My Own Little Corner of the World: the vanishing sculptor

Showing posts with label the vanishing sculptor. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

CSFF Blog Tour Day 3: Wrap Up and My Thoughts

Today is the last day for the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour featuring Mrs. Donita K. Paul and her book The Vanishing Sculptor. Thank you for your participation in our blog tour!

Today I will share with you my thoughts on this book. This was my first exposure to Mrs. Paul's works, although I do own the entire DragonKeeper Chronicles series (I have to steal them from my daughter when she isn't looking!) Having said that, I have seen some reviews that say it's important to read this series before reading this book and then some say it's not necessary. I feel like I might have missed out on the background of some of the characters as there are a few that have been in the DragonKeeper Chronicles. This is supposed to be a free standing novel however.

I would have to say that my favorite aspect of this book is the characterization. More specifically, the names of the characters! After all, who could resist a parrot named Beccaroon, a little girl named Tipper (I just love that name!), a Prince named Jayrus, and a Wizard named Fenworth, just to name a few. It would also be important to mention the dragons as well!! Junkit and Zabeth are minor dragons with a major purpose.

For those who may tend to stray away from the Christian fiction label, please give this book a chance. While there are undertones of Christianity, this book is not preachy at all. One could simply appreciate the fact that this is a good, clean book without sex, profanity, or other vulgar situations.

I would highly recommend this book to any fantasy lover, big or small, mature or young, Christian or not!! Don't let this title vanish away!

One thing I failed to mention yesterday that I would like for you to know is that I learned that Mrs. Paul has quite an extensive list of published works!! She writes all sorts of genres and I look forward to reading some of her other works (especially those in the romance line that she wrote when her daughter started asking for romance novels. Way to go Mom!)

For more great info on our author and her works, feel free to surf on over to her website and blog.

Donita Paul’s Web site - http://www.donitakpaul.com/
Donita Paul’s blog - http://dragonbloggin.blogspot.com/

The source of my book comes from Amazon. I personally purchased this book specifically for this tour.

Please be sure to take a few minutes and visit these fellow bloggers on the tour. Comments are much appreciated!!

http://www.christiansciencefiction.blogspot.com"> Brandon Barr
http://jimfictionreview.blogspot.com/"> Jim Black
http://fantastyfreak.blogspot.com/"> Justin Boyer
http://bookshiddencorner.blogspot.com/"> Rachel Briard
http://www.kcreviews.blogspot.com"> Karri Compton
http://www.the160acrewoods.com/"> Amy Cruson
http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour
http://word-up-studies.blogspot.com"> Stacey Dale
http://www.scificatholic.com/"> D. G. D. Davidson
http://scriptoriusrex.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Draper
http://projectinga.blogspot.com/"> April Erwin
http://virtualbooktourdenet.blogspot.com/"> Karina Fabian
http://lindarg.wordpress.com/"> Linda Gilmore
http://anewnovelistsjourney.blogspot.com"> Todd Michael Greene
http://cloakanddaggerfiction.blogspot.com"> Katie Hart
http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart
http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/"> Becky Jesse
http://crisjesse.wordpress.com"> Cris Jesse
http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner
http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie
http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen
http://krystisbooks.blogspot.com/"> Krystine Kercher
http://momofkings.wordpress.com/"> Dawn King
http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller
http://mirathon.blogspot.com/"> Mirtika
http://www.questwriter.blogspot.com/"> Eve Nielsen (posting later in the week)
http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa
http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/"> John W. Otte
http://residentialaliens.blogspot.com/"> Lyn Perry
http://prochristroetlibertate.blogspot.com/"> Crista Richey
http://www.cherylrussellwrites.wordpress.com"> Cheryl Russell
http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder
http://www.jamessomers.blogspot.com/"> James Somers
http://specfaith.ritersbloc.com/"> Speculative Faith
http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/inklings/"> Rachel Starr Thomson
http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php"> Robert Treskillard
http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower
http://frederation.wordpress.com"> Fred Warren
http://www.fantasyandfaith.com"> Dona Watson
http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler
http://kerani-in-the-world.blogspot.com/"> Elizabeth Williams
http://kmwilsher.blogspot.com/"> KM Wilsher

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading.

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!!

"I beg your pardon?" Beccaroon knew the man was touched in the head, but sapient? "Do you mean you have trees in Amara that think, plan, and converse?"

Taken from The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita Paul

Look for the Blog Tour of this book on Sept. 20-22!

CSFF Blog Tour: Day 2 Let's Meet the Author!

This week, the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour will be hosting Mrs. Donita K. Paul and her book The Vanishing Sculptor.

Yesterday, we took a peak into the first chapter of the book. We also saw a little bit of background information on the book. I hope you had a chance to visit with some fellow bloggers over this book and see what they have going on too! Today, you will get an opportunity to learn a little more about Mrs. Donita K. Paul as she has dropped in for a brief visit!

Thank you so much, Mrs. Paul, for taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule to visit with us today!

1. Who is your writing inspiration? Why?

I have two. Patricia Veryan, a secular historical writer. I admire her for
her complex plots, intriguing characters, and her humor.
The second is Max Lucado. His stories compel the reader to think and move
them toward a better understanding of God.

2. What piqued your interest in writing about dragons and other
fictional characters?

I have characters pop into my mind and I must know more about them. That
means I have to use my imagination to flesh them out. I sometimes wonder if
I would have been a good profiler. Probably not, because I don¹t like grim
and grizzly. I¹m not into gore, either.

3. As a former school teacher, what is one bit of wisdom that you
would pass along to my students who are reading this blog?

Very often when you are young, you think your going to want to do something
in particular. For instance, in high school, you decide you want to be a
policeman. My suggestion is to not hold tight to those interests. There is
nothing wrong with having a goal, but it can make you to narrow. I know many
people who went to college and got a degree and three years later knew they
would have been happier in another field. So be open to suggestions and for
sure, be open to the Lord¹s leading.

