Interview Part 2, Giveaway & Author Bio: Toi Thomas (Eternal Curse Series:Giovanni's Angel)

Toinette “Toi” Thomas was born and raised in Texas where she learned to appreciate the grandeur of things in life. She was raise by her loving mother Navonia and her stepfather Dennis, along with her older sister Tori. Early in her life, Toi could understand and appreciate things that other kids her age couldn’t. She understood that her family wasn’t perfect, but that it was perfect for her.

Toi’s mother always encouraged her to be the best she could be even at things she didn’t like; which is why she was the best cheerleader her team in the third grade. Toi always had a special bond with her father, which made it hard for others to image that she wasn’t his natural born child. It was her father, who helped her appreciate the growing technology of the time and introduced her to her love of science fiction. Toi always looked up to her sister, even though as children they seldom got along. Her sister helped Toi figure out who she was on the inside and helped her create her sense of style.

Growing up, Toi was a bit of a tomboy, but was not without poise and grace. She loved to play outside, to build and break things, to dance and write, and to read. Some of her favorite books as a youngster were Horton Hears a Who, The Little Train that Could, and anything Curios George. Toi also studied dance as a child and began her love of cooking at the age of five. By the time she was in third grade, Toi could prepare a full hot breakfast on her own. It was also during these early years that her love of movies and music developed. She would scan the radio for hours trying to get a glimpse at all the different types of expression that traveled the airwaves. Her favorite movies growing up were The Wizard of Oz, The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and anything with Shirley Temple.

When Toi’s family moved to Virginia, she was just eleven years old; soon, she would be a pre-teen and then a teenager. The next few years were a great time of change for Toi. Life was much different in Virginia and adjusting to the changes allowed Toi to develop herself more creatively. By the time Toi entered high school, everyone knew how smart and mature she was. While her sister was a very public person, Toi kept to herself, but managed to make her mark in other ways. Toi would often make acquaintances by helping students with their homework or by writing poems for students who wanted to impress someone. Toi was active in a few social clubs, but maintained a low-key persona. During her high school career, Toi developed a special relationship with two girls who would become her closest friends at the time, and who remain a part of her life now.

Toi always seemed to be very mature for her age and sometimes a little too serious to her peers, but when she wanted to, Toi could really be a lot of fun. She was known for her dancing skills whenever she would let loose at a party and as always, she was a great conversationalist, especially if the topic was movies, music, or TV. During high school, Toi’s literary interest began to expand. She started reading many classic stories such as the original stories and plays of Peter Pan, novels such as To Kill a Mocking Bird, many works of Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe. Also during her brief high school career, Toi ventured out and explored other interest as she worked towards an early graduation. She became involved in math and science related after school activities and took technology-based electives. She also began to feed an interest in foreign languages, taking Spanish courses and being involved in multicultural activities.

When it was time for Toi to go off to college, she and her mother managed to find an in-state school that was far enough away from home, for her to have the true college experience. She attended what is now called The University of Virginia’s College at Wise. Though it took a long time for Toi to adjust to the cultural changes of the area, she finally grew to appreciate and even enjoy her time spent there. During this time, Toi’s love for reading took a back seat to the required reading of her many classes, though she managed to dabble in the reading of comic books when she could. Majoring in computers, minoring in Spanish, and being involved in several student activities, Toi hardly had time to image what her life would like after graduation.

It was also during this time at Uva-Wise that Toi met her future husband, Eric Thomas. As if the fact that they both had the same last name wasn’t enough to bring the two together, their mutual love of food, music and movies was. Though Toi and her husband shared many common interest, they were very much opposites, an attribute that made their union all the more special. After seven years of marriage and a handful of career changes, Toi now works as a teacher’s assistant in Virginia Beach. While Toi finds her job to be very rewarding, she never seems to let up on the other things she finds of interest in her life. Toi constantly bakes goodies and treats for friends and family, and takes the extra effort to assist with computer issues whenever she can. While Toi’s love of movies will never fade, she also makes time to read a good book from time to time.

It was in the fall of 2009 that Toi got the inspiration to write her first book. She was having a reoccurring dream about a gray man who wanted to be an angel. She began to write down bits and pieces of her dreams, whenever she could remember them. Soon Toi had pages and pages of notes that she decided to turn into a story. Her first attempt at a novel is just one part of the whole story she plans to someday share with the world.

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1. What’s in your fridge right now? Leftovers and bottled water. 2. What song do you sing at the top of your voice every time you hear it? Tubthumping by Chumbawamba (I think that’s right). 3. Who would win in a fight: Harry Potter or Ron Weasely? And why? Pass. 4. Other than writing, what special or unusual talent(s) do you have? I have a great memory for facts and details. I’m good with computers and I can make balloon animals. 5. Where did you last go on holiday? Ashville, NC, USA the home of The Biltmore Estate 6. If your house was attacked by feral aliens, and they were zapping your house with their Über super bombs, what five items would you save? My laptop, my turtle, a copy of my book, as many comic books I can carry, and the teddy bear from my infancy. 7. If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be? Think outside the Toi box 8. If you were a comic book character, which one would it be? I’d be the female Robin so I could work with Batman. He’s so awesome.

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