The Secret Winners Club by Donna Gilanti is written for those between the ages of eight and thirteen, but I think people of all ages can relate to the message: Embrace your own unique self because you’re special just the way you are.
Each chapter begins with an illustration that spotlights a character’s point of view. I love when an author adds that something extra to the story.
Thirteen year old Sunny Whitlock is the main character. She has alopecia, an auto immune disease that caused her to lose her hair. I love the way she deals with it, by making her own headscarves. She doesn’t hide with bland colors, but bursts with colorful designs. She also has joined the junk bot club competition. Her father owns the scrapyard in town, so she has access to a lot of the parts, but her father also donates parts to the club. She gets picked on because of his work. It’s still the usual that we all struggle with, the haves and the have nots and those that are considered different, ouside the norm.
Sunny’s best friends are also auto immune deficient and together they form The Secret Winners Club. The goal is to step outside of their comfort zone, support each other and to win…at any cost. Do you see where this is going? What will be the cost of putting winning ahead of all else? This is one of those things…it’s a great idea, but they are doing it for the wrong reasons. As they begin to succeed, they learn the cost of their decisions.
The Secret Winners Club is a coming of age story that shares thoughts, feelings, and actions we can all learn from. I loved how the characters developed, learning life lessons as they strive to achieve the goals they set for themselves.
Tbank you Donna Galanti for the opportunity to read The Secret Winners Club.
5 Stars
ABOUT THE SECRET WINNERS CLUB
1st Rule of The Secret Winners Club: Do whatever it takes.
Thirteen-year-old Sunny Whitlock has alopecia; an autoimmune condition that’s made her lose her hair—and she’s desperate to be seen as more than just the bald kid. But how? By setting an epic goal: win her school’s junkbot club competition. And if she’s #1, then other kids will have to see beyond her disease … and she’ll finally fit in.
Sunny’s immune-deficient best friends are also tired of looking different and achieving second place in their school competitions. With a bold plan, Sunny bands with them to create The Secret Winners Club, a club devised to win—at any cost—and push them outside their comfort zones.
They promise to trust no one else. It’s all classified! And in total secrecy they aim to help one another become #1 before this middle school year is over. But as they start to succeed, they quickly discover that crossing the line and hurting others can make them even more visible and even more an outsider.
Donna Galanti is the author of the middle-grade ooks Unicorn Island series, Joshua and the Lightning Road series, and Loon Cove Summer. She’s lived in fun locations including England, her family-owned campground in New Hampshire, and in Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna is an avid outdoor adventurer and nature lover. She volunteers for the Old-Growth Forest Network and the National Audubon Society. For details on her books, events, and school programs, visit donnagalanti.com.
GIVEAWAY
Donna Galanti is offering a paperback (US ONLY) or ebook (International) of her book, Loon Cove Summer. Entry is easy peasy.
Enter a comment that answers the question, do you go on summer vacations?
Hi Donna, It is wonderful having you on fundinmental today.
How Real-Life Inspiration Influenced Writing a Book
I never knew my Great Uncle Elmer, but he lived on in stories my mom told me—and the dozen or more large-framed photos he took that I inherited. He was an avid photographer and organic gardener back in the mid-20th century before organic was mainstream. His articles and photos were even in Organic Gardening magazine.
And in 1968 when he was in his 60s, Uncle Elmer solo thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail from April to October—hiking 2,200+ miles from Georgia to Maine. He even got invited to visit the White House by President Johnson for his adventures but refused to leave the trail to attend. His wife would drop food packages at designated spots along the way, but he mostly ate seeds and berries.
Uncle Elmer at the start of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, April, 1968
After his 6-month trek in the wild, Uncle Elmer stopped at my parents’ house in New York on his way home and when my mom asked what he wanted to eat he heartily replied, “Fried chicken!” Then he slept on the floor in the guest room as he was so used to sleeping on the ground.
Uncle Elmer alone in the wide-open spaces of New Hampshire
On his thru-hike, an October snowstorm prevented Uncle Elmer from climbing Mount Katahdin in Maine and reaching the end of the trail at this mighty peak. But he returned the next year to Maine and completed the final five miles of the trail up the mountain.
Uncle Elmer carefully crossing a Vermont pond
A hiking lover myself, Uncle Elmer was my inspiration behind featuring adventures on the Appalachian Trail and Mount Katahdin in Loon Cove Summer, my next middle-grade novel being released on May 6th. His real-life scenarios played a role with a death-defying adventure in Loon Cove Summer. I wish I could be brave enough to solo through-hike like him.
Thanks so much for sharing the wonderful guest post, Donna.
