Guest Author: Maria Imbalzano

Today, I welcome Maria Imbalzano who will tell us about her new book: The Blueberry Swirl Waltz.

The setting of this story is my grandmother’s ice cream and confectionery shop in Roebling, NJ in the ‘50’s and the heroine is based on my mother’s job as a ballroom dance instructor at Arthur Murrary’s.  I interviewed my mother about the shop and her dance career and those interviews are on my blog at https://mariaimbalzano.com/blog/

BLURB

After a family crisis, Katie Hathaway must return home to help out in the family’s ice cream shop. She leaves behind her dream job of teaching ballroom dance to spend her summer scooping ice cream and mixing milkshakes.

Chaz Hollander, Katie’s high school crush, has also returned to town to work in his family’s business. After Katie treats him to a blueberry swirl sundae, he invites her to the town’s upcoming dance. The only problem is he has two left feet.

When Katie starts giving Chaz dance lessons, their chemistry ignites, and the postponement of her dream doesn’t seem as ominous. But financial woes and a suspicious business deal cast a shadow on their budding relationship.

BIO

Maria Imbalzano is a retired matrimonial lawyer who now writes full time. Instead of drafting motions, legal memoranda, and briefs, although fascinating, she now spends her days creating memorable characters and taking them on their emotional journeys through her contemporary romance novels.

In addition to writing fiction, Maria is on the Friends of Thomas Edison State University Foundation Committee and is still involved with Dress for Success Central Jersey, having been a founding Board member. She also serves on the finance committee for The Present Day Club. She has received the distinguished Family of Edison Award for her work with The Thomas Edison State University Foundation, the Iron Mike Professional Achievement Award from Trenton Catholic Academy and was inducted into the Italian American National Hall of Fame.

Her novel, “Unchained Memories,” won the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers’ Award and the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award. “Sworn to Forget,” the first of the four-book Sworn Sisters Series was a finalist for the illustrious RONE award as well as the Book Buyers Best Award.

Visit Maria at www.mariaimbalzano.com

SHORT EXCERPT

As his silence stretched on, her angst kicked in. Maybe he was here to break off their relationship. If they even had one.

“What’s wrong?” she rasped.

“Why would you think something’s wrong?”

Because I’ve studied you in every light imaginable. I know when you’re happy, sad, surprised, disturbed, or distracted. It’s in your eyes, your lips, your body. The flex in your jaw, the tenor of your voice.

But she didn’t say any of that. “You’re usually more talkative when you come in after work.”

Buy Links for The Blueberry Swirl Waltz

Amazon

Barnes and Noble (Nook)

Apple Books