Repercussion was written as a testimonial to George Velazquez and all those individuals who have met the challenge of moving on with their lives even when the odds never seemed to be in their favor. The author, India Podsen, had first hand experiences of knowing George when he had suddenly become an amputee. She watched as George fought each day to recover his ability as a credible dance instructor and successful professional competitor.

The novel raises the awareness level of what an amputee faces in dealing with the loss of a limb and trying to find a prosthetic that works. For many individuals, unless they have a family member who is an amputee or knows one, there is little empathy or even worse a basic aversion to those who have handicapping conditions such as these. The book brings readers into this world as they witness the emotional and physical obstacles brought on with this type of injury. Even more, through the character of Antonio Rubio, the novel demonstrates how the triumph of the human spirit and the power of dance can restore a happy heart.

Finally, the book raises the question—What happens to us when life as we know it is threatened? Giving up was just not in George’s vocabulary. Would it be in yours??

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

India Podsen is a published author of professional books and articles in the field of education. Repercussion is her first novel which she submitted to Writer’s Digest for review. Critique of the book included the following comment: “What a skillfully woven story of courage, love, and friendship. The author’s knowledge of dance and of the problems amputees face as well as the obstacles they are capable of overcoming make this a very real and very satisfying story. The author writes well. Her dialogue and detail move the story along and keeps the reader turning the page…The author has a story that might also work well as a screenplay…”

George Velazquez is an amputee who competes against able bodied professional dancers and has nabbed multiple awards as a ballroom competitor. He trains able bodied dancers, wheel chair dancers, and amputees at various ages and levels of abilities. Although fictionalized, Repercussion is an account of his journey back to competitive ballroom dancing despite an endless array of personal challenges and professional set backs.