Tory Ostic is a children’s book author who creates stories that help kids feel seen, safe, and understood. She is the author of the Zetti Spaghetti series, where small, everyday moments carry big meaning and love is always multiplying in its own unique ways. When she is not writing, Tory balances a full-time career with family life, reading, cooking pasta, and spending time with her husband and three young children. She loves relaxing on warm evenings on the patio with a glass of wine, surrounded by the people she loves.
Q: What inspired the idea behind your book?
A: Zetti Spaghetti is loosely based on my family and how it was built. One day, when giving my oldest child spaghetti for the first time (which she LOVED), my husband and I were playing around with her name. We started rhyming things and ended up with Zetti Spaghetti.
As our daughter grew older and her beautiful features started developing more, it was clear that she did not look like either my husband or me. We started getting a lot more comments like “Oh, she must take after someone else in the family.” It dawned on us that it shouldn’t matter if she looks like either of us. Families can be built in many different ways, and adults can’t seem to accept that.
We thought it would be nice if adults were just more understanding. Then we realized they might not have been taught to be understanding. I thought it would be great to start instilling the idea that families are built in many different ways in children. What better and more fun way to teach children than a book? So I started writing my Zetti Spaghetti series.
Q: As an author, what tips would you give anyone who wants to get into writing?
A: Just start writing. Whatever the idea is that pops into your head, write it down then and there. Or dictate it, or text it to someone, or even use a napkin or scrap paper. Just get it down in some form and keep writing until you get to a stopping point. Take a break from it and come back to it later with fresh eyes. And do not be afraid to ask others to review it and give feedback. Feedback is great! You may not always agree with it, but it helps give a fresh perspective or viewpoint that will help you grow and develop your story.
Q: What is your favorite book?
A: Just one? Gosh, that is hard! I LOVE The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Both are very captivating and enchanting from the start. I also love the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. (Who doesn’t love James Patterson?!) But when it comes to kids’ books (since I am a mama of three), I love Busy Betty, Curious George, and Winnie the Pooh.
Q: Was your main character modeled after anyone in your life?
A: Yes! She is loosely based on my eldest daughter. Almost all the characters in Zetti Spaghetti are loosely based on people in my life.
Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
A: So far, my favorite part has been the illustrations and seeing my thoughts and ideas come to life.
Q: Do you believe that being a “good writer” is a developed skill or a natural talent?
A: I think it can be both. I think that some people do have a natural storytelling talent and utilize that to write books. Others have great ideas and do not know where to start, so they just start writing and go from there.
Q: Do you have a favorite book, poem, TV, or movie quote?
A: “The greatest thing we can do is to let people know that they are loved and capable of loving.” —Fred Rogers
Q: Would you write another book (or are you already writing another book)?
A: Yes! I have actually written a few more Zetti books!
Q: Is there an author you look up to, and why?
A: I love Kristen Hannah because she has the ability to transport me to another world. She puts in the hard work and does the research on her topics. After reading her books, I feel as if I were a character in them.
I also really admire Reese Witherspoon’s Busy Betty books because they prove that children’s stories can be both fun and meaningful. I love how they celebrate imagination, problem-solving, and big hearts. As a writer, I hope to create books that become part of a family’s story time routine and help children feel confident, loved, and excited about the world around them.
Q: If there were an apocalypse and you could only take five books into your doomsday bunker, what would they be?
A: The Nightingale, The Night Circus, The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, the Throne of Glass series, and the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (both by Sarah J. Maas). However, that is assuming I am in the bunker alone. As I am married with three littles, my list would look more like The Nightingale, The Night Circus (both for me), The Way of Kings for my husband, and the Winnie the Pooh series and Curious George for the kids.
Learn more about Tory Ostic and her debut children's novel, Zetti Spaghetti, here. Coming soon Augus 4, 2026!