Blog Tour - Day 1

A Tale of Two Centuries

(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

Lost Mission - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1416583475
Author Web site - http://www.atholdickson.com/
Author blog - http://whatatholwrote.blogspot.com/

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

As I read the first few pages I wasn't too sure what to make of this story. Lost Mission transitions indiscriminately between the 1770s and the present. This seemed a little confusing in spots until I started to get used to the method. As the story progresses, the author brings the reader up to speed by connecting the tale of two centuries through the characters and areas.

I'll admit I alternately liked and disliked Lost Mission at first. The story spent a lot of time in developing and describing one character or setting, then seemed to jump back to the other period and character. It was kind of like a playground see-saw - one side then the other side is more important. And, like a see-saw, Lost Mission is entertaining as time goes by and you grow used to the ride.

Lost Mission begins with the tale of a newly founded mission in 1770s southern California. Athol Dickson very aptly describes the harsh life of a Spanish monk during this period, and the harsher life of the unsaved 'pagans'. The most important of these is Fray, or Friar, Alejandro Tapia Valdez, a deeply devout Franciscan monk. His mission is to preach Christ to the the unsaved in the New World. Skip forward to the present, and the reader is introduced to Guadalupe Soledad Consuelo de la Garza, or Lupe, whose mission is to preach Christ to the ungodly Americans of southern California.

Both Alejandro and Lupe are strongly committed in their faith, yet both encounter obstacles that sidetrack them from their mission. Tomorrow, I'll discuss more about the many interesting characters in Lost Mission, and how they seem at complete odds with these two missions that are separated by centuries.

But, what is the two missions' connection with the sparkling haired Indian seen by both Alejandro and Lupe, though hundreds of years and miles apart? Does he mean good or evil for their goals?

Tomorrow: Sometimes Suffering Occurs Even When You Did the Right Thing.

*Participants’ links
Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Amy Browning
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Timothy Hicks
Jason Isbell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher