Kellyn Roth's Blog: Kellyn Roth, Author, page 10

An Introduction with Random Updates

It’s not been an easy couple months. It’s not been an easy year. But that’s not surprising, because human life is not easy, and if you expect it to be, well, you’ll be disappointed.

But today (meaning earlier this week by the time I’m getting this out) my swing broke again, flinging me across the yard, and I wasn’t hurt (except bruised knuckles and a mildly aching wrist), so I’m going to go ahead and use this moment, when I have more than a handful of “thank yous,” to write a blog post.

Matthew and I recently moved—as of late September—and are getting settled in our new cabin home. You can see pictures on Instagram or Facebook, but I’ll try to share some here at some point. But it looks great, and we’re thrilled to be there, even though some parts of it aren’t ideal.

I’m working to make my schedule more doable, and though some of that has been very stressful and will likely continue to be, I’m hoping for the best.

Though my health isn’t great, and though that is a major source of worry for me, I know some practical steps I can take to improve it, and I’m working toward taking them.

I have my puppy now, and he’s cute and sweet and doing fairly well.

Our approval for the state of Washington came through with Matthias (after, you know, a year of trying!), meaning my income from working with him is now just going to be supplemented by his family. It’s a huge blessing for them, of course, but it actually comes with somewhat of a pay raise for me, too! Well, maybe not, after taxes, but it feels like a pay raise.

So I tick off those blessings and hope for more. I have to do that—I’m in a bit of a spiral right now and am struggling to pull out of it. Fortunately, it’s only a personal spiral, and it’s different than ones of the past in that I don’t have to worry about certain things. I’m not suicidal or dangerously depressed, certainly.

However, it’s weighing on me, as things tend to do. I don’t want to freak anyone out—well, I do, but not about this.

What I Actually Want To Talk About

Anyways, all this to say, I have a lot going on—three jobs (for now), lots of book launches, relationship issues, ongoing infertility-ish-but-also-not-because-it-doesn’t-count-as-such, my demon car, and of course work.

On top of that, I suddenly realized I’ve been getting a larger than usual amount of criticism online—from random strangers commenting on my blog and social media to reviews (totally okay—it’s just a thing that happens when one is an author!).

The reviews aren’t a big deal at all—I want to more than clarify that. Also, I can just not read them if I need to. But it’s something I need to consider … that I’m suddenly in a spot, after years and years of relaunching, when I don’t anticipate the feedback. I guess. But I’m never sure.

And frankly, some things have surprised me! Not always in a bad way, but usually at least in a way that made me rethink parts of my stories, even if I eventually wander back to the same conclusion. However, that does take mental space.

But reviews aren’t something I want to talk about on here, except to say that reviewers must review, and some of those reviews SHOULD be negative. If you like everything, then … are you even human?

Anyways.

It’s more the random negative comments that tend to get to me. Especially since lately I’ve had quite a few insults to my general intelligence and ability to communicate from strangers.

Should I ignore it? Absolutely yes. Am I capable of doing so? Yes again. But will I?

… meh.

However, without causing a lot of trouble, I’ll give you the result of all these varying factors:

I keep getting a little paralyzed.

On Paralyzation

I’m familiar with the sensation. I have, probably, a form of high-functioning ADHD and tend to hyper-focus and then … not focus.

Yeah, sorry, I’m not going to Google terms just to write a blog post to you heathens.

Anyways.

Though theoretically I know that human beings with opinions and trolls (I’ve had both in excess lately, as per life!) are to be ignored if there’s nothing to gain from engaging with them, that doesn’t mean my brain has gotten the message.

I’m not sure if it’s due to this or just general exhaustion, but I’ve been struggling to put together new projects and with a lot of doubt when I do manage to put together new projects.

I’ve also found myself having a large amount of doubt and feeling a new to explain myself more than I usually do. I think that’s because my meaning has been misconstrued or not come through more often than not in my communications of late, and as such, I’ve struggled with a desire to alter how I communicate.

But that’s silly. I desire to change and grow but not to change who I am or to force myself to grow in an unnatural way.

Lots of people like me just the way I am—or like the person I’m growing toward in Christ’s image, at least, which is the goal. I don’t really want anyone to like me unless they mean liking the person God created.

All this said, the most recent example I can give you (other than struggles completing outlines and sticking to projects) is with After Our Castle.

I ran two weeks behind on proofreads. TWO. Can you believe it?

Which is really what I want to talk about.

Because I was paralyzed. Unable to finish the darn story. Wondering who wrote this thing. Unsure of how many edits I’d have to make. Believing the worst.

That my story implied things that I didn’t want to imply in the name of sharing the main characters’ beliefs.

That it wouldn’t encourage or help anyone.

That people would come away hating the novel. (I thought this even though some of my most frequent reviewers had already liked it!)

I see this as a bit of an attack from the Devil, but it was also just me freaking out because my brain wasn’t functioning. Sometimes my brain does that—it short circuits. I need to unplug and turn it back on, but I didn’t know how.

I just sat there, reading little bits at a time, doubting my own story, and yet knowing I was weeks from publication. Knowing that I needed to finish it.

Knowing that if I didn’t, it would be just as worse as if I did. Maybe.

But here’s the thing.

God Is Greater Than Paralyzation

We know this because Jesus just healed paralyzed people like it was nothin’.

SO I don’t think I deserved the healing I got because I did nothing. But over the course of last weekend, I made myself finish the proofreads.

The second half went way smoother than the first. I became more confident in what I had written and edited over the last year. I focused in—and I got it done. Then I updated those changes in one (1) evening and uploaded it …

And it went fine. It went just fine.

I ended up not including clarifications. If people read the book and believe Ivy was right in her approach to marriage or Violet was right in … almost anything … I can only say, “You need to read into the subtext.”

I don’t need to explain. That’s not my duty. God is in charge of how these books are received.

And that’s really the change I landed on. Well, not a chance, because I’ve always said this, but a reminder.

God handles the impact. God handles the truths. God makes sure the book gets to the right people at the right time. God allows the book to be poorly received by others—for my or their benefit or both!

I don’t control that. I write the book. I put my best into it, to God’s glory. But I do not form the opinions or the feelings that the book provides. Only God can do that.

Every time I stray from this, I get myself in trouble. I stop resting in God’s plan and start stressing over what potential changes may need made to already published books to help God work more efficiently.

Be gone, spirit of Alice. I don’t need you here.

All jokes aside …

The book is coming out in just over a week.

Can you believe it?

I’m dreadfully excited.

I’ll be sharing more about the launch plans next Wednesday, but until then, I wish you all the best.

Love,

TTFN!

~Kell~

P.S.

Are you as excited for this launch as I am?

Yeah, this is gonna be a heavy post, but hopefully y’all will forgive me. I WILL be briefly discussing forms of birth control, but I will be careful not to include details.

But I’m a married woman AND an expert in historical birth control (despite the fact that I have never and probably never will use birth control myself for various reasons), so this post will be mature in that way. However, I would advise unmarried innocents (e.g. those who don’t have a purely information-based interest in this and who may be sensitive) to NOT read this post.

Please, please police yourself. If this will offend you, please avoid it. (And if you truly feel I shouldn’t have posted this, please let me know. I’ve prayed about it, and I still believe it’s something that I want to publish. However, I’m willing to consider y’all to be the voice of SOMETHING – whether that is a push to pray further or even the voice of God in my life. So don’t be shy.)

I’ve wanted to write this post for a long time in a clean, godly way because I feel this information is interesting and important, and yet, I wouldn’t encourage you to Google it. There’s too much misinformation AND too much dirty stuff out there. I want to provide an alternative.

This is going to use vague terms understanding that my audience may not be terribly interested and further will have no real need to use specifics in their novels, so if you write the kind of books where this would be … uh, deeply discussed … go ahead and find another post to read. This is a vague overview.

First myth I want to discuss:

Victorian women did have methods of birth control available to them.

Were they commonly discussed? No. Were they supported by the Church? Quite the opposite. (For instance, I read a book where a small town in Ireland was dealing with the clergy specifically giving a hush-up order to midwives on Natural Family Planning.)

In case you’re skeptical because you think you know everything about the Victorian era, did you know that Victorian women got piercings, often in private places? Did you know that over half of Victorian women were pregnant on their wedding day? Did you know how common tattoos were?

