The Dance Diaries

From Author, The Girl with the Tree Tattoo

Are you interested in ballroom dancing? Yes or no, you will be after you read one dancers look at the art, both positive and negative. It is always fascinating today to see the variety of dancers in their lovely gowns, performing moves we would love to master.

We are pleased to present both the Dance Diaries, Learning Ballroom Dance, as well as book two, Dance diaries, Ballroom Budgeting. The author, known as the Girl with the Tree Tattoo, is currently on a virtual book tour with both books.

The tour, hosted by iRead Book Tours, runs from September 26th through October 14th. During that period you will find the author at a variety of sites with articles, interviews, and reviews. You can see the entire list of stops below.

The Girl with the Tree Tattoo has graciously written an article here for us to share with you. We’d love to hear your comments. I definitely want to learn more!

Rhinestones, Tattoos and a Laptop

by The Girl with the Tree Tattoo

If you met me on the street, you would never guess that my entire back was covered by a tree of life tattoo. If I had just come from the office and was still wearing my work clothes and glasses, you also probably wouldn’t guess that I was on my way to the dance studio to practice my Viennese waltz or cha cha. Or that I have a pink gown in my closet covered in rhinestones, waiting to be worn at my next ballroom dance competition. But it’s all true!

Try as I might, I’ve never been able to completely fit into any particular mold. I went through phases in school as I tried on different personas: nerd, athlete, goth, hippie, rebel. Some aspects of each one appealed to me, but others didn’t. So I moved on, continuing the search for “me.”

I was drawn to the arts, but I found I was a terrible drawer and only an ok painter. Although music spoke to my soul, I lacked the discipline to study a musical instrument long enough to create something I could call my own. Writer was a better fit. I loved the written word and how the meaning of a sentence could change drastically by tweaking the word choice or punctuation. I found it difficult to find inspiration though. I had the desire but no muse. Then I found ballroom.

I first took ballroom dance lessons in 2011 with my then-fiancé in preparation for our 1920s-themed wedding. The marriage didn’t last unfortunately, but those first lessons sparked a passion fire in me that demanded to be fed. This was it. I had finally found “me.” Well, almost.

While my soul rejoiced as I restarted dance lessons at the end of 2012, it also needed to express itself through words. Ballroom was the muse I had been looking for. While I never made a very good visual artist, the passion that ballroom awoke in me also pushed me to realize I could still act as the canvas that would bring the tree image into existence that had been stuck in my head for 15 years!

The final result? Me: a ballroom dancer, a writer, and the Girl with the Tree Tattoo. They may not sound like they go together, but in me, they form a perfect blend. Ballroom inspires me to keep discovering more and pushing beyond what I think my limits are. My blog, the Girl with the Tree Tattoo, and my Dance Diaries eBooks are my way of sharing my discoveries with the world and hopefully encouraging others to do some discovering of their own.

I’ve learned that you don’t need to fit into any particular mold; you can make your own! It isn’t easy, it’s often scary, but staying true to yourself is the most rewarding path you can take. Take it from the writer with the tattoos, wearing the rhinestoned dress!

The Tour

Book Descriptions:

Dance Diaries: Learning Ballroom Dance: What I Wish I Had Known (Book #1)

Why didn’t anyone tell me? Ballroom dancing is fun, magical and, most of all, life-changing. When I first started learning ballroom though, I fumbled around awkwardly and sometimes painfully, figuring things out as I went along. Certain things weren’t explained or just never came up in conversation. From what to expect in class to how to find the right teacher or dance partner to how much ballroom really costs,Dance Diaries: Learning Ballroom Dancecovers the things that I wish I had known when I first started learning ballroom. This quick read is your cheat sheet to help you get the most out of your ballroom experience.

