Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonia Osborne.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Tonia the Author’s passion for a career in writing bloomed during her college years. While a student at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, her experiences would give her the background for what would later become her debut novel, Fashionably Deceptive.
Fashionably Deceptive loosely captures the lives, fantasies, and experiences of her college roommates. The captivating and relatable stories of her characters leave readers hooked from start to finish through her unique writing style of being very descriptive, coupled with wit and a bit of drama. Her follow-up novel, A Fashionable Revelation, continues the drama-filled stories of the memorable characters found in Fashionably Deceptive. Tonia released her first stand-alone novel, Punishment is due in 2016 and is currently working on the final installment in her Fashionably Deceptive series.
Tonia returned to Houston following her graduation from LSU, where she continues to live and pursue her writing career. When Tonia isn’t working on her next novel, she is working as a school counselor helping to develop the character and desire for success in adolescents, curating the travel of others through her company Travels by Tonia, and/or traveling the world and writing about her experiences for numerous blogs, including
her lifestyle blog, The Sparkle Files.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition, he or she has overcome to reach his goals. – Dorothy Height
With any huge accomplishment, I don’t believe there is such thing as a smooth road. Whether your goal is to be CEO of a major company or to pursue your passions through entrepreneurship, the one thing that is certain is that you will face adversity. When I first became an author, I started this journey without any knowledge outside of writing a story and a 99 cent guide about self-publishing. My finished manuscript was only the beginning. I spent a lot of unnecessary money making mistakes and paying for “experts” but I never allowed that to deter me from publishing my books and finding ways to learn more about my industry. When embarking on a new journey, always take time to learn your craft and to continuously evolve into the best version of yourself, personally and professionally.
If there is one thing that I have learned is that adversity may cause tears and heartache, but the most valuable lessons are the ones that hurt, whether emotionally or in your pockets. As cliche as “Never Give Up’ sounds, it is the true formula to success. And when you get really down and discouraged, just go to Google and look up the failure stories of some of the world’s greatest known artists, writers, entertainers, etc., and remember, that failure just makes your success story that much more satisfying.
What should we know about Tonia? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My career for the past decade has revolved around various roles in education, from being a teacher to a school counselor, but in conjunction with the accomplishments that I have been able to make in my professional career. I am also the author of 3 novels, a travel blogger at The Sparkle Files, and owner of a travel company called Travels by Tonia.
In each of facet of my life, I make it a point to set definitive, attainable goals that I hold myself accountable for each quarter. It’s not easy running multiple businesses, but because I am passionate about all the things above, I believe in making sure that everything that is on my plate is done with fidelity.
As a school counselor, this year, my campus became the first school in our district to be recognized for our counseling program by the State of Texas. As an author, I have made the Amazon Bestsellers list for each of my releases and been featured in various publications. And as a travel blogger and curator, I’ve reached all of my sales goals for the entire year, since launching Travels by Tonia in January and am constantly using my travel experience and expertise to help people explore their wanderlust.
The things that set me apart from others is my passion for all of my endeavors, my belief in helping others, and my commitment to providing superior customer service.
Who do you look up to? How have they inspired you?
Whether it be Nikki Giovanni, whose blatant honesty and activism inspires me to be unapologetically me, Mary B Morrison, one of my favorite authors who has made herself available for all of my texts, phone calls, and inquiries, Audrey Hepburn, who taught me that beauty, elegance, and humanitarianism go hand in hand, or Kate Spade, whose fashion and branding will always remind me of the value of class and be having an identity that is uniquely your own, there are many women that have set the tone of chasing your dreams and not leaving this world mediocre.
Pricing:
- Fashionably Deceptive $12.99
- Punishment is Due $12.99
- Travel Quotes (Free)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thesparklefiles.com
- Email: toniatheauthor@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/toniatheauthor
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/toniatheauthor
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/toniatheauthor
Image Credit:
Jerren Willis, Lottie Spears, Meredith Mark
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
