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Glory

Ali Katz

Glory by Ali Katz, cover by Trace Edward Zaber, 2008

ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-282-8 (Electronic)

Genres: Contemporary / The Arts / Fantasy / Witchcraft / Magic / Interracial / Multicultural
Heat Level: 2
Length: Novella (19k words)

Purchase:

@AmberQuill Press

@All Romance eBooks

@Fictionwise

Connor Finn is having the best season of his six-year career with Corps de Ballet when a former teacher invites him to evaluate a young ballerina she thinks he'll find interesting. Glorianna Scalisi is like no dancer Connor has ever worked with. She is too dark, has too many curves, and she flies across the floor with a power he's never seen in a woman.

Very soon, they discover a magic in the way they move together, and as they dance in pursuit of their dreams, love blossoms between them.

But a different magic rules Glory's life. A peculiar physical ailment and her mindless obedience to the family that holds her allegiance threatens their plans. Connor wants her free to live a life that includes him, but when he discovers the nature of the bond is an amulet, which has enslaved her family for a thousand years, he must first come to believe the mystery of her origin before he can find a way to set her free.

“Glory is an apt name for the heroine and a fine description of the tale itself. The story has the precision and melodic grace of a fine ballet duet mixed with an element of danger and exotic magic that will keep you turning pages far into the night. I very much enjoy Ms. Katz’s writing and look forward to reading her future ventures very soon.”

--Rebecca Kyle, Amazon Top Reviewer

"...A sweet, whimsical tale with an underlying contemporary darkness. The story slowly unwinds measure by measure until all you can do is 'ooh' and 'ah' at each revelation. Connor is an assertive, talented man and a perfect balance for Glory’s vulnerability and passion. Both characters share a strength and courage that shines through Ms. Katz’s writing...The sex scenes are combustible while leaving you with the feeling that Glory and Connor are truly connected mentally and emotionally to one another..."

--Patrice F., Joyfully Reviewed

4 1/2 Stars for Glory, by Ali Katz"4 1/2 Stars!...Passion, love, danger and deceit all roll together to make Glory a great short read. It is heartwarming to see an author take on the stereotype that only the thinnest can succeed in the dance world. Ms. Katz also gives a realistic glance into the depression that can take hold of a person who is told that the shape of their body will forever keep them from realizing their dream. Brava to this inspiring new voice in fiction."

--Valerie, Manic Readers Reviews

A bit on inspiration and an Excerpt:

New York City, the world of ballet--two young dancers share love and a dream, until one's ..enslavement to a magicalamulet threatens all. Click to buy Glory

The dance is the only true happiness in Glory's life…until she meets Connor. She wants everything he has to offer, a life on the stage with him, happiness and love. Very soon, however, she finds that neither is possible under her masters' rule, and their determination to separate her from her love and her dreams endangers Connor's life.

Her only option is to give him up. Connor won't allow that to happen.

..What made me think I could write a ballet? Because that's what Glory is, a dance, done to the score and choreography my characters dictated.

I've always loved the ballet--and admired dancers… any dancers. What they do with their bodies is beyond beautiful. It's living, breathing, dynamic art. For the audience, dance is more than a visual medium. It's a physical and emotional experience, melding music, movement and the dancer's passion into the soaring, surge of exhilaration you'd expect from a rush of awe, the depths of love, the intimacy of sex. An arousal, ..constantly renewed as the artist bares his very soul. How could you not be inspired?

Here's an excerpt from Glory:

"You hesitated. Glory, for the hundredth time, trust me. I'm not going to drop you."

"I am too heavy," she said, her gaze fixed on the floor.

"Sophie Kessler is ten pounds heavier. I've never dropped her." Already, after only their first hour together, he'd determined to put this hurdle behind them as quickly as possible and make this partnership work. If he succeeded in gaining her trust, if the damn nosebleeds didn't get in the way, if … they would be brilliant. "How badly do you want this?"

She locked her golden eyes to his and nodded.

The hunger was there. "Well, then," he said. With one hand against her ribs, the other on her thigh, he lifted her over his head. "Again, a Poisson." This time, she didn't hesitate, didn't try to compensate. In the mirror, the perfect line her curves created remained undisturbed as he extended and lowered her torso into a dive. He reversed the tilt and dropped her into his arms. She weighed nothing. With his arms wrapped around her thighs, he buried his face in her belly and smiled. Peppermint, she smelled like Christmas.

She was desire personified in his arms, her body sliding, slowly, caressingly, over his as he lowered her en pointe. Her left leg curled around his hip and she leaned back into his arm. With her arm stretched above her head, the mounds of her breasts and the peaks of their nipples yearned toward the sky. He couldn't stop himself, in spite of the growing discomfort as the belt he wore tightened around his rising arousal. Hell, he didn't want to stop. They were already so close to what he'd imagined, a celebration of the body.

The arch of her back deepened as he let his hand slide up her thigh, hip, ribs to cradle one full, round breast with his outstretched thumb. That's as far as he let himself go; his eyes completed the stroke. The shadows of her dark areolas bled through the taut fabric. For a moment, the sight of her took his breath away.

"Perfect," he breathed.

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