End of the Book Launch

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in my book launch today - it was a ton of fun!

The winner of the Grand Prize is Pam Darby.

Have a Happy Sunday, everyone!

Grand Prize - and Tristi Trivia

Our ultra-fantastic online book launch is drawing to a close.  You have one hour to enter to win this great Grand Prize - and of course, your entries throughout the day count toward this as well. The winner of the 9:00 contest is Regina.

If you win, you shall receive a darling pair of black and white polka-dot earrings, a great black purse, and copies of Banana Split by Josi S. Kilpack, Bitter Blessings by Christine Mehring, Identity by Betsy Love, Fires of Jerusalem by Marilyn Brown, and Venom by K. C. Grant.  You will also receive a candle from Stephanie Lee Candles, not pictured, and a bag of delicious chocolate-covered cacao beans and a bar of Amano chocolate from The Primal Junk Foodie.

And what must you do to win? This late at night, you don't have to call anyone or go anywhere or do anything outrageous. I promise.

1.  Leave a comment in this trail and say, "Please enter me!"

And that is all you need to do!

Mark, get set, comment!

Stay tuned for some Tristi Trivia ...

Tristi Trivia

To go along with the Grand Prize post, here are the answers to the Tristi Trivia questions that have been submitted.

Sheila asked, "Honestly, what is your secret for getting so much writing done?"


I had to make a decision a long time ago about what was most important to me. Writing is one of my priorities, so I let other things go.  My house is always a mess - I do clean it up from time to time, but I delegate a great deal, and I've learned that if I want time to write, I need to live with certain things that otherwise would drive me nuts.  I also treat my writing like a business.  When I do it, I'm focused on it and nothing else. I maximize the time I do have for writing.

Another thing to keep in mind is that I've been publishing for ten years now, and the longer you're in this field, the quicker you get. You can write rough drafts with fewer mistakes because of everything you've learned. You can move through second and third drafts more quickly. It doesn't take as long as it did when I was first starting.

The other thing is to keep writing. When you finish a book, start the next one. That way, you're always ahead of the game, and if you get the chance to put books out more quickly, you have the books ready to go.

Tamera asked, "How did you become an editor/reviewer?"

I became an editor back when I first started publishing. I traded manuscripts with some other authors and gave feedback, and the more I did that, the more I realized I enjoyed doing it. So I started boning up and learning things I didn't know, and asking questions of grammar experts, and slowly increased my skill set. I honestly forget when I started doing it professionally - I've been running my editing company for about two years now, and worked for a publishing company for a year before that. I now handle about four clients a month.

I became a reviewer when I applied to work as a blogger for Families.com back in 2004. They put me in the media department, and I loved it. I've worked for them about three years on and off in different departments, but media was always my favorite. I then did book reviews on my own blog - still do - and now I review for the Association of Mormon Letters.

Shelly asked, "What are some of your muses/inspirations in life?"

Most of my ideas just pop into my head fully formed without necessarily being hooked to an outside prompt - and I will say that being well rested has a lot to do with that. Whenever I've had enough sleep and I've had some time out of the house and away from my usual environs, my brain sparks more easily and I can be creative.

Walnut Springs and Sherry asked, "How do you do it?"

This is a little bit of a vague question - I can only assume they're asking me how I manage to be so wonderful. :) But I could be wrong.

The main thing is just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I'm not on top of my game in every area of my life every day, so I have to pick and choose - what's the priority today? - and then focus on that while other things slide.

9:00 Contest

Hey there,

Amazon has finally posted my sales rank.  Right now I'm in the #33,000 bracket, but I'm #56 in Mormonism, which is awesome! Please keep helping me spread the word and if you are so inclined to purchase the book for Mother's Day gifts, birthday gifts, or for yourself, that would be great!

This is the second-to-last contest of the day - at 11:00, we'll be discussing the Grand Prize, which will be given away at midnight. Remember that every mini contest you enter puts you in for another entry for the Grand Prize!

