Dragons of the Watch: A Novel (Paperback)
by Donita K. Paul
ISBN: 1400073413

Price: USD 11.07
45 used & new available from USD 7.25

Though a well-educated tumanhofer, Ellicinderpart is just a farm girl with a goat named Tak for her best friend. When opportunity arises to visit the capitol for an upcoming royal wedding, she’s eager to take the special trip — but a sudden turn of events makes her journey a little too special. Trapped in an enchanted, over-sized city, populated only by an obscure old urohm and a horde of brutal, vicious children, Ellie’s first concern is simply that of survival. But it turns out she’s not the only tumanhofer to have fallen into this unique set of circumstances — she meets Bealomondore, a well-known and elite artist, who’s been trapped there for months now. Despite her initial distrust, the two must work together to unravel the mystery and ultimately discover how perseverance and love can bring restoration.

I always anticipate Donita K. Paul’s new releases. This, the final book of the Chiril Chronicles, takes a slightly different direction than its predecessors, but as far as adventure, humor, and truth goes, Dragons of the Watch definitely fulfills the established style of the author. If you’ve enjoyed her other books, you won’t want to miss this heart-warming conclusion.

Dragons of the Valley: A Novel (Paperback)
by Donita K. Paul
ISBN: 1400073405

Price: USD 11.07
68 used & new available from USD 3.46

No sooner have Tipper and her companions put down the threat of uprising—and reunited her father’s three statues—than war begins to threaten the land of Chiril. Men from the country of Baardack have begun to subtly invade, one of the most prominent being a strange, sentient hunter called the Grawl. The three statues, carved from one of the world’s corner stones, must not fall into the enemy’s hands. Bealomondore, a tumanhofer, is one of those responsible for transporting the statues to a safer place. An artist at heart, he must learn to put down his paintbrush and take up his sword to defend Chiril against this new threat.

In some ways this story seemed to feel a little bit different from some of the other books by Mrs. Paul. It isn’t my favorite of hers, but I definitely enjoy it. Truth is woven into the story, and the characters you’ve gotten to know from The Vanishing Sculptor (plus some new ones) have their opportunities to shine. There’s also some great humor involving Fenworth and his kimen companion, the reluctant hero artist, and Lady Peg’s mind as a weapon in itself against the enemy. The final book in the trilogy is scheduled to come out in October!

The Vanishing Sculptor: A Novel (Paperback)
by Donita K. Paul
ISBN: 1400073391

Price: $0.22
53 used & new available from USD 0.22

Tipper is a young emerlindian woman who has been running the family estate ever since her artist father disappeared long ago. With finances dwindling, she resorts to selling off everything from furniture to her father’s art. Then one day Verrin Schope himself returns, along with a wizard and a librarian from Amara—and with dire news. Complications with an experimental gateway have placed the foundations of the world in danger, and the only way to restore harmony is through three certain sculptures. Sculptures that are now long gone. Tipper, with the help of the parrot Beccaroon, a tunmanhofer named Bealomondore, and her father and his friends, must set off on a journey to regain the sculptures before it’s too late.

Donita K. Paul certainly knows how to write a good quest! I think The Vanishing Sculptor is a splendid start to a new series. Readers of the DragonKeeper Chronicles will enjoy returning to the same world, and among the cast of new characters, will delight in the familiarity of a certain two. Humorous and adventuresome, with morsels of truth woven throughout the story, this book is a must-read for all. I enjoyed it very thoroughly and will doubtless be rereading it often while I wait for the next installment.

If you’ve been following events around here recently, you know that Incredibooks is hosting a Read-a-Thon. We’d like to say thank you to the three authors who have graciously agreed to offer their books as prizes.

Bryan Davis is our first sponsor. He is a teen fantasy author who speaks at events about reaching children with fantasy.  For more about Mr. Davis and his books, visit his blog, Web site, or the interview Incredibooks did with him last year.

Our second author is Donita K. Paul, who also writes fantasy books. She speaks in schools and libraries, conducts weekly writing chats online with fans, and also devotes one a chat per month to answering questions about herself. Find out more about Mrs. Paul and her books at her Web site, dragon blog, and our interview with her.

Last alphabetically, but certainly not least, is Eric Reinhold. He just released his brand new book Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith, which is one of the prizes for the Read-a-Thon this year! For more about Mr. Reinhold and his books, see his official site, his blog, and our interview with him.

Thanks to all three of you! We really appreciate your willingness to help out.

For everybody else who’d like to extend their thanks, please leave a comment. And be sure to join the Read-a-Thon and participate in the fun this summer. Registration closes June 7th, so sign up now!

(Sixth in a series of a interviews with the Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour authors.)

Donita K. Paul (www.donitakpaul.com) is a retired school teacher and grandma from Colorado. Her passion for literacy compels her to speak in schools and libraries about the importance of story. She has written seven books, including the five-book DragonKeeper Chronicles series. Mrs. Paul took some time out of her busy schedule to do an e-mail interview with Incredibooks.

Incredibooks: Have you always liked writing, or was it an acquired taste? 

