Linda Tripp

Why I Started Writing:

As I was going through high school and college, there were a couple of teachers who encouraged me and sparked my interest and confidence in writing. I went on to teach in a public school for 21 years. I really enjoyed teaching reading and writing to my students. I modeled different kinds of writing and that got me thinking about stories I could write. There were times when I couldn’t find the kind of positive books I wanted to use with my students, so I decided to write them myself. For example, I was looking for something fairly short dealing with the environment to use with my class. I also wanted books with a Christian message. There are things that I couldn’t say in the classroom setting that I want young people to know.  

Authors Who Have Influenced Me:

Betsy Byars, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and Kevin Henkes are authors who influenced me. I admired the way Betsy Byars used conversation in telling her stories. Her characters seemed real and approachable to children. Lucy Maud Montgomery’s use of language and character development impressed me. I liked the way Kevin Henkes wrote about middle-grade relationships. 

Books I Have Written:

I have had two books published through Elk Lake. Annie and the Healing Box was published in 2023. It is about a sixth grader who encounters problems with her parents not getting along, her best friend moving away, being picked on and excluded, and her dog going missing. She puts items in a box to remind her of how she coped. The second one, Jamie and the Healing Box, was published in 2025. It is told from Annie’s brother’s point of view. He likes sports and has a sense of humor, but he is faced with challenges and disappointments too. He makes his own healing box and with that and his growing faith, he finds his way.

What I'm Working On Now:

I am currently working on another middle-grade book. This one is a collection of four related stories. The first story Earth Day in My Own Backyard is about Tom, a boy who loves baseball and whose family is moving. He gets involved with a project for Earth Day and starts to care for the environment and his neighbors. He learns the lesson of the Golden Rule. The second is about his friend Charlotte who may have to move too, but she would be moving across the country. Another friend, Justin, the main character in the third story, is concerned about his older brother. The fourth story is about their friend, Shane, who wants to save the lake in their town from pollution. They each choose a topic, litter, recycling, reusing, or reducing waste.