Last week I shared some pretty big news with the CURowd (that’s our email list – the Coming Up Roses crowd! Are you on it?!) – and that is…I WROTE A BOOK!!! 📖 But chances are, if you’ve been here a hot second, you may have known I was writing a book because for the last 2+ years or so, I’ve shared glimpses of the behind-the-scenes process on Instagram Stories and shared tidbits of its heartbeat in posts or emails. The real new news: we did a title + cover reveal. So without further adieu, allow me to introduce you to…
It’s the most honest, heart-wrenching, soul-searching, freedom-filled thing I’ve ever written – and it’s going to meet you right where you’re at (or where you’ve been) with “a warm hug…and maybe a little kick in the pants,” as my friend Jordan Lee Dooley says in the book’s foreword. 😉
If you want to hear a bit more about what it looked like leading UP to the book, from finding my literary agent to actually pitching a book proposal and landing a book deal, don’t miss next week’s THRIVE podcast episode! 😉
For now, I figured I’d run through some FAQ I’ve been seeing in the hopes of having all the things in one place for quick reference
TLDR; You can read more about That’s Just Not True, grab a copy, read a sneak peek chapter and redeem pre-order bonuses all right here!
The heartbeat behind That’s Just Not True…
It all started with Olivia, my 6.5 year old daughter. Really, it started a bit before then – I had been feeling a nudge in my spirit every time I’d see certain motivational maxims or “empowering” phrases on social media (some that I had repeated myself for years!). It felt like I was looking around and seeing the same things repeated day in and day out, but I was also seeing the same struggles and same stories and same sins and same sadnesses and it got me thinking.
Is this really the solution? Or is something here actually holding us back or just…not quite it?
Fast forward to Liv. For years, we had been saying a few adorable affirmations together before preschool (they’re still saved on my Instagram, and they’re totally cute and smile-inducing). They went a little something like, “I am smart! I am strong! I am brave! I am kind! I am important! And I can do ANYTHING!!!!!!”
Check, check, check, check, check, aaaaaand…maybe not check.
In so much of the aftermath of NICU life and the realities of being born prematurely, it really hit me: maybe she can’t do anything. But also…maybe that’s not at all a bad thing. Maybe, actually, it’s what God intended! Maybe we actually weren’t created to do ANYTHING, and maybe that’s not nearly the flop-of-a-kindergarten-motivational-speech that it seems at first glance. In our best efforts to be encouraging and empowering, maybe we’re sending a message that may do more harm than good…and also inadvertently missing something important when we read between the lines of what God actually has to say about it.
Enter, That’s Just Not True.
Inside are 17 chapters calling out specific lies that we’ve come to believe (whether we realize it or not) – be they from today’s culture, church communities, even our best-intentioned family or friends – and holding them up against what God ACTUALLY says to be true scripturally. It’s a book that *goes there* in a real and relatable way, to call you out AND up, so that you can walk away with a truer sense of peace, clarity, and freedom from baggage you may not have even realized you’d been carrying.
My prayer is that God gets this into the hands of every single woman who needs it most. If you’re tired of culture’s empty promises – tired of feeling stuck, waking up everyday already exhausted by the pressure to be enough, do enough, or hold it all together – this book is for YOU. So…
Who is this book for?
That’s Just Not True was born out of my own story – years of wrestling with hustle culture, perfectionism, rejection, striving and people pleasing. It came from years of believing narratives said about me – some that even looked great on paper! – and promises made to me by a culture that cares more about comfort than character.
But this book isn’t just about me.
It’s about us – a whole generation of us – who grew up believing the lie that we were somehow both “too much” yet “not enough.”
It’s for all of us who dreamed big and life came swinging bigger, with reality checks that broke our hearts, derailed our dreams, and looked nothing like our Pinterest boards.
It’s for those of us who wake up everyday already exhausted by the pressure to be enough, do enough, or hold it all together – those of us living in this constant tension of feeling like we should be better, farther, faster, just there by now because we can do anything! We’re in control! God won’t give me more than I can handle so I can HANDLE THIS!…right?!
(Spoiler alert: not quite).