Donna Galanti is a talented author that can write fabulous stories that appeal to all ages. Her latest, Loon Cove Summer comes out at the perfect time of year. She draws from real life stories and experiences to make Sarah Richardson’s story feel authentic.
Thirteen year old Sarah Richardson has not been on the lake since her mother’s death. She is determined to turn her life around. She will return to the lake and save the loons. She loves volunteering at the wild bird rehabilitation center.
Sarah becomes friends with Theor and his mother, Maggie, when she comes to study the loons. When Maggie becomes too close to Sarah’s father, her emotion run amok. Then, she finds that the campground she has loved may have to be sold.
She wanted her father to be happy, but she felt Maggie was a threat. Would she lose her father to her? Or would her life become fuller with the addition of Maggie in their lives?
As Sarah struggles to face the challenges in front of her, she will be forced to grow and accept the things she cannot control. She will come to terms with her grief.
I like that Sarah uses her mother’s diary for inspiration.
I love stories that weave fact and fiction together as seamlessly as Donna Galanti has and I love how she uses her own love of the environment to supply us with food for thought. Loon Cove Summer is an adventure that had my emotions mixing with Sarah’s as she grows and develops into a fully fleshed out character.
4 Stars
SYNOPSIS
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.
Praise for Loon Cove Summer: “A warm-hearted novel that balances profound loss with humor and hope.” – Kate Allen, author of The Line Tender
“As sparkling, refreshing, and mysterious as a Maine lake in summertime.” – Cathy Carr, author of 365 Days to Alaska
“An original and fun read from start to finish … unreservedly recommended.” – Midwest Book Review
“A page-turning read set in the wilds of Maine.” – Paul Greci, author of Surviving Bear Island
“The cast of unforgettable characters and tender relationships stays with you.” – Jessica Rinker, author of The Dare Sisters
LOON COVE SUMMER EXCERPT
Theo slowed the canoe as the sun burned the fog away. We glided into Lambert Cove, a favorite place for kids to hang out. A forgotten dock jutted out around the turn. Some pine trees dotted the island. The old Lambert house stood there, its weathered boards fading more each year. The front shell was all that remained after a fire. I’d reminded Theo of the fire again, but too late now.
We eased the canoe onto the sandy beach. The wind picked up and water lapped up against the canoe. We sat in the warm sun for a long moment.
Theo rubbed his nose. “Wanna talk?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then let’s explore.” He grabbed his bag and stepped out, pulling me with him.
We pulled the canoe up farther onto the sand. Just offshore sat two massive boulder, the Gunks, names for the twin, giant flat-topped rocks that kids spent time together on. Set ten feet or so off the beach in the water, they were each wide enough to hold several people. A cool spot to hang out from spring to fall, with great views of the lake. Remnants of campfires were strewn across the small beach, blackened logs sunk in ash. Theo clicked photo after photo of the Lambert house, taking off through the overgrown trail leading up to it. Charred timbers stood among the trees. They didn’t seem to bother him.
“What is this place?” he said.
“Jeremy Lambert built it for his wife over one hundred years ago.”
His camera clicked faster. Something new to photograph that was disappearing.
“What happened to it?” He stood back for a wider shot.
“I heard they had kids who didn’t like the lake. So, when his wife died, Jeremy left it to nobody.”
Theo lowered his camera. “This Lambert guy didn’t want anyone to have it who didn’t love it like he did.”
“I guess so.”
He ran a hand over the sagging porch railing, peering through the front door, still guarding the blackened remains.
I looked up at the now cloudless blue sky, the sun bright in my eyes. “It burned down one night when a bunch of kids lit a fire in the old fireplace. It went up like a torch, some town people said. You could see it all the way to our beach. It happened before we moved here.” I kicked an old crunched-up beer can. “Can you imagine seeing that?” The moment it came out, I wanted to suck the words back in.
Theo lowered his camera. “I can. Wood burns fast.”
“Sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t mean—”
“It’s okay.” He slid his camera away and headed back for the tiny beach, setting his bag down and tossing off his shirt in one swift movement. Scars crisscrossed up and down his back, pain and healing painted on him. I stood, clasped in the shadows of an ancient pine, moved by his sharing this and all the words we left unspoken. His loss. Mine.
He strode in, shivering as waves rippling around him. He pushed through the water and hauled himself up on the iron stairs built into the Gunks. Sitting on top, he leaned back on his elbows and peered up at the sun, water drops glimmering along his curls and shoulders.
I inched toward the beach, staying in the shadows as he shimmered on the rock. A sailboat skimmed waves in the far distance. An osprey soared overhead, searching the deep blue for his next meal. Waves rolled into shore from a speedboat that passed a moment ago. I breathed in the fresh scent of Nikuwoss Lake as I’d done a thousand times.
