Author Donita K Paul & How a Strong Woman Handles Poisonous People

My guest today is Author Donita K Paul who writes both fantasy and romance. Today's she talking about her latest romance, Two Tickets for the Christmas Ball. Here's Donita:

"The main character in this book is Cora Crowder. She has some very compelling needs to remain in control and an inclination to second guess herself. It is very important to her that she does things the correct way. She became a Christian in college and escaped her family life by moving far away.

I have encountered Christians who believe they are responsible for the spiritual health of their families and allow their families to diminish the fruit of the Spirit through criticism and manipulation. There comes a point when being a strong woman means being willing to walk away from people who are scoffers.

They will not listen to the Holy Spirit and have no interest in changing. They are content to continue in the current relationship even though it is poisonous. The strong woman realizes that the poison stifles her ability to serve the Lord, and the family is damaged by the poison as well. People who have the opportunity to hurt others suffer continually hardening of their hearts.

Knowing when to bail out and when to stay requires a lot of prayer. In the Bible we see times when Paul remained in a hostile city and got stoned. But there were times when he escaped over a wall in a basket. With relationships that are stagnant and harmful, it would be better to walk away. It would be better to pray for the people from a distance, and when a door opens, be willing minister without bitterness.

Cora struggled to make the decisions that would allow her to grow and also allow a more healthy relationship to develop with her non-believing family. Books have been written about tough love and setting boundaries. Cora is an example of a woman willing to do what it takes to live in God's will."--Donita

Donita, you are so right. Sometimes the hardest but best thing to do is walk away. A strong woman can't change those around her. But she can guard herself from those who want to destroy her and her witness. Thanks for sharing this with us!--Lyn

If you missed reading the first page of this book, click here.
For more info, visit
www.donitakpaul.com
www.dragonandturtle.com
http://donitakpaul.blogspot.com/ This one is the OLD Blog where she shares books by my fellow authors. Other Literary Dabblings.
http://awriterwritessometimes.blogspot.com/

First Page-2 Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul

Chapter One

"Christmas. Cora had been trying to catch it for four years. She scurried down the sidewalk, thankful that streetlights and brightly-lit storefronts counteracted the gloom of early nightfall. Somewhere, sometime, she’d get a hold of how to celebrate Christmas. Maybe even tonight.

With snowflakes sticking to her black coat, Christmas lights blinking around shop windows, and incessant bells jingling, Cora should have felt some holiday cheer.

And she did.

Really.

Just not much.

At least, she was on a Christmas errand this very minute. One present for a member of the family. Shouldn’t that count for a bit of credit in the Christmas spirit department?

Cora planned out her Christmas gift-giving in a reasonable manner. The execution of her purchasing schedule gave her a great deal of satisfaction. Tonight’s quest was a book for Uncle Eric—something about knights and castles, swordfights, shining armor, and all that.

One or two gifts purchased each week from Labor Day until December fifteenth, and her obligations were discharged efficiently, economically, and without the excruciating last minute frenzy that descended upon other people . . . like her three sisters, her mother, her grandmother, her aunts."

For more info, visit
www.donitakpaul.com
www.dragonandturtle.com
http://donitakpaul.blogspot.com/ This one is the OLD Blog where she shares books by my fellow authors. Other Literary Dabblings.
http://awriterwritessometimes.blogspot.com/

Author Donita K Paul & The Vanishing Sculptor

My guest today is Donita K Paul, an author who writes amazing fantasy, not an easy thing to do!
Here's Donita:
"The heroine in the first two books of the Chiril Chronicles is Tipper Schope. In her early twenties, she has been in charge of a massive household for the many years following her father's disappearance. In her mind, she has not done a great job. At the time of the first scene, she has been reduced to selling her noted father's artwork in order to pay the bills. Her home is a deteriorating mansion. They have two servants left from the full staff. Her mother's mental health and stability has broken down. The failure of the mansion has caused hardship among those who depended on her father and this establishment. Tipper feels the weight of all the responsibility.

I see strong women face two types of situations those they chose and those that are thrust upon them. I know a young lady who worked hard to put herself through college to become an RN. She showed tremendous strength and determination to meet her goal, one she had chosen herself. But this same young lady had an abusive parent, an alcoholic spouse, and a relative with a debilitating disease. Obviously these burdens were not ones she chose. With each new obstacle that came her way, she continued on the path she knew God had ordained. And not only that, but she remained a cheerful, optimistic person. As a great mom, she has drilled into her kids, “Attitude is everything.”

The character in The Vanishing Sculptor is also challenged by adversity. Unfortunately, three of the statues she sold to acquire money for expenses, turned out to be the cornerstone of the world she lives in. With the statues separated, the countryside has bizarre eruptions that destroy property and life.


As in real life, with each new challenge, Tipper grows to meet the difficulty. That stretching to do the next thing, the thing we think is just beyond our ability, makes us grow stronger. Tipper's character deepens as she handles what I (the author) throw at her. And she also gains a perspective of herself that eliminates the false guilt. I think false guilt weighs us down more than the reality we face. Tipper does reach a happy ending, but the reader is aware that it is not happily ever after, because the road we travel will not smooth out and be bump-free until we reach Heaven. That's okay. We have the hope!"--Donita K Paul

For more about Donita and her books, drop by:

www.donitakpaul.com

www.dragonandturtle.com

http://donitakpaul.blogspot.com/ This one is the OLD Blog where I get a chance to share books by my fellow authors. Other Literary Dabblings.

http://awriterwritessometimes.blogspot.com/

First Page-The Vanishing Sculptor by Author Donita K Paul

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.

For more, visit

http://donitakpaul.com/

http://donitakpaul.com/books/chiril/index.html

Author Donita K. Paul & Her Fruity Cheesecake

My guest today is Donita K Paul!

Here is a recipe from her DragonKnight. It is delicious as a summer treat.

Mistress Maye Ghint’s Fruity Cheesecake

from the menu of The Goose & The Gander (A tavern in DragonKnight)

1/2 C. crushed nuts, pecan or almonds are best
1/2 C. boiling water
1 package (4 serving size) of any flavor sugar free gelatin dessert
1 C. cottage cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
2 C. thawed whipped non-dairy topping (one 8 oz. bowl)
Spray the bottom and sides of a spring form pan, or 9 inch pie plate, with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with 2/3 of crushed nuts.

Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl for about two minutes until powder is completely dissolved. Pour into blender container. Add cheeses. Blend on medium speed until smooth.

Pour into large bowl and gently fold in whipped topping.

Pour into prepared pan, smoothing the top, and sprinkling the remaining crushed nuts around the outer edge.

Refrigerate for four hours or until set.

Garnish with fruit if desired.

Donita's current release is The Vanishing Sculptor, WaterBrook Press, June 2009

Meet Tipper, a young emerlindian who's responsible for the upkeep of her family's estate during her sculptor father's absence. Tipper soon discovers that her actions have unbalanced the whole foundation of her world, and she must act quickly to undo the calamitous threat. But how can she save her father and her world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions-including the nearly five-foot tall parrot Beccaroon-and eventually witnesses the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder. Through Tipper's breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.

After an early retirement from teaching, Donita K. Paul dove into a second career of writing. Her stories have captured the imagination of the students she left behind plus their parents and grandparents. Donita lives in a hobbit hole not far from Pikes Peak in Colorado. She enjoys cooking, beading, stamping, knitting, and her grandsons. Not necessarily in that order.

Visit Donita's website to purchase her books.