If you…
- Have been the go-to gal, the overachiever, the captain of the ship and the hero in your story (for as long as you can remember)
- Find yourself spiraling in overthinking, comparison, or shame
- Love Jesus but still wrestle with doubt, control, or perfectionism
- Are exhausted by self-help culture and trying to keep up with it all
- Have been rejected more times than you can count
- Feel like you’re “doing all the right things” but still…aren’t “there” yet
- Are ready for truth that sets you free – not just keeps you busy
…then this book is for you.
Now, I’m going to give you something I don’t even know if I’m allowed to give you.
But I think it’s important for context so that you can feel seen and known and met wherever you’re at.
In the book’s introduction (which you can actually opt into reading in full below!), I share a bit about who this is for (in the style of Martina McBride’s 2003 smash Hit, “This One’s for the Girls”…IYKYK).
This one’s for the girls who’ve ever felt like never enough.
You were the “try hard” who still got rejected. You could be the best friend to all and still never “make it” into the group. You drank the “never give up” Kool- Aid, but you sometimes feel like you need something stronger to endure still having nothing to show for it. Life feels like one big hamster wheel, and you’re running and you’re running and you’re . . . tired of still running.
This one’s for the girls who used to wish upon a star.
You dreamed big, but real life came in bigger, and you feel like you got the short end of the stick with a second- rate version of the vision you once had— because it sure doesn’t look like your Pinterest board anymore.
This one’s for the girls who’ve been balancing all the balls.
You’re a multitasking queen—a real chaos coordinator— building a home and a business, raising babies and raising heck for causes you care about, for girlfriends in need, for family you love. You do it all, and yet it somehow feels like something is always coming up short, and your head hits the pillow with a running list of reminders and to- dos for tomorrow. Even then, something is missing— there’s a little hole where satisfaction should be.
This one’s for the girls who’ve ever felt like they can’t catch a break.
It feels messy. You feel messy. And not even a hot mess— just a mess. Forget swimming through life; treading water is tough, and lately it’s felt like your head is barely above the surface. Man, what you’d do for a lifeboat . . . even a life vest? At this point, we’ll settle for Rose’s floating door. Anybody?
This one’s for the girls in the waiting room.
You didn’t expect to be here— to still be here— yet here you are. Watching, waiting, as every name around you is called. Will it ever be your time? Have you been forgotten? Do you keep waiting? Do you say, “screw this, already,” and leave altogether? This not getting called can’t possibly be your calling.
This one’s for the girls who are straight- up pooped.
While your kindred spirit was once the Energizer Bunny, your human is showing— and you just can’t keep going anymore. Your batteries are drained, they don’t feel rechargeable, and you’re probably out of triple- A’s (again). Your white flag is up— you’re tired of being tired.
Is it good for group discussion?
Absolutely. In fact, I created a group Discussion Guide to help facilitate chapter-by-chapter conversation, be that in your book club, women’s group, Bible study, or even just amongst your family or girlfriends! You can actually get the discussion guide *for free* when you preorder the book (aka grab it before its 10/21 release day), so I’d recommend grabbing your copy now and putting your order number in the form on this page so that the discussion guide is waiting for you in your inbox on 10/21!
When does it release?
That’s Just Not True will hit bookshelves + doorsteps on October 21st. BUT…you can (+ should!) preorder it right now! And if you preorder, word on the street is that sometimes Amazon will ship your book even earlier, meaning you’re guaranteed a 10/21 delivery…but it might show up to surprise and delight you sooner!
You can preorder here on Amazon, at Target, at Walmart, at Barnes & Noble, or at Books-A-Million.
Why should I preorder?
Preordering a book is actaully one of the BEST ways to support it! Pre-orders are *the thing* that tells retailers that a book is worth stocking or shelving, so they’re wildly helpful to authors (and so, so appreciated!). But beyond being helpful behind-the-scenes, they ensure you lock in the best possible price (if price fluctuates at all in your favor after preordering, you’ll only be charged the *lowest* possible amount come release day…so if it’s $18.98 today when you buy but goes down to $16 on October 10th, you’ll only be charged $16 when it ships for October 21st!).
And there are PREORDER BONUSES!!!! Which brings us to…
What do I get if I preorder?
