In January 2014, I made a New Year’s resolution to finally write a book from start to finish. Up until that point, I’d start a book then stop. I’d taken creative writing classes while pursuing a degree and fell in love with writing. I just couldn’t seem to finish a story.
I’m usually anti New Year’s resolutions because I believe I’ll never finish them. But something about that year was different. And on September 23, 2014 I finished a story from beginning to ending with a novella. (I set smart goals ;) )
This novella ended up getting rejected by a publisher and in my newness to writing and desire to share my story, I embarked on an Indie path. I got the book edited, found a cover designer, and hit published.
I later became a hybrid author—being published traditionally and Independently—but A Life to Live is what first made me an author. Set in Nottinghamshire, England, the story takes you on a journey about a bucket list.
Mia took her deceased mother’s bucket list and promised to check each item off, traveling the world in honor of her mother’s dream. When she arrives in Nottingham, she unexpectedly runs into her old high school sweetheart. You’ll have to read the book to see how they fare. :)
I loved discovering the fun of writing and cheering the hero and heroine on toward a happily ever after. I kept on writing once I fulfilled that New Year’s resolution and haven’t looked back.
A Life to Live is currently on sale for 99¢ on ebook but I’d like to offer a $5 Amazon gift card to one lucky commentator. Simply let me know if you’ve ever visited England in the comments or tell me if you have a bucket list. Comment by 10/2/21 at 3pm EST and I’ll pick a random winner.
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). Find out more on her website at http://tonishiloh.com.
I haven’t been to England. Hawaii and Canada were on my want to visit list and I have been to both now each 3 times (well the last time to Canada was only overnight). On my bucket list is seeing snow fall or fresh snow (not last winters snow which is really ice and hard). Would also like to see the Aurora Borealis.
I’d love to see the Aurora Borealis too!
I’ve not been outside the country. My bucket list would be all 50 states and maybe England, Italy, and Germany!
Great choices!
I did get to visit England and live there for 3 months. I got to see where my grandfather lived until his family immigrated here when he was 19. I wish I had visited where my grandmother lived but I will have to save that for my bucket list. She immigrated here when she was 4.
It would be fun to walk a path of an ancestor.
Hi Toni! At seven decades old, I have been fortunate to have traveled coast to coast (26 states) and 9 foreign countries on 3 continents, including two countries on my bucket list (Switzerland and Japan). Two European countries (England and the Netherlands) were airport stop overs on my way to Germany, where I was born. Now I travel through books. Enjoying the perfect fall Michigan weather – blue skies, cooler temperatures, and sunshine. Best wishes.
I’d love to see Switzerland!
I visited England in 1972 with a group of college English majors for a term abroad. My maternal grandfather immigrated from England in the early 20th century, and I had the opportunity to visit his brother, my great uncle.
That’s awesome!
I have never been to England. Maybe someday. I have an unofficial bucket list in my head of things I’d like to do.
Your book sounds like a great read!
Thanks, Kim!
I have never been to England and I don’t have a bucket list. I used to sort-of keep a bucket list but I found that over time I kept changing my mind about what should be on there.
Yeah I change my mind as well.
I haven’t been to England, but I do have a bucket list!! Hopefully, some day, I’ll get to places on my bucket list, but if not, that’s ok, too!! I honestly just want to do whatever God wants me to do!!
That works!
I have never visited England. I have a small bucket list where visiting Wales is included.
I’d love to go to Wales.
Visiting England is on my bucket list! We had a trip planned for September, 2020, to celebrate our 40th anniversary. You can guess how those plans fared! Thankfully, we hadn’t bought our tickets yet when the world imploded in March.
Yeah 2020 kind of put a damper on things.
Now, I really feel blessed because I live in England, ha ha! :-D This book sounds great!
Visting Israel is high on my bucket list.
Israel would be amazing!
I’ve never been to England, nor do I have a bucket list. Over the years I’ve occasionally thought of making a bucket list, and visiting England has been on it.
I hope you get to go.
Wowsers…glad you kept pushing yourself, I love your stories!
Thank you so much!
