READ BALLROOM MADNESS IN ITS ENTIRETY: "http://jacquelynjaye.wordpress.com/"
What Ballroom Madness is about:
By the time she turned 31, Dani Somers’ life had gone to hell in a handbasket. Broken to the core, she found hope in creating a new life — one that would satiate the endless wants and needs of her internal guides: Inner Critic, Inner Lonely Woman and Practical Child. So she dusted off her talents and set her sights on finding herself and the destiny she was meant to live. What she hadn’t counted on was a psychic encounter that pushed her out of the newsroom and into the world of competitive ballroom dancing. From that moment on, life was never the same.
The passion, energy and excitement of Ballroom Madness: The Novel has delighted readers of all ages around the world. You are invited to join them on this journey filled with unexpected twists, wit and wisdom that plucks you out of your comfort zone and plunges you into the dance of a lifetime.
Excerpts from the book:
“I realized I only had two options: Have a nervous breakdown, then get to work and build a life; or skip the breakdown and get on with living.” - The Beginning
#
“Ballroom dancing is a hard hobby for women who want to get serious about dancing because it’s nearly impossible to find a good teacher – hard because, if you were a good male dance teacher, you were always overbooked and overindulged by an adoring legion of women suffering through various stages of lust.” - Ch. 2
#
“Uncovering who you are takes an exorbitant amount of energy. No one tells you that. It’s sort of like getting up every day to go out and see who returns.” - Ch. 3
#
“‘You can be a champion,” Julia said, looking me right in the eyes. “Get used to this. It’s going to be your life, and you’re going to enjoy every minute of it.” - Ch. 4
#
“As I stepped off the escalator, I realized I had grown up and inadvertently joined the circus. People were rhinestoned from head to toe.” - Ch. 5
#
“Out on the floor, we were among 10 couples, so there was much more room to move than earlier in the competition. Everyone other than me was in a beautiful costume. They all looked like exquisite dancers, while my look screamed off-the-rack pedestrian on the dance floor. I was feeling incredibly self conscious …” - Ch. 6
#
“Walking over to the mirror I saw heads starting to turn. One guy couldn’t stop staring at me, yet he kept walking. He missed the entrance to the men’s room and slammed face first into the wall.” - Ch. 7
#
“Evan was entirely predictable. He loved women. He especially loved smart women. But he headed for the hills anytime one of us started to evolve from moody to mad.” - Ch. 8
#
“It was in that moment I felt my soul break in half. Heartbreak, he’d given me plenty, over the course of the years. This was different. Everything inside felt ripped to shreds, like a glass shattering into a million little pieces.” -Ch. 9
#
“My mother often accused me of inheriting a gypsy soul. What she didn’t realize is, deep down inside, I’d hoped I had.” - Ch. 10
#
“I was multitasking like an Olympian in an effort to get out of the office early. I was so itching to get back into a dance studio, I made a 4 p.m. appointment at Sheila’s Swing Town, which was just around the corner.” - Ch. 11
#
“Having my dreams stuffed inside me was all I ever really owned, and it brought me comfort knowing they would always be there for me through my darkest moments.” - Cha. 12
#
"Inner Lonely Woman shot Inner Critic a cutting look, then promptly turned her eyes back to the work she was performing on her right hand. “Would it kill you to have a little fun for once in your life?” She had emphasized “kill” so dramatically she turned it into three syllables. Maybe more." -Cha. 13
#
"I had forgotten all about Thanksgiving. I had spent the last one alone, which had gotten me out of the groove of the whole holiday-observance thing. Except for Christmas. I always decorated for Christmas, and put up a tree. Last year, I spent countless hours filling the place with fresh evergreens. My tree was covered in white lights, which complemented the silver ornaments and white feather garland. It was quite a lady of a tree, and I loved looking at it late at night with only the tree lit and a few candles burning. I spent Christmas completely alone, and my soul felt refreshed from the experience. Yet I got the feeling it didn’t want to be alone again this year. Neither did the rest of me." - Cha. 15
Stay tuned. There’s plenty more where that came from. Can’t wait? Contact the author at jaciclement@yahoo.com