Tonya Duncan Ellis is the author of the bestselling SOPHIE WASHINGTON children’s chapter book
series and THEY BUILT ME FOR FREEDOM. She enjoys inspiring other authors with mindset tips for author success. Tonya has spoken and taught at writing conferences at the Highlights Foundation and for SCBWI in New York City, Houston, and Austin, TX chapters. A former journalist and freelance magazine writer, she is a graduate of Centre College of Kentucky and holds an MBA degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
Tonya loves to travel and has visited 49 American states, 20 countries, and three continents, but some of her best journeys have been between the pages of a novel. She could always be found with a book in her hand, and reading is still one of her favorite hobbies. When she's not reading or writing, Tonya likes to ride her bike, swim, and spend time with her husband and three children. She lives in Houston, TX. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Authors Guild, Black Creators in KidLit, and the Brown Bookshelf’s Highlights Foundation-sponsored, Amplify Black Stories storyteller cohort. Married with three children, Tonya lives in Houston, Texas.
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Most Influential Person
- Her Mom
Effect on Emotions
- It's been very beneficial to me, I do journaling every day. Being mindful and intentional in what I'm doing helps me stay focused because there's a lot of rejection in my business. So it just keeps me focused on my goals and moving in a positive direction.
Thoughts on Breathing
- I don't do a lot of it. But I have taken Pilates and some yoga classes at times. And I find that they do a lot of breathing in the exercise. And it's like a release and helps relieve a lot of your stress and anxiety. And even when I do walking and movement, I think it helps me overcome anxious feelings and be more positive.
Suggested Resources
- Book: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)
- Book: Sophie Washington: Treasure Beach By Tonya Duncan Ellis
Bullying Story
- The second book in my series, is Sophie, Washington, the Snitch. has the children being bullied by a new girl at school who's taking their lunch money and shoving them around. And I think mindfulness may have been helpful for the bully herself.
- She recognized her history, it comes out later in the book that her parents have abandoned her and had some other personal issues.
- If she had been able to do some mindfulness work, that would help with her anger and bad feelings that led her to be unkind to the other kids. So
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