Donna Galanti - Where heart and hope meet adventure!

The nostalgic power of music, theater, and story + Educators get a discount on author school visits!

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I grew up in the hill towns of the Helderberg Mountains of Upstate New York. As an only child in a rural landscape, I had three outlets; roam the forest with my two dogs, read books, and escape into music and movies.

In our farmhouse, we had an enormous landing upstairs with a console table where I would play records and dance and sing. Here’s a close version of it, short wave radio included! I even took this heavy beast with me to college.

In the late 1970s we only had three television channels up on “the hill”. Then we got a fourth channel and my entire world lit up! This channel played old movies and musicals all weekend long. I escaped into Singin’ in the Rain, Brigadoon, The King and I, The Sound of Music, Camelot, West Side Story, Oliver and many more. (I named three of my cats Oliver, Dodger, and Fagin.)

I was also fortunate as my parents often took me with them to this beautiful historic venue from the Gilded Age—Proctors Theater. It opened 100 years ago in 1926. Music legends like Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington graced the Main Stage, as did comedians Bob Hope and Red Skelton.

Photo by Vin Tooth

Wrapped in magic under a crystal chandelier, I held my breath watching Richard Harris as King Arthur in Camelot on stage (Harris, you might know as Dumbledore in Harry Potter, was also King Arthur in the 1967 Camelot movie), sang along to Annie, and tapped my feet to Grease—as I watched several cast members from the original 1978 movie perform onstage! And so many more productions.

My love of music, movies, and musicals from the 1940s and 1950s grew. I crushed on Frank Sinatra, Charles Bronson, Gene Kelly, Marlon Brando, Yul Brynner, Richard Harris, Paul Newman, and James Dean. I used to think I was a strange adolescent with this adoration of aging actors from their younger days but now I prefer to think of myself as an old soul.

I dabbled in theater myself in high school. Every year each grade put on a play. Here I am in my onstage debut in two roles, but mainly as the character Birdboot (in the plaid pants) in a comedy sophomore year of high school (I raided my dad’s wardrobe for it). I won best actor that year and we won best play with The Real Inspector Hound, beating out the seniors! Someday, I’d love to get back on stage.

My husband and I passed on our love of theater to our son, attending the theater each year just as my parents did with me. With each production, we’re making memories through the stories we experience together on stage. From comedy to drama to musicals, we’ve enjoyed it all—on Broadway, off-Broadway, and high school productions. Some faves?

Noises Off with Marilu Henner from the movie (hilarious!)
Anastasia
Guys and Dolls
Wicked (most powerful theatrical event EVER!)
The Lion King (I was 8 months pregnant and didn’t know I’d be when we got tickets!)
Fiddler on the Roof
Elf the Musical (jolly good time!)
It’s A Wonderful Life
Mamma Mia (sooo good we saw it twice!)
Ain’t Misbehavin’

 

Back in the 1990s, a mutual friend’s family’s bus company shuttled people to New York City from Albany for Broadway shows. They often didn’t sell all the bus seats and tickets on hand. With my friends, we’d “hawk” the extra theater tickets at Times Square (moving from corner to corner, careful to avoid the real ticket sellers). Our payment? Free seats at whatever show we had remaining tickets for. Ahh, how amazing it was to see Julie Andrews up close performing on stage in Victor Victoria, and other plays like Miss Saigon.

There is such power in music. It transforms us. Uplifts us. Invokes a journey. Connects us to story. Evokes a burst of emotion. It can literally change our mood. Music is even more powerful when attached to life experiences. We hear a song and unlock that memory—just like with scents.

I still listen to music from the 1940s and 1950s. My husband asked me why I love it so much. In pondering, I understand now because it fills me with nostalgia of days gone by. Simpler times without computers or social media. A slower pace, richer with smaller moments. A quieter place of cozy gatherings with family and friends in conversation and game nights. A place I yearn to be but never grew up in all those decades ago, except in my soul—and perhaps a past life. A place where stories soar and shine with exuberance and drama and sentiment.

