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****Paula Rose Michelson’s Rosa &
Miguel - Love’s Legacy: Prequel to the Naomi Chronicles is the forty-third in a never-ending series called INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION where
the Chris Rice Cooper Blog (CRC)
focuses on one specific excerpt from a fiction genre and how that fiction
writer wrote that specific excerpt. All INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION links
are at the end of this piece.
Name of fiction work?
And were there other names you considered that you would like to share with us? Rosa & Miquel ~ Love’s Legacy: Prequel
to the Naomi Chronicles. I knew the title before I wrote the book. I
always knew that this book would be about Rosa since she is the heroine Naomi’s
mother told all her daughters about, and readers read about in the Naomi
Chronicles. However, I had no idea how to begin this book, what Rosa’s husbands
name was or the full name of the book. Aware that I hadn’t waited for Rosa to
tell me her story, I set the book aside until she did. I’m glad I waited
because this story is better than anything I couldn’t have envisioned.
Fiction genre? Ex science fiction, short story, fantasy
novella, romance, drama, crime, plays, flash fiction, historical, comedy, movie
script, screenplay, etc. And how many
pages long? This inspirational
Christian romance is 48 pages.
Has this been published?
And it is totally fine if the answer is no.
If yes, what publisher and what publication date? This novella was Published by Pen It! Publications,
LLC; on October 6, 2018.
What is the date you
began writing this piece of fiction and the date when you completely finished
the piece of fiction? Aware many of my self published - which is what I
was when I began to write this short romance - author friends had a short story
which they gifted those who visited their website and signed up for their
newsletter, I planned to do that too with this book. 
Now I realize had I written this book first the two major publishers who
were interested in the Naomi Chronicles,
would have, based on their response to No Other Choice: The Naomi Chronicles, book
1, wooed me. While Naomi was telling me her story, I was committed to
writing what she shared. Once the books were picked up by Pen It Publishers, a
brief conversation, and I knew having them publish this short novella would give
the reader a more satisfying experience.
Where did you do most of
your writing for this fiction work? And
please describe in detail. And can you
please include a photo? Over the course of writing the five Naomi books that have
been published so far, we have moved several times. However, my desk is always
where I write. Originally, I was writing after I finished my day’s work for
Chosen People Ministries where I was a Church Calendar Coordinator for several
missionaries, my husband amongst them.
On the wall above my computer are seven Scriptural bookmarks which remind
me that God called me out of the mission to write for Him. To the left of the
computer is a picture of my husband Ron, and a picture of our daughter’s Danae
and Cheryl hugging each other. A dear, now departed, Pastor friend of ours,
made crosses, and I’m blessed to have several of them on my desk. The one I
favor most is the one he did last. This wooden cross is just the outline of a cross
filled with air which reminds me that eternity with the Lord beckons.
What were your writing
habits while writing this work - did you drink something as you wrote, listen
to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day?
Since my
pastor husband and I share an office, I like to write when he’s at work because
while writing the Naomi romances, I listened to romantic music. My go to
artists, are those who evoke the mood of the story. For this particular work, I
didn’t listen to recorded music but found myself thinking of old Christian
hymns and Jewish songs sung in Synagogues because in this book my Sephardic heroine
discovers that though she was forced to marry in hast, her husband Miguel has
loved her from afar for many years. She also realizes there is one who is
eternal who has loved her before she was born and will love her forever.
What is the summary of
this specific fiction work? Forced to flee from the Inquisition, which is now in the
New World, Rosa marries a man she does not know. Trusted Pablo, who has known
her and her husband since childhood shares that though Rosa does not know it
theirs will be a good match if one likes fire and ice.
Days of travel into the unknown, the ever-present coyote’s and the heat
off the desert floor of what would someday be called Arizona, cause Rosa to
question her papa’s decision though he is the first governor of Nueva España.
Yet, when Miguel tells her he was happy to run as she must because it was the
only way her father would consent to their marriage, Rosa knows Miguel loves
her.
Upon reaching the rope bridge she must cross to get to her casa, fear
grips Rosa and she cannot do what she must. Miguel becomes her savior when he
carries her across. On that high plateau the couple is safe, and Rose learns to
never ask and never tell. Life goes on this way until Miguel’s brother and
sister-in-law visit and decided to live there as well.
Only after rescuing her dear Madre does Rosa realize while apart that she
has given her heart to this false god. Yet, it is this God—the true God of
Christianity who reaches out to her. Can she give her life to Messiah and if
so, what will happen next?
Can you give the reader
just enough information for them to understand what is going on in the excerpt? This fiction is set in a
history few know about. For the Inquisition, which began in Spain, is now in
the New World and the Conquistador, who reported to the King and Queen of Spain
about all that happened before they claimed the land is now the Governor of the
new territory. Thinking his high office would allow him to call other anusim (Jews who were forced into the
Catholic faith), which the Catholic church calls the converso (meaning convert) back to the Laws of Moses, the
Inquisitor is about to destroy Rosa’s padre and all whom he holds dear.
