I Must Be Crazy: Catching Up with Tristi

A lot has been going on over the last few weeks, and I find myself lagging scandalously behind in keeping on top of it all. First off, to address the title of this blog, "I Must Be Crazy" - that could mean so many things, and it usually does, but in this case, it refers directly to the fact that I just signed up for NaNoWriMo. I couldn't even pull out a decent total during my own writing challenge - how will I do for this one? No idea. But we'll find out, won't we?

Second, thank you for your well-wishes concerning my recent bout of gout. (Notice the nice use of rhyme - we must make it sound as good as we can.) I'm pleased to say that I'm feeling nearly better now. Yesterday morning was a day from a place I'm not allowed to mention on this blog lest I lose my G rating. After dragging myself into the doctor (sometimes on hands and knees) I was given a prescription for a really strong anti-inflammatory which literally started to work within minutes after I took it. I could feel the inflammation go down (that was pretty weird and somewhat worthy of inclusion in a scene in a James Dashner book) and within just an hour, I was up and walking, albeit with a limp. I continue with the natural remedies to strengthen the overall system, and balance it with the medical treatment. Walking is mine yet again!

The "Am I Not a Man: The Dred Scott Story" virtual book tour continues for another two weeks, and the reviews have been outstanding. Be sure to follow along - the links are on my sidebar - and see what reviewers everywhere have to say about this incredible novel.

Last Saturday was a lot of fun. I drove down to Fillmore with good friend Nichole Giles, for the book launch party for another good friend, Heather Justesen, who just released her debut novel, "The Ball's in Her Court." I'm in a critique group with these lovely ladies, in addition to Kimberly Job, Danyelle Ferguson, and Keith Fisher, who is not a lovely lady but a very nice man. We've seen Heather go through the submission process and now we get to cheer her on as she accomplishes one of her life goals.Heather holding her new novel.
A big old crowd of well-wishers.

What could be better than celebrating a friend's book release? Well, not a whole lot, but riding in a convertible Mustang doesn't hurt. Nichole and I brought Danyelle back up to Utah County with us, and we had the top down for a whole several minutes. Here we are, windblown and giggly.
Danyelle and Nichole.Me, very windblown indeed.Karen Hoover, driving past in her van.

It was a wonderful day, a great chance to hang out with friends and celebrate, and enjoy doing what we love - writing books, selling books, talking about books ...

That's been my week in a nutshell. As far as next week goes ...

Don't forget about Mark Shurtleff's launch party, scheduled for this Tuesday night. You can click here for all the details - but I'll throw in my own two cents and say, this is going to be the book launch of the century. Bring friends, family, neighbors ... strangers who don't look too strange to invite ... and come party with us.

When in Doubt, Get Gout

First of all, I have to say, I'm virulently opposed to the word "gout." Doesn't it just sound awful? Like some sort of horribly communicative disease that should require the sufferer to go live in a leper colony or something? Let's call it something nicer, like, "painful disease caused by build-up of uric acid, generally caused by repetitive movement." Doesn't that have a nicer ring to it?

Second, this is what I think of when I hear the word "gout."He's actually a pretty adorable little old man-but that's my point. He's a little old man, and I consider myself to be a young(ish) woman. Young women just shouldn't get little old men's diseases, should they?

It all started two weeks ago when I threw a bone out in my big toe. After an adjustment, it was still sore, but then I developed gout symptoms. Well, this morning I woke up with bones out in my left foot. I've just come back from the doctor, and we're trying to resolve upon a game plan.

1. Cherry juice, alfalfa, and flax seed oil.

2. Eating more healthy foods.

3. And for the bones, a connective tissue supplement.

I guess this is what happens when you go for thirty-three years without making yourself the priority. I've always been so busy with home, family, and work (or hobbies) that my health has been ignored. You know, the consequences can be pretty darned painful ...

I Can't Believe It's Food Storage - Crystal Godfrey

When I think about food storage, I immediately have two very frightening thoughts.

1) How can I do it?

