HISTORY’S MYSTERIES

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: HISTORY’S MYSTERIES Hunting Gris Gris by Donna L Martin

Donna L

When I began thinking about writing book three in my HISTORY’S MYSTERIES series, I knew I wanted to write about World War II but wasn’t sure at first how I was going to handle it. Then one day, I came across a Facebook post from a group I was a member of. This group was dedicated to people from my hometown of Gueydan, Louisiana. This particular post was talking about the prisoner of war camp located on the outskirts of my hometown during the second world war.

Wait.

What??

My hometown had a prisoner of war camp?

I reached out to the local museum in Gueydan, only to find out they had an original German soldier’s uniform donated to their inventory. Seems that during WWII, when American soldiers captured German soldiers over in Europe, they would ship the prisoners back to the United States to concentration camps located all over the country…including right outside my hometown!

Armed with this information, I had the background for my story, but what about the mystery?

It came to me one day when I was thinking about growing up near the swamps and gators of southern Louisiana. I remembered an old Cajun legend mothers have told their children for centuries. It involved a chicken-snatching, toad-fearing, swamp creature call the Gris-Gris. Mamas used that legend to make their children behave and children looked under their beds before going to sleep to make sure the gris-gris wasn’t lurking in the dark.

On March 20, 2020, Story Catcher Publishing released HISTORY’S MYSTERIES: Hunting Gris Gris.

Here is the book’s blurb: “Eleven-year-old Emma misses her father who’s serving in Europe during World War II. He leaves behind a treasure box with six compartments to be opened during her birthday week. He also tells her to watch for the gris-gris while he is gone. Looking out for swamp creatures and dealing with wartime rationing is hard enough, but now there’s a British refugee staying at the house! How will Emma enjoy her birthday and keep her decision to hunt the gris-gris a secret with a stranger following her around?”

PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/HISTORYS-MYSTERIES-Gris-Gris-Donna-Martin-ebook/dp/B08635HYZ3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RPS6JVT8ANB6&keywords=history%27s+mysteries+HUNTING+GRIS+GRIS+donna+l+martin&qid=1643819972&sprefix=history%27s+mysteries+hunting+gris+gris+donna+l+martin%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-1

It was fun researching events surrounding my hometown and sharing one of my Cajun legends with the world. I’m going to have return home, though, to check out that German soldier’s uniform since the museum was built after I left town…

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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.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: HISTORY’S MYSTERIES The Chocolate Train Wreck by Donna L Martin

Donna L

With the release of my first book in my HISTORY’S MYSTERIES historical fiction chapter book series, Ship of Dreams, I knew I was on to something. The wonderful cover template created by my illustrator, Estella Hickman, was clever enough to capture a reader’s attention. Like a Hollywood star with a hit movie, now I had to come up with another story to captivate my audience.

That’s where my sister, Janet, came in. One day she sent me a snippet of an article she had come across. It told about a random train wreck back in the 1950’s which dumped some chocolate on a small town in upstate New York. The article itself was not that impressive, but I couldn’t get the thought out of my head. What was twenty tons of chocolate doing on that train and what did the kids think when they woke up the next day to find part of their small village buried in chocolate?

It was certainly a mystery worth researching.

I made phone calls, spoke to the curators of both the local village museum and the state’s railway museum. I even managed to receive a call from a judge who admonished me to be sure to let the world know my story involved an unsolved mystery which was never solved more than 60 years later.

But it was correspondence I had with a lady in her 70’s that intrigued me the most. This person was a young girl of 11 when the wreck occurred. The train landed in her next door neighbor’s vegetable garden and she, along with her best friend at the time, witnessed the entire event. What started out as a unfortunate derailment, quickly turned into a much bigger mystery once the state police and FBI became involved.

I had found my next story in the series and on November 1st, 2019, Story Catcher Publishing released book two in the HISTORY’S MYSTERIES series with The Chocolate Train Wreck.

Here is the book’s blurb: “Nine-year-old Abigail thinks nothing exciting ever happens in Hamilton. But things change one stormy night when an airborne train and twenty tons of chocolate shower down on the sleepy village. Even local police and the FBI are puzzled over who caused the train to derail. Abigail and Billy team up to find out who’s behind the CHOCOLATE TRAIN WRECK, but will all they find is more questions? There’s a mystery hovering over Hamilton—and it smells like CHOCOLATE!”

PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/HISTORYS-MYSTERIES-Chocolate-Train-Wreck-ebook/dp/B082FRXZM9/ref=sr_1_2?crid=13OONHKFU1NFH&keywords=history%27s+mysteries+the+chocolate+trainwreck+donna+l+martin&qid=1643819812&sprefix=history%27s+mysteries+the+chocolate+train+wreck+donna+l+martin%2Caps%2C68&sr=8-2

This book also received a 5 STAR review from the READERS’ FAVORITE organization. It is very popular with children who are fascinated with the real photos of the crime scene as they try to imagine just what 20 tons of chocolate all in one place would look like! Every year in the fall, the small village of Hamilton, New York has a chocolate festival to celebrate this rich part of their heritage. Chocolate makers recreate a small replica of the actual engine which went flying through the air on that fateful night back in 1955 and the brave men who prevented a tragedy are once again honored. I’ve been invited to visit during the festival but the pandemic makes that impossible for now. Maybe one day…

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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.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: HISTORY’S MYSTERIES Ship of Dreams by Donna L Martin

Donna L

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?”

PURCHASE: http://www.amazon.com/HISTORYS-MYSTERIES-Dreams-Donna-Martin-ebook/dp/B07WQ2YK3L/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KAG8HK4L2SWJ&keywords=history%27s+mysteries+ship+of+dreams+donna+l+martin&qid=1643819347&sprefix=history%27s+mysteries+ship+of+dreams+donna+l+martin%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-1

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!

************

“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.

Want to connect?

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

CONFESSIONS OF A PANDEMIC LIFE: The New Home

Donna L

Just in case you didn’t get a chance to check out part one, The Old House, in my post about life during the pandemic, you can click on this link to see how I had to live in my home last year.

In late November 2020, work FINALLY began! Huge truckloads of materials were delivered to my house…although I did have to fight with one company who was determined to ship a box truck of material to my P O BOX!!

I found out last week that after being on a waiting list for FIVE YEARS, I was finally approved for a city grant for a partial weatherization of my house. This new heat pump was installed as well as much needed insulation which hopefully lowers my HUGE monthly electric bill. Fingers crossed…lol.

My contractor sealed up my chimneys both outside and inside so I never have to worry about another soot implosion. I have touches of coastal living EVERYWHERE! Can you see some of the ocean reminders in my living room? One of my students had a special beach-themed tumbler made with my name on it and it fits perfectly with my “beach” house.

In another corner of my living room is this special driftwood looking piece I found while treasuring hunting at one of my local thrift stores. I bought quite a few things over the months while my house was being repaired and now I get to place them in their forever spots! The tray of shells is one of my many DIY projects around the house.

In another corner of the living room is one of my desks. I love the wall decals, and if you look real close, you will see one of my mermaid figurines watching over me while I work. I also have a rolling desk that I am actually using as I type this blog post. I can roll it into any room of the house if I’m working on a project and want to take it with me.

Remember that bathroom from Monday’s post? My bathroom is extremely small, so the contractor had a wonderful idea to pull the regular door and install a sliding barn door. Not only does it modernize the room’s look, visually the room appears HUGE.

I LOVE my new shower! I almost can’t remember what that hideous old bathroom looked like!

I found this lovely shower curtain to help continue the beach theme in the bathroom.

Gone are the leaky sink and toilet. I found that beautiful mirror for $10 through a local online marketplace.

I’m keeping everything minimalistic and simple. I found the seahorse through Wish.com and that cute little plant is another DIY project of mine.

Moving into my study/writing room, one wall will be for author visit supplied, the craft of writing books and supplies, and other items I need to tuck away for later. Did you catch my pirate parrot friend sitting up high? He just might end up in one of the planned HISTORY’S MYSTERIES titles I’m working on for the future.

On one wall in the study is this cool credenza I found with an old world map design on it. Another touch of beach decor and it ties right into the rest of the room.

On the other wall, that cabinet holds extra copies of my books as well as the marketing props I use for my author events. I still have some organizing to do but after a year of living like a nomad, just looking at these pictures warms my heart.

