I
am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the OTHER STAGES by Terez Mertes Rose Blog
Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the
giveaway!
About
The Book:
Author: Terez Mertes
Rose
Pub. Date: January 25, 2024
Publisher: Classical Girl Press
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 325
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/OTHER-STAGES
They
thought the professional ballet world was tough. Then they tried parenting.
From the author of Outside the Limelight—named a Kirkus Best
Book of 2017—comes a story about parenting, the performing arts,
surviving high school and fighting back, in this gripping finale to the Ballet
Theatre Chronicles.
Katrina Devries, having navigated the cutthroat world of professional ballet to arrive at the top, has found the perfect life as a principal dancer and mother of a three-year-old. But when her partner announces he’s found true love elsewhere and moves out, Katrina’s perfect world begins to crack. Devastated, she turns to April, her best friend among the company’s artistic staff.
April, a seasoned ballet master and parent, is confident she can solve any problem thrown her way and plants a distraction at the studios: a handsome young pianist, eager for work as an accompanist. Only it’s April’s teen daughter, not Katrina, who falls for him, hard.
Now April’s dealing with new, tougher problems on the home front and at the studios, where a celebrity choreographer’s ballet featuring Katrina borders on disturbing. When he and his ballet reveal violence—toward Katrina—April must make a controversial decision that upends protocol and imperils the careers both she and Katrina have worked a lifetime to build.
Other Stages chronicles the behind-the-scenes challenges of professional ballet, parenting and friendships, amid the journey of learning what to accept and when to fight back for what’s right.
“An accomplished interweaving of character trajectories in the intense world of ballet.”-- Kirkus Reviews
"Other Stages is a fascinating peek behind the curtain of elite ballet, and the price it exacts from the women who dare to become mothers in this rarified, exquisite world, all while making the agonizing look effortless."-- Kristina Riggle, bestselling author of Real Life & Liars and Vivian in Red
"Don’t be surprised if you find yourself devouring Other Stages—this is one of those stories that keeps you up way past midnight, turning page after dazzling page in anticipation of the grand finale. Brava! to Terez Mertes Rose as she brings down the curtain on this remarkable series.”-- Lauren E. Rico, award-winning author of Familia, the Reverie trilogy and Solo
Read the first 3 books for
FREE With A Kindle Unlimited Membership!
Deleted
Scene
The
following deleted scene serves as a wonderful chronological bridge between the
end of Book 2, Outside the Limelight, and Other Stages. I hated
to delete it, and am delighted to share it here, as it helps explain Rebecca’s
important arrival within the story.
Rebecca
Lindgren, senior corps dancer with the West Coast Ballet Theatre, has made her
peace with leaving the company at the end of the season. But when artistic
director Anders’s ex-wife, Sabine, director of the Brussels ballet company
they’d once co-directed together, calls him in a panic, begging for
administrative help for the next few months, Anders sees a win-win solution.
When he floats the idea past Rebecca—stay on the WCBT roster, full pay, but go
work for Sabine in Brussels—she accepts the offer without hesitation. After so
much drama and conflict within the company—admittedly created by her—she needs
time away from the WCBT and San Francisco. The budding romance with Ben,
Anders’ second-in-command, will have to wait.
Rebecca
arrived for her first day on the job at Sabine’s studios in Brussels, queasy
with jet lag, intimidation and insecurity. She needn’t had worried. Everyone
was kind and welcoming. The company was a third the size of the West Coast
Ballet Theatre, and the elegant European ambiance permeated both the old
buildings and the dancers’ personalities. Sabine’s English was excellent and
Rebecca discovered most of the company’s business was conducted in English
because of the multi-national mix-up of both staff and dancers. Rebecca worked most days and in the late
afternoons, she attended French classes. But what proved most helpful was that
she had a knack for understanding the big picture of how a ballet company was
run, thanks to three years of college classes in San Francisco. Ballet
administration fascinated her. She found herself intensely curious about
Sabine’s work world, wanting to learn more and more. Sabine wasn’t annoyed by
Rebecca’s constant questions as Anders had been the previous year. “Anders was
right about you,” Sabine commented one afternoon, eyeing Rebecca thoughtfully.
“In a good
way or a bad way?” Rebecca asked warily.
Sabine
laughed. “A good way.”
Anders was a
tricky subject, even from across the Atlantic. Sabine had been Anders’ wife.
Rebecca herself had been Anders’ lover. Well. For one night. The hold Anders
had on her had gone much deeper than sex. Deeper than infatuation. It was one
of the reasons things had grown so complicated between her, Ben and Anders.
“He’s glad
you’re here, you know,” Sabine commented.
“He wanted
me away from there,” Rebecca said. “Away from him. And Ben.”
Sabine
shrugged. “I’m thinking we’re all managing to profit from this setup. You as
well.”
“You’re
right,” Rebecca admitted.
Brussels
felt safe. Here, working alongside Sabine and learning so much, she had escaped
an untenable situation, but had found a way to stay in the dance world. Back in
San Francisco, she would have had to watch Ben and the others commence a new
season, full of motivation for new roles, new ballets, reprisals of old,
favorite roles. To no longer be a part of that world—who knew what levels of
pain that would cause her? Anger. Grief. Rage. Loss.
Returning to
San Francisco, still connected to the WCBT via Ben, could she live within that
bittersweet zone, watching others dance when she couldn’t? Here in Brussels, in
a different kind of dance company, a different environment, it was
uncomplicated, even enjoyable.
Anders had told her, before her departure, that upon her return in October, he’d find her a position within the company—except not as a dancer. She’d be surrounded by those she’d danced with for the past decade. Only then would she find her answers.
About Terez Mertes Rose:
Terez Mertes Rose is the
author of the Ballet Theatre Chronicles (OFF BALANCE, OUTSIDE THE LIMELIGHT,
BALLET ORPHANS, OTHER STAGES) and A DANCER'S GUIDE TO AFRICA. Writing
nonfiction as Terez Rose, her work has appeared in numerous journals,
anthologies and online publications. She makes her home with family in the
Santa Cruz Mountains. Visit her at The Classical Girl where she blogs about
ballet, classical music and life, with twin dollops of humor and philosophy
thrown in.
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sign-up links:
Free e-copy of Book 1 of the
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Free excerpt from soon-to-be-released Book 4” https://dl.bookfunnel.com/gf3kr7k7ua
Website | The Classical Girl Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Giveaway
Details:
1 winner will win a tote bag of Ballet Theatre Chronicles, a
finished copy of OTHER STAGES, & a $10 Amazon gift card, US Only.
Ends February 13th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour
Schedule:
Week
One:
|
1/25/2024 |
Deleted Scene/IG Post |
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1/26/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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1/27/2024 |
IG Post |
Week Two:
|
1/28/2024 |
Guest Post/IG Post |
|
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1/29/2024 |
IG Post/TikTok Post |
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1/30/2024 |
Guest Post |
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1/31/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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2/1/2024 |
IG Post |
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2/2/2024 |
IG Review |
|
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2/3/2024 |
IG Review |
Week Three:
|
2/4/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
|
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2/5/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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2/6/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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2/7/2024 |
Review |
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2/8/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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