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Will You Dance,
If I Ask You to Dance?
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AUTHOR'S NOTES
As always, a huge hug and a thank you to my intrepid editors, April W
and Kathy (KayRenee). You stick by my side, hold my hand, and warm
my heart. I'd be lost without you.
A very special thanks also to Wendy (Scarlett),
for intense edits, encouragement, and saving my sanity.
The vast majority of the characters herein are from the Trixie Belden
series and belong to Random House. They are used without
permission. A select few are completely my own - i.e. Chris Zack,
Merrissa Parkman, Paul Andrews, Beth Fleming, Coach Epperly, and the Boston crew.
The story title is from the song "Hero", recorded by
Enrique Iglesias, and is used without permission. I just love
that line. |
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I haven't taken French in 20 years, but I still have my books.
All translations taken directly from The New College FRENCH &
ENGLISH Dictionary by AMSCO.
Niagara Falls is a real place (just in case you didn't know).
The roar of the Falls is so loud that I can hear them from my window in
the morning, 2.5 miles away. I simply 'dore that sound!
The Friday Night Phone Calls with Brian and Jim are a continuing
theme in my stories. Check out It Comes Back At You or Snippets
- Mart
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I would like to thank Julie Campbell for Wimpy's. What better
place is there to arrange for all the players to be in the same room at
once?
Yes, I'm sure I borrowed the concept of The Bluffs from some other
fanfic writer or two, but every town has to have a favorite parking
place, right?
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Are you all ready to shoot me yet? Patience, my friends,
patience...
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I have to thank Dana for saving this chapter, completely
unintentionally. You see, I completely forgot it was Brian's
birthday! Something that Dana said jogged my memory, causing me 24
hours of frantic worrying about how badly I'd screwed up... but saving
me from posting a major screw-up. Thanks, Dana!!
Progressive Rummy is one of my family's favorite games. I hope
you're familiar with it, but if not... it's complicated.
One of my editors suggested that Mrs. Vanderpoel wasn't old enough to
chaperone Spider's grandparents. I disagree - she's about the same
age, and was the girlfriend who double-dated with them. As a
favorite aunt-type, she chaperoned his parents, as well. Now it's
Tad's turn. If Spider would only find a girlfriend, he might know
how it feels. Unfortunately, he's too busy playing dad to his
younger brother. Maybe Spider will finally get a life when Tad
goes away to college.
Are things okay with Moms? Not quite...
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I know the chapter's short, but these things happen sometimes.
I'm sure you remember Eddie Haskell, from the Leave it to Beaver
Show. If not, go watch Nick at Night. These days there's no
such excuse as too young to remember.
Do the Bob-Whites play a lot of games? Yes. I'm trying to
see how long it takes before I go through all the games on my
shelves. Can I write the entire uni before I have to
duplicate? Maybe.
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Okay, I should probably mention that Tylenol is a brand name that is
used without permission. Do I ever ask permission?
'Tell Uncle Jim all about it' is my LEAST favorite line in all
of the books. I hated it, and therefore it was necessary to
completely mock it here. All wrongs must be righted, after all.
"Terrance, this is stupid stuff" is both the title and the
first line of a poem by A.E. Houseman. I don't even remember what
the poem is about, but I studied the poem in high school, and I simply
adored that line. My friends and I would often start our notes
with it (the ones we passed back and forth in class, natch). It is quoted here with deepest affection to the
author for a treasured teen-age memory.
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Clay, John, Preacher and Ria are all mentioned in the Snippet: The
College Men. They are my very own characters, and will be
appearing again, never fear. I've rather grown to like them.
"The World Jello Olympics" really happened. Sort
of. See, there was no tripping... Geo was kind of mad and threw
the jello mold. However, he didn't quite expect the ensuing
explosion. We had been in the middle of a loud argument, and
suddenly we were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. The
explosion happened in the L-shaped kitchen, which was on the middle
floor of our three-level townhouse. The jello exploded out both
ends of the L, through several rooms. The bathroom off the kitchen
was covered. The kitchen sat at the top of the stairs, and the
front door was at the bottom. The front door was covered in jello.
When we moved out a year later, I was still finding jello spots.
Bright red jello on white walls and tan carpeting. A
never-to-be-forgotten moment in our lives!
"Et tu, Brute" is a very famous quote from Shakespeare's
Julius Caesar, which I was required to read my sophomore year of high
school. I hated it. For some strange reason, when I re-read
it in college, I loved it. Ever since college, I simply adore
Shakespeare. And since the Bard isn't exactly around to grant his
permission to quote him...
Tad and brownie points... Sorry, April, but YUM!
