Kellyn Roth's Blog: Kellyn Roth, Author, page 8
June 27, 2023
Announcing the Springtime in Surrey Blog Tour & Launch Team Signups
Hey folks!
This will be a short & sweet blog post …
Will you join the blog tour AND/OR the launch team for Springtime in Surrey? You can click those links there, or you can read the descriptions below and decide what you want to join!
Join the Blog TourIf you haven’t participated in a blog tour, it is essentially an online event hosted through blogs that often includes a giveaway and posts about the book on various subjects.
In this case, during the set dates, you can share a review of the collection or of just one book in the collection (they’re all novellas, so they’re short!), you can interview an author, you can just “spotlight” the book with some basic information, you can have me write a guest post for your blog …
Find out more about it in the form:
Join the Launch TeamThere are a lot of options for supporting us in tasks not related to a specific timeline (in general). These involve all sorts of things, from simply praying for us to reviewing the collection or an individual novella on your own timeline to sharing about the collection wherever or whenever you want.
Let’s do it:
Why You Should JoinRemember, by joining either of these teams, you’re supporting Wild Blue Wonder Press, a new small indie business that focuses on helping indie authors achieve their goals.
As you may know if you’ve been around the author community for any amount of time, we rely on launch teams, blog tours, and other similar promotion events to survive. For writers of Christian fiction, a struggling genre, it is even more vital.
A personal plea: I have staked a lot on Wild Blue Wonder Press and Springtime in Surrey. So if you can help in any way, I deeply appreciate it.
TTFN!
~Kell~
P.S.Well … gonna join?
Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better?
I want to invite you to my super secret club. I mean, it’s not really a secret, because I’m telling you about it now, but here goes.
Join Mrs. Roth’s Society Column, my street team! We’d love to have you along for the ride!
June 19, 2023
How Bad Are Bad Boys? | Guest Post from Grace A. Johnson of the Springtime in Surrey Anthology (Wild Blue Wonder Press)
Hey folks! Today I’m sharing a blog post from Grace A. Johnson, one of the authors from Wild Blue Wonder Press’s first ever anthology, Springtime in Surrey.
If you don’t remember, Springtime in Surrey is launching on July 25th and is available for preorder now!
Read this post if you have thoughts about writing romance from a Christian perspective … I love this post!
Christian romance is obsessed with bad boys—but at what point does the obsession become unhealthy?
You might not realize it, but it’s a very important question. Kellyn recently touched upon it in her Instagram stories, and her thoughts ignited my passion for this topic, which I first addressed in this book review on my blog.
From rough-and-tumble cowboys who fancy one of the girls down at the saloon to roguish pirates who’ve pilfered their share of ladies’ hearts to leather-clad bikers with mysterious pasts, romance—even Christian romance—is chock-full of bad boys. And lemme tell y’all, there’s something about those charming, sexy (Kell’s words, not mine) rakes and bad boys who know just what to say to make the heroine swoon and just how to kiss to make the scene explode with fireworks.
And watching that wanderin’ man give up his old life to commit to one girl, well, it makes even us readers feel mighty special. After all, who doesn’t want to know that they’re worth giving up every other person to be with?
But (there’s always a but in ranting articles), far too many books glamorize the life of an experienced man. Striking a balance between sexy and realistic often proves difficult, which raises the question…how bad are bad boys, really?
MOTIVES MATTER
I love how Kell put it—experience = sex appeal. Why settle for a forty-year-old virgin when you could have a young, roaming, virile man who knows what he’s about? Men just seem sexier (at least fictional ones) when their hands don’t fumble and they don’t stumble over their words, am I right? (Make sure to read the rest of the post to find out why that is NOT right!)
When you give your hero a past full of womanizing for the sole purpose of making them seem sexy, BOY have you missed the mark. Not only is that shallow and unfair to your poor characters, it’s unrealistic and it actually sexualizes your characters and promotes sexual immorality. Your hero (or heroine) is NOT an object of lust for your readers (that’s when romance becomes porn, peeps) and your story should not exist to stir up sexual desires. 100%, your heroine should be attracted to the hero—but when you’re focused more on how the reader perceives the male love interest rather than how the heroine does, you’ve got the wrong motives.
And when you use sexual immorality like a trump card to up your game, you’re communicating to your readers that maybe it’s not so bad to date/marry a “wild man.” Maybe sleeping around is kinda hot. Maybe it’s more masculine to be with every woman that comes around.
That, my friends, is an ideal that’s been promoted by that secular world for y e a r s. And it would always result in damaged relationships, a warped worldview, and toxic masculinity. I hate to use that term, but it’s true. Masculinity, virility, and sex appeal is NOT determined by the number of women a man has bedded, kisses he’s stolen, or charming one-liners he has.
Just the opposite—but I’ll get to that later.
IT’S STILL A SIN
We live in a culture—even within the church—where sexual immorality is no longer viewed as a sin. I live in a small, conservative town in the Deep South…and it’s your most devout Baptists and Methodists and Pentecostals who let sexual immorality slide. Living with someone you’re not married to, sleeping around with every romantic partner, getting serious at a young age—no one bats an eye at it anymore. In some cases, it’s encouraged.
Unfortunately, Christian fiction sometimes falls into this same trap of ignoring the true nature of premarital/extramarital sex.
No matter how “sexy” it may seem…it’s still a sin.
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.”
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 ESV
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”
Hebrews 13:4 ESV
So should you avoid it entirely? Never read or write about bad boys again? Have every character be as pure as the newly fallen snow?
Heck no! That’s insanely unrealistic and ain’t gonna help readers grapple with the tough aspects of our crazy society. But if you’re a Christian author, whether you write Christian fiction or not, you should promote a biblical worldview. And whether you read Christian fiction or secular fiction, you should be mindful of what you read and seek out books that don’t discourage your convictions and beliefs but build them up.
So what does that look like?
1) Recognizing it’s a harmful sin.
Womanizing results in fragile trust, broken relationships, and sexual trauma. Imagine discovering your husband had slept with another woman (or several) before you. How would you feel? You’d constantly be watching to see if his eye wanders, wondering if you measure up to the many women before, feeling like another conquest. Or imagine if you were the one with “experience.” You’d feel unworthy, dirty, or like you’re doing your spouse an injustice.
So make these truths clear in your story.
2) Repentant characters.
A confident man can be appealing, but when that confidence becomes arrogance and prevents him from seeing the sin in his life, it’s toxic. He’ll continue in the same old unhealthy patterns if he doesn’t repent. He can vow to never leave the heroine and to love only her for the rest of his life…but without Christ and genuine repentance, those words are empty.
Instead of writing a hyper-confident, proud, selfish man, remember that your rake has to go on a journey of repentance and redemption to result in a lasting romance. Have him recognize the error of his ways, feel guilt and conviction, and turn away from his sin and to Christ.
3) Reaping consequences.
Sometimes, we think happily ever after means no grief, no heartache, no consequences. We want to brush things under the rug or sugarcoat them to satisfy readers…but readers won’t be truly satisfied if you don’t accept reality: that there’s consequences for sin. No, not every consequence is big and dramatic and changes the whole course of your life (or in this case, your story) … but maybe there will be a fight. A sleepless night. An uneasy feeling. After living in such a dangerous way, your hero won’t be the same. He won’t be able to get away scot-free, without trauma or consequences. He can absolutely receive grace and mercy, but not without discipline and correction—and the plain and simple cause-and-effect of sinful behavior.
When you take the time to emphasize the destructiveness of sexual immorality and its status as a sin, your hero’s redemption story will be a thousand times more meaningful. His love story with the heroine will be a thousand times more beautiful and true. Sugarcoating only leaves your story feeling shallow and bitter rather than full and sweet.
GIVE THEM BAD BOYS GOOD QUALITIES
When I first started writing my cutthroat pirate heroine, I was so concerned that she would be too violent and cruel to be the object of a loving relationship—so I knew I had to give her redeeming qualities. Her arrogance and physical capabilities weren’t going to get her far when it came to selflessly devoting her life to another.
The same goes for bad boys. We see experience and charm and sex appeal as the hero’s #1 strength and best quality. We’ll go on and on about his good looks and sweet words and swoon-worthy kisses, as if that’s all that matters.
There’s absolutely worth in words of affirmation and well-formed features (whether we’re talking facial features or abs)…but those aren’t redeeming qualities. Being a bad boy simply isn’t good.
So don’t emphasize that as the main reason why your hero is the hero or why the heroine falls for him. I mentioned earlier that experience doesn’t equal masculinity.
Goodness of heart does.
A truly masculine man will protect women, not harm them. He’ll lead them into safety and peace, not astray. He’ll give of himself over and over for those in need, without getting anything in return. He’ll take charge in times of peril. He’ll care for children and the elderly. He’ll show respect and chivalry, even to those who probably don’t deserve it.
So even if your hero had a rough past with a boatload of mistakes or he’s beginning his journey to redemption, his #1 character trait doesn’t have to be his sin. In fact, it’s not. We as people shouldn’t be defined by our sin—not when we’re saved. Instead of being a liar or a cheater, we’re beloved by God and free. Instead of your hero being a lover boy, he can be intelligent, compassionate, generous, self-sacrificing, or humble. Give him some good qualities, and praise those over his destructive lifestyle.
BE TACTFUL
*author insert*
I’ve gotta shout out to my lovely host, Kell. Her hero Jordy (gosh, I hope this isn’t spoilers) has a past of sexual immorality. It would be sooo easy for him to show up in the story sweet-talking our heroine, making eyes at her, giving her those warm fuzzies. He could’ve been the charming kind of guy that opened innocent little Ivy to new experiences and challenged the way she saw the world. Kell could have gone on and on about how suave he was or how sexy because of his past.
But she didn’t.
She treated his sin like sin, she emphasized his good qualities over his experience, and she was tactful about it.
How many times do we treat sex like a joke? Like something to laugh or be graphic about? Even as Christians, we make crude comments or take sex lightly—and that comes through in fiction. There’s often no tact or filter, no grace in how topics like this are dealt with. Even in sweet or saintly romance (see this post for reference), writers will infer sexual pasts, but only in the vaguest terms possible—and even this isn’t quite tasteful.
We need to be open and honest in a way that convictions but doesn’t confuse. Provokes serious thought rather than jokes. And I say this as someone who’s more likely to joke to herself than actually consider things with the weight they deserve.
Don’t let that bleed into what you write or read. Bad boys aren’t a laughing matter, but they should be portrayed truthfully, prayerfully, and gracefully. Your motives shouldn’t be to give your hero sex appeal, but to powerfully impact your reader with the truth—about God’s redeeming love, the damage sin causes, and the beauty of sex within a loving marriage.
Taking bad boys lightly cheapens sex, not only for your story when your hero and heroine are married, but for your readers too. Sex has a unique and amazing purpose that nothing else on this earth does, so don’t distort your readers’ view of it by misrepresenting it in your stories.
And if you as a reader are consuming media that doesn’t treat sex with grace and honesty, read the Word instead. See what God has to say about what people ignore, joke about, or flaunt.
THERE WE HAVE IT, FOLKS
I think I’m done ranting now. The summary for you skimmers (don’t worry, it takes one to know one): bad boys can easily be, well, bad…but there’s a way to write them right. There’s a way to view them as an author and reader (or viewer or listener) that promotes healthy relationships, a biblical understanding of sex, and a holy way of life.
We shouldn’t swear off sinful characters, just like we can’t swear off sinful people in real life…but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take the time to portray sin biblically. Even those “sexy” bad boys.
So…what do you think? Do you have a heart for bad boys and redemption arcs, or do you prefer good guys who give prime examples of godly men? Who are some of your favorite bad boy characters in fiction, and why? How did those authors portray their character? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!
And thank you so much to Kell for having me on! It’s always a pleasure to rant on her blog!
Grace A. Johnson is a Christian fiction authoress, book reviewer, and avid reader. She lives in beautiful (but humid) South Georgia, surrounded by farmland and forestry, with her parents and six younger siblings. She has indie-published the first three novels in a Christian historical romance series, the Daughters of the Seven Seas, and a smattering of short stories and novellas, as well as a devotional. She’s also a marketer and editor who loves helping young authors through her editing business S&J Editors and her small publishing company Sky’s the Limit Press. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook @graceajohnsonauthor or blogging on her website at www.graceajohnson.com. Join her for a virtual cup of tea and a free preview of her debut novel when you sign up for her e-newsletter!TTFN!
