Kellyn Roth's Blog: Kellyn Roth, Author, page 26

March 2019 Dares

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HEY THERE! I always forget February is a short month, and honestly, 28 is sooo much less than 30! But here we are. Still alive. I think.

I feel like I’m not really up to writing this post, but I am anyway, which is dangerous. *squints at my words, wondering if each one sounds crazy or not* But here goes!

Right now, I’m working a lot on Alone in Berlin and From Now ‘Til Forever. I’m doing some speed betas for From Now ‘Til Forever, my 9k novelette – basically, a couple amazing gals are reading it for me before the 16th! Wow. Rush order, anyone?

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February 2019 Recap


Read three books written/published before 1950. Failed.

I read … like, no books? Well, I read two, one of which was a novella. Until the 26th, that is.
Then I was 7 books behind schedule on my reading challenge, so I did a huge binge-reading thingy.
Still, I didn’t read anything published before 1950 in the end.



Get through at least half of my research for Alone in Berlin. Kinda.

Well … I did a lot of research on things I could use for research! I still have a ton of books coming in the mail. But I’m not quite there yet.
Soooo … no. But I did read a ton of internet articles and parts of lots of WWII books. (See my earlier article.)



Finish editing Souls Astray and format it for print #1. Check!

I have the proof copy and am working through it!



Finish polishing The Lady of the Vineyard for the editor. Kinda.

Still have a few more days of betas. Sorta.



Practice my instruments at least three times every week. Kinda.

LOOK. It is hard to do stuff when it’s snowing … for reasons …



Put together an email list (complete with subscriber goodies!) for Reveries Co. Check!

Click here to subscribe!



Get up early a couple times to write and do other work. Failed.

Eh.



Get better about scheduling social media and blog posts. Kinda.

Most of the time. Okay, well, not all of the time, but y’know.



Work on consistency in learning Spanish. CHECK!

SI, senoritas y senors. Yo habla un poco de Español.
I literally only skipped one day all month.



Figure out all the dates for publishing the Kees & Colliers series. Check!

I pretty much did. Basically, first Saturday of every month throughout the summer.

How I’m Doing in 2019 So Far

Remember my New Year’s Resolutions? Let’s see how those are coming along!

Write 4 full-length novels.

Working on it!



Finish A Prayer Unanswered, Flowers in Her Heart, and Before a Fall.

Working on it! I have finished BAF.



Write 1,000 words per day for 365 days.

I wrote at least 30k this month which is a start.



Submit Once a Stratton to at least 20 agents.

I probably … won’t? I’m disillusioned with OAS.



Polish a non-Alice-and-Ivy novel and get a pro editor.

Working on it!





Prepare a 2nd pitch and send to first 5 agents.

^^



Read 150+ books.

Ughhh I’m behind schedule!



Put some serious thought into your future as far as work goes.

*thinks for two seconds* Done.
Really, though, I’ve been trying! I recently decided I wanted to be more serious about writing and whatnot for a living.



Get your freebies ready for your email list.

Done!





Read through the New Testament.

… in time, sure …



Be a faithful saxophone and clarinetist.

Hmmm …



Publish the entire “Kees & Colliers” series.

Working on it!



Take Aubrey and/or Riley on an adventure.

Some day …



Go on an adventure with my friends.

*shrugs*



Attempt to get involved in some sort of book signing event.

I really don’t want to now, lol.

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And without further ado …

My March 2019 Dares

Get eARCs out for Souls Astray.

It needs to happen!


Finish writing Flowers in Her Heart.

Ugggghhhh … don’t make me!


Read some more.

More than three books in the month, girl. Seriously. Catch up.


Read three of your research books for Alone in Berlin.

Trying to not overwhelm myself!


Finish all your various projects in a timely manner.

I have a couple interior formatting jobs I want to get through on or before the deadlines.


Get up early, do your chores, practice your instrument, read your Bible, and drink coffee.

All the healthy things.

How to Overcome Notbusyitis

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As I’m writing this (Tuesday), I don’t have work because of the snow. It’s 2:30 (4:10 now that I’m going through and editing), but instead of leaving for work in forty-five minutes, I’ll just … be here. On the couch. Presumably being useless.

