Review & Giveaway: Dancing in the Sand by Maria Imbalzano

Dancing in the Sand

by Maria Imbalzano

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BLURB:

An accomplished dance major in New York City, Ava Woodward is pursuing her dream of becoming a professional in a national dance company.  But a celebratory weekend in Newport, where she meets the man of her fantasies, has devastating consequences that change her life forever.

Brian Stanhope, a Harvard graduate, poised to join his father’s company, suffers a brain injury in a horseback riding accident, which affects his memory. He has no recollection of his graduation party weekend or the beautiful dancer who turned his head and stole his heart.

When they reunite eight years later, the magic of their powerful attraction binds them together, but the past holds a secret that even love may not be able to overcome.

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My Review:

I loved this book from beginning to end. It 's a romantic and intense story, about how love can  change forever people's lives and  even their dreams.
Ava and Carrie are great friends and they share the dream of dance, to become great dancers. Carrie and her brother Brian organized a meeting with their friends of College in their guest house. For Ava, this weekend will be the most beautiful and ugliest of her life and everything will change forever. A beautiful night, a romantic ride under the stars, a few hours of passion and  a terrible awakening. Ava wakes up and doesn't find Brian next to her, comes out and sees that he is taking away in an ambulance, he has had a terrible riding accident. Ava is tormented by guilt, is the last person to see him, she could do something to save him. Their ways diverge but fate decided to give them another chance and makes them meet again. Will they live their love story?
Ava is a great character, I loved every minute I spent with her. She's a strong heroine, determined, very sweet and a great friend. The author is very good to give us a share of her emotions: we suffer with her while she waits for news of Brian, when she finds out that maybe he has forgotten her forever ...
It 's really well written, with easy style and short sentences making the pace fast and smooth.
If you love romantic stories with great characters you must read this story.

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EXCERPT:

“Are you married?”

Not the question she was expecting. “No.”

“Entangled?”

He smiled. A very sexy, very familiar smile. Was he flirting?

Ava shook her head. “No. What about you?” The words fell out of her mouth before she had time to catch them, and she inwardly winced. “Never mind. That’s none of my business.”

“It can be. Especially since I’m not married or entangled either.”

There could be no mistaking it now. His easy banter. The way he drew a person in with a direct and open question. The mating game, according to Brian. It

all came back. The way he had enticed her before. So simple for him—the master. But she knew better than to fall for him a second time.

“We should stick to our working relationship.” Ava hoped her regret in that decision didn’t shine through. She picked up the signed fee agreement. “I’ll have my secretary make a copy for you.” She rose and moved around the desk. “How would you like to pay the retainer? Check? Credit card?”

Brian raised an eyebrow. “All business, I see.” Yet, the hint of a smile tugged at his lips. “Check. Do I make it out to you?”

So playful. Like he’d been that weekend. If she didn’t keep her wits about her, she’d fall right down the same rabbit hole.

“No. The firm. I’ll be right back.”

Out in the hall, she stopped to fan herself. The heat he generated should be captured for raw energy. No need to frack. She wiped away the smile inching over

her lips. Do not cave in. You’ll only get hurt. Again.

Reentering her tiny, airless office with his copy of the agreement in hand, she snapped into business mode.

“Thank you so much for giving our firm the chance to represent you. You won’t be sorry.” She held out her hand to shake his.

He stood, following her lead. “I’m sure I won’t.”

She would have preferred to end their contact there, but she couldn’t let him meander through the halls trying to find the exit. “I’ll show you out.”

Avoiding further conversation, Ava led Brian to the reception area, just as Peter emerged from his office.

“Brian, I’ll get back to you shortly, after I have a chance to review your documents.” Peter clapped Brian on the back.

“Great,” said Brian. “By the way, I have tickets to the Knicks game Saturday night. Floor seats. Would you and Ava like to join me?”

Ava’s brain screamed no, as Peter accepted for both of them. Of course, he was a rabid Knicks fan and why would it cross his mind that a lowly associate

would have better things to do on a weekend night than generate good will with a new client?

She gave a tight smile in assent, as she knew she had to, turned and strode straight to her office where she closed the door and bit her finger to keep her shriek

from reaching the lobby.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Maria Imbalzano is a matrimonial lawyer in central New Jersey where she not only uses her law degree to navigate her clients through the court system, but her psychology degree to guide them through their personal struggles. While writing motions, legal memoranda, and briefs is fascinating, it pales in comparison to creating memorable characters and taking them on their emotional journeys.

In addition to practicing law and writing fiction, Maria enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters either at home or at the Jersey Shore.

Visit Maria at www.mariaimbalzano.com

https://www.facebook.com/mariaimbalzanoauthor

A Little Interview

Where are you from?
I was born in Trenton, N.J. and live about 10 miles north of there in Lawrenceville.

Who are your favorite authors?

Rachel Gibson, Kristin Hannah, Emily Giffin, Susan Wiggs, Lisa Kleypas, Jodi Piccoult, John Grishom, and Liane Moriarty

Do you write full time?

No. Finding time to write is always a challenge. My day job as a divorce lawyer requires a significant amount of time and I am on several non-profit boards. I write at nights and on weekends when I can.  After working all day, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of relaxing, watching tv, reading . But that won’t get my next book written. I usually go upstairs to my office at about 8pm and either work on my newest manuscript or do marketing tasks for my published novels. Weekends are great because I have much more time to dedicate to writing now that our daughters are grown.  Whatever time I have, whether it’s a half hour or several hours, I try to use that time wisely. While my career and all its tentacles leave too little time for writing, on the positive side, I do find that all of my experiences lead to interesting plots and richer characters.

Do you have a special place you like to write?

I have an office in our house that was originally set up by husband who purchased a beautiful Scandinavian desk with file drawers. Within a day, I had shamelessly stolen it by moving in with all my notebooks, files, books on craft and computer. It’s a great space for writing, overlooking our very private back yard.  There’s a couch where I sit when I’m editing the hard copy of my manuscript and an elliptical for when I feel the need to exercise. It’s a good thing my husband is a sweetheart.

How do you go about choosing names for your characters?

I generally choose first names that I like. If I get stuck, I bring out the baby name book that I purchased when I was pregnant with our first daughter 26 years ago. It’s fun to look through. My characters’ last names are usually very common names like Woodward, Stanhope, Taylor, Montgomery.  In the past, if I couldn’t come up with a surname, I would look in the telephone book.  I’m not sure I still have a telephone book. Do you?

What are you working on next?

I’m working on my first series called “Weekend Diaries.”  It’s about four women who were best friends in high school and who are now in their early 30’s experiencing some challenges in their lives.  The first book in the series is called “Changing Tides.”  The heroine is going through a divorce and her friends are there to help her through. While she’s taking a leave of absence from work, she runs into a former crush who has his own issues. I hope to send this completed manuscript to my editor very soon.  The second book, tentatively titled “Nicki’s Story” is done in first draft.  

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Maria Imbalzano will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway