I have been fascinated with the legend of Titantic ever since I was a little girl. I remember playing with my older sister on the front lawn of our house and singing a song about the sinking of that great ship. I didn’t understand back then the full tragedy, so when James Cameron’s movie Titanic came out in 1997 I eagerly went to the theater in anticipation of reconnecting with a childhood love. But I didn’t anticipate his movie touching my spirit in such a dramatic way.
Fast forward to the spring of 2010 and the Titanic Museum officially opens in nearby Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I visit numerous times and feel emotionally connected to the souls of both the lost and the survivors of Titanic’s maiden voyage back in 1912. I read about the children and begin to wonder what it was like for them.
Finally in 2018 I decided to write a historical fiction chapter book based on the Titanic. But, after researching the hundreds, if not thousands of kids’ books on this topic, I had to come up with a different way of capturing readers’ attention to a topic they thought they already knew everything about!
On September 25, 2019, Story Catcher Publishing released HISTORY’S MYSTERIES: Ship of Dreams.
Here is the book blurb: “Ten-year-old Margaret can hardly wait to see the largest ship ever built visit Southampton! Life is already hard for her family in the spring of 1912, but the coal workers’ strike could turn a bad situation into a deadly one. Margaret hopes to see the great Titanic leave on its maiden voyage, but will the strike prevent it from happening?”
After winning a 5 STAR rating from READERS’ FAVORITE organization, I took Ship of Dreams to the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge where the museum shop manager was so impressed with my book, she immediately contacted her corporate office in California to purchase it for her shop. Within weeks, Lois reached out to me from California and purchased stock for both Pigeon Forge and their Branson, Missouri locations!
All the books in this series focus on little known historical facts, fictional and historically accurate characters, a story-related mystery, and tons of free teacher resources both in the backmatter or on the Story Catcher Publishing’ website under the Amelia Earmouse tab. Amelia is the series mascot and helps draw kids into reading each title in the HISTORY’S MYSTERIES series.
In March 2020 I was scheduled for a two day author spotlight at the Pigeon Forge location, but a little known virus named COVID-19 had other plans for me when the whole world shut down in the midst of a pandemic. Hopefully, one day soon, I will be able to do my author signing at the museum. This first book has led to others in the series, but it will always hold a special place in my heart!
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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