I have never been to England sadly. However, on my bucket list is a trip to Ireland and taking a hot air balloon ride. :D
I’d like to go to Ireland one day.
I never have been to England.
Maybe one day!
I visited London when I was 16…long time ago :)
Yeah it’s been a while since I’ve been too.
I have not been to England, nor, do I have a bucket list.
Not everyone has a bucket list. I understand.
I have only ever visited England through the pages of a book….granted in historical fiction but still :-)
Wouldn’t it be fantastic to go for real? I think exploring some castles would be fun! Just imagining days of old, the kind of life people lived back then, and what it would be like to step into their shoes. Of course, it would also be fun to have high tea with some friends you’d make on the trip (or ones that traveled with you).
I’m glad you persevered in your writing Toni & found a different avenue to publish your books! What a wonderful passion & talent God has given you.
Thank you so much, Trixi!
And I’m all for high tea and castles!
I’ve never been to England. And I don’t really have a bucket list. My husband wanted to visit the Ark Experience and our church made it happen since he’s the pastor. It was awesome. But I’m a homebody and pretty content with being home. I do want to visit Surfside Beach, Texas. I collect seashells and it has the best shelling in Texas. And I would like to own a flea market someday. I guess that’s more a of a dream than a bucket list though. I guess I’m pretty boring.
I don’t think you’re boring. Those sound like awesome dreams.
I have never been to England. Honestly I have only been out of my home state once (unless you count just crossing the border of Michigan into Ohio to Cedar Point Amusement Park a few times). For a bucket list, I wish I could travel through at least some of the states in the US. I love my state but would like to see some different areas. I love reading books to help me ‘travel’ that way!
One of my favorite reasons to read. :)
I’ve never been ton England, but I’d love to go someday. I really enjoy reading books set there and would love to see some of the places in person.
Yeah seeing places in person is always extra special imo.
I’ve been to England, but stayed mostly in the northern part. We went to Wales for a day and explored quite a bit of Scotland. Scotland and Switzerland are two of my “heart” countries. I’d love to go back and see more of them. New England is on my bucket list. I’ve been to most of the other states, except 4 or 5 scattered ones in the south.
I want to go to Scotland. Haven’t been yet.
Toni, I love to hear the stories of how authors started writing. Thanks for sharing yours. I’ve been to all 50 states and 35 foreign countries including England, UK. I’m so glad we did our traveling before covid hit. Now I’m trying to visit as many national parks as possible. So far I’ve been to 26 national parks and numerous national monuments and historic sites that I haven’t counted. My daughter bought me a Passport to the national parks where I can collect my stamps and memorabilia.
That’s amazing! I bet you have some awesome travel stories!
I haven’t been to England, but I’d definitely love to visit it along with Scotland :)
As for a bucketlist, I don’t think I have an official, written one, but I do have places I’d love to visit and things I’d like to do. I guess I’ve already crossed the one about singing in a proffesional choir if universtiy choirs and orchestra count.
That’s awesome! Congrats on crossing something off.
I would love to visit England – all of Great Britain actually.
Same. I need to go back and see more.
No England for me but I did go to France as a teenager. No serious bucket list either. I have a lot of wishful thinking :-). I’ve had the blessing of being able to travel quite a bit within the US, though. As different as all these places are, they are all beautiful in their own way.
I have had A Life To Live in my TBR pile for a while. Thanks for the nudge to move it up the list. :-D
I’d love to go to France. That’s been on my list since I was a teen. :)
I’ve never been to England, but I’d love to visit.
I don’t have a bucket list.
Do you keep a mental list?
I’ve never been outside of Canada but it sounds interesting in England due to some of my pen pals. I don’t have a bucket list though
I’ve been to Canada a couple of times but want to go back!
I haven’t been to England but sounds like a nice place to visit. I’d only go if there was ways to go other then flying.
Boat!
I have never been to England. I don’t have a formal bucket list, but I do have some goals for some travel goals. Hawaii is the next goal.
Oh Hawaii is on my list as well.
Toni, I have been to England! However, it was a very short visit as it was a long layover on my way to a long awaited mission trip to Malawi, Africa, which was always my dream; to be a missionary to Africa! The Lord blessed me so abundantly and, I believe, blessed my precious African brothers and sisters in Christ. I’m told they still speak of me and my daughter with much love ❤️. It humbles me so much and we left a piece of our hearts there 🙏❤️🥲. I’d love to still, someday, go back, with my husband! Also, visit Italy, Alaska, Hawaii, and just stay here and watch my kids and grandkids develop in their lives. 🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏♥️
How amazing, Lana! I’ve been to Italy and want to go back. I hope you get the chance.
Ireland is as close as I’ve been to England. I really want to visit, though.
Yeah and England is as close as I’ve been to Ireland. The pictures of it are so pretty!
I would like to see Ireland!
So would I!
Yes, I’ve been to London, took the Tube, and spent 6 hours in the British Museum! Best breakfast buffet ever was at Grosvenor House in Mayfair!
Bucket list if Covid restrictions ever totally lift would be to a European river cruise.
The British Museum was amazing! And I would love to do an Orient train tour!
I have been to England once, as a teenage tourist: I loved discovering the different snacks…and was almost ran over several times by double decker buses as I gawked at the sights :) I have lived in West Africa for over a decade and traveled through most of it but my bucket list is to travel basically everywhere else :D
I’d love to go everywhere too. West Africa would be amazing.
I’ve been to England, France and Scotland, my next visit I would like it to be Ireland. Thanks for your great generosity.
Have a great weekend and good luck!
I’ve never visited England and I don’t have a bucket list. I do know I want to visit Jerusalem and Australia. But maybe I should make a bucket list!! The book sounds amazing! And your journey as a writer too!
Thanks, Paty!! Australia and Jerusalem would be epic!
I have never visited England before, but I would love to go!
I hope you get the chance, Angeline!
I’ve never been to England, but would love to visit there, and France, & Switzerland…my “dream” trip is to visit Israel! And Hawaii! And, Alaska! :)
There are so many good places to visit!
On my list is to visit family first very important! And then Yellowstone followed by London and paris! Eiffel tower I hope I will get to see you i n the next few years!!!!!!
That would be fun!
I’ve never been to England. Japan and South-Korea are the two countries I want to visit the most.
There are some Asian countries on my list too.
I’m a hopeless homebody so I’ve never traveled to England and I can’t see it in the foreseeable future. I am boring, no bucket list either, unless moving back to my hometown last year counts!
I believe no one is boring.
Never been to England. I have a short bucket list.
What’s on it?
I’ve never been to England, but it’s on my bucket list. Yes, I have one. Paris, France is my #1 travel destination, but London and/or Bath is close. I also wrote my first novel to check it off of my bucket list. ;)
Paris is my number 1 too.
I’ve never been to England. Going to Italy is my bucket list item. I finally became a mother at 40 so doing anything with my little guy is a check mark on a non existent bucket list :)
That’s awesome, Barbi! And Italy should be on everyone’s list.
Never been to England but do have it on my bucket list along with Ireland
Awesome!
I have not been fortunate enough to visit England. My bucket list includes Ireland and Italy, two of my favorite settings for novels. Thank you for this fun chance!
You’re welcome! (And love your name)
I have not been to England, but I do have a bucket list and England is definitely on it! I’m not sure that I’m going to be able to complete my bucket list though. I am currently going through my second round of treatment for a recurrence of cancer. Praying I will be clear again after this round to continue crossing some things off that list!
Praying with you, Linda!
I have never been to England, my bucket list is to visit Norway-my grandparents were born there and I do have relatives there.
I bet Norway would be amazing!
I have not traveled much internationally. Only to Canada and Mexico. We do have missionary friends in the UK, so it would be fun to visit one day.
That would be!
I have not visited England but it is definitely one of the top things on my bucket list. I’ve read so many books based there I feel like I know it already!
That’s awesome!
I’ve never been out of the country and have hardly traveled inside the US. I’m only 28 so I have time. Hopefully someday I’ll be able to! I would love to visit Italy!