~Kell~
p.s.Do you agree or disagree? (Myself? Yeah, I agree.)
Don’t forget to preorder Springtime in Surrey now!
Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better?
I want to invite you to my super secret club. I mean, it’s not really a secret, because I’m telling you about it now, but here goes.
Join Mrs. Roth’s Society Column, my street team! We’d love to have you along for the ride!
May 30, 2023
The Springtime in Surrey Cover Reveal! (Wild Blue Wonder Press’s First-Ever Anthology!)
Hey everyone! Why shouldn’t we have a cover reveal!?!? The truth is … WE SHOULD. So let’s.
And I do not know what to say about that other than the fact that I’m going to be writing my five-star reviews for each novella in this collection below the blurbs, so be sure to scroll down for that. 
But you know, before we get to that, let’s show off the cover for Springtime in Surrey, the first-ever Wild Blue Wonder Press anthology!
Springtime in Surrey
Springtime in Surrey, the first collection releasing with Wild Blue Wonder Press, is a Christian anthology featuring eight lovely stories. With a mix of historical and contemporary, romance and women’s fiction, a dash of mystery here and there, real-life themes presented in a loving way, and a vintage feel, this story is sure to charm lovers of Christian women’s fiction.
Amazon Preorder Link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5QG75DK
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157492074-springtime-in-surrey
Website Link:
https://wildbluewonderpress.com/springtime-in-surrey/
Rosalind finds herself married to Matthias Emmet after her intended groom, his older brother, tragically perishes in battle. Despite her childhood infatuation with Matthias, they are now near-strangers. Determined to forge a connection, Rosalind sets out to bridge the gap.
Haunted by nightmares of his brother’s death, Matthias distances himself from his new bride to protect her from his inner turmoil. Seizing an opportunity for solitude, he embarks on a spontaneous hunting trip with his old friends.
Unwilling to let Matthias slip away, Rosalind disguises herself in men’s attire and tracks him to the forest. Although Matthias recognizes her, she refuses to retreat, vowing to fight for their marriage. However, Matthias fears the consequences of letting Rosalind into his heart and mind. Can he summon the courage to stay, or will his fractured mind drive him far away from the woman he loves?
My Five-Star ReviewThis is my novella, so obviously I’m totally unbiased. (Not that I’m unbiased about any of these, tbh.) That said, I admit I had so much fun with the dynamics between Rosalind and Matthias. It took me a while to get both of them. Rosalind is spunky and stubborn; Matthias is a cinnamon roll who just doesn’t want her to get hurt (and maybe has forgotten, just a little, that she is one tough cookie!) Plus, it was just fun for me to write an arranged marriage romance, given that I’m currently in the outline stages of a much longer arranged marriage romance novel. Also, I had fun with Matthias’s friends and with Matthias’s friend’s wife and little boy because why shouldn’t I put a baby in just for fun? Anywho, I’ll stop here, but basically, I’m so excited to share this with you!
Hardworking Margaret Enfield is finally beginning to see her dreams come true with an engagement to her lifelong best friend, Lester. But when his twin brother falls ill, Lester must travel across England to care for Sidney’s business and his young daughter Emily.
Left behind in Surrey, Margaret tends her own ailing mother and seven younger siblings. When business complications prove serious and the same sickness ravages both Lester and Emily, every tomorrow feels bleak as lonely drudgery overtakes the once-rosy springtime. If Lester does return to her, will he ever recover enough to live their dreams?
When faced with unknowns too big for them to handle, how can Margaret and Lester place their uncertain tomorrows into the hands of Jesus without reservation?
Erika Mathews’s Bio & Links:
Erika Mathews is an author and editor who writes family-friendly Christian living books, both fiction and non-fiction, that demonstrate the power of God through ordinary people, transforming daily life into His resting life. Her works include Truth from Taerna, a kingdom adventure fiction series with deep spiritual themes, Resting Life, a Christian living nonfiction book about finding rest in Jesus in modern life, and a variety of historical fiction and poetry.
Erika lives in the farm country of Minnesota with her husband and children. She’s a homeschool graduate with a Bachelor’s in Communications, a Master’s in Biblical Ministries, and a passion for sharing Jesus Christ and His truth. When she’s not working with books, she enjoys reading, outdoor activities, piano and violin, organizing, and using the Oxford comma.
Website: https://restinglife.com
Newsletter: https://restinglife.com/signup
Facebook: https://facebook.com/erikamathewsauthor
Instagram: https://instagram.com/erikamathewsauthor
Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/erikamathews
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/erikamathews
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/erikamathewsauthor
My Five-Star ReviewThere’s something so peaceful about Margaret’s story. It totally gives you that vintage, soft charm while also giving you the emotions of … well, my favorite kind of book. A thought-heavy women’s fiction story! I also loved seeing little glimpses of Margaret’s big family, and her romance with Lester was super sweet. I mean, can you get more precious? Though not usually my type of story in every way, they totally won me over. Also, the messages Margaret learned … gah, I totally relate, in my own small way. *shudders at the tomorrows* I’m looking forward to my reread when I can just savor the message!
Three years after her father died in the Great War, Meredith Tate has been forced from her home. With nary a friend in the world, she swallows her pride and takes a position at Deepdene House, a mansion turned hotel, as she seeks the Lord on what to do next.
What she doesn’t expect is to meet Captain Trevor Seaton, a quiet military man who manages to catch her at her worst moments.
Since the war, Trevor has drifted throughout southern England, until he’s drawn to Deepdene House. There, he encounters a woman with the hands of a servant, the bearing of a lady, and a heart of gold. Miss Tate ignites within him a yearning to settle down with a family, but convincing her to court him proves a struggle.
Will Trevor’s determined wooing and God’s gentle persuasion win Meredith over? Or will she forever be searching for a new home?
Grace A. Johnson’s Bio & Links:
Grace A. Johnson is a Christian fiction authoress, book reviewer, and avid reader. She lives in beautiful (but humid) South Georgia, surrounded by farmland and forestry, with her parents and six younger siblings. She has indie-published the first three novels in a Christian historical romance series, the Daughters of the Seven Seas, and a smattering of short stories and novellas, as well as a devotional. She’s also a marketer and editor who loves helping young authors through her editing business S&J Editors and her small publishing company Sky’s the Limit Press. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook @graceajohnsonauthor or blogging on her website at www.graceajohnson.com. Join her for a virtual cup of tea and a free preview of her debut novel when you sign up for her e-newsletter!
Website: www.graceajohnson.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/graceajohnsonauthor
Newsletter: www.graceajohnson.com/newsletter
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/graceajohnsonauthor
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/19003396.Grace_A_Johnson
BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/grace-a-johnson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/graceajohnsonauthor
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/graceajohnsonauthor
My Five-Star ReviewRemind me to actually pick up the rest of Grace’s indie published series, because this was so good! We all know I’m a fan of Grace’s THOUGHTS on romance … so it makes sense that I’d also be a fan of, you know, the romances she writes. Margaret is a super vivid character (I mean, “vivid” is not the word you’d use to describe her personality, but you can vividly pick up on her kind of frumpy, “has sort of given up but needs to NOT” vibe), and Trevor was such a good take on that curmudgeonly sea captain in that he totally won me over into “ooh, yes, you should be a romance hero” lane because … nope. Not a curmudgeon. At all. The ending should’ve been obvious but somehow it took me by surprise (my brain is awful), and I was so delighted! What a perfect conclusion! Also, Grace did a great job with the details about the hotel, the descriptions, and the prose!
Jessamy Aubertine is too much for her university classmates, too little for her overstressed mum, and nothing in between. In an attempt to make herself useful, she takes on a spring holiday at her childhood home in Box Hill to sell her family’s fading tea shop and somehow work out how to tell her mum she’s switching study plans.
When letters from famous authors turn up, can Jessamy and a pair of unlikely comrades find the writer behind them—and perhaps discover themselves as well? Or will their friendship fade with The Muses at the end of spring holiday?
Rachel Leitch’s Bio and Links:
Rachel Leitch discovered the book of writing when she was seven. She’s been turning pages ever since! She lives her own adventure in northern Indiana, with her parents, three sisters, two brothers, and a dog who thinks he’s the hero of her story. She writes young adult historical fiction with a dash of adventure or a spark of magic. When she’s not hidden away writing, she’s trying to fit all her reads on her shelf in a somewhat organized manner, obsessing over character arcs, drinking chai, daydreaming at the piano, or teaching students to be just as bookish as she is. In all her adventures, she learns how to shine brighter for the Father of Lights. For more bookish ramblings (and a free digital short story involving a magical violin) follow her adventure journal at https://racheljleitch.com/!
Website: https://www.racheljleitch.com/
Newsletter: https://www.racheljleitch.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/racheljleitchauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/37037221.Rachel_Leitch
My Five-Star ReviewAh, the story that totally won us over just from the pitch! Yeah, if you know anything about this concept (see above!), it is so fun that Faith and I were instantly like, “We want this novella.” And it did not disappoint! It was such a fun mix of references to awesome classic novels, unique/quirky characters, and some fantastic themes. It was really easy to emphasize with Jessamy’s struggles with people-pleasing, and I loved the way everything worked out. Plus, am I the only one who is super excited about healthy friendships with women in Christian novels? Yeah. That was an exciting one for me.
Joan Masterson feels like she can never contribute enough to the war effort. Even though she is part of the Women’s Land Army and has taken in two evacuee children from London, it never seems like enough. Her exhaustion turns to excitement when her soldier husband Leo phones her to say he’s coming home. Joan knows Leo’s leave will probably be short, so she makes plans to travel by train to meet him so they can spend time together.
But when the effects of the London Blitz hit close to home and ruin her plans, Joan realizes that motherly love transcends blood and that her calling as a mother is the most important thing in her life. But is it important enough to pass up the chance to meet Leo?
Bailey Gaines’s Bio & Links:
Bailey Gaines is a Georgia girl who loves history. Through her writing, she hopes to show how God works in all periods of history, bringing healing and helping people know they have value because of their identity as a human created in God’s image. Her stories range from King Richard the Lionheart’s England to 1930s Appalachia to 18th century England to 19th century America.
Bailey is a student of the Author Conservatory, and has a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When she’s not writing, she’s helping homeschoolers with their writing or working at an escape room. Her hobbies include playing the piano, sewing, and exploring the world of vintage fashion.
Website: https://baileygaines.com/
Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/cf13616f41ce/fountain-pen-letters
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baileygainesauthor/
My Five-Star ReviewWWII fiction is totally my thing, and WWII fiction that includes small children? Yeah. I was there for this! Also, Joan was really such a great character. She was so determined to do what was right, even when it was a real struggle to make the right choice. I love her dedication to mothering the children in her care, even the ones that aren’t technically “hers.” There were some really sweet, awesome moments in this story that I loved reading during my edit pass.
Elinor Chapman lost her mother on the day she earned enough to pay for a doctor. Now, alone at seventeen, she takes over her mother’s laundry business to survive. Her only consolation is the son of one of her clients has taken an interest in her, and she has begun to return his feelings.
When the archduke of Austria is assassinated and war is declared, her beau enlists, triggering traumatic memories. As many of her clients ship overseas, Elinor is forced to take on nursing to survive, but her passion for helping other orphans distracts her from this job, leaving her little time for rest. Exhausted, Elinor pushes herself harder and harder to catch up.
Will she run herself into the ground … or will she learn to rest in Jesus?
Faith Blum’s Bio & Links:
Faith Blum is a wife, mom, author, and entrepreneur. She’s published over 30 books, most of them in the Christian Historical Fiction genre. She loves stories because they can teach history, but in a fun way. It is also her way to have a creative outlet while taking care of a household and toddler.
She’s been a proud small town resident her whole life and wouldn’t have it any other way. She lives in Central Wisconsin with her husband, son, and cat, Smokey. She’s blessed to write as a part time career. You can find her books on books on most eBook retailers.
When not writing, you can find her cooking from scratch, reading, figuring out social media content, or spending time with her family. She also loves playing piano for church and being part of the Author Conservatory.
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Blum/e/B00GSPBHW6
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/faith-blum
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7361997.Faith_Blum
Instagram: http://instagram.com/faithblumauthor
Website: http://faithblum.com
My Five-Star ReviewElinor is one of those characters who has an issue that, you know, I have. She struggles with resting, and I definitely struggle with resting. Now, do I think I would’ve picked up on my desperate need for rest sooner than Elinor? Of course I do! But obviously, that’s not true, given how continually burnt out I am. I also loved seeing a WWI novel because honestly, we do not have enough WWI novels. Further, I loved the little community Elinor established … and all her hard work over the years really made me treasure the ending!