2) What will I make with it?

I'm starting to overcome the fear of how to do it. By taking it a little at a time and tucking things behind my pots and pans, I'm accumulating it slowly but surely and finding places to keep it. But then that leaves the question - what will I make with it? Will we starve to death in a houseful of food because I never learned how to cook with the food on hand, a pathetic death while surrounded by cans of wheat?

"I Can't Believe It's Food Storage" takes out that fear. In the first place, the author talks about storing actual food. That's right - the food items in here are all every day, common sense items. No longer does dehydrated celery reign supreme - we're talking chocolate chips and stuff. There are recipes for your more standard food storage items, but with this book, you realize a little more that you need to store what you'll eat. And believe me, if I'm living on my food storage, I'm going to need some chocolate in there from time to time.

I appreciated the organized, positive approach the author takes in explaining how to set up the food storage system. It doesn't feel so overwhelming, and it actually sounds a little fun ... if a word like "fun" really can be applied to food storage. The process is broken down into chunks and made manageable. It's not, "run out and buy everything today," but rather, go at it with wisdom and planning.

There are a lot of books on the market about preparedness, and I've read a lot of them. I would definitely recommend this one over many of the others. For usability, the optimism of approach, and the flat-out yumminess of these recipes, this one belongs on your personal preparedness shelf.

(This book was published in 2009 by Walnut Springs Press.)

This book was sent to me by the publisher, free of charge.

The Ball's In Her Court - Heather Justesen

Review Week continues with a look at "The Ball's In Her Court," by new author Heather Justesen.

Denise DeWalt is a successful computer programmer with a loving adoptive family. As long as she keeps her walls in place, life is good. She doesn't let anyone get too close and she takes out her negative feelings on the basketball court and on her tile grout. She's got a mean lay-up and the cleanest grout in Utah.

Denise's birth mother was a neglectful, abusive drug addict, and Denise was removed from the home after an altercation with her mother left her with a broken arm. If only that was the worst injury she suffered. When Denise feels the need to seek out her biological family and put the pieces together, she starts having nightmares just as she did as a child, nightmares that wake her up drenched with sweat.

Rich is her new boss, and he's immediately taken with her. She can't deny she has feelings for him, too, but she just can't see letting anyone in past the barriers she has so carefully built. They are the only things keeping her strong in the face of adversity.

I've been a member of Heather's critique group for a year and a half now, but she had already submitted this novel when I joined the group and I didn't get to read it before publication. I was so happy to get my hands on it - I was familiar with the characters from the spin-off, but I didn't know how they had come to be where they were. I read "The Ball's In Her Court" in two sittings, and I have to say, LDS women's fiction has found a fresh new voice. There were some editing gaffes here and there, repetitive words and the like, but I pushed those aside and appreciated the unique turns of phrase, the well-plotted storyline, and ... I have to say this ... the very nice kissing scenes. This author knows how to write a kiss.

Heather has many more books in the works which revolve around these characters, and I plan to own every single one of them.

(This book was published in 2009 by Cedar Fort.)

This book was given to me by the author because I'm in her critique group. I was not specifically asked to post a review, and so I don't consider the book as payment for a review. I just happened to write one and post one because that's what I enjoy doing. Consider this disclaimed.

Alma - H. B. Moore

Review Week marches forward with "Alma," by author H. B. Moore.

"Alma" continues Moore's award-winning series based on the lives of the prophets in the Book of Mormon. Picking up on the heels of "Abinadi," "Alma" takes us into the wilderness, where the people of Alma have created a new home for themselves far away from the rule of the evil King Noah. Their lives are simple - they no longer have the riches they might have enjoyed in the city, but now they have so much more - they have the gospel, and they can worship freely without fear of the king's displeasure. But when Noah's followers decide to burn him alive, thus fulfilling Abinadi's prophecy, they also decide to go after Alma and his people, wanting revenge.

Raquel, Abinadi's widow, feels she will never love again. Her little son Abe isn't growing up without a father, however - Helam, Abe's uncle, is always around to take the young boy fishing or to do whatever chores Raquel needs. As Helam's feelings for her grow, she puts up a wall, hoping to stall any budding romance. She has had the love of her life - why would she want to dishonor Abinadi's memory by remarrying?

As always, Moore takes familiar Book of Mormon characters and gives them thoughts, feelings, and personalities. Of course, much literary license has been taken in this regard, but Moore never intended these books to be mistaken for scripture or used in scripture's place. Instead, these books are meant to help us visualize as we read our scriptures, to understand that these men and women of God were real people, not just marks on a page, and to help us internalize and personalize the scriptures for our own benefit.

(This book was published in 2009 by Covenant Communications, who were kind enough to provide a free copy of this book for my review.)

Book Review - Santa Maybe by Aubrey Mace

It's Review Week here on Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author - a review a day, all week long!

We're kicking off Review Week with a look at "Santa Maybe" by author Aubrey Mace.

I was first introduced to Aubrey's writing with her novel, "Spare Change." Her voice was fresh and unique, and I was drawn into the story immediately. I was very pleased to receive a copy of "Santa Maybe" to review (from the author, at no cost to me) and looked forward to reading it ... but my daughter snagged it out of my hands. After she finished it, she informed me that it was great, and I could read it now.

As much as I loved "Spare Change," which went on to win a Whitney Award, by the way, I loved "Santa Maybe" even more. Aubrey's writing skills have only improved, her plot line is original, and I read the whole thing in one sitting.

A synopsis: Abbie owns a bakery, and pours her heart and soul into her business. She's not married, and her sister keeps needling her to get out there and find a man. Abbie believes herself to be happy most of the time, but she has to admit, there are moments when she wonders if she ever will have a family of her own. One Christmas Eve, just to be silly, she leaves a note for Santa, asking him to bring her a man. To her shock, when she wakes up the next morning, she finds a man asleep under her Christmas tree, and he has no idea who he is or how he got there.

Abbie spends her time trying to help him find his way back home, but soon she wonders if she really wants him to get found. Maybe she could just keep him.

I laughed several times during the story and eagerly turned each page to see what would happen next.

In all fairness, I have to say I did find the ending slightly reminiscent of "Never Been Kissed." That said, it was a delightful read and one I will recommend wholeheartedly.

(This book was published in 2009 by Cedar Fort.)

The Dreaded Book Review

My previous post was written from the perspective of someone who reviews books (me). This post is written from the perspective of someone who has had reviews written about them (me).

I just spent a few minutes over on GoodReads. I really love that site - my to-read list never shrinks because as soon as I check something off, I add something else - but I really like seeing book recommendations and having a little more to go on as far as what I might and might not enjoy. It's also quite the hoot to have my own books listed there and to see what others thought of them. But there's the rub - not only do you see the compliments, but you see the harsh criticisms, too. I've got everything on there from "best book I ever read" to "really rotten." Well, okay, those aren't exact quotes, but you get the drift. One that's making me chuckle right now was found on a review of "Agent in Old Lace," lambasting me because I didn't do my research into law enforcement. I mention in the acknowledgments that I had a good friend and former SWAT team member read the manuscript for me, but either the reviewer didn't read that part, or ... I don't know. At any rate, research was done.

So, what do you do when you get a bad review? Let's face it - being an author isn't all sunshine and roses and five stars on Amazon. I've gotten a goodly number of nice reviews but also some less-than-stellar ones in my day. I'd be lying if I said those bad ones don't hurt just a little ... but you know what, I learned something along the way, and as many of my blog readers are authors or aspiring authors, I'd like to share it with you.

When I get a bad review, I can generally tell from something said in that review that they just didn't get where I was coming from. This tells me that they aren't my target audience. If you've written a book, and your reader doesn't "get" it, that doesn't necessarily make you a bad author or them a stupid reader - it can just mean that they aren't on your same wavelength. Of course, our goal is to tell our story clearly so it can be understood by everyone who reads it, but understanding the words and "getting" the message are two entirely different things, and you will have readers who don't "get" it, just as you'll have readers who love you to death and will buy everything you ever write. Because humans are all so different, and we see things through different lenses, your books will be very attractive to some readers and not so much to others.

