Kellyn Roth's Blog: Kellyn Roth, Author

GUESS WHAT!?!!?!?!?!!?It’s Cover Reveal Day for Tears into Thy Bottle!This novel, the 7th installment in The Chronicles of Alice & Ivy, is so important to me … and honestly, I can’t wait to share it with you!I also can’t abide a delay.So let’s get to it!..................Ready yet? A little more …........... “That I may walk before God in the light of the living …” Returning home after a visit to her sister, Alice Strauss is caught off guard when her husband, Peter, raises a subject long buried beneath years of grief: adoption. For Peter, it feels like a hopeful next step, but for Alice, the idea awakens old fears—deeply tied to her own complex past and the fragile peace she’s only just begun to reclaim.With contentment finally within reach and their life settling into a welcome rhythm, Alice worries she may do more harm than good as a mother. As sorrow and betrayal strike close to home—shattering friendships, fracturing families, and bringing unexpected losses—Alice and Peter must once again cling to each other and to the faith that sustained them through their darkest days.This novel is the seventh book in The Chronicles of Alice & Ivy, a Victorian family saga with strong Christian themes.Preorder Now!

Set against the backdrop of the Victorian Gilded Age between 1886 and 1888, “Tears into Thy Bottle” is the seventh installment in The Chronicles of Alice & Ivy.

This work of Christian historical women’s fiction will launch on May 16th, 2026. Published by Wild Blue Wonder Press, the novel is currently available for preorder on both Amazon and the Wild Blue Wonder Press website.

Tears into Thy Bottle is a completely closed door/spice-free women’s fiction novel. Though this novel features a married couple, it only vaguely alludes to their private life. There are a few kisses and some implication.

Topics discussed or mentioned: sexual intimacy (implication, non-graphic), a past suicide attempt (mentioned, non-graphic), infant loss and miscarriage (in the past, mentioned, non-graphic), infertility (discussed), adoption and childhood trauma (discussed), childbirth (non-graphic but on-page), maternal death (off-page), adultery (minor character, off-page and non-graphic), an accidental, somewhat violent death (on-page but non-graphic)

Click to Preorder!

Speaking of new projects, this weekend was my 10-year authorversary!

That’s right–ten years ago, on January 10th, 2016, I published The Dressmaker’s Secret … and my author journey officially started.

With this in mind, I thought it would be fun to recap my “stats” for the last ten years. Here’s how writing has gone so far:

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TTFN!

~Kell~

Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better? Join my email list!

Hello everyone!!!

Can you believe it’s already 2026?

This was a year that feels like it’s been going on forever, and at the same time, it’s impossible to believe that 2025 is already over. I feel like I’ve been run over by a riding lawnmower. Slowly and repeatedly, by a laughing small child who is a very bad lawnmower driver, but somehow he keeps hitting me.

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Reveries on 2025

My 2025 word of the year was “Valor.” I once again forgot about my “Word of the Year” (I have no idea why I keep choosing them; it’s a fruitless exercise), but of course I actually needed some “Valor” to get through the year.

Now, I don’t think I was very valorous. If anything, I needed valor and often didn’t have it.

Midway through the year, through no fault of his own, Matthew lost his job unexpectedly. We had no notice and were forced to hit the ground running. This put us at risk of losing our housing as well as being able to afford basic necessities. Thankfully, Matthew was able to find a new job (or rather, return to an old job) within a week, which was a massive blessing.

We dealt with other financial crises, with my near-constant health struggles, with broken down cars, and with other situations. And in hindsight, God brought us through it. But when I think back, I know that God brought us through it in spite of my lack of valor.

Often, when I read these types of posts, where someone talks about how God “brought them through something,” I think, “That’s great, but my faith is so weak.” But honestly, more and more, I’m realizing that I make assumptions about the “behind the scenes” that may not be true. Because God did bring us through the year. But I was not always or even often grateful, trusting, or gracious.

That said, I do know He brought me through it because I came through this year thinking nothing had moved forward, everything was bad, and there was little hope for positive change and instead have discovered that there are things that moved forward, not everything is bad (you know, just most things), and even if I don’t have much hope for positive change, well, I don’t have much of a choice in the matter anyway.

This was also a year when I really got to understand that kind of person I am as a friend, as a sister, as a daughter, and as a wife. Friendship is one of the areas where I’ve always struggled. I consider myself to be a fundamentally awkward and selfish person. However, this year, I have proven to myself that I can walk through fire for my friends, that I can be honest without being cruel, and that I am not a bad friend or a non-empathetic one.

To quote last year’s blog post:

This year also made me aware that I am actually one of those people who takes on emotional burdens for others, which sucks because I thought I was Not Like That. […] I was forced to realize this fact since so many crises have hit various people I care about this year.

Well, naturally, the crises haven’t stopped, because life, but neither have I. Honestly, I don’t know how to say this without sounding prideful, but I’ve had several people affirm that I’m growing in this area, and that I am having a positive impact on some of my close relationships. I don’t want to stop, so I’m hoping to bring that energy into 2026.

I also got a lot more writing done than I thought I did. (Yes, I definitely DO spiral until I start writing my wrapups … why do you ask?)

That said, there were some areas that were just tough. My health, and anything related to it, was one of the primary areas. And, as always, the absolutely crushing grief of infertility is with me.

The truth is, I’ve stopped trying to come up with a neat way to wrap these little updates up. I used to always want to say, “But here’s the God.” But I don’t know God’s plans anymore than the next person. I don’t understand. I don’t like what’s happening. And honestly, sometimes the only thing that is authentically me (which is a pretty important value to me) is to say, “I don’t get it,” shrug, and keep moving forward.

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2025 Highlights

I finally got a desk set up for myself at our house.

It snowed a lot.

Another niece was born.

Matthias and I hung out a lot.

My baby brother got married.

I collected so many plants and started getting decent at managing them.

