A sensitive and spirited tumbleweed

The Dancing Poet

Michele Lee Sefton is a poet, masterful storyteller, and veteran English teacher whose debut novel, Jade’s Broken Bridge, is a work of literary fiction inspired by true events. Her writing explores resilience, empowerment, and fully embracing one’s past through the lens of fresh perspective and the resolve to live authentically.

She is published in various anthologies and platforms, including Piper Poetry Month Anthology through the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University. She has penned illustrated poetry chapbooks, Being a Woman: Overcoming, Being a Woman: Becoming, and Being a Woman: Forthcoming. Her titles, Her Coastal Cottage: Where Truth & Love Rise and Honeysuckle Heat, offer readers the author’s vivid poetic prose in novella length.

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What if the path to survival becomes the very thing that breaks you?

Jade’s Broken Bridge is a raw and poignant debut novel that follows Jade, a young woman navigating family fractures, addiction, and survival in the shadow of the adult entertainment industry. Set against a gritty backdrop in the late 1980s, the story moves between memory and present as Jade confronts the choices that shaped her life. From the Arizona desert to frozen sidewalks in Alaska to the false sense of empowerment found in topless bars, her journey exposes the cost of self-destruction and the fragile hope of redemption. With vivid, unflinching prose, Michele Lee Sefton delivers a haunting yet ultimately hopeful portrait of resilience, making this an unforgettable coming-of-age story.

Buy directly from Tumbleweed Spirit Press to get a signed copy, plus, for a limited time, get a free poetry chapbook with purchase: $16.95 + $6 shipping.

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"A passionate, gritty tale of impossible choices and ultimate redemption. An impressive debut."

—Jennifer Gooch Hummer, bestselling author, Veridian Sterling Fakes It

"A harrowing yet beautifully rendered chronicle of loss, self-destruction, and the long road to self-acceptance.”

—Kirkus Reviews

"Sefton triumphs with this riveting portrait of a broken girl desperate for the light....”

—BookLife

"It's a coming-of-age book for readers who appreciate storytelling that doesn’t flinch ... Jade’s Broken Bridge is both a cautionary tale and a testament to the strength it takes to rebuild."

—San Francisco Book Review

"A deep, thoughtful, and immersive read that will stay with you long after the final sentence."

—Ginger Scott, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon bestselling author

Press & Appearances

12News Today in AZ

Heart of the Matter Podcast

A Reading from Chapter One, “A Dying Wish,” The Chill Room

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