With a deep, passionate desire to help others and make a difference, Toya Raylonn Vickers has been writing since she was 7 years old, keeping a journal and using writing as a way to formulate her thoughts and understand her feelings. Initially intending to pursue a career in social work, she first earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the Ohio State University in 1999 followed by a master’s degree in social work from Howard University in 2003. A few months shy of the completion of her master’s, Ms. Vickers was in a serious car accident, which dramatically altered the path of her career.
Ms. Vickers began writing her first novel, “Dimes, Profiles and Wives,” as she was convalescing following her accident. Finished in 2006, the book was first published by Xlibris in 2010. That same year, she established Toyshelf Services LLC, where she excels as a professional writing consultant and the chief executive officer, offering coaching, ghostwriting and grant writing services. Her published works include song lyrics, poems and short stories, one of which she published through Toyshelf Publishing in 2017, “Fool for Love: The Devil in Disguise.” She went on to use her new press to publish the second and third installments of the “Dimes, Profiles and Wives” series, “Love Without a Limit” in 2018 and “To Say I Do” in 2021. In 2020, Ms. Vickers notably released a new edition of the original book, “Dimes, Profiles and Wives: Today’s Proverbs 31 Women,” for the book’s 10th anniversary.
Furthermore, Ms. Vickers has contributed her skills to several other organizations and companies throughout her career. She served as a policy analyst with the Alliance for Children & Families from 2002 to 2003 and later was a grant writer for the Children’s Defense Fund from 2006 to 2008. From 2014 to 2021, she contributed her skills to ContactUS Communications, where she worked as an operations supervisor until she left to make Toyshelf Services LLC her full focus. Furthermore, Ms. Vickers volunteers with the nonprofit organization Out of Darkness, which is dedicated to helping women and teens who have suffered from human trafficking.
Ms. Vickers has been deeply grateful for the mentorship and support of her writing coach, Joylynn M. Ross, who writes Christian fiction under the name E.N. Joy and runs Path to Publishing, an author assistance company that hosts a yearly writer’s conference. Just last year, Ms. Vickers had the good fortune to be able to virtually attend one of those conferences, which has greatly impacted her writing and work with Toyshelf Services LLC. Looking toward the future, she has plans to write a full length, standalone novel as well as to begin the process of establishing a safe house for teens and women who have dealt with childhood sexual abuse and human trafficking.