Our job then, as authors, is to seek out those readers who are in our target audience. It would be awesome to find ways to reach those who previously didn't get where we were coming from, but let's be honest - we might never be able to reach them because our wavelengths might be too different. If they mention a fixable concern in their review, such as misspellings, plot problems, flat characters, and the like, we can and should, certainly, work on strengthening those areas. Beyond that, we can just let the bad reviews go and move on. We continue to market to those readers who enjoy what we write, all the while seeking to improve our craft, and above all, not letting the negativity get to us. Sometimes a bad review is meant to help us improve, and we can take the lesson and grow from it, without internalizing any hurt feelings involved. That's really the only productive way to deal with it.

I have to say, I'm glad we don't live in a world of 100% perfect book reviews. How would we ever learn from our mistakes if we were never told we'd made any? Take it all in stride. And if you find that your reviews are getting to you, don't read them. It's perfectly all right to ignore them altogether.

FTC ... and Me

As are most of the bloggers in Blogland, I'm keeping my eyes on the FTC. For some reason, they're cracking down on product endorsements on blogs, and it is rumored that things are going to get mighty uncomfortable for book reviewers. I happen to be one of those book reviewers, and so I might find myself a little uncomfortable. I guess we'll see what the upshot is by the time we're done, but in the meantime, I'd like to share a few thoughts.

1. The first Amendment of the Constitution grants me freedom of speech. I have the right to say, or write, anything I like, whether in private or in public. I have the right to blog about whatever I want to blog about, and if I write something that offends my readers, they can either comment about it or they can stop reading my blog. We have the freedom to share our thoughts and opinions. We don't have to like what others say, and we don't have to agree with them, but the right to say it is protected under the Constitution. Right now, I'm going to use this freedom of speech I've been given to say that limiting what a blogger can blog about is unconstitutional.

2. I think the FTC is worried that if bloggers are given free products, they'll write a really glowing review about that product, even if it's crappy. Well, anyone who's been reading my blog for more than about thirty seconds knows that I say what I think. If something stinks, I will tell you it stinks. In fact, last week I met a friend's new husband for the first time, and he said, "You're the opinionated one." Yessir, that's me. I've never written a glowing book review for a book that didn't glow, and I don't intend to start now. Giving me a free book does not entitle you to a good review. Now, I have been known to contact the sender of a book and tell them I'd rather not review it, because anything I said would be largely uncomplimentary, but I've always passed the copy on to another reviewer or discarded it at the publisher's request. But don't be fooled into thinking that free books will win my loyalty. It takes chocolate to do that ...

If the FTC would like me to post a disclaimer on my blog, stating that I received the book for free, okay, I can do that. It'll take me roughly thirty seconds. But if it goes further than that, and we are regulated as to what we can and cannot blog about, that's going to get mighty uncomfortable for the FTC. You can't just run around violating constitutional rights and expect people to be happy about it. So yes, I'll be very interested indeed to see how this all plays out. I'm hoping it's a whole lot of brouhaha for nothing.

Girls' Day Out Boutique ... Bring All Your Friends!

Hey ladies,

What are you doing on November 14th? I'm sharing a table with Heather Justesen at the Girls' Day Out boutique in West Valley. She has just released her first novel, "The Ball's in Her Court," and I'll be selling my books along with some homemade scrapbook pages. Visit the boutique's blog for information on time and address, and hope to see you there for some awesome Christmas shopping!

Sunday Soliloquy - Women in the Church

Sometimes, persons outside the Church, and sometimes persons within it, wonder what the woman's place is in the organization. With men so apparently at the forefront, there has been quite a bit of confusion as to what the women are supposed to do, or what role of importance they might play. A modern prophet said this:


"It is so tremendously important that the women of the Church stand strong and immovable for that which is correct and proper under the plan of the Lord ... If they will be united and speak with one voice, their strength will be incalculable.