Miss Caitrìona Roylett is determined to rescue her family from poverty by making a brilliant match. She is on the verge of success when her brother is arrested for a sensational crime. Despised and shunned, Caitrìona is forced to return home to the country, helpless to save her loved ones.
Mr. Ewart Alinac has spent twenty years as a recluse. With his confidence stolen by his parents’ cruelty, he raises his younger sister away from the rush of society. When a letter from his estranged mother forces him towards a path he despises, Ewart struggles with crippling fears as he attempts to protect his sister.
After a chance meeting, Ewart and Caitrìona find aid in each other. Soon they spend their days side by side, working for their respective families. But as mysteries are uncovered and characters tested, what truth will be revealed? Can wounds be healed and true love bloom during springtime in Surrey?
Katja H. Labonté’s Bio & Links:
Katja H. Labonté is a Christian, an extreme bibliophile who devours over 365 books in a year, and an exuberant writer with a talent for starting short stories that explode into book series. She is a bilingual French-Canadian and has about a dozen topics she’s excessively passionate about (hint: that’s why she writes). Katja writes both contemporary and historical fiction, as well as non-magical historical and contemporary kingdom fiction, and covers themes of worth, love, peace, and Christian growth. She spends her days enjoying little things, growing in faith, learning life, and loving people. You can follow her life journey, find free books, browse her services, and more on her website and blog.
Website/Blog: littleblossomsforjesus.wordpress.com
Bookstagram: instagram.com/oldfashionedbooklove
Goodreads: goodreads.com/oldfashionedbooklove
Podcast: https://www.gibsongirlreview.com/
Tumblr: https://tumblr.com/blog/oldfashionedbooklove
Pinterest: pinterest.ca/oldfashionedbooklove
Amazon Author account: http://amzn.to/3WE7D15
Newsletter: https://sendfox.com/katjahlabonte
My Five-Star ReviewWritten in an adorable vintage style that’s reminiscent of so many Turn-of-the-Century novels like it, this is a story that can’t fail to charm you with its prose alone! That said, I did love getting to know Cat and Ewart over the course of the story. Cat was a sweet soul who, despite her imperfections, truly did wish the best for her family and eventually for Ewart and her sister, and Ewart’s bookishness and his devotion to his sister were both super adorable. Plus there was a little bit of a mystery that kept some suspense in the story!
Moira Wood lost her ballerina dreams when she suffered an unfortunate accident. During every teatime at her cottage hideaway, it hits her afresh what she won’t again be able to obtain.
Helping out on his uncle’s farm, Adrian Davis worries he’ll never earn a place of his own. While sent on a bevy of errands, he observes a woman crying into her tea and wonders why … and what he could do to cheer her up.
When forced to confront their own regrets, will Moira and Adrian trust that God has a good plan even through crushed dreams and far-off hopes?
Andrea Renee Cox’s Bio & Links:
Born and raised in north Texas, Andrea Renee Cox is a born-again child of God who enjoys writing stories that inspire, copyediting fiction manuscripts, tutoring middle school students, and going on road trips with her family. Whether she’s working on historical or contemporary, women’s fiction or romance, she uses her skills in research and writing techniques—as well as a large dose of prayer and guidance from God—at every turn in the journey to produce the best story of her ability every single time. Her books may be found on her website, and readers are welcome to follow her blog for the latest updates in her journey.
Website: https://andreareneecox.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/andreacox
Twitter: https://twitter.com/screenwriter87
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/andreareneecoxauthor/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/andreareneecox
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/andrea-renee-cox
This was another soft, sweet story that was entirely delightful. Moira and Adrian were both really vivid characters with deep emotional lives that I loved diving into, and there were so many fun moments as their characters grew and changed and got to know each other! The descriptions of Moira’s cottage and the surrounding countryside were super springy, which was epic. I especially loved Adrian, who was such a bright, cheerful, pleasant, masculine man.
Thank you to everyone for your help with the cover reveal!
TTFN!
~Kell~
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May 17, 2023
The Case for Physical Attraction in Christian Romance
Lately, y’all have been acting … well, exactly the same as you always have acted about physical attraction in Christian romance. Yet as an adult, with adult thoughts (okay, childish thoughts, but at least I AM an adult, technically), I feel a need to sit down and write another post about it.
I’m sure you’ve seen posts about this circling around, both from the POV that Christian romance should NOT include physical attraction of any type and from the perspective that it’s a travesty that anyone would suggest that such a pure romance is a possibility.
I, as always, see both sides. I lean more toward one than the other (see the title), and I am going to say some things that are pretty aggressively … well, on my side of the issue, as per always.
That said, if you like my rants, you’re in for a treat, because in my own way, I am going to RANT. Because for heaven’s sake, let them STARE LONGINGLY AT EACH OTHER!!!
My premise is simple: we Christians give physical attraction in Christian romances a hard time for virtually no reason … and though it’s okay to not write it, and not enjoy reading it (and therefore, yes, your reviews should reflect your lack of enjoyment – never say I am encouraging dishonest reviewing!), it’s not okay to diss it in moralistic terms.
And maybe it’s worth rethinking if your convictions are founded in true godliness … or if you’re just uncomfortable with sexuality because, you know, you were raised a Christian and saying the word “sex” is worse than most other sins.
More on that later.
Let’s start with the Bible’s view on romance.
Breaking Down “Song of Solomon” in Romance TermsLet us refer to a lovely book in the Bible called “Song of Solomon.” Though not a book containing explicit descriptions of sexual acts, it does contain explicit descriptions of physical ATTRACTION.
And the thing is, if it is CELEBRATED in the Bible, it can sure as heck be portrayed in a Christian novel while honoring God.
Behold, you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove’s eyes.
Behold, you are handsome, my beloved!
Yes, pleasant!
Song of Solomon 1:15-16 NKJV
These are pretty general, and I think 90% of Christian authors agree that general statements like this are appropriate, but due to the nature of this type of poetry, there are some … moderately explicit lines? Though you could argue that they’re not explicit depending on your interpretation.
That said, if you have even the littlest bit of a dirty mind … yeah, reread Song of Solomon as an adult.
However, for non-explicit but certainly specific lines, you need look no further than the surface level.
All From Various Points of Song of Solomon, NKJV
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret places of the cliff,
Let me see your face,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.”
Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,
And your mouth is lovely.
Your temples behind your veil
Are like a piece of pomegranate.
Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built for an armory,
On which hang a thousand bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.
Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies.
You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
Your lips, O my spouse,
Drip as the honeycomb;
Honey and milk are under your tongue;
And the fragrance of your garments
Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
My beloved is white and ruddy,
Chief among ten thousand.
His head is like the finest gold;
His locks are wavy,
And black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves
By the rivers of waters,
Washed with milk,
And fitly set.
His cheeks are like a bed of spices,
Banks of scented herbs.
His lips are lilies,
Dripping liquid myrrh.
Okay, now let’s go ahead and talk about those in romance terms … and see if any of y’all have condemned lines just like this despite the fact that they’re kind of in the Bible.
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret places of the cliff,
Let me see your face,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.”
Based on this, I argue that it is within a Christian romance author’s ability to:
Have a couple long to see each other.Desire to just see the other person (and gaze longingly at them).Be attracted to their voice.Find their face lovely & be attracted to their face.Simple stuff. But let’s keep going.
Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,
And your mouth is lovely.
Your temples behind your veil
Are like a piece of pomegranate.
Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built for an armory,
On which hang a thousand bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.
Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies.
Based on this, I argue that it is within a Christian romance author’s ability to:
Have characters look at and notice each other’s lips.Be attracted to specific bits of them (neck, mouth, temples, breasts). It’s tasteful and poetic, but it’s there.Given that the Bible literally talks about breasts, I’m becoming a lot less judgmental of men noticing curves and women noticing muscles, too. Just sayin’.You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
Based on this, I argue that it is within a Christian romance author’s ability to:
Have couples be blown away by each other and be unable to take their eyes off each other.Probably be a little awkward because of it, because goodness, having one’s eyes be ravished cannot be comfortable.Your lips, O my spouse,
Drip as the honeycomb;
Honey and milk are under your tongue;
And the fragrance of your garments
Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
Based on this, I argue that it is within a Christian romance author’s ability to:
Yes, we can definitely have our couples STARE AT EACH OTHER’S LIPS.And want to kiss.And noticing smells is okay, too! Though it may create unrealistic expectations because my husband only smells nice directly after he’s showered or when I haven’t seen him in at least two weeks and I’m not 100% sure those two facts are not related.My beloved is white and ruddy,
Chief among ten thousand.
His head is like the finest gold;
His locks are wavy,
And black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves
By the rivers of waters,
Washed with milk,
And fitly set.
His cheeks are like a bed of spices,
Banks of scented herbs.
His lips are lilies,
Dripping liquid myrrh.
Based on this, I argue that it is within a Christian romance author’s ability to:
Point out that couples have a nice tan or whatever the fashion for skin tone is.Be attracted to each other’s dreamy hair and eye color and be gushy about it.I guess … be attracted to each other’s … cheeks?Again, the lip thing! Let them stare at each other’s lips!One thing I will note: some will argue that the Song of Solomon couple is about an engaged or even married couple, and outside of those two institutions, portraying attraction is wrong.
I … disagree?
Why? Because we have to experience attraction before we are married. It is inadvisable though not impossible to marry a person you are not attracted to. And I’ll discuss the difference between attraction and lust later, but for now, there is a difference.
Another point I’d like to make is that the couple in Song of Solomon are equally attracted to each other’s characters. A big part of their married love is them celebrating how noble the other person is! So let’s never neglect that aspect in our romances, either.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way …
Let’s talk about some other elements.
My biggest factor for talking about any topic is this: be honest and use realism without feeling a need to go on for years and years about something that can be discussed in a few words.
That said, every author has a different style, and honestly, what I’m seeing more often than not is that some people are rubbed wrong by certain author’s styles being a little more on the descriptive side.
I am not one of those people, but I understand it.
And honestly, I have read romances that felt like they had too much physical attraction, but it was not because of the level of description or how much the characters were actually attracted to each other … it was because that was the only aspect of their relationship.
I feel like enemies-to-lovers can be a trope that commonly suffers from this narrative. Why? Because physical attraction is a kind of shorthand.
Like the kiss can sum up the feelings of commitment a couple is experiencing, physical attraction can sum up all the other types of attraction going on between a couple. That said, in an enemies-to-lovers narrative, it is easy to miss all those other elements because the couple is actively trying to avoid falling in love with each other. (If you’d like to read more of my thoughts about enemies-to-lovers romances, you can click here.)
And guess what? Fighting physical attraction can be an easy shorthand for showing fighting all other types of attraction – spiritual, emotional, mental.
Second on that list in terms of “easy to show” is emotional attraction. All the gooey-gushy feelings. The other two types are harder to portray but definitely worth it.
All types of romances can suffer from the issue of replacing all attractions with physical attraction. The problem happens as soon as the reader begins to believe that the couple is solely physically attracted to each other. That makes it seem like physical attraction is the sole focus of the story … and in some cases, that may be true.
That said, if you are taking time to develop the spiritual, emotional, and mental sides of your characters’ chemistry toward each other, you will not suffer from this problem.
Further, using these types of “shorthands” is not always a problem. You don’t have to, but it allows you to say to the reader, “THIS IS A ROMANTIC COUPLE” even if you haven’t written chapters and chapters of slow burn first.
Also, assuming you’re not writing about blind characters, you probably shouldn’t be dating/courting someone you can’t stand to look like in the first place, so I’d say attraction of some sort is a good first step.
With all this in mind, though, I want to again say that physical attraction is easy to imply and therefore a little easy to overdo. Though not inherently “spicy,” it’s like a spice.
Don’t dump six pounds of paprika into a dish. Season it.
Which leads me, at least, to a question:
Does the fact that physical attraction is easy to imply mean we should tone it down?Yes … and no?
Again, your characters are failing to grow a relationship because they’re just physically attracted to each other and nothing else, then removing the physical attraction won’t fix the story. Fixing the story will fix the story. Adding character development and more than that, relationship development, is a must.
However, in a well-written romance, in which every aspect of romantic love is given equal time, or as much time as befits the couple (more on that later), there are no hard limits for physical attraction.
And as I mentioned before, it can work as a shorthand for growing love in romantic stories … and that’s okay. It’s not always a synonym for laziness. It only becomes lazy when it’s the only thing and is used to imply a relationship … where none exists.
Where nothing but lust exists.
Which brings us to another question …
Is attraction always lust?Nope. Nope, it’s not.
The dictionary definition of lust is “very strong sexual desire.” Now, that is certainly an element of attraction, but I argue that the Biblical definition of lust as characterized in many passages in the Bible is different than a simple strong sexual desire (which is something couples who are deeply and healthily in love experience).
In this context, I define physical attraction as being attracted to the way someone looks, sexual attraction as a desire to have healthy sex with someone, and lust as an overwhelming sexual desire that fails to take into account morality and godliness, your own personal health (emotionally, physically, and spiritually), and the similar needs of the other person.
So is there such a thing as lust in a marriage? Yes. There’s such a thing as lust in any relationship. There’s no “and now we’re safe!” when it comes to lust. If you only lusted after someone before marriage, that will continue after marriage.
Further, I think the Christian attitude toward sex encourages lust. That’s a bigger topic than I can discuss here, but one such example is how we talk about male sexuality. Supposedly, men always have higher sex drives, their desire to have sex is a “need,” and it’s the duty of a wife to give in to what essentially becomes pure lust – absent of love for the woman, of morality, and of self-control. Of course, women can experience lust and act upon it in a marriage (or otherwise), too.
Though elements of this are rooted in Biblical thought, they are not actually Biblical. Again, bigger topic than we have time for, but let’s move on.
But what does this mean for writing romances? Well, when you’re writing along, take some time to think about the physical attraction your characters are experiencing toward each other and how they’re acting on it.
Is it purely because it serves them? Are they just wanting to indulge a fantasy or do they genuinely care about the other person? Are they look for a trophy spouse or do they legitimately care about the person behind the pretty face and sexy body?
Lust destroys. Love builds up.
Basically, you will know them by their fruits. So take time to show those fruits between your characters!
Yet that makes me think of another element of this whole discussion that I sometimes wonder about. Clean fiction has become almost synonymous with Christian fiction for some people … and for others, it seems to have become more important to write clean fiction than to write godly fiction.
That bothers me.
And it makes me wonder …
Is there a point where not wanting attraction to be present in romance novels becomes an obsession in and of itself?Let me break it down further.
The thing is, cleanliness is not next to godliness. That’s not in the Bible, and there’s probably a reason for it. 
The Bible itself is an honest book, and there are several passages (not from Song of Solomon) that mention a man or woman’s physical attraction as a matter of fact. It’s not a book that needs to take paragraphs to explain things, but it does honestly lay out a lot of topics that Christians are not comfortable discussing … and that bothers me.
Our focus seems to have shifted from writing counter-cultural stories that depict God’s love and greatness moving about in the world and amongst people to … writing things that don’t discuss any sin.
I’ve seen books reviewed negatively for MENTIONING sins (such as homosexuality, even when condemned or not directly discussed) … or even situations that hint at sin (such as having a character be illegitimate, which is not a sin on the character’s fault but rather their parents) … or having character sinned against (such as mentioning rape).
Trigger warnings and/or avoiding these subjects for children under 13 is one thing, but refusing to ever discuss real-world situations in the name of honoring God? I’ve never heard of anything less godly.
Further, though I cannot speak to every situation, in most cases, it is not healthy to continue hiding from a subject you are sensitive to all your life. I personally consider it personal growth to confront situations I find make me uncomfortable. I want to be ready and able to confront any situation God brings to me.
And how am I going to be able to do that if I insist on staying inside my comfort zone? Our goal as Christians should NOT be comfort! I think we should all (when healthy and able) pursue discomfort (as long as we’re not using it to punish ourselves like 13th century monks because that is awful) to a healthy degree.
I’ll get off my soap box about that, but again, I’ll just say that cleanliness is not next to godliness. It’s not even on the same platform as godliness. It’s way over there, far away from godliness, doing its own thing. Maybe it’s being influenced by godliness at times … but not always.
To get back on track, I want to say that … sometimes I think Christians are not “obsessed” with sex ENOUGH if they’re complaining about normal, harmless physical attraction (or “noticing”) in romance novels.
Or to put that in a clearer manner, being obsessed with something being unhealthy (yes, a lack of physical attraction in a romantic relationship is UNHEALTHY!) and nonexistent (when in reality, romantic couples are/should be attracted to each other) is also an obsession.
Essentially, I feel like sometimes y’all talk about it not existing so much that you make it weird. You’re so obsessed with building a fence around the perfectly find fences that already existed (don’t lust and don’t have sex before marriage, essentially) that you make it WEIRD.
STOP. MAKING. IT. WEIRD.
WRITE. REAL. PEOPLE.
Does this mean that I personally think it’s always weird when a romance author chooses not to include physical attraction? No, absolutely not. However, it can be, and I’ll discuss more of that in the next section!
Carefully and intentionally and with an open mind that may someday be changed by God. *shrug*
So here’s the biggest thing you need to keep in mind: chemistry in a romance is vital. This makes writing these stories more difficult because remember: attraction is a shorthand for romantic chemistry.
If a couple is physically attracted to each other, we usually get an idea that there is some chemistry between them. However, if that is absent, the chemistry is off-balance and must be substituted with more attention paid to the emotional, spiritual, and mental side.
Also, it can be a tendency of people who remove physical attraction from a romance to up those emotions to try to fill the hole left in physical attraction’s wake. That’s why some Christian or inspirational romances can seem super cheesy (among other reasons).
Remember, if you take something out, you have to make sure you’re substituting it with something better.
So if you’re writing these types of romances, make sure their mental and spiritual chemistry is great … and show their love. Show it obviously. Of course, this should happen in every romance, but it’s always worth thinking about more.
Another pitfall of stories that are trying to write pure romance (no physical attraction, very little actual romance) is sometimes the relationship comes out of nowhere, and that is utterly jarring. I’ve read books where there was no indication that the characters were interested in a relationship … until suddenly they just were.
This is not just confusing from a reader’s standpoint … it is also unrealistic. Platonic relationships and romantic relationships are inherently different. There’s a tension there, a shift in the air, and if the reader doesn’t feel it, it’s hard to believe the characters did.
One other thing I notice a lot in indie Christian romance more than anything else is a desire to overexplain the lack of physical attraction (and more than that, physical touch) between two characters. I’ve fallen into this a little with Peter and Alice, though I had a different motive for explaining their desire for “sexual purity” above all else.
Essentially, I think it’s all y’all falling back on purity culture and essentially reminding your audience, “Sexual things are wrong, though, and my characters are HOLY and DIFFERENT.” So just … don’t do that. Let your characters have boundaries without needing to constantly remind the audience they’re essentially Pick-Me-Christians. (If you didn’t get that reference, well, I … don’t intend to explain it. Some things are not for you. Like books with physical attraction in them.)
Another big thing to keep in mind … NOT ALL CHARACTERS ARE SUITED TO BE WILDLY PHYSICALLY ATTRACTED TO EACH OTHER!!! Let your characters be themselves. Some people just don’t see the world that way, and that’s okay. If you build their personalities up well, readers won’t mind even if they expect some physical attraction.
Anyways, just some random thoughts. With that in mind, let’s move forward.
Oftentimes I feel that my posts on this subject suffer from hitting too broad an audience because what I’m saying is not incorrect – it’s simply how I interpret it that would bother people.
And I’m a contrarian who likes to bother people, so let’s give examples of how I portray physical attraction in my books and why I think it’s okay.
Because why not be defensive? I’ll never get another opportunity to do so.
Also, I just think it’d be fun!
In our first excerpt, this is the first time Jordy McAllen meets our lovely heroine, Ivy Knight, since she’s become an adult.
He is smitten.
Aye, he’d known Ivy Knight would be a beauty. He’d known, hadn’t he? But he hadn’t cared because she’d been a child, and he’d had other things on his mind, and he hadn’t known womanhood was so close. Hadn’t he seen her only five or six years ago? That wasn’t that long, and yet here Ivy was.
She was a beautiful woman, really. Dark-blonde hair that somehow managed to glint like gold, big blue eyes, an angelic face—somewhere between stunningly gorgeous and refreshingly innocent. He caught his breath and took a step back, confused. Weren’t angels supposed to keep to Heaven or at least avoid sitting in mere mortals’ parlors?
…
Yes, Ivy was certainly a great beauty. She rose and walked toward him.
“Jordy!” she said. “I can’t believe it’s you. They told you I was coming, didn’t they? You seem surprised. But … it’s a good surprise,
isn’t it?” She hesitated, standing an arm’s length away from him. “Is everything all right?”
He forced himself to pay attention to what she was saying, to put on a gentle smile. “Ivy! Is tha’ really me wee friend? I’d heard ye were comin’, aye, but I didna realize ye’d be so … so grown up.”
Ivy beamed. “Why, thank you, Jordy. I’m glad you’re glad that I came.” She paused for a moment, confusion shadowing her face. Then she brightened. “I missed you. I’ve met Violet, but not you since the last time we were both at McCale House.”
Jordy swallowed hard. Biggest mistake of his life, apparently. “Tha’s right.”
Ivy smiled charmingly. “We’ll have to catch up soon.” She turned away from him and returned to her seat, and Jordy breathed again.
He’d never have imagined that awkward little girl—too small for her age, long-legged, looking more ten than thirteen—could grow so fine. His thoughts went around and around in circles.
Then he realized he was being a complete and utter idiot and flushed. He shouldn’t think on this. Why, not only was it unprofessional, but it wasn’t right. Here he was attracted to a woman whom he had no intention of marrying
From Beyond Her Calling by Kellyn Roth
Now, part of the reason I harp on Jordy’s attraction for Ivy so much (and do further in other chapters) is because it’s a main theme of the book that Jordy is struggling to place sexual attraction toward a woman into a healthy place (which he does, with Ivy).
But it also just fits them both so well? Ivy thinks Jordy is dreamy – Jordy thinks Ivy is a literal angel – and they both want to be physically affectionate very early on. That’s how they are.
This is further reflected in After Our Castle. That said, their physical attraction to each other is more like a fun bonus to all the character development … and you know, something for Jordy to be wildly dramatic about, as if he needs another excuse.
Let’s contrast this a bit with how I portray Alice and Peter in both At Her Fingertips and A Prayer Unanswered. Throughout most books I’ve written about them, they’re both awkward about physical affection, and Alice is convinced she’s unattractive and doesn’t hyperfocus on Peter’s attractive qualities (assuming he has them) either. (I thinks she admits she likes his eyes at one point. That’s the extent of her effusiveness.)
Yet I knew that Peter would find Alice beautiful … once he fell for her. Before then, because of his nature (not because Alice was inherently unattractive – he makes about as many comments about her looks before falling for her as he does about Ivy’s), he wasn’t going to say much.
In fact, one of the biggest signs that he has fallen for her, at least in my opinion, is his increasing awkwardness, and that’s sweeter to me than a thousand “sonnets written to her eyes,” as Riley puts it (despite the fact that, indeed, the sonnets do come in time!).
Moving on to Like a Ship on the Sea and one of my favorite couples, Patrick and Cassie.
Throughout the book, Patrick is attracted to Cassie and makes a few comments about it, despite his mixed feelings about being in a relationship with her. This felt natural to me as Patrick really wants to be with Cassie (shorthand, shorthand!) and also, he’s just the kind of guy who would appreciate beauty.
Patrick ascended the stairs to the first landing, assessing the situation. The lady wore a beautiful dress, simple but elegant, white with a kind of pink-colored sash at her slim waist. She raised big blue eyes to him, rimmed with light lashes, and arched similarly light eyebrows. They’d met, briefly, at dinners the last several days—but they’d yet to have a conversation, and he hadn’t sought her out.
Somehow, he hadn’t dared to.
Yet now her full lips curved into a smile, and Patrick wished he’d spoken to her earlier. Even if the wish was an ignoble one, he couldn’t help it. Was it all right to notice that a woman was lovely, with no intention of anything but noticing? He supposed so, as long as the thought stopped there or shortly after it and was not accompanied by any desire of possession.
From Like a Ship on the Sea by Kellyn Roth
He also refers to her as a “beauty” like three times in the next several chapters. My man is smitten, even if he tries to deny it.
Meanwhile, Cassie is just not a visual person … or the type to gawk at someone’s appearance. The only thing she says about Patrick’s appearance that I remember (other than a few comments about his eyes) is:
[After a paragraph about his familial relationships.]
