Posted on by Jacquie Biggar

A short Teaser from my upcoming #WomensFic #WIPWednesday


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I’ve had heroes on my mind lately.

From Dictionairy.com:

noun, plural he·roes; for 5 also he·ros.

a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character: He became a local hero when he saved the drowning child.

a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal: My older sister is my hero. Entrepreneurs are our modern heroes.

the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc.

Classical Mythology.

  1. a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.
  2. (in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.
  3. (in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.
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In my novels I try to create men/women who have many of the qualities above, along with vulnerabilities that create empathy in my readers.

It’s a fine balance to tread.

To me strength comes as much from inside a person as physicality. You have to be courageous to do the jobs they do. But more than that, is their Achilles’ heel, for want of a better name. What is their weakness? The thing that makes these strong warriors weak in the knees?

I like to think it’s compassion. Love of fellow man. Gentleness and mercy.

This week’s teaser comes from a women’s fiction novel I’m working on about two estranged sisters and the path to forgiveness and understanding.


Many evenings she and Susan would sit at his feet and listen enthralled, as he regaled them with tales of pirates and princesses, mischievous elves and buried treasure. As with every good fairytale, a dashing hero would arrive just in time to save the day. It was probably then, listening to stories at her father’s knee, that Holly began to dream of her own hero. He’d need to be strong enough to slay dragons. Charming and kind, yet able to make her laugh. Handsome and gentle; a father as perfect as her own. A good kisser; that’s as far as her nine-year-old mind would go at the time. And above all else, someone she could talk to, share ideas with.
Even then, she’d known the value of a true friend.
The rattle of a key in the front door lock jerked her back to the moment. Self-conscious, she dropped her hand from where it had been resting and turned to greet her parents.
Except it wasn’t her mother and father.
Susan hesitated on the threshold, their gazes fusing across the distance. A cold draft knifed its way between them filled with ugly words and betrayals.

© Jacquie Biggar 2019

What does a hero mean to you? Let’s talk about it!

33 Replies to “A short Teaser from my upcoming #WomensFic #WIPWednesday”

  1. A hero is someone courageous and often selfless. It can be some father waking up at dawn to clean the streets day after day to provide for his family and give a future to his kids or it can be a woman nursing wounded close to the battlefield.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Agreed, John. The firefighter risks life and limb to save a woman in distress. A father (like mine) works 15-16 hour days to provide for his family.
      It’s that compulsion to help and protect, I think.

      Liked by 2 people

  7. I like the theme of heroes and what you are working on Jaquie! There are public heroes and the quiet ones no one ever notices helping each day in small and big ways. I like to think we can each be a hero in our own way.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. My dad was also a fireman when I was younger. He used to take me to the station when I was a child. I loved it. My hero is my partner who was caregiver to his Father who passed from multiple myeloma few year’s ago. He is now caregiver to his Mother who is starting to lose her eyesight. My partner is a brave and honorable man. This excerpt is intense. Wow. That was a sharp (no pun intended) and sudden shift at the end.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. There’s so much to say about your comments, Rob.
      First, thank you to your dad for all that he did- firefighting takes incredible courage and heart!
      Your partner sounds like a kind and sensitive man. You said it yourself- he’s a giver.
      I’m so glad you have someone like that in your life, you deserve happiness ❤

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I like that, too.
      One time, DH and I were motorbiking in Jasper National Park when a car stopped just over the crest of a hill. I was a new rider, therefore in front, and had nowhere near the experience to react in time. I banged into his rear bumper (thankfully no real damage), but this is where it gets crazy. A bear was feeding in the bushes not five feet away!
      That was why the guy slammed on his brakes. I was still stunned from the accident and not moving, so DH came riding to the rescue. He placed his bike (and body) between me and the bear.
      We escaped without injury, shaking from nerves, thank goodness, but I’ve never forgotten how brave he was that day.
      No wonder I love him 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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