This love still shines through. I feature Frank Sinatra and a production of Grease in my new middle grade novel out March 3rd, The Secret Winners Club. It’s my way of giving tribute to an era long gone, but still alive in the world it left behind for us to cherish. To find out more about the book and pre-order, visit my book page. And have a giggle here at me lip synching to “Greased Lightnin’”!

I’m so excited to share my new middle grade book, The Secret Winners Club, when it releases on March 3rd! Here’s a snapshot of what it’s about.

AUTHOR SCHOOL VISIT PROMOTION!

Are you an educator or librarian? Download my classroom teacher guide for The Secret Winners Club. PLUS, book me for an author visit with your school by April 1st and receive $75 off a single in-person author visit or $50 off a virtual author visit with me! Valid for booking dates through December 2026. Email me to claim at: donna@donnagalanti.com

Spring is nearly here!

Enlightenment, Going Home, Breathing in Nature & What I’m Reading

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Each week I read a chapter of Wayne W. Dyer’s Wisdom of the Ages: 60 Days to Enlightenment and journal my own insights. In this book, Dyer highlights 60 great thinkers of the past, provides his own take on their words, and poses questions on what they offer us today in modern times.

This week:
The poem “On Time” by John Milton (1608-1674)
First sentence…

Fly envious Time, till thou run out thy race,
Call on the lazy leaden-stepping hours,
Whose speed is but the heavy Plummets pace;
And glut thy self with what thy womb devours,
Which is no more then what is false and vain,
And meerly mortal dross;
So little is our loss,
So little is thy gain.

Milton goes on about how we can triumph over our earthly fate—by entering a sense of timelessness with the passage of time. There is no need to defeat it but rather we can smile at it. We can enjoy the rewards of eternity now in this earthly life. We can contemplate our physical selves and possessions and laugh peacefully at it all—for it’s only on lease. We can make peace with time. We’re not its victim. Instead, we can have a sense of knowing that our soul is where bliss resides with joy, love, and peace. Forever includes now.

These weekly passages give me pause when I need it most. And with so much busyness going on this past month, I also needed to breathe in all of nature’s green. And I did. I hope you have green to fill you up, too. Turn up the volume 🙂

I visited new and familiar forests and meadows full of music and magic. I went on for miles and finally had to turn around. I should really tell my husband where I am when I wander like this, in case the woodland fairies carry me away!

SPEAKING OF NATURE …
It was fun volunteering with an Audubon Society school program with Hopper the broad-winged hawk. Here he is flapping in his house.

Plus, I got to visit with all the other bird ambassadors on site like Oden the great horned owl, Ursa the Harris’s hawk, Abby a red-phase Eastern-screech owl, CC the pigeon, and more.

Fascinating fact about broad-winged hawks:
During migration to South America, they group together by the thousands, forming a tornado-like vortex known as a ‘kettle’ or ‘boil’. This is formed from the hot air on the ground. They rise up on the hot air into the sky to then glide along downward on their route and then do it again. This way they don’t use up so much energy flapping their wings for their long migration and have to constantly eat to keep up energy. Smart! Watch a video of this epic journey here.

GOING HOME AGAIN

May was also a travel month. I visited Albany, New York, where I (mostly) grew up to be the keynote speaker for the 136th commencement ceremony at my alma mater, Academy of the Holy Names. I connected with new friends and old friends. Total nostalgic fun.

I loved being back on campus 39 years after my own H.S. graduation to see so many accomplished young women beginning their new life journey. I spoke to them about the power of getting outside your comfort zone.

In my speech, I mentioned key things to keep in mind when stepping outside the familiar for a greater reward:

· You won’t always know what you’re doing.
· You will stumble.
· You will fail.
· You will not be perfect. And that’s okay because no one is perfect at anything when they’re new at it.

And if you accept that you will stumble and fail then you give yourself permission to TRY and FAIL. And you give yourself the gift of courage. The courage to embrace life and be unafraid to step into the unknown. And if faced with the chance to get outside your comfort zone, ask yourself—what is the cost of staying the same? Is it worth it? Only you can decide.

On this visit I also mourned my own youth a bit, wishing I could go back to that shiny, fleeting moment to truly embrace all the potential I held—and the blank canvas to color as I wished. Would I color it differently knowing what I know now and having had the experiences I’ve had the last 40 years?