... When you save a girl, you save generations. She will grow in strength and righteousness. She will marry in the house of the Lord. She will teach her children the ways of truth. They will walk in her paths and will similarly teach their children. Wonderful grandmothers will be there to lend encouragement. I see this as the one bright shining hope in a world that is marching toward self-destruction." Gordon B. Hinckley


Listen to the full address here.

I was led to this address while working on an assignment for my part-time Church service mission. I've always had a strong testimony of the role of women in our Heavenly Father's plan and I've always known that LDS women are not the downtrodden waifs some members of the press would portray. What touched me the most about this address was the power in the prophet's words as he spoke of motherhood. I've been having one of those days (children trying to kill each other - you know how it goes) where motherhood seemed like an impossible task, like I was fighting a battle that could not be won. This address inspired me to pick up my sword again and plunge back into the fray.

My thoughts this Sunday - the battle is worth the reward. To give up would be to surrender not only the crown, but the well-being of my family. I carry tremendous influence in my home and only I can determine what my actions will be, and my actions will determine whether I win or lose. In this battle, the field is the soul, and I decide what takes place in my soul.

Okay, That Was Weird

My mom and I ran to Walmart tonight to pick up just a few things, and as is always the case, we ended up standing in line for a longer period of time than it took us to drive to the store and grab what we wanted. I decided to amuse myself by making up stories about the people with us in line and relating them to my mother sotto voce. We were vastly amused with ourselves.

The young man standing right in front of us was holding a Snow White DVD. I told my mom that he was purchasing the movie for his little niece, Angela. When we got to the front of the line, at long last, our bodies practically having wasted away to skeletal remains, my mom said to the young man, "So, are you buying that movie for your niece, Angela?"

He gave her the strangest look. "No, I'm buying it for my sister Angela."

"You're kidding me, right?" my mom said. "Your sister's name is Angela?"

"Yeah," he said, and scurried away.

I should start a psychic hotline ...

So, What's Most Important - and Who Can Provide It?

When you take a look at a published book, there are three components to what you're seeing.

1. The cover

2. The layout of the text

3. The content of the text


The Cover - this is the first thing you see when you pick up a book. Are the colors attractive? Is the picture well-executed and does it match the story? Is the title memorable? Is the balance of elements correct? They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but I have to say this. I've noticed a lot of crummy books with great covers, but I don't often see a crummy cover wrapped around a good book. Although I have seen exceptions, generally speaking, if the publisher hasn't taken time to create a good cover, they haven't taken time on much else, either. Covers really do make or break sales.

The Layout - This part of the production process is really noticeable when it's done wrong, and invisible when it's done right. Ideally, the typesetter will create a layout that is pleasing to the eye, that leaves enough of a margin without too much of a margin, and will start all the chapters on the right side of the page. The text will be tweaked to eliminate hyphens at the ends of lines as much as possible, and won't squish the letters too much or spread them out too much to create this outcome. If the typesetter has taken care with their task, the reader doesn't really notice anything and just enjoys the read. But if the words are squished or there are hyphens hanging off the end of each line, the reader's eye doesn't feel comfortable, and that doesn't present an easy read.

The Text - The third component is the text itself. This is the part that started out as your manuscript, that has been edited and reworked and honed and prepared for this day. You wouldn't want a lovely cover and awesome typesetting to end up with a bumpy story, so taking care of this part of the process is crucial. Does the writing flow? Have the repetitive words been taken out? Does each word really mean what you want it to mean? Do your comparisons really compare? These issues go deeper than just characterization or plot line - there are nitty-gritty, finite details that separate a good story from a great one. Are there six "s" words on line two? Did you mean to say "definite" or did you mean "define?"

