Hey there! It’s almost 2018! *much excitement/confusion/anticipation* Can you believe it? I sure can’t. It seemed like only yesterday I was doing that stupid video about New Year’s Resolutions that was super boring.
By the way, ‘Remembrance Day’ is apparently sort of the British ‘Veteran’s Day.’ Which makes that one British book I read called Remembrance make more sense. I was like, “This is a great book, but I don’t see anyone remembering anything?” *is a goof* *is unashamed of that fact*
NOW … let it be known that I have a ton to say in the introduction so that whole paragraph about “remembrance” was in bad taste as now the rest of the introduction will have to be bumped past the original introduction. *has rules about the numbers of paragraphs in the introduction* *shrugs*


Okay, here is a the post-introduction introduction. In this post, we’ll have a recap of December Dares, a recap of 2017, and an invitation to beta-read At Her Fingertips. (I’ll be talking about my January Dares and Resolutions for 2018 in the next post!)
So … it’s a full post.
But that’s okay! Fullness is good. It makes the post all … full. And has lots of info that you won’t be able to process. I feel like I should stop rambling and just get to it.

December 2017 Dares {Recap}

Reading

• Read three review copies. Check!
  • These review copies were Reuben’s Choice by Natalie Vellacott, Disowned by Sarah Addison-Fox, and Cries of Grace by Angela Beach Silverthorne.
• Finish all those random books in your closet. Kinda.
  • Okay, so, there was Cries of Grace (^^) as well as To Wager Her Heart and A Lady Unrivalled, and I read those.
  • But then there are still three books (I think?) that I haven’t read yet which are rotting away in there.
  • And I added to that stack with Christmas this month – but those are already-read books, so I’m good.
• BETA-READ THE BOOK YOU PROMISED TO BETA-READ. Kinda.
  • I’m not finished yet, but I hope to be by tomorrow, sooo?

Writing

• Edit & publish Flowers. Kinda.
  • Okay, so, I edited it, but I decided to delay publication until the 13th of January, sooo?
  • It was a Dare I chose not to accomplish.
• Get through At Her Fingertips twice. Check!
  • Well … okay, I went through it once …
  • And I’m almost through it again.
  • SO CLOOOOSEEEE.
  • But I’m giving myself the point just ’cause.
• Make those formatting changes for TDS and IvIn. Check!
  • That was easy.
• Write a Christmas short story. Failed.
  • Eh. I just couldn’t think of one.
  • I edited and published Esther Ashton’s New Dress, though …?
  • Extra points?

Blogging

• Participate in the 12 Days of Christmas party! Check!
  • This post.
  • This post.
  • This post.
  • And this post.
• Actually put out some quality posts that aren’t published at ten o’ clock at night. Failed.
  • I did put out some posts, but they weren’t what I had in mind, sooo?
  • Yeah, I’m calling it “Failed” even though I could have said “Kinda.”
• And do some reviewing and such on RR. Failed.
  • This did not happen. That is all there is to it.

Life

• Clean my fish’s bowl. Check!
  • Twice, actually. *wiggles eyebrows*
• Practice my clarinet and saxophone. Check!
  • And the concert went super well, too, and I’m excited to start again! Even though you won’t catch me admitting it.
  • We’re having a jazz band this year, and I’m the band’s gonna be awesome. *coughs*
• Work with Aubrey. Failed.
  • Aubrey is … um … a problem child. And I was distracted all month and ignored this fact. And she is even more of a problem child due to that ignoring.
  • I am a terrible person, but I’m gonna try to improve … I mean it!
• Visit my grandparents – at least a couple times. Failed.
  • I mean, Christmas?
  • But that doesn’t count, even though it was loads of fun.
  • I AM A TERRIBLE GRANDDAUGHTER AHHHHHH.
• Christmas shopping! Check!
  • I mean, I did some serious regifting, a bit of online shopping, etc. but I did go shopping once, sooo?
  • CHECK CHECK CHECK CHECK CHECK!!!
  • THAT IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

December Recap

Here is how my life went in December (besides what I already talked about in the Dares):

• Read eleven books. Three of them were my own. *is not ashamed*
  • I’ve actually been struggling with reading a lot recently since I keep on running into books that leave me feeling unsatisfied.
  • CAN NO ONE WRITE A BOOK WITH A DECENT ENDING???
• Sooooo close to being ready for beta-readers with At Her Fingertips! Just a little bit more editing to go.
  • On that note, here is my beta-reader sign up form!
  • I did most of this work in the last couple weeks.
• For most of December, I was pretty depressed.
  • But Christmas made me feel better.
  • So I’m much happier now.
  • *whistles Joy to the World*
• I had an absolutely fantastic Christmas!
  • Probably the best Christmas I’ve had in years.
  • We opened all our presents on Christmas Eve.
    • With our huge family. So, my two uncles and their families and my grandparents and my sister and her family.
  • I feel like I’m starting to grow up and realize that my family is cool. Y’know?
    • Like, I’ve been pretty much your average disgusted teen since I was 11 or 12, but … I feel like I’m slowly, slooooowwwwlllllly making my way towards adulthood, and my family is nice in adulthood.
    • Well, mostly. 😉
  • Gifts were good! They are not always, haha.
    • I got a brand-new Kindle Fire 8 which is absolutely amazing! I’ve been editing on it, and it’s sooo much fun.
    • Also got some lovely PJs … they’re plaid with a button-up shirt. *can’t explain why this makes me happy* *it just does*
    • And some books. And lots of candy. And some nice clothes. And … I don’t remember what all else, but good stuff, mate.
    • (I have a big family who all appear to have a love language of gifts, lol. *is usually not a gift person*)

And … yep. There were other things that happened in December, but I won’t talk about all that.

A Recap of 2017

Now, I won’t go into all the infinitesimal details, but a lot happened in 2017, and I want to touch on the highlights as well as see how I did with my goals for that year.
But we can look.

Stuff That Happened

• • I PUBLISHED TWO BOOKS (and a short story)!!! Ivy Introspective was published for the first time ever, and The Dressmaker’s Secret relaunched. (And then there was Esther Ashton’s New Dress, too!)
  • I got my driver’s license. I’m a great driver. (And I’m not just saying that.) (Despite my dare-devil ways, I can also be quite responsible.) (So yep.)
  • I got my first job. Because money is awesome. 😉 Really, though, I’m getting a lot of skills from this job – mostly people skills, haha – and that’s great.
  • Started my last year of high school. Sooo close to done …
  • My dog died. 🙁 Gidget was the best dog I have ever owned – and probably ever will own. She was my best friend, and I miss her terribly. But … life goes on.
  • But I got a new dog. Aubrey is gonna be a good girl, I think. She’s nothing like Gidget, but she’s still awesome.
  • I feel old (in a good way). I just realized that when I was on YWP NaNoWriMo as a little girl, the ‘grandmas’ of NaNo were my age and older. I would be a NaNoGranny now. I am unspeakably proud of this. 😛
  • Wrote (about) 157,584 words.
    • How did I figure this?
      • Beyond Her Calling: 71,544
      • Once a Stratton: 41,604
      • Quiet: 7,563
      • Flowers: 9,434 (most recent draft, though, so it was originally longer)
      • Adae: 15,895
      • Esther Ashton’s New Dress [rewrite]: 2,512
      • Miscellaneous [e.g. don’t want to share with you, haha]: 2,535 + 4,577 + 920 + about 1,000
    • So 432 words a day on average. (Yes, most of those were in one month, haha.)
• Edited six projects: The Dressmaker’s Secret, Ivy Introspective, At Her Fingertips, Flowers, Esther Ashton’s New Dress, and Flowers.
• Brainstormed/plotted/outlined so many ideas/novels/etc. that I don’t even want to think about it. Comes from being awesome. *nods* And from having a brain that won’t stop churning out stupid ideas for books.
• Not gonna go into blog stats … that’s just too complicated!

2017 New Year’s Resolutions {Recap}

Revise/edit Ivy Introspective.

Check!

Publish Ivy Introspective.

Check!

Relaunch The Dressmaker’s Secret.

Check!

Keep to the schedule I set for Reveries (which was Mon/Wed/Fri).

Kinda. I changed schedules mid-year.

Keep to the schedule I set for Reveries Reviews (which was Tues/Fri).

Failed. Didn’t even try.

Get my driver’s license.

Check!

Work?

Check! YOU’RE RIGHT “WORK” DOUBTFUL ME OF LAST YEAR.

Revise/edit At Her Fingertips.

Check! Well, mostly, haha …

Outline a totally new novel.

Check! (This one was very vague, so I’m counting my outline of Interpreting Callie James.)

Write Beyond Her Calling.

Check!

Finish Flowers.

Check!

Finish Caught in a Spell.

Failed. You’re probably surprised that this one is even a goal/resolution/whatever because I never even mentioned it because I never even tried to do it. 😛

Do something with Interpreting Callie James.

Check! I brainstormed and outlined it.

Write 500 words a day for 365 days.

Kinda. I write 432 words every day, which is 86.4% of 500. That’s pretty darn close.

Go to Dairy Queen with the boys and no parents.

Check! I did this several times, actually … it’s not a big deal. I also went with friends a couple times. *shrugs*

Practice clarinet.

Kinda. I did, but I didn’t. I mean, I went to band practice every week and such, but yeah … not a big at-home practicer. At least not all year long. 😉

Practice guitar.

Failed. I didn’t even try. And it’s horribly out of tune, so until Dad takes a look at it, I’m not going to, either.

Read Bible through in a year.

Kinda. I did read a sizable chunk of the Bible … I’d say 70-80%. I skim-read a lot, so even though I technically finish it, I didn’t really. *makes perfect sense*

Start Once a Stratton.

Check! I’m 40K+ into it!

Turn 16.

Check! I AM SO AWESOME. LOOK AT ME, ACCOMPLISHING THINGS LEFT AND RIGHT.

Final Stats …

• 20 resolutions
• 13 accomplished
• 4 half-accomplished
• 3 failed

65% good, 20% semi-good, 15% failed. Pretty good, huh? Especially for a whole year.

Beta-Reading for At Her Fingertips

That’s right! I’m now looking for beta-readers for At Her Fingertips! You can sign up here. Below are some things you might want to know:

• At Her Fingertips is a Christian historical romance set in 1880 England. It’s great for fans of BBC miniseries, historical romances, Christian fiction, and 1880s England. #redudant
• It’s aimed for audiences 13+ (upper PG/lower PG-13) due to some situational content. I can go into more details in the comments at your request.
• Though AFOP is part of a series, it’s okay not to read books 1 and 2. However, I will be offering a free ebook copy of both books to anyone who wants them just as a gift.
• I want to finish beta-reading before March, though it can run into early March. You can pull out at any time if you absolutely need to, but you need to let me know if you decide to do so.

And … I think that’s it! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.
Well, that’s all until Saturday when I’ll be talking about my New Year’s Resolutions and Dares for January!

And now, until we meet again,

~Kellyn Roth~

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p.s.

What did you do in 2017? What were your accomplishments? Non-accomplishments? Interested in beta-reading At Her Fingertips? 😛