Donna Galanti - Where heart and hope meet adventure!

Link to my Facebook Page
Link to my Goodreads Page
Link to my Mail Page
Link to my Twitter Page
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Q&A
  • Books
    • Unicorn Island
    • Joshua and the Lightning Road
    • Joshua and the Arrow Realm
    • Donna’s Books for Grownups
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • News
  • School Visits
  • Reader Fun!

Unicorn Island: Secret Beneath the Sand is out in hardcover today + an excerpt!

By Donna Galanti

I’m so excited that today is the day the illustrated hardcover of the second book in the Unicorn Island series, Secret Beneath the Sand, is released! You can order it here at your favorite bookseller. If you do, I’d love to send you a bookmark and autographed book plate label for you—or another special reader. Just email me your address and who you’d like the book personalized for at donna@donnagalanti.com.

It’s been a wonderful journey writing the Unicorn Island series and it all started with my publisher who said, “I’d like for you to write a book about a girl who has to take care of a unicorn.” And of course, I said YES to that because … unicorns! They are magical, wondrous, and mysterious. 🦄

In Volume 2 of the series, Sam and Tuck are on their way to becoming unicorn protectors when they discover new secrets about the island that threaten unicorns’ existence! 

Sam can’t believe how much her life and luck have changed since she came to Foggy Harbor: First, she discovered that unicorns are real, and now she’s on her way to becoming an actual unicorn protector! With her new friend, Tuck, by her side during Uncle Mitch’s lessons, Sam finally feels like she’s home.

But as the long-buried dangers of Unicorn Island begin to surface and a mysterious scourge spreads throughout the herd, Sam learns the truth behind Aunt Sylvie’s disappearance and her own connection to the island. With determination, courage, and fierce loyalty to one another—and to their code as unicorn protectors—the kids set out to protect the island’s secrecy and the unicorns’ very existence.

Wonderful news has been rolling in about the book and here are some advance reviews …

“A sweet but not overly sugary treat for unicorn devotees.” – Kirkus Reviews

“The story-line was thrilling … a fantastic page turning, edge of your seat tale.” – Goodreads reviewer

Here is a sneak peek at the amazing artwork by Bethany Stancliffe! 


Download these fun Secret Beneath the Sand activities! And of course you can watch the thrilling book trailer below. 

Check out an excerpt from Secret Beneath the Sand:

Sam frowned. A month ago, it had seemed that Mel, Foggy Harbor’s veterinarian and Tuck’s mom, had cured Barloc of a strange illness. But now that Sam thought about it, the young unicorn had seemed more tired this past week. He was running more slowly and sleeping a lot more.

She knelt in front of Barloc, looking into his violet eyes. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I promise. She gripped the necklace that Verny had given to her. Made from a unicorn tail, it was a symbol of his trust.

Barloc closed his eyes. I’m just tired. I have been since I got back to the island.

Sam bent her head to his and laid a hand on his horn. It felt warm against her fingers. She frowned and held the back of her hand against his horn to make sure she wasn’t imagining things. It was definitely radiating heat.

“Uncle Mitch,” Sam said, her voice quavering, “I think something’s wrong with Barloc.”

Uncle Mitch quickly knelt down next to her. He checked the young unicorn’s eyes and breathing, then stroked his horn.

“His horn is warm,” Sam whispered. “What does it mean?”

Uncle Mitch shook his head and bit his lip as he continued his inspection. Barloc whinnied softly, looking into Sam’s eyes.

“I know you don’t want to think about this, but . . . it could be the sign of another disease,” Tuck said.

“No!” Sam shook her head and jumped up. As she did, the ground beneath her suddenly rocked. She fell to her knees as the earth buckled. Uncle Mitch grabbed both her and Tuck, pulling them in close as Verny screeched and took to the skies, circling overhead with frenzied dips.

The herd bolted across the meadow in confusion and fear as Barloc bowed his head, digging his hooves into the quaking earth.

Watch for the 3rd and final volume of Unicorn Island to release in hardcover winter 2023. 

Happy Reading!

XXOO–Donna

My Travel Year + Pre-Order Unicorn Island: Secret Beneath The Sand Now!

By Donna Galanti

I know it’s been a long time since I’ve sent out some news, but it’s been quite the year as you’ll soon read below!

