New Book to Release in September, and A word about Self-Doubt

From bestselling author Curtiss Ann Matlock comes a funny and heartwarming look at a woman facing midlife, marriage, and moving on.

When her husband of thirty-five years runs off to find himself and her mother dies, sheltered Southern belle Carley Love Wells is left a broken hot mess and on her own for the first time in her life. Before she can get a good footing, husband Jackson unexpectedly returns, seeking forgiveness and asking, “Can you love me anyway?”

The answer to that question thrusts Carley Love along a path full of unexpected turns and hard choices—and with amusing wit and firm opinions, she writes it all down in a journal inherited from her mother. On the pages, she begins to see her life in a new light—to find she is stronger than she knew, that foolish mistakes are part of living, but so is abundant grace to cover them—and that she must let go of the past in order to move forward, and into a life of love that is far more than she ever dared hope or dream.

Can Carley Love let go and let love?

I am thrilled to report that According to Carley Love is scheduled to release September 21 on Amazon, Kindle e-book and print. The e-book will be available for pre-order in the coming days, so y’all look for it when you are over there.

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It has been a long journey from when I began this book to seeing it in print. The book has gone through many forms, although the themes of brokenness, family ties that bind, hope and humor, and, mainly, forgiveness and love–two things that go together–have remained the same. Throughout all the many re-writes, I clung stubbornly to holding on. Self-doubt snapped at my heels, yet, I could not give up on the story.

I have learned to live with self-doubt. I was born with it, grew up with it, and I think now that it is a trait at the heart of human existence. Certainly it is a trait, in varying degrees, of the creative heart and mind. It is what strengthens us–we have to keep pushing at it, and not let it keep us down. As we keep on keeping on, we grow. So if you find yourself at times overcome with self-doubt, don’t let it throw you. Simply take the next step and the next step, and keep on going until you find confidence, at least for a bit. I invite you to take a look at Steven Pressfield’s recent blog posts on Self-Doubt. His ‘Self-Doubt Part 1’ story had me laughing out loud, because his illustrative scenario happened to me. You will be much encouraged and blessed for your own creative endeavors.

“When doubts come, meet them, not with arguments, but with assertions of faith. All doubts are an attack of the enemy; the Holy Spirit never suggests them, never. He is the Comforter, not the Accuser; and He never shows us our need without at the same time revealing the Divine supply.”

Hanna Whitall Smith, preacher, writer, theologian

It doesn’t even have to be a great strong faith. A tiny, quaking faith is all I ever have. Every time I started to give up on writing the book, something happened to keep me keeping on. I would begin again, and kept going.

grace and peace,