This was NOT an era of societal purity. It was an era of feigned purity and strict morality in the upper class. Some parts of society were restrictive, but not all circles – and certainly not all regions. Specifically, in England, there was a huge push from highly-religious Queen Victoria to APPEAR moral … but, um, well, a lot of high society wasn’t.

And a lot of Victorian literature doesn’t portray the era with accuracy OR doesn’t get read by modern readers (or was written by a specific sect of society). Would you like to base your understanding of today’s contemporary society in the future on, say, modern Love Inspired books? Because that’s basically what a lot of you are doing. And it doesn’t hold up.

For context, consider that L.M. Montgomery hated writing the Anne of Green Gables books because they were sickly sweet, she was deeply depressed and even (probably) committed suicide, and her relationship with her husband was duty-based and torturous (by her own description). Plus she had several affairs before marriage that were undoubtedly physical (again, based on letters).

Uh … kill your darlings?

That said, society was much more proper and private than we are today!

That said, a lot of the Victorian era was AS pure as you think. So birth control would not have EVER been a subject of parlor discussion.

Mixed company would never have discussed it. Never.

Husbands and wives might not have discussed it unless they have a particularly open relationship (which in general I try to portray my couples as having because I just can’t stand anything else).

Men might’ve discussed it amongst themselves and women with very, very, very close friends or family members, again with a hush-hush attitude.

But in some circles, it wouldn’t have ever come up. Upper class circles, where unwed pregnancy was much rarer, are a good example of this. It wouldn’t have been a necessary discussion, and they probably would’ve considered the only acceptable form of birth control to be abstinence.

That said, by the end of the 1880s, the birth rate in upper class Victorian households dropped by several children. Like, from seven to five to THREE. Literally only THREE children. Further, upper class late Victorian women were unlikely to have children past thirty-five.

So something definitely went on. And it was likely partially related to abstinence, I’m afraid to say. Husbands and wives probably shared rooms less often and were intimate less often, probably due to the rise of woman’s suffrage in England among other things. Men no longer considered women to be merely property, and women no longer considered themselves to be such. (Remember, the suffrage movement was alive in kicking in America by the early 1800s and spreading to England by the 1850s, so by the 1880s, it had finally started to take actual effect.)

However, it probably wasn’t ALL abstinence. And with the rise of various products being advertised (YES ADVERTISED in vague ways – as were, sadly, abortion-related products that probably didn’t work) it was likely women were able to order various devices to aid in contraception.

Plus they were marrying later and later, but yeah. These factors all added to the diminishing birth rate in upper class women of the late Victorian era.

However, in lower class society:

In lower class communities, midwives reigned. And midwives are women. And they’re more traditional. In places like Scotland, as I end up mentioning in After Our Castle, midwives tended to have more belief in pre-Christian practices.

For Celtic-inspired cultures, a culture already heavily guided by cycles (especially related to the moon which is traditionally associated with female fertility), this includes a strong understanding of how women’s natural cycles work, including the fact that women are only fertile a few days out of the month.

This was understood and taught to young women, and so natural family planning (avoiding certain dates, which is almost as effective as today’s modern birth control if in tune with your body, which these women definitely were) was a pretty big deal.

That said, why WOULDN’T you want children? There are a range of reasons, mostly health-related (I could write a whole post about frail and/or insane Victorian women who probably just had hormonal issues because there was lead in the paint or whatever), but most women desired large families or were pressured into having families anyways. After all, especially in lower class situations, large families were valuable (and until the end of the 1800s, it was the same in upper class families, especially in an era when most children didn’t make it to adulthood).

That said, there were a number of pseudo-natural ways of preventing children, from treatments (which I won’t go into detail about) that took place after intimacy, to superstitions that didn’t really work, to taking certain herbs, to condoms made of various materials (including leather – horrible, horrible idea – but also animal intestines, cloth which would be horribly ineffective but whatever Victorians, and eventually rubber) which could be home-made or purchased (toward the end of the Victorian era, anyway) and which were made for men OR women.

Kinda TMI, but I already told you this would get TMI, and that’s about the worst of it.

HOWEVER:

Abstinence is, of course, the best form of birth control

According to a lot of Victorians, and to me, it’s not a very MORAL form of birth control for a married couple (it’s a VERY moral form of birth control for unmarried couples, obviously, but I digress).

This is why, in A Prayer Unanswered, Riley clarifies that they won’t be doing “anything unbiblical” after he tells Peter he and Maddie don’t want more children for a while. (How are Riley and Maddie going to do this? Really, none of your business. If Peter didn’t ask, you know you shouldn’t. But between us, Maddie is a doctor’s daughter with Lilli Strauss who can’t shut up to save her life for an aunt and Riley has a past, so I’m pretty sure they’re just avoiding dates.)

Further, in Catholic circles (as now!) – and in most or all churches at the time – there was a huge stigma about birth control or any kind of child-prevention. So again, no discussion happened, if it did it was private, and most people were scandalized by it.

(The thing is, some of my characters are smart enough to understand the difference between the church’s overbearing nature, especially in that era, and personal conviction, and so here we are. Having this conversation.)

But …

This is just my opinion, since I can’t find a resource that either doesn’t discuss or discusses it like it was super common, but I doubt this was super common. I think in general, Victorians WERE like we assume. There were just, as in any society, a large group of outliers that didn’t get frequent discussion.

However, to assume that all Victorians acted as they do in Victorian literature (often, but not always) is inherently factual. There was outliers, and often, I find myself writing books about the outliers.

Why? I don’t know. My characters seem to have a penchant for “scandal.” However, I don’t believe the outliers are often as “outliery” as you think. Here’s the problem with our general understanding of historical eras:

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.

However …

Just because something exists doesn’t mean you have to talk about it.

I probably won’t discuss this much more than this post and a few instances in my latest novels. However, it’s good background information for me – and may be for you, too.

Also, I wish there was more vintage Love Inspired fiction. I didn’t at all mean that in a negative way. If you could write a book half as good as those old novels, I would love to read it! We need stories like that. Unlike a lot of modern fiction that is mostly fairly light, those old books actually had impact.

So keep writing, however you write. But just know that the world has never had a “good old days.” Only hindsight makes it so.

TTFN!

~Kell~

P.S.

Well. Let me have it. Should I have discussed this? Also, what are your thoughts? Do you agree with me or do you think I’m misinformed? I will not I largely didn’t give sources because a: I get those things off my search history ASAP and b: I didn’t want to link out to articles that might have readers going down a sometimes graphic, sometimes just inappropriate rabbit hole.

I can’t believe it’s already time to reveal the cover for book 6 in my series. I mean, After Our Castle is still a little baby idea, right? Still mine and mine alone?

Here’s the thing. I didn’t expect to write this novel. It was a relatively new development in the last few years because, as I looked at the overall arc of my series, I realized something was missing.

You can scroll down and look at the pretty if you want, but for those of you who appreciate this kind of thing, allow me to wax eloquent.

Because before some time last year, I wasn’t going to have After Our Castle be book 6. I was going to have it … well, not exist. But as I was mapping out Ivy’s arc for the series–and more than that, Violet’s arc–I realized that hopping right to my intended book 6 wouldn’t work.

More than that, I realized I wasn’t going to be done after that book. Simply put, I needed four more to complete the series after book 6.

So while the series was going to end with book 6 and have various books afterwards to wrap up some miscellaneous threads, suddenly I was going all the way to book 10.

Which meant that I had more time to develop the plot line.

Which meant that, before some Big Plot Events happening in what is now book 8, I had time for an in-between novel of sorts that covered vital events and explained why things got to the place they will be in book 8.

(Plus, I argue that what I came up with is a great story overall, but you know. Also all that in-between stuff.)

This meant creating more story for Alice. Which wasn’t much of a challenge, as there was a lot of plot that I had planned to showcase through side series that made more sense to show through Alice’s perspective.

But back to our dearest Ivy and her pals, Violet and Jordy.

There came at point at which After Our Castle needed to exist. And as I developed it, I realized it was a story that not only belonged in the series … but that I needed to write.

For the first time, I found myself living through Ivy’s emotional turmoil. Instead of simply understanding the character, I came to understand her heart.

Meanwhile, for the first time, Violet was the one hiding from me … slinking around as she always does. Yet I found her and made her come out into the light, for better or for worst.

And then it was time for book 6 to see the light of day.

After Our Castle by Kellyn Roth

And they lived … well, happily ever after.

