by 
Sunspots
by Karen S. Bell
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Aurora Goldberg Stein is lost in grief. Her beloved husband, Jake Stein, has just died in a tragic car accident and her sorrow is overwhelming. But is this really the end? Perhaps, perhaps not. She hears his voice. She sees his ghostly presence. She travels back in time to another life with Jake. What is going on? What is the message?
Jake Stein, a dashing Texan, sweeps Aurora off her feet and changes her life. A Brooklyn born actress, she moved to NYC and does temporary work to pay her bills. On this particular assignment, she accidentally meets Jake Stein, who is her dance with destiny. Leaving everything she knows, she marries him and moves to Austin, Texas. No longer struggling to make ends meet, Aurora wiles away her time bored and lonely, and trying to recapture the excitement she once had with this man. And then suddenly, it’s all over, her life, her future is gone. Vanished are all her hopes and dreams.
But destiny comes in many forms, and when Aurora moves to a new house, she discovers that the previous owner has never left. The ghostly presence of Viola Parker looms large and becomes Aurora’s guide through time revealing to her the mistakes she’s made with Jake Stein through the centuries. This time, maybe this time, Aurora can get it right.
A Word from the Author
In my writing, I draw from my experiences as I believe most writers do. Feelings, people you know, places you have been to influence the narrative. Sunspots for me was a catharsis. My first husband tragically died in accident and Sunspots deals with that pain and also explores some unknown truths about the MC’s deceased spouse, a narrative that has been a popular storyline for many a movie or book. I used that discovery process as way for Aurora, my MC, to grow. She meets Jake accidentally in NYC and then is whisked away to Austin, Texas to a marriage that changes her life. I explored all the excitement of a new marriage that turns in feelings of rejection, the ultimate rejection being Jake’s death. Coming to terms with my own grief was challenging and I waited many years before I tackled this topic. As in all romances there is a happy ending, and plenty of humor although pushing through the grieving process takes a concerted effort as Aurora comes to find out.
(Karen S. Bell, August 2019)