Let's give a warm Diamond Mine welcome to this week's guest Tonya B. Ashley. Tonya's newest release came out earlier this month. Romancing the Elements is a novella collection, so you get to read stories by four authors, including Tonya. And she's graciously offered to give one of this blog's readers an digital copy of the book.
About Tonya B. Ashley
Tonya B. Ashley writes stories of resilience wrapped in adventure, blending heart-deep faith with a quirky compass for navigating life’s shadows. Her characters often face hard places with a little too much baggage and just enough courage to try again. When she’s not writing, Tonya can be found hiking and exploring nature with family and friends, creating faith-infused junk journals, or experimenting with latte flavor combos that probably shouldn’t work—but somehow do.
Connect with Tonya: Facebook | Scrivenings Press | Amazon
Suzie: Thank you for spending some time with us this week, Tonya. We are excited to have you here. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Tonya: I have loved the outdoors since I was a young child. A babbling brook or waterfall, a moss-covered rock face, a rotten log. I could never resist these things.
Nature is also where I discovered my fear of heights. I remember the first time I stood on a mountain trail overlooking a river valley. I was perhaps eight or nine. My breath caught in my throat, and my heartbeat pounded in my ears.
Since then, I have climbed many trees, rappelled a tower, and ziplined. I’ve sat atop rocky scenic
SW: I love it, and this explains how you painted such a rich setting in your newest release. Do you have a day job? If so, how do you find time in your day to write?
Tonya: I have a day job as a substitute teacher. I especially love encouraging students in reading, writing, and social skills. On more than one occasion, students have been so swept up in the excitement of revision and editing lessons with me that we’ve run long and forgotten to line up for an activity like music or P.E. It’s a beautiful relationship because my creativity feeds theirs, and their creativity feeds mine.
Serving as a substitute teacher allows some flexibility in my weekly schedule. I sometimes take days off to write. Occasionally, I’m able to write on breaks. I’ve even been known to turn on soft instrumental music and write with students during their writing time. There’s nothing like the smile of a child who has a story to share.
Suzie: It is so sweet that you get to share your joy and passion of writing with young minds. Are you a night owl or morning person?
Tonya: I’m more of a night owl. I enjoy the winding-down time of a household. I love to soak up the quiet moments when my boys seek me out for one last chat of the day before heading to bed. Our lab makes rounds to check on everyone before circling back to lie beside me. There’s a sweet silence after everyone else is tucked in and I have time to reflect, journal, write. It’s almost like my mind is a crockpot and the ideas spend all day on the back of the counter bubbling until they’re ready to be spooned out. In the mornings, I prefer quiet until after coffee. Unless I’m traveling. Then it’s like a switch flips, and I become a morning person, eager for the adventure.
Suzie: That crockpot analogy is great. Do you reward yourself when a book is finished? If so, what is your favorite treat?
Tonya: Yes, I do! Writing a story is like life. It’s a journey of ups and downs, joys and challenges. Writing requires a willingness to lean into emotions. It’s fun, but it’s also hard work. So I think it’s important to honor the milestone of completing a story.
When I finished my first novella, a dear friend gave me a Beanie Baby “The End” Bear. So, I usually take Bear on a hike, or I’ll take it along on a girls’ dinner to celebrate. My oldest son gifted me a portable hammock stand for Christmas, so my next reward may be an entire day spent in a hammock with Bear…listening to other writers’ stories.
Suzie: Who was your favorite character to create?
Tonya: I dearly love creating characters. My most recent release is "Grace and Grit," a novella featured in the Romancing the Elements novella collection. It focuses on McKenna Carter, a counselor, and Rough Scott, a wilderness survival instructor. They take four women on a backcountry retreat. I’m always quite attached to my main characters, and McKenna and Rough’s story was so much fun to write. But CeCe, a supporting character, took me by surprise. She made me laugh more than I had anticipated. I never knew what she might pull out of her backpack next. She brings a touch of her wedding planner flair to her backcountry lean-to. CeCe has this city girl tough streak that adapts so well to the wilderness, even though she’s clearly out of her element. She’s a girly-girl with a lot of grit.
Suzie: CeCe was one of my favorite characters too. But I loved all of them by the ned of the book.
How did you come up with the names of your characters?
Tonya: "Grace and Grit" features the natural element of fire. I knew I wanted the counselor to symbolize a cozy campfire. She had to be someone who could gather others and help them connect. The name McKenna, meaning born of fire, seemed a perfect fit, and so McKenna Carter stepped onto the page.
Rough Scott hails from Arkansas, the only diamond-producing state in the U.S. He is a diamond in the rough with the personality to match. Diamond in the rough is a nod to my grandfather and his military history. He was a great encourager of my writing and told everyone I was a writer long before I was brave enough to call myself one.
Suzie: So fun. McKenna and Rough were the perfect names for your hero and heroine in this tory. What are your three books on your current tbr?
Tonya: Hope Even After by Heather Greer—A story of addiction, healing, and hope. This book is on my TBR because so many lives are touched by addiction, and I’ve already heard how honestly and beautifully this story is written.
A Certain Mercy by Linda Dindzans. This will be my first time reading a story in the biblical fiction genre. A journey with Yeshua of Nazareth to His suffering on the cross will be a great read leading up to Easter.
Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham. After some deep dives in reading, a grumpy/sunshine romcom sounds like the perfect way to come up for air.
Suzie: Sounds like you've got some great stories to enjoy ahead. What’s next for you as an author?
Tonya: I’m currently writing the last of a set of historical romance stories in The Lost and Found series. The Lost and Found stories are reverse treasure hunts: an object surfaces, and the owner must be found. But the main characters also find something they were missing in their spiritual lives.
After I finish my current project, I’ll begin work on a middle-grade series inspired by the students I work with. Fantasy stories with a hint of nostalgia and themes of resilience, hope, and imagination.
Suzie: I can't read to read you next book in your series, and the middle-grade series sounds like will be a lot of fun to write. How can we pray for you?
Tonya: The year 2026 is off to an overwhelmingly difficult beginning for my family, so sustaining prayers for endurance and wisdom are much appreciated. We are thankful for the goodness of God and His unfailing love, and for the love and prayers of others.
Romancing the Elements
- A driven career woman and a gentle small-town engineer whose opposites-attract romance unfolds during an unexpected ice storm
- A television anchor starting over in a coastal city, learning that home—and love—may look different than she planned
- Two battle-tested veterans facing old wounds and new hope amid Montana’s untamed beauty
- A counselor and a survival expert leading a wilderness retreat where healing, faith, and love walk side by side
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