Zinnias Always Bloom Excerpt

Today is we have an excerpt from "Zinnias Always Bloom" by author Mary-Jac O'Daniel.

But first, why don't you read the blurb?

Zinnias Always Bloom is the heartwarming story about finding comfort and solace wherever one lives, and embracing the adventure and challenges that accompany all military moves. Most of all, it is about making a place home, no matter where that location may be. 

Wow!

Now check out the excerpt.

For military spouses, one question often arises when you tell a new acquaintance how many times you have moved. Which move was the hardest? For me, the answer is simple. However, it is a complicated question, because though the time was dark and trying, the memory fills me with warmth. Instead of darkness, when I think back to that period of my life, a patchwork of faces and colors fill my head. Among those images, the most vibrant are the red-haired child, Makenna, and zinnias.

           

We moved that fall to the seaside community of East Beach, a quiet area in Norfolk, Virginia. A beautiful array of beach houses, many with large wrap-around porches, surrounded us.  From the upstairs window, we could see the sea grass blowing in the wind, along with a glimpse of the water, before it melted into the horizon. The house was great, but the word home—four simple letters that entailed so much emotion—sounded foreign.