I crocheted.

Publishing our winter anthology, Fingerprints in Frost.

Lots of trips to the beach and other magical locations.

Baby elephant!

I customized my car.

Someone started a fire near our house. Like, a brush fire. Lovely.

We did a little biking.

 

Got sick of taking it easy on the nieces and nephew for Easter.

I worked hard at the Author Conservatory.

Publishing the second novel in The Hilton Legacy, Like the Air After Rain.

I got an espresso machine.

 

Family camping trip.

The Family

Waterfall!

My friend’s … feminine? … car.

Waterfall!

Cave? No.

Terrible hike. Again. Why do we keep doing this?

Friends!!!

Paddleboards.

Waterfall!

Waterfall!!!

Bridge!

So. Many. Coast. Pics.

DRENCHED!

My pre-birthday birthday celebrations with Bailey, tent-camping at the coast

Birthday!!!

Our 4th anniversary <3

Matthias’s Birthday.

The Author Conservatory 2026 Conference.

Trip to the Bend, OR area with Bailey.

Autumnal.

Getting a new kitten, Knightley.

Concert #1.

Thanksgiving.

Hangouts with the boys.

Being included in the Carols of Christmas multi-author series with my novella, A Thrill of Hope.

Concert #2

My new laptop! Complete with so many stickers that I just bought, lol!

Christmas decorations!

My Christmas gift from Matthew.

Christmas Eve!

People who knew me!

My kitten enjoying a cozy day with me.

Seeing Bailey after Christmas for a fun hangout.

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The Great Goal Wrapup

Last year, I divided my goals into categories, so I’ll be sharing how I did in each of those categories below!

Creating Great (Fictional) Works

Check!

This year I wrote a Christmas novella, A Thrill of Hope, about two hard-working perfectionists being forced to host a Christmas bazaar. It was just 32,321 words. This is now published!

Then I wrote the first novel in The McAllen Brothers saga, which is a Scottish historical romance that was again just 41,442 words. I can’t wait to share this one with you!

I wrote Lady of Influence for the Ladies of Quality Regency romance MAP, which is a Regency romance at 35,921 words. This is a complicated story about a baron who doesn’t want to be a baron – and the lady who realizes how deep his grouchiness is rooted in his own lack of interest in life.

Then I wrote Tears into Thy Bottle (which was Time of Grief), The Chronicles of Alice & Ivy, book 7, which is about 114,444 words, but I don’t know how much of that I wrote this year. I know I finished it this year! And I did some very major rewrites to get it there. I already had 25k drafted in my end of the year blog post for 2024, so the rest of it was probably added this year (and revised … and edited … and sent to an editor … and now I’m almost ready for proofs!).

I did have The Hilton Legacy: Book 3 drafted at the end of last year, but I think I revisions that changed everything about it. It’s 89k, I think.

Then this November, I wrote 54,551 of Steps into Grace (The Chronicles of Alice & Ivy Book 9), which is maybe half of it. I do have a lot more that needs added, and some I wrote which needs edited, but I’m not counting it yet.

I did do some other writing (I rewrote most of a 30k Regency romance novella, half of a Regency romance novel, the entirety of a different Regency romance novel, and did so much outlining that my head is spinning), but that was the gist of it.

Other than A Thrill of Hope, I also published an anthology (Fingerprints in Frost) with like 8 other authors and Like the Air After Rain (The Hilton Legacy, Book 2).

Marketing Published Novels

Check!

Sub-goals for this included:

Pursue a cross-promotion opportunity with another author every 1-2 months.

Check!

Sometimes I did this; sometimes I didn’t. I really enjoy my Summer Shelf Sale, occasional giveaways and other collabs on Instagram, etc. I also dove into BookFunnel for a few months and had a blast with that, though I’m not sure how much I’ll do that in 2026. However, I would love to be even more intentional about this.

Remain consistent in putting out posts to my Instagram that are helpful and interesting to my audience … and be open to finding new ways to do so.

Check!

Instagram was actually fairly consistent this year! I also was delighted to get to work with both Cristiana Moyer and Ava Ryann Wolfe on my Wild Blue Wonder Press Instagram. Now, I’ll be doing it on my lonesome (#budget), but I’ll still hopefully get a few posts up.

Continue building my email list & finding new ways to send interesting emails to serve my followers.

Check!

I think I improved on this by leaps and bounds this year! (Make sure you’re subscribed to my email list if you’re not already!)

Supporting the Author Community

Kinda …

Sub-goals for this included:

Read 6 indie books this year that I’m in no way involved in the creation of, review them, and talk about them on social media/blog/email list if I feel comfortable doing so.

Failed.

I did read 8 indie books (mostly in two series), all of which I wasn’t involved in the creation of, but I didn’t get around to reviewing most of them/talking about them on my various platforms.

Feature an author or book on my newsletter at least once a month and post about at least six books on my blog over the course of the year.

Kinda …

I did feature an author or book on my newsletter about once a month, but my blog? Meh. I did participate in Five Fall Favorites this year, which means I posted about 25 books in the course of a week, but that’s not quite the same.

Find one little thing every month to do to add to create and foster community.

Kinda …

I wasn’t as intentional about this as I wanted to be, but I did my best! Like I said, the Summer Shelf Sale, BookFunnel, and a few Instagram events did help … but I wish I had done more!

Being an Excellent Employee

Check?

Feels a little prideful to say I did, but given that I got a bump in hours and received a raise in the last month at the Author Conservatory, I’m going to count this as accomplished!

Spiritual LifeDo a year-long study of 1 & 2 Timothy.

Failed.

I did … not do this. I think I read it multiple times in January and that was literally it. All my grand plans failed.

Read through the Bible in a year.

Kinda …

I did complete the plan I was trying to do, more or less, but once again, I felt like I skimmed more than I read. I didn’t really take it in, and I still feel like I fundamentally failed.

