Josiah Hutchinson is a 10th grade student from Buena High School in Sierra Vista, Arizona. He enjoys art and math and has recently joined the Robotics Club at his school with the intention of participating in their competitions and eventually going to college. He has a pet hamster and an older brother. One is cute and fuzzy and the other is a giant. When not engrossed in homework, Josiah can be found reading Manga on his laptop or playing games on his Nintendo Wii.

Teens love fantasy. They want to escape into fantastic worlds and let their imaginations run wild. I’ve found the most awesome fantasy writer around, and the best part is she writes Christian fiction. I’ve read every book in the Dragon Keeper Chronicles series more than once, and I rarely read a book twice. Who needs Harry Potter when there is an amazing fantasy author like Donita K. Paul who writes fiction with a powerful message? So I wrote up some interview questions and asked her to answer them for my column. I hope you enjoy it.

Josiah: How many years have you been writing?
Donita: I've been writing since before I was a teenager.

Josiah: What is the title of the first book you've written?
Donita: Escape.

Josiah: What made you want to write a series about dragons?
Donita: Up until then, I wrote romance. My mother challenged me to do something different. You should always listen to your mother. I chose dragons because I knew enough about dragons to get started and make up the rest.

Josiah: Which is your favorite book in your series?
Donita: That's like asking some mother which child is her favorite.

Josiah: Your minor dragon idea was amazing. How did you come up with the idea for these characters?
Donita: My writing muse gave me the idea. I really don't know where some ideas come from. They pop out on the page at useful places, and if I like them, I keep them. If not, there is always the delete key.

Josiah: Did you get the ideas for the seven high races fromelves, dwarves and other creatures? If not, tell us how you created them in your mind.
Donita: I took some pre-existing ideas, elves..., and molded them into something new. This is basically laziness. I know there are readers in this world who set great store by traditional concepts of elves, dwarves, fairies, etc. I didn't want to offend them, and I didn't want to be restricted by tradition.

Josiah: What about the seven low races (orcs, goblins, etc.)?
Donita: Well, it seemed logical that there would be an equal number of mistakes fashioned by Pretender.

Josiah: Do you have a favorite character? What do you like about them?
Donita: My favorite character is Fenwroth. I loved writing about him. He reminds me of myself sometimes.

Josiah: Do you have a favorite minor dragon? What makes it your favorite?
Donita: See Question 4.

Josiah: Which was the hardest character to write? Why?
Donita: None of them are hard to write. I wouldn't keep them alive if they were. Characters who become a bother meet with dark sinkholes, disappear into their depths, and are conveniently discarded.

Josiah: Did you create characters who are similar to people in your life? Who are they?
Donita: Yes. I can't tell you that! I like to keep people guessing.

Josiah: . If you had a magic wand and could bring one of your characters to life, who would you choose and why?
Donita: Gymn. I would save a lot of money on health insurance.

Josiah: If a Hollywood producer said they would make a movie from one of your books, but you could only choose one title from your series, which would it be?
Donita: Why not start at the beginning with DragonSpell.

Josiah: Have you received any memorable letters from fans that you'd like to tell us about?
Donita: No, letters are supposed to be private, aren't they?

Josiah: Anything else you'd like to add?
Donita: There is a whole section, in fact, two, on the website for FAQ.
http://donitakpaul.com/author/faqs.html and
http://donitakpaul.com/resources/writerfaqs.html
The first one is general questions and the second is writing-related questions.

The other thing I would like to add is that readers are very important. I respect and cherish those who read my books. I would be mighty lost without them. Thanks for the interview opportunity. Read on!