Broken Keys Publishing is proud to announce Ottawa's very own Tawnis Commanda will be contributing to the Thin Places anthology!
Her contribution a story titled, Moving to Another Universe
Her name means “daughter” in Algonquin and she is named after her great-grand-mother, Mary Commanda. The name “Commanda” comes from the Algonquin word for “Man Standing Tall” and from Commandante, the military rank adopted by those who historically had no surname.
Tawnis was born in London, Ontario, and is of Potawatomi and Chippewa descent, but was adopted into a loving family in Ottawa when she was 2 years old, along with her 1-year old brother, by Lynn Commanda, Thunder and Lightning Clan, Algonquin First Nation of Kitigan Zibi, government worker, maker of traditional beadwork and dreamcatchers. Her adopted mother also helped in creating Moving to Another Universe.
Her mother raised Tawnis among spiritual, intellectual and creative ventures from music to pop culture to a respect for science and the spiritual side of things. When she was a teenager normally obsessed with guitar, she began having regular interaction with the spiritual world which lead to intricate astral travel experiences which became part of the fabric of her daily life. She found support in her mother, who at times was more open minded about these experiences because of the beliefs she was raised in. Later Tawnis would attend Carleton University where she earned a bachelor of History; and then Algonquin College, where I earned a Certificate in Pre-Animation. She dabbled in Computer Programming for a number of months before realizing it wasn’t for her. Unfortunately, not enough to earn a credential. A combination of her life’s experiences, her mother and her knowledge/experience, a general hunger for things multiverse, time travel, Sc-Fi, fantasy and really anything new and exciting, have made Tawnis the person she's learning to be!
She currently lives quietly with her mother/editor and five cats in central Ottawa.
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