I have a little-known disease called Notbusyitis. Victims of Notbusyitis are not busy — and yet they get even less things done than they would have if they were busy.

In this article, we’ll discuss causes, symptoms, and cures for Notbusyitis in hopes that through my procrastination I’ll actually accomplish something (e.g. write a blog post).

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Causes of Notbusyitis

The primary cause of Notbusyitis appears to be possession of the name Kellyn Roth, redheadedness, lefthandedness, and, of course, having nothing which I absolutely must do.

If you do not fill all these requirements, then you probably will not contract Notbusyitis.

I have yet to meet anyone but myself who is a frequent carrier of the disease. This is partially because everyone but me seems to be quite busy or at least seems to get more done when they are not busy.

Confused yet?

I think the primarily reason is my own lazyness … or perhaps the lack of urgency. Yet there’s always some deadline looming in just a bit, always some more work to do (e.g. this blog post).

But still I waste entire days when I’m not busy. Weekends, snow days, vacations. I never work as hard as I ought on them.

Symptoms of Notbusyitis

Of course, not working is the primary symptom, specifically not working when you’re not busy.

A crippling feeling of guilt and grief over the rapidly slipping-by hours is an accompanying emotion.

I can escape without guilt when I have work and chores and a bajillion other things to do. After all, I have an excuse then for not getting a bunch done. But even so, I do tend to get a LOT done while I’m working.

For instance, two days in a row last week I wrote over 2K in an hour. My fingers flew along the keyboard. Why? I wasn’t getting any more time that day to write. I had no choice.

I’ve also written blog posts and scheduled social media and done a thousand other things in a quarter of the time I usually do!

So I know I can get things done much faster than I generally do. But I don’t.

Stupid Notbusyitis.

Cures for Notbusyitis

Um … there are none? I’m stuck with this for the rest of my life?

Okay, okay. There are cures. Here’s what I’m doing today to overcome my Notbusyitis.

Opened up a new document.



I knew I needed a blog post. I knew it would be easier to write it in a document without worrying about formatting. So that was a start.




Grabbed earphones and turned on music loud enough to drown out my little brother’s stupid Minecraft videos.



Honestly, there is nothing STUPIDER (lol) than watching a video of someone else playing Minecraft, specifically when it’s a dumb-looking squeally nerdy pre-teen who needs a life.
I am not letting my kids play video/computer games. I don’t care. I’m just not. I got along fine without them, and my childhood was AWESOME. It was so much fun!
I mean, yeah, I’ve spent most of today doing stuff on the computer … but THAT’S DIFFERENT. I’m actually doing creative and money-making stuff. *self-righteous nod*
But anyway, yeah, music + sound-block-outage helps.




Decided what I needed to do today.



Write this blog post, make a graphic for said blog post, get it all formatted and scheduled and whatnot, unpack and practice instruments, and finish up with some plot sheets before settling in for some writing followed by from proofreading.
It’s … manageable. (Actually, this is three hours of work, but I don’t want to.)




Decided to do them all one at a time.



Obviously I started with the blog post. And I wrote up as much of it as I could (first draft) before going on to unpack instruments. Follow by making coffee (for reasons) followed by coming back to write more blog post.
I tend to get bored easily if I do any one thing for too long.




Started doing them.

I’ve found that writing that I’m doing things in a blog post even if it isn’t coming out until the morning is inspirational. More like a kick in the pants, but whatever.

So I did start to do them, but of course I got distracted (Duck Dynasty).

I made a list of them (in the document, haha) and started highlighting them in red as I finished them. (I’d already done some, so I was already ahead.)

The To-Do List

Write this blog post
Make a graphic for said blog post
Get it all formatted and scheduled and whatnot
Unpack and practice instruments
Finish up with some plot sheets
Writing and proofreading after all that’s done

Slowly, I finished it!

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In summary, the battle against Notbusyitis is a long and harrowing one, but it can be overcome.

TTFN!

~Kellyn Roth~

Goodreads · Facebook · Twitter

p.s.

AM I REALLY THE ONLY ONE? I think I am. Also, what to you struggle with most when it comes to ? What author diseases are you infected by? (Would you like a series of posts about author diseases? Or a post dedicated to defining different ones?) What are you working on today?

The post How to Overcome Notbusyitis appeared first on Reveries.

I actually have to read nonfiction?

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I’m currently going through a lot of research for my novel-in-progress, Alone in Berlin, and it’s not easy. I’ve written a lot of historical fiction, but this one requires more research than any other I’ve written.

Also, I’ve just been working on The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy and the Kees & Colliers series for so long that those settings (Victorian UK and 1916-homefront 1940s England and France) are ingrained into my brains. I do a bit of research for each new story … but hardly any.

But I want to write WWII fiction. I want it to be realistic. I don’t want to make a bunch of stupid mistakes that would misrepresent the era. And it’s giving me a tremendous headache.

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I … am not a details person. I never have been. I like looking at the big picture and glazing over the little things and running through life full-speed without hesitation.

However, as a historical author, this can lead to some stupid errors. For instance, in the first published version of The Lady of the Vineyard (thankfully unpublished now), I referred to English taxis as “colorful.”

*major facepalm*

Yeah, even I knew that, but I still forgot to stop and think about it. I had to have a friend point it out to me!

And sometimes this is fine. We need people who are action-based and focus on the big picture and don’t hesitate (like so many of you blasted peeps do) (I love you, BUT JUST CHOOSE YOUR ICECREAM FLAVOR, YOU FLIPPIN’ PHILOSOPHER).

But a good writer—and specifically a good historical writer—needs to do the research to make their novels shine.

Do you have a point?

I actually don’t. *glares at you for considering leaving this post before I’m done ranting about things that can’t possibly interest you at all*

Okay, I do have a point! I want to talk about what I’m learning about novel writing research.

So let’s get into that.

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What I’m Learning About Researching for Historical Novels


You’re going to learn a lot more than you need to know.

Unless there is a book out there that specifically deals with the topic of your novel, you’re probably going to wade through a tome about the 3rd Reich which only has a few pages dedicated to the Nazi Youth.
Yes, I can skim for the info I need, but that takes time. And I do end up picking up a lot I won’t use!
Is that a bad thing? No, it isn’t! You might need it more, and knowledge is power. Knowing more details about a historical error isn’t going to kill you—and it won’t kill me, either.



Random plot bunnies tend to spring up.

Me right now: “OMW—there is so much drama potential here which will not fit into this story. Hmm …”
That is why my plot bunny list gets bigger and bigger every day. Research. Stupid research.



Nonfiction. You have to actually read nonfiction.

I am probably the only person I know who hates all nonfiction so much that I would rather drive my car off a cliff than read it. Basically, I find it impossibly boring.
Christian nonfiction irritates me because I feel like people are telling me how to interpret God, and I CAN DO THAT MYSELF. Biographies … I just don’t like. They’d have to be written like a novel for me to get through. Anything vaguely school booky reminds me of the worst years of my life—when I was suffering through education. *winces* And on and on. I dislike most nonfiction that’s longer than a blog post.
(Sidenote: I could read all day about horses, dogs, cows, or other farm animals.) (That sort of thing is interesting.) (Books about writing aren’t bad, either.)
BUT I HAVE TO READ IT NOW, in large amounts, AND HONESTLY UGHH. I hate it. Ah, well.



Taking notes is VERY important!

I … do not remember 99% of what I read? So I either highlight the text that I need to remember or take notes. Also, I try to write down whatever is gonna be important in the outline itself so I don’t lose track of it.
Because I don’t want to reread these books for sure.

5 Author Blogging Tips, Spamalot, and Other Updates

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Hey y’all! I know … I’ve got some explaining to do! Each of my followers got something like twenty-eight emails this Wednesday. I bet you were confused … a lot of you contacted me to let me know, which I really appreciated.

I’ll explain that in this post along with giving you my best author blogging tips and some updates (including blog tour signups for Souls Astray and info about a new project I’m launching with Reveries Co.).

But I won’t keep you waiting any longer. Read on, noble personage!