Washington Park is a figment of my imagination. I needed a
park, so I plopped one down where I wanted it. Although some
things must remain constant, like Glen Road, I believe each author has
their own map of Sleepyside, unique to their universe. That's my
story, and I'm sticking to it.
The backstory on Molinson is completely my own. I hope I did
the good Sergeant justice.
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You were all just so sure it was menopause, weren't you?
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How very convenient for Trixie: she studies two foreign languages,
she has two boyfriends, they can each tutor her in one. I planned
that rather well, didn't I? *snort* Oh, yeah. Had that
one planned all along. Now about this bridge in Brooklyn I have
for sale...
This chapter was posted to honor the release of the new Random House
edition of The Mystery at Bob-White Cave. This is also part
of the 5-year Jixaversary Celebration. Here's to many more!
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It's been so long y'all probably forgot about this poor old story,
didn't you?
The Jixaversary gave me a much-needed break, but I'm so excited to be
posting again!
I realize some people find speaking the words "I love you"
to be very difficult. I don't. I don't imagine Trixie would,
either. And I figure Dan has no trouble saying it to her, because
she was the one who taught him how.
The song is "Lean on Me", by Bill Withers, and is used
without permission.
Making Chris and Tad best friends sure complicates matters, doesn't
it?
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Wendy likes to stroke my ego and tell me I write good dialogue.
I deeply appreciate her for that. It's been a very long time since
I sat in a high school cafeteria. I have the advantage of having a
teenaged girl around me. Of course, this would be the same girl
who correctly used the word "actually" in a full sentence at
the age of 18 months. If my teenagers' vocabulary seems a little
over the top, my only excuse is that my husband and I actually spoke
like that, and have passed that particular habit along...
The list of characters that are completely my own keeps getting
longer. I'm going to have to put together a separate Character
Notes page sooner or later, if only so I can keep them all
straight. *sigh*
Dane Parkman first appeared in Snippets - Trix and Riss.
(Sorry, Wendy, it's too late to change his name.) Sally Andrews is new, as is Chris & Tad's friend, Sarah.
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I have been remiss in giving credit where credit is due. All
the wonderfully descriptive accounts of Trixie's pain, especially the
headaches and nausea, are thanks to Kathy W. As a sufferer of
tremendous migraines, she has a wealth of experience from which to draw,
and she has been providing me with amazing adjectives.
As if I didn't have enough secondary characters, I suppose now I need
to introduce Eric's mother. And any siblings he may or may not
have.
Of course there has to be a Trixie and Dan moment. Is
there ever not a Trixie and Dan moment?
Just to clarify matters, I do not advocate underage drinking.
On the other hand, a totally realistic portrayal of college life
includes the fact that this is a very common activity. Even the
most honorable and responsible student indulges occasionally. And
everyone knows someone that will serve them, underage or not.
Flirting with the bartender helps.
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Yes, I picked on Peter for thinking Helen's problem was
menopause. But at one point, you all did, too. Didn't you?
I already used the quote "Et tu, Brute" in Chapter 7, but
tough. I told you then it was the most-quoted line from
Shakespeare. And just to be specific, it's actually taken from Julius
Caesar, Act III, scene i, line 77. Yes, my Riverside
Shakespeare is well-worn.
Chelsea's nightmares from watching a movie are based on my own
experience with the Count of Monte Cristo. For years, I dreamed I
was in the body bag, I couldn't cut my way out, and I was
drowning. For that reason, I have absolutely refused to ever read
the book or watch any version of the story. It's such a shame,
really, because I understand it's great literature.
Poor Trixie. Nightmares, now, as well. I just keep
heaping it on, don't I?
The New York Post is a real newspaper. When choosing
which paper Matt Wheeler was reading, I opted for the RL paper which is
smart enough to employ a reporter named Dan Mangan.
Yep, those descriptions of Trixie's vicious pain just keep getting
easier and easier. Keeping her in pain keeps me creative. I
could keep this going forever, you know.
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As you know, I have made many comments about Chapter 13 being
cursed. Well, Chapter 14 didn't fare much better. This
chapter has been rewritten so many times that I no longer remember what
it originally said. I sincerely hope it was worth it.
I must issue very special thanks to KayRenee. Kathy was not
afraid to tell me, in her first edits, that the chapter was crap.
She pointed out many very flawed areas, and demanded more. She
insisted that she knew I could do better than that. I'm awfully
glad she loves me enough to push me so hard. And patient enough to
edit the same thing over and over again. (not to mention providing me
with descriptors left and right)
Also, Scarlett is a saint. My dear Wendy nitpicks everything,
especially my commas. She also is a marvel at suggesting
alternatives when my own wording is just plain awkward.
AprilW saves my sanity every day. Without her shoulder to cry
on, I hardly get by. Have I mentioned how terribly glad I am that
she is back safe and sound from her vacation? And that I will be
seeing her in just a few days?
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This one didn't cause me nearly as much stress as the next two.
Good thing, too. Cause the next chapter is stressing me
badly. I really needed this break of a nice, easy chapter.
What? You don't like the ending?
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I love Dan's wicked sense of humor. Don't you?
Wouldn't you just love to be the mahogany table in Matt's
study?
So now you know... Chris Zack is Eric Zack's little brother.
Naturally, we'll get back to that later.
This chapter has tormented me endlessly. It has been written
and re-written, and edited and re-edited, over and over again.
April and Wendy have been wonderful, and Kathy deserves an award for the
number of times she has re-edited this thing. I'm not even sure
I'm satisfied with the result, but it is what it is.
FairyGodMom, who won (in the FUNdraiser auction) the right to preview
all future chapters of Dance, seems to think I did all right.
Thanks, Patte, for the vote of confidence. And the Dance itself is
still such a long way off... BTW, I love being a member of the Trixie
Belden Fan Club. How about you? |
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This is part of my submission for my first anniversary as a Jix
Author. I can't believe it's been a year already! I would like
to take this opportunity to express what an honor and a privilege it is
to be a member author of Jixemitri. It is a responsibility I take
seriously. The other authors are an amazing support system, and
the readers are the most encouraging group of people I have ever known. Thank
you to Cathy, for creating this community, and granting me the gift of
membership. Jixemitri has taken on a life of its own, but it
wouldn't have happened without you. I am forever grateful. Special
thanks to Susan. Without your encouragement and friendship I never
would have taken the chance of letting my stories see the light of
day. Some day maybe I'll write something that won't drive you
crazy.
I love you, Dearheart. I know I mention April frequently, but I really
don't think it is possible to over do it. Without you, I seriously
doubt I would be active on the boards, I know for certain I would not be
an author, and I'm pretty sure I would have lost my mind quite some time
ago. Your love and support are an amazing gift. And your
talent for making people smile never ceases to amaze me. You are a
beautiful person, and a blessing. Thank you for being my friend. Kathy
is a joy to know. She never fails to cheer me up, even when she is
miserable. She never fails to worry about me, even when she is
suffering. And she never fails to pull through for me, even when
she doesn't have the time or energy. She is also a wonder at
descriptions, and a taskmaster at getting me to put more into everything
I write. I am better for knowing you, darlin'. One of these
days, we'll paint the town red together. Wendy... you, my friend, are
a true kindred spirit. Sometimes I think we are the same
person. You never fail to give me new insights, whether it be to
my characters or to myself. I hope to someday be as much of a help
to you as you are to me.
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This is also part of my submission for my first Jixaversary. In
addition to all my thanks listed above, I'd like to gush a little
more. Sorry! Thanks go out to Geo. Despite his constant
mockery, he is always doing little things to show his support. He
recently upgraded my website with all kinds of little perks that I have
no idea how to use. Maybe I should learn. I'm especially
thrilled that Trixie is a love I share with my girls, Mary Kate and
Gabby. Mary Kate adores this story, so this one's for you,
sweetie! And the crack about "weapons storage devices" is
just for Mary - she of the wonderful rack.
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I can't believe it's been more than four months since I've posted on
this - or anything else, for that matter. I've had such total
writer's block; it's been both annoying and depressing. I can only
hope that this releases the floodgates. This one is dedicated to
the patience of the readers.
It seems that great minds think alike. There's been a rash of
Maddie and Honey stories written lately. I guess that's because
it's so hard to work with these two characters without understanding why
they were so distant in JC's stories. With hats off to the much
better explanations recently offered by April W. and Mary N., I offer
you my version. |
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Once again, this chapter is dedicated to
the patience of the readers. I can't believe how long this story
is taking. I'd almost figured that people would have forgotten it
by now, but a few recent emails have cured me of that notion.
I have to thank my beloved and always faithful April W. She
sticks by me through thick and thin, takes care of my edits when she has
too much else going on in her own life, and is just about the best
friend anyone could ever have. I love ya, Sweetie!
My other two editors have fallen away from the boards, and I've
pretty much lost touch with both of them. I will admit, this has
been a serious hang-up to the continuation of this story.
Fortunately, I have been rescued from despair by the lovely Trish B!
Thanks so much for stepping up to the plate, my friend. You're a
lifesaver.
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When I posted this chapter, I completely blew off doing any author's
notes. I was having a bad day/week/month and was lucky to have
posted the chapter, let alone any notes.
I do recall that I posted this for my third Jixaversary. It
shocks me that this story isn't finished yet, but at least it's my one
constant for all my time at Jix.
Thanks to AprilW, Trish B, and Cathy P.
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Officially, I'm posting this chapter in honor of the Jixaversary
celebration. Our community is honoring eight years of Jix and 60
years of Trixie. Naturally, special thanks go out to Cathy P and
Julie Campbell.
Unofficially, this chapter is being posted as a birthday present to
my darling daughter, for Mary Kate's Sweet 16.
(God, I am so old!) As someone who writes pretty
well herself, and will most likely publish a song or two someday, I'm
honored that she loves my stories so much.
Lastly, it would be a crime to post anything without thanking my
lovely editors, April W and Trish B. Despite all the personal
hardships these ladies have endured this past year, they have always
been there for me. I'd be lost without them, and I'd have never
found them without Jix.
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Okay, so I took the hint. The board being down for several
hours is a good time to work on your website. So I cleaned up some
broken links, tweaked a few things, and looky here! I found an
unposted chapter that was ready to go!
Enjoy your reading. I'm just going to go die of the heat now.
The real question is: will I finish the next chapter before
Trixie Camp 2008?
Thanks, as ever, go to the wonderful editors that make all these
things possible. Trish and April are keep me going.
Thanks also to Cathy for creating Jix, and for our Magnificent 7 for
keeping it going. Love you lots!! |
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Chapters 24 - 26
I never wrote Author's Notes on these chapters, and I'm not going to
try now because I have no recollection of what was going through my head
at the time.
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Seven years to get through 27 chapters. I didn't realize I was
writing Gone With the Wind! And we're not finished yet. Not
that there's that much left to go in this story, but this
universe is just beginning. Perhaps this guarantees that both Jix
and I will be around for a very long time to come.
Then again, I just reviewed some of my notes. One year to get
through 16 chapters, and six years to get through 11 chapters. I
seriously need to find more time for writing!
Thanks go out to BonnieH, for stepping in as my editor when I felt a
little lost. KayRenee is going to get her butt kicked soon, and if
I had the money I'd buy AprilW the new laptop she needs. But
Bonnie has saved me on many, many occasions, and is totally awesome.
WendyM, all your bugging for more only got you an editor's job.
Seriously, thanks for everything!
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Seventh Jixaversary, Part 2. Dear God, we're almost to the
game! The dance can't be that far away, can it?
Thank you Bonnie, for your never-ending support and editing prowess.
I'd be lost without you.
Special thanks to all of the Jixemitri community for welcoming me,
supporting me, and giving me a home. I wouldn't know what to do
without all of you. It is an honor and a privilege to write for
all of you.
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This chapter has been sitting on my hard
drive, languishing, for months. I had to re-read half the story to
even remember what was going on. I'm sure many of you will have to
do the same. For the newer readers, it's probably just nice to get
another chapter. For those that have been around since the very
beginning... WOW! I can't believe how long it's been. I just
read all my author's notes, and the trip down memory lane was amazing.
So much has changed over the years, and yet so much has stayed the same.
This is posted for my 8th Jixaversary. And no, I will not be
posting eight stories for eight years. Sorry, but last year was an
anomaly. That doesn't mean there won't be a few treats today.
When I was in seventh and eighth grade, after every basketball game
half the school went to DeFranco's for Pizza. What fun is being in
control of your universe if you can't litter it with your own happy
memories?
BTW, in naming the two teams I cheated. I couldn't remember if
Sleepyside's mascot was ever named, and I didn't feel like looking it
up. I just named them the Crusaders after my son's team. As
for Croton, I know they have a hydroelectric dam. Living in a town
with a bit of a reputation for hydroelectrics, I can assure you that the
Power Cats are completely appropriate (as well as a nod to Niagara
Falls). Having the Crusaders crush the Power Cats is symbolic;
after all, my son is a Crusader, not a Power Cat.
Thank you to all the readers who make it a joy to share my stories.
Smooches!
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THE END!!!!!
I know I've sung an entire chorus of hallelujahs, how about you?
Thanks go out to many people who have been instrumental to this
writing over the years. The most profuse must go to she who has
been most constant through all the years, the lovely AprilW. My
wonderful friend has been such a blessing to me, as she has to all of
you. I love you, Sweetie!
Thanks also to BonnieH and WendyM who have stepped in as editors
along the way. You rock!
For those of you who wanted to me wrap up all the loose ends
nicely... are you kidding? Do you know me at all? More
importantly, do you want me to ever write anything else?
When I started this, I had a vision for the entire universe and grand
ambitions. After how long it has taken me to get through this
particular story, I wonder if I'll ever get through the rest of the uni.
I wonder how much of my vision I've lost along the way. I wonder
why people still read what I write. But mostly I wonder if Jim
will wait... |
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