Donita K. Paul and Free Books!

Shangri-La and Brigadoon and Through the Looking Glass(Lewis Carroll) use a stock fantasy device of the bottle city. In the land of Chiril, an equally fascinating land within a land captures two tumanhovers and offers them the challenge of a life time.

Before we meet today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the drawing for Wildflowers of Terezin, by Robert Elmer, is:

strgth4yu@ . . .

Congratulations! I'll contact you today for your snail mail address, and we'll get your book to you right away. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right in order to participate in future book give-aways!

Now let's revisit with novelist Donita K. Paul, author of Dragons of the Valley (Waterbrook Press, September 2010).


We'll also take a peek at two more of Donita's releases: 

The Dragon and the Turtle (Waterbrook Press, August 2010)-- A picture book by Donita and Evangeline Denmark. Two new friends try to find something precious and find three precious things: home, friendship, and cookies.

and Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball (Waterbrook Press, October 2010).-- In a contemporary fairytale, matchmaking wizards bring together two people who didn't see how well they suited each other.


Please tell us five random things we might not know about you, Donita.

-- I don't like macaroni and cheese.

-- I love ballpark pickles, the bigger, the better.

-- I don't get shoe shopping as a self-fulfilling pleasure activity.

-- I would love to own a library, a writers' retreat ranch, and a heated swimming pool.

-- I've wanted to write a children's picture book since I was a kid.

How wonderful to see that last one come to fruition, Donita!

Please tell us a bit more about the plots of these three books.

Dragons of the Valley: To restore their country, Tipper, Bealomondore, and their party must hide the Schope's statues and find a way to defeat the invading army. Artistic Bealomondore is called to wield his sword as powerfully as a paintbrush. And an enigmatic enemy roams the countryside with a diabolic, ruthless goal.



The Dragon and the Turtle: Padraig the dragon befriends Roger the turtle, and the two learn about each other and the true meaning of friendship.




Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball: Simon and Cora work in the same office but have ignored each other. Matchmaking wizards take the two in hand and help them heal from past hurts and open their hearts for new love.



What is it about your lead characters that will make your readers care about them?

DOTV: Bealomondore is between a rock and a hard place. A spot many readers will identify with.
Tipper has more than she can handle. Also a spot many readers will identify with.

TDATT: Time and again, the search for home just falls short of success. An experience many parents are familiar with. For the children, the characters discover so much about each other and cement a great friendship.

TTTTCB: Readers will recognize that our past experiences impact present circumstance, but God can use all this to make life all the more abundant.

Why will readers enjoy your novels?

All three novel weave humor and spiritual truths into palatable tales, lightening the heart and bestowing encouragement to the faithful.

How important to the story is your book's setting?

Crucial.

In fantasy, world building constitutes the development of another character. This is a very entertaining aspect of the work for both the author, and if done well, the reader. In Two Tickets, Sage Street appears in the crowded city when the wizards have need of it. The whole line of shops is unique and adds spice to the contemporary scene.

What is the last book you read that moved you?

Charles Dicken's Martin Chuzzlewit. It reminded me of the pomposity a Christian can fall into when humility is shoved aside.

What are you working on now?

Dragons of the Watch, the third and last of the Chiril Chronicles.

Where else can readers find you or your writing online?

www.donitakpaul.com
www.dragonandturtle.com

Thanks, Donita, for visiting with us and telling us about your novel. Readers, Donita has offered to give a copy of both Dragons of the Valley and The Dragon and the Turtle to the winners of two drawings on Monday, August 30. To enter, leave a comment for Donita, below. Leave your email address, in case you win, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com.

Check out my interviews with C.J. Darlington and Darlene Franklin, below, and leave comments under their interviews to be entered in drawings for signed copies of their books. And see how to win one of five copies of my next release, The Perfect Blend, HERE.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer HERE.