If you’re looking for a fun, light-hearted and quick read over the holidays (or any time, really) then local author Sharon Obert’s Stay Calm and Dance On might just be the book for you!
What would you do if you discovered your mom was from another planet? (There’s a whopping family secret, right?!) Fifty-something Nancy Leopold understandably has a bit of trouble wrapping her head around that concept. And when her mother, Trixie, visits D’Gnome’s largest moon (Gansarcal) and doesn’t return to Earth when expected, Nancy and her tap-dance class pals — the Dancing Divas — mount an intergalactic rescue mission.
This book has secret portals (and secrets, period), good guys, bad guys, more secrets, androids, a bit of romance, and more. It brings a whole new meaning to “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the (Garsical) Bay.” And the way the characters speak and interact? They could be your friends or neighbors (really — the way the author weaves in the familiar amongst the outlandish, some of these characters must be based on people you might actually know)! The character names are also really fun — Trebo Luapa, Betel G Euse, and the Sassy Sistas — Saffron, Sojourner and Sagan, to name a few.
I always enjoy reading stories that are set in and around Wyoming. Although Nancy’s hometown is named “Collinsville,” not Casper, you’ll know exactly where you’re at by the descriptions of buildings and businesses (the high school, the library, and a particularly popular Chinese restaurant, for instance). As for D’Gnome and Gansarcal? Descriptions might not sound familiar, but are highly entertaining and imaginative, which pretty much describes this entire book!
Pick up a copy of Stay Calm and Dance On at downtown’s Wind City Books. Wind City has an amazing selection, and they’re fantastic supporters of local and regional authors as well as our community in general. So whether you’re just stopping in to see what’s new or you’re looking for something specific, you can return that community spirit by shopping local at Wind City Books! Books make the best stocking stuffers, and they’re great last-minute gifts to boot! Merry Christmas from Wind City Books and from me, Just Another Gal.
