ABOUT JOSHUA AND THE LIGHTNING ROAD:
Title: Joshua and the Lightning Road
Publication date: May 19, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Donna Galanti
Stay away from the window, don’t go outside when it’s storming and whatever you do, do not touch the orb.
Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper’s grandpa has always warned him about the dangers of lightning. But Joshua never put much stock in his grandpa’s rumblings as anything more than the ravings of an old man with a vast imagination. Then one night, when Joshua and his best friend are home alone during a frightful storm, Joshua learns his grandpa was right. A bolt of lightning strikes his house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever.
To get him back, Joshua must travel the Lightning Road to a dark place that steals children for energy. But getting back home and saving his friend won’t be easy, as Joshua must face the terrifying Child Collector and fend off ferocious and unnatural beasts intent on destroying him.
In this world, Joshua possesses powers he never knew he had, and soon, Joshua’s mission becomes more than a search for his friend. He means to send all the stolen children home—and doing so becomes the battle of his life.
ABOUT DONNA GALANTI:
Donna is the author of the Joshua and The Lightning Road series and the Element Trilogy. She is a contributing editor to International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs atwww.project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogs..., a cooperative of published middle grade authors. Visit her at www.donnagalanti.com and www.ElementTrilogy.com. Donna wanted to be a writer ever since she wrote a murder mystery screenplay at seven and acted it out with the neighborhood kids. 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 (and has been writing fantasy ever since). She’s lived in other exotic locations, including her family-owned campground in New Hampshire and in Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She now lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse and dreams of returning one day to a castle.
Donna
Galanti Interview
- When did you first realize you
wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer since I wrote my first screenplay, a murder mystery, at seven years old and acted it out with the neighborhood kids. I went on to write my first fantasy story when I was ten about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship.
- How long does it take you to
write a book?
It takes about 6-7 months to write that first draft but it’s nowhere near done when you first write The End. The beauty of a book comes out in the revision when you peel back the layers to enrich your story.
- What is your work schedule like
when you're writing?
I try to write early in the morning and sometimes set the alarm for 4:30 to write. This is my quiet time of the day before my brain gets busy with publishing and promotion details.
- What would you say is your
interesting writing quirk?
How I combat writer's block! I end a writing session in the middle of a paragraph, scene, or chapter - then when I return to writing the story my thoughts can flow easier as I wasn't at an "end point". When all else fails, I go for a walk. This unravels ideas in my head every time!
- How do books get published?
That’s a long answer to a short question! Here are 5 simple steps:
1. Write a good book (revise lots!)
2. Get a literary agent and/or publisher to publish it.
3. More revision!
4. Find out how to market it – authors are expected to know this these days.
5. Read – lots. You must read to be a writer. J
- Where do you get your
information or ideas for your books?
When brainstorming new book ideas I take my pen and notebook and go off to the woods to jot down notes. There’s something about your pen and hand connected to the paper in the outdoors that slows down your thoughts and fills your mind with a storm of thought!
- When did you write your first
book and how old were you?
I was 40 when I finished writing my first book. I started writing from grief when my mother died that year to help me focus on something that took my mind off my loss.
- What do you like to do when
you're not writing?
I’m an avid bicyclist and love to kayak – and read of course!
- What does your family think of
your writing?
My son is a huge reader and my biggest champion. I wrote Joshua and the Lightning Road for him and he helped with plot and characters. My husband on the other hand does not like to read – but tells everyone all about my books as if he has read them!
- What was one of the most
surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That my characters became real to me – and that I loved to run away and be with them (my poor family). And that I would actually slow writing The End on a book because I didn’t want my characters to leave me. That’s why I love writing a series!
- Do you have any
suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Being a writer isn’t a one-stop journey with a final destination. It’s many journeys with many destinations. And we should never stop journeying as a writer.
1. Learn from the master’s. Through workshops and reading books.
2. Do NOT EDIT while writing that first draft.
3. Keep finding the layers in your story.
4. Keep learning! Challenge yourself. Read genres you’ve never read before. Take a class in an area you’ve never written in before.
5. Join writer organizations and build a peer support network around you. We can write alone but we can’t get published alone.
- Do you hear from
your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Most readers that contact me directly are also writers who are in need of publishing advice. I mainly hear from readers through reviews which I love reading! Here are some snippets of what readers had to say about Joshua and the Lightning Road:
“Action-packed adventure…futuristic creatures and ancient myths…an exciting combination.” –Goodreads Reviewer
“Imaginative, vivid, and dazzling…Richly atmospheric…From the initial flash of lightning to the book’s electrifying end, Galanti’s eerie Lost Realm of Nostos is fresh, scary, and deep…A juggernaut of a thrill ride, hurling the reader through chills, thrills, horror, and hope—perfect for the young adventurer in your life!” –Amazon Reviewer
“…so vivid. I could feel, smell and envision the setting… all the right characteristics of a great main character – brave, smart and kind.”
–This Kid Reviews Books
“Fast paced and intriguing…I look forward to reading the next book in the series!”
–Lizzy’s Book Review
“Galanti has quite skillfully written a plot that keeps you guessing. I do recommend it, especially for fans of the Percy Jackson series.” –Literary Hoots
- Do you like to create books for
adults?
Yes! I write thrillers for grownups as well as kids. You can catch the first two books in my Element Trilogy here.
- What do you think
makes a good story?
For me it’s all about the characters. I can forgive a lot in a plot if I love the characters. My favorite stories as a kid – and now – are stories that tug at my heart strings, whether adventure (like White Fang) or about family (like Little House on the Prairie) or friendship (like The Secret Garden) or survival (like Island of the Blue Dolphins and My Side of the Mountain). These books remain some of my favorites that I re-read today. That being said, a good story needs conflict to drive those characters or there is no story!
- As a child, what did you want
to do when you grew up?
A writer of course!
- What would you like my readers
to know?
Watch for book 2, Joshua and the Arrow Realm, coming winter 2016. In book 2 Joshua is called to free his friend, who’s been enslaved as a power pawn in a queen’s quest to rule all. But when Joshua becomes bait in her hunting game, loses his powerful lightning orb, and his friends turn on him, he wonders if he can survive on wits and instincts alone and not only save his friend—but himself.
Link to the Tour Schedule:
Link to Goodreads:
Purchase Links:
Giveaway Information: Winner will be drawn June 19, 2015
· Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Joshua and the Lightning Road by Donna Galanti (INT)
Thanks so much for having me on today with the Joshua and the Lightning Road blog tour!
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