Author Elizabeth Maddrey Talks About Guilt

One of the things I’ve learned about myself is that I have a tendency to assume guilt, even when there’s no need to do so. Before my husband and I had kids, I mostly had that tendency under control. I’d learned not to take things so personally and to evaluate the truth of things in God’s eyes before taking on guilt.

And then we had kids and “mommy guilt” reared its ugly head. Was I doing everything that I should be doing? Was there more, or less, or different? Yet, at the end of the day, I’ve had to realize that the majority of “mommy guilt” I feel isn’t a worthwhile thing, designed to sharpen and mold me into a better mom, but a lie from the Evil One, seeking to rob me of my joy.

Some days though, even knowing it’s not a voice of Truth, the guilt I feel over silly things like choosing to spend a few minutes cleaning the house instead of continuing to play cars with the kids leaves me breathless. And it’s in those moments that I’m learning to step back, take a deep breath, and turn to God. He’s helping me learn to separate worthwhile guilt that leads me into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with my kids and Him from the rest and restoring the joy that the guilt was leeching out of my life.

In my March release, A Splash of Substance, Paige Jackson struggles with feelings of guilt for wanting to strike out on her own and start a catering company instead of going to work for her dad at his restaurant. As with my own guilt, Paige’s guilt is solely based on her perception of other people’s reactions to her decisions rather than their true feelings – and her relationships lose some of their joy because of it. While it’s not the primary focus of the novel, Paige does make some steps in shaking off guilt and reclaiming joy over the course of the story.

You can find A Splash of Substance on Amazon.

It’s also available for Nook, on iTunes, and Kobo.


Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace.

Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys. She invites you to interact with her at her website www.ElizabethMaddrey.com or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey