Local Author Book Fair coming this November. More details on the Author Event page...
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Lockport resident and self-published author Donna Zadunajsky has become a semifinalist in the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Authors Project with her book “Twisted Secrets.”
Zadunajsky is one of ten semifinalists in the Adult Fiction category to gain recognition through the project. Her book “Twisted Secrets” is her third in a series of adult fiction novels that include previous works “Family Secrets” and “Hidden Secrets.” The winner has not yet been announced for the competition, but Zadunajsky is hopeful. “I was so surprised to hear the news,” said Zadunajsky. “It felt great! If I do end up winning, which would be really nice, I’ll fly back up to Illinois.” Though Zadunajsky has now taken up residence in Naples, Fla, to focus on writing, her home library is still listed as Lockport Public Library. Even though one of the requirements of the competition is to be an Illinois resident, Zadunajsky still qualifies, as she was a resident when she submitted her work. Should Zadunajsky win the competition, she will be awarded a cash prize, increased recognition, the opportunity to compete in the national Indie Author Project competition and more opportunities to work with traditional publishers. In addition, participating libraries would give her the opportunity to promote her book and dispense print copies. The winner will be announced in late October. Zadunajsky continues to keep busy with writing in anticipation of the October announcement. “Now that I’ve been writing for 10 years, I have a rhythm,” said Zadunajsky. “I wake up at 5 a.m. to write before I go to my fulltime job. I try to write 10,000 words in a week.” Zadunajsky's writing history long precedes her work with the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Authors Project. In total, she has written 15 works: seven children’s books and eight adult novels. In addition, she has recently finished three novels as part of a new series, for which she is trying to get traditionally published. Authors like Zadunajsky are exactly what libraries participating in the project are looking for. As the demand for self-published books and e-books has increased, librarians who developed the STBF project have taken it upon themselves to seek out untapped writing potential and get authors published through their own means. According to a press release from the Clarendon Hills Public Library, to date, 32 percent of bestselling books on Amazon are self-published. By winning the competition, Zadunajsky will put herself in a position to join those coveted ranks. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read your first book in this series. I am blown completely away by your writing abilities and how you have captured this story. Laura, Rachel, and Scarlet are all well-developed characters. I love how as readers we are able to differentiate their voices from one another. Some authors struggles with this but you nailed it! There were so many twist and turns in this story that I had to take a few deep breathers! It’s amazing. I was entertained and drawn in from page one. The drama you have fueled would give Pretty Little Liars a run for their money.
The plot and the climax are both explosive. I like how you start off slow, feeding the readers the typical “mean girl” persona for Scarlet and then gradually the story picks up the pace. I will admit I disliked Scarlet but she is a captivating character as well as Laura. Scarlet brings the spice and fire while Rachel is the cool one. Laura finally finds her footing after learning the truth. I really enjoyed it. I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride that slowly reached the top then went full speed and I enjoyed every bit of that ride. You are going to blow the market away with this! Reviewed by Brooke Ray |
* AWARD WINNING AUTHOR * FREELANCE WRITER * PUBLISHED AUTHOR Genres: Mystery Thriller Suspense Contemporary Fiction Adult & Young Adult Novels This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies. Opt Out of CookiesExpressionsI feel empty when I can't put words on paper.... The story of my life...
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April 2021
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