Physical HealthDo a 10-day “detox” once a month.

Failed.

Heh.

This was such a good idea, but I totally failed it! I did it the first month and then … nada. I didn’t even attempt from then on. And honestly, this is one area where I just feel like I dropped the ball completely. My eating, sleeping, and exercising habits SUFFERED this year. And my health is definitely letting me know!

Find a good way to make exercise a part of your week.

Failed.

Though I did go on several hikes, it wasn’t regular, nor did I accomplish most of the ones I wanted to. My exercising has been pretty irregular. I’m lucky if I get in a weekly walk, and that’s really it. Definitely am feeling (and seeing!) this in my body.

Infertility JourneyBe brave!

… I don’t know how to quantify this one, so I won’t. I don’t think I was brave, but honestly, just getting through every day and still being here is a type of bravery any more. I made it. I didn’t always want to. But I’m alive! Maybe that’s enough.

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2026 ResolutionsPhysical

Lose 20 pounds.

I need to lose about 40 to get to my ideal weight, but that may not be realistic. Instead, I’ll start with something simple: stop the rapid gain of weight and lose some!

Get outside every day.

I’ve committed to spending a few minutes outside every day. Some days, I’ll do long walks, bike rides, or exercise. Other times, I’ll just step out into the cold for a few minutes.

Sleep at night.

I want to find a way to make sleep a delight, and even if it’s not that, something I regularly engage at during … you know, regular sleeping hours.

Less evening snacking.

My late-night snacking will be the death of me! Instead, I want to eat enough during the daytime.

Spiritual

Read the Bible.

I’m focusing on intake here … get SOME in. I am doing another Bible-in-a-year challenge, but my real goal is to make sure at least one of my many chapters a day gets a few minutes of thought.

Gratitude.

I want to spend some time every month thinking about what I have been given and how I’ve been blessed.

Regular prayer.

I have an app I’ve been using for the last few months to track my prayers, and it’s really helped me.

Ask for help.

Especially from people who love me. I have gotten out of the habit of talking to people about my struggles, and further, I have gotten out of the habit of the all-important asking for help!

Social

Weekly mentorship.

… ish.

Basically, I want to make sure I’m not neglecting to see people. This can come in a lot of forms. But basically, I want to have edifying and honest conversations with the various people I consider mentors every month.

Loyal friend.

This is my way of leaning into who I am, but I want to do even more! I want to prioritize relationships with the people who I love and I want to be a good, edifying, kind, loving, Christian friend.

Connected wife.

I want to be connected with my husband, even if it means inconvenience or forcing myself to do really lame things (like watching Gettysburg … just shoot me already).

Authentic homemaker.

More and more, as a homebody, I’m realizing how much I value my home. But I don’t always take care of itself (or the homemaker herself … e.g. me!). So I want to do better at this, but in a way that feels authentic to me.

Fertility

Castor oil packs.

I’ve been doing these regularly for the last three weeks, and I’ve loved them.

Supplements/Powders/etc.

I have so many potions I’m taking, but I want to remain consistent with these.

Reflect.

Every month, or even more often, I want to take time to be grounded in my feelings and process what’s going on. If this means journaling or even just taking time to cry (something which in 2025, due to an immense feeling of numbness, happened less and less often), so be it.

Author

Completed projects.

My focus here is on completing projects I’ve started or just completing whatever projects I do start. I have quite a few drafts that need edits (The Hilton Legacy 3, Lady of Influence, The McAllen Brothers). I’m trying not to get caught up entirely in future projects (and I have quite a few!).

Social media.

I was consistent with this in 2025; I want to be consistent in 2026, too!

Email list.

It’s important to me that I don’t let this drop! There have been definitely been months without emails in 2025. As much as possible, I don’t want that to happen in 2026.

Good employee.

Honoring my raise and increased hours at the Conservatory by bringing my full energy to every task.

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TTFN!

~Kell~

Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better? Join my email list!

It’s time for Day 6 of Five Fall Favorites (hosted by Once Upon an Ordinary and Read Another Page)!

Now, this is not my final list by any means, but I’ll discuss some of my 2025 favorites thus far! I’ve only read 13 books this year (not counting my rereads, which are many), and most of them were either Voices of the Future anthologies, my own books, or DNFs!

2025 Favorites

The Mapmaker’s Secret by Jennifer Mistmorgan

One of a three-book series that I really enjoyed! This is the final one and was probably my favorite. I actually enjoy the trope that most people don’t, which is fake identity in a romance. This one was fun because both the hero and heroine were doing their best, and you really understood both of their motives. Plus I just feel like the heroine was really complex! This is not the first book I’ve read where the heroine was the muse of an abusive artist, though … so that’s interesting.

The Highland Heist by Pepper Basham

Another Freddie & Grace mystery! Though not my favorite of their stories, this was nonetheless a lot of fun! And I do love seeing a glimpse of Scotland. The mystery was also fun this time – very classical whodunit. So excited for the next novel!

These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan

This was the first book I read of this trilogy even though it’s the second novel. I really enjoyed it! I love a good marriage of convenience/marriage of honor story, and this was so sweet. I enjoyed the realistic portrayal of trauma recovery.

The Heart of the Family by Elizabeth Goudge

A reread – this one I appreciated more now then I did on the first couple rereads. Generally, the first and second books are my favorite, and the third kind of drags. It’s mostly set over one long summer afternoon, and that’s … wild. And it is kind of draggy! But some of the ideas and concepts presented here are really good.

The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton Porter

Yes, another reread! I told you I’m rereading a lot of books this year. This is one I hadn’t reread in a while, so I’d forgotten some of the central twists. There are a couple weird moments, as is true of any Gene Stratton Porter novel, but I feel like this has some of the more wholesome and interesting thoughts despite that.

My Team

This year, we’re divided into teams! Allow me to share about my team for this year!

