My writing is a window into my world. My slice-of-life narratives are triggered by life's
moments that transform or reveal. Please check out my published short fiction on my Who Am I page. Most stories are character-driven, situational and, just like life, sometimes humorous.
—Lynn Nicholas
moments that transform or reveal. Please check out my published short fiction on my Who Am I page. Most stories are character-driven, situational and, just like life, sometimes humorous.
—Lynn Nicholas
My novel: dancing between the beats
Life, Like Dance, is What Happens Between the Beats
The character-driven novel, Dancing Between the Beats, will keep you turning pages to discover how the puzzle pieces eventually fit together, or not. Filled with a blend of candor, quirky humor, and drama, storylines unfold from three main perspectives: narcissistic studio owner, Katherine Carrington; aging player and dance master, Marcos Stephanos; and
24-year-old Paige Russell, a seemingly naïve, new dance instructor.
Miscommunications and unrealistic expectations, ranging from comical to the traumatic, fuel misunderstandings at Desert DanceSport Ballroom Studio. Rivalries and jealousies swirling beneath the glitz and glamor of the world of ballroom dance result in tempestuous personality clashes. Betrayals and lies culminate in an attempt at white collar crime, which is uncovered through the most unexpected source.
Toss a young instructor's obsession with finding her roots into the mix, and relationships and the status quo are thrown into chaos. The upheaval threatens not just the financial stability of the studio, but the needs of the adult ballroom students, who are emotionally tied to the studio and thereby have a stake in its success.
In the end, everyone is driven by a need to belong, to find their tribe, and they will fight to maintain their place around the campfire.
DANCING BETWEEN THE BEATS is available online from Amazon, B&N, or can be ordered from your favorite bookstore. Please consider writing a review. Reviews are lifeblood for a writer. In Tucson, copies are available at the public library.
FIVE STAR BOOK REVIEW FROM READER’S FAVORITES (April 2020):
Dancing Between the Beats by Lynn Nicholas is an impressive novel whose main character, Paige Russell, moves to Tucson, Arizona in search of her father. After her mother’s untimely death, Paige (now twenty-four) signs up as a dance instructor at Desert DanceSport studio. Naïve and unsure, Paige is only slightly aware of the discord that lurks below the surface of the studio’s circle. She is soon caught up in the feuding as Sylvie Goldstein, a professional dancer, begins to view Paige as a threat to her professional career, when Sylvie’s dance partner, instructor Tony Moreno, becomes captivated by the new arrival. Adding to the drama, Paige also catches studio manager Marcos Stephanos’s eye. Meanwhile, Katherine Carrington, the studio manager, struggles to keep the studio financially stable.
From the story-telling to the development of the characters, the novel is adeptly written and results in an engaging and entertaining story. Adding to the main plot about Paige’s obsession to find her father, the tantalizing gossip going on in the studio reveals other characters’ intriguing pasts. Katherine, for instance, struggles with wounds developed during her childhood and past marriage. The novel is infused with humor, which makes the work even more appealing. As the story moves forward, unexpected revelations are made and dramatic scenes play out, further developing the conflicts in the plot. Despite the different sub-plots, the story comes together beautifully, and, in the end, answers are provided for all the sub-plots introduced in the work. It also remains focused on its main characters which give the story direction. Dancing Between the Beats by Lynn Nicholas is a fantastic women’s novel that features an entertaining set of characters.
Interviews and More…
WOW! Women on Writing ran a well-received book & reader promotion for “Dancing Between the Beats” in July 2020. Included was an overview of the novel, reader reviews, and an interview with me, the author! I find interviews daunting, so I had to focus and fire up the brain synapses to answer some very detailed questions. If you give it a read, HERE, it should fill in the blanks for those curious about my inspiration for the book and/or the writing process. I was also interviewed by Big Blend Magazine and Radio in April of 2021. You can catch that interview HERE.
