The Heart of a Hero
Page 32
But I think I should warn you, dear readers, that sometimes the magic makes its first appearance in what you and I might see as disasters—or setbacks, terrible timing, or just plain bad luck. Sometimes it’s only when we’re looking back at an event that we see it for the blessing it was. And sometimes several years pass before we can say, “Oh, I guess that was actually a good thing.”
In the very first book I published, Charming the Highlander, I originally had Podly, Grace Sutter’s beloved little satellite, crash into TarStone Mountain—which was the reason Grace was kidnapped and Greylen MacKeage had to go save her from the bad guys. But my editor was worried that crashing Podly on that particular mountain at that particular time was too convenient to be believable. So despite being confounded and more than a little dismayed, I changed the reason for the kidnapping and rewrote several scenes even though my original idea was how it really happened.
But eight years later there was Camry MacKeage, a rocket scientist like her mother, needing her very own story. How . . . covenient that dear little Podly was still quietly orbiting Earth. Thus, A Highlander Christmas was born, because that long-ago rewrite had kept the door open for the next generation.
Oh yeah, the magic works in many mysterious ways. But then, I suppose that’s the very definition of a miracle. What fun is there in knowing everything, anyway? Who doesn’t love wonderful surprises? Just as long as you remember that even if something first shows up as a disaster, it usually and eventually will end up a blessing in disguise.
Bad stuff happens—to you, to me, to my characters. But it really can’t be taken personally; no one or no thing is out to get us. I believe I’ve had more than one of my characters—usually one of my old and wise magic makers—mention that life is neither fair nor unfair, but simply is. The difference is often between letting bad stuff turn us into victims and moving through it with . . . well, with the heart of a hero.
Yes, we can be our own heroes if there’s no big strong handsome highlander rushing to our rescue. Or we can be someone else’s hero, which often requires nothing more from us than a smile, a shoulder to cry on, or a big strong hug.
There’s powerful magic in those smiles and hugs.
But best of all, they are the harbinger of hope for happily-ever-after.
We are the magic makers.
But if you aren’t quite ready to believe me yet, don’t worry; there are many more stories rattling around in my head, just waiting to be told.
Until later from LakeWatch, you keep reading and I’ll keep writing,
Janet
Jove titles by Janet Chapman
HIGHLANDER FOR THE HOLIDAYS
SPELLBOUND FALLS
CHARMED BY HIS LOVE
COURTING CAROLINA
THE HEART OF A HERO