by Katherine Reay, @Katherine_Reay

Life brings pressures…

I handed in my next manuscript to the publisher yesterday. And while I am so excited for the story – and actually like what’s on the page – it’s not “there” yet.

I’ve been traveling for the past week and have been absent from social media. And the numbers let me know that is not a good thing. Whereas I may have had X engagement a couple weeks ago, I have at most 1/3 X at present.

My house is a mess. I would like to be organized, neat and tidy. And I’d like my two large dogs to stop shedding, and my kids to remember to load the dishwasher…

I’m sharing this for a purpose, by the way. Not to get you to say – Oh poor Katherine. I’m pretty sure you won’t say that – and neither do I. These are the tiny pressures I feel – the little ones, the very little ones, of the day and of the work I do.

You may feel them too…  We put our hearts and souls into our stories; we engage on social media and keep track of our reach; we work long hours; we take care of family, friends, and our communities; and we hold ourselves to a standard. Even if that standard is not viewed in comparison with someone else – it is compared to an ideal we set for ourselves. We may not even be able to articulate it, but we feel it when we fall short.

Be Gentle with Yourself.

It’s not my thought. It’s a lesson for me. I read it in a book this weekend and the author added it was the best piece of advice he had ever been given. It might be some of the best I’ve been given too.

I took it to heart and hope it resonates with you as well.

Enjoy writing and be gentle with the outcomes. Push your story, your vulnerability, your craft and your effort – and then be gentle with yourself as you regard the work. Enjoy social media – make authentic connections –then be gentle with yourself and those fluctuating numbers. Enjoy your home and all the life that teems there – and be gentle with yourself when a fur ball drifts past. And, maybe, if we learn this grace in small ways and with small things, we’ll do the same for others and ourselves when the big pressures roll our way.

There will be critics. The author pointed that out too – not that we need reminding. But he also noted that the critics don’t get awards. No Nobel Prize for Best Critic. No Pulitzer for Best Critic. No Christy for Best Critic. Just imagining those awards makes me smile as they are not ones I would want to win, even – especially – against myself.

Have fun today!

And thank you so much for joining me here.

Katherine

The Austen Escape

Mary Davies finds safety in her ordered and productive life. Working as an engineer, she genuinely enjoys her job and her colleagues – particularly a certain adorable and intelligent consultant. But something is missing. When Mary’s estranged childhood friend, Isabel Dwyer offers her a two-week stay in a gorgeous manor house in England, she reluctantly agrees in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways.
But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes she lives in Jane Austen’s Bath. While Isabel rests and delights in the leisure of a Regency lady, attended by other costume-clad guests, Mary uncovers startling truths about their shared past, who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who now stands between them.
Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings play out, and dancing ensues as this company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation, work out their lives and hearts.

Katherine Reay is the bestselling and award-winning author of Dear Mr. Knightley, Lizzy & Jane, The Bronte Plot, A Portrait of Emily Price, which released in November 2016 with Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and a Romantic Times TOP PICK! Her latest, The Austen Escapereleased November 2017. All Katherine’s novels are contemporary stories with a bit of classical flair. She holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University and is a wife, mother, rehabbing runner, former marketer, and avid chocolate consumer. After living all across the country and a few stops in Europe, Katherine now happily resides outside Chicago, IL. You can meet her at www.katherinereay.com or on Facebook: KatherineReayBooks, Twitter: @katherine_reay or Instagram: @katherinereay.