School Visits Archives - Donna Galanti - Where heart and hope meet adventure!

Enter to Win a Copy of Unicorn Island plus Reviews, Podcasts & a New Course for Writers!

Thank you everyone for helping me celebrate the release of Unicorn Island this past month! Watch for book 2, Secret Beneath the Sand, launching digitally in a 5-part serial first on the Epic! platform starting May 10.

I also ran away to this farmhouse in the woods at the end of February to get a new middle grade novel completed and sent to my literary agent. It includes adventure with lakes, loons, campgrounds, and the Appalachian Trail. I can’t wait to tell you more about it someday!

It was a rough week after retreat as I had surgery to remove my pesky little gallbladder, but I’ve been comforted by so many wonderful friends who’ve called, texted, emailed, sent flowers, and delivered food! I’m hoping to turn the corner any day soon. 😊

And now for fun unicorn stuff! Check out an interview on Literary Rambles this week PLUS go there to enter to win an illustrated hardcover copy of Unicorn Island!

Check out this wrap up of Unicorn Island news from this past month:

Here’s a new recording I did with Teaching Books. Listen to me talk about the backstory of Unicorn Island, an excerpt from the book, and how my childhood helped me write magical stories! And here’s a recording of my name, its history, and what I think of it. 😊
5 Things to Like About Unicorn Island with Always in the Middle book blog plus a review. “Will for sure capture your imagination.”
Read an excerpt of Unicorn Island on The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow plus a review. “Anyone who enjoys magic will fall right into this story.”
A fun interview plus 3 fun facts about unicorns on Word Spelunking book blog!
Video podcast with Middle Grade Ninja where we talk writing, Unicorn Island, plus a ghost story!
Interview plus review on Geo Librarian blog. Find out my favorite part of writing! “A fun fantasy book.”
Review of Unicorn Island on Fundimental book blog. “A beautifully written coming of age fantasy.”
Interview on Literary Rambles and advice for writers.

Look what my publisher made! You can download these fun Unicorn Island activities for a book hideaway and make your own banner, bookmark, and door hanger.

I am also doing virtual school visits! I’m hopping across country from Pennsylvania to California and doing 5 in the San Jose school district alone this month. If you’d like me to visit with your school just check out my informational page here or download my virtual flyer here. **NEW** For 2021 I am donating all my virtual author visits for free!

CALLING ALL FICTION WRITERS!
Are you a fiction writer wondering how to create a world in your story? Then sign up for my virtual class: Foundations of Worldbuilding for Any Genre
Pearl S. Buck Writing Center
April 17th from 1:30pm – 3pm

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.
Fee is $25. REGISTER: https://psbwritingcenter.org/2021/02/27/foundations-of-world-building-for-all-genres/

Hope to see you there! Please share with your writing friends.

Haven’t gotten a copy yet of Unicorn Island for yourself or a unicorn lover you know? You can order it here at your favorite bookseller.

Spring is nearly here! Hope it’s a good one for you. –Donna

Vote in the Crystal Kite Awards + Spring Events!

By Donna Galanti

Spring has sprung and lots of things are poking up!

First off, for all Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) members, Crystal Kite Award voting begins TODAY! Vote for your fave children’s books in regional divisions! Just login to SCBWI then on your HOME page click “Vote in the Crystal Kite Awards” in the lower left column. Read through the list of alphabetical books nominated for your region and then cast your vote for your favorite book. Happy voting!

Even if you aren’t an SCBWI member please remind your SCBWI friends to vote by posting on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks. 🙂

Looking for some books to share with your kids? On Project Middle Grade Mayhem this week I talk about showing children our world – good and bad – through books.

I also had fun with my new novel critique group! These awesome folks are dizzingly talented middle grade and young adult authors and we’re having a blast drafting new novels together. Their feedback and advice is helping me write full speed ahead on my new fantasy novel. Woohoo!

The Sombrero of Silence was in full effect for each one under critique at our 2nd meeting, but Warlord of Words Joe McGee whipped us all in shape first by making us write on command to start out! Won’t go all into our genius masterpieces, but will just say our collaborative story was titled, Booger Love, and leave it right there. Check out my friends here Joe McGee, Jessica Rinker, and Erica George.

I was also invited to a great conference in March hosted by the wonderful Philadelphia Stories and Open Book called, Writers at Work Conference, where I met up with old and new friends. I also got to be a part of a dynamic panel titled The Entrepreneurial Author.

