January 16, 2024– Tonya Cartmell is a cherished member of the Pandamonium Publishing House team, and has woven tales that captivate the imagination of young readers and those who are young at heart.
Tonya has established herself as a storyteller with a unique voice and perspective through whimsical tales of magic and mayhem in the middle-grade novel Second-Hand Witch, the power of teamwork and courage in Pa’s Hockey Sweater, and the importance of family and furever homes in The 12 Days of Rescue. With three published books under her belt and the promise of more adventures on the horizon, her creativity continues to flourish. Let’s learn more about her and her creative process:
Where do you find inspiration for your stories? “My inspiration comes from things I see or hear around me. Just something that makes me think “Hey, what if…” The thought may only lead to a few sentences before I move on, or it could keep coming back to me and start to take shape in my head before I write it down. My first book, Twelve Days of Rescue, came to me while watching a Christmas movie with our adopted dog named Rescue. Pa’s Hockey Sweater was inspired by an old hockey jersey in our closet and my husband’s love of hockey that he will pass down to our grandchildren. The look of wonder on my niece’s face at a magic festival made me wonder what she would do if she found out she was a witch.” I love this! It’s so true, ideas are all around us!
“When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?” I love to visit old cemeteries and do ghost tours. The crazy thing is, I’m a big chicken and startle very easily. I also love to travel, so it is great fun when I can combine the two. My husband Stacey and I did one ghost tour last fall in Edinburgh Scotland which included exploring underground tunnels. At one point, after leading us all into a small cell-like room, the tour guide instructed us to turn off our flashlights while she told us a story. During the story, she turned off her light, plunging us into darkness. Now, I’m not afraid of the dark, but when the lights go out unexpectedly, my mind automatically assumes there is a serial killer that just cut the power and is coming to kill me. So, not only did I have to swallow the scream that almost escaped my lips, I also had to press my face into my husband’s sweatshirt while mentally reminding myself it was ok and the light would come back on soon. Would I do it again? 100% yes!” LOL! That’s so much fun!
What are your hopes for 2024? “In 2024, I hope to share two children’s books, Our Dream Adventures and Dragonfly Magic with you. I also plan to complete a few works in progress. I’m a little superstitious and don’t really like to share too much until they are done and my publisher has accepted them. Although, a goal for 2024 is to share more on social media so you may see a few hints here and there. On the personal side, my husband and I started building a small off the grid cabin a few years ago with the help of my parents, brother and a few friends. It is on a beautiful lake in Northern Quebec. We hope to have it mostly completed this summer. ” Ohh, we’re so excited! Can’t wait for what’s next!
You can find Tonya’s books here:
Canada: The Twelve Days of Rescue: Cartmell, Tonya, James, Emily: 9781989506219: Books – Amazon.ca
USA: Second-Hand Witch by Tonya Cartmell, Alex Goubar, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
Globally: Pa’s Hockey Sweater – Pandamonium Publishing House (wpcomstaging.com)
Follow Tonya on social media as she posts updates, tips, and photos that you won’t want to miss!
IG and Threads @tonyacartmell_author
Website: tonyacartmell.ca
Facebook: Tonya Cartmell – Author