Bio

The fun stuff about me!

I was born in Washington Court House, Ohio. And no, not on the steps of a courthouse! It’s the real name of a town.

The first book I remember falling in love with was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. I would curl up in a nook at school to hide away and read it. Aslan, the lion in the book, was my hero and here I am wearing my special lion ring. –>> see?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer since I wrote my first screenplay, a murder mystery, at seven years old and acted it out with the neighborhood kids. I attended school in England then in a magical castle like Hogwart’s where my imagination ran wild in an itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included. True! See ? <<–) I went on to write my first fantasy story when I was ten about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship.

Now I get my own writing office where my cat, Star, likes to plop for attention. He really IS like a shooting star. Over my computer. Over my notes. Over my head. Whenever I am writing he blasts his way in.

But it was my son, Joshua, who inspired me to write and finish my first book, Joshua and the Fantastic Forest, about a boy who finds adventure in the mountain forest when he meets magical animals and they band together to fight a power-hungry fox who plots to rule the world. It’s hidden in a shoe box now in my closet, but I went on to write Joshua and the Lightning Road from it (AND, the big battle scene in that shoe box book made it into the second book, Joshua and the Arrow Realm!).

Fun Facts:

• I often read the first and last line of a book before buying it (but please don’t do this with my books).
• I’m a speed junkie when it comes to biking (but always wear a helmet!) and skiing (cartwheeling down the mountain = full cast).
• I lived in nine places by the time I was nine.
• I was once stranded on the QE2 cruise ship from England to America when an engine blew in the middle of the Atlantic.
• I was stationed in Hawaii as a U.S. Naval photographer for Fleet Intelligence Pacific.
• I quake at spiders. A Brown Recluse bit me in Navy boot camp and my leg swelled 3x bigger!
• I’m adopted and had to be hand delivered to my parents across the county line by a cornfield. They still haven’t told me why. Hmm…bet I could make up a story.
• I can’t eat doughnuts. Well, I can…but then I can’t stop. This applies to Kit Kats and Doritos too.
• If I couldn’t write I would bike, hike, and kayak every day.
• I went to Catholic school and played evil tricks on the nuns (no one got hurt, really).
• I laugh myself silly at boy humor (because we all know that farts and butts never get old).
• I like to make up wacky songs to sing with my son (refer to bullet above).

Recent Perfect Day: Hanging with my husband and son at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and doing Star Tours nine times in a row (best ride ever)!

Got fun questions for me about books, biking, or doughnuts? Then email me!

The Official Bio:

Donna Galanti decided she was a grown up for far too long. She luckily gave that up to write children’s books. She is the author of the middle grade fantasy adventure, Joshua and The Lightning Road, which the Midwest Book Review called, “A heart-pounding thrill ride full of unexpected twists and turns from start to finish”, and the follow up, Joshua and the Arrow Realm. Donna is also a writing contest judge at nycmidnight.com, regularly presents as a guest author at schools, and teaches writers online and at writing conferences on marketing and craft.

Donna has lived in fun locations including England, her family-owned campground in New Hampshire, and in Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer for Fleet Intelligence Pacific. She now lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse that sadly has no ghosts. Visit her at donnagalanti.com.