The 4th Most Amazing YA Book of 2008 is...

The 4th Most Amazing YA Book of 2008 is
DragonLight (Dragon Keeper Chronicles Series)
by Donita Paul

Some of you have probably heard of the Dragon Keeper Chronicles Series by Donita Paul. It is an amazing series that currently has 5 books in it - DragonSpell DragonQuest DragonKnight DragonFire DragonLight We enter the world of Amara with Knights, Wizards, Dragons and of course clear lines drawn between good and evil. Donita has created many kinds of creatures and other amazing characters that take us through many adventures. One of my favorite parts is definitely the dragons themselves. There are different kinds with different gifts usually based on what color they are. They each have different personalities and are quite captivating really. This is a world that will pull you in and have you begging for more. I was a little behind the times with this series - I came in on book #5 (DragonLight) but was able to get the first one and read it before reading DragonLight. I loved them both and have since gotten the middle three and can't wait to go back to Amara and follow those journeys! This is a series written for YA but designed for anyone that likes fantasy and using their imaginations... Now let's meet Donita...

1) Where did you come up with the idea for such an amazing fantasy world?

The only fantasy I had read as an adult was Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, and I hadn't read all of them. So my concept of fantasy didn't have the trappings of lots of other writing. I knew I didn't want to stick to fairies and elves, so I branched out. Other than that, I cannot explain the workings of my far-out mind.

2) There are so many details that go into creating a world like that - different characters, different places, and in your case, different dragons and what they each specialize in. Do you have like the ultimate reference guide to the Dragon World in a 3 ring binder on your desk just to keep it all straight?

Oh, I wish I did. I would love to be an organized person, but I am not. I use "search" a lot in the old manuscripts. But I also remember many details because I visualize the scenes as I write.

3) The spiritual allegories are wonderful and make reading these books even inspirational. What kind of research did you do for these books or was it all off the top of your head (and heart)?

I have been a Christian a long time and I taught Sunday School. When you distill Spiritual truths to get to the nugget in order to present God's Word to a young mind, you get in the habit of using allegory to aid their understanding. Jesus taught in parables and telling a good story is a great way to engage a reader's heart. I'm not good at research and I try not to have a moral to tell, a lesson to teach, or a point to make when I write. Under the influence of a weighty theme, my writing becomes preachy. So I just tackle what's happening in the tale with my strong Christian beliefs sitting on my shoulder, influencing me, but not dictating sermons.

4) DragonLight is the final book in this series, isn't it? Where do you go from here... will we ever hear from these characters again?

The Vanishing Sculptor comes out in June of 2009. This story takes place on the same world, but on a different continent and at a different time. There is a surprise visit from some characters our readers already know.

5) Did you ever imagine when you started this series that so many young people and adults would be captivated by your dragons?

Definitely not. I wrote it as an experiment and it was so much fun, I'm delighted I get to keep going because of the reader's response.

6) What can we look forward to seeing from you next?

Besides The Vanishing Sculptor, there will soon be two picture books. My daughter and I wrote two stories from the tales she tells her boys when she puts them to bed. The first is Roger and Padraig, a tale of a timid dragon and an adventurous turtle. The second is about these two friends as they go on safari. Also, I've written a contemporary Christmas fantasy novella that hasn't landed with the right publisher yet.

7) Where can readers find you online?

www.donitakpaul@msn.com

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Donita has agreed to give away a copy of one of her Dragon Chronicle books to one lucky reader so you know the rules...

1) Leave a comment telling me what fascinates you about dragons (or fantasy) with your email address and you get 1 entry

2) Blog about this giveaway yourself and leave another comment here and get 2 entries

3) Tell someone else about this interview with Donita and when they leave a comment with your name in it you will receive 3 entries

4) Become a blog follower (on the left of my blog you can do that) and receive 1 extra entry