WHAT I’M READING

My American Journey by Colin Powell with Joseph E. Persico
I’ve always admired Colin Powell, and his memoir is a wonderful dive into his life and thoughts on his personal and career journeys. I especially enjoy his self-deprecating manner and way of revealing how his path unfolded in practical and often unexpected—and lucky—ways.

Colin Powell is the embodiment of the American dream. He was born in Harlem to immigrant parents from Jamaica. He knew the rough life of the streets. He overcame a barely average start at school. Then he joined the Army. The rest is history—Vietnam, the Pentagon, Panama, Desert Storm. Here, Colin Powell himself tells us how it happened, in a memoir distinguished by a heartfelt love of country and family, warm good humor, and a soldier’s directness. My American Journey is the powerful story of a life well lived and well told.

MY NEXT BOOK COMING 3/3/26!

I’m so excited to have seen the final cover of my next middle grade book out 3/3/26 by Wild Trail Press, The Secret Winners Club, and I just finished the final edits. Full cover reveal coming soon!

Here’s a sneak peek of the cover and what The Secret Winners Club is about…

1st Club Rule: Do whatever it takes.

A girl with a visible autoimmune condition bands with other immune deficient friends to create a secret winner’s club to be known for more than just their diseases. Tired of always achieving second place in school competitions, they help each other become #1 before middle school is over—but they quickly discover crossing the line and hurting others can make them even more visible and even more of an outsider.

This is another personal story to me as I have five autoimmune disorders, some of them visible as well. It can be hard for kids to look different—and harder to embrace their unique selves.

LOON COVE SUMMER OUT A MONTH!

It’s been one month as of today that Loon Cove Summer released. I was thrilled to see the orange banner on Amazon with it being the #1 New Release in Camping Books for Children its first week out! Thank you, readers, for making this happen.

Loon Cove Summer is available here from your favorite bookstore in paperback, eBook, and hardcover by Wild Trail Press.

It can take months and even years to write, rewrite, revise, get rejected, and get a book published. After you do, the most satisfying thing is knowing other people read it and are moved by your story. Thank you to Therearenobadbooks for her review of Loon Cove Summer. Be sure to follow her wonderful book recommendations on FB and IG and check out her own books! See full review here.

Happy reading!

XXOO Donna

The Journey of a Book + Loon Cove Summer Cover Reveal!

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In the 1970s after my parents and I moved back to the United States from England, my dad’s dream was to own and operate a campground—and so we did. We bought Bethel Woods Campground in Holderness, New Hampshire, by Squam Lake (where they filmed the movie On Golden Pond!).

As an only child, our campground was one of my favorite places to live because I always had other kids to play with.

It’s also where I fell in love with nature—and loons! Also, hiking as you can see here with the beautiful lakes region of New Hampshire behind me.

And where I learned how to fish. My dad got me my first tackle box and took me out on the lake where he nearly rammed his Boston Whaler into a rock just so I could reel in my first fish—a pike!

I never forgot this place of my childhood and in 2013 it shaped itself into a story. In 2015 I went back in time to visit the campground (now under another name) for a book research trip. It was an emotional trip for me as my mother had since passed, but also a nostalgic and healing one.

The book started out as a young adult for teens but soon morphed into a middle-grade for younger audiences to embrace the magic and wonder of that time in our youth—and the inspiration of a lakeside campground. After working with many editors over the years in revisions, the book is finally coming out!

I’m super excited to now reveal the cover for my new middle-grade book publishing on May 6, 2025, by Wild Trail Press—LOON COVE SUMMER!

HERE’S WHAT LOON COVE SUMMER IS ABOUT:

Thirteen-year-old Sarah Richardson is determined that her life will finally get unstuck this summer. She just knows it. Her to-do list? Brave the lake again. Save the loons. Stop missing Mom. Her one bright spot: volunteering at the local wild bird rehabilitation center.

The summer looks even brighter when Sarah meets Theo, the boy staying at her family’s Maine lakeside campground who cares about protecting the loons just like she does. But when Sarah’s family may have to move, she adds a new to-do item: save their home. And when she suspects Dad is dating Theo’s aunt, the naturalist helping research environmental dangers to the loons, Sarah is caught in a new world of grief.