Hannah: hereynolds.com

Katja: littleblossomsforjesus.wordpress.com

Sylvie: sylvieohara106.wixsite.com/my-site-2

Olivia: withloveolivia23.wordpress.com/my-blog

Riley: rileygwriterartist.wordpress.com

Rose: rewriteswithafaeriepen.wordpress.com

The Giveaway

There’s a giveaway for Five Fall Favorites this year! Click this link to find out more and enter:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6113ead966/?

TTFN!

~Kell~

Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better? Join my email list!

It’s time for Day 4 of Five Fall Favorites (hosted by Once Upon an Ordinary and Read Another Page)!

Today’s prompt is about those books that we usually wouldn’t read … but we did … and we loved them!

Let’s dive into my picks!

Usually Don’t Read

Ignite by Kara Swanson

Post-apocalyptic (ish) fantasy is not really my thing, but this one HOOKED me. I read most of it on a plane, and it was the perfect read to engross me. It moves pretty quickly, has some incredible allegorical elements, and addresses trauma from high-control religions or organizations in a way that is impactful. It is a pretty intense book, but that’s sort of necessary given the subject manner.

The Nyssa Glass series by H.L. Burke

This is one of those series that has stuck with me for forever as being so vibey. Again, I don’t read a lot of steampunk (plus there’s not a lot out there, or there wasn’t when I was reading a lot), but this one was so fun! Again, a little darker, so not shiney-happy, but not depressing or so grimdark that it’s not enjoyable either. The characters really carry it (especially Ellis).

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

This was a book I loved as a kid and have returned to from time to time. I really enjoyed the cast (Kate was my favorite), and I felt like it was  a good “group of kids beat evil with their wits” story. Some have called it a little dark or a little too creepy … yeah. No kidding. If you’re not looking for that, this is not the book for you! Think Madeleine L’Engle.

Daughter of Eden by Jill Eileen Smith

I don’t read a lot of biblical fiction anymore for a wide variety of reasons – mostly because I feel like it can be sensationalized. But this one really touched me! It’s not an easy book to read and enjoy, because it’s just … tragic. But that’s what I enjoyed about it. It really reminded me that real people – just like me – experienced these tragedies and that sin is no joke.

Embracing Joy (from Fingerprints in Frost) by Heather Flynn

Okay … does this count?

Yes, this is my own anthology, but I thought I’d mention something I don’t talk about a ton:

I don’t love contemporary! I almost never read it outside of submissions, lol.

But I publish contemporary short stories sometime, and of all the ones I’ve published, this is one of my favorites. It’s so sweet, and it of course touched on a subject close to my own heart. It’s selfish, but I do recommend it!

My Team

This year, we’re divided into teams! Allow me to share about my team for this year!

Hannah: hereynolds.com

Katja: littleblossomsforjesus.wordpress.com

Sylvie: sylvieohara106.wixsite.com/my-site-2

Olivia: withloveolivia23.wordpress.com/my-blog

Riley: rileygwriterartist.wordpress.com

Rose: rewriteswithafaeriepen.wordpress.com

The Giveaway

There’s a giveaway for Five Fall Favorites this year! Click this link to find out more and enter:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6113ead966/?

TTFN!

~Kell~

Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better? Join my email list!

It’s time for Day 3 of Five Fall Favorites (hosted by Once Upon an Ordinary and Read Another Page)!

Today is about nonfiction.

I do not like or read nonfiction.

While other Christians debate whether fiction is worthwhile, I debate why nonfiction is a thing.

I never read devotionals or help books. Google is there for a reason! If I read a nonfiction book, I skim it. I rarely have read a nonfiction book I’ve enjoyed except for those really cool historical books with the illustrations. To me, nonfiction should stay in school, where it belongs. People who read nonfiction for fun really befuddle me. (My husband is one of them, so I get it.) Like … can you not pick that knowledge up any other way, ya weirdo?

That said, it was fairly easy for me to put together this list, because the books I have enjoyed have stuck with me! Let’s talk about it.

Nonfiction Books

More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell

This book was such a great discussion of Jesus’s existence and who He was. I don’t know that I enjoyed with everything that was said, but it’s such a simple, logical breakdown, and I definitely recommend it.

A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis

This is a messy piece of nonfiction, more a private journal than a book. But it was deeply impactful for me and changed the way I view grief and suffering as a Christian.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

I mean, I have to mention this one! This is THE Christian apologetics book.

Adam and His Kin by Ruth Beechick

Though I’m not saying this is an accurate book, it is a very powerful “suppose.” It supposes what may have happened at the beginning of the world and what Genesis may have meant by some of the vaguer, or simply less detailed, parts of the story, from Creation to the beginning of society as we know it.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

This is kind of an odd read, but I found it another deeply impactful “supposition” piece of fiction. If you’ve ever wondered how demons might talk about us, well, this is a good exploration of that.

My Team

This year, we’re divided into teams! Allow me to share about my team for this year!

Hannah: hereynolds.com

Katja: littleblossomsforjesus.wordpress.com

Sylvie: sylvieohara106.wixsite.com/my-site-2

Olivia: withloveolivia23.wordpress.com/my-blog

Riley: rileygwriterartist.wordpress.com

Rose: rewriteswithafaeriepen.wordpress.com

The Giveaway

There’s a giveaway for Five Fall Favorites this year! Click this link to find out more and enter:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6113ead966/?

TTFN!

~Kell~

Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better? Join my email list!

It’s time for Day 2 of Five Fall Favorites (hosted by Once Upon an Ordinary and Read Another Page)!

Today is about indie books, and honestly, I pulled out some … random ones. So let’s get into it!

Indie Books

Questions of War series by Jesseca Wheaton

Unfortunately, I still am talking about this series.

Also, I, um, I made a meme for my teenage self:

Since we’re both married, it’s not creepy to joke about it, is it? (Or is it more creepy? I feel like it’s more creepy.)

