My Unfurling: Emerging from the Grip of Anxiety, Self-Doubt, and Drinking by Lisa May Bennett ➱ Book Tour with Guest Post

Lisa May Bennett’s

WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR

My Unfurling

Book Summary

Wicked hangovers. Scary blackouts. Ugly fights with friends. The results of binge drinking weigh heavily on Lisa May Bennett. She tries repeatedly to savor “just a few” glasses of wine—only to find herself passed out on the couch again.

Lisa has a bucket list full of exciting adventures with zero check marks next to them. Her anxiety and self-doubt are crying out for real solutions, not more booze. And her dream of becoming a published writer is fading away. She worries that her love of a good buzz will keep her stuck in this rut. Can she take charge of her life, or is she headed for a disastrous rock bottom?

This touching and funny memoir explores the childhood experiences that paved the way for Lisa’s drinking habit. She examines her complicated relationship with her mother, her experiences as a late bloomer, and her ongoing search for validation. In an engaging and relatable voice, the author shares how she began to “unfurl” without alcohol holding her back. But will she stay sober and discover how to truly thrive?

Anyone wondering if they'll ever burst out and follow their dreams will find My Unfurling compelling and hopeful.

ISBN-13: 9798985875003

ASIN: B09WZJXBCZ

Print length: 266 pages

Purchase a copy of My Unfurling on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.

Guest Post

Pushing Back Against Negativity and the Inner Critic

by Lisa May Bennett, author of My Unfurling: Emerging from the Grip of Anxiety, Self-Doubt, and Drinking

The first time I listened to myself on a podcast interview, I turned it off after five minutes. I’ve never liked hearing my own froggy voice, but I was most horrified by the weird smacking noise I kept making with my mouth. “No one is going to keep listening to this,” said my inner critic. “You are terrible.”

It took me almost a week to finish listening to that recording. The old me was ready to give up. Maybe podcasts were not my thing. But the Lisa who was (and still is) trying to break old patterns did not want to give up so easily. I had a book to promote, and podcasts were the perfect forum for my story.

So, I started researching and practicing, and after several more interviews I had improved. By my sixth podcast, I was like a different person!

Speaking live in front of a crowd is another nerve-rattling experience. Deep breathing helps, but that voice inside still says, “You’re going to mess up…you’re going to trip on your way up to the stage…people are going to be bored.”

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had to contend with these voices that tell me I’m not good enough, I’m not doing enough, I’m a failure, and nobody likes me. My mind can convince me that even my dearest friends are snickering about me behind my back, or they’re just plain over me.

To counteract this self-doubt, I’ve turned to a number of bad habits over the years, including drinking, fixating on my weight and appearance, judging others, and spending money to fill that empty feeling.

When I decided to quit drinking six years ago, I had to deal with the suspicion that I was going to be excluded from all the fun and that even I would find myself boring. I had to refuse to let this fear get the best of me. I had to resist leaning on other counter-productive coping tools, like eating my feelings, zoning out in front of the TV, or endless online scrolling.

Recently, I’ve noticed that my family handed down a collection of fatalistic sayings to me, such as “You can’t win for losing,” and “You’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t.”

This kind of negativity has haunted me for decades. I put off pursuing the writing career of my dreams well into middle age. Alcohol helped numb my frustration and kept me in a holding pattern. Once I decided that I owed it to myself to build up my confidence and see what I might unlock, I was able to write and self-publish my first book.

Now I turn to tools such as meditation, yoga, journaling, support groups, and self-coaching to keep myself from spiraling into a pessimistic black hole.

My mind still likes to tell me that I’m a loser. But I’ve learned not to buy into that mindset. I’ve accepted that I won’t always achieve the same victories as other authors, and that’s ok. As long as I’m staying true to myself and not hiding behind bad habits, life is more fulfilling than my inner critic could ever imagine.

About the Author

Lisa May Bennett is the author of the memoir My Unfurling: Emerging from the Grip of Anxiety, Self-Doubt, and Drinking. She had a flourishing career in marketing and communications for more than two decades before finally embracing sobriety and chasing her dream of becoming an author. Her upcoming book will demystify the self-publishing process, and she hopes to encourage more people to tell and publish their own stories.

You can follow the author at:

https://www.lisamaybennett.com/

https://www.facebook.com/lisamaybennett

https://twitter.com/lisamaybennett

https://www.instagram.com/lisamaybennett

#myunfurling #selfhelp #biography #alcoholism #womensbiographies #kindleunlimited #lisamaybennett #womenonwriting

Blog Tour Calendar

October 30th @ The Muffin

Join us at WOW while we celebrate the launch of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett. Read an interview with the author and enter for your chance to win a copy of her book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

October 30th @ Book Q&As

Visit Deborah's blog for a Q&A with author Lisa May Bennett.

http://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/

November 2nd @ A Slice of Life

Visit Linda's blog for a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about being a caregiver for an aging parent while trying to stay sober.

https://lindahoye.com/

November 3rd @ The Faerie Review

Lily shares a spotlight of My Unfurling on her blog.

https://www.thefaeriereview.com/

November 5th @ A Storybook World

Join Deirdra for her spotlight of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett.

https://www.astorybookworld.com/

November 7th @ Sweet Silly Sara

Visit Sara's blog for her review of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett.

https://www.sweetsillysara.com/

November 10th @ Chapter Break

Visit Julie's blog for a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about how her writing deepened and solidified her sobriety.

https://chapterbreak.net

November 11th @ A Wonderful World of Books

Visit Joy's blog for a spotlight of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett.

https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/

November 13th @ Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews

Join Lisa for her interview with Lisa May Bennett, author of My Unfurling

https://lisahaselton.com/blog/

November 15th @ Freeing the Butterfly

Visit Michelle's blog featuring a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about how anxiety played a part on her reliance on alcohol.

https://www.freeingthebutterfly.com/blog

November 17th @ World of My Imagination

Visit Nicole's blog for a review of My Unfurling.

https://worldofmyimagination.com

November 18th @ Book Room Review

Don't miss a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about how being sober has helped her build self confidence and pursue my dreams.

http://www.bookroomreviews.com/

November 20th @ Word Magic

Join Fiona's blog for a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about why your life doesn't have to be completely falling apart in order to benefit from giving alcohol the boot.

https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

November 23rd @ Cheryl M-M's Book Blog

Visit Cheryl's blog for her review of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett.

https://mmcheryl.wordpress.com/

November 25th @ A Wonderful World of Books

Don't miss a guest post by Lisa May Bennett about breaking old patterns and talking back to the voices inside her head.

https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/

November 27th @ Jenny Bilskie Smith

Visit Jenny's Instagram page for her review of My Unfurling.

https://www.instagram.com/jenny_bilskie_smith/

November 28th @ Writer Advice

B. Lynn Goodwin shares her review of My Unfurling by Lisa May Bennett.