The RV Book Fair – Author Tonya Pinkins

TONYA PINKINS is a Tony Awarding actor/singer who has starred in nine Broadway shows

including the original CAROLINE OR CHANGE. Her Award Winning Film RED PILL was

recently released on TVOD and has been translated into Spanish, Catalonian, Russian and

Greek. Her book RED PILL UNMASKED an historical, spiritual and philosophical memoir on life

is available at Amazon.com. In addition to being an actress and author, Tonya is a playwright,

director and educator. Her MEDIUM essay WHY I AM FED UP WITH PERFORMATIVE

ACTIVISM FROM BLACK AND WHITE THEATER MAKERS has been made required reading

at universities including YALE School of Drama. She is the author of the self help book GET

OVER YOURSELF: How to Drop The Drama and Claim The Life You Deserve (Hyperion). She

is also a painter with an NFT collection on OpenSea. You also may have seen or heard her in

THE CHICAGO STRANGLER on DISCOVERY, SCANDAL, GOTHAM, MADAM SECRETARY

or ALL MY CHILDREN. She played Alma Carthan, Emmett Till’s grandmother in ABC/HULU’s

WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT. The accompanying RED PILL GAME will be available in

February at www.redpillmovie.com when the film releases on AVOD.

Hello author Tonya, welcome to the RV Book Fair! What’s the last book you read?

I read several books simultaneously at any time. This year, I really love Jason Mott’s HELL OF A BOOK.

What’s the book that changed your life?

Scott Peck’s THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED. I’ve read it four times and every time I get something new from it.

What makes you laugh the most?

I love to laugh at myself. https://youtu.be/1gmwbgxaGzI

What is your write kryptonite?

My children

What inspired you to start writing?

I wrote my first novel when I was six years old I continued writing to until the fourth grade when my teacher ripped dup the only copy and I suffered from writer’s block for decades.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I like going to the movies and watching horror and scuff-. I love going to the theater. I love daydreaming.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Travel, massage, A great meal.

Where do you dream traveling to and why?

I want to visit every country on the continent of Africa. Because the world has been lied to about the history of the continent.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Don’t worry about getting it “right.” Write to please yourself. Write what you want to read and there will be others who share your interest

Aside from writing, what do you enjoy doing on your spare time? 

I paint, mostly portraits. I love to take long walks. I read a lot

State a random fact about yourself that would surprise your readers.

I have traveled to sixty countries and lived in three outside the USA

What is your writing process like? Are you more plotter or a pantser?

 I write many things simultaneously. The muse usually strikes in the middle of the night and if I don’t rise and respond, my mind will keep repeating the thoughts so I can’t sleep or if I can fall asleep it will be lost.