Author Tonya Penrose
About the Author
Multi-genre Author~Inner Explorer~Humor Chaser~Labyrinth Lover~Waterfall Wanderer
Author Tonya Penrose (pen name) is a storyteller who believes in the power of humor and narratives to touch her readers’ hearts. She’s always been moved by how a story can invite personal exploration and leave a lasting impression on those who read it.
When Tonya sits in her favorite writing chair gazing at a lake, she’s all about creating beguiling characters that leap from the page and capture a reader’s fancy. Her characters aren’t just words on a page. They become real people with their own challenges and quirks. She enjoys sprinkling her romps with moments that offer readers grins or even bursts of laughter.
But for Tonya, it’s not only about the characters or the humor. The dialogue is where her stories shine. As a multi-genre author, she feels that engaging dialogue provides the heartbeat for any truly wonderful tale. It breathes life into the narrative and allows readers to feel they’re with the characters along the way.
Whether you’re seeking an entertaining escape or a thought-enlivening journey of inner discovery, Tonya’s books are waiting to whisk you away. Embark on a path where humor meets introspection and unforgettable characters await at every page turn.
Tonya invites readers to explore the familiar and enchanted settings with her. To uncover secreted truths, share inspiring moments, and awaken to her deeper message—that living in the now is how. Tonya’s fiction and non-fiction stories are published in numerous anthologies, e-magazines, local press, and literary magazines.
Find Tonya Penrose listed in the Poets and Writers Directory.
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VISIT:
Website: http://www.tonyawrites.com
X: @TonyaWrites
Instagram: @TonyaPenroseWrites
Threads.net @TonyaPenroseWrites
Bluesky @tonyapenrose.bsky.social
Substack @TonyaPenrose
BOOKS BY TONYA PENROSE
Old Mountain Cassie: The Three Lessons
A Secret Gift
Welcome to Charm
Venetian Rhapsody
More coming…
The Shell Isle Mystery Series:
Baubles to Die For
Red, White, and Boom
Murder by Numbers
Teatime Trouble
Welcome to Charm
A Charmed Life
Author: Tonya Penrose
Paperback ISBN: 9781956788891
eBook ISBN: 9781956788907
Genre: Romance
Release Date 05/02/2022
A few unexplainable facts have left botanist ABBY DRAKE dazed and confused: why she can’t account for three lost hours, why a road detour she was traveling changed into a closed loop around a mountain town called Charm, why she can’t find the place on her map and a route home, and way too handsome, MAYOR NASH WALKER has appeared offering an introduction to Charm’s uncommon ways.
Nash’s words hold Abby captive on a park bench. She’s stuck in Charm. Needing to discover why and agreeing to complete a series of lessons taught by sage, GITA GREENLEAF helps chart Abby’s course. Humorous encounters follow Abby. She tries to adapt to living in an enchanted village, where money isn’t needed, but acceptance of the impossible is required. Over the next couple of weeks, Abby comes to recognize the unique beauty of living a charmed life. Unable to resist her growing attraction to Nash, she questions her desire to return home, assuming the portal opens.
Baubles to Die For
A Shell Isle Mystery
Author: Tonya Penrose
Hardback ISBN: 9798891263857
Paperback ISBN: 9798891263864
eBook ISBN: 9798891263871
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date 6/23/2025
Gifted sleuth Page Wright’s inner world is anything but ordinary, yet her outer world craves a revamp from her mountain bookshop’s continuing demands. A summer escape to her beloved cottage on Shell Isle with cousin Betsy Ross always promised fun and relaxation…until this latest holiday. Two constants exist that Page can’t escape: Betsy’s spicy culinary fiascos she’s obliged to chase with endless antacids, and the special guidance she receives from ‘inklings’ when her sleuthing gifts are needed.
While the ever-curious Page and Betsy savor lunch at the Bistro, the sleuth observes a cryptic exchange between her la-di-da neighbor, Catherine Lange, and a seedy-looking guy sitting a few feet away. Their words travel across the café’s table on a paper napkin. However, it’s the pistol passed under the table that awakens Page’s first inkling that unknown forces are conspiring to muck-up her and Betsy’s carefree sojourn.
The cousins witness subsequent sightings of Catherine, dripping in her canary diamond jewelry and making ominous threats to five people in her inner circle. On alert now that trouble lurks, Page must entice an always reluctant Betsy to help when the nudge comes to act, knowing time is pressing.
BONUS: Betsy shares her recipes. Page suggests antacids.
Red, White, & Boom
A Shell Isle Mystery
Author: Tonya Penrose
Paperback ISBN:
eBook ISBN:
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date 7/21/2025
Our two magnets for mayhem are at it again! Shell Isle’s celebration of July 4th began with the wrong kind of boom. While cousin sleuths Page Wright and Betsy Ross await the cannon firing at Shell Isle’s July 4th celebration, Page gets one of her inklings. A murder is imminent, which lands her and Betsy in the middle of another escapade.
This time, it’s charter Captain Jake who managed to anger five dodgy suspects, all possessing enough motive to take him out. Ignoring the threats of too handsome Detective Tanner not to meddle in the case, the determined sleuths chart a course to solving the murder, only to stumble upon more than they imagined.
Along with a twisty plot adventure, this fun romp offers plenty of hi-jinks, culinary debacles served by Betsy, and dashes of romance between Page and Tanner. Fair warning. This whodunit will challenge readers to the final scene.
Murder by Numbers
A Shell Isle Mystery
Author: Tonya Penrose
Paperback ISBN:
eBook ISBN:
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date 8/25/2025
Our two zany sleuths, Page and Betsy, return in Book 3, landing another twisty murder case. The two cousins stop by The Perk Coffee Shop for pumpkin lattes to celebrate the first day of fall. An ever-observant Page notices Shell Isle's High School math teacher sitting nearby. His odd actions awaken her curiosity.
Hunched over the newspaper's classified section, the teacher is frantically circling numbers and mumbling to himself. More troubling, the sleuth witnesses a bruiser of a guy joining him. With a quick exchange of laptops and heated words, the thug disappears out the door, leaving the teacher rattled. Within moments, Page receives one of her inklings, signaling there's more than coffee brewing at The Perk.
The story's entangled plot will keep readers guessing until the last chapter. Splashes of light romance, plenty of shenanigans, and a few unexpected surprises await.
BONUS: Betsy's recipes are included. Calling them a 'bonus' may be a stretch. She's a lousy cook.
Teatime Trouble
A Shell Isle Mystery
Author: Tonya Penrose
Paperback ISBN:
eBook ISBN:
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date 9/22/2025
In Teatime Trouble, the sleuthing duo of Page and Betsy are back, and this time, they're in for a hauntingly good mystery! When they agree to cater a proper afternoon tea for a group of six esteemed British authors at Three Fables Inn, Page's inklings lead her to the inn's picturesque gardens. But what she finds there is anything but pretty - a dead body draped over a bench. With the help of her trusty sidekick, Betsy, Page sets out to uncover the truth behind the mysterious death of author Evelyn Potts. But when strange and ghostly occurrences happen around the historic inn, the sleuths realize this isn't your average murder case. Is the inn really haunted, as some claim? When Page and Betsy try to piece together the clues, they realize that the answer may be closer than they think. Join them as they delve into the secrets of Three Fables Inn and uncover the truth. Packed with suspense, humor, and unforgettable characters, "Teatime Trouble" will keep you guessing until the very last page!
Bonus: Betsy’s sharing her recipes, including the enchanted honey cake.