Therefore, Rosa’s padre agrees to Miguel's marriage proposal since this man knows where to take his daughter so she will be safe. And he has pledged to keep her safe by insisting they live a lie. Bound to Miguel through a forced marriage, Rosa leaves all she loves not knowing
where they are going or why.
Please include the
excerpt and include page numbers as reference.
The excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer.
Excerpt
from the book.
Chapter 1: What
Went Before
Pages 11- 20
Forced to marry hastily, my parents insist we flee into the
wilderness! While I hurry to pack, knowing where we go there will be only my
husband and myself, I hear mi madre
speaking harsh words. Yet, we all know mi papa, though the first
governor of Nueva España can do nothing. As he shushes mi mamá, I remember his stories about being a conquistador and how securing the
governorship would keep us safe. This new world gave him that illusion. What he
shared made us believe we conversos would be safe here. Now we know
that, though forced to be baptized into a faith that was not our own, we must
comply. I hear a knock, and open my
bedroom door to my husband, Miquel. Hat
in hand, his gaze seems to penetrate my soul. “Rosa, it is time we must go
before any discover that we have gone.”
“Sí, what you say is true,” I tell him, as I
pick up the blanket my things are hidden in.
Taking it from me he says,
“You are wise to take little so no one will suspect that we are leaving.” I
nod, look at the room I have lived in, square my shoulders and follow him,
walking leisurely, as if out for a stroll.
Miguel waves at Pablo,
our vaquero, who nods.
“All is ready,” he whispers, before we arrive at the stables where two
horses are saddled.
How greatful I am that
Pablo, who manages the estate, is giving orders to one of his men. That done,
the three of us enter the barn, and I am reminded of him doing this when I was young.
Again he whispers so no other ears will hear but ours . . .
“Señora, it is a sad day for all of us to see you leave like
this. However, we know where you and your esposo will be, and, God willing, we will be able to visit at least once a
year so you and all those you hold dear will know how you are and get word to
you when it is safe to return.”
“Pablo, how did you come to know what others do
not?”
“Some of my family live
where we take the two of you.”
“Praise be to God!”
Miguel exclaimed.
“They will help you, for
they learned to live off the land and respect mother earth centuries ago.”
“Are they Catholic or
Jewish?”
“Neither, they are Apache.”
“Apache…you mean we will
live with the savages?”
Though Pablo insisted, “Not
savages!” A cold shiver ran up my spine.
“Are we to live with them
and give up our…”
“No, I take you and Miguel
to the plateau above where they camp.”
“Oh dear… will we live in a
tent?”
“I have known you all of
your life. Do you think I would have them take you where you would not be
comfortable?”
“You talk in riddles!”
“Sí! And my
riddles, as you call them, will keep you and Miguel safe.”
“Safe! We will certainly
die out there!”
“Not so,” he said, as we walked to the
wagon where he pulled back the cover so I could see the provisions and tools we
would need. “No one is to know except the few I have chosen and sworn to
secrecy that when a boy, I climbed to the plateau close to my home and
discovered someone had built a casa there
and furnished it.”
Pablo’s words did not stop my fears.
However, I realized he was in charge when he looked at the darkening sky and
insisted, “Now we go, while darkness hides what we do!”
“But I have to say goodbye
to my parents!”
“No! You cannot!”
“But I—”
“Do not jeopardize all your
padre has planned, or you may be
standing before the Inquisitor as he must!”
“But that is over. They let
him come home.”
“No, it is not over…it has
just begun. Now, no more talking until we are far away from the city.”
That said, Pablo picked me up and placed me in the wagon, insisted Miguel join
me and once he did, Pablo covered us with course burlap. “Now say nothing, and
do not move until I tell you it is safe to speak.”
So in the dead of
night, mi esposo and I did as told.
Why is this excerpt so
emotional for you? And can you describe
your own emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? Having married because I
feel in love with my husband Ron on the third date and told him and my parents
that we would wed, the idea of being forced to marry a person they have never
meet was difficult to imagine. The idea that to be safe Miguel promises they
will not observe the Laws of Moses as the Sephardic Jews called the Torah (Old
Testament), is disturbing to me for when Ron proposed to me, I asked him to
become Jewish, which he gladly did. However, since the Jewish people have
needed to hide who they were, and are still doing that in some places, I
thought writing this short story would be easy. Yet, it proved to be a roller-coaster
of emotions.
Other works you have
published?
With the
publication of this Novella five of the seven Naomi Chronicles have been
published. I hope to have the last two books in this romantic saga published in
the next few years.
Anything you would like
to add? Yes, I want to thank
Debi Stanton, who founded and heads Pen It Publications, LLC for the
publication of this book, which I never would have done without her
encouragement and belief in the story. For her, I think this was a labor of
love, which she knew would further readers enjoyment of The Naomi Chronicles.
Delighted to be a Pen It
Publications author, writing great Inspirational Christian Romances is Paula
Rose Michelson’s passion. Her desire to inspire others comes from being a late
reader, who discovered books were her best friends! A lover of inspiring
fictions where the heroine was one for her families’ sake, she writes about
amazing women who have unique faith challenges. When asked about her idea for
The Naomi Chronicles, Paula said, "Naomi and I penned these fictions
together."