That was all she knew of him. Except that his smile was winning, his manner with Caleb at once relaxed and playful, and his ears stuck out too much in a way she couldn’t help but find charming.
And that makes sense for her. Though she’s moderately physically affectionate, I wouldn’t say that that’s because Patrick is attractive.
I could go on for a while longer, but given that we already have a long blog post, I think it may be time to just move on.
I guess the real reason I wanted to talk about this subject is because I believe physical attraction is vital in marriage, and Christian romance is all about the lead-up to a marriage.
Christian marriage is a big topic, and the reason it’s such a big topic is, unlike secular culture, we make a big deal about it AND we consider it to be the right way to go for any romantic relationship.
Whenever we say “it’s my way or else you’re sinning” on a subject, we’d better have a darn good reason. Our reason as Christians? Because in the end, a romantic relationship outside of the bounds of marriage is not good for the couple. It’s harmful; it’s perverted; it will end badly.
And we lose credibility if our version of marriage is a perverted as the secular take on marriage.
Therefore, it is vital that the thing we pervert most as Christians (sexuality) isn’t hidden under a bushel, and it starts with something as simple, innocent, and truly family-friendly as physical attraction.
Because it’s perverted when one member of the couple doesn’t enjoy sex but still forces themselves to do so because “God said so.” It’s perverted when one member of the couple forces or coerces the other one to engage in sex. And though all perversion can be healed in time, acting like it’s not a problem will not lead to a solution.
Christian couples should have the BEST sex lives, but instead, I hear more problems in Christian circles involving sexual issues than anywhere else.
Maybe instead of trying to batten down the hatches and remove information and call physical attraction wrong, we need to understand that is it only wrong in certain contexts. Between a couple, it is right. It is the beginning of a healthy sex life.
Which is the beginning of a healthy marriage. Which is the beginning of a healthy family. Which is the beginning of a healthy community.
And no, it’s not about someone being gorgeous or handsome or whatever. I’ve seen that critique, and it’s ridiculous. No, it’s about a personal attraction between a man and a woman who desire to pursue each other.
Even someone who is not attractive from a secular standpoint is going to be the most beautiful creature in the world to the person they love. I mean, half my feed is full of men and women who look like they don’t belong together announcing their engagements. Love is blind. Forget I said that, as that was kinda mean, but it’s true!
So let them think their significant other is the most gorgeous or handsome person in the world. And let that continue into marriage. And show how you can choose, day after day, to find more beauty in the person you love as you grow with them.
Because that’s reality. And folks, we cannot forsake reality as Christians. The moment we do that, we leave God behind and seek out a conservative evangelical world that is more a cult than a relationship with Christ.
Of course, as I said before, there’s no harm in not portraying every aspect of a relationship. You don’t have to, and in fact, you probably can’t.
That said, if you feel called to write physical attraction between a couple … you don’t have to feel guilty. You’re just doing your best to portray the healthy beginning of a relationship. And that’s okay.
If you’re interested in more posts about my perspective on romance, you can view some of my previous posts:
Saintly, Sweet, Sensual, & Smutty: a treatise on the four types of romance novels Villainizing Romance & Other Dumb Things Christians Do The Heart Behind Second-Chance Romance Excuse Me, You Got Some Feminism in My Regency Romance (Redux)
TTFN!
~Kell~
P.S.What are your thoughts on physical attraction in romance novels? If you like it, what does a godly approach look like to you? If you dislike it, what’s your reasoning?
Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better?
I want to invite you to my super secret club. I mean, it’s not really a secret, because I’m telling you about it now, but here goes.
Join Mrs. Roth’s Society Column, my street team! We’d love to have you along for the ride!
May 9, 2023
Like a Ship on the Sea | Cover Reveal & Preorder Launch
I’m terribly excited to be revealing the cover and launching the preorder for the first book in The Hilton Legacy, Like a Ship on the Sea. This novel will be releasing September 5th, 2023, with Wild Blue Wonder Press. And honestly, I couldn’t be more excited!
This was a hard book to write in a lot of ways, but it’s now nearly complete, and I find myself more than thrilled to finally be sharing it with all of you.
Let’s talk about what the book is about.
About the BookIf God asks you to confront a storm, how dare you stay in the harbor?
Lady Mary Cassidy O’Connell has a dream that can be summed up in three connecting ideas: a loving husband, adorable children, and a home of her own. Her mother’s lack of care makes life difficult for Cassie, and an escape is necessary. The plan? Marry Aubrey Montgomery, the man her parents have chosen for her, and find the peace she craves.
Unfortunately, Cassie is uneasy about marrying Aubrey. Her apprehension grows as she witnesses her dearest friend’s loving marriage take place. At this wedding, she catches the eye of Patrick Hilton, son of a wealthy American. Like Cassie, he’s also set to marry a woman chosen by his parents—only, Patrick claims, he is content with this choice.
Torn between her desire for happiness and the knowledge that God is leading her in a different direction, Cassie confronts the impossible decision. Is a loveless marriage of obligation better than being alone, or will she set sail on a voyage without a safe harbor?
Like a Ship on the Sea is the first novel in The Hilton Legacy, a stand-alone trilogy featuring characters from the author’s first series, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy.
Add on Goodreads ~ Preorder on Amazon ~ View on My Website
And now … the cover reveal itself!
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Well, what do you think? Do you like the cover?
TTFN!
~Kell~
P.S.Wellllll … THE QUESTIONS ABOVE! What do you think??!?!!
Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better?
I want to invite you to my super secret club. I mean, it’s not really a secret, because I’m telling you about it now, but here goes.
Join Mrs. Roth’s Society Column, my street team! We’d love to have you along for the ride!
May 3, 2023
5 Vital To Dos That Should Be on Every Author’s List
Hey folks! I thought it’d be fun to do a basic post with some things I often see authors NOT doing … that they should! Let’s get right into it.
Once you have a book out, make sure your Amazon Author Central, Goodreads, and BookBub accounts and keep them updated with the most recent information on you, from bios to links to author photos! And mostly, keep your books updated!
2: Use the Same Usernames Across All ChannelsIf you’re going with @kellynrothauthor, stick with @kellynrothauthor wherever you have social media! If you can get just your name, that’s ideal. Using something obscure and unrelated to your name is not ideal. I will not that some things won’t be available across all profiles (or at all), so you may have to vary things by using punctuation (kellyn.roth) or what I did on Twitter, @kellyntheauthor.
3: Claim Your Website URL Early On & Keep It SimpleIf you can get yourname.com (or penname.com), get it early on. Keeping it simple will help keep people up to date on how to find you! I own both kellynroth.com and kellynrothauthor.com (in addition to kellynroth.blog).
4: Use the Same Author Photo (& header & other branding) Across Social MediaTake one professional (or near-professional) author photo to use everywhere. Make sure your bios are the same or similar across all profiles, too, as well as headers, graphics used, etc. Basically, give it a consistent look so people can find you anywhere.
Set Up a Newsletter Welcome Sequence & Keep It UpdatedMake sure you have at least one email that triggers when people sign up to send out a welcome and your lead magnet (the freebie you give people upon signing up), but having a full sequence that gets people involved is not a bad idea!
TTFN!
~Kell~
P.S.What tips would you add to the ones above? What did you know when you first started out that you now wish you’d done sooner?
Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better?
I want to invite you to my super secret club. I mean, it’s not really a secret, because I’m telling you about it now, but here goes.
Join Mrs. Roth’s Society Column, my street team! We’d love to have you along for the ride!
April 19, 2023
Working in Busyness & Preparing for Launches (April 2023 Life & Writing Updates)
It’s been crazy over here. How ’bout over there?
Honestly, I’ve been meaning to do a life update for a while, but it’s hard to communicate clearly what all has been going on without whining, and further, the whining seems kind of silly because from an outside perspective, it does not sound like a lot.
That said, I decide it was a good time for a life & writing update, so let’s dive into that without any further ado!
I’ve been busy lately. My life has been swamped with work, writing, marketing, and more. It feels like I have been pushing myself harder and harder … with few results. And that’s exhausting.
But it’s also the way my life has often run.
I always blame it on outside issues. “It’s because of my work!” “It’s because of the season of life I’m in!” “It’s because too many people are asking too many things of me!” But in truth, I create my own stress.
I could sit here and list out all my responsibilities. I could talk about my weakened immune system, my mental health issues, or the grief of unexplained infertility. Yet there’s no real value in that save venting, and it’s better to vent in private to people who care about you, so I’ll instead talk about some of the ways I’ve been working on defeating some of my stress, procrastination, etc., in a segment we will call:
Current Tools for Defeating Kell-NessMy launch blueprint! For both Like a Ship on the Sea and Springtime in Surrey, this is vital for me. It helps me keep track of how I’m doing getting these two projects prepped for launch, which I really don’t want to miss in the rush. If you’re on my writing email list, you know all about this one. You can actually sign up now to get it sent to your inbox, if you want it!Seeking out mentorship and prayer. I’ve started doing this more and more lately, because honestly, I need it. There are some amazing women who have been pouring their times, thoughts, and prayers into me lately, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I like to go it alone … but I can’t. I desperately need help, and admitting that may be the first step, but it’s nothing with action.Telling God what-for (sort of). Okay, this is gonna be a more confusing one, but I’ve been a lot more … ahem … honest with God lately. I’ve been pouring out to Him my broken heartedness and angst and begging Him to just make it a little easier, somehow. And He has. In my honesty about the rebellion and anger toward decisions He’s apparently made (with no understanding of WHY those decisions were made on my part!), I have received comfort. And that’s interesting to me and rather unexpected. But there ’tis.Updates on Wild Blue Wonder PressSee the cover reveal announcement for Springtime in Surrey below.My own story is currently with betas! Yay!The other stories are coming along SPLENDIDLY.It’s going to be a THICK book. Like, really thicccc.We’re planning our launch, and it’s been fantastic!I am insanely busy.Updates on Like a Ship on the SeaSee the cover reveal announcement for Like a Ship on the Sea below.I should get a draft back from my editor in mid-May-ish? I’m not sure exactly when, but I’m excited for that. Can hardly wait!The cover reveal stuff is all mostly set up, too.Still working on getting the preorder launch (and preorder goodies) lined up.Patrick and Cassie are OTP.I have been posting about this story a lot on Instagram and Facebook if you want to know more!
Join the cover reveal for Kellyn Roth’s next standalone novel, Like a Ship on the Sea, a Christian historical romance set in Gilded-Era England and America (with stops in Ireland, Italy, and Switzerland).
The cover reveal and preorder launch will take place on Tuesday, May 9th, 2023. You are more than welcome to share any time after that, if it is not possible for you to share the day of!
About the BookIf God asks you to confront a storm, how dare you stay in the harbor?
Lady Mary Cassidy O’Connell has a dream that can be summed up in three connecting ideas: a loving husband, adorable children, and a home of her own. Her mother’s lack of care makes life difficult for Cassie, and an escape is necessary. The plan? Marry Aubrey Montgomery, the man her parents have chosen for her, and find the peace she craves.
Unfortunately, Cassie is uneasy about marrying Aubrey. Her apprehension grows as she witnesses her dearest friend’s loving marriage take place. At this wedding, she catches the eye of Patrick Hilton, son of a wealthy American. Like Cassie, he’s also set to marry a woman chosen by his parents—only, Patrick claims, he is content with this choice.
Torn between her desire for happiness and the knowledge that God is leading her in a different direction, Cassie confronts the impossible decision. Is a loveless marriage of obligation better than being alone, or will she set sail on a voyage without a safe harbor?
Like a Ship on the Sea is the first novel in The Hilton Legacy, a stand-alone trilogy featuring characters from the author’s first series, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy.
CLICK THE LINK TO JOIN!Or copy/paste this link into your browser: https://forms.gle/Knxox25L7UUm53j2A
Join the cover reveal for the Wild Blue Wonder Press’s first-ever anthology, Springtime in Surrey, a Christian historical and contemporary fiction anthology.
The cover reveal and preorder launch will take place on Tuesday, May 30th, 2023. You are more than welcome to share any time after that, if it is not possible for you to share the day of!
CLICK THE LINK TO JOINOr copy/paste this link into your browser: https://forms.gle/o7R2mFVhESif1or17
TTFN!
~Kell~
P.S.Are you joining the cover reveals? How’s your life been?
Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better?
I want to invite you to my super secret club. I mean, it’s not really a secret, because I’m telling you about it now, but here goes.
