Tonya K Smith

I was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas. My earliest memories include, going to church, eating at Furr's Cafeteria, and weathering the West Texas sand storms. My sisters and I say that we had a magical childhood filled with love and friendship. Yes, times were different and we could play outside until the streetlight came on, but our childhood was also rich with experiences. Our parents not only loved us, but they liked us too. They never excluded us from hanging out with them and their friends, and didn't really shelter us from the world. We were encouraged to watch the news, popular TV programs like "Bonanza", "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom", and occasionally "Alfred Hitchcock". There was always discussion about what was going on at school, and our parents were fully involved in our lives.

I attended two years of college at what was then called Lubbock Christian College (now Lubbock Christian University), before completing my Bachelors of Arts at the University of Texas at Arlington. After marrying and moving to Virginia, I completed my Masters of Education from George Mason University. I moved to Florida and began teaching high school English for twelve years, and then worked as a Veterinary Assistant while studying to become a Veterinary Technician. I have always had a love for writing. After the death of my father and sister, I found solace in writing about them even if some of it is in a fictional manner.