Hi, I’m Tonya!
Reading is my favorite hobby. Growing up, my mom took me to the library every week, and I left with a bag filled with books. My favorites were about curious and adventurous characters, like Pippi Longstocking, Ramona Quimby and Harriet the Spy. Like Harriet, I kept a diary, but mine had a lock, so no one discovered my secrets!
Young Author
In fifth grade, I won a young author’s competition and decided to become a writer. I studied hard in school to be placed in the top reading and writing groups. In high school, I wrote an article that was published in the local newspaper. Holding my first paycheck for writing felt great.
Journalist
During college some classmates and I were chosen to pick up Dr. Maya Angelou from the airport. I asked Dr. Angelou questions about her writing process. She told me it took her about a year to complete a novel. Interacting with a real-live author made me feel like I could write my own book one day.
After college, I worked as a newspaper reporter and later wrote articles for family magazines. Meeting daily and weekly deadlines to complete my stories was challenging, but I enjoyed researching information, interviewing people and seeing my name in print.
Publishing Path
When I got married and had my daughter and two sons, I shared my favorite childhood books with them. At bedtime, I made up stories for my children with characters who looked and acted like them and their friends. My kids liked my stories so much that I decided to write a children’s book.
After I showed the first draft to my kids’ school librarian, she said I should get the book published. At first, I was nervous about it because all my prior writing had been nonfiction news articles. But I’m so happy I took her advice.
Now my books are shelved in the library where I checked out books as a little girl. I love sharing my books at school and community events. Seeing children around the world enjoy my stories is a dream come true!
Fun Facts About Me:
- My favorite games as a kid were hopscotch, jacks, roller skating, and Monopoly.
- In middle school I learned to knit, and during Hurricane Harvey, I knitted blankets for people flooded out of their homes.
- My favorite candy is peanut M&Ms.
- My favorite music is old-school R & B and Hip Hop.
- As a teenager I volunteered at my neighborhood library.
- In college I studied for one semester in London, England and one school year in Strasbourg, France.
- I’ve visited six continents and forty nine states.
- I get story ideas while running and taking long walks in the park.
