Kellyn Roth's Blog: Kellyn Roth, Author, page 61

Puppies and Titles

Today we’re going to talk about puppies and titles. I know, I know. Those SEEM like two totally unrelated topics. Truth is? They are. In other words, this word is full of random stuff, and I hope you enjoy it.[image error]

First, puppies. My dog Gidget, a beautiful Border Collie with 1/4 Australian Shepherd in her (that doesn’t show), had 9 puppies in May, and they’re now a little over 5 weeks old, and ADORABLE! So today I’ll be sharing some photos of my adorable puppies with you.[image error]

Puppieeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!!!

Aren’t they too adorable for words?

Second, titles. There are some titles that just pull at me, begging me to write a novel! Some of them have been used so many times that I don’t dare use them, some of them are less common or completely unused, but I still don’t use them. Because I don’t have good plot ideas. Or no plot ideas at all.

So, sit back and relax; enjoy my titles ideas and the crazy plots I’ve affixed to them in my head.

Titles

California Widow

This is an actual term meaning a woman whose husband went to California (c. 1849) and never sent for her. Which is … sad. But, anyway, it’s an idea I’d love to explore. Believe it or not, I was unable to find a book of this title! Incredible, right? So … I CALL DIBS!

Security Schedule

You guys may not grasp the beauty of this title yet. But I do. All right, let me try to explain it to you. Like, you know how some people are ruled by their schedules? And there schedules makes them feel secure? Well … that’s about it. I know, I know … I’m insane … but I still cling to Security Schedule! It could be a great novel (although I don’t technically have a plot … or characters …)!

Gauntlet

I admit I have no idea what this word means. *Googles it* Oh, ok. “A stout glove with a long loose wrist.” Great. Gauntlet.

A Worthy Heart by Susan Anne Mason

A Worthy Heart by Susan Anne Mason

Courage to Dream, #2

Can an Irish Lass with a Dream for America Find True Love?

Maggie Montgomery’s long-held wish to see America is finally coming true. She’ll visit her beloved brother Rylan and his wife, Colleen, and at the same time, escape Neill Fitzgerald’s unwanted attention. In addition, Maggie has a secret! She plans to remain in America to seek her fortune and to hopefully find love. While visiting Irish Meadows, she meets an intriguing man whom she thinks is a stable hand. Only when Rylan demands she stay away from Adam O’Leary does she realize he’s Colleen’s brother, recently released from prison. Nonetheless, Maggie can’t seem to make her heart conform to her brother’s request.

Adam O’Leary has never felt worthy of his place in the family. Spending time in jail only reinforces his belief. Now that he’s free, Adam hopes to make amends and earn back his family’s trust. Falling in love with Maggie Montgomery, however, was never in his plans.

Despite everyone’s effort to keep them apart, the two develop a bond nothing can break–but has Adam truly changed, or will the sins of his past prove too much for Maggie to overcome?

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A Worthy Heart is way better than the first book in this series, Irish Meadows. I really enjoyed this one … I couldn’t find anything in it that led me to give it less than 5 stars, so I gave it just that.

The plot was thoroughly entertaining. Maggie Montgomery, Rylan’s little sister (you remember Rylan from Irish Meadows, right?❤ ), comes to America from Ireland with her big brother Gabe to visit her other older brother and to escape the unwanted attentions of her former fiancé, Neill Fitzgerald.

There she meets her sister-in-law’s brother, Adam O’Leary. She finds herself attracted to him, but her protective brothers warn her not to go anywhere near Adam; he just got out of prison after three years. He’s reformed, but even repentance can’t erase past sins … at least in society’s opinion. Nevertheless, Maggie is determined to keep meeting and talking to Adam, determined to give him a second chance at all costs.

But that’s not all! Half-insane Neill has followed Maggie from Ireland and seems determined to whisk her off to their homeland … whether she wants to or not!

Some of the subplots (well-done, by the way, adding not subtracting to the main plot … though I prefer books with more than on plot line) are the romance between Gabe Montgomery and Aurora Hastings and more time spent with Colleen and Rylan at the orphanage, thank goodness. In fact, one of the reasons I liked this book so much was because of the attention paid to Colleen and Rylan.

I just love these characters (no, not just because they have awesome names …), and I was so excited to read more about them! Although my fear of suffering through more Brianna and Gilbert kept me away from reading this book for far too long.

Interview with John A. Heldt

Well, guys, in the last several weeks I’ve reviewed two books by author John A. Heldt, Indiana Belle and The Mine. And I’ll be interviewing him in pink, because everything’s better with pink, and his answers will be in green, which is his favorite color.

Welcome to Reveries, Mr. Heldt. Could you tell me a little about how you decided to become a writer. Did you start writing when you were little, or did you start when you were older? What was the first full-length novel you wrote?

I started writing when I picked up a pencil in first grade and haven’t stopped. I have always liked to write and always found it easy to express myself through words, whether in school essays or newspaper articles or novels. I published my first novel, The Mine, in 2012.

Oh, I didn’t know that The Mine was your first novel.

The Mine by John A. Heldt

The Mine by John A. Heldt

Northwest Passage, #1

In May 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity.

He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can’t use, money he can’t spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of swing dancing and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war.

With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. The Mine follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come.

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It was, overall, a good novel. I  found the ending to be rushed and unbelievable and I wished there had been more history, more about how Joel’s time travel effected the future of the characters, but I still enjoyed it enough to give it 4 stars.

To be fair, I expected a lot from this book after Indiana Belle, which I absolutely adored. And, in many ways, I was pleased.

The plot was creative. Joel Smith, a college kid with everything going for him, steps into an abandoned mine while vacationing in Montana and finds himself in the ’40s. He has no way to get home, so he must try to settle into 1941.

Joel travels to Seattle – his home in the 21st century. There he rescues Tom Carter from a violent debt-collector. To return the favor, Tom helps Joel get back on his feet, taking him home, giving him food, clothes, and a roof over his head, introducing him to his parents, and helping him get a job at his father’s furniture store.

Oh, one tiny details. Tom is engaged to Joel’s grandmother. However, Grandma Ginny is not destined to marry Tom. Joel’s existence proves that. Ginny Gillette’s first fiancé died during the war. Joel and Tom become good friends, and Joel wonders if he shouldn’t try to warn Tom away from the coming war … but that, of course, might endanger his own existence, and he doesn’t want to fade away like Marty McFly (points for you if you get the reference).

Then Joel meets the beautiful Grace Vandenberg. Although she is already engaged, they strike up a friendship that turns into a romance, and Grace must choose between marrying a US Navy man who offers her a firm future and Joel, who she knows next-to-nothing about.

At the same time, Joel worries about the effects that marrying a girl from 1941. After all, Grace is likely destined to marry another man, have children, and lead a life … without Joel in it. If he marries her, could he tear about the fabric of time? Joel is also very worried about the impending war. Should he fight in the same war his grandfather fought in? What if he takes a bullet for a man who was meant to perish? What if he kills someone who wasn’t meant to be killed?

The characters were very vivid and well-developed. They may have been the best part of the book.

I loved Grace. It seems to me that strong heroines are usually stubborn, spunky, sparkly, exciting, brave; Heldt brings us a new female lead. She’s gentle, sweet, and cautious; however, there’s a quiet strength about Grace that I really admire.

Joel was the main character, and though he made decisions that drove me crazy (and his worrying also bugged me … serious over-thinker), I liked him. He was perhaps a little too perfect, a little too likable. Does the man have faults that don’t make you like him more? I think not.

I liked Tom, although I was determined not to because I knew he was going to die. That’s the one thing I always hate about war stories; at least one nice, cute guy always seems to die. And Tom’s just such a great, all-American guy. He reminds me of my baby brother.

Once-Again Remodeling Reveries

Well, I’m not exactly remodeling Reveries. The look will stay the same for the time, I think. It’s the schedule that’s changing. The old schedule just wasn’t working for me. It didn’t allow me enough structured freedom.

