Kickbacks, Kayaks, & Kidnapping by Tonya Kappes

Some of them went so far as to encourage her to write fiction. Not long after, the people at her book club mentioned Tonya Kappes’ talent for telling stories. After picking up one of her novels and reading a few pages, Tonya’s husband told her that she could tell better stories than the author who had written the book. If Tonya was to lay the blame for her publishing career at the feet of one person, it would probably be her husband.Įven though Tonya wasn’t a writer, she loved to tell stories, and her friends and family had noticed this talent. Her dedication to the book club never wavered. She entered another marriage, one that constituted a husband and four boys. Her passion for novels grew in the years that followed. This transformed the author into an avid reader.

Tonya was blown away by the novel’s ability to distract her from the woes of her life for several hours at a time. Finally, months later, she bought a book. It was for these same reasons that she kept coming back. Tonya attended that first session, not only for the wine and chocolates but because she wanted to socialize with her peers. But the classmate in question won the author over by informing her that the book club was planning to serve wine and chocolate to its members. After all, she had no interest in reading. Tonya had no reason to honor that invitation. The invitation to join the book club came from a classmate. Tonya was in graduate school at the time. Everything changed when she joined a book club. The notion of pursuing a publishing career never occurred to her.

Tonya wasn’t sure where life would take her. The divorce sapped her of her mental strength and she withdrew from her social circle, becoming a recluse. She was in her early thirties when her marriage ended. Her bibliography is filled with so many books that it often comes as a surprise to her fans when they learn that Tonya wasn’t even a reader at 30, let alone a writer.

She does what she can to teach aspiring authors about the marketing aspects of publishing.

When Tonya isn’t writing, you can find her gracing various workshops and writer’s groups with her presence.

Kickbacks, Kayaks, & Kidnapping by Tonya Kappes