With the looming reality of losing her dad, her home, and the loons, Sarah must make a big statement to take control of her life. Capturing inspiration from her late mother’s Appalachian Trail hiking journal, she boldly plans a solo wild adventure. But as her challenges mount, she wonders if her courage will earn her the voice she seeks—or if she’s made a reckless choice that just might claim her life.

It’s bittersweet for me that I can’t share this book with my dad as he passed in 2023, but I smile knowing he would have enjoyed reading it and revisiting our campground in his mind. I wish he were still here to share more stories about our time there. What a gift that would be.

Finally, I want to say thank you to these wonderful children’s book authors who read and blurbed LOON COVE SUMMER pre-publication. Be sure to check out their books!
Jess Rinker
Cathy Carr
Paul Greci
Kate Allen

You can pre-order LOON COVE SUMMER here in hardcover, paperback, or eBook from your favorite bookstore: https://www.donnagalanti.com/loon-cove-summer/

Watch for the Loon Cove Summer Book Trailer coming next month!

My New Middle Grade Book Coming 2025 + Fall Comfort Food!

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I’m super excited to share the release of my next middle grade book, LOON COVE SUMMER, coming out May 2025!

This story took hold of me in 2013. It’s grown and evolved, but never let me go. As a child, my parents owned and operated a rural campground in New England and it was a magical place to live. This story is a love letter to my childhood there.

Here’s what LOON COVE SUMMER is about:

Thirteen-year-old Sarah Richardson is determined that her life will finally get unstuck this summer. She just knows it. Her to-do list? Brave the lake again. Save the loons. Stop missing Mom. Her one bright spot: volunteering at the local wild bird rehabilitation center.

The summer looks even brighter when Sarah meets Theo, the boy staying at her family’s Maine lakeside campground who cares about protecting the loons just like she does. But when Sarah’s family may have to move, she adds a new to-do item: save their home. And when Dad starts spending too much time with Theo’s aunt, the naturalist helping research environmental dangers to the loons, Sarah is caught in a world of grief and guilt.

With the looming reality of losing her dad, her home, and the loons, Sarah must make a big statement to take control of her life. Capturing inspiration from her mother’s Appalachian Trail hiking journal, she boldly plans a solo wild adventure. But as her challenges mount, she wonders if her courage will earn her the voice she seeks—or if she’s made a reckless choice that just might claim her life.

And here’s a sneak peek teaser of a small snippet of the unfinished cover—still in the illustration process!

I fell in love with nature, the woods, and lakes at the age of nine when I lived at my family’s campground in New England by Squam Lake in Holderness, New Hampshire.

Here’s the amazing view of the lake from the top of Rattlesnake Mountain.

Here I am on Squam Lake where we lived and where I caught my first fish with my dad in his Boston Whaler.

The fish was a pike, and he nearly rammed his boat into a rock island just so I could get it! I’m the one in the white hat. 🙂

Back in 2015, I visited Holderness and Squam Lake when I was working on LOON COVE SUMMER. You can read about that adventure here. It was like stepping back in time, wrapped up in the comfort of being a kid again.

With the one-year anniversary of my dad’s death coming up on October 30th, I love reminiscing about our time at the campground. It helps me smile from our memories together rather than be sad. My dad loved fishing and camping and we spent many family vacations doing both in Canada and throughout New England.

It was beautiful to experience the Lakes Region of New Hampshire on my recent visit in fall. And I’m so excited that fall is here now. The golden colors, flying leaves, crisp air, fires and hot cider, bundled up in coats and gloves. I love it all!