Join Mrs. Roth’s Society Column, my street team! We’d love to have you along for the ride!
March 29, 2023
Saintly, Sweet, Sensual, & Smutty: a treatise on the four types of romance novels & how to navigate them as a Christian
My dear reader, today I am undertaking a task few would approach and fewer still would do with any professionalism. I am fortunate to not be one of those few in the final category. Though my idiocy has driven me to undertake this post, I cannot promise it will be entertaining or insightful in any real way.
That said, I will be attempting to do what the title hints at. I will be categorizing all romance into four categories from a purely level-of-sexual-content perspective, discussing the contents of those types of romance, and further exploring what Christians should and should not be doing.
This post is written for Christians, specifically those who are interested in reading clean romance or in general do not choose to read sexual scenes for moral reasons. To any non-Christian reader, this post is rather a silly one and will not benefit you in any way, shape, or form, so … just know that it’s useless to you if you don’t fall into that category.
As for those of you who are the intended audience of this post, you may find yourself asking a question. A question that I am going to create a header for below and answer.
In this post, I will be pretty frank in the “smutty” section and throughout the post in general. Because this is a post specifically discussing the levels of sexual content in romances, you can guess that some of these discussions were have to do with sex! Read with caution.
When it comes to reading romance novels which by definition MUST BE sexual in nature, you have personal convictions about how much sexual content they will accept in the novels they read (and write, for us authors).
That said, even non-romance novels often contain a bit of “sexual content” (though they don’t have to, and in some subgenres, as we’ll discuss later, shouldn’t) due to the fact that sex is a part of life. In fact, like it or not, sex is how God in His Wisdom decided to start human life after the event of Adam and Eve. So from the very time that Eve was created (probably about five minutes later, once God left them alone for the night or whatever the situation was), sex has existed in this world, and it comes up from time to time. It’s a fact of life. It’s THE fact of life.
So sex exists in fictional novels, rather outright stated or behind-the-scenes. Therefore, we must decide how we relate to it as adults and as readers of the romance genre or of books that contain romantic subplots.
So the point of this post is to break down how I personally view romantic novels and their varying degrees of sexual content, share my thoughts on how Christians should interact with said novels, and admit to a simple fact: I think de-sexualizing romance and romantic relationships does all Christians a big disservice.
Let’s move on now to the next portion of the post in which we will define several key terms.
A romance novel can be loosely defined as a work of fiction that tracks the relational growth between a couple, usually from the beginning of their relationship or a point at which the relationship changes, and continues on until a satisfying conclusion is met in their relationship.
The type of relationship? The type that would lead to love and marriage, of course! From a Christian perspective, as we will discuss below in further detail, this is a man and a woman actively pursuing a relationship with each other.
I will also include this post as I often do: Romance is a Relationship, Not A Genre (I am getting way too much content out of this, Grace).
Christian people/ChristiansI felt a need to define this because honestly, some people get this label without actually, you know, doing any Christian things, and that’s iffy. So here’s the Christian things:
Believes that God loved the world and therefore gave His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us on the cross and therefore save us from eternal separation from God. Has confessed with their mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord and believed in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead.Believes that the Bible is the one, true Word of God.Believes that things that Bible says are sins are sins and that though we will never hit close to the mark, we should try to avoid things that either tempt us to sin or are inherently sinful to the best of our abilities … not because we can gain anything from it (despite the fact that it’s best for us in the long run) but because we love God and want to serve and obey Him.Everything else? Well, for the purpose of this post, we can ignore that. (Not in general, but for the purpose of this post!)
Christian romanceChristian romance can be defined by the following:
Written by a Christian (^)Written to show a Biblical/Godly perspective of a romantic relationship & glorify God throughoutWritten for Christian audiences
Because maybe now you’re thinking that we’re just talking about Christian romances.
Well, actually, no, because there is not a Christian romance that is smutty to the best of my knowledge using the perimeters below.
So … yeah, I guess? In some ways we’re mostly talking about Christian romance?
But to be honest, Christian romance doesn’t fall over all the categories, so yes, we are also addressing secular romances. Because even if the standards for a secular romance writer are different, the standards for a Christian reader are not.
Moving on.
A HUGE NOTE FIRST: I made this up. It’s all my own definition. This is not peer-reviewed. It’s just me taking a leap and defining terms as best as I can after examining the romance genre since I started reading (pretty much) and seeing a pattern or two repeat. I read a lot of romance, and I’ve read pretty widely across different genres before settling in to my favorite. That’s my “source.” Please don’t take this as academic or think that I’m claiming it is so.
That said, there are some discussions in the final two categories that are based on scientific research combined with my personal experiences.
Also, I named these based entirely on alliteration even when I could’ve chosen better names. Forgive me.
Saintly romance, to me, is romance written by Christian fiction with the express purpose of removing all sexuality from romance.
And it’s fine, for a certain audience (especially middle grade and verrrryyy-young young adult readers). It’s fine as a subplot. It’s fine in general, actually, if we’re honest. It’s not sinful or wrong (though some people may sin because of it; however, that’s a different topic and is hardly the fault of the author in this case). But it is a category that I find hard to get behind despite having no real objections to its existence (and despite, in fact, some of my books falling under this category, arguably speaking).
To be honest, I just don’t enjoy it when the focus on the story is the cleanliness over just telling a good story. I find romances without a little chemistry a little dull, and I think the world has so many tough topics in it that not discussing some of them in an adult novel is … well, lacking in depth.
That said, there are reasons to write these romances, and good ways to write these romances that are enjoyable and interesting, and I know most of my friends and readers do. And I think that’s good. We should all follow our convictions. Many of the best novels in the world fall under this category. A lot of classic novels would fit under the definition purely because of the standards for fiction of the era.
However, those classic novels do not do what a select few Saintly writers attempt to do – they do not stray away from tough topics. They do not attempt to write a Hallmark movie script with a few prayers tossed in or one of those irritating Pureflix movies. And occasionally, Saintly fiction can have a tendency to do this.
Classic novelists are honest, straightforward, and strong in their writing. The best of them tell it like it is, and that’s why they stick with us.
So as I said, nothing about Saintly romances is bad in any way, shape, or form. The issue becomes, of course, when our convictions are forced upon others. Which, as with many things in this article, I will discuss later.
As I mentioned before, what Saintly romance arguably tries to do is keep all elements of sexuality under wraps, from the simplest peck on the cheek to references to past sins to discussions that should probably be had with anyone over the age of 10.
What I also dislike about this genre is often things that are NOT sexual become included under this category. Breastfeeding, for instance. And pregnancy. And menstrual cycles.
Plus, we all know where babies have come from. It should be understood that anyone over the age of five or six knows at least the basics of where babies come from. I’m always surprised when any kid over the age of three or four doesn’t get it, but I’m just a farm kid, so what do I know? (I am 100% dragging my future kids to a farm so they can watch animals mate, be born, and die, like God intended.)
And I get the perspective. “That’s all private stuff! It should only happen in private!” Well, some of it, yeah, but I’ve seen my parents kiss (and I daresay even random people in a grocery store), I’ve had conversations in real life about these topics, and of course I see a pregnant woman from time to time. I’ll even go as far as to say I’ve discussed pregnancy with pregnant women (*gasp*). And there is nothing about many elements of my personal relationship that I would not hesitate to tell a friend or for educational purposes. Why shouldn’t our novels do the same?
Yet some people are more private in nature, or have different convictions about what they will and will not discuss publicly. Therefore, this category continues to be, as I mentioned before, legitimate.
Because Saintly is so much an ideology rather than a set of rules, it can be hard to define the difference between this and Sweet. People have tried. It’s just … never quite sat right with me because there are definitely Saintly authors who cover a wide variety of topics in a wide variety of ways.
However, I will try. Here are some common cliches when it comes to “Saintly romance”:
None of the main characters’ interactions are sexual in any way. No kissing, very little hugging, at most holding hands, and no references to any kind of sexual or physical contact between them. Also, no references toward longing for the same.The main characters show little or no physical attraction for each other. No noticing curves or strong muscles or nice smells. An occasional “she’s pretty” (or slightly more descriptive, at times) may be allowed, but it ought not to be the main focus.The couple is rarely or never alone and it is commented on that this is a conscious choice. Oftentimes these romances will set up a “courtship” structure to share the author’s views about how romantic relationships should be conducted. It goes without saying that there will be no “only one bed” trope.No references to sexual sins. The hero and heroine usually don’t have a “past” or any type, and if minor characters do … well, if there are references, they are done in a way that honestly makes it difficult for the reader to discern what actually happened. In fact, the word “sex” is almost never used (and is often starred out in reviews on sites that don’t have any kind of algorithm to trick???).No references to things like pregnancy, birth, menstrual cycles, birth control, “nakedness” (it’s a book? Without describing it, how do you count …?), etc. If there are references made, they are made in a pseudo-Victorian way that is honestly somewhat amusing to me.Further, when I think of Saintly romance authors and readers, here’s what comes to mind:
A great portion of their platform is dedicated to speaking out against books that aren’t clean and sharing books that aren’t clean.Their reviews are very harsh toward books with any negative content. It takes an incredibly clean book to please them.Usually they’re pretty great at explaining the logic behind their decisions … but not always. That said, because it is a counter-worldly stand to make, they’re probably had to deal with explaining the “why” to people a lot!Some Potential Downfalls of This Genre Are:Romance, sex, and marriage are inherently linked, so dismissing sex completely from your story can be a mistake, especially if you’re trying to write a God-honoring relationship, which MUST include a healthy dose of sex.There’s a risk of creating a sense of shame and even repression in your readers toward sex. This can only happen if they are a “weaker member,” per se, but the risk does exist.You’ll need to remember that even if you’re writing super clean, you still have to go into the humanity of your characters while crafting their arcs. It doesn’t have to be sexual, but it does have to exist.You will need to make extra sure there’s more to your book than it just being “clean.” And more to your platform. And more to YOU as a person and as a Christian. Being holy and set-apart is one thing. Being removed and “better than” from all the tax collectors and prostitutes is another.Some readers who have ADHD and red hair and like border collies might want your characters to kiss once or twice and then pout like a two-year-old when they don’t.Some Potential Uplifts of This Genre Are:You don’t have to worry about tempting anyone to sin in a sexual way because no one is sinning sexually in your book.These stories can hold so much more beautiful intentionality than other categories, and I think that’s fantastic. Romance should be intentional because couples should intentionally want and choose each other.Oftentimes there are less of those annoying tropes because the characters are trying to be so good. And I deeply appreciate this.Your book can be shared with your church. Don’t share them with your grandma’s knitting circle, though, because grandma-knitting-circles like a little bit of smooching.*Your audience wants you. There’s a push for this type of fiction in the Christian world, and you are fulfilling a clear want if not a clear need. Branding all at once becomes easy. After all, you’re clean. Further, in certain genres, like YA fantasy, you are a minority and yet still have that built-in audience. (You are not so much in Christian historical romance, which is perhaps why I get so confused when people are like, “And it’s clean!!!” I’m always like, “Yes, but so is every book in Christian fiction?” I am arguably a minority here.)It really is fun to be able to say, “Even your kid can read it!” Though let’s be honest, half of us don’t write genres kids actually enjoy.*This is a generalization and may not apply to your grandma.
Am I making fun of this genre?
NO. I just think it’s not possible to have every single book in the world fit into this genre.Honestly, I think you should start using this term because I think it’d be a fun way to market yourself.And heck, we’re all Saints, right? (The Catholics have left the chat … sorry, guys. You know I’m so Protestant that I practically glow with it. I didn’t mean to scare ya off, though …)This isn’t a genre I consider myself to write, nor do I really feel comfortable building my platform around the idea that I write clean fiction when I cover so many topics that a lot of clean-fiction-reading folks don’t appreciate. So I’m a little different in that regard.Not all writers who would like to be included in this genre necessarily fall into this genre, and here’s why … because there’s another “clean fiction but not quite THIS” category. See below.One Last Note:Before you go into the comments and argue about middle grade and young YA, please make sure you read the rest of the post. Because I’m talking about adult and young adult romance here. I’ll discuss the place of Saintly fiction in MG and YA later.
Honestly, I think this is what I write. “Sweet romance,” despite the fact that some non-romance topics are less than sweet. (As, I think, it should be.) I like the term sweet because it doesn’t imply “hand it to your ten-year-old.” Though I think most ten-year-olds SHOULD be mature enough to read my books, not all of them are. (At that age, I was rewatching West Side Story and … well, any manner of other things. That’s the one that strikes me as funniest, though. Just a lil’ murder and racism and gang violence and premarital sex …)
And like, I’m fine with that. I’ve made it clear from the start that I write for a 16-25 age range, more or less. And that’s how I think it should be because some of my topics aren’t frequently encountered by the average 10-year-old despite the fact that they should at least have been a discussion topic with said 10-year-olds’ parents. (I am very convinced that children need a gentle introduction by their parents to most topics before they hit middle school age or even earlier, and no topic should be a “shameful” one that can’t be discussed between a parent and a child because that’s just silly … and problematic. But I’m not a parent, so what do I know about the logistics of this? Nothing.)
However, let’s remove ourselves from the discussions of tough topics except as related to sexuality and focus in on what sweet romance, to me, generally entails. Again, made-up definition and made-up terms, but let’s goooo!
Depending on the characters, sweet romance may or may not contain the following: kisses, hugs, cuddles, admittances of attraction/longing in an undetailed manner, etc.I will note that long make-out sessions with descriptions of tongues and petting don’t fit in this genre. Because they’re gross unless you’re actually doing them yourself.Though there are to be no sex scenes, some sweet romances may draw the line on one side or another of fade-to-black. For some, no. For others, yes.There’s less of a focus on defining the relationship. Usually these stories operate a little more like your average romance, which is actually kind of a shame because we could use more intentionality in this genre.All the typical romance tropes that apply to all romances apply to this genre. Take from that what you will.In terms of all the above-mentioned issues such as discussing sub-topics (premarital sex, infidelity/adultery, birth control, sexual abuse and assault, “nakedness,” vague references, backstories, pregnancy, childbirth, and menstrual cycles), there is a wide variety of ways that these are addressed and regarded by readers. Some books are don’t include them, some include them in shallow ways, and some actually address them in meaningful and interesting ways. Most, however, do not consider things like pregnancy, childbirth, and menstrual cycles to be no-no topics.Some Potential Downfalls of This Genre Are:Some readers are not going to like this kind of fiction. Some people will confuse sweet with Sensual or Saintly, which inevitably is frustrating.Tropes can sometimes be super annoying.As can the lack of commitment-based relationships. Basically, if a toxic romance trope exists, these books sometimes feel free to address them. There can be less depth in general because these can feel more like a normal, non-Christian romance in general, even in the Christian fiction genre. It’s not set-apart … and yet it should be.You get to choose how you portray all these wondrous topics you can discuss freely. That comes with inherent risks – such as not addressing them well.Arguably, there’s a wide variety here. If you have strict convictions, you may get burnt … or you may not.Sometimes people will read “sweet” as “less conflict.” I’m not using it to mean that. I actually don’t think “sweet” is the best way to define this type of romance. So it’s harder to market in that way … because the correct term in my mind is “Christian romance.” However, that definitely includes Saintly, so I guess my conclusion is … it’s still hard to define. “Christian fiction that discusses tough, real topics” is so long to say, but it’s the best I can do.Some Potential Uplifts of This Genre Are:There is a lot more freedom to discuss needed topics. If you like tough topics and a little more grit, you can find it in this genre without reading actual sex scenes or otherwise being dragged through the dirt.In general, you’re not tempting anyone to sin unless they are super sensitive. However, at that point, it’s truly not your fault. Do what you can to warn people about your topics and leave it at that.Most people don’t expect Saintly, so usually to general audiences, including most Christians, this counts as “clean.” Despite what some of the louder voices might say.THE SMOOCHINGGG. But without getting so into it that you’re getting uncomfortable.
I feel like you’re probably giving me a skeptical look because you have a question: aren’t sensual books always smutty?
No. I argue that they are not. But … Christians, approach this category cautiously, because you don’t want to walk the line. You want to be far away from the line, right? Or as much as you can, given whatever the plot of your story may be.
Does this mean that we should avoid all sensual situations? I don’t think so. I mean, I arguably think certain scenes of my books count as such (meaning certain ones with Jordy and Ivy in books 4 and 6 because at least pending book 7, Alice and Peter … arguably don’t … Well). I wouldn’t say the entire vibe edges that way, but without deliberately dragging readers into the sensuality of said scenes, there is sensuality.
But I deal with it in a different way than a “sensual romance” author might. With the exception of celebrating a married couple’s intimacy (which I think we’re missing in Christian fiction at large!), usually these situations in my stories come with a heavy degree of regret attached to them. I deal with sin pretty firmly in my series, as you know, while still allowing for the flow of grace.
I think most Christian authors who have books that edge on this do the same, but there have been some exceptions. Let me say this once, clearly and firmly: it was not “just a mistake.” It was a sin.
Some loooooossseee definitions for sensual romances:
More detail and more intensity with the kissing and related actions.More focus on physical attraction.Might spend a bit more time in the scene before the fade-to-black. (You may find yourself saying, “Oh, we’re still here? Ah. Okay … Y’all just gonna … Mm-hmm.”)Writers of this genre are usually pretty pleased with the smooches they write … and with how hot their main characters are … both in general and for each other.Some Potential Downfalls of This Genre Are:Tempting people to sin. It’s not something we talk about a lot except in the sense of purity culture/modesty (because y’all are so obsessed with that for some reason), but it’s a thing. When does writing romance become “causing your brother to stumble”? I argue that it doesn’t begin with sensual romance – but rather with smutty romance – but with every step toward smutty you make on this sliding scale, a few more people, depending on their level of sensitivity, will sin because of what you write. You can’t control that. You shouldn’t even try to! But it means that every word ought to be weighed. When does it stop being an accurate portrayal of a loving relationship (which, yes, includes sexual attraction!) and start being more smutty than sensual? That’s a line every author must come up with for themselves. But as I’ve said before, I generally prefer to err on the side of caution if I’m writing anything vaguely sensual.Honestly, a lot of the authors who write this category seem so naïve to me. Okay, don’t come at me, if you consider this to be your romance category, but I’ll hear them say things like, “Well, no one would ACTUALLY be aroused by these things. It’s a harmless celebration of attraction. All romances should contain this because it’s realistic …” Well, first, it’s realistic from your experience and may some others (mine, for instance), but that doesn’t apply to all people and more than that, all characters, nor should it (at least, pre-marriage). Further, I assume these authors have never experienced sexual sin and don’t understand how it works at all … or have experienced sexual sin and forgot what it’s like to be still struggling with it*. Which is fine. It’s just an observation. Again, I know it’s not the duty of the author to protect their readers from sin, but it is certainly something to keep in mind.*Everyone deals with past issues differently, so some people become hardened toward past triggers while others become more sensitive to them than anyone else.
Some Potential Uplifts of This Genre Are:Honestly, you can say what you want, but I believe this firmly: we need more portrayals of healthy, godly attraction between married couples, and we need to understand that before getting married, you should know whether or not you can bear sharing a bed with a person. You don’t want to marry someone you don’t desire. It’s just not a good idea.To write this genre as a Christian, you’ll definitely be forced to pray about these issues a lot in order to thoughtfully write this kind of romance. And more prayer is never a bad thing!
Smutty romance is an easy one to approach as a Christian writer: no.
There is no need for Christians to write or read smutty romance. Smutty romance (erotica, steamy romance, etc.) has the same effects on the brain as watching pornography.
Now, there has been some debate in the Christian community lately about whether the reason more women tend to read porn than watch porn (the actual percentage differences between women who watch porn and men who watch porn is not that different, depending on who you ask, but it’s still there: “one survey from Australia estimated that about 4.4% of men and 1.2% of women consider themselves addicted to pornography” — source — and other studies have found porn use to affect about 60% of men and 30% of women) is because of the emotional pull of romance. I think … yes but also no.
Yes, there is usually an emotional element to erotica romance. There’s often some kind of storyline. The characters often are “in love” and stick together after the story is over, much like a regular romance. Everything is usually consensual or at least mildly consensual (unless it’s feeding a kink, as I mentioned later in the post). Yet I think it has more to do with the fact that erotica romance is written with a female protagonist and is in general not male-centric. And I just don’t agree that the actual emotions of a romance novel are bad (see this post), so that argument has never made sense to me.
That said, the feelings of sexual arousal are not only sinful but have horrible negative effects on the brain. Pornography itself is not what is damaging but rather the natural human response to be aroused by it and therefore to associate pornography (or in this case, smut) with the emotional, physical, hormonal “hit” you get from arousal (and of course orgasm, but it happens regardless).
The other issue? It’s as addicting as porn. Now, granted, so is coffee (despite the fact that coffee is not a sin and therefore cannot be spiritually damaging unless it becomes an idol), but addiction to receiving pleasure from someone other than your spouse is problematic, not to mention all the myriad of other symptoms, including but not limited to:
Decreased libido in any other sexual situation than while engaging with pornography.Lack of attraction for spouse/other partner.Increased risk for depression, anxiety, alcoholism, job loss, and money problems.Lack of energy.Neglect of other duties/responsibilities.Decreased self-esteem in both men and women.A mentality that sexual intimacy is violent toward women.Some Potential Downfalls of This Genre Are:All of the above! But mostly, it’s a clear case of sinning (by publishing these types of books and in some cases, by writing sex scenes in the first place*) and causing others to sin with you (as they read the book).These types of romance are generally swamped with dubious consensual consent, kinks that may be harmful or damaging (though they may also not be, but that’s between you and your spouse), unfair standards for both men and women in regards to both the practicalities and actions and responses of/to sex and physical appearance/attributes, and an abundance of really unlikable (cruel, abusive) characters. Now, there are completely healthy relationships in these types of books! Don’t get me wrong. I am not of the widespread belief that all secular romance must contain great evil. That said, there is such a tendency toward perversion in these romances that I cannot healthily ignore it.*I mean, theoretically, you could write a self-insert for your spouse, and that’d be okay, so I was hesitant to completely decry ALL writing of pornographic literature. But the problem is, involving fictional characters (or anyone who is not just you and your spouse) makes it iffy in a hurry!
Some Potential Uplifts of This Genre Are:Uhhh …?It’s fine for secular audiences. *shrug* I mean, why wouldn’t you?
It’s so hard to define an exact boundary here because honestly, what might be smutty for one person is sensual for another.
Like many things, Christians get flack about not understanding that “smutty” is a spectrum. Fortunately, this is one thing Christians can get away with not caring about, unlike other things. Because we all should know that reading smutty books has the same effect on our brains are watching porn*, and we don’t do that. That is the assumption I am operating under as a Christian writer who writes for Christians.
*Sources: 50 Shades of Grey Matter: Your Mind on Smut | Anti-pornography group has a pointed — yet simple — message about the dangers of smut | Are romance novels the equivalent to pornography? | Is Erotica Bad for the Brain?
That said, roughly speaking, smutty romances deliberately arouse the reader by including sexual situations that are certain to cause said reaction. Since various readers react at various levels, it can be hard to gauge this. Some people are just less easily aroused or just have been exposed either less or more to sexual situations (exposure affects different people differently) … but that doesn’t mean there’s not harm in these kinds of situations due to some of the points discussed above. Further, “you really don’t know until you try,” and why are you trying to find out what will and will not have these negative effects on your brain?
From a moral standpoint, involving ourselves with sexual situations outside of our relationship with our spouse is obviously a sin. And I argue that that does include fictional characters, even ones of our own creation.
So what then? Is the difference between smutty and sensual simply on-page sex vs. off-page sex? That still doesn’t take away all our issues. Is there a point at which fade-to-black sex becomes potentially smutty? I argue that yes, there is a point at which describing the lead-up to sex is smutty because, after all … foreplay. You know, the thing that is literally meant to … be arousing? That’s? The? Whole? Thing?
I guess that’s the main thing. You want to stay out of a characters’ foreplay as much as the actual sex. Because again, we don’t need to be there for that.
Now I’d like to cover a few points that I think come up regularly in this discussion.
Historical FactorsI disagree with the concept that historical couples weren’t very affectionate. Because we were still humans, and though some societal restraints may have affected some, it did not affect everyone. In public? Perhaps. But if you know anything about most people in most eras, it’s that the way they acted in private was usually quite a bit more relaxed.
Also, keep in mind that half of propriety comes down to parody or extreme situations. There is a dissonance between our understanding of history due to fictional accounts not always accurately portraying the era they are set in.
I’ll quote another article of mine:
LITERATURE DOES NOT ACCURATELY PORTRAY REALITY 80% OF THE TIME.A lot of what we used to form our opinions on historical eras these days seems to come from one of the following sources.
SATIRE ABOUT THE ERA.Example: Jane Austen, Mark Twain.Not necessarily accurate because it often exaggerates certain elements of the era (or all elements). Since you didn’t live through the era, it can be difficult to discern, without historical record, what is and is not satire.“LOVE INSPIRED” (IDEALISTIC, SWEET, LIGHT) FICTION.Example: Lucy Maud Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, Maud Hart Lovelace.Often gives an idealistic, sweet, or otherwise light-hearted take on the era, ignoring bigger problems or things that are “hard” (much like Christian fiction sometimes does today).CHILDREN’S FICTION.Example: Martha Finley, Laura Ingalls Wilder.Well, you wouldn’t expect children’s fiction to discuss big, adult life issues, would you? At least, not most of them. Also, there was a tendency in Victorian children’s fiction to moralize and focus on presenting perfect role models. Nothing more unrealistic than that.HEAVILY-PREJUDICED FICTION.Example: Margaret Mitchell, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Upton Sinclair, John Steinbeck.A LOT of writers fall into this category. They portray one side of an issue to make a point, and oftentimes, they use their powerful writing to sway their reader one way or another.“THINK” FICTION.Example: Henry James, Oscar Wilde, Nathanael Hawthorne.More focused on some kind of particular thought process, point, etc., than anything else. Often don’t have time to perspectives they aren’t willing to explore and/or do nothing but explore perspectives. These are probably the more accurate to the time pieces of the bunch; however, they still lack actual reality.FICTION WRITTEN ABOUT THE ERAI won’t even both giving examples, but there are a lot of these. Especially in the mid-1900s, as communication spread, historical eras became more talked about … and often the way the Victorian era in particular was talked about was based on inaccurate stories from grandmothers and from suffragettes and … well, don’t get even get me started on corsets.Then of course there’s science fiction, comedies, and such, but we won’t even discuss that. We all get that those aren’t necessarily reliable historical resources.
Basically, we need to do better. We need to dig deeper. We need to expect fiction to be just that … fiction. Not our own personal little guidebooks.
Basically, if you’re going to cover anything, make sure you actually understand it. And don’t say that no unmarried couple in the Edwardian era would ever have kissed when this is simply not true.
A Word on YA & MGI really think middle grade should be saintly when it comes to romance (if there is any at all), and I kind of feel like YA should, too, though I think we should be encouraging young adults to read adult books anyways. That said, putting sexually charged situations in middle grade is kind of … pervert-y. I mean, leave it to their parents.
The role of personal convictions in writing & readingRegardless of any of this, regardless of anything, personal conviction will always impact every area of our life, and for choices such as what we read or write, these are even more vital. Approach all elements of your writing and reading, but especially your writing, with prayer.
And if you find your convictions are different than mine … that’s not even a situation in which we need argue or have further discussion about it. It’s a CONVICTION. You get to have yours, and I get to have mine. All right? All right.
Conclusion and Final ThoughtsI honestly don’t know how to wrap this up. We’re 6,000 words in, and that’s significantly longer than it ought to be. Yet here we are, and I honestly feel like most of it is necessary. I hope this was helpful for you in some way … or at the very least, interesting!
So I leave you with this monster of a post and one final sentence: don’t destroy me in the comments. All I did was make up a bunch of random stuff and put it together in a somewhat feasible way to share a bunch of miscellaneous observations about the romantic genre and my approach to it.
TTFN!
~Kell~
P.S.Well, thoughts? This is all made up to a certain degree, though some of the research behind it is based on facts. You know, the parts where I linked sources because that way I won’t have to bother with them later.
Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better?
I want to invite you to my super secret club. I mean, it’s not really a secret, because I’m telling you about it now, but here goes.
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March 22, 2023
This Life of Mine by Victoria Lynn | Bookish Spotlight & Launch Day Celebration
Today is the day! This Life of Mine by Victoria Lynn has released into the world and is available wherever books are sold! This book is The Chronicles of Elira: Book 2 (the first being the book you’ve probably heard everyone in the indie world talking about, Once I Knew!).
This Life of Mine is launching with Glory Writers press, which is … well, a mix of everything. If you don’t know about The Glory Writers, it’s a fantastic source of information, services, and now, an up-and-coming HYBRID PRESS (kind of like what we’re doing with Wild Blue Wonder Press, but a little different).
I linked their website above, but you can check them out on Instagram (great advice, challenges, services, etc.) or … make sure to give their NEW Instagram account a follow, Glory Writers Press. I’m really excited to see where this goes!
I’m really excited for Victoria – this book looks phenomenal, and honestly, if you want a crash course in how to market a book, how to serve your audience, and how to be an authentic, awesome girl-for-God’s-glory (ya know, a girl boss but Christian?), you should just follow her already! She’s fantastic.
I’ve actually read most of the first book and then my Kindle Unlimited subscription expired (we is broke?) but I renewed it this month, and it’s high on my list. So far, it’s been fantastic! I just need more time to read, plainly, so I can finish book 1 … and move on to book 2!
About This Life of MineMarcus is tired of losing those he loves. The last shred of his childhood has been uprooted, and he feels alone… again. When the ruler’s new policies take effect, the anger of the Rusalkan mountain king is unleashed upon the borderlands. With refugees streaming into Elira by the hundreds, the stories from the wall are horrific.
Marcus joins a convoy to lend his medical skills to those in need at the Eliran border. What he finds there requires him to face his own deformities. Will he be able to overcome them? Or will his life forever be marked by suffering and sacrifice?
Dilara’s life as a slave in Rusalka was anything but idealistic. Consumed by a system designed to use, abuse, and discard the likes of her, she has been taken through the very depths. Carrying a traumatic secret and wounded in her frenzied escape, she finds herself with an unlikely protector and an even more confusing relationship. Can she traverse the waters of this new life of hers and make it her own?
Find it on Victoria’s Website ~ Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads
Some Creative Materials(because these are the most fun)
THIS LIFE OF MINE PINTEREST BOARD
About Victoria LynnVictoria Lynn has an insatiable desire for truth, light and beauty.
Traveling to destinations of beauty created by our Heavenly Father, reveling in creative pursuits that fill her with joy, or pouring her heart into words of life are some of her favorite things to do.
She seeks to bring the life giving words of the Savior to a dark and broken world that desperately needs to know of His sacrifice.
A writing and publishing coach, author, journalist, seamstress and creator, she loves spending time with any of her 8 siblings, exploring her native state of Michigan, and sewing gowns fit for a princess.
Website: https://victorialynnblog.com/
Newsletter: https://rufflesandgrace.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e602ab14198d6bebec5c376e7&id=42b9eac2c0
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victorialynnauthor/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@victorialynnauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victorialynnauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/447587.Victoria_Lynn
TTFN!
~Kell~
P.S.Have you read anything by Victoria Lynn? She’s been around the indie community as long as I can honestly remember, and I have such fond memories of the “early days” (uh, for me) and chatting with her and being a “Chatter Box Girl.” (Does anyone else remember that? What was that, five years ago now? It feels like an eternity.)
I was also blessed to be able to meet her in-person once, and I would love to do so again if God ever makes it happen. We just, you know, live on opposite sides of the country, more or less. I’ll see her in August for the YWW Conference (again, God-willing).
Honestly, I’m so glad Victoria (and The Glory Writers team) are making such a splash & putting out such great content. You can tell the world – especially the Christian indie world – is so excited about this because it is so needed. We are starving for clean fiction that still addresses tough topics in a godly light. We need more people willing to shine light in the dark places while not denying that they were very dark indeed to begin with – hence the need for light.
Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better?
I want to invite you to my super secret club. I mean, it’s not really a secret, because I’m telling you about it now, but here goes.
Join Mrs. Roth’s Society Column, my street team! We’d love to have you along for the ride!
March 15, 2023
Introducing Like a Ship on the Sea
My next book is releasing in September 2023, so now’s a good time to talk about it, right? Let’s do a book intro, talk about our main characters, and in general just reveal some information!
Introducing Like a Ship on the SeaThe Blurb
If God asks you to confront a storm, how dare you stay in the harbor?Lady Mary Cassidy O’Connell has a dream that can be summed up in three connecting ideas: a loving husband, adorable children, and a home of her own. Her mother’s lack of care makes life difficult for Cassie, and an escape is necessary. The plan? Marry Aubrey Montgomery, the man her parents have chosen for her, and find the peace she craves.
Unfortunately, Cassie is uneasy about marrying Aubrey. Her apprehension grows as she witnesses her dearest friend’s loving marriage take place. At this wedding, she catches the eye of Patrick Hilton, son of a wealthy American. Like Cassie, he’s also set to marry a woman chosen by his parents—only, Patrick claims, he is content with this choice.
Torn between her desire for happiness and the knowledge that God is leading her in a different direction, Cassie confronts the impossible decision. Is a loveless marriage of obligation better than being alone, or will she set sail on a voyage without a safe harbor?
Like a Ship on the Sea is the first novel in The Hilton Legacy, a stand-alone trilogy featuring characters from the author’s first series, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy.
The Series
As noted above, Like a Ship on the Sea is the first novel in The Hilton Legacy, a trilogy featuring the three Hilton siblings as they navigate life and love!
The whole series will discuss the complicated legacy left by their parents and how each sibling responds to the burden of the past and the opportunities of the future. It spans various portions of the 1880s and will feature … well, a lot of very different stories.
Above it my attempt at an aesthetic for Like a Ship on the Sea, but the next two are actually done by Grace A. Johnson. (Thank you, Grace!)
Introducing Cassie O’Connell
You may be familiar with Cassie, or Lady Mary Cassidy O’Connell, from The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy. If you don’t remember her, well, she’s Alice’s best friend from boarding school. They debut together and share a lot of other experiences. Cassie is Alice’s bridesmaid when she gets married (Ivy being her maid of honor).
A few facts about Cassie:
She’s Irish and a member of the English nobility, which leads to some mixed feelings from her fellow peers.She resembles her very Irish grandmother.Said grandmother apparently married her grandfather despite being a fairly Normal Person and him being an Earl. I kind of want to write a short story about them some day!Cassie was shy and timid as a child (and a teenager, and a woman), but in recent years, she’s starting to come into her own, with God’s help. Seeing her mature has been so fun.She’s probably one of my favorite female characters to date, honestly. Mostly because she actually listens to God even though she is flawed, and she’s softer than a lot of my heroines, too, which is just interesting.Cassie is an A+ confidante. Maybe better than Nettie. I know that’s a bold claim, but I am MAKING IT.Years of Alice have worn away whatever nerves she had and now she’s pretty calm. Honestly, she’s unflappable, in general, despite having miscellaneous fears, uncertainties, and wild moments to deal with throughout the book. And I find that terribly admirable.Longs for adventure in the “great wide somewhere.” Probably would be a really epic Disney princess, honestly.Introducing Patrick Hilton
Patrick is a new character, but he enters the scene as the son of an old friend of Philip Knight. An American, an heir to a massive shipping company, and a product of years of bitterness between his parents, Patrick was an interesting character to write. He has a lot of growing to do! And watching that growth was painful.
The physical representation of people-pleasing and parentification.Loves his sisters, Lorelei “Lore” and Gwendolyn “Winnie,” intensely. Also intensely annoyed by them, but that’s probably because of their misguided matchmaking attempts.He laughingly calls himself American royalty, but he’s not far off.Loves children. Like, this is a man who sees a baby and Must Hold The Baby. (He is the same way about puppies.)Probably insanely privileged, but somehow it just doesn’t feel like it … maybe because his daddy works him like a slave. But still, he will probably have some work to do to be grateful for what he has in the future.Probably would be on 5-10 different anxiety meds in the modern-day world. (He would take them rather than addressing the underlying problems, which have to do more with his circumstances than anything.)He’s too forbearing. With his sisters, with his friends, with his parents.Has a Belgium shepherd (only this is before the breed was officially created) named Bellona “Bell.”Lots of traveling, but only for work reasons.And that’s all I’ll share for now! But I’ll come back with more thoughts some time soon, hopefully!
TTFN!
~Kell~
P.S.Are you as excited as I am? Do you have any predictions about this next book? I’m curious to know if you have any guesses about what it’ll be about!
Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better?
I want to invite you to my super secret club. I mean, it’s not really a secret, because I’m telling you about it now, but here goes.
Join Mrs. Roth’s Society Column, my street team! We’d love to have you along for the ride!
Kellyn Roth, Author
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