A writer of thrillers,
nonfiction's, memoirs, Self-help books and works to encourage, when not
involved in her craft, speaking or helping other writers, Paula pursues other
passions while supporting her husband Ron who is a Lutheran Pastor and Chosen
People Ministries field missionary. At one point, both of them worked for the
mission. However, when the Lord called Paula to write full-time, she gladly
left to devote herself to this work.
This happy mother of two married
daughters and grandmother of seven, has friends who often tell her that she
weaves such wonderful tails they lose track of the time. Since both family and
her ever-increasing reader family matter to Paula, she hopes to impart a
blessing to those who read her books.
Some who first knew Paula as the
founder, head, and facilitator of LAMB Ministries, have mentioned that a few of
those biblical teachings are found within her books. Paula knows this to be
true for her desire to faithfully depict Gods love, compassion, and forgiveness
while showing her readers The Jewish Messiah of Israel and the world, parallel
her wish to see those who feel 'less than' restored to wholeness. Therefore,
within each of her books, she includes a few of the teachings God gifted her so
readers can overcome and feel good about themselves.
LinkedIn:
https://goo.gl/hnsXur
INSIDE THE EMOTION OF
FICTION links
001 11 15 2018 Nathaniel
Kaine’s
Thriller Novel
John
Hunter – The Veteran
002 11 18 2018 Ed
Protzzel’s
Futuristic/Mystery/Thriller
The
Antiquities Dealer
003 11 23 2018 Janice
Seagraves’s
Science
Fiction Romance
Exodus
Arcon
004 11 29 2018
Christian Fennell’s
Literary
Fiction Novel
The Fiddler
in the Night
005 12 02 2018 Jessica
Mathews’s
Adult
Paranormal Romance
Death
Adjacent
006 12 04 2018 Robin Jansen’s
Literary
Fiction Novel
Ruby the
Indomitable
007 12 12 2018 Adair Valerez’s
Literary
Fiction Novel
Scrim
008 12 17 218
Kit Frazier’s
Mystery Novel
Dead Copy
009 12 21 2019 Robert Craven’s
Noir/Spy Novel
The Road
of a Thousand Tigers
010 01 13 2019 Kristine Goodfellow’s
Contemporary
Romantic Fiction
The Other
Twin
011 01 17 2019 Nancy J Cohen’s
Cozy Mystery
Trimmed To
Death
012 01 20 2019 Charles Salzberg’s
Crime Novel
Second
Story Man
013 01 23 2019 Alexis Fancher’s
Flash Fiction
His Full
Attention
014 01 27 2019 Brian L Tucker’s
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POKEWEED: AN ILLUSTRATED NOVELLA
015 01 31 2019 Robin Tidwell’s
Dystopian
Reduced
016 02 07 2019 J.D. Trafford’s
Legal
Fiction/Mystery
Little Boy
Lost
017 02 08 2019 Paula Shene’s
Young Adult
ScieFi/Fantasy/Romance/Adventure
My Quest
Begins
018 02 13 2019 Talia Carner’s
Mainstream
Fiction/ Suspense/ Historical
Hotel
Moscow
019 02 15 2019 Rick Robinson’s
Multidimensional
Fiction
Alligator
Alley
020 02 21 2019 LaVerne Thompson’s
Urban Fantasy
The Soul
Collectors
021 02 27 2019 Marlon L Fick’s
Post-Colonialist
Novel
The
Nowhere Man
022 03 02 2019 Carol Johnson’s
Mainstream
Novel
Silk And
Ashes
023 03 06 2019 Samuel Snoek-Brown’s
Short Story
Collection
There Is
No Other Way to Worship Them
024 03 08 2019 Marlin Barton’s
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Collection
Pasture
Art
025 03 18 2019 Laura Hunter’s
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Fiction
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Mother
026 03 21 2019 Maggie Rivers’s
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027 03 25 2019 Faith
Gibson’s
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028 03 27 2019 Valerie Nieman’s
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To The
Bones
029 04 04 2019 Betty Bolte’s
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Visions of Love
030 04 05 2019 Marianne
Maili’s
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see
031 04 10 2019 Gregory Erich Phillips’s
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032 04 15 2019 Jason Ament’s
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033 04 24 2019 Stephen P. Keirnan’s
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Novel
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Baker’s Secret
034 05 01 2019 George Kramer’s
Fantasy
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Prophecy Book
035 05 05 2019 Erika Sams’s
Adventure/Fantasy/Romance
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036 05 07 2019 Mark Wisniewski’s
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Go
037 05 08 2019 Marci Baun’s
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038 05 10 2019 Suzanne M. Wolfe’s
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039 05 12 2019 Edward DeVito’s
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Romance
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043 05 22 2019 Paula Rose Michelson’s
Inspirational Christian
Romance
Rosa &
Miguel – Love’s Legacy: Prequel to The Naomi
Chronicles
