Friday, April 10, 2015

Book Fun Friday Welcomes Andrea Downing





Book Fun Friday Welcomes Andrea Downing
Today we have a special treat, a little women's fiction with a touch of romance. Our book feature is  titled Dances of the Heart.

Author Bio: 
Born in New York, Andrea Downing returned in 2008 from the UK where she lived for most of her life. Having traveled extensively throughout Europe, Africa and Latin America, she now divides her time between NYC and t he east end of Long Is., punctuated by frequent journeys out west---the area of the USA she loves best. Escapes in Jackson, Wyoming, are the highlight of her year.  Her first book, Loveland, was a finalist for the 2012 RONE Award for Best American Historical. Her 2013 short story, Lawless Love, was also a finalist for the RONE Award as well as the International Digital Awards. A novella, Dearest Darling, part of The Wild Rose Press Love Letters series, came out Oct., 2014 and Dances of the Heart, came out Feb., 2015. All are published by The Wild Rose Press..
 

Log Line: When you've let loss rule your life, can you learn to love again?
Tag Line:  One sultry night in Texas, relationships blossom when two couples meet, but when a former friend threatens one of them into joining his business, a long-held secret must be revealed.  There’s just never a right moment for the truth to come out—until an old enemy decides to take his revenge.
Hard-drinking rancher Ray Ryder can find humor in just about anything—except the loss of his oldest son. His younger son, Jake, recently returned from Iraq, now keeps a secret that could shatter his deceased brother’s good name.
On one sultry night in Texas, relationships blossom when the four meet, starting a series of events that move from the dancehalls of Hill Country to the beach parties of East Hampton, and from the penthouses of New York to the backstreets of a Mexican border town. But the hurts of the past are hard to leave behind, especially when old adversaries threaten the fragile ties that bind family to family…and lover to lover.  


Book Exerpt:
 “No,” she said, laughter just below the surface.
 “Well, sweetheart, you have come to the right place. Or at least got yourself the right man. By the time I finish with you, you’ll be the best dang stepper on the floor.”
 Carrie looked around. “There isn’t anyone else on the floor at the moment, Ray.”
 “Well, heck, I know that. That’s perfect for learning.”
 As soon as his hand closed around hers, the leather of his palm a strange glove over her own fingers, a sudden frisson of connection ran through her she hadn’t known in a very long while. He moved her to face him squarely on, a small smile tipping the edges of his mouth, the dark, impenetrable eyes shining with his captured prize.
 “Just follow me,” he said as his right hand went to her back. A cover of a Vince Gill ballad started, the mournful tune setting a moderate tempo. “Perfect.” He held her right hand high and applied slight pressure to move her backwards. “Fast fast slow slow, fast fast slow slow.”
Carrie felt a light bulb go on. She got it. It was good. It was fun. And she relaxed in his embrace. He was an excellent teacher, a fabulous leader on the dance floor. Would wonders never cease?
 “You’re doing well. You’re doing fine,” he assured her. “We’re gonna try a little promenade now, and then a twirl, so get ready.”
Carrie couldn’t stop herself from smiling, anticipation bubbling for just a second. And then out of the corner of her eye she caught Ty watching them, beer half-raised in salute and a smirk plastered on his face. A moment’s hesitation and she missed the step.
 “What happened there?” asked Ray, oblivious to the effect the on-looker had on her.
Other couples were finally joining them on the dance floor, but despite the company, Carrie’s discomfort increased. “That boy, that Ty,” she told him. “He was watching us. It made me feel…uneasy.”
Ray scanned the sidelines, but Ty had gone, nowhere to be seen. “Oh, don’t pay him any mind. He’s harmless enough.”


Andrea's Links to Social Media:  WEBSITE AND BLOG:  http://andreadowning.com
Twitter:  @andidowning  https://twitter.com/AndiDowning
Linkedin:  http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=124888740&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic
ABOUT ME:  http://about.me/Andi1948

Reviews:  "DANCES OF THE HEART by Andrea Downing is a fabulous Texan romance with plenty of action to keep you entertained."  Linda Green, Fresh Fiction
Tags:  Andrea Downing, Texas, New York City, East Hampton, Hill Country, writers, ranchers, military, loss

QUESTION FOR YOU:  Do you have anything in your past you just can't let go of?  Someone who hurt you, you just can't forgive?  An embarrassing situation you just can't forget and which still makes you blush to this day?  Or perhaps something you should have done and still regret not doing?

12 comments:

  1. What a great question. Of course I do, but what I've discovered is time distance fades the impact and we learn to forgive even if we can't forget. We learn to have loved the good, even remember more the good memories and let go of the bad. I think this occurs after we've learned the lesson we were to learn.

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    1. Hi Celia, thanks so much for having me here today. You're right: time does heal many ill feelings but I still think most of us would like to just go back and undo SOMETHING in our past. As for forgiving, I find that that is easier as time goes on.

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  2. Love the premise and excerpt Andrea. Your question about letting go, well I think I've done that, otherwise they'd still be finding bodies. (Just joking, ). Truth is letting go has let me move on. Doris McCraw/Angela Raines

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    1. Isn't that what letting go does--let us move on? If we remain tied to the past we can never really enjoy our future (IMHO)

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  3. Of course I've said or done stupid things that I regret, or had stupid things said or done to me. Fortunately, most of those incidents were just embarrassing, not life changing. I agree that if we can't let go, we can't move on.

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    1. I still remember various idiotic things I've said over the years which today will make me blush at just the thought, but I've let them go; the folks present at the time of these stupidities are very much in my past so it's easy. What is less easy to let go of are the hurts, but I think I've managed that, too, now.

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  4. Sadly, yes. Thankfully, time does ease the hurt, even if it doesn't completely heal the wound.

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    1. Well, Lilly, I think it depends on what the hurt was. Those broken hearts of ours from our teen years or early twenties are soon healed by finding a better love, I think, though, it's true, some wounds fester a bit longer. My old bones look back on some hurts now and just question why they happened rather than dwell on the pain.

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  5. "Letting go" is something I'm working on this year, because like your tag line suggests, if you're not careful, regrets or other hurting things can rule your life. I love the premise and the excerpt, Andi!

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    1. Thanks Liz. I know letting go is difficult but I try to work on the premise that everything happens for the best; I know that's not always easy to believe, and can be deemed rather 'Pollyanna-ish', but it is one way of, at least, getting a finger's worth of ease and resolution.

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  6. Its said embarassing moments and bad memories have lessons to be learned.i sometimes fail to understand where the lesson is at times but i suppose eventually ill get it. Ive only been around a few decades...:)

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    1. Celia, maybe it's a character lesson! LOL I think most of our embarrassing moments are lessons in humility! Pride cometh and all that...

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