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Because that’s probably 83½% of the reason you’re here, let’s start out with my beyond amazing {somewhat lackluster} blogging tips for authors! But first I want to address a couple things.

Should writers who want to be authors blog?

I’ve seen a lot of newish writers ask this question. And I don’t have an easy answer!

Blogging isn’t for everyone, but I think a lot of writers could benefit it, and I would advise you to give it a try, perhaps on a free WordPress.com blog, for a couple months at least before making your decision to launch permanently into the blogging world (or not).

Some people have said that blogging is dying out, but I hope not! I really enjoy it, and if I end up the last of the bloggers fifty years from now, so be it. Still, I think it’s still a very real way of reaching readers and showing off your work. You’re going to at least need a website either way as an author.

What can writers blog about?

Well, to get some inspiration, I’d suggest following some other blogs of writers in your genre (or in others) to get some ideas! Everyone’s blog, like everyone’s personalities, is gonna be different.

You can post reviews, updates on your novels, writing advice, random life updates, pretty pictures, DIYs, interviews, peeks into your process, and on and on. The possibilities are endless! I’d also suggest digging into some of your other hobbies for ideas.

The Live Without You Blog Tour (Review and Giveaway!)

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Today I have a very special review to share … one of Live Without You by Sarah Grace Grzy! This novel was written by a dear friend of mine, and I’m so excited for her.

At the end of this review is a giveaway as well as a link to the blog tour schedule (be sure to follow along)! Looks pretty awesome to me.

ALSO, stay tuned for an exciting post this Saturday!

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FTC Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Title: Live Without You

Author: Sarah Grace Grzy

Genre: Christian romance (contemporary)

Era: contemporary

Setting: United States

Publisher: Sarah Grace Grzy

Source: from the publisher

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Live Without You by Sarah Grace Grzy

Piper Redding is a loner, but lonely. Everyone she loves has abandoned her and opening her heart to others is just asking for more pain. She can’t help but blame herself for her brother’s tragic death six years ago, and in her guilt, she shuts herself off from the world. No one could love her—not even the God who promised to be there for her but wasn’t.

For paramedic Ezra Bryant, failure is not an option. He’s had enough of it, and only by God’s grace is he able to put it behind him. But when a traumatic event brings Piper’s greatest fear and Ezra’s failures to light, can they use that event to allow God to mend their broken pieces? Can love triumph over fear, and grace over guilt?

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

Live Without You was a nice, quick read for me on a winter afternoon. I finished it in a couple hours, which is one of the best things about novellas—they almost never drag!

Now, this book isn’t at all my genre. I really struggle to read most contemporary novels … in fact, I can only think of one or two that I didn’t put down two or three chapters in, bored to death!

However, this didn’t happen to me with Live Without You. I actually got through the whole story—and fast! So I was thrilled as, though I love the author very much and knew I wanted to adore the book, I was rather afraid it might drag for me!

It didn’t. It was a quick read the starts out with a bang (*winces at the bad joke*) and didn’t drag once. I was never like, “Well, I absolutely need to put this down …” Instead, I wanted to finish it!

Gotta love the characters …

I especially liked how Piper and Ezra would just hang out—getting coffee (haha) or pizza—and how he went out of his way to take care of her! Good job, Ez. Good job.

I personally didn’t much care for the main character, Piper Redding, though I loved her name. But that’s just because we’re very different in personality and tastes and all, so I was just like, “Ehh …” It wasn’t the characters’ fault; she was quite real!

I did find myself like Ezra a lot! (And again, that name!) His relationship with his dad was awesome, and I liked his friend a lot, too. I feel like more delving into his backstory could’ve been done, mostly because he got me interested! (e.g. what? There wasn’t MORE?

5 Reasons You Should Read A Return of Devotion by Kristi Ann Hunter

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Hey y’all! Today I’ve got a review of A Return of Devotion by Kristi Ann Hunter … only with a twist. It’s not written in typical review format—instead, I’m writing it as “reasons you should read it” + some further thoughts.

There’s also a vlog + some updates about my vlog at the end of this post, so stay tuned for that! If you enjoy booktubing, you won’t want to miss out on it.

