About The Retreat:
Can a week in Costa Rica—guided by a team of energetic healers—help you discover your soul's purpose? Despite warnings from the nagging voice inside her head, Marlee Ryan leaves the comfort and safety of her suburban Philadelphia home to travel to Costa Rica. She, Juliette Greene, Sophia Robbins, and Annie Thompson—who bonded during a weekend in the Poconos when they solved a murder mystery—are attending Elevar, a spiritual retreat designed to help participants find their dharma, or life purpose. During the transit from the airport to the resort, they meet Maggie Carr. Within no time, the five women connect. While unsure what’s beneath Maggie’s sad eyes, Marlee feels this sweet, young architect from Pittsburgh needs nurturing ... and she’s more than willing to fulfill this role.
Through a combination of workshops, private healing sessions, group excursions, and one-on-one conversations, Marlee, Maggie, Juliette, Sophia, and Annie shift, discovering parts of themselves they had no idea existed. Courageously meeting with an intuitive healer, astrologer, channeler, sound healer, mystic, and shaman, they delve deep into their past, examine their limitations, and commit to moving toward a future that aligns with their soul’s purpose.
However, while four of the women leave Costa Rica with a specific game plan, one is not so lucky. In fact, her world appears to fall apart, forcing her to deal with her fears and become brutally honest about what she wants. This week-long retreat challenges each woman to face her truth as well as her destiny. Owning their shadows, regrets, and insecurities, Maggie, Marlee, Sophia, Annie, and Juliette begin to make peace with their past, become open to new opportunities, and embrace their soul’s callings … paving the way for them to become “the Healers."
Author bio:
A native of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Philadelphia, Michelle received her B.S. in Finance from Lehigh University. A short stint in the banking world helped her to realize she had not yet found her passion, so Michelle made a major career switch and followed her heart into the field of Education.
After obtaining a Masters in Education at St. Joseph's University, she taught at the elementary level in both the private and public sectors. Following the birth of her first child, she took time off to stay at home and be a full-time mom. It was during this period that Michelle volunteered at numerous local organizations.
From president of the Junior League, to trustee at Alvernia University, to school board president, Michelle immersed herself in the Berks County community. These years taught her a great deal about leadership, communication, conflict, and resolution. Still, she knew that she needed more, anticipating a large void in her life when her boys left for college. That's when she decided to combine her educational background with an entrepreneurial spirit and began working as an independent college admissions consultant, assisting families in discovering "best fit" schools for their young adults.
Then, in the spring of 2017, life presented two new opportunities ... writing and Bend, Oregon. While exploring her new environment, she began to find her voice through the written word. And she realized she loved it! In February of 2020, Michelle published her debut novel, Learning to Bend, a story about a young woman who takes a risk, leaves her comfort zone, and slowly discovers who she is. After all, isn't that what we're all trying to do?
Since then, Michelle's published 3 additional novels (The Dog Walkers, The Invitation, and The Retreat) and posts blogs twice a month. She's finding her "second act" in Bend ... constantly surprised by the joys and challenges life presents. She and her husband, Scott, have two amazing sons, two spirited pups, and two awesome grand-dogs. Life is good!