INTERVIEW: Kellyn Roth & BECOMING MISS KNIGHT!

Hey guys!  Today I've got a fun post celebrating the release of Kellyn Roth's latest novel in the Chronicles of Alice & Ivy series -- including an interview by Ms. Roth!  So you'll definitely want to stick around for that.  First, though, some info about the book and the author!

BLURB

Becoming Miss Knight is no easy task, but surrender is not an option.

Alice Knight’s debut is in less than a year, and everything has to be perfect. Of course, she’d rather be riding her horse or playing with her younger siblings than learning to curtsy. But, with her mother in France for a holiday, the care of the house falls to her—and what better time to learn what it really means to be a lady?

Ivy, her twin sister, has other things on her mind. Namely, the endless conundrum of why she promised to keep an eye on her younger siblings while her parents are gone. She’s the least-qualified person to take care of them, but, bound by her word, she’s determined to try.

Even with all the guidance and advice available, becoming Miss Knight isn’t proving to be easy for either of them. However, any amount of work is worth keeping a promise to their mother.

This short novella, set between Ivy Introspective and At Her Fingertips, is the first Alice and Ivy novella to launch.

AMAZON | GOODREADS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kellyn Roth is a Christian historical women’s fiction & romance author from North-Eastern Oregon who has independently published multiple novels, the most notable being The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy series. You should definitely call her Kell.

Kell lives on family-owned property outside an unmemorable but historical town with her parents, two little brothers, arbitrary cat, precious border collies, a dozen cows, and lots of chickens. She also possesses a classic, vintage aesthetic which does not at all speak to her country girl side, but such is life.

When not writing, Kell likes to blog, teach writing to her various students, have day jobs which allow her to keep her car properly insured, and spend lavish amounts of money on Dairy Queen french fries. She also likes to talk about Keira Knightley and her own books just … way too much.

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Want to help share about Becoming Miss Knight?  Signups will be open through February 15th, so hop over to the form and check out the ways you can help!  Click HERE!

1. What's one of your favorite scenes from Becoming Miss Knight?

KELLYN: Definitely every scene where Nettie is giving advice. She gives so many valuable tidbits! I also love Alice's list-writing scene, and the scene where Ivy turns their adventure around. (Honestly, I enjoy most of the novella!)

2. What themes will readers discover in this book?

KELLYN: Mostly growing up and finding your place - but under that umbrella, making plans for the future (particularly romantically) and how that's not a sure thing & being okay with where you're at.

3. Did you turn to any specific inspiration for this book?

KELLYN: Well, a lot of it is inspired by real life! Friends' stories and whatnot. I also drew inspiration from older "coming of age" stories like the Betsy-Tacy books and Emma by Jane Austen.

4. What is one thing you hope readers gain by reading Becoming Miss Knight?

KELLYN: That a lot of our worries are unhelpful - and yet that doesn't mean they don't exist and should go unaddressed. And that, in our frantic preparation for things we can't predict, we often make ourselves ridiculous. And that Nettie should be listened to at all costs. ;-)

Thank you so much for interviewing me!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to interview you, Kellyn!  Such great answers.  If you haven't checked out Becoming Miss Knight yet, make sure you snag a copy soon.  I more or less devoured my copy, and it was such a sweet little read...in fact, it bumped me out of a reading slump!  Perfect cozy read for the cold winter months!

I just had to share this quote too -- as one of those "crazy horse people," I had a good laugh over it and realized that the exact same thing is on my list, too.   

Do you plan on reading Becoming Miss Knight? What are some of your favorite quick and cozy reads?

Don't forget to join the launch team!

REVIEW: ALL THAT WE CARRIED by Erin Bartels!

Hey everyone!  It's been a little while since I've posted on here...yikes!  But I hope you've been having a wonderful start to the new year.  This is the first post I've made this year, and it's about a thought-provoking novel called All That We Carried by Erin Bartels, courtesy of Revell Reads.  

Are you ready?  Keep reading!

 BLURB 

The most treacherous terrain is found within

Ten years ago, sisters Olivia and Melanie Greene were on a hiking trip when their parents were in a fatal car accident. They haven't seen each other since the funeral. Olivia coped with the loss by plunging herself into law school, work, and a materialist view of the world--what you see is what you get, and that's all you get. Melanie dropped out of college and developed an online life coaching business around her DIY spirituality--a little of this, a little of that, whatever makes you happy.

Now, at Melanie's insistence (and against Olivia's better judgment), they are embarking on a hike in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In this remote wilderness they'll face their deepest fears, question their most dearly held beliefs, and begin to see that perhaps the best way to move forward is the one way they had never considered.

AMAZON | GOODREADS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erin Bartels is the award-winning author of We Hope for Better Things, a 2020 Michigan Notable Book and a finalist for the 2019 Christy Award and the 2020 Star Award from the Women's Fiction Writers Association (WFWA), and The Words between Us, a finalist for the 2015 Rising Star Award from WFWA. Her short story, "This Elegant Ruin," was a finalist in the Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction Contest in 2014, and her poetry has been published by The Lyric. A publishing professional for 18 years, she is the director of WFWA's annual writers retreat in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She lives in Lansing, Michigan, with her husband, Zachary, and their son. Find her online at www.erinbartels.com.

MY REVIEW

I have to give this book 3.7 stars out of 5, rounded to 4.  It was very thought-provoking, especially for folks with siblings or strained relationships.  It has impactful discussions about beliefs, forgiveness, and healing -- told between two sisters who were estranged for nearly a decade.  Both characters were relatable throughout the majority of the novel, although in the beginning, I honestly wanted to put the book down right away because of how the sisters' extremely different personalities were portrayed (I think my exact thoughts were "oh boy, this is gonna be a wreck," but then I had to keep reading).  Olivia is grating, a Type-A personality to the extreme, and Melanie is someone who will literally believe anything; very gullible.  It's interesting to see how they interact and how their different personalities affected how they moved on (or didn't) from the loss of their parents.  

While I appreciated the themes in the story, there were a few aspects of the novel that I expected would go completely different in regards to Josh, a stranger they meet on their hike, and a couple other things that I expected would be significant to the plot later, but ended up kind of...dropped, which I was a bit disappointed in (and this is separate from the ambiguity in the ending, which is totally acceptable for the style of novel/storytelling), so that definitely contributes to my rating.  The plot did hold my attention throughout the entirety of the novel, though, so I can't be too disappointed.   

Overall, if you're looking for a thought-provoking story with fantastic themes and you don't mind a bit of a bumpy start, you might want to consider this book.  

Have you read any books by Erin Bartels?  Do you plan on picking up All That We Carried?  What's on your January TBR?