Each of these elements are crucial to the overall quality of the book. You can't have one without the others and create a product that rises above the competition. The cover draws the reader in and sets the stage for the story. The quality of the text creates the production on the stage, and the layout acts as the behind-the-scenes crew, making sure that everything runs smoothly so the audience out front never knows just how it happened - they just know they were treated to an incredible performance. Each element is a team.

Overheard in My Kitchen

Son #2: I'm going to kill you.

Son #1: Already?

Son #2. No, not really.

Son #1. 'Cause I was going to say, it's a little early for that. That usually happens later in the day.

Sunday Soliloquy - My Redeemer Lives

My Sunday Soliloquy also happens to be a book review. "My Redeemer Lives" is a beautiful nonfiction book which pairs inspirational artwork with inspired text to create a testimony of the life, and death, of the Lord Jesus Christ. I sat down and read it this evening and found it to be the perfect way to bring my Sabbath to a close.

Kathryn B. Jenkins composed the text and tell us the story of the Atonement, Crucifixion, and subsequent Resurrection of Jesus Christ. She implements scripture and the words of James E. Talmage, as well as quotes from other noted scriptorians and gospel scholars, to create a read that invites the Spirit, speaks to Christ's divinity, and provides an intellectual look into the sacrifice which allows all of us to return to our Heavenly Father's presence. The illustrations are masterful, the words are carefully chosen, the packaging is beautiful, and the book is suitable for gift-giving and to hold a place of honor on an end table or book shelf in any home.

However, most meaningful to me as I come to the end of the book are the feelings I have about the Atonement of the Savior. I often go from day to day, doing my tasks and checking them off my list, without taking the time to stop and remember all that has been done for me to ensure that I know the path back to my Heavenly Father. There was a war fought in Heaven that I might come here in the first place. There was a plan created and set in motion for me to allow me to learn the gospel while I'm here and to obtain the teachings I would need to help me live the happiest, most fulfilling, most God-like life I could. A sacrifice of such magnitude I can't even begin to fathom it was made, for me, so I could repent of my mistakes and try again. Every need in my life has been seen to by a loving Heavenly Father, and yet He does not force me to partake of anything that has been prepared for me - He invites, and then He leaves it to me to decide. He has done this for me, and He has done it for every soul upon this earth.

This Sunday night, I am so grateful for the Atonement. I may never understand it all, but of one thing I'm absolutely sure - only the most sincere, honest, and true love could have brought such a thing about, and I am so grateful to have an Eternal Father, and a most precious Elder Brother, who were willing to do that for me, for all of us.

The Word of the Day

When I first started typing, I was ten years old and my machine was a robin's egg blue manual typewriter, the kind with the ribbon and the keys and the whole bit. From there, I went electric, and then I went to a word processing typewriter. When I got married, we got an old, sad computer, and I went to Word Perfect. My earliest use of the computer was on Word Perfect.

A few years went by and I noticed that I couldn't open any files anyone sent me. That was really a bummer. When you're a writer and an editor, it's really helpful to be able to open stuff, ya know? So I grudgingly got Word, which was the start of the confusion. You just can't use WP and Word the same way, and I had to reeducate myself.

Fast-forward ... Word and I came to an uneasy truce. I learned where the commands were, and it didn't insult my parentage. We were civil with each other.

And then it happened.

The world went to Word 2007 and I didn't.

Suddenly, files were being sent to me in .docx and I couldn't open them. I'd ask the sender to kindly save the file in an earlier version, and they did, but sometimes there would be a time delay in getting that done and I hate time delays (like, a lot). So I took the plunge ... and I'm now using 2007.

You know what, I fought this like crazy, because all the commands are in different places, but I'm actually sort of (don't tell anyone) liking 2007. I like how the bold, italic, and color options pop up right there when I highlight text. It's really not the horrendous thing I was expecting it to be. Granted, I still haven't found all the commands I use on a regular basis, but I have found the ones I use constantly, and that's a good thing.

Perhaps I allowed my prejudices to be formed too swiftly. Perhaps I should have given the idea more of a chance before I decided to hate it. Things to think about, certainly ...