Right next to it is my roll top desk. When I bought my house 23 years ago, I told myself if NOTHING else gets bought, I will have my rolltop desk I’ve dreamed of having all my adult life. Now, it sits in front of a window facing my back yard in a freshly painted room. Oh, the stories I hope to write at that desk!

This chimney also imploded, but not nearly as badly as the one in my living room. Now it’s sealed off ad my SEAL family chills out under another DIY project I did for this room. Literally every single shell was strategically placed on that mantle and I even put actual SAND under them. The fabric angel I found at a thrift store and it inspired me to write a poem about it.

Here’s the sea inspired poem that hangs next to that fabric angel.

Next, take a look at my kitchen sink. Remember that old, rusted metal one from Monday’s post? Now I have a new sink/counter top combo that I love as well as beautiful curtains and a shell rug to carry my beach theme throughout the house.

I know it’s silly to be giddy about a counter top but THIS counter top does two things for me. It tucks my new hot water heater out of sight behind a false front under that counter and it provides extra food prep space I’ve NEVER had before in this house! Silly I know, but I also love my hanging hooks under that corner cabinet for my cooking utensils.

I found a distressed book case at a local furniture store and converted it into a baker’s rack for storing pots, pans, and small appliances.

Those grey curtains blend in with the wall color and hide the built in pantry behind it. The new bathroom tower that I found on Walmart.com offers a little more organizational storage in the kitchen.

The last room in my house is my bedroom. My sanctuary. One of the first things I bought for the bedroom was this cool sea turtle clock from Wish.com.

Here’s another one of my DIY projects. I found this unusual shaped, blown glass bowl on a piece of driftwood in a local home decor store and instantly imagined myself at the beach. What do you think?

If you look closely, you will see my beach terrarium on my chest of drawers, my arrangement of seashells and my sea turtle I found hidden away at a local second hand furniture store.

I can not express how happy my spirit feels when I see my redecorated bedroom. My new bedcover and pillows carry the beach theme and gone is the bland dirty, beige walls with drab, boring wall art. I found that headboard for $20 at another local thrift store and it helps brighten up the room.

Across from my bed is my lovely reading nook. Isn’t that egg-shaped chair so cute? I was so excited to find that tapestry and it REALLY sets the tone of the room. That toy chest is holding extra blankets and that wire plant tower is now a modern book case. And in case you didn’t notice, that adorable wire lighthouse is another thrift store treasure.

Here’s my new baby. My old Kia had 241,000 miles on it and had served me well for seven years. This is my new-to-me car…a Nissan Versa.

Another view of my new car.

One last look at my new baby…

There were a few good things that came out of 2020 where my writing was concerned. One was book three of my HISTORY’S MYSTERIES historical fiction chapter book series came out. Hunting Gris-gris takes place during World War II and tells the story of the mysterious bayou monster I grew up with down on the bayou in southern Louisiana.

Book one, Ship of Dreams, and book two, The Chocolate Train Wreck, also did great last year!

Both of those books won five star ratings from the READERS’ FAVORITE organization! It makes a writer happy to have their hard work recognized and it encourages me to keep sharing my stories with the world!

My house is about 90% back in place and hopefully by next month I will be able to get back in my writing study and focus on book four, President Lincoln’s Balloons!

So tell me, dear readers, what do you think of my repaired, remodeled, new-to-me home now?

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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 and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

Want to connect?

Pick your favorite…

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/donasdays

Twitter: www.twitter.com/donasdays

LinkedIn: Donna L Martin/Story Catcher Publishing

Goodreads: Donna L Martin

Mail: Donna L Martin

c/o Story Catcher Publishing

P O Box 27788

Knoxville, Tn 37927

PAY A BOOK FORWARD January Book List

Donna L

I’m excited to share with you the books I will be giving away for the month of January. Here is the breakdown of January’s list:

