Kellyn Roth's Blog: Kellyn Roth, Author, page 69

Excerpt from Chapter Three

Good afternoon!

Today I’ve decided to post a brief excerpt from The Dressmaker’s Secret. :)

It’s a small portion of Chapter Three which I recently polished to further *sarcastic voice* “perfection.” ;) I’m rather proud of it, actually, since I spent a good hour trying to improve it.

I hope you enjoy it (if you haven’t already).

 

The next evening Miss Chattoway and Nettie entered Alice and Ivy’s bedroom. Miss Christina was closing a storybook and the girls were begging for ‘just one more story.’

“I suppose there’s time,” Miss Christina considered, glancing at the small gold watch pinned to her bodice.

“Yes, there is,” Miss Chattoway firmly agreed, “But I’ll tell the last story. Would that suit?”

The girls immediately agreed.

“Christy, Nettie, would you leave us?” she asked as she pulled Ivy up onto her lap. After the two had departed, Alice curled up with her chin resting on her mother’s knee and passed the storybook to her.

“No, not these stories,” Miss Chattoway murmured. “Instead I am going to tell you a true story. Would you like that?”

“Yes,” said Alice and Ivy, neither at all surprised as their mother occasionally told them exploits from her childhood.

“Alice, Ivy … would you like me to tell you a little about your father?”

Both girls froze; Alice from shock, Ivy from wonderment. They were silent for a moment, then Alice whispered, “Yes!” in an excited, urgent way.

“Then I will tell you something about him,” Miss Chattoway said quietly, then after a pause, “What would you like most to know?”

“Does he love us?” Ivy asked promptly. Being loved was Ivy’s highest priority at all times.

Miss Chattoway hesitated, but at last murmured, “Yes, I think if things had been different, he would have loved you very dearly. He … he loved little children; he liked playing with them and talking to them. He would have thought you were both very beautiful and been very proud. What else would you like to know?”

“What did he look and act like?” Alice questioned, beginning to twist her hair about her finger.

Miss Chattoway’s voice became soft and her eyes faraway. “He was tall, a few inches over six feet perhaps. He had kind eyes and a bright, cheery smile. He was a gentleman; always ready to lend a helping hand where needed.”

“Where is he now?” Alice asked in the following silence.

Miss Chattoway hesitated. “I don’t know. The boy I once knew is gone forever; that much, I’m sure of.”

“Was it love at first sight?” Alice whispered, eyes on her mother’s wistful face.

“No, not at all. I had to get to know him before I could care for him. Besides, there were some serious objections to be overcome. I knew my parents wouldn’t approve.” Miss Chattoway sighed. “Time for bed, girls.”

“One more question?” Alice begged.

“Very well,” Miss Chattoway conceded.

“Do you still love our father?”

“No, not at all. He killed that in me long ago.” She replied, standing and leading her daughters to their beds. “But you spoke as if you do still love him,” Alice protested.

“I cared for him once, but that was a long time ago,” Miss Chattoway replied. “Now say your prayers quickly and get into bed.”

After giving her children a kiss and seeing them tucked warmly under their covers, Miss Chattoway went away. She tried desperately not to think about him, but her unruly mind kept wondering back to the man she loved – or had loved, as was her claim.

She was very quiet for the rest of the evening, barely touching her food at dinnertime and then sitting languidly in a corner of the parlor while her brother and sister chatted. She was even quieter when Nettie came up for their accustomed talk.

When she went to bed that night, she managed to fall asleep despite her whirling brain, and when she rose the following morning, she was happier than usual.

This was her life, her little world inside the real one. She would find a way to be content.

Well, what did you think? :)

~Kellyn Roth

p.s. For those of you who have read The Dressmaker’s Secret, it would be amazing if you posted an review on Amazon. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy … just a couple sentences giving your honest opinion. :) Thank you so much! ~K.

The Most Terrifying Moment in My Author Career

As some of you may know, I’ve been considering writing a book set during the 193os, The Lady of the Vineyard. I’m just in the planning stage now and it might not be some time before I begin actually writing, hence years before it’s published.

