Jagged Edges Virtual Book Tour with Doris H. Dancy 5 Star Review and Guest Post.

November 18- November 29, 2013

Paperback: 364 pages

Publisher: St. Paul Press (July 15, 2013)

ISBN-10: 0989088596

ISBN-13: 978-0989088596

Genre: Christian Romance

About The Book

Derek Wellington had his life set.  He was born into wealth, graduated with honors from Harvard Law, and, since high school, knew he would marry the beautiful Morgan LaRue.  …but somewhere along the way, everything he thought he knew about himself, about Morgan, and even about life itself will boggle his mind, and catapult him into a world of betrayal, deception, and confusion. Somewhere in this darkness, he must search for The Light to find his way out of a maze that, if he fails, will destroy his heart and soul forever.

Praise for Jagged Edges

“Jagged Edges is definitely an easy reader and page turner.”

“From the prologue to the last chapter, Doris grabbed my heart, mind, and soul with her masterful storytelling”

Why I Wrote Jagged Edges
            I will be honest and say that it took me quite a while to realize why I was writing Jagged Edges, a Christian romance.  I was just enjoying the ride.  However, as I do all things, I sought God for His guidance, and, soon it became quite clear that there are many reasons for writing this novel for the society in which we live today.  Below, I detail a few.
            There are numerous young men and women who are confused about love for a lot of different reasons.  They confuse infatuation with real love, and, in the excitement of it all, begin to give too much far too soon.  Many times intimate relationships begin before these young couples have an opportunity to see who they really are and what they actually want for their own lives.  Once intimacy is involved, young ladies often become emotionally attached when that may or may not be the young man’s position at all.  These relationships are often short-lived and hurtful.  The impact of this kind of disappointment sometimes is revealed in unwanted pregnancies, low self-esteem, and a constant attempt to find true love in all the wrong places.
In chapter seven of Jagged Edges, young women are given a lesson in how to say no to intimacy, and young men hopefully realize that they don’t have to ask in order to be masculine, and that, many times, it would be a great idea if they avoided the question.  One of my main characters, Arianna, who has only recently met Derek, the protagonist, is not lured by his good looks, his wealth, or his education.  She is unwilling to allow him to push her into a deeper relationship that she is not yet ready for, even if it means an end to their new friendship.  Arianna is firm and clear that she is “nobody’s rebound or one night stand or convenience or friend with benefits.”  She knows who she is.  She says,  “I want to be your friend before I’m your lover…I don’t want to get caught up in my own imaginations, and I definitely don’t want to be caught up in your fantasies.”  She tells him that she wants him to know her, and she wants to know him before there is intimacy.  Derek also realizes that, despite the fact that he is asking, he should not at this point because he is in a relationship with someone else even though, at the time, he is not sure where that relationship might be headed.  He is in a confused position and knows that he should not complicate things by bringing someone else into his life.  In both cases these two people can see that rushing into intimacy is a bad idea.
 Too many people ignore these kinds of red flags, and in writing this novel, it is my wish to make the warning signs crystal clear and bring them to the forefront of our awareness.  Hopefully, this can help, if even just a little, in stopping the pain of so many bad and misguided relationships that end with children who live in turmoil.
            Additionally, I wrote Jagged Edges to give those of us who love romance an opportunity to read it without numerous expletives and lurid explicit sex scenes.  I believe that there is an audience for the type of novel where you have to use your imagination, where men know how to treat women with respect, and where those who are in a search for God realize that they can find Him in all the right places.  He is available to help us find the right mate who is willing to help us build a relationship and grow in love with respect and dignity.

Meet the Author

Doris H. Dancy is an accomplished and award-winning educator, speaker, writing consultant, playwright, wife, mother and now author. Her life’s focus has been educating our youth in an appreciation of both the written and spoken word. She received her BA Degree in English from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina and began a teaching career in both English and Spanish.  She was graduated from Hampton University with a MA in English Education and eventually became Chairperson of the English Department, English Teacher Specialist, and later Curriculum Leader of English K-12 for Hampton City Public Schools.  Teaching and supervising were both rewarding careers, and each taught her a different level and focus of professionalism and commitment.  As the Curriculum Leader, along with many other responsibilities, she developed and provided staff development for a writing program that guaranteed student achievement.

~A Prologue~

~The breaking of dawn is the best keeper of secrets I know; it has a pact with the close of day. At sun’s first peek, the confidence is safe, and one has no evidence at all how altered life might be by eventide~

The library at the university is quiet except for multiple pages turning and a stupid unnecessary clock facing me. I might just waste a star wish to get that annoying thing smashed. I’d do it myself, but I’d get caught, and be a greater disappointment to my parents than Ruff who still can’t sit up, roll over, or even bark like a real dog. I sigh. Deal with the clock, Arianna. You’re twenty-four years old, already have your MBA in Fashion Management and Entrepreneurship and almost ready to start your own Fashion House for goodness sakes. All you have to do is complete this little research, and you’re on your own. You’re not five. Anyway, you have far more important things to think about at 8:15 on this lonely Friday night, like how to meet that gorgeous guy sitting at the table across from you.