Heart in the Clouds by Jennifer Mistmorgan

This is a more recent series that I’ve fallen in love with, but it’s so good! I really enjoyed this one, along with the other two books in this series. I feel like Jennifer Mistmorgan may be a new author to follow for me!

Spellsmith & Carver (trilogy) by H.L. Burke

It’s actually been a bit since I read this one, but I wanted to recommend it because I feel like it’s one of the more underrated trilogies amongst my sister’s books. (Yeah, that’s my sister.)

Of course, I think of the two heroes as resembling my two brother-in-laws, which actually makes me very uncomfortable, but meh. Auric and Jericho are still great.

Trillium as a name is a 10/10.

Dreamlander by K.M. Weiland

I have a bone to pick with the end of this one, but I still recommend it! I keep hoping the author will write a sequel, but I have lost hope. If she ever does, I will be getting it!

The Fragrance of Geraniums by Alicia G. Ruggieri

This was an incredible, powerful story of redemption. Without being too preachy, this book gives us a gritty, real-life story with gritty, real-life characters. It was sad, yes, and the happy ending wasn’t quite what one would expect, but it makes an incredible impression.

I had a hard time coming up with a meme for this one, so if you have ideas, you’ll have to share them!

My Team

This year, we’re divided into teams! Allow me to share about my team for this year!

Hannah: hereynolds.com

Katja: littleblossomsforjesus.wordpress.com

Sylvie: sylvieohara106.wixsite.com/my-site-2

Olivia: withloveolivia23.wordpress.com/my-blog

Riley: rileygwriterartist.wordpress.com

Rose: rewriteswithafaeriepen.wordpress.com

The Giveaway

There’s a giveaway for Five Fall Favorites this year! Click this link to find out more and enter:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6113ead966/?

TTFN!

~Kell~

Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better? Join my email list!

Five Fall Favorites is here, and most of you probably know what that is. It’s a bunch of bloggers getting together to share about their favorite books for a week! And here I am, joining them! (It’s hosted by Once Upon an Ordinary and Read Another Page!)

I know, I know. You’ve not seen me doing Five Fall Favorites since … *does a quick search* Uhhh … 2017?

For those of you who are like, “Kell has never done Five Fall Favorites!” Yeah, that’s right. Back in 2017, I was a part of Five Fall Favorites. See my intro post here. See? Proof is in the linking! Actually, I did it in 2016, too, so I was ~there from the beginning~ but after that …

Then I went, “Well, I’m not a fall person. At all. So will people think I’m lying if I do an autumnal activity? Will people think I’m a fraud? WILL THEY HATE ME? I DON’T WANT TO BE HATED! AAAAH!”

Spoiler alert: no one cares. It’s okay for me to not love autumn and still participate in Five Fall Favorites.

But regardless, I decided it was time. Why? I don’t know. I just wanted to talk about books. As someone who has little time for reading anymore, talking about books can be … fraught … for me. Embarrassing, one might even say. It makes me feel like a fraud!

But I do read … mostly, I just reread every book I’ve ever read before that I enjoyed, and then, when I’m done with that, I also read a lot for work and start a lot of books and don’t finish them. So most of the books I read (and am recommending this week!) are classics, not newer novels.

That doesn’t make me seem less like a fraud, but hey, I … don’t care.

I STILL WANT TO TALK ABOUT BOOKS.

SO THERE.

Today is about books I’ve recommended, so let’s talk about that!

​Books I’ve Recommended

Emma by Jane Austen

Of course, I recommend Emma all the time! It’s my favorite Austen novel, and it’s just. so. good. I cannot describe what a hilarious, enjoyable, heartwarming story it is. Though not for everyone (as some people just don’t seem to get it – especially those who don’t like heroines with a little more spice than sweetness), it’s definitely a classic for a reason.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

I am forever recommending this novel! Anne is at her most talented here, and though it is in some ways a “Gothic drama,” it’s a seriously underrated novel comparable to the other sisters’ more popular novels such as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. It does have some insane moments (GILBERT I TRUSTED YOU FOR HALF A SECOND AND YOU DID WHAT?!), but like all the Brontë novels, it’s both progressive and problematic, and you have to acknowledge them both.

That said, it’s not “Hi, I’m Edward, and my wife is locked in the attic, and this is a child who I got … somehow (you know how don’t make me say it) … and this is my girlfriend, Blanche; I love her; I adore her; I will marry her; whoops, I was just kidding; anyway, want to get married?”

So … progress?

The Betsy-Tacy Series by Maud Hart Lovelace

I don’t hear a lot of people talking about Betsy-Tacy anymore, but I recommend this series to anyone who will listen! (As a sidenote, I even got to visit the author’s childhood home in Mankato, which was so fun!) This series grows up with you. The first several novels are children’s fiction, and by the end, the last few are geared more toward what I’d call a “new adult” audience. I’m only sad the author didn’t choose to continue the series!

Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter

I always think everyone should read Freckles at least once in their teenagerhood if only to realize how subtle eugenics can be and how prevalent it was I MEAN, if only to enjoy the drama! YES! THE DRAMA AND THE TRAUMA! THE DRAMA AND THE TRAUMA IS ALL THAT HAPPENS IN FRECKLES. There is only drama and trauma. As long as we ignore EVERYTHING ELSE, this is a very fun read.

But seriously, I do think it’s fun, but it’s tragically underdiscussed! And it’s not ANY MORE racist than, like, I don’t know, Wuthering Heights.

I’m sorry, this is becoming the “bash Emily and Charlotte hour” which is not what I intended

As such, I decided to make a meme since I couldn’t find one:

I am so sorry.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Ah, yes. Controvery.

