Fear Is Not An Option

Born with a deep-rooted belief that she would face life-threatening challenges and constant change Michele Anstead’s premonition proves to be true at the age of three when she witnesses her mother brutally slash open her uncle’s head with a butcher knife. She is later taken into foster care and sexually abused by her foster father. These early experiences were her first impressions of what love meant, or so she thought.

Holding on to this corrupt belief system she moves through adolescence and young adulthood experiencing many forms of abuse and eventually has a child of her own with a man who beats her.

Fearing for her child’s life and her own she must decide if she has the strength and courage to finally break this vicious cycle or inevitably bestow this same horrible life on her beautiful baby boy.

In this compelling coming of age story Michele brings to life the years of abuse she endured, the untold secrets behind her childhood, the terrible choices she had to make to survive and how her belief system ultimately controlled whether she lived or died.

What is particularly noteworthy about Michele Anstead is that although she endured terrible abuse at the hands of parents, care givers, men and authority figures, her story is not ultimately about abuse—it is about survival and not just survival, but triumph over terrible odds.

FEAR IS NOT AN OPTION will appeal to a wide range of readers, especially fans of memoirs about surviving abuse, such as Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes, Mary Karr’s The Liars’ Club, and A Child Called “It,” by Dave Pelzer. More broadly, FEAR IS NOT AN OPTION will appeal to readers who appreciate books in the categories of women’s interests and inspirational, and also to readers who have experienced child abuse and/or domestic violence first-hand.

About the Author

Michele Anstead is a child abuse and domestic violence survivor. Despite all the challenges she faced, she was able to raise her ADHD-affected son as a single mother and transition from being on welfare to completing a college diploma with honors.

Since then, she has completed a Certified Professional Counselor program, which provided her valuable insight into the healing process and expanded her knowledge on the causes and affects of abuse. As a Motivational Speaker, Trainer, Certified Coach Practitioner and New Home Sales Professional her mission has always been to empower people through inspiration, motivation and education.