Don't be fooled by the positive, unicorn-loving, bubbly nerd. Sonya writes about dark hearts, soul-crushing moments, and the in-between of moral code. In books, she spares no one from the emotional rollercoaster and the gut-wrenching turns, but in real life, she's all about the bounce—about embracing the change, using the hard parts of life to spring back up, and not giving up when things get tough.

Sonya's a sucker for romance, practically inhales books in her free time like they're oxygen, and nurtures an addiction to criminal psychology. Yes, she watches True Crime as a hobby. Forever a student at heart, Sonya enjoys adding degrees, accolades, and certificates to her roster, and is affectionately referred to as Dr. Paige Turner by her peers.

Her family insists she's smart, but they must not see her lose her phone at least twice a week, try to open the front door with the car fob, or toot brain farts on the daily. Luckily, they also think she's funny. But that's just one of the reasons why she loves her big Portuguese family, rose-colored glasses and all.