Toinette Thomas is an author and works in the field of education.  She writes because it makes her happy, and she shares her stories with the world in the hope of bringing together people of varying backgrounds.  She believes we all are more alike than we are different.  A woman after my own heart!  Welcome Toi!

Tell us a little about yourself.  I am a quiet person.  I enjoy movies, music, reading, cooking, dancing, painting, and napping.  I adore my husband and the rest of my family.  I currently work as a teacher’s assistant in special education by day and do all my writing in the evening and on weekends. In many ways I’m a big kid, and I plan on staying that way.

What is the title and genre of your book, and who published it?  The current title of my book is Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel.  The book is an Urban Fantasy with a spiritual twist.  I originally self-published the book, but it has now been picked up for release by Tate Publishing Enterprises, LLC.  I look forward to working with this company.

Tell us a little about your book.  EC: GA is about two people who meet online and form a friendship that leads to some interesting questions.  Mira is a doctor who’s bored with her life and looking for something to inspire and challenge her.  Giovanni is a solemn soul living in near isolation, cut off from the outside world with only the Internet as his window looking out.  Soon Mira is faced with the challenge of figuring out what exactly is wrong with Giovanni and why it is he seems to be cursed.  When Mira decides to meet Giovanni, their journey truly begins as they take on dark forces that Mira had no idea even existed.

What inspired you to write it?  I had a dream about a gray man that kept waking me up nights.  I began to take notes on what I could remember.  Once the dream came to a climax and eventually stopped, I decided to turn it into a story.  I made lots of changes to the original idea, but at that point I was only writing it for myself.

When did you first start writing?  I’ve always been a writer in some form or fashion.  I’ve never kept a diary, but I’ve always kept a writing journal.  I used to sell poems to my classmates in middle school, just because I could, but I never planned on being an author.    I just felt compelled to tell this story, and since writing Eternal Curse, more stories have come to mind.

What authors have most influenced you? How? Why?  When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the stories of Peter Pan.  The world J.M. Barrie created was unlike anything I could imagine.  And even before I knew I wanted to be a writer, I always wanted to have that kind of creativity.

How and where have you marketed your work?  I guess the better question here would be, “Where haven’t I marketed it yet?”  I’m always open to suggestions.  While most of my marketing efforts have been online, I’ve gone out into my local area with little success, but I’m still planning to cover that area some more.  Blogs, forums, magazines, and more have been hit by me, and I’ll be coming back through again.

Do you have other publishing credits?  Not exactly.  While I’m currently working on a sequel to my first book and three other independent projects, I’ve released a free eBook companion guide (40 Days and Nights of Eternal Curse) as a teaser for the first book and entire Eternal Curse Series.

What is your current writing project?  I have four, actually.  I’m working on Eternal Curse: Battleground (book2 in the EC series); a work of contemporary fiction called It’s Like the Full Moon; an adventure tale called Solomon’s Sword; and a collection of short stories (currently untitled).

Do you have a website and/or blog?  My website, etoithomas.com, encompasses my ToiBox blog, and I also have the Eternal Curse Series blog.

Where can your book be purchased?  Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel is currently out of distribution pending re-release from my new publisher, but a few 2nd editions are still out there.  Interested parties may contact me via my blogs for copies.

What advice would you give to a new writer?  Above all, have a plan.  As writers and creative people, we tend to forget about all the technical stuff that goes into making a book a success.  If you’re writing just for pleasure but maybe want to sell a few books to family and friends, an inexpensive vanity press or printing service is all you need.  If writing is your passion and you want to make a go at doing it professionally, save yourself a lot of grief and stress by doing your homework first.  Everyone’s plan is different, but once your plan is in play, you can relax a little and focus on your writing.

What do you wish to say to your readers?  I know my book isn’t available to the masses right now, but my blogs are, and they are free.  I have so much to offer in terms of samples, updates, and entertainment.  I look forward to increased interaction in the future.

Toi:  Thank you so much for talking with me, Tina, and sharing your readers with me.

Tina:  It has been my pleasure, Toi.  I am utterly amazed at the amount of writing you accomplish in any given day, and I stand in awe of your passion and tenacity.  I wish you all the best in your endeavors.

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