How to Handle Your Inner Critic

It's BOOK LAUNCH week!

As evidenced by the fact that I'm writing and posting this LATE today. My brain is in 1,000 different places and so totally NOT on the ball.

I had NO CLUE how crazy busy book launch week would be until I experienced it for the first time a few years ago.

It's this combination of a HUGE THRILL because, DUDE, MY BOOK is out! But is also combined with a massive avalanche of fears.

Will they love my book? Will they HATE it?
What if no one comes to my "events" be them blog tours/parties/booksignings?
What if NO ONE buys my book, or very few?

I don't tell this to many people, but I'm gonna confess it here.

I had a "blog" party on Tuesday to celebrate the release of my book. I was SO excited about it and it is one of the main marketing pushes I do for my little side-dish books (novellas)

And online, I was HAPPY and CHIPPER and all pom-poms and smiles.

But at home, I was almost in tears. I spent the day eating WAY too many cupcakes and drinking WAY too many Dr. Peppers, and I almost was borderlined depressed. I still am not 100% sure I can put my finger on it, but part of it was the let down of all the weeks of little sleep and lots of work, and then the devil blasting EVERY fear and insecurity at me that he could.

In my little head, every person reading a post of mine was rolling their eyes. They were "coming to my party" just so I didn't feel bad that no one came, not out of actual want. Any purchases I got were pity buys.

I tell you this to for a reason:

1.) This writing life is hard. We ALL hear those voices in our head at some point, and they are NOT Godly voices. While we can say "KICK THOSE THOUGHTS TO THE CURB" I think it is really important to acknowledge that they are there and real and NORMAL. THEN kick them to the curb. 

2.) While I heard them, I didn't HEED them. I didn't let them stop my day. I didn't go cry and give up. I DID go take a walk with my kiddos to enjoy God's sunshine outside, and that really helped.

So that's my message for today.

Those negative thoughts that keep plaguing you?

Stick out your tongue at them and keep going forward on the path God has set before you.

Even when you're a few hours late posting your blog! (not gonna let that ruin my day either, HURAH!)

OH! And if you want to check out a cute little romance, A Side of Hope is officially available at all most major online retailers!

Amazon (available in print and ebook)
Barnes and Noble (available only in ebook)
iTunes (I can't link to this one, but just search it on your ipad/iphone and it'll come right up!)

A Side of Hope

Tilly Davis is meeting her forties head on. Happy and healthy, she doesn't need a man to complete her. But as she blows out her candles, she makes a halfhearted wish for maybe just a little excitement to spice up her life.

God must have misunderstood her wish, though, because moments later, He brings her the one person she never wants to see again.

Her husband.