I would like to welcome, a very special guest on my blog, author Karen S. Bell

Sunspots follows the healing journey of a young woman thrown into the horror of losing a spouse. It is a love story of loss and redemption and the ghosts that haunt our lives and our houses. Skirting the genres of magical realism and romance, Sunspots, explores the existence of the afterlife and the paranormal. The story takes the reader on a path of high emotion as the narrator, Aurora, uncovers her husband Jake’s secret life and her own internal conflicts as she matures to self-awareness. The novel’s tone vacillates from irreverent humor to solemnity as Aurora relates her previous life with Jake and her present challenges. The title refers to the solar maximum which became the backdrop for Aurora’s conception when her hippy parents went to Canada to observe the Aurora Borealis. In name and in spirit, Aurora is connected to the observable and unobservable energy around us. With the help of friends, family, and the ghost of Viola Parker (her home’s original owner), Aurora accepts her fate and the secrets revealed about Jake’s true character. She realizes that in this life she will finally break the cycle of pain caused by her love for this man, Jake Stein, through the centuries.


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Author Bio: Walking with Elephants was my debut novel in 2010, although I am not new to writing. I was a theater critic and celebrity interviewer for a weekly tabloid in Jacksonville, Fl and I earned a Master’s in Mass Communication from Oklahoma State University. For 15 years I worked in Corporate America as a technical editor/editor/writer. I experienced first hand the politics and intrigue that goes with that territory and the balancing act that comes with being a working mother. I salute all those mothers who are the glue that holds their families together while pursuing the nine to five brass ring. That experience was the inspiration for Walking with Elephants. With my second novel, Sunspots, I continue to be in awe of the magical and wondrous phenomenon called life. As an observer and obvious participant in feminine values and approach to our human challenges, I bring this perspective to my work. Fascinated by the mysteries of the unseen forces that perhaps play a role in guiding our choices, I search for answers in the mundane as well as in the cosmic forces that surround us. I am working on my third novel and live in Ponte Vedra, Fl. with my husband and our two furry kids.

And now my review of Sunspots

After the tragic events, of losing her husband Jake, Aurora cannot come to terms with his death and the story drifts back and forth to tell us a touching tale, as she remembers memories of her life in the past and in the present day she is learning that the life she had with her husband, may not have been as perfect as she thought.

When she moves into a new home and she feels the spirit of an elderly lady, who Aurora feels is guiding her. Will this be the key that will reveal the truth for Aurora?

This is a unique and original story, that I really enjoyed reading. The story drifts from past to present and the way it is written is done so remarkable well that the reader never gets confused. There is also a touch of the paranormal to the story which I loved, but you don’t have to be a fan of the paranormal to love this book because it is only a small part to this great story that fits into the story well. This also one of those great stories that you cannot predict what will happen next.