I’ve also been having a busy winter and spring visiting schools as a guest cialis author for 4th-8th grades in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Engaging with kids and inspiring them with reading and writing is super fun! They take the skit to heart and always act out with so much energy.

I enjoyed getting swarmed for the first time and I never signed so many autographs. Best question: “So is it hard to go places because people come up to you everywhere and stop you for your autograph?” Well, now they do 🙂 .

I even did some Skype visits!

And I’m so grateful for my local bookshop, The Doylestown Bookshop, for coordinating all book sales! Here I am signing books before an event.

Would you like me to visit your school? Check out my school visits page! Here’s what one librarian had to say.

“Our students were enthralled to participate in Donna Galanti’s interactive presentation. Her connections between the writing and revision process were made clear in a spirited and playful manner that not only engaged students’ personal trials in writing, but inspired them to continue to be creative and self-reflective. The students and teachers were still talking about her days after she left.”–Wayne C. Rush, Librarian, Grover Cleveland Middle School, Caldwell, NJ

Librarian Wayne Rush was so welcoming at Grover Cleveland MS where I had my biggest visit yet with hundreds in an auditorium!

More events are coming up. Here’s where I will be heading this spring. Hope to see you!

Guest author at the Pennsylvania School Librarians Conference, Author’s Alley, Hershey, PA, May 13, 2016

Presenting workshops on craft and marketing plus critique sessions, Pennwriters Annual Conference, Lancaster, PA, May 20-22, 2016

Presenting craft workshops and evaluating manuscripts, NJ SCBWI Annual Conference, Princeton, NJ, June 4-5, 2016

HAPPY SPRING!

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**NEXT WEEK watch for the cover of Joshua and the Arrow Realm, Book 2 in the Lightning Road series coming August 30th, to be revealed!**

Happy New Year + CYBILS Award Nominations!

By Donna Galanti

I love the holidays but also love when they are over. Autumn has passed and the world is dead and gray, but life brims beneath. The New Year brings the promise of limitless possibilities and dreams to follow! It’s an awakening as we move toward spring when our winter’s work delivers gifts from our labor (we hope!).

I’m super excited that Joshua and the Lightning Road has been nominated for a 2015 Children’s & Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Award (CYBILS) in Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction. Check out all of the amazing titles nominated this year and written by wonderful authors.

I’m working this New Year on final line edits for Joshua and the Arrow Realm out May 31, 2016 – and I love the first comment my editor made about the opening!

Editing is not the only thing I’m working on. I’m over the moon about my new teen medieval fantasy. Here’s a snippet of what this new book is about!

The Enemy’s Prince: Blood Fable Series

Three kings.
Two sons.
One daughter.
And a secret that could break – or bond – a kingdom.

Blood rules all.

Three enemy kings rule the floating island of Lorn Rock but one seeks ultimate power. In a world where blood delivers truth, you must lie to survive. Inherited story has created a culture stuck in the past and is breaking apart as its people turn away from their determined roles and de-evolve into the wild Primals. But one prince dreams of being a soldier in a world where people are born into their destined fable. Banished from his kingdom, he forges allies with the enemy to solve the mystery of his banishment, and his past. He must convince Lorn Rock to embrace change to survive – but can he be both soldier and ruler to save his people from a conquering king and the beasts buy xanax that lure them?

Where do I get much of my inspiration? Much of it comes from biking the trails along creeks and meadows where I live in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Even in this mild winter, the gray calls to me. Flying solo on my bike during lovely, murky days warms my heart – and my imagination. Find me a tree house high in the mist to write in. I stop often, moved by the setting, and record scenes and dialogue that come to me.

I also get inspiration from travels, like a recent trip to Princeton, New Jersey. Stepping on the campus of Princeton University transports me to another time long ago. The architecture fuels the medieval landscape of my new book. And you can see why!

Bryn Athyn Cathedral is another setting where I lose myself in imagined olden days. Read my post about a recent visit there.

My next book to write this year is one close to my heart – a contemporary tale set at a campground in New Hampshire (where I lived as a child). Read about my trip back in time there this past fall.

Starting in January I have several author visits this winter and spring scheduled at local schools. Can’t wait to meet their students and share my love for reading and writing! Would you like me to visit your school? Check out my school visits page. I do FREE Skype visits as well to any location in the world.

