Donna Galanti - Where heart and hope meet adventure!

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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

Inspirational Life Tools for 2022 + 3-Book Giveaway!

By Donna Galanti

Happy New Year!

I hope your holidays were special and comforting.

My son was home for two weeks from Hawaii and it was so wonderful to be with him again.

We picked him up at the Philadelphia airport and the line of cars to get in to the pick-up line was bumper to bumper. A total standstill. Yet, I could see him there, just up ahead! I couldn’t bear one more moment of waiting and dashed out of the car toward him. He turned. Saw me and smiled then ran for me. We collided in one giant hug of laughter and tears. We hugged and hugged and couldn’t let go.

Yes, it was just like a Hallmark card commercial you cry over (because we writers always see ourselves in a story 😊).


We had a fun vacation. Went hiking, to the theater, to Longwood Gardens, the movies on Christmas Day, and just hung out.


While it was wonderful to have to him here it was also hard. It struck me with his being here for a short while, trying to pack in every moment with us and his friends, that this is not his home anymore. It never would be again. He belonged somewhere else. He’d created another home. And our lives as a family of three would never be immersed together once more every day. I am not a mom anymore on a daily basis. Fully understanding that was rough—as well as saying goodbye. And having to grief his leaving all over again.


But I am hopeful that in 2022 I can let go of my grief and loss and get to know him, and myself, in knew ways. Different ways—but good ways.

December was also the month I moved my dad into assisted living in North Carolina. A large adjustment for him, and me. I’m taking on many tasks he can no longer do with vision and hearing problems. Handling finances, investments, healthcare, daily monitoring. And all while he’s a ten-hour drive away.

As you can see, 2021 was a year of upheaval for me. I moved to a new area and home. I moved my son 5,000 miles away. I moved my dad into a new living situation. All of this, during the added stress of the Pandemic. And in doing all this, I left a parenting role behind with my son and yet took on a new kind of parenting role with my dad. It’s been freeing and burdening all at once with complicated emotions tangled up in both. With all this, there has not been much writing going on. At. All. LOL.

But with the start of 2022, I feel a sense of peace. This is a winter of necessary hibernation. I cant wait to see what wonderful things come of it! And I’ve embraced three inspirational words for this year: Belonging—Exploration—Transformation.

  1. Belonging through discovering where it is I want to relocate to on a permanent basis—and who I want to belong with through a community—as I sit in this transitional waiting place.
  2. Exploration with learning new skills and ideas.
  3. Transformation with seeing the world—and myself—in a new perspective.

Here’s my wish list of things to explore this year—and feel free to add mine to your own list:

  • How to juggle (and let me tell you, it’s hard! Still mastering the one-ball 😊)
  • Play the harmonica
  • Balloon twisting
  • Sword fighting
  • Cheese making (signing up for a local creamery class this spring!)
  • Cook one new meal a week
  • Astronomy
  • Origami
  • Classical music form and history

Here I am trying to master the one-ball juggling technique first. Star is my captive audience! 

Are you looking to belong, explore, and transform in 2022?

Here are tools I bring from past years into this New Year that have helped me find peace, release anxiety, and become more self-aware on a daily basis.

Transcendental Meditation (TM):
This is a technique for promoting a state of relaxed awareness, derived from an ancient tradition in India. TM has so many benefits like enhanced focus, heart health, anxiety relief, and stress management. It’s taught through a one-time fee TM program that you can find in your area. TM offers scholarships, too, and I received one in 2019. TM provides me with a great sense of peace and calm.

Journaling:
When I feel lost, in need of answers, or just trying to grasp understanding, I look to write down my thoughts and feelings about specific topics. Writing my jumbled thoughts down brings clarity and a welcome break from confusion. It helps guide me in the right direction of where I seek to go.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT):  
This has the root of ancient forms of relief through tapping of pressure points. And tapping these points, led through a guided mind-body integrated process, sends calming signals to the brain to release overwhelm and anxiety. I began with the free app Tapping Solution, and have since upgraded to an annual subscription.

Denise Austin Workouts:
This can be any free or subscription-based exercise program to do at home, but I love love love Denise! She’s been around for decades and is still peppy and fun. I find myself smiling along with her. She also has such a variety of workouts, many of them low-impact with hand held weights which I love. It’s a real release on a cold, winter day when going out for a hike is not appealing in 25 degree weather!

Master Class Subscription:
I purchased this online subscription this year to soak up knowledge and inspiration from influential people. My goal: less television, more growing 😊. And I’m loving it… from leaders to musicians to writers to conservationists. It’s a window into people who’ve made a difference.

With all this discovery, mental and physical, sometimes we just need to escape! And that can mean escaping into books. Yay! So, this month I’m giving away three hardcover middle grade books to indulge in this winter.

A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON by Kate Albus

It is 1940 and William, 12, Edmund, 11, and Anna, 9, aren’t terribly upset by the death of the not-so-grandmotherly grandmother who has taken care of them since their parents died.

But the children do need a guardian, and in the dark days of World War II London, those are in short supply, especially if they hope to stay together. Could the mass wartime evacuation of children from London to the countryside be the answer?

It’s a preposterous plan, but off they go– keeping their predicament a secret, and hoping to be placed in a temporary home that ends up lasting forever. Moving from one billet to another, the children suffer the cruel trickery of foster brothers, the cold realities of outdoor toilets and the hollowness of empty stomachs.

They find comfort in the village lending library, whose kind librarian, Nora Müller, seems an excellent choice of billet, except that her German husband’s whereabouts are currently unknown, and some of the villagers consider her unsuitable.

THE NEWSPAPER CLUB by Beth Vrabel

Nellie Murrow — the daughter of two (former) newspaper reporters — was named after one of the fiercest journalists who ever lived. When she moves to sleepy Bear Creek, Maine, rumors of vandalism and attacks at the only park in town are keeping her saddled to the house.

Some townspeople say the attacks are gang recruitments. Others blame a vagrant spotted on the hiking trails around town. But when Nellie thinks like a reporter, none of those explanations make sense. Something is happening at the park, but what? All of the fake online news and rumors are clouding the truth.

Nellie wants to break the story — and break free from the front yard — but she can’t do it alone. She needs a whole club if she’s going to start the Cub Report, the town’s first independent newspaper. Creating a newspaper from scratch is going to be tough; but for Nellie, making friends is even harder.

JOURNEY BEYOND THE BURROW by Rina Heisel

There are rules every mouse must follow if they’re to survive in the forest.

Tobin knows these guidelines by heart. After all, with one younger sibling, another on the way, and a best friend with a penchant for trouble-making, he needs to be prepared for anything.

But one stormy night, Tobin’s safe burrow is invaded by monstrous arachnids, and his baby brother stolen away. To save him, Tobin will have to do something he’s never done before: break the rules.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

A reminder that SECRET BENEATH THE SAND is almost here!

Yes! Volume 2 of Unicorn Island, Secret Beneath the Sand, releases March 8th in hardcover! AND you can pre-order Secret Beneath the Sand now. 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.

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
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