Local author releases first novel

One local author made her debut this weekend releasing her very first novel, but she is not a stranger to the community.

Tonya Matthews attended Western Kentucky and worked for the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce for two decades.

Her novel Treasure Atop the Mountain was written before her and her husband adopted their daughters from foster care. She said she found writing to be a healthy escape and effective therapy during tough times in her life.

“I wrote TREASURE ATOP THE MOUNTAIN before Todd and I adopted the girls from foster care. We’d been through years of disappointments trying to start our family. I needed an escape and began to read and enjoyed inspiring fiction books. After reading several that missed the mark, I decided one day that I’d just write what I wanted to read. I didn’t know what I was doing, but the words came and the story developed. There were times that pieces of the book came together and surprised me even as I wrote it. I’d stand up, do a little happy dance all by myself, and sit back down to type more,” Tonya shares about the writing process.

The front cover of her novel is a picture taken in her backyard.

Tonya held her book signing at Merle Norman this past weekend and said she is so blessed to be given the opportunity.

"Yesterday we sold 50 and then today we're going to sell out. So, this is exciting. It is a lot of fun. I really honestly don't know where it came from in the sense that I would be here and getting lucky enough to do something like this, but it is definitely pretty rewarding," said Matthews.

'Treasure Atop The Mountain' is available at local businesses like Merle Norman, Regina Webb Salon and Spa and The Beet Box.

It is also available at amazon.com. The sequel is scheduled to release in 2020.

For more information go to Tonya Matthew's publishing site