Bound 4 Escape

Teetering On Disaster by Michaela Renee

Publisher: Bowker (January 11, 2019)
Category: Memoir/Self-Help/Non-Fiction
Tour dates: March/April, 2020
ISBN: 978-0578430805
Available in Print and ebook, 316 pages

Description

Michaela Renee Johnson was just 12 years old in 1992 when a financial slump forced her family to move from an upscale area in Sacramento to a 27-ft trailer in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, with no electricity or running water — so no Nintendo or MTV. It wasn’t exactly the life that every adolescent dreams of, but it was, in fact, their reality.

Michaela chronicles these formative years (and beyond) in her often humorous, constantly candid true story, Teetering on Disaster. As the young Michaela navigates her way through the inherently melodramatic teen years, she must come to terms with relieving herself in the woods, shaving with a 10-cent borrowed razor in an irrigation ditch and taking what she called “bird baths” with a jug of water.

Somehow, in the midst of disorienting change, she learned to focus on what she was gaining instead of what she had lost. And in the end, she gained profound wisdom about her family and the world around her, and uncovered the truth about her own ability to thrive in the face of life’s inconveniences.

But the effects of her unorthodox upbringing don’t end at adulthood, and Teetering takes readers along as a grown Michaela stumbles upon a few “Mr. Right Nows,” gets divorced in her twenties, and ends up right back where she started: a small mountain town in the middle of nowhere.

Teetering on Disaster is a heartfelt, coming-of-age story written to inspire others to live a courageous life of authenticity and to speak their truth with grace. Michaela’s book is an unapologetically honest, authentic tale that will make readers laugh out loud and cry — sometimes at the same time.

Guest Review by Linda Lu

A joyful, thought-provoking and uproariously funny good read. I love when I find a book that just makes me feel like I am having a great time reading. Michaela Renee Johnson wrote a memoir here that, in a different author’s hands, might have come across as kind of sad and maudlin but she made it fun and life-affirming. With the talent that she has for picking out the silver-lining in every situation, I can only imagine that she is really great to have around in real life.

Here’s what happened, Johnson’s family owned a small construction business that made them comfortably middle class in early 90’s southern California. Until the stock market collapsed on Black Monday. Suddenly Johnson’s parents were selling everything (including their house) in order to avoid filing for bankruptcy. One day, Johnson arrives home to find a “27-foot Terry trailer” waiting in the driveway. Her parents had bought it with the intention that their whole 5-person family would live inside it for the foreseeable future. Of course, Johnson is horrified by the idea of living full-time in what is, essentially an RV.

What follows are faithful re-tellings of her strange and unique childhood and how it affected her adult life in unexpected ways. There was no part of this memoir that I did not love but I especially loved Johnson’s absolutely crazy childhood stories. At one point, her family lived without water or electricity in the trailer which meant that she had to do things like going to the bathroom in the woods and learning to shave her legs in an irrigation ditch. I couldn’t believe how her family managed to survive during such hard times and not kill each other. I can’t even imagine going through something like that with my own family. Yikes! I highly recommend this book if you like a good, funny, crazy memoir! This is a 5 star read.

Acclaim/Awards

Best Indie Non Fiction Novel, Shelf Media Group

Non Fiction Author’s Association, Silver Award

San Francisco Book Review, Prestigious 5 Star Award

San Diego Book Awards Best Un-Published Non Fiction

Praise

“Throughout Michaela’s autobiographical story, she sent me through a rollercoaster of emotions. Not being able to identify on a personal level with the extreme of both of her situations in each half of the book, I still felt that as a human being I could sympathize, and it helped me to have a greater appreciation for what I currently have. Michaela’s story had me happy at all of her highs, sad at the many losses, and emotionally confused concerning her relationships. What it all boils down to is that at times, being a grown-up, and a female, can be very difficult.”- Rachel Dehning, San Francisco Book Review

“I really did laugh, and cry, while reading this. I was able to relate to the experiences of the author, even though we are twenty years apart in age; the early years… amazing experience that family went through, creating a precious, ever-lasting bond between a young woman, her parents, and her two younger brothers.
Her humor and positive attitude, her extreme frankness and humility (touched with a bit of narcissism) draw one to her.
She, like the sweet doggies of the Great North, she is ever pleasing, forgiving, hard-working and never tiring. She relates to the dog world so much, calling herself Rio’s mom, that she probably won’t mind being compared to a canine. Being a dog lover myself, I think of it as the highest compliment!
I wish I had her strength, her sense of humor and wit, her looks, her intelligence, her resilience and determination; I wish I had her ability to seems so Angie-Jolie-transcendent, and yet admit to being a little Grace-Adler-(Debra Messing)-ordinary … striking and competent, clumsy and insecure… God bless her!!
I wanna go through struggles and come out looking like Michaela Renee! One you just can’t help admiring.
Very inspiring. You just know she is going to be JUST FINE! She has spirit! She has spunk! And she IS LOVED… she will never be alone When she least expects it her true love will curl up next to her, and he won’t have four legs!”- Marcy Lundy, Goodreads

“Laugh out loud funny, interesting & touching. Teetering on Disaster is like a Modern day “Swiss Family Robinson meets Jerry Springer”! You could know the entirety of the story and Kayla’s writing style, quick wit, raw truth still entertains. If she wrote recipe’s we wouldn’t need the food channel. Buy it for every chick you know and earn major points, but make sure you keep one copy for yourself! Not just a “chick” book – man up and enjoy!”-Rick Harris, Amazon

About the Author

Michaela Renee Johnson is a licensed psychotherapist, Be You Find Happy podcast host and an award winning published author. She inspires happiness by encouraging people to speak their truth with grace, and live a courageous life of authenticity.

Her business Be You Find Happy holds workshops and conversations on happiness in spite of life’s setbacks and has landed her speaking opportunities across the nation.

She lives in Northern California with her husband and son. She enjoys traveling and has visited 19 countries; she loves the ocean and everything in it. She rarely finds herself without an activity whether it be hiking, yoga, tinkering the garden, golfing, reading or spending time outside.

In her most simplest she loves poetic quotes and all things metaphysical.

Website: http://michaelarenee.com/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/michaelareneej
YouTube: https://youtube.com/michaelarenee

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Giveaway

This giveaway is for one autographed print copy and 2 ebook copies of the book. Print is open to the U.S. only and ebook is available worldwide. There will be 3 winners. This giveaway ends April 21, 2020,midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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