Plot Construction 101: Falling Action (and Resolution)

We’ve come to the conclusion.

Wait, I thought we just started this post!

Indeed, we did, but this post is about conclusions.

Oh, I understand now.

Good. Then we can continue.

The falling action is the wrapping-up of the novel; resolution is just another name for “conclusion.” It’s meant to be fairly short, as nothing can possibly be so good as what we’ve already passed (the climax), so we shouldn’t linger any longer than we have to. While still satisfying the readers, of course.

The falling action shows the aftereffects of the climax. Sometimes the novel cuts off directly after the climax leaving barely any falling action.

In Gone with the Wind, for instance, there are only a few paragraphs between the climax – “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a ****.” – and “The End.” In these, Scarlett reflects on her broken life and plans for the future, ending on a somewhat hopeful – but still miserable – note.

Another example of this form of falling action is To Kill a Mockingbird. There is very little falling action after the main climax. That’s one of the reasons this novel packs such a powerful punch.

However, some genres better support a bit more resolution, and oftentimes readers love to hear how the characters end up. At least I do. It doesn’t hurt to add an extra chapter or two on describing how the character recover from the effects of the climax and continue on with their lives.

The falling action is not to be confused with the epilogue. As I’ve said before, the falling action is the “sincerely yours” while the epilogue is the “p.s.”

Well, that was a short post. I hope you don’t mind, but I frankly admit I hadn’t much to say and I’m soooo glad to be done with the “Plot Construction” series. Researching for it helped me … I hope it helped you a little bit.[image error]

~Kellyn Roth

p.s. What do you like to see in falling actions? Do you struggle with them in your own writing? Did I leave out anything in this post?

The Liebster Award

First, don’t ask me to tell you what it’s called “The Liebster Award.” How should I know? Anyway, I was tagged for it by Cuddly Critters, a blog by K.A. Thanks!

Rules

Acknowledge the blog who nominated you and display the award.
Answer the 11 questions given to you.
Share 11 random facts about yourself.
Nominate 11 bloggers that have less than 200 followers who you think deserve this award.
Let the bloggers know you have nominated them.
Give them 11 questions to answer.

Answers

How many brothers do you have? Are they weird?

I have three. And, yeah, duh.

Do you like key-lime pie?

Not particularly. I don’t have it a lot, though.

Have you ever eaten a bug of any sort?

Nope. And I don’t hope to. I eat all sorts of weird things, but not bugs.

Do you like to sit oddly in chairs? How are you sitting now?

No … and I’m slouched on a couch. What? I’m sleepy.

Have you ever held a mouse? 

No.

What are your top 5 LEAST favorite animals?

Spiders, rodents (of any kind), scorpions, any dog smaller than knee-high (dogs are meant to be big!), and … and … sharks. I hate sharks.

Have you ever saved an animals life? Or tried?

No, and I never tried. I sound so heartless.

Do you like math?

Um ………. no, I hate it.

How many times a week do you go to a library? If you could, would you go more or less?

Hey, you keep sneaking 2 questions in in one!

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

A super short review. I hope you don’t mind.[image error]

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games, #3

My name is Katniss Everdeen.

Why am I not dead?

I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss’s family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans–except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels’ Mockingjay–no matter what the personal cost.

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Well, I’ve finally come to the last book in a trilogy that was not meant for me, but is still pretty fascinating. I wasn’t satisfied with the ending, but I don’t think I was supposed to be satisfied. After all, after all the hecticness, could we possibly end on a peaceful note? I think not. Still, it was disturbing. Of course, the whole series was disturbing.

This story is absolutely heartbreaking. Even more so than the other books. I enjoyed it … but it was sad. However, it was a well-written, interesting story – despite the depression.

There’s not much to say about this book that I didn’t say about the previous two books. I mean, seriously. We have pretty much the same characters and the same writing. The plot was very original and intense. It moved so fast that, at times, I was kind of spinning.

Content

Violence and drama. No language or sexual content, really.

Rating

4/5 stars. Although it was an amazing story, it was super sad.

~Kellyn Roth

Beautiful People #18: Childhood Edition

Hi Everyone! I know this is an off-day for a post, but I’m doing something I’ve never done before.

Post on a Thursday?

Who said that? No, that’s not it. I’ve posted on a Thursday before, I’m sure, before I started a schedule that is now being renovated. Today I’m doing Beautiful People!

Now, let me explain a little. It’s kind of like the Character Studies I’ve been doing these last couple months. It’s a set of questions posted monthly that authors can ask their characters. Find out more here.

Today I’ll be interview a character from The Lady of the Vineyard. I’ve been working on this historical/literary fiction novella when I’m supposed to be writing Ivy Introspective.

Meet Troy Kee, a 3o-year-old man from the 1930s. Note: I changed the questions around a little so they’re asked directly as the character instead of to the author about the character.

Don’t worry; this is definitely not the cover I’ll end up with!

 

What is your first childhood memory?

That’s a tough one! I mean, can anyone here really pin-point one memory which is their absolute first? I can’t. I remember bits and snippets at first, sentences, appearances, that kind of thing. I don’t remember a specific event. I remember living in our house in London … I remember my sister being there (not being born … I mean, come on, I was four) and being annoying … I remember my mother singing while she made breakfast, Dad reading the newspaper. Little things like that. Nothing specific.

What was your best and worst childhood experiences?

Ok. My worst was when my parents, you know, died when I was nine. That was pretty rough. Not to go on with a sob story that will only depress you, but Dad died during the War and Mother died of a flu (it was going around). But my parents owned a vineyard, and Lola (don’t laugh, and it’s short for Eloise … and she hates being called that but everyone does … call her that, I mean) and I was went to live there with Harrington. Harrington … I can’t really explain him. He’s a servant of sorts, but I don’t remember the last time he’s been paid, and he never does anything I don’t do, so … I don’t know what Harrington is. Just don’t ask; it confuses me.

My best memory was every moment before my parents died. It got pretty bad after that. But then it lightened up after a while. Sadness doesn’t last forever, of course.

What was your childhood home like?

First we had a crummy little house in London (not to be sentimental, but I still loved it). After the war, we went to live in a vineyard in the South of France. Charming little place. I still remember removing rats from the attic. But it’s been renovated since then.

What’s something that scared you as child?

HARRINGTON!!! (see a couple questions ^^)

Who did you look up to most?

Harrington. (again, ^^)

Favorite and least favorite childhood foods?

Icecream. Green beans. You figure out which is which.

If you had your childhood again, would you change anything?

I’d tell my dad to forget about the War; we win anyway. I’d tell my mother to stay at home where she belonged and not run around nursing people she didn’t even know. I’d tell Lola she’s an idiot (wait, I did that already!). I think that’s about it.

What kind of child were you? Curious? Wild? Quiet? Devious?

Mischievous would be the best word to describe me. I was always, always in trouble. And Lola was never in trouble! Never.

What was your relationship to your parents and siblings like?

Lola and I have you average sibling-rivalry-fueled relationship. My parents and I got along well, although, as I said before, they had to punish me a lot.

What did you want to be when you grew up, and what did you actually become?

I wanted to be a lion-tamer, a vagabond, a policeman, and a dragon. As-of-yet, I have been none of these things. I’ve had odd jobs around the beach. Now I work in real estate some, though I spend most of my time managing a vineyard. Oh, and I’ve decided that ‘father’ should definitely be among my jobs, too. This nonsense about Judy staying in London all the time has really gone along far enough.

 Well, what do you think of Troy? Is he a good character? Could you tell? Is his back story melodramatic? Too unbelievable? Would you read a book about him? Are you annoyed at me for posting on a day I shouldn’t be posting on? Would you like there to be less posts or more posts?

~Kellyn Roth

Plot Construction 101: Climax

Well, guys, we’ve come to the climax. What is a climax? It’s the most exciting part of the novel, of course. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for. And now it’s here. And … we’re going to make it a lot less exciting by talking about it.