Anywho, I had quite the scare this week ….

Once upon a time, a girl named Kellyn Roth was talking with her best friend, Bay, about her book, The Lady of the Vineyard. As she talked, a slow realization came upon her.

Vineyard.

Prohibition.

Hmm.

For those of you who don’t know, there was one a short-lived out-lawing of all alcohol called the Prohibition.

After Bay had gone home, Kellyn considered changing the time period. But she was extremely attached to the idea of writing this book during the 1930s. And didn’t want to change it.

As you may have guessed, Kellyn was in a panic at this point. Until she remembered one tiny little detail.

Prohibition.

The Eighteenth Amendment.

Hmm.

Amendment. That means that it was probably only in the United States.

Oh, come on! Stop laughing! We all have blonde moments! ;)

Anyway, a quick Google search confirmed my suspicions. Alcohol was never officially outlawed in England or France. Where my story will be taking place.

The moral of this tale: Don’t panic until you’re sure there’s something to panic about.

Have any of you had misconceptions like that in your novels?

~Kellyn Roth

Short Story Contest

I’ve decided to write a short story for Homeschooled Authors’ Short Story Contest.

If you’re an author and love Jane Austen, you should definitely enter your story into this competition! The deadline is May 31th 2016. :)

What am I going to be writing? Well, I’m not giving you all the details, but it will be based off Emma.

Good luck to anyone who enters the contest!

~Kellyn Roth

Interview with David B. Hunter

Today I’ll be interviewing my fellow-author, David B. Hunter. In pink. My favorite color. David gets to ‘speak” in blue, which is his favorite color.

Glad to have you here today, David. And now begins the Inquisition questions.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Kind of a tough one. Well, when I was four years old I dictated a book that my mom wrote down. Does that count? But when I recently started to want to be a writer? I would say May of 2014. I found a Pinterest page of a writer and read a bunch of different articles. I had wanted to be an author before that, but it wasn’t until after this, that I actually started pursuing writing.

Was Reveille the first book you wrote, or planned to write, after you began pursuing a career as a writer?

No. I had an idea for a historical fiction book based in Medieval Scotland, that didn’t get passed the idea stage. I also started a fantasy novel, which I was a little more successful, as I started the rough draft, though I only completed two chapters maximum, before I started Reveille.

Where and when did you get your inspiration for Reveille?

I was on a family vacation at a resort in central Minnesota in September 2014. This was the time when I decided on the historical backdrop for my NaNoWriMo work which became Reveille.

Is the main character of Reveille, Ben Anderson, a lot like you? Did you base him on someone you know? Or is he completely his own person?

 Hmm, I would say that Ben is a picture of what I want to be. So, I’d say he’s a combination of me and his own character.

Does anyone else is Reveille resemble anyone you know in real life?

 Not really. But some of my characters were real life people, though I took liberty with their personalities to fit the book.

Are you willing to tell us something about Reveille’s sequel?

Sure. Retreat continues the adventures of Ben, when he goes and rescues somebody. But I can’t say who. ;) Meanwhile, Fred recuperates in a hospital, but eventually he achieves his goal of rejoining the army.

The two boys’ paths meet at the bloodiest battle up to that time on American soil, the Battle of Pittsburgh Landing or Shiloh.

Have you ever considered giving Ben a love interest?

I have but that hasn’t happened yet. On the other hand, Fred does have a love interest that is introduced in Retreat.

Can’t wait to read that!

When are you planning to published Retreat?

I want to edit Retreat thoroughly, and I have more people that are going to take part in the editing process. But after saying all that, I hope that it’s no later than the fall of 2016.

Well, if you ever need an extra set of eyes, I’d be happy to help. :)

And now, to sum up our interview, a few useless questions! ;)

I heard you have a dog. What is his/her name?

His is Chippewa or Chipp for short.

 Ah, after the Indians?

Yes.

What kind of dog is Chipp?

A golden retriever.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Vanilla.

