Getting to Know Toni Shiloh

Please join me in welcoming Toni Shiloh! Toni's newest book, Returning Home, just released on September 26th. She's going to share more about that book as well as tell us a little about herself. 

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.
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She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and president of the Virginia Chapter.

Connect with Toni
Website | Facebook | Pinterest
Instagram | Goodreads | BookBub

​Toni also blogs with
Putting on the New | Heart"wings"
​Diversity Between the Pages | ACFW Virginia

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Jo Ellen Baker is shocked to find out that the boy who teased her mercilessly throughout high school, has returned to their hometown of Freedom Lake, and he’s missing a leg. When his mother asks her to renovate their carriage house to give him a place to gain his independence back, she wants to say no. But one look at him brings a rush of forgotten feelings.

Evan Carter can’t believe he has to return home and live with his parents. Every hope and dream he ever had dissipated in a car crash that cost him his leg. Stuck in a wheelchair, he’s forced to reexamine his relationship with God and the local carpenter, Jo Ellen Baker.
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Will renovating his home open the door for a mended relationship, or are some wounds too deep to heal from?  

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Pick up your copy
Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Books2Read | Kobo | iTunes

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Author Interview

Me: Good morning, Toni. Thank you for joining us today!
Toni: Thank you so much for having me!

Me: If there’s one thing you hope readers come away with after reading your book, what would it be?
Toni: That God is not a representation of the people one earth. People are fallible and imperfect and that’s okay. The grace of God covers us. But that does not mean that God is fallible and imperfect. We have to learn that He is worth the risk of faith because He never fails.
That's so true!

Me: What is one of the most challenging things you’ve faced as an author?
Toni: One of the most challenging things I’ve dealt with is the question about the ethnic diversity in my book. I received feedback from a reader who wished I had more than just African American characters in my books. It was something that shocked me because I don’t emphasis race in my books. But since I am a Black author, the majority of my characters are Black. I feel that Christian fiction as a whole is lacking in ethnic characters, so to hear that someone was opposed was a little disheartening. However the majority of my readers don’t see my African American characters as a problem because they can still identify with them. And as a Christian writer, that is my hope, that we see one another’s hearts instead of stopping at their appearance.

Me: If there was one place you could go to research a book, where would it be?
Toni: I would love to go to Carmel, California. I’ve been but it’s been over a decade and I would love to go back and get it fresh in my mind.

Me: What do you usually use when you’re writing? A computer? Paper and pen?
Toni: I write on my laptop. One day I would love to write on a typewriter and also take the plunge and use paper and pen.
I think it'd be fun to have a typewriter to use as well. 

Me: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Toni: I’m an introvert. Meeting new people brings my anxious nerves to the forefront. Thankfully, I’ve learned how to interact with others online and not to clam up if I meet them in person.
I definitely understand how you feel. I've struggled with many of the same things most of my life. 

Me: If time and money were not a concern, what one skill would you like to learn?
Toni: I would love to learn some more musical instruments. I already know how to play the clarinet, but I would love to learn how to play the guitar, banjo, piano, and drums.
 
Thanks again for joining us. I hope everyone will check out your new release, Returning Home.