New York City
in 1907 is a kingdom of endless possibilities for anyone who dares
to dream. The Gilded Age has ended, and immigrants fill the bustling
streets. The glamour of Broadway lures those who desire the
limelight—but only a few are fortunate enough to thrive in the
lights of a city that casts long, dark, and merciless shadows…
Pepper MacClair and her mother arrived
penniless in New York thirteen years
ago, and their fortune has not changed. A dancer of fluid grace and
motion, Pepper is still only one chorus girl among dozens,
struggling for an opportunity to prove herself worthy of something
bigger.
For now, Pepper dances at The Chance, a rundown
venue long past its prime. It is not only Pepper’s workplace, where
she has pushed her physical endurance to its limit, but also her
home. And as the larger world changes around her and she is pulled
into the intrigues of New York’s elite, it is
her last hope, not only to fulfill her dream, but to fulfill her
heart.
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DANCING AT THE CHANCE took me back to Old New York,
when vaudeville still enchanted audiences and Ziegfeld was king. In
her second novel, DeAnna Cameron brings the world of 1900’s theatre
to vibrant life. Part circus, part Shakespeare, part Arabian nights,
the Chance Theatre is a place I would love to visit again.
~Christy English, author of TO BE QUEEN: A NOVEL OF THE EARLY LIFE
OF ELEANOR OF AQUITANE
In turn-of-the century New York, the
Chance Theatre, once a crowning glory of vaudeville has become a
dull grey shadow of its former self. Following the retirement of its
original owner, the motley troupe of vaudevillians struggle to keep
its doors open under poor stage direction and worse fiscal
management while its audience is lured away by the glamorous
Ziegfeld Follies and the newfangled flicker pictures. In DANCING AT
THE CHANCE, author DeAnna Cameron resurrects this vaguely familiar
and bygone theatre world with life, breath, personality and passion.
~Emery Lee, author of FORTUNE’S SON and HIGHEST
STAKES
In DANCING AT THE CHANCE, DeAnna Cameron breathes
new life into the dusty corners of a New York vaudeville theater
tottering on its last legs. A wonderfully nostalgic look at the
rough and tumble world of a group of down-on-their-luck
vaudevillians, filled with backstage gossip and quirky characters,
a delightful heroine, with
cameo appearances by Florenz Ziegfeld and early filmmaker Edwin S.
Porter, that will delight readers looking for something a little off
the beaten path.
~ Elizabeth Kerri Mahon, author of SCANDALOUS WOMEN
From the first page, DANCING AT THE CHANCE pulled
me into the exotic, exciting world of the Chance vaudeville
theater—a world of dancing dolls, dashing dachshunds, and a deadly
dull lecturer who clears the theater for the next show. This delightful and fast-moving tale gives readers
a behind-the-scenes peek at the passionate dedication of vaudeville
performers and the thrill—and terror—of live performance. For dancer
Pepper MacClair, the Chance vaudeville theater is more than a
workplace. It’s her true home, and the other performers are her
family. It’s a heart-warming story with fresh characters in
a fresh setting. A lively coming-of-age tale of a girl who lives to
dance at a time when vaudeville is dying. Anyone who has ever
dreamed of being a star will thrill to join determined Pepper
MacClair as she strives to succeed, and readers will experience all
the romance and excitement of live theater. I loved Pepper’s enthusiasm. She throws herself
with gusto at love, at dancing, and at making the Chance vaudeville
theater the best it can be.
~Shauna Roberts, author of the historical novel
LIKE MAYFLIES IN A STREAM
