It feels weird to write a blog post introducing myself.

I wish I could somehow curtsy. I feel like that would be a good start.

Hello.

[insert that curtsy here]

My name is Annie Downs and one dark and stormy night, I wrote a book called From Head To Foot.

[That “dark and stormy night” part is a lie, but I feel like that’s how people expect authors to speak and I’d hate to ruin your expectations.]

Here’s the truth. I wrote a book for myself. I mean, I didn’t write a book for Adult Annie, I wrote a book for Teenage Annie.

I didn’t like her very much, Teenage Annie that is. In fact, I hated her. I hated the way she looked, the clothes she wore, and I hated that of all the bodies in the world I had this one.

The only thing I hated more than my own self was talking about how much I hated myself. So I didn’t. My parents are awesome and loving, I had small group leaders at church that were committed to us, and I was surrounded by godly friends. But I never shared how deep the pain was. How real the hurt. How ugly the thoughts that radiated in my mind.

I went off to college, plugged into an amazing campus ministry, and started seeing a counselor. [That is a major simplification of the plot line, but trust me- it’s for your own good. The details would take us a while. We’ve got all week to unpack that stuff.] And slowly but surely, the Lord started showing me TRUTH where LIES had reigned supreme. I began to replace those lies, like exchanging fruit for waffle fries at Chick-fil-A.

And I started to see myself the way Jesus sees me.

So I wrote a book about that process. I wrote a book to pay homage to poor Teenage Annie- she never knew a different life and I wish she had. My hope and prayer now is that my testimony will rescue someone else- another teen girl who can’t stand to look in the mirror. Or, dare I say, a grown woman who still treats her body like it is the enemy. I think if one girl changes her thinking and changes her point of view because of my stories, then living them was worth it.

I hope that when teens read this book, they decide to share their pain.

I hope when moms read this book, they remember how it felt and they step into their daughter’s healing.

I hope when high school girls read this book, they begin replacing the lies with truth.

I hope when college girls read this book, they embrace God’s heart for them.

And I hope that every person who reads this books finds moments of humor and moments of real tears.

That’s why I wrote From Head To Foot– because Teenage Annie deserves some much-belated love, because today’s young women have it harder than Teenage Annie ever did, and because we all deserve places where laughter and tears meet.

Tomorrow…. an interview about all things Annie… writing, blogging, Nashville, and the best colors of nail polish.

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