Find Your Dance from Deep Within

by Dina Sleiman

As with many of my novels, my latest offering has a number of themes including truth, freedom, authenticity, and intimacy with Christ. But the core theme of the book is contained in the title: Dance from Deep Within. We all need to learn to move from that uniquely created place deep inside of us. From the truest part of our being that represents a very special facet of God's vast personality.

In this book, the main characters all struggle to find freedom from the pressures and expectations they've been raised with, as well as from wounds they have suffered in their pasts. They might seem very different on the outside: a veiled Muslim, a bi-racial hippie chick, and a Christian ballerina, yet they are all experiencing that quarter life crisis of seeking to define themselves.

I am not a fan of cookie-cutter Christianity, and I don't believe that God, or his children, should be shoved into safe little boxes. To the contrary, I believe that each of us has a unique dance hidden deep within. That we all need to learn to live in the flow of the Holy Spirit through the rhythm God has placed in our hearts.

As my characters grow in relationship with one another, each has a radical and personal encounter with God that causes them to make life-altering decisions. Of course to fully appreciate their journeys, you will have to read the book. But I will try to encapsulate a few of the keys points for learning to dance from deep within.

1. Surround yourself with fellow truth seekers: Don't be satisfied with easy answers, and don't take the advice of friends who will encourage you to settle for them either.
2. Have a fresh encounter with God's word: If it has grown stale to you, look for a new way to experience it. Perhaps a new translation or a different form of media.
3. Posture yourself to experience God's presence: This could be through worship, Bible study, prayer, meditation, artistic expression, silence, or even time spent in nature. Use what works for you. But in some fashion be still and quiet before God, seek his face, and listen more than you speak.

Now I'd like to share a few thoughts about this book live and somewhat in person.

Are you living from that place deep within? Are there areas in your life where you long for more authenticity? And just for fun, what's your favorite style of music.

Let God Lead Your Dance

 by Dina Sleiman

Click to purchase

When I first sat down to write Love in Three-Quarter Time, I figured that since the book was about the waltz, the perfect spiritual theme would be “let God lead your dance.” My heroine, Constance Cavendish, had spent her youth as a Scarlet O’Hara type character, selfish and headstrong, yet with an admirable strength and passion. After tragedy struck her family when she was sixteen, she blamed herself and determined to tame her passionate nature and somehow earn God’s forgiveness.

Of course, I hope my reader will understand that none of us can earn our way to forgiveness, but if not, they can take that journey along with Constance. Constance needs to learn that God created her passionate, fiery nature. Her goal should not be to repress it, but rather to submit it to God. To let Him lead her life much like a dance, following with His gentle tugs and sways. I chose as a theme verse for this book, “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day,” from Psalm 25:5.

And as I started this book, I assumed I would keep the spiritual theme focused and simple, but books, and life, never really turn out that way. First, to get to this theme, Constance had to learn about one of my all-time favorite spiritual themes, the importance of an intimate relationship with Christ. One cannot stay in tune with God and follow His rhythms for one’s life without that intimate connection. Constance had to learn to see God from a new perspective. She needed to immerse herself in God’s word and in prayer, and she needed to learn to hear His voice.

As she discovered intimacy with Christ and learned to let God lead her dance, she also began to discover freedom in Christ. Yet another theme I love. In fact, my personal life and writing theme verse is, “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.” See how nicely letting God teach you His rhythms flows into freedom in that verse. And since a subplot of the book concerns the abolitionist movement, guess what? Freedom became a theme in the book as well. Both Constance and her hero needed God’s freedom in their lives. Particularly freedom from the mistakes of their past.

And how does one get free from the mistakes of one’s past? More often than not, by facing the truth. By learning God’s perspective on the truth to replace the lies of Satan for starters, but also by dealing with the truth, revealing our secrets, and making amends. Both my hero and my heroine were held in bondage by secrets from their pasts. So, before I knew it, truth became a theme in the book as well. The truth shall set you free and all that.

By this time, my "simple little historical romance" had almost as many themes as my epic historical saga! And I swear, I didn’t even do it on purpose.  But no issue exists in a vacuum. Our spiritual journeys contain many facets. And I think this journey develops in an organic way. The fact is, my "simple little historical romance" ended up with more of a spiritual focus than I ever expected. It became a love story with Jesus as much as anything else, and I couldn’t be more pleased.

Which of these themes interests you the most? Have you learned to let God lead your dance? If so, what advice do you have on the subject? I'd love to hear your thoughts on freedom and truth as well.

(P.S. I would encourage you to go back and watch some of CJ's videos from Wednesday with this in mind. Especially the "Young Victoria" and "Romeo and Chelsea" dances.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dina Sleiman writes lyrical stories that dance with light. Most of the time you will find this Virginia Beach resident reading, biking, dancing, or hanging out with her husband and three children, preferably at the oceanfront. Since finishing her Professional Writing MA in 1994, she has enjoyed many opportunities to teach literature, writing, and the arts. She was the Overall Winner in the 2009 Touched by Love contest for unpublished authors. Her debut novel, Dance of the Dandelion with Whitefire Publishing, is now available at amazon and other online and ebook distributors. Her latest novel, Love in Three Quarter Time, is the launch title for the new Zondervan First imprint. Dina is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. She has recently become an acquisitions editor for WhiteFire as well. Join her as she discovers the unforced rhythms of grace. For more info visit her at http://dinasleiman.com/

 

Zondervan First

I'm so excited about Dina's new book, Love in Three-Quarter Time.  It's especially thrilling to know that, out of all the manuscripts and authors out there, Zondervan decided that Love in Three-Quarter Time and Dina Sleiman would be ideal to open their Zondervan First line.

What is Zondervan First?  It is Zondervan's lightning-fast new direct-to-digital publishing imprint. According to Zondervan, "Zondervan First will provide fresh and relevant content across all reading devices. Authors who publish under this model will have the same access to the Zondervan editorial and marketing teams as those published traditionally, which sets this program apart from other direct-to-digital publishers.

"'We are thrilled to launch Zondervan First,' notes Scott Macdonald, President and CEO. 'This digital imprint will give voice to notable content utilizing our editorial, marketing and creative expertise.'

"Zondervan First will initially focus on fiction but will eventually branch out to all the categories the company currently publishes. Submissions will be accepted for fiction, non-fiction and Bible material suitable for kids, teens and adults in addition to manuscripts geared for curriculum, church resources, academic and reference books. By publishing through the new imprint, authors will have the full backing of the Zondervan brand.

"'As an industry leader, we developed Zondervan First to honor authors, agents and numerous consumers,' comments Steve Sammons, Executive Vice President for Consumer Engagement. 'Our editorial staff and sales, marketing and publicity force are uniquely respected, and Zondervan First authors will benefit from those existing talents, platforms and relationships.'"

Opening a new line for a major publisher is an enormous responsibility for any book.  It's also a huge pat on the back for any author.  The publisher is, in effect, saying, "We are confident that this book is strong enough to give this whole line a successful start."  Obviously, Love in Three-Quarter Time was just the book Zondervan was looking for.

I contacted Sue Brower, Executive Editor at Zondervan, to find out why she chose Dina's story to open their line and what specifically made it a good fit.

"The first thing that caught our attention about Dina’s new novel was the title—Love in Three-Quarter Time," she said.  "It was so romantic and I just had to see what the book was about.  Then when I started reading the story, I was compelled to keep going.  It helps that I am a huge fan of this historical period and the characters drew me in. I wanted to know more about them and spend time with them.  It’s been a lot of fun working with Dina on our first ebook original and hope the reader loves it too!"

Congratulations on Love in Three-Quarter Time, Dina, and on this whole new venture.  May it be just one of many successes!

Oh, and isn't that an exceptionally lovely cover?

DeAnna Julie Dodson has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. She is the author of In Honor Bound, By Love Redeemed and To Grace Surrendered, a trilogy of medieval romances, as well as Letters in the Attic and The Key in the Attic, contemporary mysteries. Her new series of Drew Farthering Mysteries will debut in the Summer of 2013 with Rules of Murder from Bethany House.  A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with two spoiled cats.

