Dalawang taon na ang lumipas mula nang nagwakas ang relasyon nina Leon Arcanghel at Kyla Navarro. Isang karanasang kapwa hindi nila makalimutan upang magpatuloy sa kani-kanilang buhay. Malalim ang galit ni Leon sa dating kasintahan dahil para sa kanya ay pinagtaksilan siya nito at ipinagpalit sa ibang lalaki kung kailan niya ito lubos na kailangan. Kinasusuklaman niya ang sinumang nangangaliwa ng karelasyon dahil iyon din ang nagdulot ng kasawian ng kanyang nag-iisang Ate Sophia.

Napakasakit na malaman ni Remz Sahagun na palikero pala ang kanyang kasintahang si Leonardo Muñoz na nagtatrabaho sa ibang lungsod. Ang naging susi ng pagkadiskubre niya ay isang lalaking nagngangalang Leon. Hindi nila inakalang mauuwi sa isang magandang pagsasamahan ang nangyari at hindi nagtagal ay nauwi sa isang relasyon. Masaya siya kay Leon ngunit nariyan pa rin si Leonardo na patuloy na humihingi ng kapatawaran at muling pagkakataon na patunayan ang pag-ibig sa kanya at hindi rin niya ito lubusang maipagtabuyan dahil sa kailaliman ng kanyang damdamin ay may naiiwan pa ring puwang para sa dating kasintahan.

Sa kagustuhang muling mahalin ni Leon gaya ng dati, nanatiling malapit si Kyla Navarro at ginagawa ang lahat upang magkaroon ng kahit kaunting pag-asa man lang upang mapatawad ng lalaking pinakamamahal. Aminado siyang siya ay may malaking pagkakamali ngunit handa siyang punuhan ang lahat ng kanyang pagkukulang at pagiging makasarili noong sila ay may hindi pagkakaunawaan dahil sa kamatayan ng kapatid ni Leon. Sa loob ng dalawang taon ay hindi pa rin siya binibigyan ng pagkakataon upang maipaliwanag ang at maipagtanggol ang sarili. Sa kabila ng pinaparamdam ni Leon na galit sa kanya at hindi pagpapahalaga sa kanyang damdamin ay nagtitiis siya. Naniniwala siya na balang araw ay maibabalik din nila ang lahat sa dati. Isang babaeng pinapahirapan ang sarili-isang martir.

Tunghayan ang buhay ng tatlong magkakaibang tao na sa isang tatsulok. Isang lalaking maraming palihim na gawain dahil sa isang masakit na nakaraan, isang babaeng naguguluhan kung tuluyan nga bang kakalimutan ang nakaraang pag-ibig at isang babaeng hindi makapagpatuloy sa buhay dahil umaasa pa rin sa isang pagbabalikan. Ang tanging kahahantungan nga ba ng ganitong sitwasyon ay mayroong isa na maiiwan at masasaktan? Ating samahan ang mga tauhan at alamin ang naging wakas ng kanilang kuwento na hango sa totoong kaganapan at pangyayari sa kani-kanilang buhay.

YSH,

First of all, I would like to extend my sincerest apology to both Your Story Haven staff and to the Your Story Haven readers for being unable to submit the revised version of this story sooner than it had been announced. My schedule for my new work gives me insufficient time to attend to the finalization of this novel. I need your utmost understanding for that failure.

As a heads-up on this novel, it is not my latest, but the very first romance novel that I have ever written. Three years ago, I had no idea how to write a romance novel, in our Filipino language on top of that. I had been writing fantasy stories since I picked up the pen to write down my thoughts and imagination and that genre is nowhere near romance. Unlike fantasy, romance novels tend to focus more on the emotion and thoughts of the protagonist on a series of interconnected scenarios which I had a hard time adjusting with. Fantasy novels would only have to put emphasis on the plot and the abilities of the characters and how they would end up changing the world to a better place for mankind.

What made this novel very different is the point of view holder. Most English novels use male character’s point of view especially fantasies. “A Half Heart” is a male point of view story and unlike the original version posted before, this revision has never shifted the point of view. Everything on this story is under the point of view of Leon Arcanghel—the main character. When I wrote this novel, I had no idea that in our country, most if not, all novels nowadays are under female character’s point of view and from time to time, switches to the male character.

I had considered changing the point of view to Kyla Navarro, one of the female characters on the story but in the end, I decided to keep it under Leon. Not only because I am more used to a male main character, but also, I wanted to show how a man would think and act given a situation in his life. I simply want to deviate from the usual player type of guy which is becoming common nowadays and portray a different one.

When “A Half Heart” was first posted, it consisted of one hundred fifty thousand words (150,000) or thirty-eight YSH web pages.  Most readers had a problem finishing the story because of the length so YSH and I agreed to shorten and revise it. And so it was down to thirty-eight thousand words (38,000) and until now, I myself have no idea how I managed to do so. Some scenes had to be deleted and some were merged together, some dialogues were removed and some chapters needed total revision. But with all these changes, the plot of the story remains the same.

This novel needed too much time and attention and I cannot count the times when I thought of scrapping it. But not giving up on it turned me to what I am as a writer today. I have learned a lot of things during the revision process and it is thanks to this novel. However, I intended not to revise too much so that I won’t lose the beginner’s touch on the story as a constant reminder of how and what I am when I started romance writing. May everyone understand the reason why I have to do that.

I admit that my skill back then when I wrote “A Half Heart” was not as improved when I wrote Another Two Steps and Live and Let Die but I am still confident that this first romance novel I wrote would still arouse a noble emotion to our readers.

Thank you for all your support to Your Story Haven and to me. May you enjoy reading.

Sincerely,

Kite Iris