Donna Galanti - Where heart and hope meet adventure!

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

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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. 😊

 

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

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On Unicorns, Forests And Finding Gifts During A Pandemic

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We just celebrated National Unicorn Day yesterday! Why am I so excited? Because I have a book surprise coming out in May—and it involves unicorns! Can’t. Wait. To. Share! More to come … 😊

Fave Unicorn Fact: Unicorn families spend their lives alone, living in peace deep in the forest.

It’s my favorite fact because I love being alone and stepping through forests. My inner peace glows. My spirit is refreshed. And I’m so lucky to experience it every day during this pandemic through a lovely old-growth forest in my backyard.

What is an old-growth forest? They are off-the beaten path wondrous places where trees have soared undisturbed toward the sky for centuries. Here are five old-growth forests to discover in the United States and in Pennsylvania, where I live. I realized not so long ago that the woods are featured in every one of the books I write–whether published, on-submission, or being drafted right now.

As an only child growing up in the Helderberg Mountains of Upstate New York, my playground was the forest. I spent my days roaming along old rock walls with my dogs, gazing up at the sky from secret meadows, and writing my poems and stories in the nooks of old oaks. I also used to sing songs to the woods. I still walk in the woods every day but listen to the trees sing now. The woods are part of me.

And I truly believe that these magical spaces offer much-needed time away from the dire situation of the world right now. They are a gift—and help me see the gifts we’re also being handed during this crisis.

I’ve worked at home since 2005, so this new routine is a familiar one for me that I love but I know its unfamiliar for many of you. I do believe that finding peace in nature is something we can all do to help navigate the coronavirus challenge—and help us find other hidden gifts.

So, I go to the woods and empower myself with these gifts:

  • The alarm clock is gone. Waking up naturally is bliss.
  • No obligations to go anywhere, see anyone. The rush has slowed to a sweet amble.
  • Exercising more. Walks, bike rides. Sometimes twice a day. Losing weight: bonus!
  • More family time every day. More together. More dinners, laughs, talks, walks.
  • More family excursions. Finding those out-of-the-way places to hike and bike.
  • Supporting small local grocers, farmers markets, and farms with curbside grocery pick up rather than mega-supermarkets.
  • Meditating twice a day (Transcendental Meditation has transformed my life and helped me stay peaceful during this time).
  • Focusing on what I can control: my writing projects, my freelance client work, my online course projects, what I choose to eat, how I choose to exercise, how I choose to react.
  • Letting go of things that cause overwhelm like social media, negative people, and the news.
  • Practicing gratitude every day for life’s abundance and reaching out to those who need support.
  • Knowing we will come out of this stronger in mind and spirit.

What gifts have you found in this time of crisis? I hope you can embrace them and keep them with you long after this crisis is over. And I hope you can find that place in nature that helps your spirits soar.

Have a peaceful Easter and Passover! And watch for my book release next month. Because … unicorns! 😊

New Cover Reveals for The Lightning Road series + Amazon GC Giveaway!

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Look at these awesome new cover reveals for the Lightning Road series! To celebrate I’m giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card at the end of this post PLUS get the first e-book in the series, Joshua and the Lightning Road, on sale now through October 15th for just $0.99 cents!

All of these wonderful book bloggers have chosen to celebrate with me too! Check out their awesome book blogs (and follow them!) with special posts about the Lightning Road series, excerpts, and extra chances to win  the $25 Amazon Gift Card all week long.

Lightning Road Series New Cover Reveals Blog Tour:

October 7th

This and That Book Blog
Joshua and the Arrow Realm told in Memes!

October 8th

Middle Grade Mafioso
About how I love scary stories and how they play into my writing

Log Cabin Library
How I harnessed my imagination to write the Lightning Road series

October 9th

Book Hounds 
I share how I harness my inner child to write for kids

October 10th

Author Karen Pokras Toz
I share what stories affected my childhood and writing

The Author Chronicles
I talk about creating characters

Laura’s Ramblins and Reviews
I talk about the 10 elements to writing thrillers for kids

October 11th

Always In The Middle
I rewind myself back to being 9-years-old and share a day  in my life as a kid

October 12th

Fundimental
I share my dream cast for Joshua and the Arrow Realm!

Enjoy an excerpt from Joshua and the Lightning Road!

Sweat ran down my back  as  the  warm  August air washed  over  me  and  the  scent  of  earthworms filled my nose. Thunder rumbled far in the distance. I pushed aside the broken glass and knelt where Finn had stood. Water bled into my jeans from the rain pooled on the floor. It seemed like forever ago that I wished Finn would hurry up and get here.

Lightning flashed. I welcomed and feared it. My chest tightened, but there was no time for panic. The crystal warmed my fingers through the deep pocket of my jeans. Bo Chez had to be right—the crystal had powers. What would they be?

Thunder crackled.

“Yeah, just come and get me!” I yelled into the storm, and a bolt of light took the tree across the creek. The top exploded in a fiery ball, then sizzled black. Thunder broke loud over my head like a giant clapping his hands together, and blue light exploded through the broken window. Two rough hands yanked me up.