The winner of the 7:00 contest is Nicole!

For our prizes this time around ...

First off, you will receive a hard copy of Fool's Gold, donated by author Shirley Bahlmann.

Single mother Mattie Jones’ life is already full with two children, marriage plans, a fiancé, a huge dog, and an eccentric neighbor. Then her sister drops in unannounced with their nine-year-old nephew, Kenny, who has Down’s Syndrome. Since Kenny’s mother is being treated for a nervous breakdown, Mattie takes in her unexpected visitors. But soon Kenny becomes a key player in a life or death drama instigated by an itinerant preacher named Cyrus - a man who has already rocked the faith and shaken the marriage of Mattie's friend, Laney. Now Cyrus sees in Kenny a pure and guiltless spirit that he is determined to protect and nurture, no matter what. 

With mounting apprehension, Mattie follows a chain of events that ultimately threatens the very lives of those she loves. Will her love be strong enough to carry her beyond the limits of endurance and save them in time? 


Next, you'll get to choose any digital scrapbooking item you like from Designz by DeDe.

In addition, you'll get to choose any item you like from Miles Ahead Learning.

That's three prizes all wrapped up in one contest ... not too shabby, eh?

How to Enter to Win:

1. Repost this contest to Facebook - let's see if we can get me higher than #33,000!

2. If you aren't on Facebook, tell a friend about my new book.  Gotta hurry and catch them before they go to bed, though ... it's getting late!

3. Leave me a comment and tell me what you've done, and also tell me which of my books so far is your favorite and why. Helps me know what to write more of in future!

If you need a reminder of the Grand Prize, click here.

And if you need a reminder for how to order my book and get two free prizes, click here.

See ya at 11:00 with some more Tristi Trivia and a breakdown of that Grand Prize!

7:00 Contest

Hey all, thanks for popping by. The winner of the gift pack by Connie Sokol is Steph!

This next prize is an advanced reader's copy of the book Lightning Tree by Sarah Dunster.  Click here for my review.

But that's not all - you will also receive the PDF of a novella by Angie Lofthouse. Here's the blurb: The Bearer's Oath is a sci-fi novella by Angie Lofthouse, originally published in Mindflights Magazine. When Sherrin Cuthbrite takes her oath as the Bearer of the Twins, she expects she'll be raising and teaching children. She doesn't expect to run from assassins, be accused of murder or start a war. But that's what she'll have to do if she wants to preserve the freedom of her country and the leaders she loves.


And that's not all again - you will also receive a Kindle download for Catspell by Danyelle Leafty, donated by Angie Lofthouse.  Here's the blurb for this:  Sixteen-year-old Breena never thought anything could be worse than being forced to leave the faerie realm. Then she got stuck with a fairy godmother. But if she has to choose between the two, she’d leave the Faerie Realm over getting bossed about by a faerie with a pointed stick any day. Unfortunately, her attempt to evade her fairy godmother gives her growing pains in the form of fur, whiskers, and a tail. Turning into a cat is the least of her worries, though. The potion wasn’t meant to bring out her inner feline, it was meant to put her to sleep. Forever. If Breena wants to make it to her Happily Ever After, she’ll have to accept that sometimes a fairy godmother really does come in handy, after all. 

What are the requirements for entry this time?  Again, they're easy!

1. If you haven't already done it, click here and hit "like" next to the book title.

2. If you're on Twitter, come follow me on Twitter.  @TristiPinkston

Just leave me a comment and tell me when you're done. Pretty easy, eh? This contest goes until 9:00 Mountain time.

And don't forget - if you order my book Women of Strength before midnight tonight, you will receive two free gifts valued at over $27.00!  Learn more by clicking here.

