Wednesday, May 22, 2019

#43 Inside the Emotion of Fiction's "Rosa & Miguel- Love's Legacy: Prequel to the Naomi Chronicles" by Paula Rose Michelson



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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.
     When I left the mission to write full-time, I continued to use the computer they originally gave me, which they deemed unfixable. My joy in finding that this 12-inch screen, 1999 computer, just needed a new fan to work was diminished when I found that I needed to get a new computer so I would have the up-to-date abilities to send and receive. I now have a large screen desktop computer that I can adjust so I don’t have any glare is a blessing since I’m usually writing or online much of the day.
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.
     For, I lived her life… the life of a woman those who knew her saw her as a heroine because of her relationship with the God she was taught was not god. It was because of God that people saw her that way. For me, and hopefully all who read this novella, Rosa’s strength, determination, and life lessons will live in their heart as they now live in mine. Though hard to write the first chapter, I love what this heroine overcomes, because her difficulties made her a great role model for me, and I hope readers will experience the impact of the first two chapters as I did

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.

Email Paula at: Paula.Wordsmith@yahoo.com
Paula's Facebook Author Page is at: https://goo.gl/t2a9mz

Friend her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/paula.michelson

Ask to join her Author VIP Facebook Group at: https://goo.gl/4Yqe1d

Twitter: https://goo.gl/0YD21U  or @PaulaWordsmith1

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
Young Adult/Historical
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
Short Story Collection
Pasture Art

025 03 18 2019 Laura Hunter’s
Historical Fiction
Beloved Mother

026 03 21 2019 Maggie Rivers’s
Romance
Magical Mistletoe

027  03 25 2019 Faith Gibson’s
Paranormal Romance
Rafael

028 03 27 2019 Valerie Nieman’s
Tall Tale
To The Bones

029 04 04 2019 Betty Bolte’s
Paranormal Romance
Veiled Visions of Love

030 04 05 2019  Marianne Maili’s
Tragicomedy
Lucy, go see

031 04 10 2019 Gregory Erich Phillips’s
Mainstream Fiction
The Exile


032 04 15 2019 Jason Ament’s
Speculative Fiction
Rabid Dogs

033 04 24 2019 Stephen P. Keirnan’s
Historical Novel
The Baker’s Secret

034 05 01 2019 George Kramer’s
Fantasy
Arcadis: Prophecy Book

035 05 05 2019 Erika Sams’s
Adventure/Fantasy/Romance
Rose of Dance

036 05 07 2019 Mark Wisniewski’s
Literary Fiction
Watch Me Go

037 05 08 2019 Marci Baun’s
Science Fiction/Horror
The Whispering House

038 05 10 2019 Suzanne M. Wolfe’s
Historical Fiction
Murder By Any Name

039 05 12 2019 Edward DeVito’s
Historical/Fantasy
The Woodstock Paradox

040 05 14 2019 Gytha Lodge’s
Literary/Crime
She Lies In Wait

041 05 16 2019 Kari Bovee’s
Historical Fiction/Mystery
Peccadillo At The Palace:  An Annie Oakley Mystery

042 05 20 2019 Annie Seaton’s
Time Travel Romance
Follow Me

043 05 22 2019 Paula Rose Michelson’s
Inspirational Christian Romance
Rosa & Miguel – Love’s Legacy: Prequel to The Naomi
Chronicles