But right now, I’m getting excited for Volume 2 of Unicorn Island, Secret Beneath the Sand, to release February 1st in hardcover! The illustrations are AMAZING in this book and I can’t wait for you to see them. AND you can pre-order Secret Beneath the Sand now. If you do, I can send you a bookmark and an autographed book plate label for you—or a special reader you know. 😊 Just email me your address and who you’d like the book personalized for at donna@donnagalanti.com. Check out the cover here!

In Volume 2 of the series, Sam and Tuck are on their way to becoming unicorn protectors when they discover new secrets about the island that threaten unicorns’ existence! 

Sam can’t believe how much her life and luck have changed since she came to Foggy Harbor: First, she discovered that unicorns are real, and now she’s on her way to becoming an actual unicorn protector! With her new friend, Tuck, by her side during Uncle Mitch’s lessons, Sam finally feels like she’s home.

But as the long-buried dangers of Unicorn Island begin to surface and a mysterious scourge spreads throughout the herd, Sam learns the truth behind Aunt Sylvie’s disappearance and her own connection to the island. With determination, courage, and fierce loyalty to one another—and to their code as unicorn protectors—the kids set out to protect the island’s secrecy and the unicorns’ very existence.

PRE-ORDER AT YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSELLER

I just sent the final draft for Unicorn Island Volume 3 to my editor. Watch for this coming out February 2023! For now, see a sneak peek into the beautiful artwork by Bethany Stancliffe she created for Secret Beneath the Sand.

Don’t have a copy of Unicorn Island 1 yet? You can order both here!

As I said, it’s been a crazy year. After packing up our house and moving to a new area and home … over the course of 13 weeks, I was then gone for 10 of those weeks because…

  • Spent a month in Hawaii moving my son to Oahu for a GAP year before college.
  • Traveled to North Carolina three times to visit my dad and get him registered for assisted living.
  • Traveled to Cape Cod twice for writing retreats.
  • Traveled to Northern NY for a writing retreat.
  • Visited Vermont for our 20th wedding anniversary.
  • Visited D.C. to see an old friend.
  • All while on book deadline for Unicorn Island 3 and dealing with a leg injury I needed physical therapy for! (I am on the mend although it’s been slow).

See some photos below!



I’m finally getting settled in my new home and having fun exploring the area. I’m living back in the country now and loving it. It’s so picturesque and peaceful and dark at night. I love the spread of farms and fields and woods. The Mennonite horse and buggies clip-clopping past our house. The covered bridges and little farm stands with local artisanal food.


And getting settled means getting back to writing! In particular, revisions of a fun adventure middle grade I hope to send my agent in the New Year. The story involves a legacy, a ticking clock, a ghost story, a quest to save an ancestral home, a hidden fortune, and family lost and found.

As for me, my head is already getting ready for Christmas as one month from today my son, Joshua, comes home for two whole weeks. I have peace of mind that he loves his job, his car, and his apartment. Plus, he’s working hard on his business he launched as a Junior in high school–Spiffy Laces. Watch for his new designs coming soon. He uniquely designs them himself! ORDER HERE.

I won’t have seen Joshua for 3 ½ months and that is waaaaayyyyy too long. ☹ Miss this kid–and how he makes me laugh.

I hope you all are having a wonderful fall! Happy reading and adventuring!
XXOO -Donna

Spring Events & Life Updates

By Donna Galanti

Spring is finally here in Pennsylvania. The world has gone green, and I can’t get enough of the woods every day. I breathe in the sun and color and sounds. I roam and wander then sit by the creek and ponder new life adventures coming my way.



And new adventures are coming! This is a summer of change.

Our son graduates high school, we are re-locating to a new home out in the country north of us, and then we move our son and his girlfriend to Hawaii for a Gap year and then college.

Yes, HAWAII. I was stationed in Pearl Harbor 30+ years ago as a U.S. Navy photographer with Fleet Intelligence Pacific and must say never thought I’d go back. So, a new life indeed from Pennsylvania to 5,000 miles away on an island in the Pacific. I like to think I’m up for the challenge, but it will be a tough one—especially when I hug my son one last time and board a plane for that long flight home. Here is his senior photo and some photos of me on Oahu at the same age as him! Chaka brah. 😊


I also went up to Cape Cod this month with my critique partner, Erica George, for a writing retreat. Check out her beautiful and heartfelt debut novel set on Cape Cod, Words Composed of Sea and Sky, out May 25th. Pre-order here!

