May 2019 Dares

Well, it’s our May 2019 Dares! Eesh. April was another fly-by month. Please tell me things start slowing down at some point? Maybe in Heaven? I hope Heaven is ridiculously slow.

But yep, between broken-down computers, Easter, birthdays and birthday parties, friends, and more … it’s been wild. May will be just as wild … but here’s for June!

In addition, things are changing and shifting in my life, I’m getting ready for some major launches, and … yeah. I’m not whining, really, but slooowwwwwnnesss is precious. If you have it, hold onto it, because it’s only for a little while.

April 2019 Recap

• Read five books. Check!
  • 12! Well, half of them were mine … or so it seems. 😉
  • But anyway, more than 5.
• Finish your Camp NaNoWriMo goals. Check!
  • I have over 60K! And I got all my editing done.
• Get Souls Astray all ready to publish. Check!
  • I ordered my author copies today.
• Try to be a little more consistent as a blogger. Check!
  • I feel like I did, anyways.
• Practice your instruments more consistently. Failed.
  • Ugh.
• Don’t die. Failed.
  • Whoops. 😅

For Camp NaNoWriMo, give or take some random projects I didn’t count, I wrote 60,227 words! Here’s the breakdown of that:

I am literally obsessed with working on Between Two Lanes, which y’all don’t know about yet. I’ve decided not to disclose details, muhahaha. Probably in the next week or so I’ll share some smalllllll details, but let’s just say … it’s exciting.

One little hint: while brainstorming how certain things work in the story, I loudly told Bailey: “DO NOT LISTEN TO MARVEL! I have my own way of doing this.”

Also, I got to explain to Bailey was suspension of disbelief is, which was fun.

Updates on the Kees & Colliers series:

Souls Astray is completely finished! Launching this Saturday. Wow.

The Lady of the Vineyard is mostly finished! I’m proofreading now. Though goodness knows that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m done. *growls at SA*

Flowers in Her Heart is with the editor, and I am working on my final edits for From Now ‘Til Forever. So basically … yeah. We’re almost done.

Blogging Updates

I’m still up in the air about switching around my blogging schedule, so for now we’ll leave it as it is! I enjoy posting 3x a week, and I hope to eventually start posting reviews more often which are easier and therefore lighten my load.

In this last month some of the posts on this blog were:

Why YOU Should See the Unplanned Movie

I’m Looking for Guest Posts! (still am)

What Do Christian Politicians Say About Abortion? {Guest Post by Tori Easter}

3 Fun Ways to Plan for the Future

We’ve Come a Long Way, Mates

3 Old TV Shows You Should Watch {Part 2}

Faith Alone | Blog Tour Intro and Mini Review!

A Question of Loyalty by Jesseca Wheaton {Blog Tour + Review}

Faith Alone | Blog Tour Wrapup

Reading Updates

*cringes and hides*

Favorite of the Month: A Question of Loyalty was a reread, so let’s not count that – same with Faith Alone. I’ll have to say With Love, Wherever You Are. It was an absolutely amazing semi-biographical romance. Very sweet! (Cherry Ames was also a reread, lol!)

Least Favorite of the Month: This was a good month for me, mostly because I didn’t finish anything I didn’t enjoy greatly, but I’ll go with Wagon Train Baby. It was just kinda … blah. Immature, I suppose.

Random April Stuff

• Brother’s birthday. Nothin’ much happened.
• Easter! Got to see Last Days with some friends.
• Saw people more often. (Hoorah! And uh.)
• Saw Avengers: Endgame. I … don’t really get the hype, but yeah, it was cool. (I’ll post a review some time or other, but basically alllllll my predictions – which I scarcely hoped to believe in – were right, so yay!) (That was last night, btw, which is why this post is late. *tsks* Being out until 10:30 doesn’t help me get posts out.)
• Kept getting random story ideas. Some of them really stuck.

How I’m Doing in 2019 So Far

New Year’s Resolution again?! Ugh … hate to see how I’m doing with these! 1/3 of the way through the year!

• Write 4 full-length novels.

  • Working on it! Not sure how close I am … I feel like I need to just pick one novel, but ehhh.

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

  • I have finished Flowers in Her Heart and Before a Fall!

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

  • I’m actually getting this in most of the time. Or catching up on other days!

• Submit Once a Stratton to at least 20 agents.

  • Disillusioned with OAS still. I’ll probably indie publish if I ever decide to reboot the idea.

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

  • Working on it!

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

  • ^^

• Read 150+ books.

  • Ughhh, I’m sooo behind schedule STILL!

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

  • I have a bit. I’ve sort of figured out my financial situation for this summer – sort of.

• Get your freebies ready for your email list.

  • Done!

• Read through the New Testament.

  • adkjfakldfjadsklfjad
  • WHY IS THIS SO FREAKIN’ HARD???
  • It’s not but it is …

• Be a faithful saxophone and clarinetist.

  • dfkjadkfljasdfkadjf
  • I don’t want to talk about it.

• Publish the entire “Kees & Colliers” series.

  • So close!

• Take Aubrey and/or Riley on an adventure.

  • Surrrrrrrrreeeeeee …?

• Go on an adventure with my friends.

  • *shrugs*

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

  • I really don’t want to now. 😅

I love how half of the stuff that was supposed to be fun I’m now like, “Eh. Don’t want it.”

And now …

May 2019 Dares

• 30,000 words of The Dressmaker’s Secret.
  • As you may know, Bob, I’m rewriting TDS again.
  • It’s coming out in October? Somewheres around then.
• Seriously outline Between Two Lanes.
  • Though right now I am enjoying writing it, it’s not good.
  • Like, I cannot work like this. I enjoy it, but I can’t do it. 😅 #tooeasilydistracted
• Read at least three ARCs.
  • Because I’m so behind.
• Be a consistent blogger.
  • Or as much as I can with this crazy life!
• Enjoy yourself … once or twice!
  • Yuppp…
• More survival.
  • But I’m a survivor.
  • Kinda.

Stuff Happening in May

• My mom’s birthday and Mother’s Day!
• My niece’s birthday.
• A beach trip for moi.
• END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR. (I work a job that cuts me down to 2 days/week in the summer.
• Souls Astray launches! (Look for the blog tour, giveaways, Facebook party, and more this Saturday!)
• Surviving. Surviving is important.

Annnddd … I think that’s it! Sorry for this being late, but it was unavoidable. Sorta. Well, not really, but shush.

TTFN!

~Kellyn Roth~

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p.s.

What are you doing this May? Oh, and what did you do in April? Top favorite and least things about April? What are you excited about happening in May … and what are you dreading? (I’m dreading Spring Fling … don’t ask. It’s a work thing, lol, not a dance.)