| Ana Brassfield has her path to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House all figured out until her first love, renowned German dancer Claus Gert, returns to Georgia to win her back. Despite a promising start towards her ballet career and pending marriage to landscape architect, Peter Engberg, Ana wonders if her dreams of dancing at the Met are as impossible as her previous romantic relationship with Claus. Then, an on-stage kiss between Ana and Claus changes everything. Convinced the kiss is more than a one-time mistake, Peter breaks off their engagement. With an old dog crippled by arthritis and dreams deferred but not left behind, Ana moves to Germany to be with Claus. But the ghost of his late wife, Ana's own feelings for Peter, and the pressure of earning a spot in a large ballet company are a high price for a shot at success. Ana seems on the verge of having everything she ever dreamed of, but will it be enough? Genre: Women's Fiction Release Date: May 6, 2017 Click here to get your copy of the book! |  |
Interview with Patricia
#1. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
The short answer: About six years.
The long answer: A Season to Dance was my first novel, and writing a novel was an old dream. It first crossed my mind in 1987, when growing up in Brazil, I read Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. But for years I didn’t have a good idea. In January of 2011, on I-40 (somewhere between Nashville and Winston-Salem), I had a good idea. I wrote a chapter every Saturday and finished the first draft before the end of the year.
The short answer: About six years.
The long answer: A Season to Dance was my first novel, and writing a novel was an old dream. It first crossed my mind in 1987, when growing up in Brazil, I read Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. But for years I didn’t have a good idea. In January of 2011, on I-40 (somewhere between Nashville and Winston-Salem), I had a good idea. I wrote a chapter every Saturday and finished the first draft before the end of the year.
 | I hired coach Gloria Kempton via Writer’s Digest to look at the whole thing and tell me if it was any good. She saw potential in the story of a small-town professional ballerina with big dreams, but explained I needed a clearer quest, more telling details, better scene structure, and better balance between sequels and dramatic scenes. I joined Gloria’s critique group and spent almost a year rewriting. |
In the summer of 2012 I started querying. Days passed. A week passed. A month passed. And all I did was collect rejections. I became bitter. Bitterly sad at first. Then bitterly discouraged. And then bitterly ugly. I’d never been ugly before. Not like that.
Up to that point, I’d believed that there was some kind of “god” out there and that being good was right and that it paid off. But with the disappointments of the publishing journey those beliefs became a joke to me. I stood in the middle of my empty kitchen—husband deployed, kids at school, my first dog had just died. And I looked at that inbox full of rejections and stated to whomever or whatever was out there: “God is dead.”
Mercy. Surely I said that to the “god” of my imagination, and not to the real God—God as He reveals Himself in the Bible. But I know that He was in that kitchen with me. He was about to show me I was wrong.
My newfound lack of restraint and selfishness didn’t really make me happy. I wanted to go to therapy. I wanted a job. I still dreamed of that book deal that had to be just around the corner. I wanted, I wanted…
But nothing happened, and it didn’t matter how hard I tried to get help, get happy, and find any kind of relief for the pain I felt. Nothing. Happened. I’d never seen so many closed doors—slammed-shut doors—ever in my life. Even the shrink kept double booking, closing early, and somehow cancelling on me. It was ridiculous.
There was one open door. When God planted our family in the El Paso desert, He planted us two blocks from a friend from the Fort Benning years. A friend whose claim to fame was church shopping whenever the Army moved her family. I asked her to take me to church on the first Wednesday of January of 2013.
Up to that point, I’d believed that there was some kind of “god” out there and that being good was right and that it paid off. But with the disappointments of the publishing journey those beliefs became a joke to me. I stood in the middle of my empty kitchen—husband deployed, kids at school, my first dog had just died. And I looked at that inbox full of rejections and stated to whomever or whatever was out there: “God is dead.”
Mercy. Surely I said that to the “god” of my imagination, and not to the real God—God as He reveals Himself in the Bible. But I know that He was in that kitchen with me. He was about to show me I was wrong.
My newfound lack of restraint and selfishness didn’t really make me happy. I wanted to go to therapy. I wanted a job. I still dreamed of that book deal that had to be just around the corner. I wanted, I wanted…
But nothing happened, and it didn’t matter how hard I tried to get help, get happy, and find any kind of relief for the pain I felt. Nothing. Happened. I’d never seen so many closed doors—slammed-shut doors—ever in my life. Even the shrink kept double booking, closing early, and somehow cancelling on me. It was ridiculous.
