We all love heartwarming tales. Whether it’s a hero saving the day or someone doing something that’s kind, we want somebody to root for, to give us motivation to keep listening, watching or reading.

Of course, we also know that behind every great person, there’s usually someone else working in the shadows, providing support and allowing the one in the spotlight to truly shine. For Batman, it’s Alfred. For Helen Magnus, it’s Bigfoot. For Santa Claus, it’s his wife.

Most of the time, these folks work behind the scenes and don’t always get the attention that they deserve until they’re called upon to be the philanthropists, the change-makers or the heroes.

Let’s go back to that last example I gave with Santa’s wife. A couple of years ago, I came upon the idea of giving her the chance to go beyond being the dutiful wife of one of the world’s most beloved characters and requiring her to save Christmas. That story’s going to be coming out in November, and I’m really excited for it.

Now, we know that Santa Claus is the story we tell children who need someone to believe in, and in many cases, we talk about his wife being at home baking cookies and providing support for her husband. She starts out believing that in the beginning of my new book, but she very quickly finds herself on the run and looking to others to help save her captive husband and all the loyal elves that make the toys.

There are plenty of people out there who have a hard time believing they are just as capable of making change as anyone. Whether it’s lack of affirmation or an excess of discouragement, these people are sometimes petrified of stretching themselves or going the extra mile to turn a situation into something better.

Such is the case with Mrs. Claus. She runs away when an army of darkness arrives at the North Pole with the help of one of her loyal elves. Who among us wouldn’t do so if it was one of us against hundreds?

Then she goes to find a military hero and asks him to help raise an army of light to take on the monsters that have taken control of the North Pole and threaten to seize the entire world. He warns that it will take time to find the people willing to go into battle, leaving her to wait, just like a good little supporting cast member does.

However, she decides that waiting does no good when it comes to her husband’s life being on the line, not to mention all the good elves who have toiled away on toys with such loyalty. She makes the determination that if no one else is going to be a hero, she’s going to have to do the job herself—even if it scares the daylights out of her.

Obviously, she can’t do it alone. She turns to others and asks them to join her, like the two gay boys living in her vacation home. One is a believer in Santa Claus and magic, while the other not only doesn’t believe (at first), he is at a place in his life when he is having difficulty believing in anything after losing his brother to suicide. The dynamic is interesting in that Mrs. Claus helps the husbands, and then they, in turn, help her.

Of course, a cookie baker and two gay men do not an army make. She finds help in the skills of that one elf who helped her escape, along with a pair of church mice, singing yetis (Yes, you read that right), and even a hotel desk clerk who tweaks out on enchanted peppermint. What is enchanted peppermint, you ask? You’ll have to find out when The Fantastic Fireside Tale of Mrs. Claus comes out Nov. 10.

Being entertained and inspired of tales with established heroes who have amazing powers is easy. There are plenty of those out there. However, the ones we really treasure are the stories about the underdogs, the ones that no expects to accomplish greatness. Sometimes the ones who are working to clean the house, serve the tea and bake the cookies can wind up doing some really awesome stuff.

I think Barbara Streisand said it best in one of her songs, “People.” People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.