Spring had definitely NOT sprung yet in Cape Cod, but it was still beautiful in its cold, gray landscape.



Recent Unicorn Island events and reviews:
Check out my virtual book tour on Teaching Books where I read an excerpt and talk about the writing of Unicorn Island and my childhood.

I had so much fun talking about the behind scenes ideas and creation of Unicorn Island on Reading With Your Kids podcast! We also discuss how authors can create stories for kids to connect to and how our experiences as writers can affect our stories.

On the Bookshop at the End of the Internet podcast I discuss the fun of writing children’s books and Unicorn Island.

Here’s a fun and thoughtful review on Unicorn Island at the Children’s Books Heal blog with Patricia Tilton! “A compelling contemporary fantasy that is full of wonder, mystery and tension. It will captivate readers’ imaginations and lure them into a magical world of mythical beasts.” Check out the full review.

AND AS A REMINDER, book 2 in the Unicorn Island series, Secret Beneath the Sand, releases in a 5-part serial on the Epic platform starting May 10th! Watch for the hardcover to release in 2022.

Happy spring!


 

 

Enter 3-Book Middle Grade Giveaway + Watch Me Answer Reader Questions!

By Donna Galanti

Happy spring everyone! Here’s my first walk in the woods in 3 weeks since surgery–and on the first day of spring! Took it slow but love my new pop up chair to doze in the sun when I get tired. Daffodils are springing up. Where flowers bloom, so does hope. My buddy, Star, also helped me get through a long recovery.



And it’s been a fun month since the illustrated hardcover of Unicorn Island released in February. Book 2, Unicorn Island: Secret Beneath the Sand, releases in 5 parts on Epic!, the leading digital library for kids 12 and under, starting May 10th. Sign up here to read it.

First, here’s some updated news!

I’ve had so many wonderful virtual author school visits this month and got such great questions from young readers, I thought I’d answer some of them here. Take a look!

Read a review by Author Lee McKenzie. “A delightful story that young readers will fall in love with.

What a fun review of Unicorn Island by a young reader at Reader Views. “Things were so exciting I couldn’t wait to keep reading to find out what would happen next!”

Do you love to read middle grade, no matter your age—like me? Then enter to win my 3-book giveaway below! I’m giving away 3 hardcovers of new books I fell in love with. Check out my reviews and enter. U.S. and Canada only please. 😊 Read more about these books.

365 DAYS TO ALASKA by Cathy Carr

One of my favorite books in a long time! I loved this book all the way through! I was hooked from the very start with Rigel fully embracing her Alaskan wilderness life and then to follow her challenges within suburban life. Carr does a wonderful job of showing us Rigel’s new suburban world through her eyes with a wild Alaska perspective. This is a poignant story about loss, friendship, and about being true to yourself–especially when it’s all you’ve got to hold onto, or at least you think you do! I felt deeply for Rigel especially when we see her so alone in this strange new world and her only friend a crow. This immediately shot me back to middle school where I was placed in a new school and also didn’t fit in and I’d sneak outdoors to be in nature. You can always count on nature to be there for you, and the friendship between Rigel and crow is written with emotional depth. I admit I teared up several times throughout this book! A story full of heart and hope. A bittersweet tale about coming of age–with all it encompasses: self-awareness, transformation, disappointment, sadness, and new beginnings.

Cathy’s books

MARY UNDERWATER by Shannon Doleski

There are so many things to love about this book. We follow Mary, the courageous main character, in her struggle to find her voice and break free of what is holding her back. She is an appealing character and her friend, Kip, is a fun contrast to her. The heart of the book is the unique and challenging adventure Mary pursues and how it transforms her to find the courage she’s always sought. This is a heartfelt story with light moments but also dark undertones.

Shannon’s books

THE BRAVE by James Bird

This was a beautiful and poetic story. We are deeply immersed in Collin’s point of view, a young boy with an OCD issue that isolates him. Yet, we see him come into his own once he finds where he truly belongs–with lost family. Collin is indeed brave and his newfound friend, encourages him. She helps him find his way and also the strength inside him to love and to let go when necessary. The mystical, Native American elements to this story enrich it with lyrical imagery and beauty. A story full of hope and a sense of home.