A year into a blissfully happy marriage, Violet Angel admits to a dose of skepticism. She’s not married, granted—but as the closest friend of the bride and groom, she feels she has a perspective no one but the people directly involved could have. There’s no such thing as a happy ending, and it’s only a matter of time before the castle in the sky plummets to earth.

If only Violet were always wrong instead of just mostly wrong. Ivy McAllen doesn’t believe she and her new husband are out of the honeymoon period—if they are, she isn’t going to admit it to herself—but there are certainly areas of adjustment that she hadn’t expected.

Changes at the village of Keefmore and in Ivy’s life lead to complications, and Violet spirals further and further from reality. When a castle in the sky turns out to be more cloud than stronghold, finding a foothold proves more than a little difficult.

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

TTFN!

~Kell~

P.S.

Do you like the new cover? Have you ever added books unexpectedly to a series? And, of course, are you excited for book 6?

I decided now was as good a time as any to wrap up June, July, and most of August! After all, why not? Why shouldn’t I do whatever the heck I want on my own blog?

Summer months always seem to blend together for me, no matter what I do, and this summer has been an equal culprit of such a run-together schedule.

I’ll be wrapping up the dares from this post that were technically from June as well as just sharing some of what I’ve been up to.

Ready? Let’s go!

JUNE 2022 DARES WRAPUP

I dare myself to  …

Complete another round of revisions on my novel, The Duke’s Twin.Check! I managed to send it off once again early this week.Finish the paperback formatting for the Kees & Colliers series.Failed. I actually still need to do this! It’s just been too crazy this summer to allow for that.Contact Amazon as they’ve messed up the new edition transfers.Failed. Mostly because of above crazyness.Call the soccer league again at the end of the month.Check! And at first I thought it didn’t work, but I did finally manage to Keep up on Bible-reading.Failed. I actually am behind on some of my reading and behind on others? So I’m not sure how to count this.Don’t forget that it’s just a season of life.Check! But yet, here I am. Overwhelmed.

As for what happened in June, July, and most of August 2022:

I’ve welcomed two new nephews!

Adam and Zealand have brought my niece and nephew count up to nine! They’re both adorable little fellas who I’m excited to spend more time with. (I’m not sharing photos because I’m not sure how my sisters-in-law would like that! So just in case, I’ll keep those private.)

& spent time with Matthias’s little brother

Gilead is such a sweet, goofy little fellow, and he definitely makes my days brighter (though not as much as my boy Matthias, of course – wouldn’t want to make him jealous!).

Lots of work on my new job

So far, it’s been really interesting. I’m getting more and more competent at it, and I’m excited to see how it works in my day to day life. Plus, I feel like I might actually be able to help people figure out their Medicare! So that’s fun.

My pup, Stanley, is growing

But he’s still a little guy! He’s the runt of the litter, and I’m so excited that we’re getting to keep him. He’s a gem, too! The sweetest, best-behaved pup I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning.

And all the other pups are in new homes

Which took forever, but we trusted God, and all the puppies went to new homes.

I jogged some

Which I know sounds like a lie, but I totally did! Bailey and I did, really. It wasn’t as hard as I thought, either. But at the same time, it’s going to take a while for me to build up any kind of stamina.

I launched a novel!

A Prayer Unanswered is out, baby! I’m so excited about that because it means that, for the first time in a long time, I’ve launched a novel that is NOT a rewrite. (By the way, you can now join the After Our Castle cover reveal, scheduled for August 30th.)

& I spoke at a conference!

It was loads of fun! Plus I got so inspired by it. I want to write a whole post about this at some point, but I don’t know when that will happen. All the same, it was an incredible experience.

Turned 21 and celebrated my first anniversary

Crazy that it’s already been a year, but of course it has!

Which brings us, I suppose, to plans for September! But I’ll save those for a post in early September.

TTFN!

~Kell~

P.S.

What have you been up to? And what’s a big thing you’re looking forward to in the end of August or beginning of September or … well, any time?

The novel is out.

A Prayer Unanswered is available on Amazon ebook, paperback, and Kindle Unlimited (where the rest of the series is also available).

I’m so pleased to share this heart project, full of themes that mean so much to me. I pray that it may be as much a blessing to you to read as it was for me to write it!

May the celebrations begin!

About the Book

As Alice Strauss enters her first year of marriage—full of optimism and determination—she finds herself wholly unprepared for reality. In a new country, with a new family, she struggles to find her footing. Difficult relationships and situations batter her, but she is determined to establish a perfect life with the man she loves.

Unfortunately, perfection seems just beyond her reach. An unexpected tragedy flings Alice out of control, and she struggles to rise from the ruins. Her world is full of spinning variables and agony beyond anything she has ever experienced.

However, there is hope—in a God who loves her and a future established for her since before time began. Yet the devastation of Alice’s life seems beyond even the touch of grace.

Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ BookBub

Giveaway

Enter the giveaway for the launch!

CLICK HERE

Win:

A paperback copy of A Prayer UnansweredA braceletA locket

Blog Tour

16th:

Book Spotlight @ https://kristinahallauthor.wordpress.com/blog/

Author Interview/Book Spotlight @ https://onceuponanordinary.wordpress.com/

17th:

Book Review @ novelsdragonsandwardrobedoors.blogspot.com

Book Review/Spotlight @ https://tangledupinwriting.com

18th:

Book Spotlight @ www.graceajohnson.com/blog

Book Review @ http://www.precariousbookstacks.com/

19th:

Book Review @ Oldfashionedbooklove.WordPress.com

Book Review/Spotlight @ https://vanessahallauthor.wordpress.com/

20th:

Author Interview/Book Spotlight @ thelongvoyage.org

Book Review @ https://thewriterlyworm.com/

Book Review/Spotlight @ losingthebusyness.wordpress.com

21st:

Book Review @ https://mckennedyauthor.com/

Book Review @ janemouttet.wordpress.com

22nd:

Book Review/Spotlight @ https://discipleshipwithjoy.com

Book Review @ www.towerintheplainswordpress.com

TTFN!

~Kell~

P.S.

I’m so excited for this!!! I don’t really have anything else to add except thank you for your support.

Hi there! I’m running late on everything, and this is one of those things, but I really wanted to share this lovely interview despite the fact that I’ve got a book coming out this weekend (!!!) and also owe you several blog posts (*coughs*).

Victoria Lynn is without a doubt one of my favorite Christian author notwithstanding the fact that I’ve only read one of her books – and that was not her most recent one! (That’s on my TBR, but I had to put it off when I started a new job in June!) I met her in person at one of the Glory Writers retreats in February, but I’ve followed her on Instagram (and before that, known her from Goodreads and in private writing groups) for years!

She is an amazing, creative, godly woman who I am privileged to know. I’m so impressed by her work ethic and professionalism (I mean, look at me! *gestures to self* I have so much to learn!), and more than that, by her tremendous passion and heart for the Lord!

Anyways, let’s get into the interview!

Welcome to Lilacs & Reveries, Victoria! Could you tell us a little bit about “Once I Knew” and the kind of stories you write in general?

Thanks so much for having me Kellyn! Once I Knew is a non-magical fantasy, subtle in the romance and heavy in the suspense. It’s a kingdom adventure about a soldier who loses his memory, the farmer’s daughter who takes him in and the fallout thereof. I love writing Christian stories that go beyond just entertainment and speak life and hope to the weary souls reading them.

How did God lead you to discussing the topics you post about so passionately on social media?

It’s definitely been something I prayed a lot over. I’m a very passionate person, but I’m also very careful and thoughtful about what I say when it comes down to it. I still have some very strict things for myself when it comes to what and how I post things, but I’ve felt the call to educate and speak on things like abortion and human trafficking since a very young age. God put them on my heart before I was even a teen and it made no sense for me to be so passionate about a topic so young aside from God impressing it on my spirit. I also have always had a huge passion and gift for encouraging others so those gifts kind of intersect on social media. I’ve felt the desire to treat it as more of a ministry than anything else and it has been really fulfilling to see God use my words to speak life and hope over the body of believers.

What’s your biggest tip for young Christian creators trying to find their own niche for serving God through their work?

Be willing to be vulnerable and humble before the Lord, asking Him what HIS best and HIS vision is for the gifts and skills that He has given you. I feel like people forget that He truly cares about the passions He has given us and they are His first. All we have to do is seek and knock and ask and sometimes I think we forget that. Serving God with your work comes from a place of working WITH God in those areas.

