Her love of poodles inspired Tristan Perry to get into writing. Her interest in geography and the United States encouraged her to expand her subject matter.

Perry, who lives in Montgomery County, was at Court Street Café in Hillsville on March 31 to promote her books, the “Furry Tails” series of kids books about a poodle named Cinnamon Persimmon, and “Ghostly Legends of the Appalachian Trail,” which tells 10 ghost stories along the Appalachian Trail.

Perry, who is also a registered nurse and teaches for the Red Cross, said she has enjoyed writing and getting out to promote her works.

“It’s quite a switch from nursing,” she said. “It’s taught me patience and taking things one day at a time. I’ve enjoyed it, getting around and meeting people, hearing their input.”

When Perry decided to take up writing, she didn’t have to look far for inspiration. Cinnamon is actually her sister’s poodle and many of the stories are based on actual events.

Perry also has two toy poodles at home, Nutmeg and Mocha, who might be introduced later in the series.

Perry said when she visits schools and libraries, her dogs also make the trip to give the presentations a little more realism.

“I’ve enjoyed it, getting the poodles out, Nutmeg and Mocha, they’re my two furry mascots,” Perry said. “They go with me to the schools and they’re part of my presentation. They really provide that object lesson to children. I read a chapter of my book and Nutmeg and Mocha come out and bring it to life.”

Perry said making the presentations is important in helping build a foundation of reading and she’s always more than willing to come to schools or to libraries to do her part.

“I think it’s important to build in children reading and a love of reading,” Perry said. “It’s the cheapest form of entertainment and it’s a skill you’ll carry with you forever.”

The first “Furry Tails” book was released in late 2006. On March 9, a sequel made its way to bookshelves.

“Anyone who reads The Adventures of Cinnamon Persimmon knows at the end, I left room for a sequel,” Perry said. “That opened up the door to ‘Cinnamon Takes a Vacation.’”

The original “Furry Tails” book received several positive reviews, including being designated as a “Paw Turner” by Dog Fancy Magazine. Perry said she hopes the series continues for quite some time.

“I hope the Furry Tails series will continue,” she said. “I can see writing about Cinnamon and introducing Nutmeg and Mocha for several books down the road if the publisher is interested and if the fans will continue to buy my books.”

Perry’s other book, “Ghostly Legends of the Appalachian Trail,” is a complete departure from the “Furry Tails” series. In it, she developed characters who experience 10 of the Trail’s most famous ghost stories, emotionally involving the reader in the story.

“I didn’t write the way I’ve read most ghost stories in the past,” Perry said. “I wrote with characters to create a story. It’s not like I say, ‘Oh, there’s a ghost here.’ I really believe the reader develops relationships with characters. The plot might be secondary but they really feel emotion, readers do. If the writer isn’t interested in what they’ve written, the reader can tell. They’re very intuitive, especially kids.”

Perry said in order to write the book, she had to learn as much as she could about the Trail, specifically its history and geography.

“I had to do a lot of research on the Appalachian Trail,” she said. “Geographically, it’s an amazing creation, especially for the time period they did it in. The history, it’s an amazing part of the United States history, especially for us in the south. I enjoyed learning more about the trail itself, even more than the ghosts. That’s what appealed to me to write Ghostly Legends of the Appalachian Trail, the geography. I love the United States, our country has a lot to offer. I immediately jumped on the opportunity to write the book.”

Perry has another book waiting in the wings, based on ghost stories in Utah. She said it can wait a while as she needs to promote her newest works in the area. Perry said she’s focusing her promotional efforts locally and regionally.

“There’s so much to do. When you first get into writing, people tend to think nationally. There’s so much at the local level,” Perry said. “That’s where your fanbase is at. I fully believe in promoting locally and regionally. There’s so much left for me to do in Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee.”

And while her visit to Hillsville last week was her first promotional trip to Carroll County, Perry will be back. She will come to the Carroll County Public Library in Hillsville on May 11 at 6:30 p.m. to read a chapter from “Furry Tails,” and to sign copies of her books. Nutmeg and Mocha will accompany her. Kids and adults are welcome to attend.

Perry’s books are also available at online book outlets and at several independent bookstores and most major book retailers. They can also be purchased at her Web site, www.furrytailsbooks.com.