Donita  K. Paul: I always loved reading. I was always good at writing. It took me awhile to realize I could write what I love to read.

IB: What were some of your favorite books growing up?

DKP: I read Nancy Drew. There was a discount store down the street and every Friday night after dinner, my father would take me there. He shot a roll of film every week. He’d drop off this week’s shots and pick up last week’s, and get me a Nancy Drew hardback. They were $1.25. And some weeks they were a dollar and he’d buy me two.

IB: When you were younger, did you ever imagine that you would become an author?

DKP: Oh my, no! Growing up, I wanted to be a wife and mother. But part of being a mother is telling stories, teaching through tales. My father was a good oral storyteller and one brother in particular took after him. My mother was a Sunday school teacher and gifted in telling Bible stories. Through various venues, God impressed upon me the power of storytelling. 

IB: What inspired you to become a writer?

DKP: Necessity. I couldn’t teach any more and I had to occupy my time. I never thought I’d make a living by writing. But I did hope to pay some bills.

IB: Why did you choose fantasy to work with instead of some other genre?

DKP: I have a stupid leg. The other leg seems to get what being a leg is all about, but this one just messes up from time to time. An infection flared up in the stupid leg, and I was sentenced to six weeks with my foot elevated above my heart. My son brought me Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series to keep me in the recliner. I hadn’t read much fantasy as an adult. When I finished the series and got out of the chair, I thought, “Well, that was interesting.” (The fantasy and the time spent incarcerated in a chair.) Eight months later, I had the urge to write something different from the Christian Romance I had been writing. Fantasy was “different.”

IB: How do you make your characters seem like real people instead of just figures who move the plot along?

DKP: I can’t imagine having figures who just move the plot along. I create the characters first, and they create the plot. Creating characters is the easy part. Learning to depict them on a page is harder. Make sure you observe more than just their actions. Kind of like including the five senses in your descriptions, you need to touch on more dimensions of the character: looks, feelings, motivation, goals, movements, speech patterns, habits, etc. Be careful to include more than one aspect and keep the camera moving to pick up more than one side of your character.

IB: Where do you get your characters’ names?

DKP: Here is how I come up with names: I use my friends’ names or name from the phone book, and I take them apart syllable by syllable, then I put them back together in a different order. For example, my secretary’s name is Rebecca, and I named a dragon Becca-ree.

IB: Who is your favorite character from all of your books so far, and why?

DKP: This is like asking which one of your children is your favorite. Some I appreciate because they taught me something about myself. Some are just fun to be with. Wizard Fenworth, for instance, is a hoot, but I wouldn’t want to live with him.

IB: Have you ever incorporated yourself or anyone you know into one of your books?

DKP: All the time, but I’m not going to get myself in trouble by telling you who and when.

IB: How do you work allegory or Christian themes into your books without it being blatantly obvious or sounding preachy or clichéd?

DKP: I don’t “work” at putting it in. I recognize it when it shows up and fine tune it a bit, but my main objective is to tell a great story. I concentrate on that and the more pithy elements sneak in.

IB: Do you ever write something that you love, only to look at it later and discover it’s not as good as you thought?

DKP: Oh my! Yes! The worst is when you wrote something that was really funny and the next day you read it and think, “huh?”

IB: What is a typical writing day like for you? For example, where do you write? Do you always write at the same time of day? Do you listen to music when writing? If so, what?

DKP: When I am actively pursuing the production of a story, I eat, walk, think, dream the story. I leave a sinkful of dishes and run to the computer to record what the main character just said to the villain. I burn what’s on the stove, because I went back to the office for “just a minute” to add a paragraph. Instead of counting sheep at night, I plot the next scene. Usually when I get some time to sit in front of the computer, the story has been percolating and I write down what I have been musing about. Sometimes, however, I sit down and think, well the characters are here and I want them there, so “here goes.”

IB: You just finished a series. Are you enjoying starting afresh, or has it been difficult getting started on something completely new?

DKP: I did a novella in between the last project and starting the next. 35,000 words for fun and not related to anything in the Dragon Keeper Chronicles. Now I am digging in to do book two of the current series that takes place in the same world as Amara but on a different continent and at a different time.

IB: What are you currently working on?

DKP: A series of books that will be set in the same world as Amara, but on a different continent and in a different time period. 

IB: In round numbers, how many books do you think you’ll sign during the Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour?

DKP: I have no idea, and really, I don’t think that is the focus of the trip.  One of our catch phrases is “to motiv8 young readers to choose positive fiction.” I want to meet the readers who already enjoy our books and encourage them. I also want to introduce new readers to books that will nourish their souls. There is way too much negative media that tears down instead of builds up our youth.  But Christian Fantasy Fiction is out there, too. Let’s draw some attention to it, and give it a chance to grow.

Next time, we’ll be interviewing Eric Reinhold, so stick around!