What is the biggest thing you would say about your writing if you were able to reach back and share something with your younger self?

I’m honestly not sure I would change a thing because God truly knew exactly what He was doing in regards to how my writing journey has gone so far. But I think I would tell my younger self that it’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to reach the end of yourself and realize that you don’t have it all or know it all. That’s what community and the Lord are for.

What’s the biggest thing you want readers to take away from Once I Knew?

I hope they feel filled with hope and life. I pray that they are encouraged and feel filled up and empowered in their walk with Christ. And I also hope they enjoy the story as well.

Thanks so much for having me Kellyn! It was such a joy!

About the Interviewee

Victoria 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.

HER WEBSITE

About the Book

When a kingsman with a broken body and a lost memory shows up on Violet’s doorstep, she is caught between the compulsion to do what is right, or the natural reaction: to do what is safe…which does not involve caring for the wounded soldier.

With hidden pasts, a web of secrets spun to keep them safe, a tyrannical rule growing ever harsher, and the responsibilities weighing on her, Violet feels as though the world is caving in around her. Who will rise up to stand against the evil chancellor, and what will become of her if the kingsman is found?

VIEW ON AMAZON

Well, that’s it for today! I’m ever so happy for Victoria – and amazing by her hard work and how God is working in her life! What an awesome God we follow!

TTFN!

~Kell~

P.S.

Do you know Victoria Lynn? What’s your favorite thing about her? Have you read Once I Knew?

Today I have an exciting announcement—ARC signups for A Prayer Unanswered are open! And this time, I’m doing paperbacks! This link with all the info on that is here, but I’ll explain more later.

However, I wanted to do something other than just talk about the new arrivals to this series. What better way to do that than a good, old-fashioned character panel? As I did with The Dressmaker’s Secret, the characters will be chatting about their lives and answering some questions!

Specifically, these will be relatives of Peter Strauss. Note that there are spoilers for books as recent as At Her Fingertips in this post! So if you want to avoid that, don’t go any further.

Welcome to the Stage, Characters!

A panel of characters sit behind a long table with various beverages before them. The host, Ominous Narrator, sits in a box above the stage.

Ominous Narrator: *taps the mic* Hello, everyone! Welcome to the panel of New Arrivals to the world of The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy. Also called “the Rubyverse.”

Lilli, stirring an excessive amount of sugar into her tea: Which I suppose you won’t explain?

Ominous Narrator: No, I will not. Maybe some day. Anyways, today we have a lovely group of ladies and gentlemen. Why don’t you all start by introducing yourselves? Go left to right, please.

Essie: Oh, lovely. You’re making me go first?

Riley, nudging her: Just go, pumpkin.

Essie, glaring at him for “pumpkin” and the nudge: What do I even say?

Ominous Narrator: Could you give your relation to Peter Strauss, a little about yourself, and how you figure into the story? And maybe a fun fact?

Essie: Fine. I’m his cousin. His first cousin, through his maternal aunt. My name is Estelle Elaine Farjon because my mother hates me, but I go by Essie. I’m an American first, a Virginian second, and a Frenchwoman somewhere down the line.

Riley: I think we’re more Irish than French. It’s really watered down French.

Essie: Shush. Wait your turn. I’m the youngest of my siblings, and I figure into the story because I follow Riley around for no reason whatsoever. I have nothing else going on right now. And a fun fact … hmm. Did you know that in some parts of Asia, elephants are used in executions?

Ominous Narrator: I meant a fun fact about yourself.

Essie: Oh. Well. I always carry a weapon. *nods at the audience* Keep that in mind.

Riley: All right, then. I’m Riley Farjon. Essie’s older brother—Peter’s first cousin and, of course, best friend. He practically adores me. I don’t have much to say about myself other than that I’m a husband and father and frankly, a wonderful friend. Fun fact: I’m the reason Peter broke his arm twice. Not proud of it, but he is dreadfully clumsy. Mads, you go ahead.

Maddie, clears throat shyly: Good morning! I’m Maddie, and this is Polly. *shifts the baby slightly on her lap* I’m Riley’s wife, and I grew up with Peter—he was practically my brother, and we’re all good friends. I don’t have any ‘fun facts’ to share, but I suppose I’ll say that I’m generally the person who reads Peter’s books first, and I’m quite happy about that. Well. Um, Aunt Lilli?

Lilli: Of course! I’m Lillian Grace Strauss, though Lilli is fine. I’m Peter’s mother. He’s such a good boy – a wonderful man, now, I suppose – and I’m so proud of him! Just seeing his life unfold has been such a blessing, and Alice, of course, is wonderful for him, and—

Chris: Lilli, can you just get on with it?

Lilli: Oh, all right. Well, let me think. One fun fact. I frankly don’t feel any of you have done a good job of this, so I want to do better. But just one? And how do I know if it’s fun?

Chris: Lilli.

Lilli: I’m thinking! Give me a moment, darling. Oh, I know! Peter was my first baby and—

Chris: Good. Now you’re done.

Lilli: Chris, I was going to tell a story.

Chris: Try writing a novel. I’m Chris. Peter’s father. I’m in the book as his father. As for a fun fact, I don’t think it’s fun, but my parents immigrated from Germany when I was a child.

Lilli: I suppose you could call it fun, but—

Chris: Now it’s Dahlia’s turn! Go on, Dally.

Dahlia: Mama’s going to be mad at you.

Lilli: *sighs* I’ll forgive him, if only because he’ll have to hear it later.

Dahlia: All right. Well, I’m Dahlia, Peter’s littlest sister. Though I’m practically grown up now. I’m so happy Alice is my new big sister—because Caro has been so annoying since she got married—and a fun fact is that I have always had a kitten since I was five years old, but now I don’t have a kitten since Flick STOLE my last kitten—

Flick: It’s not my fault that Annie prefers me.

Dahlia: Hmph. *folds arm across her chest and pouts*

Andrew: My turn now. I’m Andrew, Peter’s brother. I’m in the story a bit because I’m his brother. A fun fact about me is that I work for my uncle, and while there, I only speak German. Which is strange because we only speak English at home. It sometimes can be confusing. Terry.

Terry: Right, right. Terrence Tappet. I grew up with Riley, and we tend to move around together now. Mostly because I can’t let him and Peter off by themselves or they’ll die. A fun fact is that I was always responsible for bringing Peter and Riley food because they have this tendency to not eat if unsupervised. Thankfully, Maddie keeps them fairly well-fed nowadays.

Flick: Mmhmm. All right, honey. Well, I’m Felicity Tappet, but I go by Flick. I’m Terry’s wife, and I also follow Riley around, though perhaps to a lesser degree. A fun fact about me is that my cat adores me.

Dahlia: *sticks her tongue out at Flick*

Caroline: *glares down the table at Dahlia* My turn. I’m Caroline Webster, Peter’s younger sister. It goes Peter, Andrew, Caroline, and then Dahlia, in case you’re curious. I’m married, and this is my baby, Barnie. *gestures to the child in her husband’s arms* Isn’t he sweet? And a fun fact about me—I’m Peter’s favorite.

Dahlia: You are—

Barnaby: *clears throat* I’m Barnaby Webster, Caroline’s husband, and this is Barnie, our baby. And a fun fact about me is that I believe violence is never the best option. Let’s move on.

Ominous Narrator: Great. We’ve got you all. Thank you all for coming on and introducing yourself. We won’t be doing a full interview today because there are so many of you, but hopefully that’ll give the readers out there an idea of who’s new on the street! Catch you all later!

Further ARC Information

Are you interested in receiving a copy of A Prayer Unanswered (book 5 in The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy) in exchange for an honest review?

CLICK

Read on for information about paperbacks, audiobooks, and more!

For the first time ever, I’m officially offering PAPERBACK ARCs in addition to my normal eARCs (and audiobooks, when they’re available sometime in the autumn) for US residents.

The form contains more information about that. They are somewhat limited, and preference will be given to certain people over others.

If you’re only interested if a paperback is involved, you can check that option in the form. You can also increase your chances by reviewing on more platforms!

About the Book

As Alice Strauss enters her first year of marriage—full of optimism and determination—she finds herself wholly unprepared for reality. In a new country, with a new family, she struggles to find her footing. Difficult relationships and situations batter her, but she is determined to establish a perfect life with the man she loves.

