Excerpt: 'Mr. Miracle' by Debbie Macomber
Debbie Macomber's Mr. Miracle premieres on the Hallmark Channel at 8 ET tonight (yay!), starring Rob Morrow, Michelle Harrison and Britt Irvin. The movie is part of Hallmark's popular and romantic Countdown to Christmas lineup of holiday films. To celebrate, HEA is sharing an excerpt from the novel Mr. Miracle. AND Debbie herself is here to introduce it for us (double yay!).
First, here's the blurb about Mr. Miracle (courtesy of Ballantine Books):
Beloved author Debbie Macomber celebrates the most wonderful time of the year in this heartwarming Christmas novel of romance, hope, and the comforts of home—coming soon as a Hallmark Channel original movie!
Harry Mills is a guardian angel on a mission: help twenty-four-year-old Addie Folsom get her life back on track—and, if the right moment strikes, help her find love. Posing as a teacher at a local college in Tacoma, Washington, Harry is up to the task, but not even he can predict the surprises that lay in store.
After trying to make it on her own, Addie has returned home to Tacoma for the holidays, but this time she plans to stay for good, enrolling in the local community college to earn her degree. What she doesn't plan to do is run into Erich Simmons.
Addie and her next-door neighbor, Erich, are like night and day. Growing up, he was popular and outgoing while she was rebellious and headstrong, and he never missed an opportunity to tease her. Now she intends to avoid him entirely, yet when they're suddenly forced to spend Christmas together, Addie braces for trouble.
Perhaps it's the spirit of the season or the magic of mistletoe, but Addie and Erich soon find they have more in common than they thought—and that two people who seem so wrong for each other may actually be just right. With a little prompting from a certain angelic teacher, the two are in for a holiday miracle they'll never forget.
Debbie: I'm so excited to be here and share a sneak peek from my new release, Mr. Miracle — a romantic Christmas tale filled with love and hope.
Harry Mills is a guardian angel who has just arrived on Earth — specifically Tacoma, Wash. — for the first time. He meets Celeste, his feisty spiritual coordinator, at a local coffee shop.
In the following scene Harry and Celeste discuss Harry's mission: to pose as a college professor and help one of his lost students, Addie Folsom, get her life back on track, and possibly even help her find love — a love that has really been there all along.
Here's the excerpt (courtesy of Ballantine Books) …
Celeste leaned against the counter, resting her folded arms there. "Am I detecting a bit of an attitude here?" she asked.
Rather than answer, Harry posed a question of his own. "How is it you're the one in charge?"
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"Ah ..."
"Listen, Harry, while you were strumming away on a harp I was dealing with the likes of Columbus and Lewis and Clark. Do you have any idea how difficult it was to guide them?"
He didn't, and stared down at his coffee. "Playing the harp isn't as easy as it looks, you know."
Celeste grinned as if to say he didn't have a clue what he was talking about. "We need to work together, got that?"
He straightened. It hadn't been his intention to start off on the wrong foot. "Got it."
"Good."
The coffee had cooled down enough for him to take a cautious second sip.
"As I said, all the necessary paperwork has been arranged. Your story is that you've accepted a transfer from Oregon State Community College. For your first assignment, you're here to help Addie Folsom. She's made a few bad decisions but is back living at home now and has enrolled in your class. Addie is dyslexic and has some serious doubts about her ability to learn. She never did well in school and fears she won't be able to do so now. Your assignment is to show her that she's smarter than she thinks and can succeed in her desire to work in the medical field. Her father was a chiropractor and she would like to follow in his footsteps. And then there's her neighbor, Erich Simmons. As a young teen, Addie had a real thing for him. That relationship might require a bit of help on your end, but don't worry. Most everything leading up to their interaction has already been set in place. Addie is going to need encouragement and a bit of direction. This first student is a test to see how well you manage before you're given the more difficult tasks."
He nodded, having already familiarized himself with the young woman's history. "I'm ready for this," he assured his earthly guide.
"Excellent. If you have any problems, come straight to me—don't attempt to handle them on your own. That's why I'm here. And let me warn you, with a human body, you're about to experience ..."
"No need. I've got this covered. There won't be any problems ... I've been watching Earth for quite some time. I'm ready. Really, what could be so difficult about teaching a few eager students?"
Harry might have been wrong, but it seemed Celeste's eyes widened briefly as if she struggled to hold back a laugh.
"No one ever anticipates problems," she told him, taking her index finger and drawing circles on the counter as if she needed time to recover her composure, "but they do come up on occasion. I want you to know I'm here to answer your questions and help you maneuver through this foreign landscape. What you viewed from heaven is one thing; living among humans is entirely different."
"I'm sure I'll be just fine."
"We'll see," she whispered.
That almost seemed like a challenge to Harry. Perhaps he was being overconfident. He needed to remember that she was the one with experience.
"Any other words of advice you wish to pass along?"
She seemed both surprised and pleased by his question.
"As a matter of fact, there are. Don't ever forget that the world is in a fallen condition. Humans, as attractive and awesomely created as they are, tend to believe that events occur in their lives randomly, with little or no meaning. They often overlook the obvious, that God is in control."
"In other words, their spiritual understanding is limited?"
"You got that right."
"I know that."
"Fantastic." Her smile was as bright as a 100-watt light bulb.
"Anything else?" He was eager to be on his way, find his classroom, and get started.
"A word of caution: Do what you can to never cross Dr. Conceito."
"Who?"
"The college president. He won't cut you any slack. In fact, stay away from him entirely if you can."
"Okay. Is that it?"
"Remember, human understanding is limited, and furthermore, you're about to experience ..."
"Yes, yes, I know."
She smiled again as if keeping a secret. "And whatever you do, unless it is an absolute emergency, you must not cross the line. You say you're familiar with the parameters of your mission, now prove it."
Harry raised his hand to stop her before she said any thing more. "No problem." Really, this assignment—during the Christmas holidays, to boot—was going to be a piece of rum-soaked fruitcake. A real delight. He was absolutely convinced of it.
Rushing out of the Hub, Harry eagerly started toward his classroom. The meeting with Celeste could have gone better, he thought as he took a shortcut across the lawn.
"You!"
The sharp command in the man's voice caught Harry up short. He stopped and glanced up to find a distinguished-looking man, dressed in a coat with a starched white shirt and fashionable tie, his arm outstretched, pointing directly at him.
Harry flattened his hand over his chest. "Me?"
"Yes, you. I saw you walk across the lawn."
"Ah ... yes."
"Did you read the sign?"
"The sign?"
"The do-not-walk-on-the-grass sign."
"Oh ... I guess I overlooked it." Extending his arm, Harry introduced himself. "Harry Mills."
The other man frowned and ignored his hand. "Harry Mills from Oregon State Community College?"
Harry nodded and lowered his arm. "Yes, one and the same."
"Don Conceito, the college president. Come to my office. It looks like I'm going to need to review the campus rules with you."
Find out more about the movie at www.hallmarkchannel.com.
Find out more about Debbie and her books at www.debbiemacomber.com.