Learning
To Bend
by
Michelle Davis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE:
Women’s Fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Jenna
Moore's flawlessly orchestrated life and engagement to Ben Kelly,
“the perfect man,” vanish when she discovers a controlling side
of her fiancé. Confused and unsure of who she is without Ben, Jenna
decides to uproot from her safe, predictable life in Boston and move
to Bend, Oregon, hoping to find her answers there. It’s when she
meets Jackson, a former Navy SEAL who battles demons of his own, that
Jenna finds the courage to let go of being perfect and embrace
uncomfortable risks, transforming her life through forgiveness,
compassion, surrender and acceptance. Yet the rewards from
discovering her true self exceed Jenna’s expectations – not only
does she find the greatest love of her life, but she also understands
what’s kept her from learning to bend.
EXCERPT
Twenty-two,
twenty-three, twenty-four... one more, I think to myself, straining
to finish the final pull-up. Twenty-five. Done. I then grab a
thirty-five-pound kettlebell and begin the first of three sets of
twenty swings. The clock on my nightstand says 4:41. I spend the next
half-hour hammering my muscles with weights, knowing that is not the
end of my morning workout – I still have a run. Welcome to my
world. This is my daily practice, my religion. It’s the only stable
aspect of my life. But I need it, crave it actually. It’s what
helps me counter the nightmares and the pain.
It’s
been over a year now. My thirty-four-year old body hasn’t
physically changed since I left the SEALS. At six feet two,
discipline and hard work have kept me at a steady weight of 197
pounds. In fact, my only variance from years of following the SEAL’s
strict codes is that I grew out my hair. Now, it’s almost at my
shoulders. I think letting it grow was symbolic at first,
representing a departure from my former life as a Navy Commander.
Yeah, those were the best years of my life. I loved what I did, and
my guys were freakin’ awesome, totally dependable and loyal as
dogs. But afterward, it was impossible to stay. I couldn’t trust
myself.
INTERVIEW – Michelle Davis
What is the sweetest thing someone
has done for you?
When I had breast cancer, I had to
undergo a double mastectomy and then four rounds of chemo. My husband
was always by my side – beyond amazing. He would gently wash my
hair in the sink when I was unable to wash my own hair in the shower.
And when I’d be feeling nauseated from the chemotherapy, he’d make
me bacon sandwiches on mushy white bread – the only thing I could
stomach. He was incredible throughout that entire journey.
How would you spend ten thousand
bucks?
I would probably go to Miraval Wellness
Resort and Spa my husband. We both love holistic treatments!
Where do you get your best ideas?
My creativity seems to flow
best when I’m running, doing yoga, or taking a shower. Also,
sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with a new idea. I
just need to remember to write it down. Otherwise, I go back to sleep
and I can’t remember the idea in the morning.
What comes first, the plot or
characters?
Both occur simultaneously. I have
trouble imagining a story line without specific characters, and
characters by themselves would be boring.
What does your main character do
that makes her special?
Jenna learns to take risks to become
the woman she knows she is capable of being. She readily admits her
faults, owns them actually. But she wants to be better, constantly
digging deeper to understand what’s keeping her from learning to
bend. Plus, Jenna can laugh at herself, something a lot of
twenty-somethings don’t give themselves permission to do.
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Michelle
Davis, whose career path includes banking, teaching, and college
admissions consulting, holds a B.S. in Finance from Lehigh University
and a M.S. in Education from St. Joseph’s University. Through her
blog, elevate,
Michelle’s goal is to inspire others to shift their perspectives
and welcome change as they realize their life purpose. A Pennsylvania
native, Michelle and her husband enjoy visiting their sons in Boston
and spending time in Bend, Oregon, the settings of her debut
novel, Learning
to Bend.
To learn more about Michelle and how to elevate your life, visit
www.michellemdavis.net.
Facebook
– https://www.facebook.com/LearningtoBend/
Instagram
– https://www.instagram.com/michellemillerdavis/
Amazon
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Davis/e/B083ZLXBXS/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY!
The
author will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to one
randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for hosting my book tour!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview
ReplyDeleteThanks so much:) Glad you enjoyed the excerpt and the interview.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting me today - everyone stay safe!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and I appreciate getting to find out about another great book. Thanks for all you do and for the hard work you put into this. Greatly appreciated!
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