Kellyn Roth's Blog: Kellyn Roth, Author, page 40

Update #2: In Which I Am Good at Something for Once

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Okay, you’re right, that was a silly title. I’ve done awesome things before. In fact, I’m pretty much the master of awesome things.

But really, I’m super pleased with one thing I did these last couple days, and so I have to share it with you … and yep. That’s about it. (I don’t really have low self-esteem, at least not in the writing area of my life. #conceited #terribleperson)

So far, NaNoWriMo is going swimmingly for me. According to my best friend, I write too slow, but really, am I to blame for her impatience? Nope. I think not.

I’m reasonably pleased with my writing. It’s nothing flashy like a girl I know who got 50,000 in the first couple days or other friends who are 25K+ each, but … I’m happy with it. That’s all that matters in such a self-motivated challenge.

So, I have 16,859 words! I haven’t begun writing today yet (#school, #work, #AWANAs), but hopefully I’ll get to 17K and maybe even 18K sometime this afternoon/evening. Probably not, though … my life has been #hectic. (Puppies take time! So does school and band and work and … mostly school. *glares at school*)

I need to stop using hashtags! It’s not even like I’m on Twitter that much … *sigh* I don’t know what’s wrong with me.

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What I’m Proud Of

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I couldn’t think of an easy simple way to put this into words, but basically …

Characters

Jordy

Bailey is an ESFP (same as Jordy), and she’s been reading my book (because I spoil her … and because it makes me happy … okay, truthfully, she’s not spoiled at all; I force her to read my books, haha).
Her comments are mostly like, “OMW THIS IS SO ME!” and “GET OUT OF MY HEAD YOU’RE BEING CREEPY.”
It’s not my fault that I know her very well and essentially just made her personality male.
Anyway, suffice to say I’m immensely proud of having made a believable male protagonist with a personality and all (at least in the eyes of The Very Prejudiced Author and The Very Prejudiced Best Friend of the Author).


Ivy

I was super nervous about writing Ivy.
It was fairly easy to write her as a child – just because it was totally natural for her to be this innocent sweet little girl.
But now she’s all grown up (*weeps*), and so it’s a little different.
BUT … it turned out all right! I’m really loving her voice. She’s an adult, yes, and she has adult thoughts. But she’s still IVY.


Violet

I can’t resist mentioning this lil’ bundle of joy.
(I’m being completely sarcastic, of course … she’s a little hellion.)
Violet is just … way too much fun. She is such a jerk! Yes, she went through some changes in IvIn, but …
She still basically just insults everyone and pretends they don’t matter. (It’s to protect herself because she thinks everyone will eventually betray her, but still …)

And yes, I do realize that was in outline format. I have outlines on the mind. Don’t judge.

I’m just really pleased with my characters and how they’re turning out.

And that was what I did right for a change.

And I shared it with you. (So much for exciting blog posts …)

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So, I wrote this scene on day 1, but I decided you should read it. It’s just such a pivotal scene … it really defines Ivy’s story.

(Which reminds me that I need to do the same for Jordy … oh, well. I can add it in later …)

|Very Much A First Draft|

“Ivy, I can’t say what God wants for your life. I know it’s just between you and Him. But … sometimes we can serve God best through the little things. Loving our family, being a help to them as best we can … that sort of thing.”

Ivy waited, but Alice didn’t continue. She just sipped her lemonade and looked out towards Pearlbelle.

“Is that all I can do?” Ivy asked at last. “Do you think … do you think I don’t have a calling?”

“No, darling, no. Of course not! It’s just … some people are equipped to go out into the world and be … I don’t know, missionaries. To help people. To do great things. And some of us … darling, it says in the Bible, ‘whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.’ No matter what you do in your life, you must do it to the glory of God.”

Ivy nodded slowly. “But … what is it I’m supposed to do?”

Alice sighed. “It’s not for me to say. But … be content in what you have. God has given you more than enough. He loves you. He treasures you. He’ll give you what you need and more!”

What Alice was saying, Ivy realized, was that Ivy shouldn’t want more than she had. That what she had now … was all she’d ever get. All God planned to give her. Bowing her head, Ivy understood the truth. She was not enough of a person to be worthy of a calling … not in the same way Alice was. Her calling was a simple little thing. Something in her wanted more … but she would not get it.