Buy the Book:  BookBaby  ~  Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble

Dance Diaries: Ballroom Budgeting: How I Afford to Dance (Book #2)

Anyone who tries ballroom dancing quickly learns how expensive it can be. From private lessons to competition fees, the monetary cost of being a ballroom student can quickly skyrocket. In my experience, the high cost is the most frequently cited reason for quitting dance. It shouldn’t be that way!

I live paycheck to paycheck, carry credit card debt, and still dance and compete in pro-am ballroom. In my first two years as a pro-am competitive ballroom dancer, I entered five competitions, had the money reserved for two additional events, and, at the same time, reduced my credit card debt by almost 50%!

I wrote this second book in my Dance Diaries series out of a desire to help my fellow struggling dancers do the same thing. From budgeting basics to specific tips on how to save on ballroom dancing, inBallroom Budgeting, I share exactly how I dance and compete in ballroom while living paycheck to paycheck AND reducing debt! I even provide the tools I use to help you start organizing your own ballroom budget right away! Stop stressing over the cost and focus on what is important – the dancing!

Buy the Book: BookBaby  ~  Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble

Author’s Bio:

Katie is known as the Girl with the Tree Tattoo because of the tree of life tattoo that covers her entire back. She has been taking ballroom dancing lessons since December 2012 and competing in pro-am ballroom competitions since April 2014.

It was through ballroom dance that Katie started to discover who she really was and what she was capable of, despite the demons of fear, self-doubt, and anxiety that live in her head.

Through sharing her own experiences, Katie hopes to lead others to experience the amazing effect ballroom dancing can have on a life.

Connect with the author:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~ Facebook

YOUTUBE:

Watch The Girl With the Tree Tattoo dance gracefully in competition!

Tour Schedule:

Sept 26 – Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine– book spotlight / guest post

Sept 26 – XoXo Book Blog– book spotlight

Sept 27 – Library of Clean Reads– review of Dance Diaries #1/ author interview/giveaway

Sept 27 – Writers and Authors– book spotlight / author interview

Sept 28 – Book reviews nature photos– review of Dance Diaries #1

Sept 28 – The Autistic Gamer– review of Dance Diaries #1

Sept 28 – The Dance Bible– review of Dance Diaries #1 / author interview

Sept 29 – Bound 4 Escape– review of Dance Diaries #1 / giveaway

Sept 29 – Library of Clean Reads– review of Dance Diaries #2 /giveaway

Sept 30 – Northernmsw– review of Dance Diaries #1 / author interview

Oct 3 –     The Autistic Gamer– review of Dance Diaries #2

Oct 3 –     #redhead.with.book– book spotlight / giveaway

Oct 3 –     living à la smart–  review of Dance Diaries #1

Oct 4 –     Bound 4 Escape– review of Dance Diaries #2 / giveaway

Oct 4 –     Deal Sharing Aunt– book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Oct 5 –     Bookworm for Kids– review of Dance Diaries #1 / giveaway

Oct 6 –     Book reviews nature photos– review of Dance Diaries #2

Oct 6 –     The All Night Library– review of Dance Diaries #1

Oct 6 –     The Dance Bible– review of Dance Diaries #2

Oct 7 –     Northernmsw– review of Dance Diaries #2

Oct 7 –     Rockin’ Book Reviews– book spotlight / giveaway

Oct 10 –   living à la smart–  review of Dance Diaries #2

Oct 11 –   Readers Muse– review of Dance Diaries #1

Oct 12 –   Bookworm for Kids– review of Dance Diaries #2 / giveaway

Oct 13 –   The All Night Library– review of Dance Diaries #2 / guest post

Oct 14 –   Readers Muse– review of Dance Diaries #2

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Merry Citarella, often writing as Merrci, writes on a wide range of topics. Recently relocated to the Oregon Coast in the northwest United States, she frequently writes travel features on the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She specializes in health and aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, food, lifestyle, and book reviews. For more information you can see her on The Writers’Door. You can read more articles here or at her websites Alzheimers HQ and Simple Living Ideas