Author Interview with Donna Galanti!

 

The DMS was lucky enough to interview Donna Galanti. We reviewed her new book release Loon Cover Summer on Monday, and it was great to share our thoughts about it and hear yours! We're excited to learn a little more about her story. So, without further ado... take it away, Donna!

What inspired you to write Loon Cove Summer?

A childhood home full of sweet memories, shared grief between a father and daughter, an uncle who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, and many firsts … like my first fish caught, my first time snowmobiling, my first dog, my first time taking care of chickens and hogs. In the 1970s, 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).

Growing up as an only-child, a campground by a lake was a magical place to live where I always had other kids to play with. Loon Cove Summer is a love letter to my childhood there—and rich with my love of loons, lakes, kayaking, raptors, and hiking! It’s been a nostalgic journey for me as my parents died before I could finish this book, but they are both honored in the book.

Also, my Great Uncle Elmer was my inspiration for adding in an Appalachian Trail scenario. 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. 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—just like Sarah’s mother in Loon Cove Summer. Unlike Sarah’s mother, he returned the next year to complete the final five miles.

 How long did it take you to write Loon Cove Summer?

I started Loon Cove Summer back in 2013. After years of stalling on it, changing it from a young adult to a middle grade, publishing other books, revising it with my former agent and many editors, and revising some more, I finished the story in 2024. It was on submission multiple times and I was lucky to work with some amazing editors to help polish it. It’s also changed significantly since I began writing it. I’ve added in more bird conservation, a conservationist, a raptor rehab center— and of course more loons!

What is your writing process like? Do you listen to music? Write in a special place? Edit as you go or write and then edit?

I’ve learned not to edit as I go as that hinders me from finishing a book. Most of my story ideas originate from walks in the woods. I’m a huge nature lover and it’s where visions come to life. Then I draft an outline, world build, develop the characters, and begin writing. I don’t listen to music but do listen to binaural beats to help my concentration. And I love to sequester myself on retreats in a cabin to immerse myself in the magic of story.

And writing Loon Cove Summer prompted me to go back in time to my old campground home in 2015 for a book research trip. I rented a cottage on the lake for a week and lost myself in memories—and mourned my childhood a bit.

When I drove up to the campground, I was zapped back to being nine-years-old again. A place where I swam all summer, romped through the woods, collected dead butterflies and shotgun shells, whizzed about on strap-on roller skates, played pinball machines, and spun 45 records on the jukebox.

The story sprinkles in lots of information about loons. What was your research process like? Was there anything specific that stood out to you or something interesting you’d like to share?

I did a lot of loon research online and from books, especially The Common Loon: Spirit of Northern Lakes by Judith W. McIntyre. Each year I’m lucky to stay at a friend’s lake house in northern New York, a rich loon habitat. Their haunting tremolos call to me as I glide in my kayak to visit with them. And since the Appalachian Trail, campground life, and a raptor rehabilitation center are also featured in Loon Cove Summer, I did quite a bit of research for all those as well.

In your letter to readers at the end of the book, you mention that when you were growing up, your family owned a campground and you lived there, like Sarah. That sounds so interesting! Did you live there year-round? What was the best part of that experience?

Yes, we lived at Bethel Woods Campground year-round (it’s since been renovated and still there under a different name). The property had about 75 campsites, a large main house that we lived in, a pool, a recreation hall, and a camp store. For an only child it was super fun to always have new kids to play with. I even used the original campground map to create the setting in the story.

But one of my favorite things to do was to collect the trash and take it to the dump, just like Sarah does in Loon Cove Summer! We had an old 1965 Ford truck that was open in the back with wood paneled sides. After my dad and I collected the trash from every campsite, I got to stand in the back of the truck and hang on for dear life as we cruised down Route 3 to the dump—which was on Ta Da Dump Road (and still is!) 😀

 If you could befriend any of the characters from your books, who would you befriend? Why?

Such a hard question as I love them all! I’m especially torn between Sarah’s Buddhist Uncle JuJu who spouts off words of wisdom and insight (I could use a wise guide in my life!) or Theo, the boy Sarah meets who also loves loons, plays the banjo, and photographs things that are disappearing. I’ll go with Theo. He is enthusiastic, heartfelt, and kind—a true friend for life.

Is there anything you’ve learned along your path to publication that you would like to share with new writers?

Oh, so much! It’s been a wild ride of learning the craft and industry, rejections and acceptances, and having collaborated with multiple literary agents, editors, and publishers. I would say the key thing to my success (and what helped me survive the rollercoaster parts!) has been surrounding myself with people who elevate me: peers, authors, teachers, editors. When I finished my first book, I didn’t know any writers at all, so I attended writer conferences and joined writing organizations—and volunteered with both. This opened doors to amazing opportunities!

I like to say that we can write alone but we can’t get published alone. Surround yourself with positive people on your level or higher who can inspire and advise you. Create your own writer’s group if you have none. I meet once a week with a small group of authors to write beside each other at a café. We are a brain collective of shared information—and being open to advice, criticism, and revisions will lead to success.

Where can we purchase your books?

You can order Loon Cove Summer here in hardcover, paperback, or eBook from your favorite bookstore: https://www.donnagalanti.com/loon-cove-summer/

Or visit one of these:
Bookshop

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Walmart

Books-A-Million

Apple

Guest Spotlight: Donna Galanti: Book Release for Loon Cove Summer

 

We're excited to host Donna Galanti this week, talking about her book release for Loon Cove Summer. Lizzy posted her review on Monday, and today we'll learn more about this new middle grade book. Take it away, Donna!

Why I Wrote a Novel for Kids About Birds

If you can guess by the title of my new middle-grade novel, Loon Cove Summer is a book about loons—and other birds. I love loons and raptors (the hawk is my spirit bird after all!) and this is why they both play a big part in my story. They are such different kinds of birds. Raptors soar the skies and loons soar on water. 

I’m drawn to the fierce majesty of all types of raptors … owls, hawks, falcons, and eagles. Thirteen-year-old Sarah, the main character in my story, also loves raptors and spends her time volunteering at a raptor rehabilitation center. 

I volunteer too with the National Audubon Society, which strives to conserve and restore habitats of birds. I assist with school programs to help young people discover the wonder of nature, birds, and biodiversity through hands-on learning and bird ambassadors.

I’m also excited (and nervous!) to become trained in bird handling to present bird ambassadors at events—like Odin, the great horned owl here! These ambassadors are birds that have been injured and deemed non-releasable back into the wild. Fact: Most wild bird injuries are caused by human interaction like collisions with cars, buildings, boats, windows, and fishing lines.

When I kayak on lakes, the call of the loon has always drawn me to these ancient birds. Their haunting cries touch me to the core with their primitive song. Loons have been around for at least 35 million years, making them one of the oldest bird families. In Loon Cove Summer, Sarah also loves loons and has taken up the conservation fight to address the plight of them disappearing on her local lake. 

My hope with Loon Cove Summer is to appeal to young nature lovers, adventure seekers, and fans of environmental causes—and empower kids to be their own heroes. Steeped in friendship, family, and the great outdoors, I also wish for this story to inspire kids to build strong connections with the natural world.

And birds are everywhere around us, not just in the natural world, yet we often don’t notice them. They live in every environment. In cities, meadows, forests, deserts, swamps, and suburban neighborhoods. Birds are so critical to our world. Since the beginning of human time on Earth, they’ve lifted our eyes to the skies. They eat harmful insects and rodents, indicate changes in habitats, and best of all, they entertain us with melody and color!

In my research for Loon Cove Summer, I loved learning more about loons. Here are 8 fun facts about them:

1. Loons can dive up to 200 feet and swim underwater for five minutes. 

2. In the summertime adult loons have red eyes, but in the winter their eyes are reddish-brown.

3. Loons live long, twenty to thirty years.

4. The four basic loon calls are: hoots, wails, tremolos, yodels.

5. Loons build nests on shorelines, so they are vulnerable to predators and flooding.

6. Loons eat up to two lbs. of fish a day!

7. Adult loons are patient. They wait until their sixth or seventh year to have chicks.

8. Loons are most vocal at night when they are hidden from the world. They get to speak their heart under cover of darkness. Lucky.

I hope if you read Loon Cove Summer that it inspires you to seek out the call of the loon—and seek more birds in your life. Take the time to go outside, look up, and be inspired by birds all around you for they fill our world with beauty and song.

About Loon Cove Summer:

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.

You can order Loon Cove Summer here in hardcover, paperback, or eBook from your favorite bookstore!

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

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.

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