Book Review: Lightning Tree by Sarah Dunster

Backliner: After surviving the tragic deaths of her parents and her baby sister and a harrowing trek across the plains to Utah, it s no surprise that Maggie's nights are plagued by nightmares. But after years of harsh treatment by her foster family and memories that seem to hint at an unthinkable crime, Maggie is forced to strike out on her own to separate the facts from the lies.


Lightning Tree is a historical fiction novel set against the early history of Utah, but it's so much more - the characters have real personalities that leap off the page, and Maggie, the main character, is a strong voice for courage. Her circumstances are anything but pleasant - her parents were killed and she and her sister were sent to live with a foster family, separated from her brother. As she moves past the grief of the separation, she begins to have dreams and memories that tell her she's been lied to about her past, and she wonders if everything she's ever known has been a lie. 


Mystery, introspection, history, and internal character growth are on each page of this novel. I did feel that it moved a little slowly at times, but the story is rich and deep, and I feel that lovers of history and lovers of good storytelling will enjoy it.


This book was published in 2012 by Bonneville Books. I received a copy free for my review. 


You can order Lightning Tree by clicking here. 

5:00 Contest

Welcome back for the 5:00 contest!  Steph won the prize donated by Andrea Pearson.

Now let's take a look at the sponsor for this contest - Connie Sokol. Connie is donating a copy of Motherhood Matters, and she will also throw in two MP3 downloads - one for "Life is Too Short for One Hair Color" and one for "Life is Too Short for Sensible Shoes."

In these hectic days where life's demands can quickly become a heavy burden, Motherhood Matters helps you find more memorable moments and take the stress out of the to-do lists. Written with clarity, concision, and wit, this indispensable handbook is better than flowers, more guilt-free than chocolate, and gives back to the woman who sacrifices so much of herself every single day.

To win this prize ...

1. Facebook, Tweet, blog, or tell a friend about this contest.

2. Leave me a note in this comment trail and tell me what you did.

That's all!! And don't forget that every time you enter a mini contest throughout the day, you are entered to win the grand prize - click here for more details.

Thanks so much for all your participation in my book launch for Women of Strength. To learn how to order your copy at $2 off and receive two free prizes worth over $27, click here.

Welcome to My Online Book Launch Party!!

You all know how much I love a good launch party ... what you might not know is that I'm laid up with a stress fracture in my left foot, and I have a cast and everything. It's kind of hard to party in a cast, so I made a decision: if I can't come to the party, I'll bring the party to me!

How This Works:

Every two hours from now until midnight, I'll be posting some fun Tristi trivia questions and answers, holding mini contests, and giving away awesome prizes.  At the end of the day, everyone who has participated will be entered to win the Grand Prize. It's that simple!

The Book Launch:

And because it's a book launch party, I'll be telling you all about my new release, Women of Strength, and inviting you to purchase it by clicking here.  It's not in stores yet - at least, that I know of, and I'm in a cast, so there could be a lot going on out there that I don't know about - and you'll be among the first to get a copy! What's awesome is that Amazon just lowered the price - it used to be $13.99, but right now it's only $11.89.

Additional Prizes:

In addition to the drawings every two hours, you will receive two prizes that I think are pretty awesome!  Each person who purchases a copy of Women of Strength today, March 24th, will receive two PDFs - one for my novel Season of Sacrifice, and one for my low-sodium cookbook, Bless Your Heart. Those two books have a retail value of $27.00 - that's pretty cool, if you ask me!  All you need to do is forward me a copy of your receipt from purchasing Women of Strength at this link and I will send you those files.

So, to Be Clear:

1. Enter the contests throughout the day. You don't have to enter every single one of them, so no worries if you don't want to sit at the computer all day long - just stop by as you can. You could win prizes!

2. Purchase a copy of Women of Strength and e-mail me your receipt. You will receive two prizes!

3. At the end of the day, all contest participants will be entered to win the Grand Prize. You could win prizes!

(Did you notice the very high likelihood of winning prizes?)

Now, let me tell you a little about Women of Strength.

