Making Friends with Tristi

One of the coolest things about the invention of the internet is the ability to make friends despite physical distance. I live in a rural area of CO, 25 miles from town, and I have a large family so I spend most of my time caring for my family, keeping the house semi-clean, and when I have a bit of time, writing. I don't "do lunch" with a bunch of girlfriends. I don't get my hair or nails done. I don't make regular trips to the mall (in fact, I only go when one of my teenage daughters drag me there). I don't socialize much, except with my immediate family or my sister and her family. Besides my husband and kids, my sister is my best friend. But, she has 11 kids so we don't hang out a lot because we're both so busy trying to keep up with everything that needs to be done each day. We mainly talk on the phone because we can clean and talk at the same time.

When the internet arrived, all of a sudden, I could socialize with people. I could "talk" to people in my pajamas on my own timetable. I could even "meet" people I admired, such as the many writers I've met. I love Facebook, email, and groups I belong to that all take place on the internet because it works so well for me and my schedule (and I don't have to wear make-up or a bra to socialize).

One of my favorite people that I've met online is Tristi Pinkston. I've since met her in person, several times, and I love her as much in person as online. She's funny, entertaining, and very supportive. She's a writer so she "gets me" and we're both co-chairing the bootcamp portion of the LDStorymakers Conference on May 5, 2011. Tristi is sponsoring "Making Friends Monday." The idea is that she places info about some of her online friends and we put info about her on our blogs and then we all end up making more friends. Cool idea, or what?

Here's some info about Tristi so you can get to know her a little bit better:

Tristi Pinkston has been blogging since 2006. On her main blog, (http://www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com) she covers everything from writing tips and the life of a published author to kid funnies, spiritual thoughts, and embarrassing moments. She also has a weight loss blog, one for writing challenges, another for her fictional characters … and she lost count of how many others she has. You can find the links for them on her sidebar.


Tristi is the author of five published novels, one coming out in January, and a whole kit ‘n caboodle of unpublished novels. Right now she’s focusing on cozy mysteries, although she has written historical fiction in the past and plans to write more in that genre. She works as a freelance editor and a virtual book tour coordinator. She loves taking long naps, being charmingly annoying, and watching good movies. She’s a Mormon, a homeschooler, a Cubmaster, and most of the time, a headless chicken.

Check out Tristi's blog http://www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com --it's full of fun, just like Tristi.