James’ books

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And in case you missed it, if you’re a fiction writer wondering how to create a world in your story you can sign up for my virtual class, Foundations of Worldbuilding for Any Genre.

INFO:

Pearl S. Buck Writing Center
April 17th from 1:30pm – 3pm (EST)
Fee: $25

All stories happen somewhere. Whether you write fantasy, dystopian, science fiction, or even about the “real world,” world building is key to creating a meaningful story.

I’ll share methods of world building that any writer can apply. From the smallest details to the rules of its universe, discover the way a considered approach to world building can govern the hearts of your characters and help drive your story.

Topics include: elements of world building, using world building to support conflict and tension, world building questions and resources, seven main areas that serve as the foundation for your world, and what to avoid in building your world. I’ll also share real-book examples to supplement my topics.

REGISTER: https://psbwritingcenter.org/…/foundations-of-world…/

Hope to see you there!

Unicorn Island Out Today + Free Live Virtual Event Tonight & Giveaway!

By Donna Galanti

I’m so excited that today is the day the illustrated hardcover of the first book in the Unicorn Island series is released! You can order it here at your favorite bookseller.

Be sure to sign up for my live virtual author-in-conversation TONIGHT, February 9th, at 7pm (EST) with author Fleur Bradley and hosted by my favorite local bookstore, The Doylestown Bookshop. We’ll be chatting about books, the author life, and taking questions! Register here for free: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/donna-galanti-in

You’ll also definitely want to enter my super fun unicorn-themed giveaway. Check it out at the bottom of this post!

It’s been a wonderful journey writing the Unicorn Island series and it all started with my publisher who said, “I’d like for you to write a book about a girl who has to take care of a unicorn.” And of course, I said YES to that because … unicorns! They are magical, wondrous, and mysterious. 🦄

From there I plotted the story out and then ran away to spend five days in a cabin at The Highlights Foundation to write it from start to finish. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

It was so fun to get my advance author copies in the mail from my publisher, Andrews McMeel. They sent me a whole box of books! Here I am opening it. 😊

http://www.donnagalanti.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/AuthorCopies.mp4

 

Wonderful news has been rolling in about the book and here are some advance reviews …

I loved writing middle grade so much. It’s a special time in a child’s life. They have one foot in magical childhood where anything is possible and one foot in the path to becoming an adult. An amazing part of this journey for me and being a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters, is that I got to share this journey with my Little Sister, Ashley, who is an avid reader and a joy to spend time with. I also got to dedicate the book to her which arrived just in time for her birthday!


My publisher, Andrews McMeel, also created a fantastic book trailer for Unicorn Island. Take a look!

Watch for book 2 in the Unicorn Island series, Secret Beneath the Sand, to release this May on the Epic! platform in a 5-part serial with the hardcover out winter of 2022.

The illustrator Bethany Stancliffe did such beautiful work in bringing Unicorn Island to life. Take a look here at some of her work.


Have you ordered Unicorn Island already? Then I have a gift for you! Email me your receipt and address and I’ll mail you a bookmark and autographed book plate! Just let me know who to personalize it to. Email: donna(at)donnagalanti.com

Authors love to share their books with the world—and you can help! The best way to support us is to buy and read our books, post honest reviews online, and share with friends! Help me do that for Unicorn Island and I’ll be so grateful!

Here are some ways to do this:
Order Unicorn Island at your favorite bookseller
Follow me on Amazon and post a review!
Follow me at BookBub
Follow me on Goodreads and post a review!
Follow me on Instagram
Follow me on Twitter

Share this post:
Check out #newrelease Unicorn Island! Because beyond the mist lies a magical secret waiting to be discovered. “A fast-paced magical adventure.”-Kirkus Reviews. Order the illustrated hardcover: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Unicorn-Island/Donna-Galanti/Unicorn-Island/9781524864705 #unicorns #childrensbooks

Thank you and happy reading! –Donna

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Next Page »

Lover of doughnuts, Doritos, and adventures (not so much authority figures). Does that make me a kid? Read More…

Sign Up for Posts!

Reviews for Joshua and the Lightning Road

Reviews from Goodreads.com
Subscribe to this blog

© Copyright 2019 · www.donnagalanti.com · All Rights Reserved