Okay, so, hear me out. This book is a racist and deeply inaccurate (in terms of how the characters understand the world) product of its time, and it also features the most toxic romance you’ve ever experienced in your life (to the point where, once again, I ask you if we can call it a romance??), but I DO RECOMMEND IT.

I feel like this is the novel that really helped me understand a lot of things about that period in history that just seemed so obvious to me, and it also helped me understand myself a little better as a woman who was … um, not Melly Wilkes.

BUT it also helped me understand women who are like Melly Wilkes, too, and made me feel a little more like her. (And as a sidenote, I want to both be Melly and have a Melly in my life; I adore that woman.)

I’ll stop.

And move on.

But also, if you haven’t seen Went with the Wind, please see Went with the Wind.

My Team

This year, we’re divided into teams! Allow me to share about my team for this year!

Hannah: hereynolds.com

Katja: littleblossomsforjesus.wordpress.com

Sylvie: sylvieohara106.wixsite.com/my-site-2

Olivia: withloveolivia23.wordpress.com/my-blog

Riley: rileygwriterartist.wordpress.com

Rose: rewriteswithafaeriepen.wordpress.com

The Giveaway

There’s a giveaway for Five Fall Favorites this year! Click this link to find out more and enter:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6113ead966/?

TTFN!

~Kell~

Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better? Join my email list!

Hello folks! I am hosting a paperback sale for my author friends!

Welcome to the SUMMER SHELF SALE!

You can find the sale here:

Summer Shelf Sale

wildbluewonderpress.com/sale

The books included on this list are Christian or written by a Christian author and have no open door/spicy scenes, no unnecessarily crude language, no gratuitous violence, and any subjects discussed adhere to Biblical standards.

Please note that not all these titles are published by Wild Blue Wonder Press. The press does not necessarily endorse these products; however, they are all by independent Christian authors, who we love to support!

Many of my books are MAJORLY discounted. If you want to specifically check out my books, you can do so here:

http://wildbluewonderpress.com/shop

TTFN!

~Kell~

Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better? Join my email list!

In November of 2024, a girl started a blog post.

This blog post.

However, unfortunately, she dropped that blog post after 3 paragraphs and got distracted.

Here’s what she wrote:

As you all know, I make it a yearly habit to join NaNoWriMo, or in other words, challenge myself to write 50,000 words or more in a month. I’ve been doing this for about eleven years, by my count (since 2014), so I try to do it even in months when it’s not ideal.

So you’re probably going, “Ah, yes, Kell tried to do too much, and it was a challenge. What a shocker!” I know, that’s basically my whole life. However, this time, NaNoWriMo was supposed to be easy. I’d had years I’d completed NaNoWriMo even though it was a challenge, even though it was the worst possible time to be writing a novel.

But this year? 2024? I had a plan.

I completed 90% of my autumn deadlines in September and October. I did a lot of writing in September and October so other projects were out of the way. I went on vacation for over a week from all of my day jobs to intentionally have a writing retreat in the middle of the month.

So yeah, all the odds were in my favor.

I meant to go on to talk about how my 2024 NaNoWriMo went … interestingly … but was somehow still successful. Perhaps I was going to talk about what a struggle this was but how the “NaNoWriMo magic” (as I have often called it) carried me through, somehow, to 63,539 words written.

However, since then, NaNoWriMo has SHUT DOWN. They sent an announcement to at least part of their email lists (I never got the email; I just read it from screenshots!), never posted anything to their social media (that I saw, at least), and then just closed their website. Even the website said nothing 5 days before it shut down. I know, because I randomly hopped on and saved my stats before then, thank God!

Little warning was given. Users were barely warned. The organization pointed fingers everywhere but in the direction they should have pointed them.

You know, at the blatant mismanagement, pro-AI stances, ableism, alienation of various people groups, predatory/pedophilic behavior of authority figures going unchecked in their forums, moderator authority abuse … the list goes on. NaNoWriMo is an organization that has long been a mess. I’ve had some people say this wasn’t an issue until the last couple years, but I’ve experienced similar issues from this program since 2013, soooo … believe what you will.

But you know, really it’s the fault of “financial issues” (which is true but WHY) and “community vitriol” (which is true but WHY).

Regardless, there is no more NaNoWriMo. In case you don’t know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and was a challenge, set in November, to write 50,000 words (or more!) in a month. It’s existed since 1999, so it did last 25 years before disappearing!

Literally disappearing.

Again, I’m not surprised, but I am a little … not even disappointed. I don’t let myself get disappointed by things that have consistently been disappointing since, you know, 2013. But I am a little … interesting-feeling.

I mean, I’ve won NaNoWriMo every year since November 2014 in additional to doing quite a few of their Camp NaNoWriMo challenges (so yeah, 11 times). I was a VERY active participant of the  YWP program. I’ve joined dozens of challenges and groups and “camps.” In total, I wrote over a million words and 20+ different projects via this organization. (Stats, for reference.)

And now it’s over.

I have faced a little criticism for always doing NaNoWriMo despite the fact that in many ways, the organization was both radical left and anti-creative.

I don’t agree with many things NaNoWriMo has shared and done. I’m especially disappointed with their response to both AI and the forum scandals to do with child grooming, both of which are inexcusable. That said, as I’ve pointed out in the past, using their name and their word trackers is not necessarily “supporting them,” per se, and I haven’t used a forum created by them since I left YWP at 16 or 17.

All the same, I’m glad NaNoWriMo is no longer causing harm with its mismanagement, and in truth, the writing community will probably end up being a better place without them.

But it has me thinking back on my NaNoWriMo history.

November 2014 ~ the beginning

In November 2014, I wrote 51,348 words, mostly of The Dressmaker’s Secret but also with a touch of rewriting.

I was shook.

I hadn’t believed I could do it. I hadn’t believed it was even possible.

Suddenly, writing had changed for me. It was like the clouds had parted and golden light had streamed over the source of writing power, leading me, the intrepid heroine, to the Promised Land of writing excellence.

