Sisters Mystery

(Dearly Departed, Hang 'Em High, and Targets in Ties), 

and Women of Strength.

What is your favorite line, scene, or character from one of your books and why?

It won't come as a surprise to anyone that my favorite character I've ever written is Ida Mae Babbitt.  I like my other characters too, but Ida Mae and I hit it off the minute she popped into my head.  She's sassy, spunky, gutsy, and I hope I'm just like her when I reach her age.

Why do you write in the genre you do? 

Cozy mysteries make me happy. I love writing comedy, especially with quirky characters, and it's so fun to see what everyone's up to and what trouble they're getting into now.  I've recently written my first nonfiction book, although I've been writing nonfiction articles for years, and that was fun because I wanted to share some of my more serious thoughts with others. 

What are you working on next?

I'm putting the finishing touches on the 5th Secret Sisters mystery, I'm working on a Secret Sisters cookbook, and I'm also finishing up my first YA contemporary book.

Do you map out your stories beforehand, or do you let the characters speak and direct the story?

my books are totally character-drive. The ladies wouldn't have it any other way. :)

In one word describe the best thing about being an author.

Liberating

In one word describe the worst thing about being an author.

Numb-bum (I hyphenated it, so it's really one word)

When did you know you wanted to be an author? 

I've known I wanted to be an author since I was five years old.

How do your beliefs shape what you write?

My beliefs absolutely shape everything I write. They're part of me, and so they come out in my writing.  I really feel that no matter what your beliefs, they should always impact what you write, or else what's the good of having them?

What is the last book you read?

Bitter Blessings by Christine Mehring

What is on your nightstand now?

Tissue, makeup, the telephone ... oh, you mean books?  :)  There's quite a stack. Banana Split by Josi Kilpack, The Lightning Tree by Sarah Dunster, Juniper Crescent by Tony Graff, Shayla Witherwood by Tami Torero, No Escape by Anna Buttimore, Identity by Betsy Love, The Five Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me for Women by Richard Paul Evans, The Last Archangel by Michael Young, In God Is Our Trust by LC Lewis, Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth by Andy Hueller. 

Which author (dead or alive) would you most like to have lunch with? 

Louisa May Alcott or L.M. Montgomery.  If I could have them both, that would be twice as awesome.

Book you read that you wish you hadn't. 

Where the Heart is by Billie Letts.  I'm sorry - it just really didn't work for me on a lot of levels.

Book that changed your life. 

I would have to say that every book I've read has impacted me in some way or another - that's why humans read. (As opposed to why houseplants don't ... but that's a story for another day.) But I've been greatly impacted by the classics - Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Heidi, Alice in Wonderland ... I've spent countless hours in those books.

If they were to make a movie of your favorite book, who would play the

leads and why? 

They already did make a movie out of the book, and for some reason, it's rated R, which was totally unnecessary.  Anyway, it's I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, and I thought the casting was pretty good.

Book you most want to read again for the first time. 

Christy by Catherine Marshall.

What book would you give to a child? 

For toddlers, Sandra Boynton, who is brilliant. For slightly older children, Dr. Seuss, who is brilliant.

Follow Tristi

Goodreads: Tristi Pinkston

Twitter: TristiPinkston

Facebook: Tristi Pinkston, LDS author

Website: tristipinkston.com