Intersection Column | My First Hero

by Toni Shiloh

Rooting for the hero is part of the reading experience that turns a good book into a fantastic read that readers will want to return to time after time. I’ve had many bookish heroes and heroines as I’ve been reading since I was a child: Nancy Drew, Elizabeth Bennett, Gilbert Blythe, Harry Potter, etc. But before I had books and the different worlds they offered me, I had a real-life hero who taught me about the importance of perseverance.

My grandfather has always been a prominent figure in my life. Like most grandchildren, I’ve always admired him and the way he’s been present throughout the years. He brought me my first stuffed animal (it was bigger than I was), provided our family with our first computer, and blessed us in more ways than just the material.

When I set out to write Hearts on the Fly, I had this urge to honor my grandfather (don’t worry, he’s very much alive). I don’t actually write characters based on people I know because I like to avoid any potential conflict that may cause. Still, I decided to let my hero, Jabari Hall, experience a degenerative eye disease after suffering a blow during a hockey game. This eye disease, macular degeneration, is the same one my grandfather has dealt with the majority of his life.

My grandfather began to experience symptoms in his thirties, which is younger than any doctor believed patients could have the disease. It’s usually associated with being elderly or very young (juvenile macular degeneration). My grandfather didn’t fit the typical parameters. In fact, they didn’t have a name for the disease when he first started experiencing problems with his vision. As a person who battles her own health issues, I can sympathize with the misdiagnosis and the waiting that comes with getting a proper diagnosis. This was something I never considered until I sat down to talk to my grandfather and ask questions about living with the disease. I’ve always viewed my grandfather as my grandfather, but talking to him about macular degeneration and what he walked through made me realize for the first time just how much he’s overcome.

He makes events like traveling and handling everyday life seem like a breeze. When you realize that his central vision has deteriorated to the point where he’s considered legally blind, those everyday details we take for granted take on a whole new shape. Hearing about how he’s compensated, how he was able to continue providing for his four children, and knowing him as I do, made me realize that he is definitely worth hero status.

When I wrote Hearts on the Fly, I wanted Jabari to realize that it wasn’t what he could do on the ice with a hockey stick that defined him. Instead, his worth comes from the love of God. And what makes Jabari a fantastic hero is the way he faces difficulties and the way he loves the heroine, Val Elliott.

When the book releases, my grandfather won’t read Hearts on the Fly because reading with declining central vision is a headache in the making. But I don’t need him to read it to know what a tremendous impact my grandfather has had on my life.

This is for all those who have a real-life hero who overcomes life’s difficulties.

---

About the Author

Toni Shiloh is a two-time Christy Award winner whose novel In Search of a Prince was dubbed Oprah Daily's Best Romance Novel of 2022. Her books have won the Christy Award and Selah Award and been featured on POPSUGAR and in Library Journal.

---

About the Book

Jabari Hall has spent his entire life chasing victory on the ice—but one devastating hit leaves him benched, not just from hockey but from the future he thought he had. Now, as he struggles with deteriorating eyesight, his well-meaning teammates set him up on a date, hoping it will cheer him up—only the date they choose is none other than Val Elliott, his ex's sister.