I sit back in my chair and just stare at him, counting how many times he glances up and quickly looks back at his work. He is doing a very poor job of pretending he hasn’t noticed that I’m staring at him. He’s on his eighth under eyed glance at me when he puts his laptop down, folds his hands, sits back, looks straight at me with a smirk, and holds the stare. I smile what I think is my very best smile. Let the games begin! After a minute and a half of staring, I’m just getting comfortable, and there is no way I’m giving up. He begins packing up his things slowly. Still staring, never glancing down to see what he’s doing, he meticulously places his laptop in his black leather attaché case. I can tell he is purposefully taking his time, and for some strange reason, his deliberate movements, to me, are extremely sensual.               I almost have to break my stare when I think to myself: any man that sexy ought to be locked up and the key thrown away. He leaves his case on the table, returns two books to a nearby shelf all the while looking into my staring eyes, and then he brings his fine self over to me.

He pulls out the chair that faces me without saying a word, turns it backwards, and tries to stifle his grin from becoming a full face all teeth showing spectacle. Of course, he’s far too cool for that.

“OK, you’ve been staring at me for the last ten minutes so I thought I would just come over and ask if I have spinach in my teeth or a booger up my nose.” I laugh. He smiles.

“What if I say both?” I grin, cupping my hand under my chin and looking directly into his brown bedroom eyes.

“Well, I’ll know that’s not true,” he taunts matter-of-factly.

“And how would you know that?” I question cynically. This man is about to make my heart jump out of my body.

“Simple.” “Simple?” “Yeah, simple. It’s a trick question.” He rocks back in the chair. “I didn’t have

spinach today.” We both laugh as quietly as we can since we are somewhat aware that we are in a library, and there are a few people still pretending to study on a Friday night.

“Well, to be quite honest with you, umm...Peter? Ah...Paul?” I lift one eyebrow and continue. “...Mary?” He gives me a closed mouth smile, and plays around his mouth with his thumb and index finger.

“Well, definitely not Mary. Derek. Derek Wellington.” For the first time in my life I hear the sexiness in that baritone voice of his that will drive me insane for years to come.

“Well, to be quite honest with you...Derek, Derek Wellington, your hair caught my attention.

“My hair?” I bite my bottom lip to cover my grin, and nod my head yes. “Yes, your hair...and

definitely your eyes too,” I say with mocked seriousness... “and then there’s that mouth,” I giggle.

“Oh, is that good or bad?” he chuckles. “Oh, that’s real good,” I admit with a flirtatious grin. “Good. Good,” he nods in mock approval. “So, you... this beautiful woman sitting here toying with me, you are... Gracie?”

“No, not even close,” I laugh.

I opt here for a more serious tone. My hazel eyes, my windows to the soul, touch his. “My name is Arianna...Arianna Channing.”

“Ah, a beautiful name for a lovely lady.” “Well thank you kind sir.” I bat my eyes playfully. “You are quite welcome, my lady.” And then he does something totally unexpected. He reaches across the table, takes my hand in his, and slowly brings it to his beautiful lips. That is how it all started with Attorney Derek Chase Wellington, III and me.

I would say that we had a whirlwind summer romance. We were inseparable. Both of us were taking a break of sorts before starting full force into our careers. Derek had studied for the Bar, passed it, and in September would join a private law firm in Virginia. I had completed my studies in Fashion Management and Entrepreneurship in New York City, and studied an additional two years in Paris. Coincidentally, I was also moving to Virginia, after the summer, to start my own Channing Fashion House, the first one in the Tidewater area.

Our connection, from its inception, has that magic touch...that something special; however, there is this one thing that tears our bond, interferes with our solidarity, and will forever puzzle me. Throughout this disappointment, I am honest with myself. Common sense and life’s experiences have taught me that it will be impossible to know the essence of the truth surrounding a very deep, but damaged, relationship in Derek’s past, but that is not my issue.

From the inception of our brief courtship and after we marry, Derek and I are always completely honest with each other...we trust each other explicitly, or so I am led to believe. That is what makes my discovery so perplexing... so hurtful and a huge issue for me.            The mystifying thing, now that the real truth irradiates, is that my friend, my boyfriend, my fiancée, my lover, my husband never mentions Morgan Shay LaRue to me. Not once, that I can remember, does he ever even call her name.

Social Links:

Email Address: ddancy.pen2paper@yahoo.com

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Author Tour Schedule:  http://wnlbooktours.com/doris-h-dancy/

My 5 Star Review

I received the book from the touring host for an honest review. 

Well, what can I say, the title of the book had me curious to read what the author had install with this title, so as I open and start reading things became clear why this specific title.

We met 2 people on a Friday night in a University Library. One is Derek and soon we get to know the Lady’s name as Arianna. They both had different reasons why they are there and soon their eyes met and a friendship begins, but before we continue down this road we first need to understand how they got there, and then we can continue with this new found friendship.

Derek was a recently Graduated Lawyer that pass the Bar exams having a relationship with Morgan a dancer and high school sweethearts. They were very much in love, so everyone thought that they would get married but things happened. When he wanted to visit she had excuses, always busy.

The story received a twist and faith brought two people together on a Friday night, so from here the story unfolds with a lot of things happening and the two people who met must start on a slow road to recovery and build trust after what both had experience in previous relationships. A heartfelt story of forgiveness and trust.

I would recommend this inspiring relationship and healing story for those that feel that they were hurt by someone and can’t forgive. A story with a clear message which will make you think and ponder at the end.

Well done Doris I really enjoyed this touching story of truth and reconciliation.