Light blazed everywhere and heavy, scratchy material bound me tight as I was pulled upward into a swirling wind tunnel.

Anger felt better than fear, so I kicked my kidnapper. “Where’s Finn?”

“You’ll find out soon, Reeker.”

Daring a peek, I saw a wide gray hat slung low over one green eye that blazed at me. Where the other eye should have been was a crater. One side of his face oozed red, melted mush!

The man from my nightmares!

ABOUT JOSHUA AND THE LIGHTNING ROAD:
Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper learns the hard way that lightning never strikes by chance when a bolt strikes his house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever. Armed with only luck and his grandfather’s mysterious crystal, Joshua must save his friend by traveling the Lightning Road to a dark world that steals children for energy. New friends come to Joshua’s aid and while battling beasts and bandits and fending off the Child Collector, Joshua’s mission quickly becomes more than a search for his friend—it becomes the battle of his life.

PRAISE FOR JOSHUA AND THE LIGHTNING ROAD:
 “Vividly imagined characters in a gripping action fantasy that never lets you go until the very last page.” —Jenny Nimmo, New York Times bestselling author of the Charlie Bone series

**$0.99 DEAL!**
Joshua and the Lightning Road is available now through October 15th for just $0.99cents on e-book from these book sellers:
Amazon: mybook.to/TheLightningRoad
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2zwsiLx
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2Q6Kukn
Apple iBooks: https://apple.co/2NF5MZA

ABOUT JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM:
Joshua never thought he’d be called back to the world of Nostos so soon. But when his friend King Apollo needs his help in the Arrow Realm, Joshua braves this dark world once more in order to save him. With Joshua’s loyalties divided between Nostos and Earth, he must rely on his courage and powers to restore magic to this desperate world and to free its people. Abandoned by his friends in his quest, unarmed, and facing great odds, can he survive on instincts alone and not only save those imprisoned—but himself?

PRAISE FOR JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM:
“Fast-paced and endlessly inventive, this is a high-stakes romp through a wild world where descendants of the Greek gods walk beside you, beasts abound, and not everything—or everyone—is as it seems.” –Michael Northrop, New York Times bestselling author of the TombQuest series

Joshua and the Arrow Realm is available through these book sellers:
Amazon: mybook.to/ArrowRealm
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2N3OYGG
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2IjXYGX
Apple iBooks: https://apple.co/2xFU4Ea

Watch the Joshua and the Lightning Road trailer!

 

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Review of Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library + ARC Giveaway!

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I’m super excited to share my review of book two in the Fairday Morrow series, Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library, by the talented authors, Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson. It’s comes out October 23rd but you can pre-order it here. I’ve been waiting for this book ever since I fell in love with book one, The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow! Read my 5-star review of that here.

PLUS, I’m giving away one print advanced reader copy of Fairday and the Talking Library! Just comment below and share why you’d like to read this book. 🙂 U.S. only please. Ends 10/19, 11pm ET.

First, here is what Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library is all about:

Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow had no clue that moving from Manhattan to the small town of Ashpot, Connecticut, would lead to an unsolved mystery. Her parents’ dream of renovating a crumbling Victorian, called the Begonia House, into a bed and breakfast had seemed like treachery at the time. But Fairday found out that her new house kept secrets, and once inside its twisted front gates, anything was possible.

When mysterious notes start showing up warning that a librarian is in trouble and a bookworm is eating words, Fairday thinks the Begonia House has more skeletons in its closets. She notices a passage in her favorite book has been changed, and she’s certain something is dreadfully wrong. What happens to stories when their words get eaten?

The Detective Mystery Squad is ready to investigate! Fairday, Lizzy, and Marcus take off on a sticky trail and tumble into Nowhere. Like Alice in Wonderland, Fairday finds herself in a world where nothing makes sense and the lines of reality are blurred.

The three sleuths discover amazing things about themselves as they unravel more secrets within the walls of the Begonia House. Follow along with Fairday and friends as they open the next case in the DMS files to unlock the mystery of the Talking Library.

MY REVIEW:

This new Fairday adventure will appeal to kids (and grown ups!) who love stories with mystery, friendship, and puzzles. And what an imaginative adventure book two is! Fairday lives in a house with many surprises. She never knows what will happen next but she’s up for the challenge.

Fairday jumps into a new world within her own, along with her trusty sidekick friends, and meets fascinating new characters. It’s a world of bookworms (who actually eat words!) and wordweavers (cool job!) where children are needed to save books from disappearing. Books truly live and breathe in this story – literally! What a fun place to be where ink is alive and books can talk and you can enter stories and meet characters.

There are so many magical concepts in this story to inspire kids to fall in love with reading – and words. Figuring out riddles is a big part of solving the mystery and it’s fun to follow Fairday and friends in a race to solve them before books are lost.

But not all is fun. They must beware of things that lurk in shadows and get their punctuation just right (love this!). This is Fairday’s most complicated case to solve yet in a world where she does not know who to trust, so she must trust herself – and her friends – to survive.