Tea or coffee?

Neither hot. Tea when its bottled and cold

Favorite sport?

Football.

What advice would you give to a new self-publishing author?

If you’re not completely satisfied with your first book, instead of giving up, just keep writing. You’ll only get better!

Thank you, Kellyn!

 

 

David B. Hunter is a homeschooled teenager from rural northern Iowa.  His dream is to be a professional author that impacts lives for Christ through his books. You can find his blog here or you can buy Reveille here.

 

The Dressmaker’s Secret: Updates

On Friday I got my paperback copy of The Dressmaker’s Secret! :) I know; really exciting! Everyone I know is chastising me for not being more excited than I am. :P

But I don’t usually get really excited about things.

At least, I don’t usually jump up and down and scream when I’m excited.

But enough about me! Let’s talk about my book. ;)

The are a few typos (surprise, surprise!), but for the most part it seems pretty well put together and I’m really proud of myself. :P

It’s so amazing to see and stroke and hug and show off the physical copy.

I am the author of a book. Not just a half-finished monster in a notebook. An actual, complete book! Wow.

This may sound a little conceited, but that’s not how I mean it. I am just … happy, I guess. If you’ve ever published a book, you know what I mean, and if not, well, please don’t think me narcissistic. :)

And, to balance the rejoicing with something a little depressing, to the left is page 13 of my book. :P

Though none of the changes I’ve made are essential, I think they improve the flow a little.

At some point I’m going to update the files. Not exactly a second edition, but still, a bit changed.

And as if that weren’t enough, I’ve been thinking about this scene recently that I’d like to add in. I won’t, but I can dream ….

And, for your eyes only, the worst typo I’ve been able to find:

I know! I don’t know how I missed that! The sentence just ENDS!!!

To sum up, my advice for anyone self-publishing a book is ….

DON’T YOU DARE PUBLISH IT UNTIL YOU’VE GOTTEN A PAPERBACK COPY AND READ THROUGH IT!!!

~Kellyn Roth

p.s. here’s an album I made just for fun. ;) :D

Oh, and if you find typos, let me know! :)

Book Review: The Silent Governess

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen

Believing herself guilty of a crime, Olivia Keene flees her home, eventually stumbling upon a grand estate where an elaborate celebration is in progress. But all is not as joyous as it seems.

Lord Bradley has just learned a terrible secret, which, if exposed, will change his life forever. When he glimpses a figure on the grounds, he fears a spy or thief has overheard his devastating news.

He is stunned to discover the intruder is a scrap of a woman with her throat badly injured. Fearing she will spread his secret, he gives the girl a post and confines her to his estate.

As Olivia and Lord Bradley’s secrets catch up with them, will their hidden pasts ruin their hope of finding love?

 

Another amazing book by Julie Klassen that kept me up until all hours of the night, The Silent Governess is definitely a page-turner!

This book had many twists and turns. Sometimes it was a little difficult to find your way through the plot-maze, but it was fun making guesses about how it was going to end. :)

One of my favorite characters was Lord Bradley. He reminded me a lot of one of my own characters – Colin Farjon – because he’s so … stoic. You know, with hidden depths. :P

Also, the idea of super smart people appeal to me. And Olivia is super smart. Not unbelievably smart, but really intelligent and well-learned, etc. :) I have a tendency to make all my characters smart to make up for my lack of brains.

Would I read it again?

Totally!

Who would you recommend this book to?

Anyone who likes historical fiction, especially the Regency era, anyone who likes romance, anyone who likes mystery, and any book-lovers in general. As far as age range, I’d probably say young adult through adult. :)

Overall rating

5/5 stars! :)

How can I find more books by the authors?

Here’s a link to Julie Klassen’s website.

~Kellyn Roth

 

The Dressmaker’s Secret is Free Today!

Hello, All!

The Dressmaker’s Secret is absolutely free today on Kindle! :D You can get it here!

If you pick up a copy and read it, I’d love it if you wrote an honest review. It would be a huge favor to me. :)

~Kellyn Roth