I've written over 3,000 nonfiction articles, but this is my first nonfiction book, aside from my low-sodium cookbook. The backliner reads:

The need for courageous, faithful women has never been greater than it is today. As we draw nearer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we are faced with temptations on every side. But we can prevail as we gain true strength from living the gospel. 

In Women of Strength, Tristi Pinkston shares inspiring stories, as well as insightful quotes from Church leaders, to demonstrate the power and influence of righteous women. This book invites women everywhere to deepen their relationship with the Savior, rely on the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and learn what it really means to be strong. 


"If you are a woman who has wondered if you matter, if you are a woman who is concerned about the world, if you are a woman who has ever felt lost, afraid, or defeated . . . you need Women of Strength by Tristi Pinkston. When you read this book, you will discover your true worth, learn just how valuable you are, and find ways to turn the tide of evil flooding our world today." --C.S. Bezas, author and motivational speaker

"Every Latter-day Saint woman can be reinvigorated, inspired, and uplifted by reading this book. It is a compendium of wise counsel intended just for us and especially for our times. You may even wish to keep it around to reread whenever you need spiritual nourishment and an added awareness of your own power." --Susan Aylworth, author 


This book was written especially for Latter-day Saint women, and is the perfect gift for Mother's Day, birthdays, Christmas, Thursdays - and for yourself. At this price, you can pick up one for each of the special women in your life.

Stay tuned for today's first contest ...

Caller ID by Rachelle Christensen - Book Bomb and Massive Prizes!

Hey, everyone!  Want to pick up a great book at a great price, and get over 20 free gifts?  Yes, you heard me ... 20 free gifts, and I'm not joking!

I have a special offer for you—it’s only good for today—Thursday, March 22, 2012. Purchase CALLER ID from Amazon.com using this link.

Then email RachelletheWriter@gmail.com with your order confirmation/receipt. Once Rachelle receives your order details, she will email you an amazing selection of over 20 free gifts.

Here’s what’s in store when you purchase CALLER ID today:

(All items will be emailed to you from Rachelle after she receives your order confirmation.)


Connie Sokol, author, speaker and life coach is offering two free podcasts: Get Fit & Fabulous: The Difference 100 Calories Makes, and, Joy in Womanhood: The Power of Sitting with Yourself. Visit www.8basics.com for video segments, blog posts, products, and more.


Four Free ebooks from Sherry Ficklin-- MilitaryBrats: After Burn a YA Mystery novel AND a digital box set of the YA Fantasy Trilogy, The Gods of Fate. (books 1-3)

A tutorial on how to construct your very own Gift Card Holder - pictures included from Stephanie Johnson, Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Free ebook of Heroin Guns, a spy novel by R.L. Tyler.

Three free ebooks from award-winning author Karen Hoover— The Sapphire Flute ( Book 1 of The Wolfchild Saga) Seven Keys and seven guardians born to save a dying world. AND
The Armor of Light (Book 2 of the Wolfchild Saga), The Misadventures of a Teenage Wizard, Book 1: Two Souls are Better Than One - Chased by dragons. Saved by a Pegasus. Sharing his mouth with a wizardly spirit.

A free download of Jordan McCollum’s writing guide. Writing emotions in fiction is tough, but an emotional connection is what readers really want in a book. Give your readers a deep emotional experience and you'll hook them for life--and you can learn how in her guide, Emotion: it's tough

Free YA suspense novel Watched by Cindy Hogan

Heather Johnson from Family Volley.blogspot.com shares with you 5 powerful tips for keeping your marriage strong. Including the "anatomy of a successful date night" and tips for better daily communication. Free download.

Free ebook by Shirley Bahlmann-- "Holy Cow, the Udderly Astonishing Power of Dairy in your Diet" is a friendly approach to what dairy can do for you and your waistline! See more books at http://shirleybahlmann.com

Favorite recipes from acclaimed author Josi Kilpack and her Sadie Hoffmiller culinary mystery series, plus Josi will share her top tip for writing success!