Unfortunately, perfection seems just beyond her reach. An unexpected tragedy flings Alice out of control, and she struggles to rise from the ruins. Her world is full of spinning variables and agony beyond anything she has ever experienced.

However, there is hope—in a God who loves her and a future established for her since before time began. Yet the devastation of Alice’s life seems beyond even the touch of grace.

Haven’t read earlier books in the series? That’s okay! I can send you ebook or audiobook copies so you can catch up. Remember, there’s no review deadline, so you have time!

If you’re ready to sign up, click this link.

TTFN!

~Kell~

P.S.

Do you plan to sign up for an ARC? Also, do you have a favorite character from the series – and do you think book five will change that?

It’s been a challenging couple weeks. I won’t lie, despite the fact that my mother (hi mom!!! I’m on the internet!) and possibly a couple of my employers may read this.

Thankfully, in general my employers (and mother) are familiar with my penchant for the dramatic, so hopefully they’ll be understanding of the desire to rant. But I wanted to talk about something related-ish.

I want to talk about how one good day can turn around a bad year. And how we need to embrace positivity. And all of the related things.

There’s been a lot going on. Health problems, lots of stress in all the various relationships, differing pressures from differing people, a fortnight-long cold, a new job that’s really knowledge-intense, managing three jobs and figuring out the scheduling, gas prices making my frequent hour-long drives difficult, not getting to see Matthias for a month or so …

And then there are other little things. Issues with my new laptop not installing the programs I need to format my novels. Problems popping up with my edits. Having puppies that we can’t sell despite having a waitlist of 20+ people (the economy, y’all).

We’re even looking into home owning these days, which involves figuring out allll the different monetary things I’ve never had to worry about (because believe it or not I’m so upstanding & debtless that I can’t be trusted, lol). Right now is not really a time when I feel like adding one more thing, but it’s kind of a good distraction, too.

There’s a lot of things that I could complain about. A lot of things that are making it hard to maintain a positive attitude.

You see, I’m not naturally the most positive person in the world. I definitely live in the moment, but in the moment, I am often dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, inability to focus, and so on.

That kind of bogs me down. For instance, as I’m writing this, just getting basic stuff done this morning due to the amount of stress I was feeling was … exhausting. I finally did get moving (and that never fails to help me!), but I was cognizant of the fact that time was wasted and brains were not used.

Part of the time, I just have to give myself grace. I know how out of whack my hormones are today – I know how exhausted I am – I know how little I have left to give in certain categories. (Am I the only one who runs out of energy in certain areas before others? My house-cleaning energy tends to go first, and my writing energy last.)

I’m also a heavily-ambitious person, so the best I can do is rarely enough. For me, perhaps, but I feel I also have been disappointing others lately, and I hate that.

Tonight my plan is to unplug a little and watch a movie with my husband. (Writing this the night before it posts, because you know #LastMinuteForTheWin)

I’ve learned to do this more often over the last month because first, it lets me spend time with my husband in a way I understand, and two, it forces me to take a break … again, in a way understand.*

*I’m not the kind of person who really needs frequent rest so much as a different type of stimulation, and for some reason, watching a movie is one of the few things that fits that bill.

I think part of it comes down to understanding yourself. Understanding what you can take and how one good day, as mentioned in the title, can make a huge difference in a bad month.

I understand that I’m a person of the moment. I live day to day, moment to moment, and little steps DO help me in a way that nothing else does. Moving helps me. Exercise helps me a lot! Doing things that make me feel confident and competent are huge bonuses for my energy.

Granted, I shouldn’t need any of this, and I’m cognizant of that fact, too. We need God. In the most desperate of times, He is enough to sustain us.

Thankfully, He also gave us brains that have tricks that can help them work, and my tricks are especially easy to find out, so why not discover them?

I went up to a Republican conference with Matthew (at no small inconvenience to my brother who drove me up late lol) a couple weeks ago, despite me being sick and also girl-sick (some day we will go on a trip when I’m not on my period but apparently that’s not any time soon).

I found a lovely little walk along the river (same one by my house). Matthew went on it with me one night, and then I spent most of the next day walking it by myself.

It was really good for me to get that much exercise in, and I also had some time to think about what I wanted to do when I got home and how I wanted to handle the next few weeks, which by all accounts were going to be difficult.

I hate how difficult it has been, but at least, I knew it was going to be. I’m not surprised. Disappointed, maybe. I have been on a negative slump since mid-May. Nothing seems to work for me, and that exhausts me greatly.

That said, it again comes down to the little things. The walk helped. We also hiked Beacon Rock – and then a friend and I have been jogging every so often – and that same friend (Bailey) and I have also gone on a few small adventures together.

These little things make life feel more real and more doable, but there’s another part to it, too.

For instance, a couple weeks ago, I got two days home when I’d only been expecting one – and during that time, I got the apartment cleaned, a lot of miscellaneous writing work done, and also made serious headway on the trainings for my new job.

That was also the day I went on the small adventure up Mt. Hood with Bailey (finding the pond you see to the right and hopping in it despite the rain and the fact that the signs suggested it wasn’t a great idea) and went for a jog with her, which helped. I always feel better when I’m on the move.

And you know, I could let myself get bogged down by my circumstances. I can’t be on the move because we can’t find a better place to live where I can safely go outside, have more than a few hundred square feet to move around in, can have a dog to play with, can have friends and family over.

Yet I’m figuring out ways around that. Figuring out how to exercise, to spend time with friends, to work around my schedule, to prioritize my husband – even if the circumstances for doing that couldn’t be less ideal.

More than that, I’m focusing on deepening my relationship with God – even when I’m a little frustrated with Him.

I could say that I feel like He’s just not furthering my plans, like He’s making everything more difficult, like every step forward is getting stuck.

Yet there are so many positive things, too. I have a lot of hope for my new job. I will soon be back with Matthias. In the end, my health struggles (and Matthew’s) are probably for the best, but I also know what steps to take to fix them.

Long drives give me time to think – learning new things is never bad – broken relationships force me to turn to God. Well, really, everything forces me to turn to God.

And I understand a little more every day and am able to do a little more every week.

The other fact is, of course, that God’s ways are so far above our own. He oft-reminds us that “I am the Lord, the God of all flesh.” Is there anything too hard for Him? Of course not.

I don’t know everything – or much. I’m of average intelligence and certainly of below-average faith. I do my best; sometimes that isn’t good enough, and that’s a simple fact.

Thankfully, our worth is not determined by what we do, or we’d all have given up or become idiots long ago.

Lately, I read a post complaining about Emily Dickinson’s famous poem: “Hope is a Thing with Feathers.”

The post rambled on and on about how hope is not anything as fragile as a little bird, crooning softly in a tree. Hope is a sewer rat that’s seen some things.

Bitter or experienced though the poster may be, I disagree. Hope is still a thing of beauty and wonder.

That’s how hope survives – not by living in the dirt, but by rising above it.

Not by being a rat, but by being a bird.

Not by sitting in the darkness, but by seeking the light.

Not by looking at the storm, but by looking at the Savior.

Never would I imply that hope comes simply from an emotional response. In fact, quite the opposite. Hope comes from being firm. From standing up for the light, for what’s right, and turning away from the dark, the evil.

From taking small steps and being faithful to your calling.

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

Thank You, God, for never asking anything of us in exchange for hope. May we have the strength to grasp it!

TTFN!

~Kell~

P.S.

What are your thoughts on my thoughts? Would you add anything? I’m sure I was not super thorough. Also, do you like yogurt and granola, because I do now. I would’ve said “gross” a couple weeks ago, but now I’m really liking it.

I had some bad news a while ago, and I need to write something like this to keep my mind off of it, so here’s this. Enjoy.

Okay, let’s do a better introduction. Today I wanted to talk about something I haven’t really been able to discuss in a while because I haven’t had any great ideas. Inspired by Grace Johnson’s recent guest post on my blog (and all her related talk about enemies to lovers), I decided to tackle the subject of the romance “genre,” such as it is. (Read that guest post to see why I put the word “genre” in quotes!)

And specifically, I want to talk about one of the most famous and infamous romance tropes—enemies to lovers!

