Carol Mackela

Noon Skate by Carol Mackela

Monica Jones stared with horror at the smoldering ruins of the apartment building that had been her home.  She and her teen daughter had lost everything in the blaze and must now rebuild their lives.

Monica’s parents had disowned her after she became pregnant in high school, and she had struggled to provide for her daughter for years.  Now a 37-year-old paralegal in Michigan, Monica races to the ice rink every day during her lunch hour for exercise, lessons and camaraderie.  She dreams of a gold medal in ice dance (akin to a black belt in martial arts), an accomplishment that would represent years of hard work and considerable investment in coaching, ice time, and expensive skates.  When Monica’s friendship with skating partner Brad Peltonen takes a romantic turn, Monica wonders if she and Brad have enough in common off the ice to make their relationship work.  Will the apartment fire and its aftermath draw them closer or hasten the end of their romance?

When Brad suffers a medical emergency, Monica prays that he will survive to be her partner on and off the ice.  She continues to work on the last dance she needs to complete her gold medal.  Will she pass the test and become a gold medalist?

Monica was introduced in my first novel, On Your Feet! (Indie Excellence Award winner, 2009) (about ballroom dancing).  As a gold medalist in ice dance, I have drawn on my 20 years of skating experience in writing Noon Skate.

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