Need help with professional website design and online marketing that's cost effective? Moller Marketing is offering a free ebook on Building a Professional Online Presence (with a Website that Gets Found), Market Research Made Easy, Online Keyword Research Choosing a Domain Name that Sticks (Not Stinks), and Your Ecommerce Business Priority List

Free sci-fi novella--The Bearer's Oath by Angie Lofthouse, originally published in Mindflights Magazine.

PDF for "Bless Your Heart" cookbook filled with information about how to live a low-sodium lifestyle for optimal heart health. Author Tristi Pinkston brings you over 80 truly delicious recipes that will make your mouth water - not fall asleep from boredom. You'll be inspired to shake up your menu and take charge of your health.

Free download of The Secret Sisters Club: the first book in the Ginnie West Adventures middle-grade series by Monique Bucheger.


Holding On by Heather Justesen—her latest short story, a paranormal romance


“Subway Survey” is a sci-fi short story by Michael Young that originally appeared in Allegory Magazine about an alien race testing out new technology on a group of hapless subway riders.

Special coupon from Cedarfort.com for new book releases.


Why a book bomb? A book bomb is when a large group of people order a certain book on a specific day on Amazon. This pushes the book's popularity up the Amazon ranks, which in turn gives the book more visibility to Amazon shoppers. That’s the goal today for CALLER ID.

So feel free to pass this on to your friends and shout it out on FB, Twitter, etc. We’d like as many people as possible to benefit from these bonus gifts.

Remember this offer is only good for purchases made on Thursday, March 22, 2012!

*Even if Amazon runs out of stock--you can still order because more books are on the way from my publisher. Email Rachellethewriter@gmail.com with your order confirmation/receipt when you purchase CALLER ID.

Book Review: Force of Habit: Sister Madeleine Investigates by Cash Peters

It will come as no surprise that I have a soft spot for suspense novels with elderly female main characters.

When eccentric publisher Howard Barley of Los Angeles takes a dive off a ship in the waters of Nice, France, and into the propellers, rendering him quite headless, everyone on board is stunned. They had seen him wandering around, causing chaos and upheaval everywhere he went, but none of them anticipated that he would end up taking his own life. When a cremated body is found in the deceased’s suite, things only get more confusing.

Barley’s unusual death was not the first—there have been forty others. And it certainly won’t be the last—in fact, there’s a list.

Just how does a nun of slightly advanced years play into the picture? You’ll be surprised when you find out.

I enjoyed this read quite a lot.  I was sucked in by the suspense and thriller aspects, and didn’t realize at first that this actually is quite a funny book.  But I gave myself a stomachache laughing at the history of the convent where Sister Madeleine lives—the author’s humor is so dry and so subtle, and yet so incredibly funny, that I was on a roller coaster of emotion, chuckling one minute and on the edge of my seat the next.

It would be highly unlikely for me to read a book without noticing editing issues, and this book was no different – there were a few editing problems throughout.  However, this did not take anything away from the clever storyline and the author’s unique word choice, something I very much appreciated.

Cash Peters has created a gutsy, loveable main character, placed her in breathtaking danger, and brought all his readers along for the ride of a lifetime.

Click here to purchase your own copy of Force of Habit by Cash Peters. 

Book Review: Venom by K. C. Grant

Backliner: Samantha Evans is determined to make a name for herself in the cutthroat world of advertising. Newly hired by a prestigious ad agency, she volunteers to work on location in Mexico City as a personal assistant to the beautiful and driven creative director Katrina Edwards. At first the association seems promising. But Ms. Edwards seems preoccupied in a way that makes Samantha increasingly uneasy. In fact, many in the group seem like they are not being completely open about the project including David Ayala, the mysterious and moody photographer for whose attention the two women find themselves competing. After several strange accidents and numerous appearances by an unknown man, Samantha discovers the truth: not everyone on the team is in Mexico to create a stellar advertising pitch. When her sleuthing leads to her abduction, she is brought to the pyramids of Teotihuacán and comes face-to-face with the venomous evil of the South American crime boss known as “The Serpent.” Now Samantha must not only fight for her life, but she must also discover if she can trust the man she’s come to love.


