All About Me

Donna L Martin wanted to create her own stories after her older sister taught her to read when she was four years old. One year later, Donna got her first library card from her hometown library. The first book she checked out on her own was a Webster’s Dictionary (children’s edition), which she read from cover to cover! After that, every summer her goal was to read more than one hundred books during her library’s annual summer reading program. By the time she was eleven, Donna entered her essay “Why I Love America” in her library’s annual writing contest and won first place!

After graduating second in her high school class, Donna developed her skills set over the next thirty years through a variety of careers including everything from insurance sales, radio advertising, and banking, to retail management and managing multi-million-dollar credit lines for Whirlpool Corporation’s own construction finance department. In 2002, Donna added yet another career to her resume. She became the Program Director/Center Manager of her school’s martial arts afterschool program where she worked with children every day and shared her stories with them in her free time. She holds the rank of 4 Star 4th Degree Black Belt and Senior Certified Taekwondo Instructor.

During the week, Donna teaches age-appropriate self-defense and life skills like integrity, responsibility, and self-control. At night and on the weekends, she writes picture books, historical fiction chapter books, young adult fantasy, and inspirational essays. Donna is a member of the Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators, Children’s Book Insider, and Alliance of Independent Authors. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach, and adding to her growing book collection.