I’d breathed it in with tears flying, overlooking Loon Cove.
I’d breathed it in with six breaths a minute then four then two, then none.
I’d breathed it in with laughter before death came to our house.
“Come on in, Wes,” Theo called, peering over at me.
I went for it and plunged in, fully clothed.
ABOUT DONNA GALANTI
Donna Galanti is the author of two middle-grade book series, Unicorn Island and Joshua and the Lightning Road, and the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy for adults. She has lived in fun locations including England, her family-owned campground in New Hampshire, and in Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna is an avid outdoor adventurer and nature lover. She volunteers for the Old-Growth Forest Network and the National Audubon Society. When Donna’s not wandering the woods seeking magic and wonder, you can usually find her biking or kayaking. For more information on her books, school visits, and events, visit her at: www.donnagalanti.com.
If you are looking for some reading material to give your child hours of reading pleasure, getting lost in a fantasy world where Sam and Tuck take some amazing adventures, I must recommend this series.
The books are beautiful, with wonderful illustrations that draw us into the book, making it easier to visualize the scenes as they unfold, offering a little something extra to keep children involved, maybe even putting themselves in Sam and Tuck’s place.
Sam has a big heart and a need to help others, drawing Tuck into her adventures. Verny the Wyvern and Barloc the Unicorn are a couple of their best friends and volunteer to help them go Beyond The Portal to find discover answers about the disappearance of her biological mother.
Not only will they get the answers they are searching for, but they will help others who are in desperate need of it. All of them will be surprised at the outcome, learning that things are not always as they appear and helping others comes back to you. I love watching them grow and develop into more complex characters that are willing to accept what is, to go above and beyond what is expected of them, doing it with love and compassion.
I highly recommend the Unicorn Island series by Donna Galanti. Children will have hours of fun on Sam and Tuck’s adventures, playing on Unicorn Island, solving mysteries and making new friends of the supernatural kind. Their imaginations will blossom, maybe believing in magic and legends that are sure to supply hours of entertainment. I hope I conveyed my love of this series without spoiling anything for anyone.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Unicorn Island: Beyond The Portal by Donna Galanti.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The secrets of Unicorn Island are all revealed in the final book in Epic’s middle-grade fantasy series!When Sam and Tuck discover a way to unlock the answers they’ve been seeking, they must set out to discover the truth…
For Sam, knowing a little about her mother’s disappearance through the portal is almost worse than knowing nothing at all. Determined to distract herself, she tries to learn everything possible about caring for the herd on Unicorn Island. But when she and her friend Tuck stumble on a coded verse in The Unicorn Protector Creed, they are faced with an even greater task.
With no way of knowing what’s beyond it, Sam, Tuck, and Barloc the unicorn step through the portal and find that not only is Sam’s mother no longer a unicorn protector, she also lives in a world plagued by its own problems—and convinced that the only solution to them rests in the horn on Barloc’s head.
With the portal closing at sundown on the third day, Sam and Tuck are in a race to rescue their friend, reunite their families, and save another world from a terrible fate of its own making!
ABOUT DONNA GALANTI
Donna Galanti is the author of the bestselling paranormal suspense Element Trilogy and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine, a writing contest judge at nycmidnight.com, and regularly presents as a guest author at schools and teaches at writing conferences. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna also loves teaching writers about building author brand and platform through her free training series at yourawesomeauthorlife.com. Visit her at donnagalanti.com.
I am loving the covers for the Unicorn Island series by Donna Galanti.
From Donna Galanti: 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. 🦄
Unicorn Island is a magical story that has everything a young mind could want in an adventure, with plenty of fantasy and fact to inspire…the young and the old alike.
Foggy Harbor has begun to feel like home since Sam made a friend and discovered a magical island full of unicorns and other magical creatures. Now…their immortality is threatened and she searches for a cure, finding a secret from her past that links her to the future of the herd.
Sam had learned her Uncle Mitch’s legacy was to protect the herd and keep the secret of the island that was hidden by a fog bank. He was training Sam and her friend, Tuck, to be unicorn protectors.
When Donna Galanti mentioned elephants evolution and tusks (yes, I am talking real elephants), I had to check it out and see if it was real. I urge you to do the same.
Love. Selflessness. Devotion. Courage.
“…Science and magic together can create wondrous things…”
I loved this wonderful adventure into the magical world of Unicorn Island, with fabulous characters and magical creatures that work together to save the unicorns and the island. Not only does it have a gorgeous cover, but it holds factual tidbits at the end of the story to inspire young minds.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Unicorn Island: Secret Beneath The Sand by Donna Galanti.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In Book 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! From Epic! Originals, Unicorn Island is a middle-grade illustrated novel series about a young girl who discovers a mysterious island full of mythical beasts.
