Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Toni Shiloh & Returning Home

Yay! My friend Toni is here today to chat about her new book, Returning Home.

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.

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.

You can find her on her website at http://tonishiloh.wordpress.com

You can also connect with Toni on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Goodreads.

Her new book, Returning Home, begins the Freedom Lake series!

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.

Will renovating his home open the door for a mended relationship, or are some wounds too deep to heal from?

Hi Toni! Welcome back to the blog!

Toni: Cheesecake. Hands down.

Carrie: Yum!

Toni: Tulips. They’re so happy 🙂

Carrie: They absolutely are!

Toni: My birthday? Lol, I don’t really have one.

Carrie: Lol!

Toni: “I Will Exalt You” by Hillsong

Carrie: Love that one!

Q: Tell me some good books you’ve read recently. 

Toni: I recently read Bethany Turner’s The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck. Hi-lar-i-ous! Seriously, it’s funny, real, and full of heart-stopping romance. I have it on my nightstand because I fully intended to reread it and sigh all over again. I also recently read J. Rodes’ Charging the Darkness. It’s the final book in the Uncloaked series. Phenomenal! It has so much depth and spiritual truths packed in it. I finished the series wondering how can I live my faith in a way that’s real and honoring to God. I don’t want to sit idly by waiting for His return. That’s how this book makes you think.

Carrie: Oh yay! I am so looking forward to reading both of these great-sounding books!

Q: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever Googled while researching a book? 

Toni: Medieval poisons. I’m currently working on a medieval fantasy and have been all over the internet searching for poisons and their herbal remedies. If someone’s watching me they’re probably questioning my sanity or lawfulness, lol. 

Carrie: hahaha!

Q: In Returning Home, Jo Ellen Baker and her two best friends Chloe and Michelle are a mix of personalities, styles and careers. Since we’ll be seeing more of these friends in the rest of the series, which one do you most relate to?

Toni: Oh wow! Such a great question. I would have to say Chloe. She’s a little quiet and reserved but opens up around her friends. And a lot of people think she has it together but inside, she’s a ball of hurt. Not that I’m a ball of hurt, but I’ve been there.

Carrie: Me. Too. I love Chloe!

Q: Evan Carter is adjusting to life with only one leg. What kind of research did you do in order to accurately portray his new challenges? 

Toni: YouTube was my friend. I checked out a lot of amputee videos on maneuvering with one leg, getting in a car with one leg, walking with crutches, wheelchair, you name it. I’m amazed by the strength and willingness to share their journey. The YouTube videos were amazing.

Carrie: oh wow!! That sounds amazing – such courage!

Q: Tell us about Freedom Lake – its history, its setting, etc. 

Toni: Freedom Lake is a fictional town but I did loosely base it off a real town in Indiana that used to be a Black only resort town in the time of segregation. African Americans wanted a place to relax but they couldn’t just go on vacation anywhere. There were Black only resort towns all over the U.S. I honestly don’t remember why I chose Indiana but it seemed like an ideal setting with underlying secrets that would speak to the heart struggles. 

Carrie: That is heartbreaking and fascinating all at the same time…

Q: What do you most want readers to take away from Returning Home?

Toni: That God can handle your emotions. It doesn’t change His love or His faithfulness.

Carrie: So much yes. Amen.

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Toni: 2018 is bringing more books from me to you. 🙂 The 3^rd book in the Maple Run series will release as well as books 2 and 3 of the Freedom Lake series.

Carrie: Yay! Yay! Yay!

Toni is offering an ecopy of Returning Home (pdf, mobi, or epub) to one of my readers. Open internationally, except where prohibited by law. This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What interests you the most about Toni Shiloh and/or her new book, Returning Home?