The Catholic Writers Guild

This month, the Catholic Writers’ Guild is touring Guildie Cynthia T. Toney’s book, 8 Notes to a Nobody. It has the Catholic Writer’s Guild Seal of Approval.  Anonymous sticky-notes, a scheming bully, and a ruined summer send 14-year-old Wendy down a trail of secrets and self-discovery.

SUMMARY: Anonymous sticky-notes, a scheming bully, and a ruined summer send 14-year-old Wendy down a trail of secrets and self-discovery.

AWARDS: Under its original title, Bird Face, it won a 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award in the Pre-teen Fiction Mature Issues category. Now the same story is 8 Notes to a Nobody, which is book one in the Bird Face series.

REVIEW: “Cynthia Toney skillfully developed a shy girl into a confident young woman within the pages of this book.” Adult reader’s review.

WEB SITE: www.cynthiattoney.com

EXCERPT: What could I say about Bellingrath Junior High? Not much, except it was named after my secret hero, Bernard Bellingrath. But Barney wasn’t the kind of hero who rescued a kid from a burning building or found a cure for a disease. Barney dropped a big load of money on our school to build the gym, stadium, and later the library annex. As his reward, a faded portrait hung on the wall of the visitors’ area inside the main entrance. But that wasn’t the reason he was my hero. According to legend, Barney had been born with a tail. A tail. Grand-mere Robichaud, who’d once seen such a tail on a baby’s pink bottom, said he could’ve been mistaken for the main course at a cochon de lait—a Cajun pig roast. But Barney’s parents were very religious, so they refused to have the tail removed. In spite of that decision, Barney grew up to be the richest and most powerful man in town. But that still wasn’t the reason he was my hero. The fact that he decided to keep the tail anyway—that was the reason. Now, all these years later, you’d think physical imperfections would be tolerated at a school practically founded by someone with a tail. But no.

BIO: Cynthia is a former advertising designer, marketing director, and interior decorator who holds a BA in art education with a minor in history. While employed by a large daily newspaper, she rewrote some ad copy without permission and got into trouble for it. At that point, she knew she was destined to become an author. When she’s not cooking Cajun or Italian food, Cynthia writes historical and contemporary teen fiction containing elements of mystery and romance. She has a passion for rescuing dogs from animal shelters and enjoys studying the complex history of the friendly Southern U.S., where she resides with her husband and several canines.

“I have used most of the money earned from my writing to help rescue dogs from euthanasia in animal shelters and find them safe homes,” Toney says. “I’ve worked with a number of non-profit rescue organizations all over the country to do so. One was Blind Dog Rescue. I used to foster dogs for rescue organizations when my health was better.”

BUY LINK: http://www.amzn.com/1938092481

TWEET: If she doubts how wonderful and powerful God made her, give her 8 Notes to a Nobody. http://tinyurl.com/zmqd778

Michael Fraley

Michael Fraley has been editing and posting the CWG Book Blast since 2016. He's adapted the Arthurian portion of Geoffrey of Monmouth's “Histories of the Kings of Britain” to the comic page, has worked in book illustration, graphic design, and has also served as a newspaper columnist. In 2019 the story of his conversion to Catholicism was told in Nancy Ward's book Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story. His primary area of study is in the Jewish roots of the Church, with an emphasis on the Gospel of Matthew and the Epistle of James. He holds a MA in theology from St. Joseph's College of Maine and a BFA in fine art from Indiana University. He can be reached at michael@michaelfraley.com