Since 9/11, there’s been
a trend in the US to call all first responders: police, firefighters, EMTs, and
of course military men and women, heroes. There’s no question that they are,
based on the simple fact that they put their lives on the line for others. But
heroism can have deeper, less obvious meanings as well, and I wanted to show
some of those with Sig Nowicki, the hero of Thankfulfor You, the Mr. November story in the Calendar Men series.
Sig is a disabled veteran, returning home
with a bad leg, missing fingers, a scarred face and a missing eye. That might
sound like overkill for the hero (there’s that word again) of a romance novel,
but Sig manages to work with his scars. That’s every bit as much heroism as the
fact that he was wounded saving a fellow soldier. He still has insecurities, of
course, but he doesn’t let himself hide from the world. He works on rebuilding
his life every single day.
In Elsie Jordan, pet shop owner, Sig
recognizes a fellow wounded soul, even though all of her scars are on the
inside. Even though he’s desperately attracted to Elsie, he also wants to help
her work through her issues, even if it means giving her up. That’s heroism of
a whole different kind. Finally, he works past his own fears and dedicates his
time to helping others in bad situations, even agreeing to pose for a benefit
calendar. Sig’s not just a military hero.
Although he’s far from perfect, he demonstrates heroism in every aspect
of his life. That’s mykind of hero!
Thankful
for You releases
this Saturday at all major e-tailers. It’is now available for preorder on
Amazon, All
Romance e-Books, i-Tunes
and Kobo.
***
Cindy Spencer Pape firmly believes in
happily-ever-after and bringsthat to her writing. Award-winning author of 19
novels and morethan 30 shorter works, Cindy lives in southeast Michigan with
herhusband, two sons, granddaughter, and a houseful of pets. When not hard at
work writing she can be found dressing up for steampunk parties andRenaissance
fairs, or with her nose buried in a book.