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.
Downloadthese fun Secret Beneath the Sand activities!
ABOUT DONNA GALANTI
Donna Galanti is the author of the bestselling paranormal suspense
Element Trilogy and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The
Lightning Road series. Donna is a contributing editor for International
Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine, a writing contest judge at
nycmidnight.com, and regularly presents as a guest author at schools
and teaches at writing conferences. She’s lived from England as a
child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna also loves teaching
writers about building author brand and platform through her free
training series at yourawesomeauthorlife.com. Visit her at donnagalanti.com.
Unicorn Island by Donna Galanti is a beautifully written coming of age fantasy for a young girl looking for her place in the world…and she finds it in the most unlikely place. It was easy to like Sam and when she looks out at the view from her attic bedroom window in Foggy Harbor, I felt like I would enjoy living there too. I love when an author gives me more than I anticipated and leaves me with a smile on my face.
At the end of the book, Donna Galanti shares some history on unicorns, wyverns, veterinarians, the pirates of the Carolina’s and Ocracoke and Assateague Islands, where the wild horses roam free.
I loved this wonderful story and am so glad there is more to come.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Unicorn Island by Donna Galanti.
4 Stars
SYNOPSIS
Beyond the mist lies a magical secret waiting to be discovered. Unicorn
Island is a middle-grade illustrated novel series about a young
girl who discovers a mysterious island full of mythical beasts and darker
dangers! When Sam arrives in Foggy
Harbor, population 3,230, all she can see is a small, boring town that’s way
too far from home. And knowing that she’s stuck there all summer with her
grumpy Uncle Mitch only makes things worse. But when Sam discovers a hidden
trapdoor leading to a room full of strange artifacts, she realizes Foggy Harbor
isn’t as sleepy as it seems. With the help of a new friend, Sam discovers an
extraordinary secret beyond the fog: an island of unicorns whose fates are
intertwined with hers.
“An accessible and fast-paced magical adventure.” – Kirkus
Reviews
“An all-too-human, enchanting middle grade fantasy novel.” –
Forward Reviews
“What begins as realistic fiction turns to a fantastical
tale of magical rescue. Fans of unicorns and magic in the real world will enjoy
this adventure.” – School Library Journal
In New York
City, lights twinkled across Sam’s ceiling all night long. She had never felt
lonely there,
knowing the
city was awake with her. She could already tell Foggy Harbor was different. It
looked like
the loneliest
place ever. Why would anyone live here on purpose? she wondered.
The driver
pulled into the bus station. A neon sign that should have flashed Foggy Harbor
Parking
was missing
most of its letters. BOR . . . ING. Some sign, she thought. I’m
already bored here.
“You got someone
picking you up, Miss?” the driver asked as he pulled her suitcase from the
luggage compartment.
Her t-shirt
clung to her in the heavy, muggy air. Sam checked her phone for the address Mom
had given her: 1 Foggy Way.
“My uncle lives
a block from here,” she said, pointing at the street sign.
The driver
nodded and pulled out of the station, leaving her under the broken sign. Sam
texted Mom one word out of duty: ARRIVED. With no choice but to find her new
home, she adjusted her backpack and popped up her suitcase handle, dragging it
along. It clickety-clacked all the way down the quiet street.
Uncle Mitch’s
stone house sat at the end, alone and secluded, hugging the ocean. Its sloped
roof pierced the murky sky. One light glowed in a back window. Crickets trilled
around the house, creating an eerie buzz as waves lapped the shore.
Sam crunched
over the walking path made of shells, then thumped up the front porch steps and
rang the doorbell, eager to escape the empty night.
After a few minutes,
the door was yanked open. A tall man with curly black hair and a bushy mustache
loomed over Sam, the porch light deepening his frown. “Yes?”
Sam swallowed
hard. “Uncle Mitch?”
His eyes grew
wide and he pulled her inside, slamming the door. “Samantha? What are you doing
here?”
Cool air washed
over her from a ceiling fan that whirred above, and she shivered, shrinking
under his glare. Then she remembered what Mom had said: He’s the only family
we’ve got.
ABOUT DONNA GALANTI
Donna Galanti is the author of the bestselling paranormal suspense Element Trilogy and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine, a writing contest judge at nycmidnight.com, and regularly presents as a guest author at schools and teaches at writing conferences. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna also loves teaching writers about building author brand and platform through her free training series at yourawesomeauthorlife.com. Visit her at donnagalanti.com.
I am so happy to have Donna Galanti, a fabulous author who can spin a tale that will keep you reading into the small hours of the morning, here to share her thoughts and a FREEBIE.
