Warning: this is going to be a short post because Kell is exhausted and just wants to go back to her secret pleasure, Alone in Berlin. 😅

Since it’s been a while since I did this, let me quickly explain: I try to do monthly posts to “dare” myself to do more in the next month. I also use these to wrap up the last month.

Keeps me accountable, and you updated! So let’s get into it.

Stuff That Happened in January

So first let’s take a peak back into January! I’ll just do a quick recap because I didn’t have official “dares” last night.

1. Lots of birthdays! Our family’s major birthday month is January.
2. Started writing Alone in Berlin.
3. Finished with betas for Souls Astray and started with them for The Lady of the Vineyard.
4. Officially launched Reveries Co. Didn’t die.
5. Became the proud owner of 5,000 more books I don’t have space for. (Help!)
6. Got through the start-of-the-year craziness. And it was indeed crazy!
7. Lots of random colds and whatnot that weren’t bad enough to call in sick but were bad enough to make me miserable.
8. Stumbling through the month with lots of busyness.

How I’m Doing in 2019 So Far

This is a new section I’d like to add to my monthly dares … keeping track of how I’m doing with my 2019 goals!

So here are my goals and how I’m doing:

• Write 4 full-length novels.

  • I’m working on #1 now! (Alone in Berlin) Flowers in Her Heart probably won’t count, but we’ll see.

• Finish A Prayer Unanswered, Flowers in Her Heart, and Before a Fall.

  • I’ve actually finished BAF, and I’m getting there with FIHH.

• Write 1,000 words per day for 365 days.

  • I feel like I’ve already failed this, but eh. I can catch up.

• Submit Once a Stratton to at least 20 agents.

  • I haven’t worked on this more since it needs some edits first!

• Polish a non-Alice-and-Ivy novel and get a pro editor.

  • Working on it!

(It’s actually more like 150 souls now, though. Cast keeps expanding. 😅)

• Prepare a 2nd pitch and send to first 5 agents.

  • This can’t happen until the last one does.

• Read 150+ books.

  • Working on it! I’m 14 books in.

• Put some serious thought into your future as far as work goes.

  • I did; don’t want to think about it anymore. 😅
  • I think I need to be more chill with where I am now – and so does everyone, tbh.
  • Unless they’re too passive. #couldgoeitherway

• Get your freebies ready for your email list.

  • Done! (Scroll down a bit.)

• Read through the New Testament.

  • … ehhh.

• Be a faithful saxophone and clarinetist.

  • So far I’d say so! We just started, of course.

• Publish the entire “Kees & Colliers” series.

  • Workingggg on it!

• Take Aubrey and/or Riley on an adventure.

  • Not yet! Sometime!

• Go on an adventure with my friends.

  • I mean we’ve done stuff, and this is hard to define, but I think I meant something bigger than DQ.

• Attempt to get involved in some sort of book signing event.

  • I haven’t as of yet, but frankly, I’m too excited to do so.

And without further ado …

My February 2019 Dares

1. Read three books written/published before 1950.

   • I’m thinking probably mostly Cherry Ames and some vintage oldies I have!

2. Get through at least half of my research for Alone in Berlin.

   • Cherry Ames and my Nazi book, lol. That should be half. 😅
   • Okay, not really. I also have a SECOND Nazi book coming … and I’ve already read one book … and I need to do some more book on personality types.
   • AND THAT – that, my friends – will be HALF of my research!
   • I’ll probably post about this soonish.

3. Finish editing Souls Astray and format it for print #1.

   • Gettin’ there!

4. Finish polishing The Lady of the Vineyard for the editor.

   • Also gettin’ there. Ugh.

5. Practice my instruments at least three times every week.

   • Mmmmm… don’t want to? Oh well, I gotta!

6. Put together an email list (complete with subscriber goodies!) for Reveries Co.

   • This is gonna be a slow, hard process. But must is involved!

7. Get up early a couple times to write and do other work.

   • Right now I don’t feel like moving from this coach to go to bed, so … that’s hard to imagine! 😰😜

8. Get better about scheduling social media and blog posts.

   • Yepppp … this falls by the wayside far too often.
   • This is kind of a vague dare, but oh well …

9. Work on consistency in learning Spanish.

   • Slowly but steadily, I’m learning Spanish via Duolingo! Butttt … I’m bad. And I don’t have a lot of outside resources. Or a lot of time to develop to it!
   • But even if I can’t REALLY learn to speak it, I can learn to try to learn it … right? 😅

10. Figure out all the dates for publishing the Kees & Colliers series.

    • I have a loose idea (e.g. months and a couple possible weeks), but time to make a firm plan!

Nice, right? Hoping I can get it all done!

Stuff Happening in February

1. A friend’s birthday party (Sonja Jacobsen of Reveries Co., actually).
2. HTTYD is releasing.
   • HEHEHE.
3. Um … Valentine’s Day?
   • … I couldn’t care less?
4. Nothing much every happens in February.
5. February is a boring month. And therefore the one I expect to be most magical.
6. Because like, who knows what’s gonna happen? Nothing. So there’s an option for ANYTHING to fill nothing’s place.
7. So yeah. February is cool/boring.

However, I am in a lackluster mood. I feel exhausted and kinda depressed, and I got disturbed by a couple things. (Yes, old ironsoul – me – does occasionally get disturbed. 😏 By weird things, but yeah. Anime is one of them, FYI, in case you’re actually becoming worried about my mental health. It’s nothing.)

In addition, I’m … sick? I guess? I have a sore throat and a headache but mostly in the morning and evening. But I’ll be fine.

TTFN!

~Kellyn Roth~

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p.s.

Did you enjoy my February 2019 Dares? What did you do in January? What are you planning for February? Do you ever just feel bleh or get disturbed for no reason?