K.C. Grant's first two novels were historical fiction, based on Abish in the Book of Mormon.  When I heard she was publishing a contemporary LDS suspense, I was curious to see how she would handle it. Many authors find their niche in one certain genre, and when they attempt other genres, they flounder. I was very pleased to see that she did a great job with this cross-genre piece. This book is well-written, and the author either traveled to Mexico or did a great deal of research - the setting is presented masterfully. 


I did feel that the ending stretched out a little longer than it should have, and could have been tightened up to bring things to a satisfactory conclusion a little bit sooner. That said, it was a highly enjoyable read and I recommend it to anyone who wants to experience an adventure in an exotic land.


Click here to purchase your own copy of Venom by K. C. Grant. 

Book Review: We Lived in Heaven by Sarah Hinze

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and someone who has sought my own testimony of the gospel through fasting and prayer, I believe that we lived in heaven before we came to this earth. I believe that we existed there with the personalities we have here, and that we were excited to come and take upon ourselves physical bodies. I believe that we knew certain things about our lives, and that we felt ready for the challenge because we knew that all our Heavenly Father had promised would be given to us, for He never breaks His promises.

This is the basic theme of the book We Lived in Heaven by Sarah Hinze.

Sarah was blessed to have foreknowledge of her mission as a mother before her children were born, and she learned that other people had been given the same sorts of experiences - they had seen spirit children in their home, only to later look into the eyes of their newborn and realize they had already met, or to dream about the coming of a new child, either while asleep or awake. Sarah compiled these stories into We Lived in Heaven so we can all read them and feel uplifted by the experiences these people had.

Some of the stories are a little more in-depth than others, and to be honest, I wasn't sure why some were included, although spiritual stories are always important and I don't mean to give the impression that some are more important than others. It just seemed to me that some of the inclusions made their point more clearly.  I also was a little bit distracted by the editing style - many of the sentences were short and choppy, and I would have preferred to see them hooked together to create more of a flow.

Regardless of my editing pet peeves, I enjoyed reading this collection of stories, which has done nothing but emphasize the testimony I already had of the premortal life from which we all came, and reminds me how very thin the veil between that world and this actually is.

You can purchase your copy here and your Kindle download here.

Book Review: RetirementQuest by John Hauserman

We are all busy people.  We have families, jobs, homes to care for, bills to pay, groceries to buy, we try to keep up with our health, and we volunteer in our communities. Some days are so busy that we barely have time to brush our teeth before we fall into bed.  It's no wonder that so many people put off thinking about retirement until the very last minute, only to discover that if they'd made it more of a priority just a little earlier, they could have saved themselves so much hassle.


From Amazon.com: RetirementQuest: Make Better Decisions was written by a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner who has been counseling clients since 1992. Drawing from his twenty years of experience, John Hauserman has developed a unique ability to communicate complex financial subject matter in easy to understand terms. Readers are guided through the basics of financial planning, while threads of politics, history, and psychology are woven together to create a tapestry of deeper understanding into the financial planning world. Complete with hard hitting insight into the practices and sometimes abuses of the financial services industry, John has created a masterpiece designed to help those responsible-minded investors who are seeking to avoid common planning mistakes.


This book is easily read and understood, and answers many of the questions people have about their retirement years.  I highly recommend it, even if retirement is a little ways down the road - if you plan now, you are that much further ahead of the game.  If you wait until the month before your 65th birthday, you might discover all kinds of things you could have done along the way to make your path easier - don't have financial regrets in your golden years when you can prepare now.


Click here to order your own copy of RetirementQuest.