Ivy wasn’t worthy of a calling.

*info-dumps all the plot* *shrugs*

It’s so sad, though, isn’t it? Like … no one gets Ivy. Or at least not enough people. *hugs Ivy until she suffocates* I feel so sorry for her. I would never hurt her …

NaNo2017: My Last-Minute Prep and the First Few Days

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Wow, can you believe it’s already day four?! NaNoWriMo is flying by! I mean, four out of thirty isn’t much (only about 13%), but it’s still several days which I’ve spent writing like a maniac.

But, before I start talking about my (amazing) NaNo progress, let’s talk about my last minute prep.

Really all my prep was last minute. I didn’t start outlining until early October, and then I put it off and put it off until … I did most of it a week before NaNo, quite a chunk of it on October 31st!

But in the end, I was ready to go on November 1st.

Note: this is a thrown-together post without the proper pictures and such that I’m used to having … so please forgive me. I’m having a crazy week. (Updates on that at the end, too.)

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Notebook Outline

So, I usually start outlining in a notebook (you saw the starts of that in my last post). I try to summarize the whole plot. Basically, it’s a big block of text cut up into bullet points.

I usually write this at least twice through (changing it and making all kinds of notes about changes between these outlines). (I also made an original half-done outline on the computer before this that I worked off of.)

This time, I think I did three notebook versions of the outline and two computer versions. (More on that in a moment.)

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Computer Outline

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I’ve never done an actual outline this this, with neatly arranged i, ii, and iis, but I did this year! I mean, I technically just made a big point for each scene(ish) and then put in whatever random thoughts I had about it, but … it’s an Official Outline, y’all.

My very first official outline. #plotterpride

(And yes, my scene-summary outlines were probably must more thorough, but this is much more me. Sharp. Quick. To the point. The kind of thing I can read at a glance.)

So … I typed up and wrote most of that (^) on October 31st. And I’m actually super happy with how it turned out! I tend to be a major procrastinator, so a lot of the time things end up being all over the place, but this actually turned out well … despite my last-minute-ness.

Introducing the Characters of Beyond Her Calling

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Hello ladies and gents!

Now that we’ve actually begun NaNoWriMo,* I decided it was time to actually introduce you to my NaNo novel & my NaNo-prep process. Even though we’ve already begun so technically that’s all over. Just … ignore me tardiness. Pretend it’s two weeks ago.

*(I WAS SICK OKAY!?!?)

I thought I’d just dash up a post and give a brief introduction to both, but you already know the basic plot (or you can just by reading the blurb on NaNoWriMo or my WIP page) and my basic outlining process, so either I’m going to have to do something slightly more complicated, or I’m going to have to be #lame.

Weeeeell, I’m lame in enough areas of my life. Allow me to introduce you to the characters of Beyond Her Calling and how they came to be.

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Above is my basic outlining equipment. The red notebook is sacred. Nothing except information about Beyond Her Calling can go into it.

I don’t let water drip on it.

I don’t scribble in the margins.

I don’t let the pages get ripped or wrinkled.

I guard it with my very life.

This may not be your thing, but I like making things special. If something’s special, I like it better. Partially because it’s different and original (even though it’s just a boring ol’ 70-page college-rule notebook) and partially because then I can’t get distracted quite so easily.

3 Things Northanger Abbey Can Teach Writers

Hello ladies and gents!

Long story short … I’m sick. It started out as a flu with a headache, sore throat, chills, aches, and semi-fevers, and turned into a terrible cold complete with gallons of dark yellow goo bursting from my lungs. *is making you all nauseous* *is too sick to care*

Because of that, I wasn’t able to get today’s post out. It was going to be an introduction to the characters of Beyond Her Calling. That will be coming out next week instead. (In the meantime, you can check out the summary on NaNoWriMo or my WIP page.)

Thanks to the wonderful Saanvi, though, I’m not showing up empty-handed today! I can share with you this guest post that I wrote for her blog. It’s “3 Things Northanger Abbey can Teach Writers,” and I hope you enjoy it.

Why I Do Halloween

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*deep breath* Okay. Here we go.

I know I’m going to offend a lot of my Christian friends. I might even lose some followers over it. But I feel a need to summarize all my thoughts on the subject into one, organized whole and present it up to my Christian peers (probably to be slaughtered, but oh well).

Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on Halloween. Why do I dress up and eat candy, even though many Christians say it’s evil? I decided to dig deep and figure out my reasons.

(Just so you know, I’m being completely, painfully honest in this post. I don’t mean to offend anyone, though. That’s not my purpose. I just mean to defend myself … and any other Christian who has similar views to mine. I respect those who don’t do Halloween – know some of them pretty well, actually – and I trust they have great reasons for doing so. It just so happens, I have great reasons for celebrating Halloween. Or at least I think so.

Five Fall Favorites: Wrap Up & Animals + Brief Hiatus

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Hello ladies and gents!

Welcome to my blog … and to my final post in Five Fall Favorites 2017!

In this post, I’ll be announcing the winners … and some other fun things. We still have lots of free books and such wandering around, so be sure to look for them!

On that note … The Lady of the Vineyard is free today on Amazon while The Dressmaker’s Secret is on sale for just $0.99! Be sure to check them both out!

Five Fall Favorites, Day 5: Indie Published

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Hello ladies and gents!

Welcome to my blog … and to my fifth post in Five Fall Favorites 2017! I’m sure you remember the amazing blog party we did last year, and if you don’t, this invitation will give you the highlights:

(By the way, the constant repetitiveness is a little … sad … but you know what? THE PURPOSE IS THE BOOKS NOT THE INTRO. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.)

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To find out more, check out today’s post by Rebekah A. Morris. Through this post, you will also find the other blogs participating, etc. Which is all stuff you need to find the “book room” for the day. (More on that later!)

Basically, we’re sharing our favorite books in six categories, handing out free ebooks, and giving away a grand prize including several paperbacks! (The winners will be announced this Saturday.) (And if we get enough entries, we will add a second … and then a third … prize!)

We’re going to have so much fun! I can’t wait to share my favorites in each category with you. This, especially, was a fun category for me … but you’ll see!

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And now, our feature presentation …

 

Indie-Authored-Books

(For those of you who don’t know, “Indie” is another word for “self-published.”)

Okay, so, I read a lot of Indie books, so narrowing this down was super hard. But I did it! So, here are my Top Five Indie Picks for Five Fall Favorites 2017. (I feel like I should make a badge, but I’m too lazy …)

The Old River Road by Ivy Rose

This is such an amazing book! I remember pre-ordering it as soon as I saw it (#prettycoveranyone), and I read it in an afternoon. Read my review here. (I went ahead and edited it a little recently, too, because it made no sense. #oldpostsbyme)

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

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A Question of Honor by Jesseca Wheaton

I beta-read this book … but I don’t know if I was much help. Why? Because all the feels were killing me! Seriously, what an emotional, meaningful, amazing book! I wrote a very long review here. (BTW, the sequel is coming out soon, and one of my wishes in the review was granted! *hugs Jesseca*)

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

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The Crowd by Alleece Balts

Though this book is another that I wouldn’t recommend to younger teens, it’s a great book for older teens who enjoy YA contemporary. It was quite interesting and different from what I normally read. I loved the characters, too. My review here.

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

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The Secret Slipper by Amanda Tero

This is the second book in the Tales of Faith series (and hopefully not the last? Amanda? Please?), but I like it just a wee bit better than the first one though they were both amazing. Basically, The Secret Slipper is a retelling of Cinderella. Read my review here.

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

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You’ll Be Like Faye by J.C. Buchanan

This is an amazing story! It was a bit of a mystery with a dash of family drama. I’d recommend it to anyone 8-20!

Five Fall Favorites, Day 4: Humor

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Hello ladies and gents!

Welcome to my blog … and to my fourth post in Five Fall Favorites 2017! I’m sure you remember the amazing blog party we did last year, and if you don’t, this invitation will give you the highlights:

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To find out more, check out today’s post by Rebekah A. Morris. Through this post, you will also find the other blogs participating, etc. Which is all stuff you need to find the “book room” for the day. (More on that later!)