  1. Hop on Pop written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss
  2. Bear Stands Up For Christmas written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Janet Chapman
  3. Crankenstein written by Samantha Berger and illustrated by Dan Santat
  4. Incredible Ned written by Bill Maynard and illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
  5. The Very Special Valentine written by Christine Tagg and illustrated by Maggie Kneen
  6. Little Critter Little Red Riding Hood written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer
  7. I Love You Daddy written by Jillian Harker and illustrated by Kristina Stephenson
  8. The Snuggliest Snuggle in the World written by Sarah Nash and illustrated by Daniel Howarth
  9. Finding Nemo by Disney/Pixar
  10. The Grouchy Ladybug written and illustrated by Eric Carle
  11. Look and Find Disney Princesses by Disney
  12. A Snowman Named Just Bob written by Mark Kimball Moulton and illustrated by Karen Hillard Crouch

A wide variety of books for young readers and a great addition to any library! I had the pleasure of reading all of these books…some of them old favorites. I grew up reading Mercer Mayer…actually one of the reasons I became a writer of children’s books myself…is because of great stories like these that encouraged me to dream.

If you are interested in possibly winning this bundle of books, you need to come back any day between the 10th and the 20th to leave a comment on my official January PAY A BOOK FORWARD blog post, or the one I share on my Facebook page, or on my Twitter account. A random winner will be announced on the 20th and they will have until the 25th to provide a valid mailing address so I can send them their FREE book bundle. If I don’t hear from the winner by then, I will select an alternative winner who will then have until the 30th to contact me. If no winner contacts me by the 30th, I will then donate that month’s bundle to a local school or library in my area.

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There is also the opportunity to win the BONUS PRIZE each month. This month the BONUS PRIZE is a cute book signed by my author friend, the lovely Tammi Sauer! QUIET WYATT is near and dear to my heart because I was the quiet kid growing up. As an adult I have excelled in martial arts, just like Wyatt, because this type of training doesn’t require a loud voice to achieve your personal goals. Readers will LOVE going on a “quiet” adventure to discover new friendships on a school field trip.

For a chance at winning this signed book, all you need to do is post a picture of a book YOU are planning to share with others during this PAY A BOOK FORWARD event on my Facebook or Twitter post any time between the 10th and the 20th of this month. Of course I would love for it to be one of MY books you pay forward, but ANY book you share with a reader is a win-win for both of you!

Words can be magical. They can lift a reader up and help them soar to new heights or even discover new worlds. Writers are the magicians who pull those stories from deep in their imaginations to sprinkle the world with the gift of words!

Come back on the tenth for your chance to win some FREE books!

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Best-selling, award-winning 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 and Children’s Book Insider. Donna loves dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

www.amazon.com/author/donnalmartin

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?

Nine-year-old Abigail thinks nothing exciting ever happens in Hamilton. But things change one stormy night when an airborne train and twenty tons of chocolate shower down on the sleepy village. Even local police and the FBI are puzzled over who caused the train to derail. Abigail and Billy team up to find out who’s behind the CHOCOLATE TRAIN WRECK, but will all they find is more questions? There’s a mystery hovering over Hamilton—and it smells like CHOCOLATE!

Eleven-year-old Emma misses her father who’s serving in Europe during World War II. He leaves behind a treasure box with six compartments to be opened during her birthday week. He also tells her to watch for the gris-gris while he is gone. Looking out for swamp creatures and dealing with wartime rationing is hard enough, but now there’s a British refugee staying at the house! How will Emma enjoy her birthday and keep her decision to hunt the gris-gris a secret with a stranger following her around?

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?

Temporarily Closed For Construction…

Donna L

This year has been quite the roller coaster ride for many people…hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, murder hornets, furloughs from work, unemployment, and of course, a pandemic!

In the middle of it all, I’ve worked hard to juggle three careers…running a martial arts school, researching and writing book four of my HISTORY’S MYSTERIES series, President Lincoln’s Balloons, and finishing the publishing details of the re-release of my picture book, The Story Catcher. I also have a number of other projects and events I’m juggling, including the Star Catcher Young Writers Contest in October, the creation of my quarterly newsletter, and my upcoming year-long PAY A BOOK FORWARD event.

In order to be able to meet all my writing deadlines through the rest of 2020, I will have to step away from my blog for the next three months in order to focus on those writing commitments. I will continue all the activities I do on Facebook but will return to my blog with the new year and hopefully the world will have settled into a new “normal”.