Boy meets girl … and falls in hate

Enemies to lovers was founded by the great Jane Austen in her novel, Pride & Prejudice. Now, I don’t know for sure if that was the first novel you could officially call an “enemies to lovers” by definition of the trope (technically, Taming of the Shrew, I guess? Though that falls more into the 1930s/40s comedy trope that I mention below), but it was certainly the first story in literary format that has stuck with us long enough to be considered the beginning of said trope.

This is the true example of how to do this trope correctly, and if you’re not familiar with it, you should avoid this trope.

No … seriously. She does it SO well.

What is Enemies to Lovers?

According to this website:

Enemies to lovers trope is when two characters start off as enemies and, over the course of a book or series, end up in a romantic relationship. These ‘enemies’ have to overcome their differences or misconceptions about each other, and in the process, they fall in love.

A few examples of “enemies to lovers” include:

The most recent season of the (mature, erotic, you-should-avoid-watching-it) show Bridgerton (though this season wasn’t really smutty except for like one scene but that’s a conversation for another day).

You’ve Got Mail (and the earlier The Shop Around the Corner).

Mary and Matthew in BBC drama show Downton Abbey.

Leslie and Ben in the comedy TV show Parks & Rec.

And … a lot of other novels, movies, and TV shows that I can’t seem to remember. It’s used a lot. Sometimes it comes across better than others.

Further, this trope was used in a lot of 1930s-1950s screwball comedy romances, one way or another. For instance, His Girl Friday, High Society (or Philadelphia Story, the movie the musical was based on), even Bringing Up Baby to a degree, and … gosh, so many. It’s a whole THING.

(And I hesitate to even include these ones, because a lot of them are more “one-sided love.” In High Girl Friday, Cary Grant’s character wants Rosalind Russell’s character to come back to him even as he teases her. Same with High Society & Bing Crosby’s character, still in love with his ex-wife, played by Grace Kelly – and Philadelphia Story, which again features Cary Grant in a similar role opposite Katharine Hepburn. In Bringing Up Baby, though Cary Grant’s character HATES Katharine Hepburn’s character (kinda), she has a bit of a crush on him. And that’s probably the more common trope of these types of movies. But I still feel a lot of the hate-to-love stuff comes through in these movies. I learned a lot about writing that kind of dialogue from Rosalind Russell and Grace Kelly and Cary Grant!)

There’s been so many renditions of this trope that it sometimes feels old … or just annoying. I mean, come on, guys! Besides, it’s grown more popular among YA audiences lately, meaning … well, it’s kind of become immature.

According to this blog post,

“The enemies-to-lovers trope encapsulates the entertainment value of drama and messy relationships. Readers love the enemies-to-lovers trope in YA fiction because its entertainment and messages are appealing. From the ridiculous arguments to the passionate hatred, the enemies-to-lovers fiction trope thrives on messiness.”

As I’ve talked about on my Instagram lately, I am also attracted to the messiness … but goodness, sometimes it’s too much.

You know why?

Because it has to be done right.

How Enemies to Lovers Works

I argue that there’s a certain reason enemies to lovers sometimes falls flat in fiction—and sometimes doesn’t. And it all has to do with the CONFLICT.

Namely, if the hatred comes from personality traits that the character quickly correct, it … doesn’t work.

I mean, hating someone for their personality alone is a human thing, but when it comes down to it, it’s also something that both forbids romance and shows a lack of maturity in the hater.

Enemies to lovers, more than any other trope in romance, thrives on that tension—that “I want you but I can’t” element that hits a certain part of our heart that we can’t. In some ways, it’s replaced the “our families/circumstances won’t let us” (Romeo & Juliet, etc.) as we move from a society valuing the physical into one valuing the mental.

It always starts with literature/other art forms, right? And it’s no surprise that the first rise of such plot lines came in the early 1800s and rose in popularity to be a common theme in 1930s/40s movies (meh, but we’re going with this line of thinking, so no reality #MyWayortheHighway).

It’s further no surprise that it’s grown to be more popular in YA romance and inspirational-ish, Hallmark-ish romance, which are arguably the two least mature subgenres of romance on the market at the moment.

(Who am I kidding? This movie was JUST before that YA/Hallmark trend, and it is amazing, and I love it, and I recommend it to everyone because it is SO GOOD. ALSO, this is the best roll I have ever seen this guy in and you know I hate him. Matthew Goode is so good in this movie, Amy Adams is charming and awesome, and it’s just … it’s another great example of this trope. I’ll stop now, but I love Leap Year. #IRELAND)

But I digress.

Because you know, folks, it DOES appeal to the immaturity of us. The desire to just spite someone who we have a bad opinion of—to allow our “pride and prejudice” to overcome even our extreme attraction and longing for some other person.

Yes, we will be be coming back to Pride & Prejudice a lot in this article, but you probably knew that coming in.

THAT HAND TOUCH, y’all. That’s what enemies to lovers is. It’s that FEELING that they NEED to be together but are just too STUBBORN and we HATE them and just GAH.

However, despite the innate immaturity (and we are all immature, so I mean that in the most positive way—EMBRACE THE IMMATURITY OF HUMANITY IN YOUR WRITING!), this trope is far from dead. It has classic roots. It’s not leaving.

So what then? Well, let’s break the trope down to help us understand it a little better.

The Roots of Enemies to Lovers

Enemies to lovers tends to follow a fairly simple structure that is imitated by most romances.

To quote Romancing the Beat:

“Whatever is keeping your characters from falling in love … is what your book is about.”

So in an enemies to lovers romance, the HATRED is at the center of your story. Keep that in mind as I go over these “story beats,” semi-inspired by Romancing the Beat and mostly inspired by “me defining things however I want.”

Act 1:

Opening/Beginning:

The main characters are introduced. This is generally a short-ish section, and in most romances, we get a point of view scene from both characters to establish their “normal war.”

Inciting Incident:

In most romances, this is the “meet cute.” That’s another way of saying, “I shoved these two human beings in a room. Now what?”

This can either be their first meeting or it can be a point where their hatred grows stronger in an enemies-to-lovers romance.

Reaction to Inciting Incident:

How do they feel about each other?

Eh, they probably … they probably don’t like each other? Hate’s the game.

First Plot Point:

They hate each other, but they are a part of the same world. They can’t get rid of each other. There’s a lot of ways this can happen – they can be stuck in the same room, the same crowd, or better yet, the same project/goal/job.

Act 2:

Obstacles

They’re still saying “no way!” as Romancing the Beat puts it.

However, not long after that, they get an idea this could work. Generally, characters will be influenced by either an outside force or something new they glimpse in each other during these obstacles to be drawn toward each other.

In less civilized novels, this generally includes some hardcore “I just wanna have sex with this person” but that’s too course for us, now, isn’t it? Our characters would like to have a normal relationship with each other – and that includes attraction eventually leading to desire – but that shouldn’t be their main motivation, as in real life.

Pinch Point #1:

BUT NO. IT’S NOT WORKING.

The pinch point is a reminder of the antagonist’s forces, and in a romance, that’s, “Oh, my gosh, here’s this thing that means we can’t be together!” Whether that pleases your characters or not is up to you …

More Obstacles

Maybe. Just … maybe.

Their desire is deepening. The tension is there. The chemistry is overwhelming. Will they/won’t they? But even while this happens, of course the main plot (whatever that may be, because remember, you do need to have a plot!) is heightening, too.

Midpoint:

This can happen in one of two ways.

Either they want each other to the point where their temptation causes them to do something dumb (see below, usually, or something related like one of those “kisses that changes everything” scenes) or they find out something new about each other.

In a lot of smutty novels/movies, this is where the characters become unnecessarily intimate. But in our books, we can avoid that, right? At least, unless it’s an arranged marriage/marriage of convenience romance, in which case I will forgive you for making an allusion or two. Because reality is a thing. #DearChristians #BelieveItorNot #YouAreaProductof #SomeSortofSmut*

(*Not that sexual encounters in their proper place are smut, but the line between what I’d define as lust and what I’d define as longing can be a thin gray blur, so for now, I’ll be facetious and offend enough people to get them to click off just because #ICan #SoWhyNot) (p.s. when I was an immature child, I used to say one of my slogans was, “Why not?” and what I really meant by that is, “Why not cause a little chaos today?” And I sometimes wake up and choose Insanity. So there ya go.)

Midpoints are challenging and are literally the centerpiece of the story, so consider reading some alternative materials on this (like those on Helping Writers Become Authors) to learn more!