A Haunted Place in A Human Element By Donna Galanti
I often get asked if the characters in my paranormal suspense book A Human Element are “me”. Yes they are…in some ways.
I was a photographer in the U.S. Navy stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, as Ben Fieldstone is in A Human Element. I worked in Fleet Intelligence processing top secret film in “the building with no windows”, as Ben did.
The beauty of Oahu is amazing with its violently defined landscape, a place to find–and keep–secrets in its hidden spots. I also lived off base in Honolulu. Likini, the wife of Ben’s friend, in A Human Element is actually named after the street I lived on, Likini Street (where I got around in a Herbie-styled 1972 white VW bug).
But in A Human Element, book 1 in the Element Trilogy, you’ll find Hawaii is not all palm trees and Mai Tais. Ben finds himself in dire circumstances there as a sailor on Oahu one terrifying night.
I also know of the dangers sailors can find themselves in on the island of Oahu if they’re not careful. I was told not to go to the Pali Lookout alone, a spot far above Honolulu in the Koolau Mountains that is set on cliffs with treacherous falls awaiting those who aren’t careful.
Or those who jump off…
Or those who are tossed off…
It’s known for its moaning, howling winds. People have disappeared up there, they’d say. It’s a haunted place where the ghosts of Hawaiian ancestors are said to roam.
But back to Ben and his night of terror at the Pali Lookout. Can he be saved? More importantly, can he be saved from himself?
Ben meets the Man in Black at the Pali Lookout:
He closed his eyes and forced himself to find a dark place with peace and no pain. The two men continued to taunt him, but they echoed far away in a tunnel. He held his breath, willing himself to pass out. The wild wind of the mountaintop raged around him and shrieked in his ears.
Then two loud cracks shot out over the howling wind. The hands on him fell away. He let out a huge sigh, dizzy from holding his breath.
Ben opened his eyes and craned his head around to see what had happened. Under the bright moonlight the outline of the two big Samoans rose up from the overgrown road. They didn’t move. The wind whipped the giant leaves of the banyan and guava trees about like sails on a great clipper ship. The buzz of traffic from the new Pali road carried up to him from below. He scanned the area. What had happened? Who else hid out there? He pulled at the stakes. His hands shook as he tried to break free.
“Forget it, kid, they’re held down in cement,” a deep voice said. “These stupid locals make up these playgrounds just to mess with us haoles.”
Ben swallowed the saliva stuck in his throat and focused on his surroundings. There stood the green-eyed man, hidden in the swaying banyan trees. His black outfit blended into the dark forest. He moved toward Ben and holstered his gun, then popped open a switchblade from his back pocket.
“I am not here to hurt you,” the man said when Ben shrunk into the rock. “I’m going to cut the ropes.”
In a few swift movements he slit the ropes binding Ben, who staggered back. The man caught him and held him up, then ripped off the duct tape.
“Who are you?” Ben’s body trembled from the rush of fear and a fierce headache pounded in his temple.
The man didn’t answer. He bent over one of the dead Samoans and pulled out a wallet. He looked inside and threw it at Ben. “It’s yours.” Then the man led him by the arm down the overgrown road where he handed Ben his clothes from the brush. He tried to put them on but his hands shook so bad the man had to help him. He winced from the whip marks brushing against his jeans and shirt.
“Come on,” the man said. Ben looked back at the dead men sprawled face down. They oozed like two fat walruses sunning themselves in the moonlight. “Don’t worry about them. I’ll dump them later, somewhere they’ll never be found.”
In a daze, Ben followed his savior up the rough road, stumbling behind him in the dim moonlight. Those men had carried him unconscious down this road.
“I’ll take you back to base then you’re on your own,” the man said once they reached his car, parked off the main road. “Don’t speak of this to anyone. Understand?”
Ben nodded and climbed in the car. He looked over at the stranger in black who had saved him. “You were at my foster mother’s funeral. Why are you following me? Why save me?”
“I’m an interested party. Leave it at that.”
“I can’t. I would have died up there for sure.”
The man didn’t respond.
“Thank you.”
The man looked at Ben. His green eyes glowed in the moonlight that filtered into the car. “Someday you might not thank me. Someday you may not survive.”
Thanks so much Donna. And now, without further ado, here is what you’ve been waiting for.
A Human Element is an amazing fantasy that will have you screaming for more.
The beautiful cover is only a prelude to the wonderful story inside.
To see my full review, go HERE, but I will give you a taste…
I felt such tension, suspense, fear and dread for the characters, that I was talking to them. Shouting at them. Telling them to watch out. He’s coming.
I had thought A Human Element was paranormal, but it is so much more. They come from another place. A place out of this world.
I never saw the ending coming. Fantastic. I kept trying to figure it out and felt tortured and pained as I raced through the pages – I HAVE to know – now!