Basically, we’re sharing our favorite books in six categories, handing out free ebooks, and giving away a grand prize including several paperbacks! (The winners will be announced this Saturday.) (And if we get enough entries, we will add a second … and then a third … prize!)

We’re going to have so much fun! I can’t wait to share my favorites in each category with you. This, especially, was a fun category for me … but you’ll see!

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And now, our feature presentation …

Humor

NOW, “Humor” was supposed to be “Missionary,” but I don’t think I’ve read a single book about a missionary. I just … haven’t. They don’t interest me. So yep …

Here are my top five books in the “Humor” category.

The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo

The Reluctant Godfather is one of my favorites books ever! It’s quite hilarious, and it’s also really clever. Here’s my review.

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

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The Tintin series by Herge

This is the best series ever! Seriously. Anyone who hasn’t read it needs to! It’s so hilarious and adventurous and just … awesome!

Add on Goodreads

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Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth, JR.

This is one of the most hilarious books ever. It’s even funnier because it’s all true!

Five Fall Favorites, Day 3: Serieses

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Hello ladies and gents!

Welcome to my blog … and to my THIRD post in Five Fall Favorites 2017! I’m sure you remember the amazing blog party we did last year, and if you don’t, this invitation will give you the highlights:

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To find out more, check out today’s post by Rebekah A. Morris. Through this post, you will also find the other blogs participating, etc. Which is all stuff you need to find the “book room” for the day. (More on that later!)

Basically, we’re sharing our favorite books in six categories, handing out free ebooks, and giving away a grand prize including several paperbacks! (The winners will be announced this Saturday.) (And if we get enough entries, we will add a second … and then a third … prize!)

We’re going to have so much fun! I can’t wait to share my favorites in each category with you. This, especially, was a fun category for me … but you’ll see!

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And now, our feature presentation …

Serieses

This was hard … because I hard to narrow down all the awesome. I know sooo many amazing series, and picking just one? Let’s just say it was a trial. However, it was a lot of fun.

Here are five amazing series (that you should probably check out!)

Edwardian Brides by Carrie Turansky

I just can’t explain how amazing this series is. It is definitely my favorite Christian Historical Romance series; I don’t know where it ranks with all the other books, but it’s high on the list.

Review of Book 1| Review of Book 2|Review of Book 3

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

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Wings of Glory by Sarah Sundin

What can I even say about this series? The era, the characters, the Christianity … oh, gosh. It is just soooo good! There’s no author and no series I recommend more than this one to lovers of WW2 fiction. Seriously. It’s amaze!

My Review of Book 1 | My Review of Book 2 | My Review of Book 3

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

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The Ultimate Nyssa Glass by H.L. Burke

Which reminds me that at some point I really need to review this. This was a great series. I didn’t expect to enjoy it (what? My family’s thing is beating up on each other … I think … at least, I’m assuming so … I haven’t been giving the Official Family Guidebook, you see …), but I really did. It was clever, unique, suspenseful, and funny all at once.

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

The American Journey by John A. Heldt

Although this is a secular series, and some of the books have quite a few content problems, I’d recommend it. Just be careful about which of the books you choose to read if you’re a young adult reader. I have actually not read the first book in the series (they all function as stand-alones), but I’ve read all the rest and enjoyed most of them.

Check out my review archives on my blog and scroll down to “Heldt” to read reviews of all of the books except the first one.

Buy the 3rd Book on Amazon (’cause that’s my favorite) ~ Add on Goodreads

Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

I felt that y’all needed a children’s series. So here I am. Anticipating your need. Really, though, this is one of the best series out there. The author based it off her childhood, and that makes it that much better. Who does love author Betsy, sweet little Tacy, no-nonsense tomboy Tib, and all the rest?

Add on Goodreads

Giveaway

The grand prize consists of a basket filled with …

• Signed copy of Dylan’s Story by Rebekah A. Morris

• Signed copy of Dandelion Dust by Faith Potts

• Signed copy of Kate’s Innocence by Sarah Holman

• Signed copy of The Twin Arrows by Kate Willis

• Signed copy of Journey to Love by Amanda Tero

• Coffee Nut M & M’s

• Packets of Apple Cider

• Cute Fall Mug

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If we reach 75 people we’ll add a 2nd prize. If we reach 100 people, we’ll add a 3rd prize.

Click to Enter!

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“Book Rooms?”

Now, here’s another way (besides the giveaway) to get your hands on some free books!

Every day, one blog in the party with host the ‘book room.’ The ‘book room’ will have a free ebook – probably a short story or novella – for everyone!

THOU SHALT GET EBOOKS. (You can track down the book room through Rebekah’s blog.)

My room for today is …

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*dons a hobo outfit* *pats seat beside me* Take a seat and tell me all your problems, dearie. *grins creepily*

Until tomorrow,

~Kellyn Roth~

Facebook | Goodreads | Bloglovin’

p.s.

What are some of your favorite serieses, my precioussss? Do you loves the bookses I loves, my preciousssss? What are your sssssecretses? TELL ME YOUR SSSECRETES!

Five Fall Favorites, Day 2: Christian Romance

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Hello ladies and gents!

Welcome to my blog … and to my second post in Five Fall Favorites 2017! (Yes, I am copying a little of what I said yesterday, but it’s hard to be different every day for a week!)

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To find out more, check out today’s post by Rebekah A. Morris. Through this post, you will also find the other blogs participating, etc. Which is all stuff you need to find the “book room” for the day. (More on that later!)

Basically, we’re sharing our favorite books in six categories, handing out free ebooks, and giving away a grand prize including several paperbacks! (The winners will be announced this Saturday.) (And if we get enough entries, we will add a second … and then a third … prize!)

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A drumroll, please!
Five Christian Romance Books

This was soooooo easy since I love, love, love romance! Specifically historical romance. Which … yep, all of these are historical romance. *hides* Sorry, I just can’t help it! I’m being honest about my favorites with y’all!

A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin

Oh, man, what can I say about this book … it’s just so good! The drama, the era, the adorableness … I CAN’T EVEN AND I PROMISED MYSELF I WOULD NOT “CAN’T EVEN” AGAIN AAAH! I reviewed it here if you want to see further thoughts.

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

This was just an incredibly well-written, beautiful book. I loved the themes and the setting and just … wow. Claire and Sutton were both amazing characters, too. My review can be found here.

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

A Worthy Heart by Susan Anne Mason

This is the second book in the Courage to Dream series. The first one was okay … but this one was infinitely better! See my review.

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

An Elegant Facade by Kristi Ann Hunter

This was an amazing book! It even features a character with a learning disability, which isn’t something you see a lot in historical romance (mostly because, you know, it has to dominate the plot because of the social prejudice and such). But it was super well done and beautiful and just … wow, Colin was a great character!

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter

This is one of the most amazing books out there! It’s not historical romance, but rather a lesser-known classic, and it is so good! You should read it. Like, now. So you can learn what true nobility looks like. *sobs*

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

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Giveaway

The grand prize consists of a basket filled with …

• Signed copy of Dylan’s Story by Rebekah A. Morris

• Signed copy of Dandelion Dust by Faith Potts

• Signed copy of Kate’s Innocence by Sarah Holman

• Signed copy of The Twin Arrows by Kate Willis

• Signed copy of Journey to Love by Amanda Tero

• Coffee Nut M & M’s

• Packets of Apple Cider

• Cute Fall Mug

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If we reach 75 people we’ll add a 2nd prize. If we reach 100 people, we’ll add a 3rd prize.

Click to Enter!
“Book Rooms?”

Now, here’s another way (besides the giveaway) to get your hands on some free books! (I’m repeating myself.)

Every day, one blog in the party with host the ‘book room.’ The ‘book room’ will have a free ebook – probably a short story or novella – for everyone!

So find it to get a free ebook! HURRY! (I mean, there’s no rush, but y’know … go do that now …) (You can track down the book room through Rebekah’s blog.)

On that note, my room for today is …

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That’s right! Barns! I love barns! The hay and animal smell, the creatures inside … it’s awesome. I could live in a barn. No problem. And then I’d have an excuse for my terrible table manners.

Until tomorrow,

~Kellyn Roth~

Facebook | Goodreads | Bloglovin’

p.s.

Did you enjoy the book recommendations? Did you find the book room? What are some of you favorite romance reads (if any)? What’s your favorite romantic sub-genre?