I’ve been giving that a lot of thought, both for professional and personal reasons.
What IS it that really sets a hero and/or heroine apart from the herd?
In my humble opinion, it’s the courage to love. Full-out, sweaty, sometimes bruised and bloody, but always loving, in the face of every challenge.
Now, lest any of you get snagged on the bruised and bloody part, let me state clearly that I am NOT advocating any rough stuff. Love and violence don’t mix, any more than drinking and driving. I’ve got zero tolerance for both.
I’m talking about the willingness to face any challenge or ordeal, for the sake of love, the courage to make the journey, however painful and scary it might be at times.
Sam O’Ballivan, in “The Man from Stone Creek”, coming next June from HQN, is a good example. He’s as tough as they come, a fast gun, with a brain like the proverbial steel trap. But Sam has a gentle side, too–he loves the children who attend his one-room schoolhouse, the hooker needing a hand and a place to hide, and every stray animal within a fifty mile radius. His heroine, Maddie Chancelor, is also his equal. She has her own business, her own goals. The courage to love comes a little harder to Maddie, but she finds it within herself, overcomes her fears, and makes the journey.
Love conquers all.
It’s only trite because it’s been true for so long.
Love is the answer to every question, large and small.
Think about it.
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