Kids will eat up the words in Fairday’s new adventure in this inventive, magical mystery that keeps you on your toes. Can you guess your way through to solve the puzzles? And can Fairday and her friends add up the clues in time to save books? You’ll have to read it to find out!

Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library
 
Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson, Co-authors 
Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson have been friends since they met freshman year of high school. After discovering they both loved the same books, their friendship grew, and they went on to co-author The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow. The first mystery in the Fairday Morrow series, released with Delacorte Press in December 2015. Stephanie and Jess are excited to present the next case in the DMS files. Having the brilliant illustrations created by their close high school friend, David SanAngelo, has made bringing the story to life magical. To contact Stephanie and Jess or learn more about their journey, please visit: fairdaysfiles.com
 
David SanAngelo, Illustrator
David SanAngelo is an award winning illustrator, and a two-time Emmy nominated director of animated shows for children and he won a kite flying contest in the fourth grade. Dave attended high school with Jessica and Stephanie, and they’ve all been friends for a billion years. Some of Dave’s favorite things are: old monster movies, superheros and shred-a-licious rock music. Although he grew up in New England, Dave currently lives with his wife and sons in Decatur, GA. To learn more about Dave’s illustrations, please visit: davidsanangelo.com
 


Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library 
Book 2: Fairday Morrow series
Release date: October 2017
Age Range: 8 years old and up
Grade Level: 3-9
Publisher: Willow Press


PRE-ORDER THE BOOK! 

Catch the first mystery before the next case in the DMS files opens on October 23rd!

 

The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow
Publish date: December 2015
Age Range: 8 years old and up
Grade Level: 3-9
Publisher: Delacorte Press

 




Cover Reveal: The Talking Library + an Excerpt!

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Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow had no clue that moving from Manhattan to the small town of Ashpot, Connecticut, would lead to an unsolved mystery. Her parents’ dream of renovating a crumbling Victorian, called the Begonia House, into a bed and breakfast had seemed like treachery at the time. But Fairday found out that her new house kept secrets, and once inside its twisted front gates, anything was possible.

When mysterious notes start showing up warning that a librarian is in trouble and a bookworm is eating words, Fairday thinks the Begonia House has more skeletons in its closets. She notices a passage in her favorite book has been changed, and she’s certain something is dreadfully wrong. What happens to stories when their words get eaten?

The Detective Mystery Squad is ready to investigate! Fairday, Lizzy, and Marcus take off on a sticky trail and tumble into Nowhere. Like Alice in Wonderland, Fairday finds herself in a world where nothing makes sense and the lines of reality are blurred.

The three sleuths discover amazing things about themselves as they unravel more secrets within the walls of the Begonia House. Follow along with Fairday and friends as they open the next case in the DMS files to unlock the mystery of the Talking Library.

~ ONE ~
Strange Notes
 

Fairday Morrow woke to a loud crack of thunder. As she bolted upright in bed, her gray eyes flew open. Rain pelted against the window. Electricity charged the air. Lightning flashed, and she saw the old willow tree in her backyard lurching wildly. A whip-like branch smashed the glass and the storm raged into her room. BOOM! The sky lit up. The wind blew in like a tornado, tossing wet leaves and sticks around. Fairday shrieked and ducked under the covers.
“Fairday! Are you okay?” her dad shouted from the hallway.
Auntie Em, the family pug, was barking her head off.
“Yeah, I’m alright,” Fairday answered in a shaky voice. She peeked out from the blankets as a burst of light split the dark. For an instant, glass shards twinkled like stars across the tattered lion-and-unicorn carpet; the heavy drapes flapped, twisting in the wind. On the next lightning strike, Fairday saw a paper blow in through the broken window. But the second she glimpsed it, thunder boomed, the house shook, and everything blacked out.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library
 
Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson, Co-authors 
Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson have been friends since they met freshman year of high school. After discovering they both loved the same books, their friendship grew, and they went on to co-author The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow. The first mystery in the Fairday Morrow series, released with Delacorte Press in December 2015. Stephanie and Jess are excited to present the next case in the DMS files. Having the brilliant illustrations created by their close high school friend, David SanAngelo, has made bringing the story to life magical. To contact Stephanie and Jess or learn more about their journey, please visit: fairdaysfiles.com
 
David SanAngelo, Illustrator
David SanAngelo is an award winning illustrator, and a two-time Emmy nominated director of animated shows for children and he won a kite flying contest in the fourth grade. Dave attended high school with Jessica and Stephanie, and they’ve all been friends for a billion years. Some of Dave’s favorite things are: old monster movies, superheros and shred-a-licious rock music. Although he grew up in New England, Dave currently lives with his wife and sons in Decatur, GA. To learn more about Dave’s illustrations, please visit: davidsanangelo.com
 


Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library 
Book 2: Fairday Morrow series
Release date: October 2017
Age Range: 8 years old and up
Grade Level: 3-9
Publisher: Willow Press


PRE-ORDER THE BOOK! 

Catch the first mystery before the next case in the DMS files opens on October 23rd!

 

The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow
Publish date: December 2015
Age Range: 8 years old and up
Grade Level: 3-9
Publisher: Delacorte Press

 




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