By the way, Alone in Berlin just hit 20,000 words! Woohoo! I feel like I’m getting there. Though this book is SO horrid—I’ll probably end up doing a complete rewrites with plot points moved around and all. Oh, well.

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FTC Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Title: A Return of Devotion

Author: Kristi Ann Hunter

Series: Haven Manor, #2

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Era: 1810s (Regency)

Setting: England, countryside

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Source: from NetGalley in exchange for honest review

Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

A Return of Devotion by Kristi Ann Hunter

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Daphne Blakemoor was perfectly happy living in her own secluded world for twelve years. She had everything she needed—loved ones, a true home, and time to indulge her imagination. But when ownership of the estate where she works as a housekeeper passes on, and the new marquis has an undeniable connection to her past, everything she’s come to rely upon is threatened.

William, Marquis of Chemsford’s main goal in life is to be the exact opposite of his father. Starting a new life in the peace and quiet of the country sounds perfect until his housekeeper turns his life upside down.

They’ve spent their lives hiding from the past. Can they find the courage to face their deepest wounds and, perhaps, find a new path for the future together?

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

Without any further ado, let’s dive into …

5 Reasons You Should Read A Return of Devotion by Kristi Ann Hunter

If you’d rather have this info in vlog format, go with this:

1: If you love historical romances, the Regency era, amazing Christian themes, realistic characters, sweet children, and books that beautifully balance humor and seriousness.

Honestly, this is without a doubt one of the best Regency romances I’ve ever read. It has the best themes, the best characters, and the best plot! It’s emotional without being melodramatic and touches your heart without being preachy!

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2: If you want to read about one of the most realistic, role-model female protagonists EVER.

Honestly, there are so many great things about Daphne! She is an angel from Heaven, but at the same time, she’s real. She’s not perfect … but she can teach us so many things about being a woman just through her actions, personality, and opinions.

She isn’t ashamed to cry.
Quiet and takes time to think things out.
Actually loving.
Not particularly selfish or prideful.
She’s a good mom—to a whole bunch of kids!
Can recognize her own strengths and weaknesses … most of the time.
She’s just different from most historical heroines. Not cliche at all! And that makes me happy inside.

I don’t want to venture into spoiler land, but she also learns some great lessons and learns to value herself more. Love it!

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3: The premise for this whole series is fantastic.

This sweet and clean serious hosts some AMAZING themes in the two books (a novella) that I’ve read thus far.

Orphaned or might-as-well-be-orphaned children are one of my passions, and I would love to be involved in something like Haven Manor when I become an adult. I just really think kids need to be given more of a chance than they are.

This series so far has explored different angles of moving on from the past and embracing who you are in Christ, and I love it!

I can’t wait to see what book 3 brings us, especially since Jess is such an interesting character. (Not my favorite, but eh. I don’t know why she rubs me wrong … maybe it’ll be different from her POV.)

But, basically, love this series, love Haven Manor, and love the girls in it! (Definitely go back and read book 1 if you haven’t already; it’s fantastic!)

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4: WILLIAM IS AMAZING!

He’s a strong, amazing, godly man! And I know he has his faults, but he is also sooo sweet and supportive and gentle and AWESOME.

“Awesome” and “Amazing” are two great words for William. He’s just … wow. I really love William! His POV kept rivaling Daphne’s for my favorite. I loved them both, honestly, and I love them for each other even more so. 

One of the best things about William was his determination to take responsibility—not just for his own actions but for those of his family members. He truly is a hero, and a fighter, and I love him for that!

Too many people are self-focused and deny responsibility for others, and even shirk their own duties. Not William! He does a great job.

AND … HE WOULD MAKE SUCH AN AMAZING DAD! Okay, but am I wrong when I say there is nothing more attractive in a man than just being an amazing dad-figure!? We need more good dads in this world.

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5: It was impossible to put down!

I know not everyone has the same reading taste, but for me, it was one of those books where you just … you can’t stop reading it!

I read this book in almost six hours, staying up until … *drumroll* … 5 AM! Wow. That is literally when a lot of people get up.

