Memorial Day

A day when we honor those who died while serving in our country’s armed forces. The practice of decorating soldiers’ graves started after the Civil War—the war in which more Americans died than in any other war.

This picture, posted on Facebook, really touched me. It’s s vivid reminder of the families who have suffered a loss that only those who have suffered a similar loss can fully understand. I haven’t, but my heart hurts for those who have. Spouses, parents, children of our fallen heroes gave a sacrifice as great as the soldier who died. Maybe greater. They live with the heartache every day while the soldier has gone to his/her reward.

While the rest of us enjoy our three-day weekend, have our picnics, kick off the beginning of summer, maybe we can take a moment and thank those who died protecting our freedoms.

Heroes with Clay Feet

What is it about heroes that is disappointing when we discover they have flaws? We tend to put people who do heroic feats on pedestals then become disheartened when they don’t always act like heroes.

Last week, Hubs and I saw The Lone Ranger. Keep in mind that when we were kids we watched his adventures every week. In those adventures, he always did the right thing, always the hero who saved the day. While I enjoyed the movie—loved the humor—I came away feeling a little disappointed. This was not the Lone Ranger of my childhood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lone_Ranger

I’m reading Jack Campbell’s sci-fi novel Dauntless. When the main character, John Geary, is rescued after a hundred years of hibernation in space, he discovers history has made him into this phenomenal hero. His efforts at trying to dissuade others that he isn’t the Great Black Jack Geary fall on deaf ears. John Geary reminds me of Zephram Cochran in the movie Star Trek: First Contact, who discovers he’s been made into a hero by history with high schools named after him and statues built in his honor. It’s enough to drive him to drink.

Here we have three characters that “history” deemed Heroes. In actuality, they were men just doing their jobs under extreme circumstances. History magnified their (sometimes) lone feat into such proportions that the rest of their lives were ignored or glamorized. While the Enterprise crew has to chivvy Cochran into making the first faster-than-light flight, Geary uses his fame to unify the fleet that is in disarray.

In our youth, we tend to see things in black and white. We idolize heroes. In our eyes, they can do no wrong. When we discover their flaws, we topple them off those pedestals—even though it wasn’t their fault we put them up there in the first place.

As I write this, my attitude toward the movie The Lone Ranger has changed. The Lone Ranger of radio and television of long ago had a backstory that was skimmed over. The movie showed that backstory. He was just a man doing his job under extreme circumstances.

 

How do you feel when you discover your hero has flaws?

Heartbreaker Blog Hop

 The winner of the $10 Amazon Gift Card is Ashley A. Congratulations, Ashley, and thank you to everyone who entered. 

Next month, I'll be participating in the Lucky in Love Blog Hop.

Are our heroes heartthrobs or heartbreakers? Or are they just the same thing? Yummy right? Valentine's Day is just around the corner for this blog hop and we're gearing up to see what exactly is a heartbreaker. We love those sexy men, but what about those times in the story when they aren't perfect. Because come on, we know they aren't perfect. What makes those men heartbreakers?

My most memorable heartbreaker in a book is Diaz in Linda Howard’s Cry No More. At the beginning, you don’t even know if he’s a good guy. There is a moment when he misinterprets Milla’s actions and she thinks he’s betrayed her. What heartbreak!

In movies, nobody beats Rick in Casablanca. You just know Ilsa’s heart is breaking when she gets on the plane.

Here’s a short excerpt from The Pilot:

Let this all be a misunderstanding, Celara thought as she walked out of the tavern.

Too stunned to protest, too disheartened that she’d misjudged Trevarr Jovano, mortified that the patrons of Taver’s Tavern had seen her arrest. This was worse than the first time she had seen her father hauled off to a local lock-up. Each time after that, she became more inured. She would hide in the shadows so no one connected her with the gambler and drunk who most times forgot he had children.

Much like her in the old days, Jovano stayed in the shadows. As she was led away, she had seen him in the dark corner while he let Chief Servary do his dirty work for him. That liar, that scum. He’d had no intention of releasing her cargo. Callously, he’d built up her hopes only to dash them. Sitting smugly in that corner, he’d watched his friend arrest her and had enjoyed it.

The Pilot is available at Amazon ~ Smashwords ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo

Tell me about your favorite heartbreaker.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card. Be sure to leave your email address. For more chances to win, enter in the Rafflecopter giveaway.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now for the Grand Prizes. When you leave a comment (with your email address, of course), you’re eligible for one of the Grand Prizes.

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 300 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more! (3rd prize is for US addresses only)

 

To continue on the Hop go to http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/ for more links and to qualify for the THREE grand prizes. There are over 300 participants in the New Year’s Blog Hop. You can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 300 times! So, be sure to leave a comment! And don't forget to leave your email address.