A Case For Destiny

Cinda K. Swalley

This is a story about destiny—how life led me down a road that inspired my book. It’s the prequel to my debut novel, The Golden Hearts Club. Was it possible that the journey and all the accidental occurrences were arranged in my path well before imagining I would, or could, write a book? 

I grew up in a small Midwest town with my parents, three brothers and sister. Shortly after high school I applied with the airline companies for a flight attendant position. I’m still not sure why working for an airline was such a dream for me … because I had never traveled on an airplane. But the airlines were not hiring so I went to college. 

Several years later, my younger sister suggested we go on a road trip. We planned our trip for a year, and in our early twenties headed south toward the first destination, the sunny beaches of Destin, Florida. We attended the crazy Mardi Gras in New Orleans, camped on the beaches in Galveston, Texas, and visited the grand market in Juarez, Mexico.

Unfortunately, the trip was not as carefree as we had hoped for, and when our car broke down, we got jobs to pay for the repairs. Although stopping in El Paso, Texas was not in our plans, we followed the road destiny had planned for us. While there, I met a man with Continental Airlines who mentioned the airline was hiring flight attendants.

Our road trip evolved into much more than we expected. It became a journey of new discoveries, new friendships, getting to know ourselves, and was possibly designed to help us envision our futures. I was hired by the airline and began a new, unexpected chapter in my life.

Call it what you will, an accidental happenstance, serendipity, or destiny. This happened to me, so I am a true believer. How would you explain that during a six-month road trip our car broke down in the west Texas desert, we ended up in a city that was not in our plans, and I met a man who would offer me an interview for the job I dreamed about? 

Early in my airline career my mother encouraged me to write a book about my travel experiences, so I started compiling notebooks full of ideas and stories. Thirty years later, I found my box full of notebooks and airline memories. Like a bright light, I realized I finally had the time to work on the book I intended to write so many years ago. But there were so many questions percolating in my mind. Could I really write a book? How did I think I could accomplish such a large endeavor considering I had never written anything? Did I really have a story to tell? Would my message make it different than other books? There were so many unknown aspects and so many components of writing, I didn’t know how to begin. 

Finally, my decision was firm. I was going to write a book! My shopping list included a new laptop, notebooks, stacks of printer paper, ink cartridges, binders, and boxes of colored pens. I studied books and articles on the elements of writing, books about plot and structure, character traits, emotional craft, dialog, and punctuation. There was also an enormous job of research. You might not realize the extent of the research needed in any story. Whatever you write about, make sure the facts are correct.

The story of two sisters on a road trip developed differently than I imagined when I found the photo album from our trip. As I studied the picture of our loaded down car parked in front of the shabby motel in Arizona, I contemplated a story about the American Indian woman we met there, why she was alone, and how the sisters could help her. That picture made all the elements of the story possible; the overloaded car, the big red storage box on the top, and our bicycles strapped to the back. No matter how often I read chapter three, where Katie and Megan meet Rose, my emotions soar.

The story developed a life of its own and drew me into a sassy and emotional family saga that includes adventure, intrigue, and romance. It was a journey I never anticipated. I wanted to share a message of how showing compassion toward others can change lives, so I watched for the signs to help guide me. Sometimes the signs lit up like bright neon lights, and other times it felt like someone was tapping me on the shoulder to remind me to pay attention. It was obvious that I was being guided by a universal energy and I thanked God often.

All my hard work was gratifying as I received glowing reviews and many book awards. It was a tremendous learning experience. It was exhilarating and fun, nerve-racking and exhausting, and because I was rooted so deeply in the story and inside the minds of the characters, it was emotional. I didn’t realize while writing it, that all the random pieces of the puzzle were being custom fitted for me, not only for the content of the book I was writing, but at the same time, different elements were coming together to form a new foundation for my life. 

Don’t let the circumstances of life determine your future. You are the author of your story, and you get to control the narrative. Regardless of which life chapter you’re living in now, if it doesn’t make you happy, then start revising your story now, because it’s your life and it’s your choice how the next chapter plays out. Never give up on your hopes and dreams. They are yours alone to conquer and nothing can take them away from you. 

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Cinda Swalley is the award-winning author of The Golden Hearts Club, Available on Amazon. 

The Golden Hearts Club

“A charming story about dreams, hope, and how human compassion can help make the world a kinder place. This magical journey is rich with sweet life messages and inspiration that lead a young woman on a quest to discover her destiny. It is a memorable and meaningful story I didn’t want to end.” Angela Aja, author of Summoned To Soar.

The cross-country road trip began innocently enough–but unexpected detours lead them down a road that will change their lives.

Megan and Katie Summers are leaving on their long-planned road trip and are thrilled when the departure day finally arrives. But Katie is apprehensive because her dreams are confusing; a mysterious fire, two sisters screaming, an Indian woman with a long grey braid, a white horse, and trees that want to hurt her. She didn’t know how to interpret them.

Katie believes her mission in life is to spread the word that kindness toward others can change people’s lives, so she creates a club called The Golden Hearts Club and initiates new members when they do something nice for others. When she becomes ill, they stop at a run-down motel and meet Rose, an American Indian woman who nurses her back to health. The sad story of Rose’s family lost to tragedy sparks Katie’s determination to return to Arizona to help Rose find a new home so she will have a family again.

Things get complicated when they trespass on a California horse ranch and meet Jay and Luke Larone. Suddenly they are entangled with a family of a pharmaceutical empire that also includes a world of deception and family struggles. But when a tragic accident threatens to shatter many lives, the family unites to help a young woman they hardly know.

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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, On Writing