I don’t know how this worked. I’m shocked I didn’t just waste time on the forums, but I didn’t. Instead, I wrote a whole book! (It was only about 38,911, so I have no idea what the 51,348 words were except perhaps rewrites I also counted? I’m not sure.)

But I was glowing with accomplishment. I decided then that I could write dozens of books a year and publish most of them.

Honestly, I wasn’t far off.

Anywho. *shoves proud Kell aside* It was great.

Interestingly enough, just about the only thing that hasn’t changed about TDS from draft 1 to draft 234 (slight exaggeration) is the first line:

“I knew that she must be home by now, which made sitting so still even more agonizing.” (Draft 1)

“Alice knew her mother must be home by now, which made sitting still even more agonizing.” (Final Published Version)

November 2015 ~ the continuation

Another year, another project that went swimmingly! Version one of Ivy Introspective came to 50,122 which is again confusing because I only saved 32,585 of the first draft, lol, but again, I transferred all this over from YWP in 2016 and my writing process was a little different, so I don’t know. I believe I probably wrote most of draft 2 in November, too, because I very quickly realized some elements weren’t working (mainly, not introducing McCale House until the last two chapters!).

By then, I’d written quite literally dozens of drafts of The Dressmaker’s Secret. Though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend every young writer rewrite and rewrite the same story, it worked for me because I rapidly learned exactly what I wanted to communicate and how to hone said messaging.

Ivy Introspective – then called Ivy Inquisitive – was a more solid draft. I still remember moments of struggle in NaNoWriMo 2015, but by then, I was outlining, I was prepping, I was dialed in. And I loved it! My first book was coming out in January of that year (*sad maniacal laugh*), and I was riding high.

November 2016-2017 ~ the secret sauce

This is when NaNoWriMo fell into a good rhythm for me. Both At Her Fingertips and Beyond Her Calling flew off the page! I ended NaNoWriMo 2016 with 65,978 and NaNoWriMo 2017 with 71,588 words.

I outlined pretty heavily, especially in November 2016, which helped me a lot. I spent most of my prep time in 2016 trying EVERYTHING, from character charts to color-coding to meticulous research notes. In 2017, I focused more on the things I had referenced the most, further hashing out my outlining process and keeping only what worked.

November 2018 ~ the miracle

2018 was a rough year for me. My grandfather died in October. I honestly didn’t think I could write in November.

As it turns out, grief is a great motivator for drafting. I was so lost and so broken-hearted. I barely wanted to be alive at that point for a number of reasons. So … I wrote. In total, I drafted 118,322 words in November 2018, more than I’ve ever written in a single month since.

They weren’t all good words, and honestly, some of the stories I drafted in that month (Souls Astray, a new draft of The Lady of the Vineyard and Flowers in Her Heart, etc.) still show the marks of my mental space at the time. But I’m glad I did it, and I do think it helped me work through some feelings.

November 2019 ~ the struggles begin

In November 2019, I wrote a mix of Ivy Introspective (from-scratch rewrites for the final publication) & A Broken Loyalty (a WWII thriller I got 58k of, all told, which, for reference, I cut down to 42,985 literally last month because I decided to do some quick edits). This was a weird year for me. Though I got 83,292, a respectable word count, I felt like I was let down by the quality of what I wrote. I was also trying a couple new techniques with A Broken Loyalty (turning all my text white and “writing blind” was one of them, along with a blatant use of WriteorDie), and it did teach me to consistently write 1,000 words in 10 minutes over and over again, but other than that, I don’t recommend it. Like I said, writing 58,497 to only keep 43,241 just doesn’t work for me. I also never finished that book, in part because until this year, I lacked the energy and objectivity to finish it!

That said, I feel I was less than objective in my feelings about this November. I mean, again, I did really well in terms of word count! I just wanted to do more.

November 2020-2021 ~ the rebound

In November 2020, I wrote 64,589 on The Duke’s Twin, which though smaller than previous wins, got me a decent first draft (though I still need to do major revisions but shh). I felt a little more steady on my feet. 2020 in general hadn’t been a bad year for me, despite all the mini personal tragedies and the big exterior nonsense going on … okay, it had been a bad year in some ways, but writing was going well. *shrug* This was my first Author Conservatory project, and I underwrote it. When I finish it, this is gonna be a 100k book, I swear.

In 2021, I also did super well, though more in the “I wrote way too much” way. I had less work to do at that point, since I was on a break from several of my jobs and living in a tiny apartment with my new husband, and I wrote 124,450 on After Our Castle and … other stores. *squints* After Our Castle is complete at 81,801, so I went digging through my blog posts to figure out what I wrote, and it turns out it was some wrapup for A Prayer Unanswered, but I know there was something else, too. My Fair Marchioness? I kinda thought it was that, but I didn’t mention it.

November 2022-2024 ~ the final trilogy of struggling

THE HILTON LEGACY, MAN! THESE BOOKS!

Literally all 65r8439058324906890 drafts (that’s a number right) and all of them TERRIBLE, BUT I HAVE CONQUERED THIS STUPID TRILOGY.

Every time, I struggled to write. Every time, the story ran off and did its own thing. Every time, I finished the book some time in January. Every time, I barely squeaked by with the words I wanted.

The November word counts were:

68,610 (Like a Ship on the Sea)
51,757 (Like the Air After Rain)
63,539 (Book 3)

Having completed them all some time in the year AFTER I was supposed to complete them, and then done copious revisions on all of them, I’m currently at:

96897
93473
93856 (… and growing)

ASK ME WHY I HATE THIS TRILOGY.

GO ON.

I DARE YOU.

*spits, kicks, and throws a general tantrum*

Okay, but seriously, the Hiltons are going to send me to an early grave.

But I’m almost done. Whew.