I am sitting here, finished, looking at nothing, in complete disbelief. Awesome! Donna Galanti’s imagination knows no bounds.
5 Stars
BLURB
Evil comes in many forms…
One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next. Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together. But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.
“An elegant and haunting first novel. Unrelenting, devious but full of heart. Highly recommended.” –Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author
“Lyrical and creepy, A Human Element tugs on our heartstrings and plucks the gut-strings of horror. This debut thriller author is a true storyteller, highly reminiscent of Dean Koontz.” –Dakota Banks, Author of the Mortal series
ABOUT DONNA GALANTI
Donna Galanti is the author of the suspense Element Trilogy (Imajin Books) and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books). Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Visit her at www.donnagalanti.com.
To see my full review, go HERE, but I will give you a taste…
I felt such tension, suspense, fear and dread for the characters, that I was talking to them. Shouting at them. Telling them to watch out. He’s coming.
I had thought A Human Element was paranormal, but it is so much more. They come from another place. A place out of this world.
I never saw the ending coming. Fantastic. I kept trying to figure it out and felt tortured and pained as I raced through the pages – I HAVE to know – now!
I am sitting here, finished, looking at nothing, in complete disbelief. Awesome! Donna Galanti’s imagination knows no bounds.
5 Stars
BLURB
Evil comes in many forms…
One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next. Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together. But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
The man could hear the child’s bellowing cries coming from underneath the blanket covering it. She pushed the child into his arms as if eager to be rid of it. He took the bundle and handed the nurse his packages. The nurse began to close the door when he heard another far away cry.
The man wedged his foot in the door. “What was that?”
“N-Nothing.” The nurse looked up.
The man risked looking her in the eye.
“The girl is in pain and won’t keep quiet.” She clutched the envelope and folded her arms across her sagging bosom.
“It sounded like another baby,” he said.
“It’s just the whimpering slut. Now she’s paid double for what she’s done.” The nurse took a step back as if aware she had said too much already. She glared at him. “Now go on. You have what you wanted. And so do I.” She shut the door in his face.
The man in black stood there for a long moment, considering the woman’s choice of words. What if another child had been delivered and the frigid woman and country doctor kept it secret?
Fascinating.
He decided to keep this information to himself. He would find the opportune time to use it. He was a patient man. But first, he had to see for himself. He peeled back the child’s bunting and looked for the first time into its yellow eyes. For that moment, the baby fell silent.
“Welcome to Earth X-10.”
The baby resumed its wailing.
The man turned with his noisy package and melted into the darkness satisfied, as the doctor had been, that the night’s events had provided him with more than he had asked for.
AUTHOR DONNA GALANTI
Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy (Imajin Books -http://www.imajinbooks.com/ ) and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books -http://www.month9books.com/ ). Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill (http://www.thebigthrill.org/) – magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem (http://project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogspot.com/search/label/Donna Galanti) . She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna enjoys teaching at conferences on the writing craft and marketing and also presenting as a guest author at elementary and middle schools.
Visit her at www.elementtrilogy.com and www.donnagalanti.com.
A Human Element is about man’s inhumanity to man, man’s callous disregard of other’s lives, but also, the lengths some people will go to do the right thing.
When her parents are killed and she is left alone, she is committed to finding the killer.
I felt such tension, suspense, fear and dread for the characters, that I was talking to them. Shouting at them. Telling them to watch out. He’s coming.
I LOVE this book. The further into A Human Element I read, the more engrossed I become. My heart beats faster as my eyes race across the words…faster and faster. I just have to know what is going to happen. I read on and it gets creepier and creepier.
One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next.
Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together.
But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.
I loved A Human Element by Donna Galanti, so to continue the story in A Hidden Element was a no brainer. This is Book II of the trilogy, which contains a mish mash of genres: science fiction, mystery, thrills and romance.
A Hidden Element does fill in some of the story from A Human Element, but for the full effect I recommend starting with Book I.
I knew bad stuff was coming and I was afraid for Charlie. He is an innocent, but will he be swayed to the dark side?
Some of the aliens want to just live among us, fit in with us, side by side.
Others want so much more.
Aliens or human, it seems like we all have the same wants and desires, motivations and ego, dark and light, good and bad.
Charlie: Tomorrow. He would tell her everything tomorrow.
Adrian: He couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow delivered.
Ben: Tomorrow. He would fix this tomorrow.
Donna Galanti can sure spin an amazing tale that will keep you reading. The characters captivated me as I journeyed along with them, trying their best to make the right choices. I struggled to figure out who was good and who was bad, who would be the betrayer and who would survive. There are plenty of surprises and suspense and food for thought.
What would we do if we found out aliens walked among us? I have a feeling it wouldn’t be good. Would it be like First Encounter or War of the Worlds? Would you be curious or afraid? Would you want them living next door to you?
I’m just saying….
5 Stars
ABOUT A HIDDEN ELEMENT: Evil lurks within…
When Caleb Madroc is used against his will as part of his father’s plan to breed a secret community and infiltrate society with their unique powers, he vows to save his oppressed people and the two children kept from him. Seven years later, Laura and Ben Fieldstone’s son is abducted, and they are forced to trust a madman’s son who puts his life on the line to save them all. The enemy’s desire to own them—or destroy them—leads to a survival showdown. Laura and Ben must risk everything to defeat a new nemesis that wants to rule the world with their son, and Caleb may be their only hope—if he survives. But must he sacrifice what he most desires to do so?
Writing Your Last Line by Donna Galanti
What makes you decide to buy a book? Do you open it open up to the first page and decide on the first paragraph, or even first line? I have one friend who studies first lines. She roams a library or bookstore and randomly selects books to read their first lines then dissects them based on how drawn in she is. Did it grab her attention? Did it raise a question? Did it introduce the main character? And most importantly, does she want to keep reading?
Those first lines. They either grab you or they don’t. As writers, we only have a few seconds to impress readers enough so they will buy our book.
But what about those last lines? Those lines that complete a scene, chapter, or THE END itself that propel you to turn the page and read on, or that keep the story alive in your mind long after you’ve finished it.
One early reader of A Hidden Element was intrigued by the last lines of my chapters. She actually typed them up and sent them to me because she was so thrilled with how each one ended like a cliffhanger and kept her reading.
Here’s a sampling:
Killing was useful in so many ways.
The dark took her anyway.
She would do anything to save her family.
And that scared him more than anything.
She welcomed Death, but he did not come for her.
The nothing took him.
She screamed and ran into a darker hell.
The last words he heard whispered were, “forever dead”.
And it was not of this Earth.
He drifted away in it.
He could live with that, if only he could be a father to his sons.
The old fear hit him again in the gut.
The words shattered through him like hammer to glass – not from Earth.
He was empty inside, as he had always been.
The first stone flew.
The scars of Rachel and his sons seared his heart forever.
He was just a kid suddenly terrified of his own dad – and his own destiny.
He looked up at the open door that welcomed him.
After fifteen years the nightmare had begun – again.
They marched on toward a hidden enemy who watched – and waited.
Would you turn the page to read the next chapter – and the next? When you read these chapter lines together do they tell a story to you?
And what about our last lines in life? They are the final cliffhanger we leave the world with, leaving those we leave behind to wonder about.
Here are some cliffhanger last lines from famous folks. Would you want to keep reading about their life? Would their life story resonate with you?
Let us cross over the river and sit in the shade of the trees. – General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
I die hard but am not afraid to go. – George Washington, US President
Get my swan costume ready. – Anna Pavlova, ballerina
Go on, get out – last words are for fools who haven’t said enough. – Karl Marx, revolutionary
Why do you weep. Did you think I was immortal? – Louis XIV, King of France
I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark. – Thomas Hobbes, writer
It is very beautiful over there. – Thomas Edison, inventor
All my possessions for a moment of time. – Elizabeth I, Queen of England
What will be your last line?
PRAISE FOR A HIDDEN ELEMENT:
“Chilling and dark…a twisty journey into another world.” —J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of When Shadows Fall
“Fascinating…a haunting story…”—Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times bestselling author of The World Beneath
“Will keep you up long past your bedtime…a pulse-pounding read.”—Allan Leverone, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Final Vector
PRAISE FOR THE ELEMENT TRILOGY:
“Unrelenting, devious but full of heart. Highly recommended.” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Code Zero
“Chilling and dark…a twisty journey into another world.” —J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of When Shadows Fall
“Fascinating…a haunting story…”—Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times bestselling author of The World Beneath
Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy (Imajin Books) and the fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books). Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family in an old farmhouse that has lots of nooks and crannies, but sadly no ghosts. Visit her at www.elementtrilogy.com and www.donnagalanti.com.
ENTER GIVEAWAY!
Prize Pak:
Win $15 Amazon Gift Card, e-book of The Dark Inside, Element Trilogy story collection, and become a character in the final Element Trilogy book!
I’m thrilled to unveil the trailer for book two in Donna Galanti’s fantasy adventure Lightning Road series, JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM, arriving August 30th. The Midwest Book Review calls book one, JOSHUA AND THE LIGHTNING ROAD, “a heart-pounding thrill ride full of unexpected twists and turns from start to finish.” Grab book one for just $.99cents now through September 20th.
