Author + Character Interview: Beyond Her Calling

Let us once again welcome back Kellyn Roth! Her new book, Beyond Her Calling, is launching, and obviously I jumped on board the tour. 😉 We’ll get to see some epic questions for the authoress herself, and then, with a character from her book! (I know, I’ve interviewed Kellyn before; that section is short, don’t worry) There will be talk of dark secrets, murdering food, and a giveaway!

I am in bold!

Hey Kellyn! Welcome back to my blog!

Was it difficult to transition from writing from Alice’s point of view to Ivy’s?

Oh, yeah. Alice and Ivy are SO different. Also, it is so hard to figure out how to write Ivy every time. She changes a lot from book to book, and she’s just a hard character to portray in general.

Did more research go into this book? Or do you know most of what you need to by now for this series?

I pretty much know what I need; however, I did some research on Scotland (and Scottish brogues in particular), medicine (and how to become a doctor in this era), and a couple things related to mental illnesses/disabilities (which is always something I’m learning more about).

So yes, research went into it, but I do know the basics, so I’m not, you know, researching every thing there is to know about the Victorian era.

Cool! If you had to choose, which would you say you like writing about better: Alice or Ivy?

Ohhh, don’t make me choose! Well, Alice is easier to write for me… but I adore Ivy! She’s such a sweetheart. ❤

I’d say I might choose Alice, but Ivy will always be a favorite!

What character point of view is it easiest to write?

Jordy McAllen. 😛 I don’t believe I ever talked about this, but Jordy is basically my best friend Bailey. I just have to think about what Bailey would think or do or feel, and there we go. Jordy.

That’s actually really cool. I know that, personally, it’s hard for me to write characters based on real people; they always turn into their own personalities instead of staying like the real people! And now, the most important questions of all: how much food and/or drink was murdered as you wrote this, and what was most commonly consumed? 😉

THOSE WERE MURDERS? And here I thought foods and drinks were soulless creatures…

Okay, really, though. It was a combination of Dairy Queen $5 lunches, coffee (with way too much cream and sugar), and hot chocolate.

I’m being honest here.

BUT… it wasn’t a lot of food/drink, honestly. I’m not a very hungry writer. 😉

Thank you so much for letting me interview you! You had so many great answers!

Thanks for having me!

And now, we’re going to get to have an interview with a character I’ve never met before: Violet Angel. (This should be interesting 😉)

Once again, I am in bold!

Hello there, Violet! Welcome to this interview!

To be blunt, I know nothing about you, and my readers don’t either. So, to get us on the right track, let me ask you: in relation to Ivy, the protagonist of this story, what are you?

Not really my fault you didn’t do your research, now, is it, dear?

I’m a friend of Ivy’s as far as friendship goes. We met at McCale House when I was fourteen and she was twelve.

How interesting; what do you like best about Ivy?

She’s a cheery individual. I don’t quite understand why, but I like it. Or sometimes. It can be annoying, too.

Do you have any dark secrets or a mysterious past?!

Hmph. Everyone does.

That’s probably the best way to answer that question. 😛 Are you from Scotland?

No. I’m from London. Though I’ve been in Scotland since I was three years old.

Can you try to paint a quick picture for us of what your family is like? Who is a part of it? How do you all work together?

I don’t have a family.

Well, I supose I do. A mother, a father, and a younger sister who is engaged to be married to a baron or some such. Her name is Dorethea. She’s about Ivy’s age, actually. but I haven’t seen them in years – they only visit me every so often – and I can’t stand them. I just… can’t take their presence. I suppose it all comes from being abandoned.

Oh, I’m so sorry… does Kellyn put you through anything painful or traumatizing during the course of this book, then?

*arches eyebrows* She always does.

Then how do you cope with things?

I don’t. I tend to fly off the handle and threaten to kill someone or myself. Rather bad habit, that.

Alternately, my sarcasm deepens.

Do you think that Kellyn will ever want to write a side story just for you?

Please no. That’s the last thing in the world I need!

As far as I know, nothing’s been planned, and I hope it stays that way.

Staying away from more potentially traumatizing situations. *nods sagely* Good move. What is your life’s goal, if you have one?

I don’t have one. I suppose just to get around to dying so I can go to Heaven? That sounds nice to me. Assuming I even make it to heaven.

Do you have a favorite food? Is it something Scottish?

I don’t really enjoy eating, so I don’t really have a favorite foods. But if I did, it wouldn’t be anything specifically Scottish. They have terrible food here that no sane person would place in their mouth!

I hope you eventually find something you like. Do you have any particular talents or skills?

Piano, I suppose, but I’m not as good or as passionate as Ivy. I read quickly and can take in a lot of information and retain it. But otherwise, no, not really.

I play the piano as well. Personally, what do you think of yourself?

I don’t like myself much at all.

Hmmmm… well, do you have any love interests in this book? (Or is it possible that Kellyn has future plans of someone for you? *wink wink*)

*is quiet for a moment* No… no. I’m sure now that that will never be.

Thank you so much for braving the Internet to talk to me, Violet! I’ve had a great time with you!

Thanks. Not like I have anything better to do …

Whoo hoo! Those were some epic interviews! And now, let’s put in that bio of Violet’s that I just found… (oops)

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Bio: Violet Angel is a young lady from London, but she’s been cared for at McCale House, a boarding school for “simpletons” in Scotland, since she was three years old. Violet loves being sarcastic, music, reading, subtly teasing Ivy, pondering deep philosophical topics, and pouting in her bedroom. She’s a minor character in Ivy Introspective and Beyond Her Calling.

Fun Info About Violet:

Full Name: Violet Millicent Angel

Birthdate: February 13th, 1860 (age 20 during Beyond Her Calling)

Personality Type: INTP

Personality Info: It can be difficult to say exactly what is Violet and what is her problems, but it is safe to say that she’s sarcastic, slightly pessimistic, and generally rational unless she’s having one of her nightmares or episodes when she becomes overly emotional and paranoid. Violet loves thinking about theoretical problems and delving into theology of all types.

Appearance: Violet has long dark hair, almost translucent pale skin, and big blue eyes.

Background: Violet was born in London. When she was three years old, her nightmares and anxiety issues led her parents to place her at McCale House. Being abandoned by her parents only made her worse, of course. #goodjobAngels

Violet struggles with suicidal thoughts, and Ivy has led her away from a literal cliff as well as several mental ones in the past. For this reason, and because Ivy is so innocent and friendly, they have been fast friends since they were twelve and fourteen respectably.

Family: Mr. and Mrs. Rupert Angel, Dorothea “Dorry” (younger sister by two years), and presumably some other little siblings

Random Facts:

-Violet has bipolar syndrome (mild), nightmares inspired by her past, and is just generally scarred by her parents abandoning her as a three-year-old.

-The author believes Violet would do a lot better in the modern-day world, and would probably be deemed a normal (though still quite sarcastic) person, but unfortunately that is not to be.

At twenty, Ivy Knight feels as if she hasn’t accomplished anything of worth. Her life stretches on before her, empty and pointless. Though her faith in God and her mental abilities have been strengthened, she still doubts herself. Does God have a purpose for a socially awkward, often confused and frightened young woman?

Jordy McAllen has just returned to Scotland after his education in London. Though he has accomplished a lot for a farm lad such as himself, he fears that what everyone has always said about him may be true: he won’t’ really make a good doctor. Determined to prove himself, Jordy snatches up the opportunity to become the doctor in the village of Keefmore near his parents’ farm.

Helping Jordy with his work at Keefmore seems like the perfect opportunity for Ivy. Still, she doubts herself. Is there a purpose to Ivy’s life?

Book Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39935008-beyond-her-calling

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J2VYVYJ?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

About Kellyn Roth

Kellyn Roth lives on an Eastern Oregon ranch with her parents, little brothers, border collies, cats, and a few dozen cows and chickens. Always a lover of a good story, and especially of telling one, she’s been writing since she was seven and published her first novel at fourteen. Now a homeschool grad, she divides her time between penning her next Christian historical novel, creating professionally silly articles at kellynroth.blog, and her actual life. Actual life plays second fiddle sometimes, though.

Find out more on her website: https://kellynrothauthor.com/

Want to Follow the Tour?

There’s a lot of fun posts! Here’s the schedule!

Saturday, October 20th

Intro Post // Kellyn Roth @ Reveries

Author Interview // Molly @ A Sparkle of Light

Review // Lisa @ Inkwell

Review & Character Interview (Jordy) // Amie @ Crazy A

Character Interview (Ivy) // Jo @ The Lens and the Hard Drive

Book Spotlight // Annie @ Letters from Annie Douglass Lima

Sunday, October 21st

Theme Day // Kellyn Roth @ Reveries

Guest Post by Character (Ivy) & Review // Grace M. Morris

Book Spotlight // Erika Messer @ Maiden of the Pages

Author Interview // Angela R. Watts @ The Peculiar Messenger

Monday, October 22nd

Ivy Day // Kellyn Roth @ Reveries

Character Interview (Ivy) // Loretta Marchize @ Just Writing

Review // Andrea Cox @ Writing to Inspire

Character Interview (Jordy) // Liz @ Home with the Hummingbirds

Author & Character Interview (Violet) // Julia @ Julia’s Creative Corner

Review & Character Spotlight (Ivy) // Caroline Kloster @ Inside the Autistic Life

Tuesday, October 23rd

Jordy Day // Kellyn Roth @ Reveries

Author Interview // Faith Blum @ Bookish Orchestrations

Review & Guest Post // Cara @ Jessie Bingham

Guest Post // Lindsi @ One Beginner To Another

Character Spotlight (Ena) // Shannon McDermott @ Shannon’s Blog

Wednesday, October 24th

Violet Day // Kellyn Roth @ Reveries

Guest Post // Germaine Han @ The Writing Mafia

Review // Jana T. @ Reviews from the Stacks

Thursday, October 25th

Real Life Day // Kellyn Roth @ Reveries

Book Spotlight // Gabriellyn Gidman @ PageTurners

Author Interview // Sara Willoughby @ Th!nk Magazine

Review // Michaela Bush @ Tangled Up In Writing

Guest Post by Character (Violet) // Peggy M. McAloon @ Peggy’s Hope 4U

Friday, October 26th

Future Day // Kellyn Roth @ Reveries

Review // Abigail McKenna @ Novels, Dragons, and Wardrobe Doors

Review // Gracelyn Buckner @ Literatura

Review // Katherine Brown Books

Review // Bella Putt

Saturday, October 27th

Wrapup Post // Kellyn Roth @ Reveries

Character Interview & Spotlight (Jordy) // Kaylee @ Kaylee’s Kind of Writes

Book Spotlight // Abigail Harder @ Books, Life, and Christ

And be sure to check out the Facebook party every day this week for exciting updates!

GIVEAWAY!!!

This is an AWESOME giveaway that you don’t want to miss! Kellyn is giving away a signed copy of Beyond Her Calling!

Click HERE to enter!

Did you enjoy the interviews?

Are you going to enter the giveaway?!

Do you like Kellyn and her books?

-Julia

Disclaimer: the images were not created by nor are owned by me. They were given to me by Kellyn Roth to use during her book tour.