Have you heard of Puka Nacua? If you're not a football fan, Puka may have escaped your notice. This young man has captured the hearts of fans and the media.
Yes, he's a great receiver, setting records and making catches that defy expectations, but there's something more. Check out this Facebook post by his team, the Los Angeles Rams.
Puka's success and his perpetual smile have answered the desire most of us have to find a genuinely good person to root for. He's a spot of sunshine in the rough world of sports.
"Ah, yes," we say. "That sun feels good."
Puka is a real guy; a real-life hero who attracts well-wishers and fans ready to cheer him on to victory.
If only the Puka effect could spill into popular media.
As a crime fiction reader, I've waded through my share of books with a detective or other sleuth whose demons drive him or her to be only a shade better than the criminals they investigate. Sometimes the line between the bad guys and the "good" guys is very thin, and sometimes, it's too thin
for my taste. This type of character has become increasingly popular among big publishers and filmmakers . . . so popular, in fact, that it's now, well, predictable.
I want more Pukas. I'm reading a series right now by Margaret Mizushima called "Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries." The lead character has a difficult past, but she is a Puka ... someone I would like to know in real life, especially if I can hang out with her K-9 partner.
Crime fiction by its very nature will always have dark elements, and many people enjoy the even darker side of the genre with extremely flawed main characters who make your skin crawl. That's the beauty of the new independent publishing world --- there is truly something for everyone.
For strong characters driving a riveting story, check out the first of my Crime Fiction books, Explosion on the Sound. It's a story of a despicable crime investigated by characters with human flaws . . . not perfect . . . but good.
Let's go, Puka!
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