INTERVIEW with KELLYN ROTH: Like the Air After Rain Blog Tour!

Hey, folks! Today I have the privilege of sharing about Like the Air After Rain by Kellyn Roth, including an interview! Follow along with the rest of the blog tour and keep up with the schedule HERE. Keep reading for a giveaway!

ABOUT THE BOOK

What if nothing’s left after the storm fades?

Aubrey Montgomery has three problems: the care of his adolescent sisters, the managing of his household, and his own loneliness. Over two years have passed since he was rejected by Cassie Hilton. Although he no longer trusts himself to love a woman properly, he could settle for an amicable partnership—if the right woman came along.

Lorelei Hilton only has one problem that she knows of: her manipulative and controlling father is arranging a marriage to a spineless boy in order to maintain the family business—and keep it out of her very determined, very female hands. But if Lorelei can’t force her way through a door, she’ll crawl in a window. To rescue herself and her sister, she sails off to England in search of a man with the gumption to stand up to her father.

After a chance meeting and an intense contract negotiation, Lorelei and Aubrey agree to a marriage of convenience. As they grow closer and struggle through the trials of their utilitarian arrangement, Aubrey is left with a question. Can the sacrament of marriage be entirely practical—or is there something otherworldly about it?

Like the Air After Rain is the second novel in The Hilton Legacy, a stand-alone trilogy featuring characters from the author’s first series, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy.

AMAZON | WILD BLUE WONDER PRESS | GOODREADS

AUTHOR

Kellyn Roth is the author of ten historical romance novels with strong Christian themes, a touch of humor, and messy situations that put the main characters through the wringer and force them to face hard questions. Kell is the founder and owner of Wild Blue Wonder Press, a small press with the mission of sharing fictional stories full of grace and truth. Her goal is to create stories that matter, to delve into the deepest and sometimes the saddest parts of life, and to return from the darkest valleys resplendent in the light of hope and the fullness of joy. When not building her author career, Kellyn is likely drinking iced coffee with her husband, getting lost somewhere in the Pacific Northwest with her friends, or watching period dramas and facetious comedies with her border collie. WEBSITE | NEWSLETTER | GOODREADS | AMAZON | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | BOOKBUB

INTERVIEW

Question 1: Like the Air After Rain sounds like a fascinating story. What's your biggest reason for writing it, or the heart behind it?

Other than wanting to write a story about Lorelei, I don't think I really understood the heart of the story until I started drafting. I thought I did, but of course, Lorelei had to go and surprise me!

As I wrote the story, a purpose unfolded: I wanted to show a couple sorting through the difficult first year of a marriage, working through their beliefs about what a godly marriage actually looks like, and of course, coming to love each other. More than that, I wanted to write a main character who is very different from me in her goals and beliefs, but who slowly comes to realize that God's plan for her life is far better than she could imagine.

This isn't perhaps the first story I've written and published with similar themes, but it is the first with this much angst and longing and fear and grief! Lorelei was definitely a difficult character to write in a lot of ways, but I quickly came to understand the hurt little girl behind the blunt, devil-may-care attitude, and further, to understand that it would take time to work through those deep wounds. This wasn't a story I could wrap up quickly - that would be unrealistic. So, I hope, I gave Lorelei some time to breathe - and I am so hoping that readers will also see that they have time to breathe and to let God provide them comfort during their healing journeys!

Question 2: What was the most difficult scene (if you can share spoiler-free) to write in this book?

There were a number of scenes that had proven difficult in one way or another, but I struggle to pinpoint one that was especially difficult - it was more like the book overall was insisting upon defying me! I had a hard time pulling off some of Lorelei's worst "stuck in a dark spot" rambles, though. It's hard to share hope when your main character feels hopeless! So those types of scenes got a lot more TLC in the editing stages.

Question 3: We love a good marriage-of-convenience storyline! To contrast, what was common practice for arranged marriages in this time period, and how did that understanding influence your story idea?

I think by this point in history (the 1880s), arranged marriages weren't so much arranged as they were practical. Yes, some people definitely had arranged marriages, but in general, it was more likely that a couple would be choosing each other out of a few dozen (or whatever) "suitable options" their parents either recommended or simply introduced them to. There was choice! And honestly, how could you marry someone you'd never been introduced to anyways? So in that way, many marriages weren't "arranged" even if they weren't the most random, passionate love stories we've come to think of as romantic as modern audiences.

That said, this is not to say the romantic movement wasn't in full swing, but courtship was a great deal more formal for many upper class ladies and gentlemen, and therefore, it was more likely to feel "arranged" or practical to our modern sensibilities. I think a lot more people had "love matches" than we tend to think when looking back on the Victorian era, or even earlier eras. Honestly, I laugh, because Victorian women probably had a lot more options romantically than I feel I did when I was dating. :P

Question 4: If you could convince someone to read this book using only one sentence, what would that sentence be?

I mean, a sentence really only ends when I say it ends; it could keep parading on endlessly, discussing topics such as the main characters' growing relationship with God and how they navigate the first year of their marriage together, or perhaps I could talk about what a sweet husband Aubrey is to Lorelei, or what a hilariously blunt spitfire Lorelei can be at times; further, I could talk about the descriptions of picturesque windblown coastal Dorset and tell you that you should bring a cup of tea (or a mug of coffee, if you're like Lorelei) and settle in for a cozy-ish story with lots of angst; that said, I think if I were to say one thing about this book, it'd be "if you love sweet but challenging historical romances and want to read a marriage of convenience story that is more focused on Biblical truth than all the feels (even though those are there, too, certainly!), you'll love Like the Air After Rain!"

What? It's one sentence.

Question 5: If you could name one song that fits the vibe/overall story for Like the Air After Rain, what would it be?

Just one? Don't you know I have a whole playlist full of songs that fit the vibe/overall story perfectly but only as a group, not as individual songs?

I guess I'll go with Taylor Swift's You're On Your Own Kid, though I admit that may not be the best choice. Still, it fits Lorelei so well!

Thank you so much for interviewing me, Michaela! It was a blast, and I so appreciate it!

Thanks so much to Kellyn for taking the time to answer my questions! Now, if this sounds like a book you'd like to read (and if you're a fan of Victorian era fiction, the answer is probably yes!) then you can grab a copy on Amazon or Wild Blue Wonder Press. But if you'd like to take a chance on a giveaway for not only the first two Hilton Legacy books, but also the Chronicles of Alice & Ivy series, click HERE! If you're on Instagram, there's a second giveaway afoot--check it out at @wildbluewonderpress!