4. Who is your favorite author (If not the answer to question #1)?
What is it about him/her that makes them your favorite?

5. What book would you consider one that every person should read at
least once in their life?

Well, of course, the answer is the Bible. But I¹ll assume you mean something
other than the Bible which we all should be familiar with. Hmmm? I think I
will choose two children¹s books. The first is The Story of Ping. In this
book a little duck misses getting on the boat at the right time. He doesn¹t
scurry to get on because the last duck in line gets a little pop on the
bottom. He learns that sometimes it is worth a bit of discipline to do the
right thing. We can be going the wrong way and repent. Sometimes we have to
take our just desserts. But it is worth it to be back in the fold.
The other is Corduroy. A little bear goes in search of his missing button in
a department store. The way Corduroy greets each new situation is a
wonderful way to address life.

For more great info on our author, feel free to surf on over to her website and blog.

Donita Paul’s Web site - http://www.donitakpaul.com/
Donita Paul’s blog - http://dragonbloggin.blogspot.com/

I do hope you will come back tomorrow and read my personal review of this book!!

The source of my book comes from Amazon. I personally purchased this book specifically for this tour.

Please be sure to take a few minutes and visit these fellow bloggers on the tour. Comments are much appreciated!!

Monday, September 21, 2009

CSFF Blog Tour: The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul

This week, the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour will be hosting Mrs. Donita K. Paul and her book The Vanishing Sculptor. Please be sure to stop by the next three days to learn more about this fantastic book and her author!

From the back of the book:

Tipper, a young emerlindian woman, has been responsible for the upkeep of her family's estate since her sculptor father disappeared several years ago. To make ends meet, she's been forced to sell off the artwork he left behind. When at last her father returns, accompanied by two strangers from a distant land, Tipper discovers that her actions have unbalanced the foundation of her world and endangered her father's life. She must act quickly to undo the threat. But how can she save her father and the world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions---including the giant parrot, Beccaroon, and the aristocratic tumanhofer, Bealomondore---and sets out on a quest, eventually witnessing the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder.

Join new characters and old friend in a fantasy that inhabits the same world as the DragonKeeper Chronicles, but in a different country and an earlier time, where the people know nothing of Wulder or Paladin.

Here is a sneak peak into Chapter 1: A View from a Tree

Beccaroon cocked his head, ruffled his neck feathers, and spread his wings, not to fly, but to test the air. He stretched, allowing his crimson wings to spread. The branch beneath him sank and rose again, responding to his weight. Moist, hot air penetrated his finery, and he held his wings away from his brilliant blue sides.

“Too hot for company,” he muttered. Having declared his opinion, he rocked back and forth from one four-toed scaly foot to the other on the limb of a sacktrass tree. The leaves shimmered as the motion rippled along the branch. “Where is that girl?”

His yellow head swiveled almost completely around. He peered with one eye down the overgrown path, and then scoped out every inch within his range of vision, twisting his neck slowly.

A brief morning shower had penetrated the canopy above and rinsed the waxy-coated leaves. A few remaining drops glistened where thin shafts of tropical sun touched the dark green foliage. On the broot vine, flowers the size of plates lifted their fiery red petals, begging the thumb-sized bees to come drink before the weight of nectar broke off the blooms.

Beccaroon flew to a perch on a gnarly branch. He sipped from the broot blossom and ran his black tongue over the edges of his beak. A sudden breeze shook loose a sprinkle of leftover raindrops. Beccaroon shook his tail feathers and blinked. When the disturbance settled, he cocked his head and listened.

“Ah!” he said. “She’s coming.” He preened his soft green breast and waited, giving a show of patience he didn’t feel. His head jerked as he detected someone walking with the girl.

“Bah!” The word exploded from his throat. He flew into a roost far above the forest floor where he couldn’t be seen from the ground.

He watched the approach of the girl placed under his guardianship. Tipper strolled along the path below. She wore a flowing, golden gown over her tall, lean body. She’d put her long blonde hair in a fancy braid that started at the crown of her head. A golden chain hung from each of her pointed ears. And she’d decorated her pointed facial features with subdued colors, blue for her eyelids, rose for her lips, and a shimmering yellow on her cheeks. Beccaroon sighed. His girl was lovely.

Download the rest of this chapter (PDF)

For more great info on our author, feel free to surf on over to her website and blog. Or, even better, come back tomorrow when she is a guest right here at My Own Little Corner of the World!

Donita Paul’s Web site - http://www.donitakpaul.com/
Donita Paul’s blog - http://dragonbloggin.blogspot.com/

The source of my book comes from Amazon. I personally purchased this book specifically for this tour.

Please be sure to take a few minutes and visit these fellow bloggers on the tour. Comments are much appreciated!!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Show Me 5 Saturday

Alison over at That's a Novel Idea has decided to start a new MEME. This meme will give each blogger an opportunity to give a brief description of a book they have read or reviewed during the week.

It will work like this:
Each Saturday You will post the answer to these questions. The number indicates the number of answers you will provide.

1 Book you read and/or reviewed this week: The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita Paul
2 Words that describe the book: dragons, art
3 Settings where it took place or characters you met: Beccaroon, Tipper, Verrin Schope
4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it: 1. I love the character names!! 2. I feel sorry for Tipper. 3. Tipper's mother is absolutely hilarious 4. I haven't found anything to dislike about it, however, I've just started it too

5 Stars or less for your rating? Not sure yet. Will let you know when review is posted.

If you would like to become a part of this meme, please join in! Alison would love to have you! Create your post and then let her know the link and she'll add you to the linky list!

Thanks Alison for a super fun Saturday meme!