And if you haven’t read Joshua and the Lightning Road yet, visit here to read the first two chapters!

And speaking of Joshua’s, I’d thought I’d leave you on a joyous note. Here is the real Joshua long ago at four-years-old, singing away at Christmas. May it bring you cheer this New Year, as it does me!

Your School or Book Club Could Win an Author Visit!

By Donna Galanti

If you’re a parent, teacher, librarian, or homeschooler in Southeastern PA, Lehigh Valley PA, New Jersey, or Delaware you could win one of four FREE author visits! (See book club bonus below).

Let your students discover how authors are not secret fairies after all but actual people who live all around them – and if we can make our dreams come true, so can they. 🙂

In my school visits I share a peek at my own writing journey (with lots of humor!), the three nuggets of story telling, and the importance of not giving up – revision and perseverance!

Out of the area to win? I do extended travel paid author visits and am negotiable.

Here’s what Erica Cranden, English Teacher at William Annin Middle School, NJ, had to say:

“Ms. Galanti came to visit our middle school’s creative writing group, and she was awesome! She shared her creative process from start to finish and is a talented writer and an inspiration. By the end of her engaging presentation, the students felt as though they, too, were capable of achieving ultram their goals of writing a book and becoming published authors. We can’t wait to have her back!”

ANYWHERE BOOK CLUB BONUS!
Any town library book club, private book club, school book club, or classroom of 8 members or more that reads Joshua and the Lightning Road will receive either a free in-person book club visit (with swag!) or a Skype visit. Just contact me about setting up a visit.

HOW TO ENTER:
Comment on this post or contact me by November 15th with why you would love to win an author visit. I will randomly select four schools as winners for visits to be scheduled at their convenience. Winners will be notified by November 18th.

“Thank you so much for coming to discuss your writing process and background with our fifth and sixth grade students. Your manner during the presentation ensured that each student was interested and engaged! Thank you again for being so generous with your time.” –Melanie Jones, Librarian, Kutz Elementary, Doylestown, PA

Visit my school visits page for more information.

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Summer Fun: San Francisco, book signings & reviews!

By Donna Galanti

Summer is racing by and it’s time for a mid-summer break. I’ve been in la-la land with my son being out of school and I’m not sure even what day it is – and I’m so late in posting news! So here’s a mish-mosh for ya.

I was thrilled to receive a glowing review from The Midwest Book Review for Joshua and the Lightning Road that hails it as “A heart-pounding thrill ride full of unexpected twists and turns from start to finish.” See the full Midwest Book Review.

I also planned a family vacation in San Francisco, California, around my book signing at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference the last week in June.

And WOW what an amazing time our San Francisco trip was!

I will never forget biking over the Golden Gate Bridge…

…or seeing the great redwood trees…

…or driving down the winding Pacific Coast on Route 1…

…or visiting Alcatraz. Put them on your bucket lists now if you haven’t already done so!

San Francisco is unlike any other city I’ve been in. The architecture. The weather that can change three times a day. The culture. The FOOD! The diversity.

And THE FOG. It rolls in like a mysterious beast that slinks its way through the Golden Gate Bridge and rolls up and over the mountains. It sucks away the world and returns it on its own time. I was so fascinated by it that buy provigil it’s becoming a character in my new fantasy book!

The fog rolls in across the Golden Gate and Alcatraz

I truly did leave my heart in San Francisco and can’t wait to go back!

And to sign at the ALA Conference was amazing! Although getting there was a bit tricky as the city was one big colorful festivity with the Pride Parade going on the same day.

I got to meet some author friends there like Selene Castrovilla with her award-winning book Melt. And had a co-signing with fellow Month9Books author, Scott Craven, who writes zombies for middle graders.

This week I’m thrilled to be returning to my hometown of Albany, New York for a book signing and celebration at The Book House in Stuyvesant Plaza at 7pm on Friday, July 31^st. Folks local to Albany, come out early for a scavenger hunt, goodies, and giveaways – and of course, books! My real Joshua will also be there for me to embarrass him. Hope to see you there. Please invite your friends!

I’m gearing up for school visits now and if you’re a teacher, parent, or student who would like for me to come visit your school I’d love to! I live in Southeastern, Pennsylvania, but can travel anywhere in the U.S. See my assembly flyer and contact me for more information.

HAPPY SUMMER ALL!