There was one open door. When God planted our family in the El Paso desert, He planted us two blocks from a friend from the Fort Benning years. A friend whose claim to fame was church shopping whenever the Army moved her family. I asked her to take me to church on the first Wednesday of January of 2013.
| I fell in His arms. Surrendered, defeated, and dependent. Or what God likes to call—ready. I was born again two weeks later and was baptized on Super Bowl Sunday that February. I had tickets to go to New York for the Writer’s Digest conference that spring, but sometime in March, it dawned on me: “A Season to Dance is a salvation story without the salvation piece.” |  |
The novel isn’t just the story of a small-town professional ballerina who dreams of dancing at the Met in New York and the two men who love her. It’s also the story of a girl desperately trying to fill the God-shaped hole in her heart with often misguided career and romantic pursuits.
Now, I had work to do. I spent 2013 and the first half of 2014 rewriting the whole thing. Five ladies from my Sunday school class read chapter after chapter as I produced them and cheered me on through that gruesome process. I couldn’t have done it without their support.
Jeff Gerke edited my novel in the summer of 2014 and had me read Robert McGee’s The Search for Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God's Eyes. I was ready to do it right. The novel was ready. It was time.
Now, I had work to do. I spent 2013 and the first half of 2014 rewriting the whole thing. Five ladies from my Sunday school class read chapter after chapter as I produced them and cheered me on through that gruesome process. I couldn’t have done it without their support.
Jeff Gerke edited my novel in the summer of 2014 and had me read Robert McGee’s The Search for Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God's Eyes. I was ready to do it right. The novel was ready. It was time.
I went to my first Christian writers conference, the ACFW 2014 in St. Louis. Two weeks later, Les Stobbe offered to represent me and in early 2016, I signed with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.
Thrilled to see so many people journeying to their own season to dance with me and with ballerina Ana Brassfield since the novel’s publication in May of 2017.
Thrilled to see so many people journeying to their own season to dance with me and with ballerina Ana Brassfield since the novel’s publication in May of 2017.
#2. What drew you to write in this particular genre?
I’ve always dreamed of touching people's hearts with a simple story that had something to say about the human condition. Contemporary fiction was a natural choice—today’s struggles and insights for today’s readers. The debut also has a strong romance element because love is central to who we are and to the decisions we make in the pursuit of happiness.
I’ve always dreamed of touching people's hearts with a simple story that had something to say about the human condition. Contemporary fiction was a natural choice—today’s struggles and insights for today’s readers. The debut also has a strong romance element because love is central to who we are and to the decisions we make in the pursuit of happiness.
#3. Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
 Patricia Beal | Patricia writes contemporary women's fiction and romance. She is a Genesis Award semi-finalist, First Impressions finalist, and the author of A Season to Dance and Desert Willow (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, 2017 and 2020). She writes from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Visit her at http://www.patriciabeal.com for more. |
Scavenger Hunt
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Scavenger Hunt Stops
By The Book, Stop One
Spoken from the Heart, Stop Two
Stories By Gina , Stop Three
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, Stop Four
Tell Tale Book Reviews, Stop Five
A Baker’s Perspective, Stop Six
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, Stop Seven
Beauty in the Binding, Stop Eight
Splashes of Joy, Stop Nine
Adventures of a Travelers Wife, Stop Ten
Simple Harvest Reads, Stop Eleven
For the Love of Literature, Stop Twelve
Through the Fire Blogs, Stop Thirteen
Artistic Nobody, Stop Fourteen
Spoken from the Heart, Stop Two
Stories By Gina , Stop Three
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, Stop Four
Tell Tale Book Reviews, Stop Five
A Baker’s Perspective, Stop Six
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, Stop Seven
Beauty in the Binding, Stop Eight
Splashes of Joy, Stop Nine
Adventures of a Travelers Wife, Stop Ten
Simple Harvest Reads, Stop Eleven
For the Love of Literature, Stop Twelve
Through the Fire Blogs, Stop Thirteen
Artistic Nobody, Stop Fourteen
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