Best-selling author Julie Klassen will be hosting a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway and a live webcast event (1/23) to celebrate the release of her latest novel, The Dancing Master. Enter and RSVP today!
Many thanks to the author and Litfuse Publicity for providing me a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Alec Valcourt is an accomplished dance master and fencing instructor in London. After his father’s passing he is forced into moving with his mother and sister into the home of Uncle Ramsay of Devonshire, a village that doesn’t encourage dancing of any sort. Lady Midwinter, the village’s most influential benefactor is behind the ban on dancing for reasons that are a mystery to everyone including her own daughter Julia, who doesn’t share her mother’s aversion to dance. Forced to look for alternative work, Alec takes a job as clerk at the Midwinter residence putting himself and his own secrets right under the curious gaze of Julia. As the attraction grows between Alec and Julia, so too do the mysteries that might squelch their budding romance forever.
The Dancing Master is an intriguing look at a rarely portrayed character; the dance instructor behind many of the social graces typically described in well polished novels of this era. History buffs will love the details and the description of the dance and customs, while romance and mystery lovers will find a novel packed with intrigue. Unexpected twists and turns keep the characters and the reader guessing! The Dancing Master pulls at the heart strings of the reader and the character development is very successful in provoking emotional responses from the reader as the hero and heroines of the novel struggle with personal and familial relationships.
About the Book:
Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past. Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch’s daughter. Though he’s initially wary of Julia Midwinter’s reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul–and hidden sorrows of her own. Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master–a man her mother would never approve of–but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec’s help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village…and to her mother’s tattered heart? Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a “good match” in Regency England.
Buy Links:
Author Web Site | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
About the Author:
Julie Klassen loves all things Jane–”Jane Eyre” and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She is a three-time Christy Award winner and a 2010 Midwest Book Award winner for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Author Links:
Website | Facebook
One winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire HDX
- The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on January 23rd. Winner will be announced at the “All Things Jane (from Austen to Eyre)” Live Webcast Event on January 23rd. Connect with Julie for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Julie will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, Jane Austen DVDs, fun “Jane” merchandise, and gift certificates throughout the evening.
So grab your copy of The Dancing Master and join Julie and friends on the evening of January 23rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)