I asked (okay, begged) my published for something incredible to offer you as a big fat THANKYOU for preordering. They so graciously agreed to offer the ENTIRE AUDIOBOOK…FOR FREE…as a gift with your preorder! Oftentimes folks are only able to gift the first few chapters or so, but I really pushed to have the entire shebang on the table.
Why?
Because I don’t want you to miss out on the message of this book because of the pace of your life or the amount on your plate.
I know we’re all busy. We’re all so, so busy…and we’re also exactly the women who need these words most (myself included).
So if that means you’re reading a chapter of your paperback in the doctor’s office waiting room, then listening to the next via audiobook in carline at school pickup, SO BE IT. (I also had the incredible opportunity to narrate the audiobook myself, so it feels like we’re hanging out over coffee working through these lies together!).
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE.
You also get the aforementioned That’s Just Not True Discussion Guide, as well as a discount code for an exclusive TJNT merch launch coming soon!
So if you’re planning on reading it anyway, you might as well preorder to carpe diem the bonuses along the way!
CLICK HERE TO REDEEM YOUR PREORDER BONUSES!
Hmm…I’m still not sure. Can I get a sneak peek?
Sure can. You can read the foreword, introduction, and full first chapter right here. 🙂
Can I help spread the word? This sounds like an awesome book!
HONORED! So, so stoked + encouraged by your excitement about this project. In the words of future-Mrs.Kelce…it’s been a long time coming. 😉 So to have the beans spilled and the time here feels surreal!
Here’s something that I’ve learned so far.
You absolutely cannot (and should not) do it alone. (And this applied to much more than just book publishing…it’s a general life thing, too. 😉 ).
And I absolutely do not WANT to do it alone! So, I’m asking for your help.
I need your help, not because you have a certain number of followers on social media or know people who know people.
Rather, I need your help if you have a heart for helping people. If you care about truth. If you, too, find yourself looking around this world, scrolling through social media, or even sitting through sermons thinking…this doesn’t quite sit right. Is this really true? Is there more than meets the eye here? What am I missing? I’m tired of feeling like this. And I don’t think God WANTS me feeling like this! (Spoiler alert: He doesn’t!)
If you want to help spread the word, would you send the Amazon listing to someone right now? Maybe a friend already came to mind – maybe it’s your mom, your sister, or the girl you always see at Pilates. Maybe it’s your group chat, your women’s group or Bible study – maybe you’re recommending it to your book club to read together upon release (and you can use the handy dandy Discussion Guide to help! 😉 ).
Sharing it with even ONE person would be helpful and appreciated.
Beyond that, if you’ve made it this far and already added to your Amazon cart (you rock!), you just might be a *perfect* fit for our That’s Just Not True Launch Team (!!!).
Here’s what being on the launch team means:
- You’ll get early digital access to the book (yes, the entire book!) to read BEFORE the rest of the world does.
- You’ll also get all preorder bonuses (listed above)
- AND you’ll get a surprise because I lovelovelove surprises…like an exclusive piece of merch to say THANKYOU for teaming up with me in this way!
- You’ll be asked to leave a review on Amazon during release week (the week of 10/21)
- You’ll also be asked to share it with friends or family however you see fit. Maybe that’s making a story on your Instagram, maybe it’s a Facebook post…whatever feels most natural to you and best serves your own community. (And DO NOT SWEAT THIS, seriously! Our lovely launch team manager will be giving you ideas and options that you can literally copy/paste if that makes your life easier!)
Launch Team applications close THIS FRIDAY, so if you’re in, take two minutes to drop your info in this form here!
TLDR; You can read more about That’s Just Not True, grab a copy, read a sneak peek chapter and redeem pre-order bonuses all right here! 🙂
This book is a conversation starter, thought provoker…dare I say life changer? Writing it sure changed mine – and I know reading it will changes yours. I can’t thankyou enough for being here, and for adding That’s Just Not True to your TBR list. It’s so surreal finally sharing it all with you, knowing exactly what went down behind-the-scenes to make it happen.
I have all the feels!!!
…in awe of how the puzzle pieces of my life so far have come together in these pages…
…nervous to open them up to the world…
…honored to have been called to do exactly that.
Thanks be to God.
Okay. That is all (for now).
Let’s go kick the enemy in the teeth. 👊
