music-plants-hope | Pat Brown Books

I’m so excited to celebrate summer with Tonnye Fletcher, whose debut picture book Music Plants Hope came out in May of this year. I have been a fan of PBJamz for quite some time, and when I found out about Tonnye’s new book, I couldn’t wait to feature her on my blog.

Welcome, Tonnye and thank you for taking the time to chat with me about your writing journey.

Me: Do you have any special plans for the summer? Or are there any activities that you participate in related to the season? Do you have a favorite season?

Tonnye: This summer, we are doing a combination book tour, visiting kid lit folks and other friends and family, and taking 9 days to explore Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island in Canada. I’m looking forward to lots of book events and excited to meet lots of kid lit friends for the first time in person. Our last few summers have been full of amazing trips abroad. Australia/New Zealand, and Spain/Italy/France! In spite of the amazing travel, which I love, summer is not my favorite. I do enjoy being out of school and being able to travel, but fall is actually my favorite season. The crisp days, the leaves under my feet, the glorious colors, the disappearance of bugs, hanging out at the firepit, S’mores, hot chocolate, warm pajamas . . . everything about fall is wonderful!

Me: How long have you been writing?

Tonnye: Since I started school?! LOL – I began finding my voice with poetry in the fourth grade. Because I’ve always loved reading and writing, I dabbled in lots of different kinds of writing through the years. I have many beginnings of romance novels, devotional books, Bible studies, picture books, chapter books, etc. I got very serious about my writing and began treating it like a second career in 2019.

Me: What, or who inspired you to write this book?

Tonnye: An agent-at-the-time shared the link to the concert on Twitter. I watched it and was fascinated by the concert. She mentioned a possible picture book coming out of this concert, so I wrote three different versions – an expository account, this lyrical retelling, and an SEL-focused book that followed the journey of ONE of the plants from nursery to concert to home with a healthcare worker.

Me: Tell me a little bit about this book’s journey to publication, were there any bumps and bruises along the way, obstacles you had to overcome, aha-moments? You can share the good, bad, ugly lol, or not.

Tonnye: Well, after writing this book specifically to send to this agent, I sent her all three semi-polished versions with the hopes that one of them might impress her – or that the very fact that I was dedicated enough to write it three different ways and hone and fine tune all three of them would get me in the door, but she didn’t like any of them. So it didn’t look so good for any of them for a long time. I queried all three of them to no avail. Nothing but crickets. I pitched them for various pitch events. Crickets. For almost 3 years. The journey to publication is long, arduous, full of rejection and not for the faint of heart. This one was no different. But then, there was a Twitter PB Pitch Party. I didn’t have anything new. I had pitched everything before, so I started not to post my pitches. I decided kind of last minute that they were ready and it would only cost me time. So I threw my hat in the ring one more time, and THAT was the right time. You never know. I guess the AHA moment is to always take your shot. You never know. And also, I talk a lot about “cosmic alignment” – we have to have the right story, the right person at the right time. All three elements must align. It’s much rarer I think than we realize because we surround ourselves with “new deals” and PW and we are inundated with people who have been successful, and I think it’s easy to forget what a rarity it is.

Me: What is one piece of advice you can give to writers who are just starting out, or who are still in the query trenches?

Tonnye: I’m going to cheat and give two:

Keep moving forward and do NOT give up – no matter how hard it gets. Shift, pivot, rest, regroup, revise, but do NOT quit. That is the only surefire way to failure. . . .
Cultivate relationships with READERS, not just writers. Find ways to connect with readerly audiences – libraries, schools, literacy organizations, book clubs, bookstores, etc. Those relationships take time to cultivate, but they will benefit you when it’s time to publish!

Me: What are your plans for the future? Writing or otherwise, traveling, hobbies, etc.

Tonnye: I am really looking forward to retiring next May and being a full-time author. One thing I think we often don’t understand on the pre-published side is how rare it still is to get published once you’ve published. For me, it’s been 3 years, with an agent and no more book deals. I am still hopeful, but I look forward to having more time to delve into perhaps educational market writing, other genres, and lots of presentations for Music Plants Hope. I always keep a very full plate, so I’m sure I’ll have plenty to do.

Me: I’d love for you to share a recipe with me; I have a collection of recipes from friends and family that goes back many years. I would love to include yours, as well as share it with my readers.

Tonnye: I believe Mama got this recipe from one of our church ladies, but it’s been a part of our family celebrations as long as I can remember. It’s been made for holidays and birthdays (and sometimes because we had lots of carrots that needed using.) We often jokingly said if you had this with a glass of milk, it was a balanced meal. LOL I don’t know so much about that, but I do know it is moist and delicious! If you give it a try, I hope you love it as much as we do.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups corn oil (can substitute your favorite oil)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

2 cups shredded carrots

Blend first three ingredients.

Add cinnamon.

Gradually add flour.

Mix well

Fold in carrots.

Pour into 2 round or square cake pans or a 9×13 pan (greased and floured)

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box (16 oz) powdered sugar

1 stick butter (softened)

1 8-oz block cream cheese (softened)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups nuts

Combine all ingredients except nuts and mix together until well-blended using handheld or stand mixer

Fold in 2 cups of nuts (We use pecans)

Once cake is cool, frost the cake

Tip: Dip your knife or spatula in hot water to help spread icing evenly.

If you’d like to garnish, use some finely chopped nuts or halves to create.

Just before serving, you can add some carrot curls if desired.

(To make carrot curls, use a vegetable peeler to peel some strips of carrot. Put them in ice water until you’re ready to put them on the cake. Shake excess water before placing them atop the cake.)

Thanks so much for your time, it’s always fun getting to know writing friends. You sure have a busy summer planned, and I hope you enjoy every moment of it! Fall is also my favorite season, and I plan on making your carrot cake recipe when the weather cools down. I’m sure I’ll love it as much as you do!