ANNIE ASKS Tonya Todd

ANNIE ASKS Tonya Todd

On what occasion do you lie?

I don’t. As a teen, I made a vow not to lie, which has been a challenge, but I have found creative ways to speak the truth without being harmful. Sometimes, I just avoid speaking, which has been empowering.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Loyalty.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Same. Loyalty is important, regardless of gender.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Who says I haven’t? ;)

Where would you most like to live?

England. Close enough to London to enjoy the city but with acres of land and privacy from neighbours. I love the weather there, it would be gloriously close to the best theatre, and I already have many nearby friends I adore.

What is your favorite occupation?

I am blessed with multiple occupations, which all fall under the umbrella of storytelling. Whether acting, directing, producing, or writing, I am sharing in the telling of a story. Yet, if I had to give up all the rest, and choose only one, it would be writing.

What is your most marked characteristic?

My ability to manifest. Sometimes that means writing something that comes true, but often, it means possessing the drive to keep going when others might quit, to not accept the roadblock as the end of the journey and power through it.

What do you most value in your friends?

Their acceptance of me with all my idiosyncrasies. I can be particular about things, and my true friends don’t try to shame me or mock me for caring about things that don’t matter as much to them.

Who are your favorite writers?

This is so tough to answer because I am acquainted with so many. It can be a challenge to separate the friend from the author. Face to the flame, I’ll narrow my list to those I don’t directly benefit from promoting.

Dead: Jane Austen, Toni Morrison, William Shakespeare, Edith Wharton

Alive Long form: Jesmyn Ward, Vanessa Riley, Amanda Skenandore, Oksana Marifioti, Devora Gray, Lisa Rayne, Maggie O’Farrell, Elizabeth Acevedo, Victoria Schwab, S.T. Gibson, Claire Kohda

Alive Short form: Wendy Wimmer, Veronica Klash, Brandon Mead

What are your favorite names?

This is a strange question, and I have way too many answers for it: Diamond, Michael, James, Aphrodite, Angelo, August, Sasha, Alexandra, Lucian, Dominic, Aurora, Lexi, Alexander, Lorenzo, Ashton

What is your greatest regret?

Not starting my artistic journey sooner. I wasted years thinking I wasn’t enough. The only way to get there is to start and keep going. I’d be much more talented with those extra years of honing my skills.

What is your motto?

I have two, both which stem from song lyrics:

Harder, better, faster, stronger

Be true to yourself, and you will never fall

Tonya Todd is an author, actress, and Sin City cinephile, whose sundry background ranges from content writer to software programmer to convention model. With a cast of characters as diverse as her careers, her fiction explores the infinite hues of what drives us all: relationships and desires.

Lack of diversity in literature inspired Tonya’s stories. Her involvement in the literary, theatre, and filmmaking communities provides a platform to champion marginalized artists and contribute toward an environment that embraces a variety of voices.

Tonya served on the board as Henderson Writers Group’s Education Chair for four years and still coordinates Dime Grinds, their program that exposes authors to the public via monthly meet-and-greets. An active literary citizen, she also belongs to Las Vegas Screenwriters and Writers of Southern Nevada.

She has short stories in Vegas Writes: Love in the Dunes, Tales from the Silver State IV, and Authors Portraits LV. Her non-fiction is featured in NPR's Desert Companion.