Once I started the book, I had to finish it. There was no other option available but to read on and on and on.

And yes, the late hour was my fault—I shouldn’t have started it at 11:30. But you know what? Had to be done!

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So yes, those are my five main reasons you should read A Return of Devotion by Kristi Ann Hunter. And a lot of them, in different ways, apply to book 1, too.

Honestly, I loved book 2 more than book 1, but they were both 5-star reads which I would highly recommend!

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More Reasons Why I Loved A Return of Devotion:

The situations with the young servants and William’s reaction to the absurdity that is Haven Manor cracked me up.
Benedict is one of the most amazing kiddos in the world. (p.s. for those of you who noticed, I have it straight from the author that his initials were not intentional. *coughs and dies* Though it gave me a good chuckle while reading!)
The ending scenes were amazing! All the crazyness with eVeRyOnE who could possible show up showing up all at once was aMaZiNg.
William is awesome. Did I mention that before?
Daphne is also fantastic.
Daphne’s father is similarly fantastic! I loved everything about this guy. Like, yeah, he wasn’t perfect, but as far as dad’s go, especially given the era, I give him an A+.
The series features other relationships besides romance—mother to son, daughter to father, friendships between people of all shapes and sizes, etc.
The contrast between book 1 and book 2—Kit focuses on the mothers, Daphne focuses on the children—is awesome. (I personally couldn’t care less about the mothers, haha—#TeamDaphne, I guess???)
The author actually cares about putting God into the book. She doesn’t just have the characters give an occasional nod to Him, as is required in Christian fiction—“Oh, by the way, God, prayer, blahblahblah, now back to the story!” Mrs. Hunter actually takes the time to weave elements of her faith into the plot, the characters, and of course the theme!

So, basically, there were tons of amazing things about this book (and a lot of them apply to book 1 and the prequel novella, as well, if you want to start at the beginning of the series).

I can’t wait for book 3, and I’m so grateful to NetGalley for giving me the eARC and then to Bethany House for sending me a paperback copy with which to reread my favorite parts!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

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And there you go. Now for the quick vlog update:

Kellyn Roth’s Vlog (an update)

I’ve decided to try posting once a week on YouTube! And yep, I’ve said that before, but now I’m serious. Really. Like, I’m not going to back out.

I’m hoping it’ll be combination of reviews and other bookish things, author updates, and writing advice. But we’ll see what direction I go in! Some of the videos/vlogs might be a bit random!

If you’re interested, you can follow me here!

TTFN!

~Kellyn Roth~

Goodreads · Facebook · Twitter

p.s.

Do you enjoy romances? Why or why not? Do you enjoy helping children? What are some of your passions? (Mine are writing, kiddos, and history.) Does this sound like a book you’d enjoy reading?

The post 5 Reasons You Should Read A Return of Devotion by Kristi Ann Hunter appeared first on Reveries.

The Perfection Lie: Why Sinlessness Isn’t Strugglelessness

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Hello, ladies and gents! Today my post is in a different style — it’s a letter to my friends, from a girl who has been thinking about “The Perfection Lie” a lot lately.

This letter is on the subject of how we, as Christians, now free from Sin (capitalized) still have to continue learning to deal with sins (lowercase)—both our own and the world’s in general.

You see, though all Christians are Saints in the spiritual sense, completely cleansed of our unrighteousness, that doesn’t make us perfect or without our struggles. Let me write you a letter about it!

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Dear Christian Brother or Sister,

We may be very close or not know each other at all, but regardless, we are siblings in Christ. So we’re related! I feel like writing a letter (or a blog post, as is the case) to a sibling is pretty normal, so here goes.

We have a lot in common, you and I.

We’re both human. We both live in this messed up, sinful, horribly corrupt world. We were both born completely and irreversibly tinged by Sin. We both committed sins throughout our lives.

Somehow, we both learned about Jesus Christ, and that message touched both of us in a profound way. It became personal.

We accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. We believe in Him, have faith is His unending love and grace, and trust that He will keep us until we come to be with Him in Heaven some day.

We’re both Saints (Romans 1:7; Revelation 14:12; 1 Corinthians 1:2), simply. Saints … and that comes with a stigma.

