20 Questions with 'Soul Matters' Yolonda Tonette Sanders

It's time to play 20 Questions! Today's guest is Yolonda Tonette Sanders, author of the contemporary Christian fiction, Soul Matters. Yolonda is a storyteller at heart with a passion for both words and people. She is the co-founder of the Faith and Fellowship Book Festival and the author of numerous works, including novels, poetry, short stories, and academic publications. Her writing blends authenticity, emotional depth, and spiritual insight, often drawing from her own journey of faith and resilience.

Yolonda earned her doctorate in organizational leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University and is certified in emotional intelligence. She enjoys teaching, mentoring, consulting, and helping others discover their own voices through writing. When she’s not creating or consulting, you’ll likely find her spending time with her husband or enjoying heartfelt moments with loved ones.

Her latest book is the contemporary Christian fiction, Soul Matters.

You can visit her website at www.yoproductions.net .

Watch her YouTube channel!

Connect with her at X, Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads.

~ Book Description ~

With a successful husband, a fulfilling teaching career, and a baby on the way, Wendy Phillips seems to have it all. She’s certain God is on her side. After all, the woman she’s become wouldn’t exist without the strength of her close-knit family or her own determination to be a model daughter, sister, and wife.

But one phone call shatters Wendy’s illusion of perfection, turning her carefully crafted life upside down. Suddenly, everything she believed about herself, her family, and her faith is called into question.

As her marriage crumbles and her faith wavers, Wendy finds herself needing more support than she ever imagined. Her journey to healing will require a sister’s unexpected strength, a mother’s surprising honesty, and a truth Wendy never saw coming.

Now only God’s grace can help her confront the pain she didn’t expect and discover the soul-deep freedom she never dreamed possible.

Soul Matters is available at Amazon and Walmart.

20 Questions with Yolonda Tonette Sanders

Are you a morning writer or a night writer? I prefer mornings when my brain is fresh. However, when I have a goal, I can write day or night, regardless of the time.
Do you outline or are you a pantser? A little of both. When I first start a story, I just write—fully in pantser mode. When I reach about 8–10 chapters, I’ll create a light outline and continue to refine it as I write.
Which comes first – plot or character? Usually, the plot. I tend to have a general idea of the story first, and the characters help me fill in the blanks.
Noise or quiet when working on your manuscript? It doesn’t matter. When I’m in my writing zone, there’s nothing that will stop me from making progress.
Favorite TV show? Monk. It went off-air in 2009, but I still watch re-runs to this very day!
Favorite type of music? Gospel, 90s/2000s R&B
Favorite craft besides writing? Playing pool and maybe exercising.
Do you play a musical instrument? Nope!
Single or married? Joyfully married!
Children or no? Yes! Two adult children by birth. Many others by love.
Pets? Yes, one very spoiled miniature pinscher.
Favorite place to write? At my annual women’s weekend writing retreat.
Favorite restaurant? At the moment, Olive Garden.
Do you work outside the home? Not in the traditional sense of a full-time job. I’m an adjunct professor of organizational leadership and sociology.
What was the name of the last movie you saw? Drop
Favorite outdoor activity? Walking and attempting to run
Pet peeve? Being stuck on a text thread with people I don’t know.
Your goal in life? To live in such a way that there’s no question about my love for the Lord or my family.
Your most exciting moment? One exciting moment was successfully passing my dissertation defense!
The love of your life? David Sanders, Jr.!