Here are the plans for the rest of my 2020:

  1. My picture book, The Story Catcher…My illustrator, Estella Hickman, has completed all the new illustrations for the re-release. I’m currently working on the editing & formatting of the manuscript and with a little luck, I will have it ready for the 2020 holiday season.
  2. My Star Catcher Writers Contest…the second annual writing contest for ages 10-18 would normally take place during the month of October. I have a few more days to determine if I will be able to run the contest again this year or if I delay it until the fall of 2021. This contest would create 25 winners in five different categories for an anthology to be released by the spring of 2021.
  3. My book four, President Lincoln’s Balloons, of my HISTORY’S MYSTERIES series…this book is behind in the research stage. I need time to finish the research and complete the manuscript before editing, formatting, sketching, and setting up the book for production. Estella has already sent me the book cover but it’s the guts I need to work on.
  4. My website…there are some updates I want to do with my website and decide the continued direction of my blog for the new year. I will be creating a FB poll to find out what my readers want to see so I can ensure I’m providing quality content for my blog.
  5. My most ambitious project to date…the PAY A BOOK FORWARD event happening for the entire year of 2021. I have been blessed to be able to donate over $165,000 worth of books to different school and local libraries over the years. Beginning in January I will be giving away 10-15 books a month for FREE by authors from around the globe! I will also have a few signed or extra special books to be given away. A TOTAL OF 200 BOOKS TO GIVE AWAY! Home school groups, pre-schools, elementary schools, middle schools, and even individuals will be able to have a chance to win one or more of these books as my way of giving back to the Kidlit community while continuing to support children’s literacy. More details to come!
  6. My house…I live in a 95 year old house. The passage of time has created a number of repair jobs that can no longer be put off so in the middle of ALL the things going on in my life, I get to spend the rest of this year with various strangers coming in and out to fix things around the house.
  7. My drawings…I’d like to get back to my sketches sometime in the not too distant future. I have an evergrowing stack of ideas and pictures I’d like to get my hands on and see where they take me.

Fall brings with it cooler weather, but I’m hot on the trail to complete several projects at once. Like my Corona-Crazy World isn’t hectic enough, I have a whole new level of “Jumanji” to deal with through the end of the year.

All I can say is…bring it on…and I hope you will send me a friend’s request through Facebook so we can keep in touch until I return after the beginning of the new year!

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Amelia Earmouse travels back through time to uncover little known events. You may THINK you know your history, but wait until you see what Amelia uncovers in book three of HISTORY’S MYSTERIES.

Eleven-year-old Emma misses her father who’s serving in Europe during World War II. He leaves behind a treasure box with six compartments to be opened during her birthday week. He also tells her to watch for the gris-gris while he is gone. Looking out for swamp creatures and dealing with wartime rationing is hard enough, but now there’s a British refugee staying at the house! How will Emma enjoy her birthday and keep her decision to hunt the gris-gris a secret with a stranger following her around?

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Best-selling, award-winning 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 is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

TALES FROM THE BAYOU: Cleaning House…

Donna L

My mother was a woman raised knee deep in tradition and old school ways. That way of thinking usually meant whenever she got an itch to change things up at the house, we would all be dragged into a cleaning frenzy. Most of the time it happened in the springtime, but the change in seasons from summer to fall didn’t stop her from taking stock of her surroundings with the idea “out with the old and in with the new”.

Anything worn out, broken down, or just outgrown would be tossed to one side to make way for upgrades. Clothes were tried on and handed down the line so you can imagine, as the baby of the family, how many times I actually got to wear brand new clothes in our poor family. After summer clothes were gone through, Mother would drag out the winter clothes that had been stored since the last cold snap, and the whole process would start over until all four of her children could walk into the new school year knowing they would be prepared no matter what Mother Nature threw at them.

Then came the house.

We literally would scrub that 100 year old house from ceiling to floor as my mother took the saying “top to bottom” quite literally. I thought a lot about those childhood cleanings this past Labor Day weekend as I went through my own home and tossed out items I no longer needed. I’m finally getting a chance to upgrade things a little around my house and what better time than in the middle of a pandemic?

I’m joking of course…why in the world would I add home repair stress to the rest of my Corona Crazy world I deal with every day? Because in the midst of all this uncertainty I’m dealing with when it comes to my day job, my writing career, my publishing house, and just life in general, it’s kinda nice to focus on improving the atmosphere inside my home. For the next few months, I will have some projects completed to turn my own nearly 100 year old house into the “beach house” of my dreams.

I am taking “before” pictures now as I tear everything down to the bare walls and will take the “after”pictures once everything is done. It’s kinda nice to have some “normal” decisions to have to make like what color paint, or where to put the new bookcase I ordered.

Simple.

Normal.

Just the kinda thing to put a smile on my face and make me think of my mother’s own cleaning days…

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Amelia Earmouse travels back through time to uncover little known events. You may THINK you know your history, but wait until you see what Amelia uncovers in book three of HISTORY’S MYSTERIES.

Eleven-year-old Emma misses her father who’s serving in Europe during World War II. He leaves behind a treasure box with six compartments to be opened during her birthday week. He also tells her to watch for the gris-gris while he is gone. Looking out for swamp creatures and dealing with wartime rationing is hard enough, but now there’s a British refugee staying at the house! How will Emma enjoy her birthday and keep her decision to hunt the gris-gris a secret with a stranger following her around?

+++++++++++++

Best-selling, award-winning 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 is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

TALES FROM THE BAYOU: Walking In The Rain

Donna L

rain

 

As kids are going back to school, it makes me think of my own school day memories of first day anticipation.

Louisiana and parts of Texas had to delay their school beginnings last week as two hurricanes barreled their way through the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall on Thursday. In the twelve years I attended school in southern Louisiana, we NEVER began our school year on schedule because of some hurricane coming through our area. 

Most of the time my father was stuck out in the Gulf…being a short order cook on an oil rig afforded its own challenges and most of the time he was ordered to remain off shore instead of being dropped in the middle of a tropical storm tearing a path up the coastline.

When Mother wasn’t filling up bathtubs with water or gathering up the kerosene lanterns in case of the inevitable power outages, she was stocking up on raincoats and galoshes. Late summer, early fall was a very rainy season for my hometown. Since the only way I was going to get to the elementary school half a mile from my house was to walk there, I had to be prepared for anything Mother Nature threw at me. 

One of my memories of first grade was my teacher, Miss Madelene, and her low tolerance of any student who failed to grab their galoshes from the cloak room at the end of the day. These were the days of strict obedience of the rules and swift justice at the end of a wooden paddle for the child who neglected to follow them.

I only forgot once.

Walking in the rain at the end of the school day helped shield my tear stained face from anyone wanting to tease me about my forgetfulness. It also gave me the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Fred Astaire as I danced and sang my way home…splashing through puddles in my hard won galoshes from that first grade cloak room.

Ahhhh, the memories of my youthful bygone days…

 

puddles

 

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HM Hunting Gris-Gris Epub cover

 

Amelia Earmouse travels back through time to uncover little known events. You may THINK you know your history, but wait until you see what Amelia uncovers in book three of HISTORY’S MYSTERIES.

Eleven-year-old Emma misses her father who’s serving in Europe during World War II. He leaves behind a treasure box with six compartments to be opened during her birthday week. He also tells her to watch for the gris-gris while he is gone. Looking out for swamp creatures and dealing with wartime rationing is hard enough, but now there’s a British refugee staying at the house! How will Emma enjoy her birthday and keep her decision to hunt the gris-gris a secret with a stranger following her around?

 

+++++++++++++++

 

donna - Copy

 

Best-selling, award-winning 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 is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Be The Light

Donna L

lighthouse

 

I’ve always had a fascination with lighthouses. I don’t know if it’s because they symbolize standing alone against the elements which I’ve had to do a time or two in my lifetime. Or maybe it’s because they are also a symbol of welcome to anyone looking for shelter. It even could be the fact that lighthouses provide protection to those out on the sea against the perils of a foreign shore.

But lighthouses can also be a symbol of hope when the world is just a little bit darker than it was before.

Like our world has been for the past six months.

Political turmoil. Civil unrest. A worldwide pandemic. Mother nature rebelling with wildfires and hurricanes. Reopening schools or online learning. Take your pick. It’s all enough to make a person want to scream in frustration.

But there  is something ALL of us can do during these uncertain times.

BE A LIGHT.

It doesn’t require money or influence to be a light…although the more money or influence you have, the greater your light can shine.

BE A LIGHT.

All it takes is a willingness to put others first. Share a smile with a stranger because you don’t know if it’s the only light in their day. Hug your child to let them know while the rest of the world is tilting, THEIR world is still rock solid.

BE A LIGHT

Pray for those on the front lines of our lives. Doctors, nurses, police officers, child care workers, teachers…anyone who’s job is to serve others when sometimes the natural instinct is to bunker down inside.

BE A LIGHT

Call a friend in quarantine to let them know they aren’t alone. We’re all in this together. Send a card to the soldier serving half way around the world…and those serving down the street…to let them know we fully understand their sacrifice in serving our county in these darker days.

BE A LIGHT

There are as many ways to be a light in the darkness as there are people in this world. And you never know…YOUR light might be the one to push back the darkness surrounding someone else’s world. A beacon of hope to shine on the hopeless.

Makes you look at a lighthouse with newfound respect, now doesn’t it?

 

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Light

REMEMBER THE LIGHT

 

cat light

LOOK FOR THE LIGHT!

 

bird light

SHARE THE LIGHT

 

 

BE THE LIGHT!

 

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HM Hunting Gris-Gris Epub cover

 

Amelia Earmouse travels back through time to uncover little known events. You may THINK you know your history, but wait until you see what Amelia uncovers in book three of HISTORY’S MYSTERIES.

Eleven-year-old Emma misses her father who’s serving in Europe during World War II. He leaves behind a treasure box with six compartments to be opened during her birthday week. He also tells her to watch for the gris-gris while he is gone. Looking out for swamp creatures and dealing with wartime rationing is hard enough, but now there’s a British refugee staying at the house! How will Emma enjoy her birthday and keep her decision to hunt the gris-gris a secret with a stranger following her around?

 

+++++++++++

 

donna - Copy

 

Best-selling, award-winning 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 is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.

FEEL GOOD FRIDAYS: Don’t Worry…About A Thing

Donna L

Just when I thought my world couldn’t get any stranger, my local news says there’s possibly a tiger roaming free on the east part of town. They don’t know where it came from and it could be hiding anywhere. Well THAT got the rumor mongers spinning their tales and the next thing I knew, the tiger was seen behind a middle school in the south part of town. Then I heard it wasn’t really a tiger, but a cougar. And then things got really confusing because I thought cougars could be found mainly out in the western part of the country, but what do I know? I guess it could have been just as likely someone telling me they sighted a black bear in their neighborhood and then someone else saying, “Oh no, it was actually a Grizzly on the prowl out west of town!” Grizzlies certainly live out WEST but I don’t think MY town’s “west” is far enough WEST for that!

See how rumors can run wild if you let them?

Then there’s my little friend up above…just sitting in a bird’s nest like it’s only natural for a CAT to be resting there. Does that make it a CATnary?

After nine months of 2020 where anything could go wrong…and it usually did…where every possible punch from Mother Nature could come along…and it has…where so-called experts have tossed around advice on how to deal with the surreal world we now find ourselves in…and most of their “wisdom” is wrong…I’ve decided to listen to the one person who seems to have figured things out…

Bob Marley.

I listened to this song and realized Marley had it right. Why am I tossing and turning at night worrying about things I have no control over? Why have I stopped LIVING because I’m worried about where my LIFE these days will take me?

“Don’t worry about a thing. Every little thing’s gonna be alright.”

So from now on, I’m going to lean a little more on my faith and stop worrying about things I have no control over. And should I forget, I’ll just crank up this song…

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Amelia Earmouse travels back through time to uncover little known events. You may THINK you know your history, but wait until you see what Amelia uncovers in book three of HISTORY’S MYSTERIES.

Eleven-year-old Emma misses her father who’s serving in Europe during World War II. He leaves behind a treasure box with six compartments to be opened during her birthday week. He also tells her to watch for the gris-gris while he is gone. Looking out for swamp creatures and dealing with wartime rationing is hard enough, but now there’s a British refugee staying at the house! How will Emma enjoy her birthday and keep her decision to hunt the gris-gris a secret with a stranger following her around?

++++++++++++++++

Best-selling, award-winning 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 is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection.