Welcome Tonya Calvert
- It’s great to have you joining us from Columbus, Georgia, the perfect peach state. And thank you for taking the time to share a few tidbits of your writing journey.
Inquiring minds want to know if you’ve always wanted to be a writer. Aren’t you also a lawyer?
Hi Patricia!
Yes, I am a lawyer, but I chose to stay home with my 3 boys, putting my legal career on hold. It's been a wonderful journey and they've inspired many tales. I have always loved writing and making up stories. I've kept journals for as long as I can remember so, I guess it's always been a part of me.
How did you come up with your new book Saylor?
Saylor is actually based on a true story that my family and I witnessed at the beach. A little seagull was caught in a fishing line and soon a flock of seagulls seemed to be rallying around overhead. Luckily, the fisherman was able to free the seagull.
I always carry my little travel journal with me on a trip, so I wrote about it that same day, then spun the story around the actual events. The other characters are based on actual birds I saw on other beach trips. They were also in my journal and I put them in the story with Saylor.
There's more information on the real birds here:
http://www.tonyacalvert.com/firefly-days-blog/saylor-the-story-behind-the-story
Did you work along with your illustrator and collaborate on the pictures?
I worked very closely with Alejandro Echavez. He really cared about my opinion on everything. He is an amazing illustrator and he captured the story perfectly.
What other books are you working on for future publication?
I have been working on a story about Saylor’s friend, Big Blue. I hope The Origami Elephant will be coming soon.
Is there anything else you’d like your readers to know?
People often say they wish they had time to write. Don't let lack of time stop you! Finding writing time can be difficult, but I enjoy keeping an illustrated journal with daily happenings and story ideas. Once the idea is formed, I write it in my journal with a few illustrations and then type it. It can be done over a long period of time.
There are stories all around you. Just write down your ideas and think about them for a while. Before long, you'll have a story
Tonya, do you have any book signings coming up? We’d love to join in.
I have 2 local events coming up in Columbus, Georgia. Saylor and I will be at Kiddie Shoppe July 8 and BlueBell Artist Market July 15.
You can find Tonya @:
Website: http://www.tonyacalvert.com/
Blog: http://www.tonyacalvert.com/firefly-days-blog
Fb: https://m.facebook.com/tonyacalvertauthor/