What is a Saint?

The idea of a saint in modern society* is that they’re some perfect, flawless, extraordinary. That’s what people mean when they say someone’s a saint … that they’re better than the rest of us poor blokes. Special.

The truth is none of us are special (Romans 3:9-20; 1 John 1:8; 1 Timothy 2:5).

*As well as many versions of Christianity which I will not refer to in this article as they go contrary to my study of God’s Word. No offense intended, of course; each person is responsible for their own faith!

Souls Astray: Cover Reveal!

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Are you read to see Souls Astray‘s cover? Because today I’m going to give it to you … along with a preorder link and announcements about blog tours and whatnot!

For that reason, today’s post will be short, but you know what? I’m still exhausted, so it had to be that way.

And yeah, I know … I skipped Wednesday! I just don’t have a heart for much right now, so missing blog posts is occasionally gonna be okay.

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I’m not a big believer in patience, so let’s start right out with …

The Cover!

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Souls Astray

Adele has been lost for a long time now …

Adele Collier has sought a carefree lifestyle ever since her tragic childhood. Determined to never allow anyone or anything to control her life or emotions again, she consistently seeks distraction in gaiety. But shaking her ghosts isn’t as easy as she’d like.

Troy Kee has been alone in the world since the Great War took his parents and left him in care of his younger sister. When she marries, he’s left to seek after his goal of a healthy, complete family. But how can he focus on his dream when trouble plagues his family vineyard?

When Adele and Troy meet, a whirlwind romance begins—but can two lost souls have a healthy relationship?

“A tragic, well-crafted story of romance, family dynamics, and pain in the years between WW1 and WW2.” ~Jana Tenbrook

“Souls Astray is a heartrending novel, full of poignant themes and topics that are important even today. It is a captivating read and will leave you wanting more.” ~Michaela Bush

Preorder on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

All credit for the cover goes to my amazing design, Savannah Jezowski at Dragonpen Press!

The Release

Stay tuned for more information, but the book will be releasing May 4th of this year and a blog tour will follow!

The blog tour will probably be about a week long – with giveaways, Facebook parties, etc. I’m still trying to think of a way to celebrate the release that’s a bit more fresh, so we’ll see about that.

As you know, this will be the first in a series of releases this summer. (Technically Baby Mine will be releasing a month before, in April, but that’s not a part of the series, so yep.) Souls Astray, then The Lady of the Vineyard, then Flowers in Her Heart, then From Now ‘Til Forever!

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Baby Mine

Speaking of which, Baby Mine is available to preorder now, too!

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Amaliya Preobrazhensky lives with her mother in a tiny apartment. They don’t have much except each other … but that’s all right. Every day, God provides.

When Amaliya’s father, who hasn’t been around since before she was born, returns and a custody battle begins, it’s hard for her to understand. Can a man she’s never met really take her away from her beloved mother? Why would God let such a thing happen?

This short story/novelette is a perfect afternoon read for both tears and smiles!

Amazon ~ Goodreads

A Brief Life Update

Yeahhh … as I mentioned briefly, I’m not feeling super well. Always exhausted, lots of stomach pain, headaches, sour throat, etc. It’s not bad (don’t go worrying!), but it’s annoying.

It’s very cold here, though – and we’re expecting a HUGE winter storm this weekend! Like, inches and inches of snow! So I’m excited about that. I love the snow! It’s like 17 now, which is just cool.

I also have two types of birthday parties today – one for work (that I’m assisting with) and one I’m going to for a friend!

ANYWAYS, if you do pray, pray I don’t collapse.

February 2019 Dares

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Warning: this is going to be a short post because Kell is exhausted and just wants to go back to her secret pleasure, Alone in Berlin. 

What I’m Trying to Learn About Prioritization

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Prioritization. I’m not so good that. It’s much more fun to skip from project to project, to work on the least important thing, to live life without a plan …

At least, it is for me. Other people feel differently and are better at planning and scoping out their life. I’m just not one of those people!

But prioritization is an important part of every writer’s life! (And people in general, but I’m writing about writing, so.) Let’s talk about that!