THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: LUNADAR Homeward Bound by Donna L Martin

After I sold my angel encounter story to CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: Angels Among Us, and then traditionally published my picture book, THE STORY CATCHER, I took time off to focus on my sketching. I actually started drawing when I was about 9 or 10 years old and still have a lot of those drawings from back then…

It was 2015 and I started looking through various Pinterest accounts for interesting pictures to possibly draw. Out of all the pictures that popped up, I saw this one…

In a series of surreal graphic works of Ghost ships, The Full Moon Rising could be named the title one. It is an ideal example of this genre. Looking over the series of marine paintings, the attentive viewer may easily recognise the themes, ideas, characteristics for the romantic trend in fine-art.

The moment I saw this picture for the first time, I was mesmerized and forgot all about sketching. It was like seeing the opening scene of a fabulous movie. The longer I stared at it, an entire storyline began to unfold in my mind. I love watching fantasy, but this story was young adult fantasy…a genre I’ve never thought about writing. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it and finally wrote a 54,000 word novel during the National Novel Writing Month challenge in November of 2015. Three years later, the final version of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound was ready to be published. I reached out to the art department at one of our local universities and found a student willing to attempt a recreation of that Pinterest painting I had discovered, and in July of 2018, Story Catcher Publishing released my young adult fantasy novel.

Here is the book’s blurb:

“Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of Lunadar. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a  chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?”

PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/Lunadar-Homeward-Bound-Donna-Martin/dp/1732327815/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1643819124&sr=8-1

The only problem I now have is the fact by the time I finished this novel, I realized I had written BOOK TWO of what should be a trilogy. Now to find the time to write BOOK ONE and complete BOOK THREE, which I have started this past year.

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“Eight-year-old Hailey loved wearing hats! She had a special hat for almost every adventure of the week! But what happens when she runs out of hats? Who will she be then?

HAILEY’S HATS celebrates one child’s imagination, while challenging ALL children to take another look in the mirror to see the fabulous person looking back at them!

***Ebook on sale now for $2.99! Softcover also available! (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09QXV4NVC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1)***

Hybrid published author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of flash fiction, children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna offers occasional BOOK NOOK REVIEWS of great children’s books and offers WRITERLY WISDOM to new and established writers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

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c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

Donna L

Hybrid award winning author; aspiring sketch artist; and 4th Degree Senior Certified Taekwondo Instructor. Host of BOOK NOOK REVIEWS. Member of SCBWI. Mom to fabulous son and adventurer delving into the tricky world of indie-publishing.

2 thoughts on “THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: LUNADAR Homeward Bound by Donna L Martin

  • February 9, 2022 at 3:48 pm
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    I’ve read this book. I’d like to read the King’s journal.

    Reply

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