Anyways, I do think NaNoWriMo is still helping me even in this season of difficulty writing, and I also think that a lot of my mental health has not helped the situation. Plus, NaNoWriMo feels less fun than it used to. Partly because I’m way too busy now to give the community the same mind I used to (despite wanting to), and partly because I always have something come up (sickness, job difficulties or simply busy seasons at jobs, mental health issues, the Hilton siblings, did I mention the Hilton siblings).

I’m not mad; I’m just disappointed.

But I wish I knew 2024, my 11th NaNoWriMo, was my last one, technically.

Because now … it’s over.

November 2025 …? ~ and onward

Or not?

I don’t know, honestly.

I’m curious to know WHAT I’ll do in November 2025. Presumably KDWC and similar camps will still exist, so I may join one of them, but sometimes I struggle to handle the chaos. I’ll really miss NaNoWriMo’s specific word count tracker, so I’m on the lookout for an alternative (let me know if you know one that’s easy to use and shows a bunch of different stats) or else I’ll make my own. That may be the best alternative, honestly – I’ve become spreadsheet-savvy-ish. Sort of.

Anywho.

Slight update after abandoning this blog post.

No, it didn’t take me long.

Do you like it?

So I guess I have that now.

NaNoWriMo has nothing on my ability to find random Reddit threads that tell me how to do things (this is not a skill I have on my own haha). This is probably more useable than their dumb website that crashed on me every sixteen seconds and never loaded when I had 2 minutes to go until midnight.

In all seriousness, I am going to miss that stupid glitchy website, as you know I’ve never been a huge spreadsheet person (lol), but life moves on.

I say that but my spreadsheets have actually become a joke to my friends, hence:

You know how Lorelei is Type B in every way except the two ways she decided to be Type A for fifteen minutes every day?

… yeah. That’s me.

Anyways, I thought this belonged on the blog because NaNoWriMo has been so discussed on this blog!

TTFN!

~Kell~

Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better? Join my email list!

Hello folks! I am hosting a paperback sale for my author friends!

Do you have paperbacks of your books that you need to sell? Are your bookshelves overflowing with the weight of author copies? Join this sale to while promoting like-minded authors!

Note: this sale is for direct paperback sales, not Amazon (or other retailer) sales. This can be as complex as a website shop (like mine) or accepting payments via something like Venmo or Paypal, which can be accomplished without a web store.

What will the sale entail?During the month of July (or part of July; I’ll do the full month + continue advertising even after I run out of copies for your sake!), we’re advertising a paperback sale! These can be signed or unsigned, with or without merch, but they should be sold directly from you, the author. Personally, I will be ONLY selling copies I already have and “ending my sale” if/when I run out, to create more urgency, but you can decide what you do. You could also create a time limit (say, you only sale copies in the second week of July). Basically, it’s your decision what you do.You decide how much you discount your paperback copies. Basically, do something to prompt more sales! Even a tiny sale, a promo code, or a book bundle could increase interest. You could also just choose to advertise at your regular prices, if you are simply unable to afford sales pricing.I’ll provide graphics, example posts/email text, and a gathering-place for all the links/info! Basically, I’ll create a page on my website with links to all the books and authors as well as creating graphics/example text for you to reshare with promo pictures, book covers, etc. I’ll also highlight all the authors and their sales on my Instagram profile (3.3k followers) individually over the course of the month of July as well as sharing this sale to my email list (1.8k subscribers) and blog (1.6k subscribers). Hopefully, this will give us some decent reach!How to participate?

There are 3 steps:

Fill out this form . This is primarily to give me a place to email you for information + to allow me to add you to a group chat on Instagram.Email the following to kellynroth@gmail.com before June 30th: the book covers or a photo of the books you’re selling; a brief description of what you write (e.g. “Kellyn Roth writes historical romance for new adult Christian women that explores the highs and lows of a God-honoring life with truth and tact”); and a link to wherever you want readers directed to buy a book from you (a website page; a social media profile if absolutely necessary; basically, somewhere where they can either directly buy or find instructions on how to buy your book!). I will also need to know the terms of your sale (e.g. 10% off store wide, these 2 novels discounted until DATE, if your sale will only be live for a part of the month, delays in shipping while you’re on vacation, et cetera).Share about the sale! As I note below, you are not required to highlight every single author and every single book; however, sharing one post or sending one email is a requirement. You’re welcome to do more; however, I know we’re all busy, and it’s enough to manage a store front.

For those of you on Instagram, I’ll also be adding you to an Instagram group chat so we can support each other, brainstorm marketing tactics, etc. That said, you are welcome to mute it if it doesn’t prove helpful to you.

What books are we accepting?

On Genres:

All genres will be accepted with the exception of genres that by their nature do not conform to the content levels below. Yes, you can share your nonfiction/poetry/etc., too!

On Content Levels:

To keep this simple, any book included in this sale must be PG-13 or below. No open door/spicy scenes, no unnecessarily crude language, no gratuitous violence, and any subjects discussed should adhere to Biblical standards to the best of the author’s abilities. Books don’t have to be written for a Christian audience, but I want to avoid promoting books that are not acceptable to a Christian audience (which many of the authors in this promo are targeting). That said, I leave it up to you (the author) to determine what God-honoring means and advertise your books to the correct audience. I won’t be policing you!

On Cross-Promotion:

Since PG-13 is somewhat of a wide range, and I know some of you are targeting younger audiences, please feel free to include whatever (kind) disclaimers you must or simply avoid mentioning/promoting books that would not resonate with your audience. This is in the best interests of all of us, as we don’t want to disappoint readers with unclear marketing!

On Other Items:

Some of us also do merch, services, etc. I won’t be creating graphics or specifically advertising these, but if you want to advertise these things along with your paperback sale, you’re welcome to do so!

Please let me know if you have any questions! <3 I’m so excited to get to know all you lovely authors and help you market your books!

TTFN!

~Kell~

Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better? Join my email list!