DragonLight (Dragon Keepers Chronicles, Book 5) (Paperback)
by Donita K. Paul
ISBN: 1400073782

Price: USD 11.89
81 used & new available from USD 0.10

Now that the dragon population is on the rise, Kale has a myriad of dragon-keeping duties that consume her time. Bardon whisks her away on a quest with meech dragons Regidor and Gilda, who are searching for a lost meech colony. However, there is a subtle evil infiltrating Amara. A group calling themselves Followers claims that to truly follow Wulder, one must follow a strict set of rules. Kale, Bardon, and their friends must discern the truth, find the lost meech colony, and battle an ancient evil.

Folks, this book is deep! I don’t think I even scratched the surface with my summary. Donita K. Paul wraps up her amazing DragonKeeper Chronicles with a satisfying and delightful finale, answering many questions raised in the first four books, and opening the way for a few more. Of course, wonderful truths run through the entire book, making it more than just a story. I was so happy to find that characters absent from DragonFire reappeared here. The only problem I have is that this is the end of one of my favorite series. That aside (and it’s not much of a complaint!), DragonLight is certainly not to be missed.

DragonFire (Dragon Keepers Chronicles, Book 4) (Paperback)
by Donita K. Paul
ISBN: 1400072514

Price: USD 11.07
92 used & new available from USD 2.16

Three years after DragonKnight, Kale and Bardon, now married, emerge from The Bogs to find Amara in upheaval. Crim Cropper and Burner Stox have split, fighting against one another and destroying the country in the process, tossing armies back and forth like so many pots and pans. Kale is paired with her father to find and rescue a battalion of dragons, while Bardon remains to serve as best he can quenching evil and restoring peace. Both will face challenges greater than ever before.

As soon as I got my hands on a copy of this book, I stuck to it with a grip like a bodoggin on its next meal. I devoured it at breakneck pace, and my head spun for a day or two afterward. DragonFire delves deeper into the hearts and minds of Kale and Bardon than any of its predecessors. I felt that something was missing, though, and partway through the book I discovered what it was. No Toopka. No Librettowit and Taylaminkadot. N’Rae is mentioned briefly, but her whereabouts, as well as Granny Kye and Holt’s, are absent. But on the other hand, I think having so many familiar characters would crowd the book. This is an important one in the series to really establish Kale and Bardon and who they are. I’m glad DragonLight is coming, though.

DragonKnight (Dragon Keepers Chronicles, Book 3) (Paperback)
by Donita K. Paul
ISBN: 1400072506

Price: USD 11.07
105 used & new available from USD 0.22

After three years of training, Bardon is on his way to his sabbatical to prepare for knighthood. His plans are interrupted, however, by N’Rae and Granny Kye, who want his help rescuing several knights who will die if the spell they are under is not broken in time. This is more easily said than done, but Bardon agrees, and joined by Holt Haddok, Bromptotterpindosset, Jue Seeno, and others, they set off to break the spell.

The third book in the DragonKeeper series is a bit different. The whole book follows Bardon, and Kale doesn’t show her face until the final quarter of the book. I found myself missing the cute minor dragons, but Bardon’s swashbuckling made up for their absence. Bardon’s dragon, Greer, is very fun. Donita K. Paul has another winner!

DragonQuest (Dragon Keepers Chronicles, Book 2) (Paperback)
by Donita K. Paul
ISBN: 1400071291

Price: USD 11.07
137 used & new available from USD 0.10

No sooner is Kale admitted to The Hall, when Wizard Fenworth sends word that she is needed. The meech dragon has hatched and Fenworth is completely exasperated with it. And so the adventure begins. What with Risto planning to create plenty of trouble, Kale trying to find her mother, and a rebellion of dragons, this is an extremely enjoyable book. Kale, along with Bardon, a Lehman from The Hall, has quite a task to accomplish. One that can only be accomplished with the help of Paladin.

Wow! This was definitely an “experience” book. Fenworth is great in this one. Regidor, the meech dragon, was a little different than I expected, but after a while, I wouldn’t have him any other way. Unfortunately, the mordakleeps and blimmets are back, along with a new terror: Creemoor spiders. I can’t say that I enjoy spiders, and the way the Creemoor spiders are described really gets you. If you have a problem with spiders, you probably don’t want to read that part at night. (Especially if your closet door is open!) Fortunately, I was warned beforehand and I read it during the day, on the couch. But please do read this book. It’s a great sequel to DragonSpell. Oh, by the way, Gymn and Metta get some new friends in this one! (There, now hopefully you’ll want to read it.)

DragonSpell (Dragon Keepers Chronicles, Book 1) (Paperback)
by Donita K. Paul
ISBN: 1578568234

Price: USD 11.09
168 used & new available from USD 0.21

A dragon meech egg is held captive with an urgent need for rescue. Held within the very center of the evil Risto’s stronghold, this will be no easy task. Lord Paladin, for reasons seemingly unknown, selects Kale, a former slave girl, to undertake the mission. Unused to adventure of any sort, she is joined by Dar and Leetu who promise to guide her along the way. But when something goes wrong, the quest complicates by the moment.

This has to be one of the best fantasy books I have ever read! I enjoyed every minute reading this book and I couldn’t put it down. The baby dragons are adorable in their own special way, and Dar is quite a character. Definitely a five star and a must-read! I’m looking forward to reading Donita K. Paul’s next book: DragonQuest.