Jaci Clement * Body Mind & Soul

Thought for the Day

Jaci Clement — Sun, 03 May 2009 23:13:57 GMT

Every now and then, there comes a time when you know. You just know. And then, there's no turning back. You have to know that you know.

Ballroom Madness: The Novel

Jaci Clement — Sun, 03 May 2009 06:17:16 GMT

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

Find Me

Jaci Clement — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 03:42:23 GMT

Stuff I Love...

Jaci Clement — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:42:47 GMT

Right now, this is stream of consciousness. Eventually, what's random will become ordered. Promise!

Beach House Tanning Salon, Huntington Village. The owners are friendly and the place looks like a beach house. Really.
Barefoot Image, Northport.
Prime, Huntington. For Sunday brunch, on the water with jazz and Bloody Mary's so spicy you risk nerve damage.
Besito, Huntington Village. Pomegranate margaritas and guacamole made tableside. Yum.
Mill Pond Inn, Centerport. Brave the scary parking lot; it's worth it.
Bennett's Steak House, Stamford, Conn. A lot of ballroom happens in Stamford.
Rein Bar & Polo Grill, Garden City Hotel, Garden City. I always walk out of here feeling a bit better about everything. I love having breakfast meetings here; it makes it feel like a special day.
Ritz, Northport. A pub with great food overlooking the park overlooking the water.
Chops, Naples, Florida.
John Engeman Theatre, Northport. A lovely little theatre with Broadway-quality talent. Plus, it's Northport.
NYC. Anytime, all the time.
Dangriga, Belize.
Le Meurice, Paris.
Wandering streets of Rome. Need to go back to the glove place near the Spanish Steps...
Dance lessons in Botofogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Brooklyn, 4th of July. Dancers know why.
Olde Towne Alexandria, Va. My sister used to take me here when I was little. It was always fun.
Captiva Island, Florida. Spent the night playing Changa with a bunch of locals. Great fun, laid back.
St. Kitts Marriott. Best massage ever! Ask for David.
Vincent's, Blackpool, England. Sometimes, the wifi works.
Coffee at the cafe on the Black Sea, Blackpool. Hard to get a nice day in Blackpool.
Waterzooi, Garden City.
Tiny sushi places. The kind that don't have a name, just a sign that reads, "sushi."
Cold sake.
W, Times Square, room on the top floor. Great view of the city.
Standing on the ice for the NBC tree lighting in Rockefeller Center.
Wishing on stars in Montauk.
Going places I've never been.

Ballroom Scorecard

Jaci Clement — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:35:55 GMT

With Delyan Terziev

Holiday Dance Classic, Las Vegas, NV 2007

Placement: 2

San Francisco Open Dancesport Chapionships, San Francisco, CA 2008

Placement: 7

Millennium Dancesport Championships, St. Petersburg, FL 2008

Placement: 1

Manhattan Dancesport Championships, Brooklyn, NY 2008

Placement: 2

United States Dancesport Championships, Orlando, FL 2008

Placement: 4

Thought for the Day

Jaci Clement — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:52:17 GMT

I just want to be with the people who make me feel alive. It makes for magical days. And once you've experienced those, ordinary days just don't cut it.

Thought for the Day

Jaci Clement — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:26:04 GMT

Old friends are suddenly coming back to me. We left each other to find our futures, and now we seem to be reaching back to fill the empty places we've left in each other's hearts. Each one is like a piece of the truth, and now the story can finally begin to be told. It's feeling like a new beginning, and it kicks.

Thought for the Day

Jaci Clement — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:11:58 GMT

Surrround yourself with positive people, the kind who are willing to entertain your hopes and dreams and give you their energy to let you be larger than life, even if only for a moment. And even if it's just the wine talking...

On Purpose

Jaci Clement — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:48:59 GMT

The days when you really put yourself out there -- on the edge in a place that's uniquely, supremely yours -- those are the best. Today was one of those.

Thought for the Day

Jaci Clement — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:29:54 GMT

New Year's Resolutions should be about living large, spherically and perhaps -- just for good measure -- a little dangerously. This is my year for "Oh, what the hell...."

Afterall, when the answer is "Why not?", how could 2009 not bring on all it's got?

Dear Diary,

Jaci Clement — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:24:58 GMT

I'm wondering what W. is going to leave behind for the Obamas.

I imagine that the Bushes, like anybody who's ever moved out of a house, will leave a box of stuff behind. Unlike other people, though, I'm picturing the Bushes to leave the box atop the desk in the Oval Office. What would it contain? My guess is something to wish Obama luck and Godspeed, maybe a handwritten note, and perhaps a bone for that first dog. What I'd really like, though, is for that box to contain all of my civil rights and liberties taken away from me during these past eight years, courtesy of W. and the Big Five. Maybe then Obama can go about putting them back where they belong.

Fall in Love...

Jaci Clement — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:04:29 GMT

Everyday. Make a point of it.