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When I came up with the idea for my first contemporary fiction novella The Healing Pool, I wasn’t sure it would do well. 🫣 I mean, horror, science fiction, and dark tales are sorta my specialty! 😂 Diving into an unrelated genre might not go that swimmingly. Is that even a word? 🤔 Ha, The Healing Pool has proven to be one of my more popular, if not my MOST popular publication! Soon after, I made a post which featured a poll to select the next New Mexico destination I’d write about…
Loretto would be something different from my previous contemporary fiction, and hopefully, it would be just as well-received and memorable. 🤗😬 This was no easy task. The setting, Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a special place AND the oldest capital city in the United States.
The task before me felt profound and honestly a little overwhelming…Maybe I’m dramatic. 😂 But writing about a treasured piece of New Mexico culture that has inspired awe for 150 years with its mystery and beauty would be a challenge. 😲 But, let’s face it, New Mexican’s ain’t afraid of challenges. 🤠 I decided to write something as unique as possible…
Two different time frames…
I first heard about Loretto Chapel when I was about ten years old and I was enthralled. An incredible destination, a unique and surreal setting, and a legend that couldn’t be explained. This was also the time of the Los Angeles riots, which was equally unreal for me. That’s when I first developed the concept for Loretto.
1873
The Wild West has always been one of my absolute favorite era’s. Cowboys, open plains, lawless villains. This was also one of the most notable time periods in New Mexico history. As a territory, New Mexico was a critical component of the west and expansion from modern, developed cities in the East. Santa Fe was right in the middle of it all and would quickly become very important and “the city different.”
1992
One of the most transformative decades in the 20th century, the 90s were a time of social, economic, and cultural revolutions that would quickly write new chapters in history. It was also a time of great discovery: technical, scientific and social. It was no longer the 70-80s, and no one knew what was in store for us during the 21st century. This made it fun, unsettling, and honestly, intriguing. Anything could happen!
Loretto brings these eras together in a heartfelt and transformative story about challenging times and tough characters. I only hope my readers find the story entertaining and adds to the joy they’ve gotten from my Something Special series. 🤗
The "Kingdom of New Mexico" (The Healing Pool's memorable setting) was claimed for the Spanish Crown by a conquistador named Don Francisco Vasquez do Coronado in the year 1540. In the year 1598, Onate became the first Governor General of New Mexico. In 1609, Santa Fe was declared the capital. It is the oldest capital city in the United States.
For the next 70 years, Spanish soldiers and Franciscan missionaries attempted to convert the Pueblo Indians of the region. Some one hundred thousand lived in the area and spoke nine languages, living in an estimated 70 multi-storied towns called pueblos. Most of these still exist to this day.
In 1680, the Pueblo Indians revolted against the estimated 2500 Spanish colonists, killing 400 of them and driving the remaining back into Mexico. The conquering Pueblos overtook Santa Fe and burned most of the buildings, except for the Palace of The Governors. They occupied Santa Fe until 1692, when Don Diego de Vargas reconquered the region. He entered the capital city after a bloodless siege.
Despite the tumultuous history in the Kingdom of New Mexico, some of the most celebrated destinations are those of peace and healing. ❤️🩹👀
For my first New Mexico time period piece I chose to write about Santuario De Chimayo.
The sacred location of nearly 300,000 visitors annually has been called "no doubt the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States.” The source of incredible healing soil.
For me, it was an easy decision to venture into new genres with Santuario do Chimayo in mind, which is one of the settings for my latest fictional time-period piece, "The Healing Pool."
The story begins in 1954, with two characters from California who find themselves on a road trip to New Mexico. The Land of Enchantment had a draw that Harriet couldn't explain. Her daughter Hilde is less than enthusiastic about the trip. They had no way of knowing how much the trip would change their lives forever.
For more information about the development of the story be sure to check out my article on Substack!
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