Be sure to enter the fun giveaway package at the bottom of this post that includes a paperback of book one, poster of the Lost Realm, bookmarks, and a $25 B&N gift card (U.S. only). Sign up for Donna’s Thunderclap book release campaign and help her zap the world through social media with her lightning message!
I loved the first book in the series, Joshua and the Lightning Road and was very excited to get my hands on Book II, Joshua and the Arrow Realm. These magical children’s books are highly entertaining for all ages.
Twelve year old Joshua and his friend Charlie were having a great time sledding…until the Lightning Road brought the Mystery Girl. Who is she and what does she want?
Joshua and Charlie are not ordinary kids. They are older than their years and have traveled to magical realms, battling evil. Joshua is able to talk to animals. Nifty talent to have that comes in very handy.
Now…they are off on another adventure, taking the Lightning Road back to Nostos to save their friend, Sam, the King.
They will travel through trees that come alive and could stomp you into a pancake, battle birdzilla with razor sharp claws, cadmean beasts with red eyes, and fire breathing foxes.
They eat some odd food…dried squirrel mash and ache cakes…MMM, yummy.
Magical lands and fantastic characters, myths and legends, the Gods and Olympians, the Oracle and Joshua. Is he the one to make things right? Others believe it is so.
I am excited to be back in Donna Galanti’s magical world of adventure, friendship and loyalty. The main characters stand tall as they race through the pages proving time and again that together they can accomplish what seems impossible.
I received an ARC of Joshua and the Arrow Realm from Donna Galanti in return for an honest review.
5 Stars
ABOUT JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM:
On August 30th take the lightning road back to a world of beasts, bandits, and heroes in book two of the Lightning Road series. Join Joshua in a new fight for power in the Arrow Realm. Can Joshua and his friends conquer an unstoppable evil?
Joshua never thought he’d return to the world of Nostos but is soon called to the Arrow Realm to free his imprisoned friend, King Apollo, kidnapped as a power pawn in Queen Artemis’s quest to conquer every realm. With his loyalties divided between our world and theirs, Joshua wonders whether he alone can restore magic to the twelve powerless Olympian heirs and save all those enslaved. But when he finds himself abandoned in his quest, he fears he cannot only save those imprisoned—but himself as well.
“Fast-paced and endlessly inventive, Joshua and the Arrow Realm 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 BOOK TRAILER:
EXCERPT:
A faint rumble groaned through the whistling wind.
Boom!
Thunder ripped the sky overhead.
Charlie reached the frozen pond, spinning across it. “Woohoo! I win! You Americans can’t beat us at speed!”
Lightning flashed. It zinged across the pine trees like brilliant sunlight. A seed of terror flickered inside me.
Boom! Boom!
Another flash scorched the sky.
Charlie’s smile fell to a frown as he raced across the ice, peering up into the swirling clouds.
We both knew what lightning could do.
Suddenly, sneaking outside for a moonlit sled ride before Bo Chez got home from his monthly poker game didn’t seem so smart.
The sleet turned to snow. Icicles flew off trees like glass splinters, shattering on the hard snow. As I shot toward the pond, a tree on the edge moved. Its branches swayed in the swirling snow.
It wasn’t a tree, but a girl! She stumbled through the mad flurry, arms outstretched.
“Charlie, look!”
Gusts snatched the words away as my sled hit the ice and careened out of control on the bumpy surface. The girl staggered and fell onto the pond. I twisted my sled away to avoid hitting her and smashed right into Charlie. With a yelp, he pulled me up, and we clumped toward the girl. We lifted her up, half dragging her back up the hill to the house in the pelting snow and sleet.
“Who is she?” Charlie yelled.
“No idea,” I yelled back.
He said more, but his words were lost in the wind.
My lungs burned with the cold and effort. There was only one reason someone would appear with lightning—to steal us. This girl might appear like a waif unprepared for a storm but I couldn’t trust that’s all she was.
Donna Galanti is the author of The Element Trilogy (Imajin Books) and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books). She attended an English school housed in a magical castle, where her wild imagination was held back only by her itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). There she fell in love with the worlds of C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, and wrote her first fantasy about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship. She’s lived in other exotic locations, including Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse, and dreams of returning one day to a castle. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. You can find her at www.donnagalanti.com.
E-book ARCs are available for this next thrilling book in The Lightning Road series! Email donna(at)donnagalanti.com for copies and specify the format you’d like.
GIVEAWAY:
Donna Galanti has offered an ebook of Joshua and the Lightning Road, Book I for an International giveaway that will end 8/22/16. Just leave an email and answer the question:
If you could have a magical talent, what would you like it to be?
5 Stars
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Donna Galanti is the author of The Element Trilogy (