An initial book launch and signing party was held in January 2020. All other events, including participation in Tucson's wonderful Festival of Books, were cancelled due to the COVID19 shutdown. Participation in public book-related events and the wonderful Tucson Festival of Books was postponed until 2022. I also signed and sold books at that excellent event in 2023.
The character-driven novel, Dancing Between the Beats, will keep you turning pages to discover how the puzzle pieces eventually fit together, or not. Filled with a blend of candor, quirky humor, and drama, storylines unfold from three main perspectives: narcissistic studio owner, Katherine Carrington; aging player and dance master, Marcos Stephanos; and
24-year-old Paige Russell, a seemingly naïve, new dance instructor.
Miscommunications and unrealistic expectations, ranging from comical to the traumatic, fuel misunderstandings at Desert DanceSport Ballroom Studio. Rivalries and jealousies swirling beneath the glitz and glamor of the world of ballroom dance result in tempestuous personality clashes. Betrayals and lies culminate in an attempt at white collar crime, which is uncovered through the most unexpected source.
Toss a young instructor's obsession with finding her roots into the mix, and relationships and the status quo are thrown into chaos. The upheaval threatens not just the financial stability of the studio, but the needs of the adult ballroom students, who are emotionally tied to the studio and thereby have a stake in its success.
In the end, everyone is driven by a need to belong, to find their tribe, and they will fight to maintain their place around the campfire.
DANCING BETWEEN THE BEATS is available online from Amazon, B&N, or can be ordered from your favorite bookstore. Please consider writing a review. Reviews are lifeblood for a writer. In Tucson, copies are available at the public library.
FIVE STAR BOOK REVIEW FROM READER’S FAVORITES (April 2020):
Dancing Between the Beats by Lynn Nicholas is an impressive novel whose main character, Paige Russell, moves to Tucson, Arizona in search of her father. After her mother’s untimely death, Paige (now twenty-four) signs up as a dance instructor at Desert DanceSport studio. Naïve and unsure, Paige is only slightly aware of the discord that lurks below the surface of the studio’s circle. She is soon caught up in the feuding as Sylvie Goldstein, a professional dancer, begins to view Paige as a threat to her professional career, when Sylvie’s dance partner, instructor Tony Moreno, becomes captivated by the new arrival. Adding to the drama, Paige also catches studio manager Marcos Stephanos’s eye. Meanwhile, Katherine Carrington, the studio manager, struggles to keep the studio financially stable.
From the story-telling to the development of the characters, the novel is adeptly written and results in an engaging and entertaining story. Adding to the main plot about Paige’s obsession to find her father, the tantalizing gossip going on in the studio reveals other characters’ intriguing pasts. Katherine, for instance, struggles with wounds developed during her childhood and past marriage. The novel is infused with humor, which makes the work even more appealing. As the story moves forward, unexpected revelations are made and dramatic scenes play out, further developing the conflicts in the plot. Despite the different sub-plots, the story comes together beautifully, and, in the end, answers are provided for all the sub-plots introduced in the work. It also remains focused on its main characters which give the story direction. Dancing Between the Beats by Lynn Nicholas is a fantastic women’s novel that features an entertaining set of characters.
Interviews and More…
WOW! Women on Writing ran a well-received book & reader promotion for “Dancing Between the Beats” in July 2020. Included was an overview of the novel, reader reviews, and an interview with me, the author! I find interviews daunting, so I had to focus and fire up the brain synapses to answer some very detailed questions. If you give it a read, HERE, it should fill in the blanks for those curious about my inspiration for the book and/or the writing process. I was also interviewed by Big Blend Magazine and Radio in April of 2021. You can catch that interview HERE.
An initial book launch and signing party was held in January 2020. All other events, including participation in Tucson's wonderful Festival of Books, were cancelled due to the COVID19 shutdown. Participation in public book-related events and the wonderful Tucson Festival of Books was postponed until 2022. I also signed and sold books at that excellent event in 2023.
