Carla's Book Crush

 Curveball on the Dance Floor by Karin Beery
Series:  Novak Sisters – Book 2
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date:  October 28, 2025
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Chris can handle a curveball at the diamond. Can she handle one on the dance floor?

Naturally athletic Christine Novak doesn’t shy away from physical challenges until her older sister needs help on the dance floor. Though she prefers cleats to heels, Chris agrees to help—it’s only for four weeks and for a good cause. But dancing doesn’t come as naturally as throwing a ball, so her sister calls in backup. Handsome, talented, experienced backup.

Tony Caldwell—champion ballroom dancer and Chris’s first childhood crush—agrees to show her the stops, but between her memories of Tony fifteen years ago and the ten-year age gap, Chris struggles to keep her feet in place. Determined to help her succeed, Tony steps out the studio to prove to Chris that she can dance, and that he’s not who she thinks he is.

Extra practices and time together do more than boost Chris’s confidence. As her nerves subside and reality replaces her memories, Chris and Tony become more than dance partners, but their new adult connection might not be enough to overcome the past that catches up to them.

PURCHASE LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookBub

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More In This Series

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About the Author

Author of hopeful fiction with a healthy dose of romance, Karin Beery lives in northern Michigan with her husband and pets. They drink too much (decaf) coffee, put up their Christmas tree the first weekend in November, and do their best to live every day for the Lord.

Connect with Karin by visiting karinbeery.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Author Q&A

CB: Hi Karin! Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Since I’ve already shared a little about you above, let’s discuss the writing process and the book further. You mentioned on your blog that after earning an English degree, you were “burned out on books” and didn’t read again for many years. What got you back into reading?  

KB: Surgery. I had to have two medical procedures done in a short period of time. Nothing life threatening, but I knew I’d have some time to sit around while resting. Though it was completely outside the genres I normally read (romance or mystery), I picked up At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon and loved it. From there, I jumped to the Left Behind series. I’ve enjoyed fiction again ever since. 

CB: A lot (or all!) of what you do now involves reading in some form. How do you balance your time between writing, editing, and teaching?  

KB: I’m still learning! I love editing and teaching, so I’ve spent the last few years focusing my time and energy there … but my writing stalled because of it. I’ve since realized that first drafts were my nemesis—they’re the hardest for me to write, so I kept stalling. Now, I know that I can get a first draft done in one month if I schedule writing sprints several times a day. Once that draft is done, it’s a lot easier to weave my editing in with my clients’ editing projects.   

CB: How long did it take you to write Curveball on the Dance Floor?   

KB: This book is an anomaly, so it’s not a fair representation of my process. Here’s what happened: it was originally a novella to self-publish between two full-length novels. But I had a major publisher interested in the first book, and they wanted three full-length novels. “Sure, I can do that!” 

Hardest. Novel. Ever. 

To lengthen the book, I had to change parts of the story. Then, because it overlaps so much with Finally Forever, I had to put both plots on a calendar to make sure they fit. They didn’t, so more changes. 

The publisher ended up passing on the books, but it ended up being a great learning experience. (And I think the story is 100x better than it was as a novella.) 

CB: Since this book is part of a series, did you plan it ahead of time, or did the idea come later? 

KB: I never planned to write a series, but as I wrote Finally Forever, I realized Chris and Tony had chemistry. They’re both so different that I thought it would be fun to explore what might happen between them. (I was right—it was fun!) 

CB: Both books in the series have a focus on dancing. Was it hard to write Chris’s dance storyline since she is more athletic than graceful? 

KB: Even though Chris dances, she’s not a dancer, so it was actually easier to write because I’m not a dancer either. I could imagine how awkward she would feel and how frustrating it must be to throw yourself into something you’re not good at. 

CB: What do you hope readers take away from Chris and Tony’s story? 

KB: Chris and Tony’s story is the first of my books that includes characters who openly talk about their struggles to live Godly lives. It doesn’t overtly discuss their faith, but you can see their struggles to uphold God’s commands. Their actions have consequences, and they have to learn to live with those. I hope readers will relate to their struggles while also seeing ways to extend grace and forgiveness. 

CB: What’s one thing you’ve learned from writing this series that you didn’t expect?   

KB: Keep a calendar! I’m now into book three, and I wanted to start with a major snow storm … until I realized the way I’d strung the books together had the story starting in September. That’s been the hardest part of this series, though the next one might introduce me to more. 

CB: If Curveball on the Dance Floor became a movie, who would you cast as Chris and Tony? 

KB: The ages don’t work, but if I could turn back the clock, I’d cast a young Zachary Levi with Willow Shields. 

CB: Can you tell us what you’re working on next or what readers can look forward to from you?   

KB: I’m currently editing book three of the Novak sisters series, which bring Carmen back to the states after living in Germany. Like Curveball, Carmen’s story will introduce more life-altering struggles and decisions, but it will also include the hope and romance that my other books feature. I have a rough outline for my next series, but it’s still too early to talk about. 

CB: I like to know what writers read, and I’m sure others do as well.  What’s the best book you’ve read recently, and why did it stand out to you?  

KB: I read a lot of different genres in the Christian and general markets, so it’s hard to pick one, but here are three vastly different books I’ve enjoyed this year: 

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin: general market historical women’s fiction, it’s a clean read about the London bombings during World War II. It made me cry, but it was a great story. 

Project Hail Mary by Andy Wier: general market science fiction, I’d heard a lot about this book all over the internet. My brother-in-law and sister wanted to read it, so I picked it up so we could talk about it. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, and my sister and I disagree on whether or not it was a good ending.  

All Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon: Christian rom-com, it’s everything you could want in a contemporary romantic comedy. She took the formula and infused it with wonderful characters and fun tropes.  

CB Thank you again for sharing with us, Karin. I hope you have great success with Curveball on the Dance Floor.    

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a print copy of Finally Forever (book #1 in the series) and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 21, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 28, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!