Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Well, my name is Kellyn Roth (duh). I’ve been writing since I was seven years old, and now, as a highschooler, I’ve published my first book, The Lady of the Vineyard. My novels The Dressmaker’s Secret and Ivy Introspective will be coming out this summer, The Dressmaker’s Secret being relaunched after some editing.
I live in the Oregon countryside with my parents, two little brothers, lovely border collies, and cat, Sparrow (because she’s as flighty as one). I love reading, playing soccer and basketball, and animals.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Lady of the Vineyard is the story of a woman named Adele whose ex-husband shows up after six years and takes their daughter with him to France. She is forced to come to some very important realizations.
It was inspired in part by what I see all over the world … women who ask for one thing and get it … and don’t want it. They want something different, something real, and Adele’s daughter, Judy, is real. It’s also just a story I’ve been tossing around in my head for a while.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not particularly. I tend to either write a lot or get distracted by the internet, but I think that’s very common among authors. Then there’s my habit of coming up with titles before I write the books and then struggling to find a way to relate the book to the title.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh, gosh, every author and every book I’ve ever read has influenced me! But I think some of the authors who had the most influence on my writing are Gene Stratton Porter, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Jules Verne, Shannon Hale, Sarah Sundin, and all my writing friends.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a historical fiction novel set in the 1850s, Once a Stratton. It’s about a girl named Lilli who, after seeing the cruelty towards the African American slaves, becomes a member of the Underground Railroad and helps those poor people escape.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Everyone tells me Goodreads is the worst place in the world to promote books, but I really enjoy using it as a tool to show off my books and talk to other readers and writers. I think the best thing for an author to have, though, is a blog. Post regularly and professionally, and the readers of your posts will become the readers of your books. After all, what is a blog post except a mini work of fiction?
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I do. Don’t be afraid to get out there! This is the #1 mistake of Indie published authors. They publish their book … and then they don’t promote it!
Don’t get me wrong. Promoting your book shouldn’t be the only thing on your mind. The most important thing is to build relationships with your readers. And you can’t do that if you hide!
The internet is an incredible resource for us Indie authors. Even if you’re shy, you can still introduce yourself to people – and eventually tell them about your story – without having to actually meet them … so do it!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I think Shakespeare said it best: “to thine ownself be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, that thou canst be false to any many.”
What are you reading now?
I’m reading an Indie-published novel, Emmeline by Sarah Holman, a Jane Austen retelling, for review. It’s pretty sweet so far. I’m also somewhere in the middle of both The Child of the Sea (Elizabeth Goudge) and The Scarlet Pimpernel.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, once I finished Once a Stratton, I’m going to be writing the fourth book in my series, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy. I’m also planning a historical romance set in the early 1900s about the highschool oddball and the star of the football team. Call it cliché, but I’m introducing a new twist. ?
What is your favorite book of all time?
Without a doubt, “A Girl of the Limberlost” by Gene Stratton Porter. It may be part nostalgia, though.
Author Websites and Profiles
Kellyn Roth Website
Kellyn Roth Amazon Profile
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