Coming soon, February 5th, AWAKEN MY HEART by DiAnn Mills

With the release date of AWAKEN MY HEART fast approaching, I took a few moments this morning to reflect on the writing of it. I remembered a research trip to the Mission San Josè y San Miguel de Aguayo in San Antonio, Texas.

The day had been hot and dry and, even though the mission swarmed with tourists, I was transported back two hundred years to another hot and dry day when the priests guided the people in the ways of God and taught them the skills and crafts needed to sustain life.

I walked inside the mission, peering into the small dirt floored huts of the fort-like structure and wondering how people raised their families in such cramped quarters. I admired the moss-covered trees and felt the slight breeze that moved through the branches. I envisioned men, women, and children taking a brief reprieve from their toil and the grueling sun to cool their faces.

Skilled laborers had pounded out hot metal into tools and weapons at the blacksmith shop, women wove cloth and made candles, carpenters shaped furniture, stonecutters dressed stone into useful and necessary items, and so much more. The people tended the herds of livestock and grew fruits and vegetables in fertile soil through the help of the extensive aqueduct systems surrounding the mission.

In my tour of the San Jose Mission, I saved the church for last. This was the heart of the people, the center of worship and learning. This was where they found their strength in the midst of a hard life. I stood in front of the carved cedar door and glanced up at the Rose window with its stone frame carved to resemble rose petals. How amazingly beautiful. Inside, the statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus stood as reminders of the faith that weathered the harsh elements of time.
So today was a reflection on the research for Awaken My Heart and anticipation for its release. I eagerly await my readers’ responses to Armando and Marianne’s love story. And yes, I’m still calling it my Zorro book.

Let me hear from you! www.diannmills.com