Early 19th Century Dances -- Evolution of the Waltz

This week we’re celebrating the release of Dina Sleiman’s new book, Love in Three-Quarter Time. Set in 1817 Virginia, Dina’s story combines the fashions of the English Regency period with an American setting. Since LiTQT’s title (and plot) revolves around the popular dances of the era, I thought it might be fun to look at the evolution of social dances during the first part of the 19th century.

Of course, any look at the Regency period simply must start with Jane Austen. Do you remember this scene from the BBC’s 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice?

Darcy and Elizabeth are doing an English country dance. It has a repeating pattern, and while the dancers have partners, they have limited physical contact with those partners. Think of it as an early 19^th century version of a line dance—like doing the Electric Slide in fabulous dresses. Notice how the dance pattern impacts Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s conversation. Those of us who aren’t quick with the repartee can only envy how the moments apart allow one time to formulate a witty response.

In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, first published in 1843, he mentions another popular English country dance from the early years of the 19^th century. While traveling back in time with the Spirit of Christmas Past, Scrooge watches his old boss Fezziwig dancing the Sir Roger de Coverley with Mrs. Fezziwig. Here is a clip of the Sir Roger de Coverley as danced at a Jane Austen Society Ball in Pasadena this year. (Note that while some historical dance sites list the Sir Roger de Coverley as a slip jig, this particular band is playing a regular jig. Slip jigs are in 9/8 time while regular jigs are in 6/8.)

As a side note, the name Sir Roger de Coverley comes from an early 18^th century fictional character who represented the ideal English squire. Dickens wanted us to know that by treating his family, friends, and even apprentices to a party on Christmas Eve, Fezziwig was a model employer, in stark contrast to the man Scrooge became.

Many of the English country dances traveled across the Atlantic. Compare the Sir Roger de Coverley with the Virginia Reel, a popular dance in America during the early and mid 19^th century, here performed by the Central Illinois Civil War Dance Society Performers. The patterns are similar enough some people mistakenly consider them the same dance. However, reels are danced in 4/4 time.

Then a scandalous new dance burst on the London social scene in the mid 1810’s. Done in 3/4 time, the waltz changed the nature of ballroom dancing forever. Here is an early waltz, performed by the Jane Austen Society Florence. Notice the holds that Dina mentioned in yesterday's post, including how outrageously close the dancers are to one another when they break apart into pairs. Why, they are practically embracing right there on the floor. How deliciously shocking!
 

Here is another example of an early waltz, also done by the Jane Austen Society Florence. (This one even comes with a Darcy-like figure who walks in front of the camera at 0:53. Watch for him.)

Over the next two decades, the waltz evolved into the purely couples dance we recognize today. In a scene that could be taken straight from a 2012 televised ballroom dance competition, this clip from the movie The Young Victoria portrays the newly crowed queen waltzing with Prince Albert in 1837.Watch for the overhead hold Dina mentioned yesterday.

Just for comparison to a modern slow waltz, here is a lovely performance from a recent Dancing with the Stars.

And because I can't resist another waltz clip or two, here are America's most famous dance partners, in the parts of another famous American dance couple: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from the movie The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle.

And here is the most famous animated waltz of all time.

If you'd like to try a period dance, check this site for an upcoming event near you.

Now that everyone has a good mental picture of early 19th century dance, I hope you will check out Love in Three-Quarter Time, available for both Kindle and Nook. Congratulations, Dina!

After leaving the corporate world to stay home with her children, C.J. Chase quickly learned she did not possess the housekeeping gene. She decided writing might provide the perfect excuse for letting the dust bunnies accumulate under the furniture. Her procrastination, er, hard work paid off in 2010 when she won the Golden Heart for Best Inspirational Manuscript and sold the novel to Love Inspired Historicals. Her next book, The Reluctant Earl, will be available  February 5, 2013. You can visit C.J.'s cyber-home (where the floors are always clean) at  www.cjchasebooks.com