Title: Six Months
Author: Mona Sedrak
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Book Blurb:
For twenty years, Mikala Jacobson had it all: loyal friends, a precious little girl, and a man who adores her. Then double tragedy strikes and her perfect world shatters.
Good friends, Rena and Jake are instantly by her side, protecting her from her husband David’s sordid secret life and his final drunken confession.
With their help, Mikala finds strength to rebuild and redefine her life. As her spirit and heart heal, she not only finds closure, but the beauty of a new love built upon an old friendship.
Excerpt:
The trail came to an abrupt end into a roped-off area covered in pine needles. The trees were tall and thick, obscuring the intensity of the sun, and the clearing was cool. Shafts of sunlight came through the branches giving the illusion of walking into a cathedral. The cool and peaceful atmosphere tempted the butterflies to come out for a dance. And they did. The monarchs were everywhere––hanging from pines, clumping on branches, and filling the air with their unique whirring sound––music to the ears, a balm to the soul.
“Oh my God, Jake. Is this place real?” Mikala whispered.
“I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’ve been to some pretty amazing places. But this...” Jake shook his head. He held her in his arms––her back to his front. They stood in the middle of the clearing surrounded by thousands of miraculous monarchs, swaying to the music they made.
Mikala closed her eyes and laid her head back against Jake. As butterflies landed on her face, tickling her nose and chin, she smiled. “This is heaven.” She sighed. “This is where our butterfly is.” Tears slid down her cheeks, and the moisture attracted the butterflies.
“Yeah, baby. I think you’re right,” Jake whispered in her ear.
Except for the sounds of nature, silence reigned. With Mikala in his embrace, Jake swayed. In this miraculous place, he was finally at peace, and he was certain Mikala was, as well. Jake swallowed passed the lump in his throat. He nodded. Jesus, this woman brought him to his knees. She thought she’d survived because of him. But the truth was, she’d saved him, changed and transformed him.
Grabbing his hand, she squeezed it. “Think about how a butterfly develops, Jake. It starts as an egg, grows into a larva, and then a caterpillar. In a span of a month, a tiny egg becomes a glorious butterfly. The transition is massive. The butterfly looks nothing like the egg it started as. It changed, grew, and survived. Then the butterfly unfurls into something spectacular.”
Jake brought her hand to his lips. “Just like you, baby,” he said in a husky voice. “You’re spectacular. You survived, changed, and grew. You brought me along with you. You’re a monarch, my love. God, how I love you. I’m humbled by your resilience, strength, and beauty.”
Mikala slid her hands up Jake’s chest and wound them around his neck as his arms wrapped around her. “Can this beautiful life be real? Is this really my life, now?” Her eyes were wide. “I never thought I could be this happy and this hopeful ever again. People said time heals, but I thought they were crazy. I didn’t think I would ever find peace and true joy again.”
“Look around, Micky.” Jake scanned the vicinity. “This is as real and as miraculous as life gets. Every day we wake up is a gift. How we choose to handle the minutes, hours, days, months, and years we are given is up to us. Every day I’m grateful I have you in my life. I love you, sweetheart.”
“Every second counts, Jake. Let’s never forget that. Every second, every heartbeat, and with every breath, I will love you my Super-man.”
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://goo.gl/gRmsMr
Kobo: https://goo.gl/ovXr3A
Ibooks: https://goo.gl/yD7qfX
If money were no object, where would you go for a Spring Break vacation and why?
If spring break was more than a week and I could actually take the time away from my real life, I would travel through all of Italy. I’ve only been to Rome and instantly fell in love with the people, food, art, architecture, and music. The people are passionate above living life to its fullest. They eat with gusto, laugh uproariously, and love with their whole heart. Family is important and friends are cherished. The country is rich in culture and is well known for its history, art, and music. I am fascinated with every aspect of Italy, but I would need much longer than a brief spring break to get my fill of this amazing country.
What’s your favorite thing about Spring and why?
When I was younger and had less responsibilities, spring break was a time for major rest and relaxation. Now though, spring break is a catch up week. From Halloween to spring break my life is always incredibly busy and, when I can take time away from my day job, I use spring break to catch up on sleep and finish a few projects. I wish I could say I use the break to sit on a warm sandy beach, but more times than not, I spend the time finishing my taxes, cleaning out closets and cabinets, refreshing my spring and summer wardrobe, etc. I also use the week to catch up on writing and try to read a few good books. Even though most of this sounds like work, having the time to finish these projects does relieve my stress, and I always feel rested and ready to tackle the world at the end of the week.
Spring Break Bookapalooza Giveaway:
Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
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Enter to win a $10 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Open internationally
Runs April 1 – 30
Drawing will be held on May 1.
Author Biography:
Mona Sedrak lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and works as a university administrator and professor. Although she has co-published two academic books, she is now writing mainstream fiction and women's fiction. She is an avid reader and is probably Audible's best customer.
Writing and reading fiction is her escape from reality.
Mona lives with her husband of 31 years, a geriatric maltipoo, and an Amazon Parrot named Pretzel. She binge watches too many shows to count and she loves fine brandy.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.monasedrak.com/
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Email: AuthorMonaSedrak@gmail.com
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