The history behind THIS TIME I DANCE! is as instructive and inspiring as the book itself. It's a story of belief, commitment, magic—and maybe even destiny.

Tama spent 12 years writing the book and wondering if she would ever finish it-or if it would finish her. She initially chose to self-publish the book because she wanted to ensure its artistic integrity. Immediately following publication, the book hit local bestseller lists repeatedly. And just 3 months after publication, Tama received the email that would change her life. It literally read "Your fairy Godmother has arrived."

Basically, someone in the publishing industry had read THIS TIME I DANCE! and said, again literally, "This book rocks!" One thing led to another and THIS TIME I DANCE was bought by Tarcher/Penguin-Putnam, the publisher of Tama's dreams. She signed a very healthy publishing contract, negotiated by one of the top agents in the industry. THIS TIME I DANCE! was released nationally in hardcover in May of 2003. Tama got to keep the interior design of her self-published book, most of her cover design, and best of all her words. In the final editing process, she had to change approximately 10 words. "I guess my 12 years of writing and editing paid off!" says Tama.

THIS TIME I DANCE! is the result of Tama's trusting her own journey over the years. Tama had no publishing contacts. She didn't advertise the book and she didn't really have a marketing plan. She followed her own inner voice, and the publishing world found her.

Here are few of the highlights and fun facts of the THIS TIME I DANCE! story. We hope you find them as entertaining and inspirational as we do.

Blessing in Disguise

Acting on the advice of a friend, "technologically-challenged" Tama decided that it was time to backup the book she had spent a year working on. "It's easy," a well meaning friend assured her. So off she went to preserve her many hours of work. It was quite surprising when the computer flashed the message that she now had umpteen million bytes free. "FREE!" Tama exclaimed out loud. "What do you mean FREE!" As it turns out, she made a left instead of a right, zigged instead of zagged, formatted instead of backed up, and basically ERASED HER ENTIRE BOOK!!!!. Despite all the best efforts to put Humpty Dumpty back to together again, only one file remained. Ironically, the file was named "Trust."

Tama says of this incident, "It was horrible! I was so mad at God. I thought, okay, what is this for? Should I not write this book? In retrospect, I think the incident saved me. The first book was more like "Tama's Manifesto," trying to prove to my family and friends I wasn't crazy. The next version came from a deeper and saner place inside and had nothing left to prove. I think the first book was for me. The one that followed was for the public."

Cover Story

Tama wanted to make sure that every aspect of her book reflected the same level of artistry as her words and inspiring message. She spent a year working with a graphic artist to design the book and the all important cover. Before we landed on the book's current image, "Talk to the Moon," by Melissa Harris, we went through countless variations, looking for just the right feel. Here are a few that you might find amusing. I know we did!

Pitchfork Cover	Drunken Dancer Cover
Academic Cover	A Little Bit of Everything Cover

"D" Mania

If you were a friend, relative or passerby within 15 feet of Tama in 2001, you very likely found yourself staring at D's. "D" as in the perfect D for Dance. One of Tama's clients finally had to cut Tama off from her growing obsession. "You're going to OD on D's," she said. You don't want to know how many D's we went through. Here's just a few that never made the cut:

Did You Think I Was Messing with You?

Through all the years of writing, Tama had an inner voice that kept her going. It often reassured her that she was on the right path and would be supported all along the way. Of course, she questioned this voice many times. After all, almost every writer thinks they are writing a bestseller. But during the self-published book's public debut on January 25th, 2002, at Tama's first book event, the voice had the last laugh.

The event was held at the famed Tattered Cover Bookstore in the Cherry Creek area of Denver. We were hoping that at least 30 people would show up. About a half hour before the scheduled event, a steady stream of people began arriving. As time went on, bookstore employees scrambled to set up more and more chairs until they ran out. Before Tama was introduced, all the seats were taken and people were standing in every available spot, including stair wells. The parking garage stopped accepting any more cars and some people turned away because they could no longer find a place to stand. Tama peered out over the growing mass of close to 200 people, and once again heard her inner voice. It said, "Did you think I was messing with you?" Tama channeled her gratitude into a memorable talk and reading.


Your Fairy Godmother Has Arrived!

Coming soon!