We were lucky to catch up with Toni Shiloh recently and have shared our conversation below.
Toni, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
When I left high school, I joined the United States Air Force. I needed a break from school. By the time my enlistment requirement was finished, I decided to go to college for a bachelor’s degree. It took me a few times to figure out what I wanted to major in but when I picked English, everything just clicked. It was in a creative writing class that the writing bug it me full force and I knew I wanted to do this full time. It took a while to figure out the rules of my genre, connect with writing organizations, as well as authors in person, but I have found my people. They love books like I do, talk about books as often as I do, and for the authors, write and dream about writing more books like I do. It’s the thing that makes me feel like I’m fulfilling my purpose.
Toni, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a Christian contemporary romance author. It’s something I used to say with timidity but as the years passed and more of my books have been published, I state that knowing all the things I have accomplished in my short span of writing. I write books that incorporate my Christian faith because it is very much part of me. Also, I like to use my characters as an excuse to work out all the questions about faith that I’ve ever had or know friends have struggled with. I think that two people falling in love in modern times is the perfect backdrop to explore faith, relationships, and show how love can be the vehicle to see us through any struggles.
Since I’m African American, the pool of Christian writers is smaller. As such, I always strive to have representation on my book covers and help bridge the gap between and show that all of us have the same struggles and same dreams. Some of my books have won awards, one was a bestseller, but all of them have made me feel like I’m one step closer to doing what God has asked me to. I want to glorify Him in all that I do, and I want to edify the reader and give them a reading an experience that will last long beyond the last page.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
That’s a great wish. It’s always my hope that when a person decides to read my novels that they’re changed in some way by the very last page. It could be something as simple as learning something they didn’t know, empathizing with a person they’d never have a chance to meet in real life, or deciding to go deeper in their faith. I believe that fiction is a great tool to making us all better people. It’s a way to process very real information in a safe space.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Honestly, it was with one reader at a time. Initially my followers on social media felt like they just belonged to my friends and family. The count was small and something that stressed me at first. However, once I found my voice and began talking about books I loved and my interests, the followers began to increase. I have written blog posts, done giveaways, and steadily posted throughout the week to engage my followers and hopefully continue to attract new ones. Now I’m at the part in my journey where I’m no longer stressed over the numbers because I just want social media to be fun once again and not feel like a job task I need to complete. Now I can make sure I walk away from it on the weekend to be with family or ignore it on a vacation because being present with those around me is more important than ensuring my numbers are steadily increasing.
Contact Info:
- Website: tonishiloh.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/tonishiloh
- Facebook: facebook.com/authortonishiloh
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tonishiloh
- Twitter: twitter.com/tonishilohwrite
- Youtube: youtube.com/@tonishilohwrites