Because I love fall, I want share with you my favorite autumn comfort recipe that I created long ago:

Meat scramble bowl with veggies!
Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef (or poultry if you prefer)
Several butter gold potatoes
Two crowns of broccoli
2 sweet onions
2 large red, orange, or yellow peppers
2 large carrots
Organic vegetable bouillon cube
½ cup of marinara sauce (or canned tomatoes)
½ cup beef broth (or poultry)
2 tablespoons almond butter or peanut butter
2 cloves of garlic diced
Olive oil for tossing vegetables and pan
Seasonings (curry, Italian seasoning, chili powder, cumin, salt)
Optional:
Parmesan cheese to taste (about 2 tablespoons)
1-2 tablespoons of dehydrated coconut milk to mix in for creaminess

Instructions:
Cut up peppers, carrots, broccoli, and 1 onion into chunks
Toss these cut up vegetables with olive oil, your fave seasonings, and roast in oven on parchment paper at 400 degrees until done (caramelized and bit darkened)
While the veggies are roasting, make mashed potatoes in your style
Dice up the remaining onion and cook until opaque in deep skillet on medium with olive oil
Add diced garlic to skillet once onion is done
Add in meat and break up into small crumbles until mostly cooked
Add marinara, broth, bouillon cube, coconut milk powder, and almond/peanut butter and stir
Cover skillet and turn heat to low to simmer
Stir occasionally
When done add in seasonings (I love curry especially!) and parmesan to taste

To serve warm:
Place generous scoop of mashed potatoes in a large serving bowl
Top with generous scoop of meat scramble and roasted veggies
Enjoy – and leftovers too!
Time saver tip: Instead of making a pot of mashed potatoes. Cook one potato in the microwave, mash hot with a fork with butter or olive oil, and place in bottom of a serving bowl then top with meat scramble and veggies.
Time saver tip 2: Cut up sweet potatoes and roast with other veggies instead of making mashed potatoes.

Happy fall! I’ll leave you with an autumn photo from Squam Lake to enjoy.

 

Winter Trips, Recommended Reads & Book Fun!

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It’s been several months since I last posted! It’s been a whirlwind winter and I’m eager for spring as it’s been endlessly gray here in Pennsylvania this winter. But I had some sunshine as I recently received my advanced author copies of Beyond the Portal, the third and final book in my Unicorn Island series, out April 4th!

My publisher, Andrews McMeel, also sent me bookmarks and bookplate labels. If you order the book, I’d love to send you a bookmark and personalized bookplate label for you or your favorite unicorn lover. Just email me at donna(at)donnagalanti.com. Pre-Order Beyond the Portal HERE from your favorite bookseller.

We had some fun family time. Our son, Joshua, came home for Christmas to visit for three weeks from Hawaii.

AND we surprised my husband, Mike, with a secret 50th birthday trip to Newport, Rhode Island. Ahh, the glorious Gilded Age mansions, the sea, and the food! It was a fabulous trip.

Joshua and I also made a trip to see his Grampy in North Carolina. Sadly, my dad has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and I’ve since had to relocate him to the Memory Care Unit of his facility. But I’m so thankful he can remain in the same place with familiar staff and people.

I also celebrated my Little Sister’s 13th birthday this winter. We were paired up through Big Brothers Big Sisters when she was nine and I can’t believe how grown up she has become. We tried bowling and she got a strike!

Something to look forward to? Joshua is moving home from Hawaii to Pennsylvania on May 22! I can’t believe it will have been nearly two years since he moved to Waikiki. But….

But …. he won’t be here for long. He plans to manage fudge shows all summer for his dad’s business (Your Chocolate Guys — best fudge ever!) and then he and his girlfriend will be backpacking through the Schengen Area of Europe on a 90-day visa. And yes, I had to look up the Schengen Area, too! It’s comprised of 27 countries, the world’s largest visa-free zone. Ahh, to be young and adventurous!

I’ll leave you with recommendations for two books I just finished:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. James shows you how! Packed with evidence-based strategies, Atomic Habits will teach you how to make small changes that will transform your habits and deliver amazing results.

The Impossible First by Colin O’Brady

A truly awe-inspiring memoir spanning Colin’s triumphant recovery from a tragic accident to his gripping 932-mile solo crossing of Antarctica.

Besides reading and writing, I’ve also been busy adding new items to my Etsy Shop, Go Wild Design. It’s a super fun project! I love creating new products that share my love for nature. See what’s new so far! Visit GO WILD DESIGN.

Happy Almost Spring! 

P.S. Don’t forget Beyond the Portal comes our April 4th! I’ll have event news then, too. 🙂
Pre-Order Beyond the Portal HERE from your favorite bookseller.