Obstacles:

Yet we run back into the obstacles again! There’s so much going on, and the characters are tossed about as per normal.

Pinch Point #2:

Another reminder of the antagonistic force and why they can’t be together. This can also come right after the midpoint!

(Physical) Disaster:

This should NOT be “oh, no! We can’t be together!” Usually it’s something that changes the protagonist’s life, crumbles their goals, or makes something BAD happen, basically. More on this later, if I think of it.

Act 3:

(Mental) Disaster:

All is lost. This reaction to the physical disaster, which I’ll reflect on more later, really shakes the characters’ world.

Realization:

This can also come after the grand gesture, but I feel like it’s more powerful if the character comes to a separate realization about their own struggles entirely separate from their love interest. After all, let us never say that romance “completes” us. Only God can do that. (Remind me later to do a whole blog post on Bridgerton and why it’s not the smut that makes it a bad piece of filmography, despite the fact that the smut is overwhelming, especially for a longing-for-purity-in-culture audience like moi, in the first season. Spoiler alert: it’s the whole “you complete me” thing.)

Grand Gesture & Happily Ever After:

What it sounds like! They’re together, and ideally, they have children.

Where Pride & Prejudice EXCEEDS

Because just “succeeds” isn’t enough.

Note: I decided to use the not-entirely-accurate-to-the-book’s-plot-but-accurate-to-the-book’s-vibes 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, but the book roughly follows this structure, too. Also, this means that watching Pride & Prejudice and setting timers to determine when plot points are. So yeah.

Act 1:

Opening/Beginning:

We introduce the main character, Elizabeth, and through her family’s discussions and a lot of awesome shots, how she thinks and how her family thinks and just … everything is brilliantly set up here, from the societal norms to the main goal of Mrs. Bennet to Mr. Bennet’s eccentricities to the individual personalities of Lizzy’s siblings.

(Also, every time you spell it Lizzie, a single gentleman in possession of a large fortune dies, so keep that in mind.) 

Inciting Incident:

Technically the inciting incident here is really the fact that Mr. Bingley and his entourage are here. However, if you want to set up an official inciting incident for the romance subplot, that’s the moment that Lizzy says, “I would not dance with him for all of Derbyshire, let alone the miserable half.”

Reaction to Inciting Incident:

Obviously we all know that Lizzy IMMEDIATELY starts just harassing Darcy. Even though he looks like a dying puppy. But to be fair, he totally deserves it.

First Plot Point:

This surprised me during my research, but the first plot point is technically Wickham telling Lizzy about his version of Mr. Darcy’s involvement in his life. This thrusts Lizzy firmly into the second act which she (mostly) spends hating Darcy.

The other thing to keep in mind is that everything before this is SETUP. Jane Austen (and Joe Wright) is just SETTING THINGS UP, yet so many things happen. So seeing act 1 as introduction gives you a rather offish impression.

Act 2:

Obstacles

Lizzy is embarrassed by her family at the Bingley’s ball, is disappointed that Wickham is not present, and of course encounters the obstacle of having that lovely hate-dance with Darcy. Which is just glorious.

Pinch Point #1:

This is her family being embarrassing at the ball, causing Lizzy to actually comment on it! Which I think is a big deal for her. It also endangers Jane’s relationship with Bingley.

More Obstacles

Amongst Lizzy’s obstacles during this section are Mr. Collins proposing and then being rejected, and the Bingleys’ and Mr. Darcy leaving Netherfield.

Note how, without officially challenging Lizzy’s perspectives, there are some things about this that shake Lizzy’s pride and prejudice, of which I am convinced she has in equal balance. She must rethink her relationship with her friend Charlotte, for instance, and watch her beloved sister be rejected, and wonder if her impressions of Mr. Bingley were incorrect all along.

Also, Lizzy spends way too much time on a swing. This I freely admit.

She then travels to visit Charlotte where even more can happen to mess with Lizzy and introduce her to a broader world that the one she’s created in her own mind. This includes meeting Lady Catherine and her daughter, discovering that Mr. Darcy is there, and probably thanking her lucky stars that she’s not married to Mr. Collins.

Midpoint:

The weird thing about this movie is that the proposal scene is usually right in the middle, but in this one, it’s actually a little late, unless I’m incorrect. I can’t find the exact minute mark because the credits mess with the total runtime and I may have accidentally messed up my timer, but I think it occurred around 67 minutes when it should’ve been at 63 minutes, give or take.

But around 63 minutes, Lizzy is just playing the piano and then it transitions into her writing a letter to Jane and then of course we get Mr. Darcy awkwardly showing up at Charlotte’s house for like 20 seconds before he FLEES. Which doesn’t feel midpoint-worthy, at least to me. However, since it does lead directly into the midpoint, I guess it works.

But no, the real midpoint here NEEDS to be Elizabeth finding out from Col. Fitzwilliam that Mr. Darcy separated Jane and Bingley and then presumably bragged about it – and then the rain proposal, which I consider to be the primary midpoint that shakes the protagonist’s world! The letter that follows directly afterwards changes, well, everything.

Obstacles:

After this, Elizabeth is a little unsure how to proceed. The midpoint is supposed to make you reflect, and she does indeed reflect (even before receiving said letter). The other thing is that Lizzy then stands up to her father and realizes he doesn’t really care about his daughters a whole lot, and she comes to have a more realistic view of him, her mother, and her siblings. #FindingtheThematicTruth

I’m also reminded of how much I love Lizzy’s aunt and uncle. Her going with them on that lil’ vacay is so much fun and of course gives us some of the most beautiful shots in the movie.

Pinch Point #2:

At around 84 minutes (1 hr 24 m), we should have our second pinch point. On one of my timers, which is the one I’m closest to trusting but which is probably not accurate still, Lizzy’s arrival at Pemberly & subsequent “oops” happened at 1:20, which I think is pretty close. (At precisely the above minute mark, Lizzy sees Darcy with Georgiana and then is caught staring at them like a weirdo, and really, this also works.)

Also, I find it hilarious that they devoted FOUR minutes to exploring Pemberly. But I can’t blame them because it is beautiful.

Basically, this serves to give our protagonist another good shake, often prodded on by the midpoint. Both of those fit the bill pretty closely!

(Physical) Disaster:

At 1:29, Elizabeth finds out that Lydia has eloped with Mr. Wickham, which is six minutes early, but oh well. I guess we needed more time for the Mrs. Darcy scene. For which I thank Joe Wright profusely.

Here is one place where I feel like Jane Austen rises above other enemies to lovers romances. At this point, Lizzy doesn’t HATE Mr. Darcy. She’s actually starting to come around to him. If Lydia hadn’t eloped, she might have given him another chance just based on what all he learned.

Usually the physical disaster in an enemies-to-lovers romance will include a conflict directly between the protagonists rather than in the story at whole. And this sometimes works. Sometimes.

But I personally feel that this cheapens the experiences of the midpoint and beyond. And I personally hate the romance trope where the main characters fall out at the 75% mark. So I prefer this kind of exterior conflict greatly. Besides, it also takes us out of the realm of emotions.

The 75% mark in a romance should remind us that there is indeed a world bigger than our main characters, and big things are happening. For my sanity, romance writers, if nothing else! Especially since in the next point …

Act 3:

(Mental) Disaster:

In the mental disaster, sometimes called the dark point, the character has to THINK about how STUPID they were and FIX THEMSELVES.

Elizabeth realizes she has neglected her family by not telling them about Wickham and that Mr. Darcy is probably a good egg but because of that family neglect, she’s lost her chance with him when she could’ve snapped him up even though he was kinda right and her family does suck.

Though we don’t get to see it, Mr. Darcy also probably has that same realization (similar, anyways, with realizing he should’ve taken Wickham out). And then, as we know, he reacts. But we don’t find that out until later …

Realization:

The realization technically comes after the grand gesture in this story, which works really well. However, Lizzy is already pretty convinced that Darcy is a peach before this because of Darcy’s letter, etc.

This also ties into some of the “mental disaster” scenes where Lizzy stands there wanting to die while her mother cries then sees how helpless her father is then sees how her mother’s demeanor changes after Lydia’s marriage. And just … everything about this brilliantly shows Lizzy what a fool she’s been and what the real truth is.

Grand Gesture:

Darcy’s grand gesture here happens off screen, but honestly, it’s just as effective to learn secondhand of his saving of Lydia. (Though I also hope Lydia is miserable forever, because I hate her. But that’s beside the point.)

Happily-Ever-After:

They get married! And Lizzy is Mrs. Darcy! *swoons*

I’ll also add the K.M. Weiland’s writing advice blog/website, Helping Writers Become Authors, has a great story structure breakdown here of the novels.

Other than fitting seamlessly into the structure, Pride & Prejudice actually bucks a lot of the traditional tropes of enemies to lovers and romance in general, which makes no sense because, again, this book is foundational to the genre! (How did Austen do it?!)

One thing in particular to note: Bridgerton Season 2 (that smutty romance series on Netflix) contains a lot of tropes and also some misunderstandings of tropes and ALSO a lack of structure that has made the second season a bit underwhelming.

That’s my most recent example of how things could be done wrong. Because much as I came to love Anthony and Kate, the series fell into one of the most common problems and barely gave us any time with them as a couple. In general, they either hated each other or insisted (for reasons they didn’t explain well, probably because of cuts/rewrites due to the whole Covid-19 filming stuff) that they couldn’t be together. Which was frustrating. And not in a good way.

Sometimes it’s good for a romance novel or movie or TV show to be frustrating. However, a lot of enemies to lovers romances have a tendency to take it too far.

But they also try to cram a lot of physical attraction and longing into it (in Bridgerton‘s case, lusting, no matter how they try to define it as “love”) that doesn’t make sense.

A generous dash of physical attraction between every romantic pair makes perfect sense and is in fact necessary. However, there’s a point at which it stops being enemies-to-lovers and starts being Romeo & Juliet but stupid and, as mentioned before, only determined by personal structures that are usually ill-explained and make us thoroughly dislike the main characters. Which seems to happen a lot quicker than most writers think.

Anyways, now that I’ve talked about all that, let’s get into some fixes.

Ways to Fix the Enemies to Lovers Trope

(Note: you can combine these features to take them one at a time. I believe any of these five will sharpen your enemies to lovers romance!)

1: Make it “rivals to lovers.”

This is so cute and builds in the stakes. Maybe your two main characters are rival bakers at a contest or they both want their younger sister to marry the same guy or … well, there’s a lot of options here. This also takes the conflict off of simply personal stakes, especially if there are driving motivations behind their individual goals.

2: Make sure the reason they hate each other MAKES SENSE.

Don’t just make it a personality thing. Please. That’s so annoying. And if it has to be a personality thing, resolve it quickly and let your trope fade. The conflict has to make sense and not make us hate the characters.

Because “enemies to lovers” should not be between our female lead and the reader, no matter what romance writers try to tell you. They should have faults, yes, but we should understand their motivations and root for them even so.

3: Don’t make it an all-the-sudden give in … but don’t let it drag on, either!

Let them struggle. Make them HURT. Let them be TORN. And when they do give in, make it make sense. However, you also don’t want to drag it on so long that everyone is caught in six seasons of absolute idiocy that has no real reason besides to drag the story on.

Sometimes it’s not going to make sense for two characters to be enemies throughout the entire story – and that’s okay. Relationships can grow and evolve faster than you planned. And clinging to a format just because isn’t the way to go at all.

4: Make sure they feel awful.

Do you remember how guilty Elizabeth was after she realized Darcy wasn’t a jerk – just a socially awkward child? That’s what we need! It’s important for characters to feel guilty after they act like idiots and make proper amends. (That’s part of what the “grand gesture” is, but even if that doesn’t happen in precisely the same format or doesn’t have anything to do with the main conflict of the story, it still can mend fences between your characters.)

5: Remember this trope has its roots in satire.

And tropes always become most annoying when they ignore the fact that they were rooted in satire (see Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, and other plays Shakespeare used to make fun of people like the chaos hobo he was). So, therefore, have fun with it!

My biggest problem with a lot of enemies to lovers romances is that they just feel ridiculous and childish. The main characters usually blow things out of proportion and act ridiculous.

However, so do people in real life! So remember that the purpose of this trope was originally to poke fun at the rigid seriousness, the prides and the prejudices, that so many of us hold on to when we ought not to.

And with that thought, I’ll leave you.

TTFN!

~Kell~

p.s.

What do you think of the genre? And what would you like to read about next?

Many years ago (in August 2016), I started a trend on my blog called “Dares.” (See my cringey first-ever post and explanation of the name here.) Every month, I’d post a wrap-up of the previous months and “dare” myself to do a list of things in the month to come.

It was actually kind of fun. And totally suited to my personality.

Now, I stopped doing that for a variety of reasons. As far as I can tell, this was my last Dares post (May 2020), which checks out, but I could be wrong. Also, literally no one commented on that last post, so y’all should go over there and pretend to be from 2020 and make me feel popular again.

UPDATE: actually, I was wrong – I posted a Dares post at beginning of June 2020, even though it was an irregular Dares post. But I like my joke about everyone commenting on my old post so much that I’m leaving it in. Kassie Angle commented on that post, so the joke doesn’t work.

I further DID wrap up my June and July at the end of July-ish, so it wasn’t a loose thread. I just suddenly stopped calling them Dares. I guess I was too mature for that in 2020.

Good thing I’m even less mature now.

Also, I found this post which means I am now FOUR years post-graduation, and I cannot believe that.

FURTHER EDIT:

Okay, I guess in October I also called my goals “dares.” I just didn’t title the post as such. And I mentioned doing dares in my 2021 intro post, too, so … I don’t know. #Let’s Just Keep The False Narrative Alive #All You Knew Was A Lie

#Reality Is An Illusion The Universe Is A Hologram Buy Gold Bye

OKAY WHO KEEPS HIJACKING MY BLOG WITH RANDOM THOUGHTS. Let’s get on track.

Obviously what I’m trying to say is DARES ARE RETURNING, and this is the post in which they are returning.

#The Other Thing We’re Bring Back Is Words After A Hashtag That Are All Capitalized But Not Stuck Together For Some Reason # Gosh I Was So Cringey #But You Know What # I Still Am

Let’s get right into it.

Since I am starting this afresh, I will for now not post official “dares” wrap-ups yet. Usually I’ll do a monthly wrap-up, but since I already do that on my newsletter, well, you can give me a follow if you want monthly wrap-ups. These posts will be mostly for the dares and related thoughts.

This has been a rough month, and April wasn’t a lot better, and June itself promises to be crazily busy and full of lots of awful things.

However, I’m determined to do what I have to do, even if that happens to make me a little miserable. Life ain’t about being happy, after all.

June 2022 Dares

I dare myself to  …

Complete another round of revisions on my novel, The Duke’s Twin.My idea is to strengthen the Christian themes which are kind of lagging. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do so, potentially with an editor’s help.Finish the paperback formatting for the Kees & Colliers series.Yes, I’m still behind on these! Paperback formatting has proven a pain, and it’s taking a long time for Matthew to set up the programs I need to do it.Contact Amazon as they’ve messed up the new edition transfers.I don’t know how they keep doing this, but it needs fixed.Call the soccer league again at the end of the month.I want to coach my niece, but that’s proven challenging. Communication is not the strong point of most people in my town.Keep up on Bible-reading.I have a couple studies I’m doing, but it feels like I’m always running behind on them! I’m determined to prioritize Bible-reading this month, though.Don’t forget that it’s just a season of life.I’m going to be busy in June. Super busy. And I know that this will make me feel trapped, and that will make me feel like running, and I’ll sink into the panic of someone who would always rather be working on her own things. However, since that can’t be the case, I need to keep it in the forefront of my mind that the business is primarily going to be training and figuring out the balance, and that’s okay.Further Thoughts on June 2022

This is the month I start my new job, which is as “SHIBA coordinator.” SHIBA stands for, “Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors,” and this particular program is run through the Senior Center where my dad is currently the director.

I have a LOT of training to do, but if that all goes well, I’ll be advising seniors on unpacking their health insurance benefits and managing the volunteers who do the same. There are some other related duties, but that’s the basics of it.

I’m not sure how this will go, but I’m hopeful. I want to do my best with this job – plus it helps that I do need the money. I’m hopeful it’ll be a job I can balance with the other things in my life in the long term.

In the meantime, I’m determined to keep my wits about me as much as possible. So we’ll see how that goes!

TTFN!

~Kell~

P.S.

If you blog/send out emails, do you do any kind of monthly wrap-up? What’s your favorite format and what kinds of things do you really like to see?