Learning To Bend by Michelle Davis - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hello, lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host fellow Oregonian Michelle Davis and her new book, “Learning to Bend”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Michelle and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

Learning to Bend

by Michelle Davis

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GENRE: Women’s Fiction

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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.

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EXCERPT TWO:

I’m drawn to a solitary man with shoulder length thick brown hair sitting alone at a café table. I try not to stare, but I can’t help myself. When I get closer, I see a faint scar on his cheek. It intrigues me. He intrigues me. Yet it’s his captivating green eyes that truly catch my attention. I look in the opposite direction and make it appear as if I’m about to walk away. But I can’t, he pulls me toward him. I pause, actually freeze in my tracks before I find my body shifting in his direction. He’s drinking coffee and gazing at me. Who is he and why am I feeling this way? Doing my best to regain some composure, I try to avert my eyes, but they won’t stop staring at him. What is it? He’s not traditionally handsome – he’s more of a sensual “bad boy” type – nothing like Ben. Suddenly, I feel my throat tighten and butterflies appear inside my stomach. I become conscious about my hair. I’ve had a helmet on all day. It must look awful.

Stop it. He’s just some stranger.

Although he’s sitting, I quickly assess his height and notice his chiseled muscular build. I’m guessing that he’s older than me, by at least five or more years. Something deep inside of me begins to stir as I pass by his table. That’s when I hear, “Place the weight on your inside toe when you turn. You’re using your knees too much.”

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BOOK TRAILER:

What If the One Thing That’s Holding You Back

Is the Thing You Don’t Know How to Let Go?

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GUEST POST:

Bad Ass Bella

I have a new dog. It’s not one that I ever would have chosen. In fact, she’s the exact opposite of what I would want in another dog. But we made a promise, and now I’m learning to live with Bella.

First, let me explain. We’re Lab people. We have big dogs… dogs who don’t yap, who go outside without complaining, who never have accidents in the house. Those are our kind of dogs… real dogs.

But, when my mother-in-law passed away, we honored the agreement we made when we bought her this dog four years ago – that if something happened to Scott’s mom, we would take Bella - and we are damned and determined to keep this promise.

Bella’s been treated like a princess her entire life. She’s been able to do as she pleases, and her every interest has been indulged. (Why not? After all, she was an amazing little dog to Scott’s mom, Mary Lee.) But that is changing now that she is joining our family. It has to. We certainly love our dogs, but our world doesn’t revolve around them. No doubt this is as much of a transition for Bella as it is for us. Yet, we’re going to make this work, even if Bella needs to go to some type of “doggy boot camp.” That’s why I now call her “Bad Ass Bella” to help her (and me) with this change.

This little ten-pound Shih-poo (the name so appropriately describes her… “she who poos in our house”) will transform and fit into how we roll. It is my mission to get her to go outside with the big dogs, no longer “going” inside or requiring 6:00 a.m. leash walks with me in my slippers and pajamas, hoping that none of my neighbors will see me.

No, this dog is smart. I am convinced that she will get the drill, understand what is expected, change her behavior. At least that is what I hope.

For those of you who know me well, I fought the idea of taking this dog. In fact, I dug my heels into the ground, proclaiming that I would not keep Bella. It was one thing having her while my mother-in-law was sick, but to keep Bella permanently, well that was a totally different conversation. But, then three weeks ago I made a promise to a very special lady who wanted to make sure that the dog she cherished would be properly cared for… and things changed, I changed. I made the commitment to do my best to make this work. I will put my heart into helping Bella become the Bad Ass dog that she was always meant to be… in order to fit with our family. But I won’t do it by trying to control her, break her, make her be what I want. Instead, I will offer love and patience.

When my mother-in-law was in the hospital, I’d bring Bella to visit her. Bella would sit at the end of her bed, attempting to avoid hurting her “mom” whose legs were unbearably sore. Mary Lee enjoyed seeing Bella, and I am convinced that this little dog began to understand what was happening. A week before my mother-in-law died, she looked at me and said, “Bella is going to be a good Oregon dog.” I smiled, holding back the tears, and assured her that we’d take her to the river in a backpack, allowing her all of the joys that our big dogs, Mac and Mia, experience in Bend, Oregon. She smiled. She knew. She gave me Bella. And I accepted.

Now that it’s final, and Bella is ours, I’ve decided that she needs an altered name, something that respects who she’s always been but acknowledges who she will become. That’s when I realized that she can be a bad ass, just like her new brother, Mac. We just need to allow her to shift from Princess Bella to Bad Ass Bella. She certainly has the will, the spirit, and the stubbornness that “bad ass” implies. So, I’m ditching the pink stuff and toughening her up. And, guess what? She likes it! In fact, she is more than embracing her new “bad ass” role.

She loves getting muddy with the big dogs, growling at strangers, and eating their “big dog food” instead of the variety designed from tiny dogs. In fact, the other night Bella destroyed a large chew toy, pulling out all of the stuffing just like Mac does. I think that this is who she’s secretly wanted to be… a boss… owning it… calling the shots, but not from the princess role, rather from a more assertive position. Maybe this is how it’s supposed to be. I help Bella own her true identify while she teaches me to surrender and practice loving kindness to a ten -pound, yappy, strong willed, loveable ball of fur!

So, welcome to the family, you Bad Ass Bella!

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AUTHOR BIO:

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.

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CONNECT WITH MICHELLE:

Website:

http://www.michellemdavis.net

Website:

https://www.learningtobend.com

Email:

michellemdavis1@me.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/LearningtoBend

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/michellemillerdavis

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19919545.Michelle_M_Davis

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50435286-learning-to-bend

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/3329XD7

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3aD2M6Z

Amazon Paperback:

https://amzn.to/38B8GUW

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/learning-to-bend-michelle-m-davis/1136004857?ean=9781734461916

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/learning-to-bend-michelle-m-davis/1136004857?ean=9781734461909

Kobo eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/learning-to-bend

Apple iBook eBook:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/learning-to-bend/id1494050606

The Book Depository Paperback:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Learning-Bend-Michelle-Davis/9781734461909

BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:

https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Learning-Bend/Michelle-Davis/9781734461909

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Michelle will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.