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I got on a bit of a video kick this weekend--and I'm delighted to share my thoughts about both senior lit and my latest full-length novel, MILES LEFT YET:
The next installment in the Forever Finley Short Story Cycle is now available!
...One of the coolest parts of a short story cycle is that the stories all stand alone and can be read in any order (unlike the chapters in a novel). Even if you haven't read the three previous releases in the Forever Finley Cycle, you can jump right into "Dearest March..."
A short story that asks if literary heroes ever do walk straight off the page into modern life.
At fifty-five, Jo, the proprietor of Jo March Books: Depository for the New & Used, still clings to the idea of finding her very own Mr. Darcy, the star of her beloved
Pride and Prejudice. When her ex-husband returns to town (at the same time gifts begin to appear from a “secret admirer,” no less), she begins to wonder if she had wrongly pegged him as her adversary…
Dearest March... is available at:
AmazoniBooksKobo...and will soon be available at:
B&N
I'm getting ready to jump headfirst into drafting my next YA...before I get started, though, I've opened a merch store. I'm planning on listing products featuring reader-favorite quotes (and some fresh artwork). To get started, I've listed a few products for fans of THE JUNCTION. Readers and teachers have connected strongly with Auggie's search to find her "shine," or the thing that makes her special or unique...so of course I started with a few original "shine" products.
Check out the initial assortment of products by clicking the image below:
Got a quote you'd like to see featured on a product? Feel free to get in touch: hollyschindlerbooks (at) gmail (dot) com, or leave a comment!
“Forget February” is the latest release in my Forever Finley Short Story Cycle—and a perfect read for the upcoming Valentine’s Day. But what is a short story cycle, anyway? And how can a story called “Forget February” be so perfect for Valentine’s Day?
A cycle is, simply, a collection of short stories that all stand alone and can be read in any order. Grouped together, they present a different picture than they do when read individually. It’s kind of like a TV show that you don’t necessarily have to watch every single week. You can even jump in mid-season and become a fan. (Isn’t that freeing? To be able to sit down and read a satisfying short all in one gulp? Especially considering what busy lives we all lead…It’s also a great way to unwind at the end of a long day.)
In the Forever Finley Short Story Cycle, the connecting thread is the town in which each story takes place: the heart-warming, magical, legend-filled small town of Finley, Missouri. A new story will be releasing once a month throughout ’16. “Forget February” is the third story in the cycle:
“Come December,” the story that started it all, offers a slightly mystical storyline that, on its own, explores the impact a person’s attitude has on their experience (both positively and negatively). It’s a little bit romantic, a little bit mystical—Natalie, our heroine, receives comfort from the spirit of a WWI soldier named George Hargrove.
In “January Thaw,” the town of Finley is explored in depth for the first time—the sweetness of it, the comfort of it. Young people, we’re told, return to Finley, often before their thirtieth birthdays. On its own, it’s a story of friendship and forgiveness. Of bonds that can be twisted or pulled to fraying, but never severed completely.
In “Forget February,” we get the history of Finley—how it was founded on one man’s broken heart. (Amos Hargrove’s heart to be exact—notice he has the same last name as our WWI soldier in “Come December”?) A story about a broken heart sounds about as Valentine-y as the title, I know. But really, it’s not just about heartache itself—it’s a story about the beautiful things that can happen after (or maybe even as the result of) a broken heart.
“Forget February” is not a perfectly pretty Valentine’s Day card; instead, it recognizes that love—whether it’s love of another person or your life’s greatest passion—is clumsy and comes with plenty of bumps in the road. It’s perfectly imperfect, just like the object of the singer’s affection in the old standard “My Funny Valentine”…
“Forget February” is available as a free read for a limited time. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Amazon
iBooks
Kobo
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My first short story for young readers is officially live!Wordquake
Or: The Day Izzy Ashby Removed All the Words from Her Entire School
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Do you honestly need me to tell you anything else?
Fourth grader Izzy Ashby has literally shaken every single word out of its rightful place in each textbook, worksheet, and bulletin board throughout Eastwood Elementary. And it’s a complete disaster. Seriously…
Wordquake offers an imaginative, action-driven short story that's a perfect fit for teachers searching for a new classroom read-aloud--especially well-suited for reluctant readers.
Is Finley more than a quaint small town? Do coincidences ever really take place in Finley, or is every stroke of good luck actually the mystical work of the town's founder, Amos Hargrove? Explore the possibilities in the Forever Finley Short Story Cycle.
Just released: FORGET FEBRUARYA SHORT STORY OF HAPPY ACCIDENTS AND MYSTICAL EVENTS, PERFECT FOR THOSE WHO KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE HEARTSICK ON VALENTINE'S DAY.The legend of Amos Hargrove is nothing more than a silly fairy tale, according to the two people who are arguably the most broken-hearted in the entire town of Finley. His spirit does not still exist, and he does not play matchmaker or bring luck to those who need it...or does he?
Available now:AmazoniBooksKoboComing soon to:B&N
The short stories in the Forever Finley Cycle are all stand-alones, and can be read in any order. Previous releases in the cycle include:
Come DecemberA SWEET HOLIDAY SHORT STORY ABOUT OPENING YOURSELF UP TO MAGICAL POSSIBILITIES.Natalie is new to town, and feels invisible and painfully alone...until a mysterious stranger in a cemetery changes everything.
Available now:AmazoniBooksKoboB&NJanuary ThawA SHORT STORY OF BIG DREAMS, SMALL TOWNS, AND FRIENDS WHO KNOW YOU BETTER THAN YOU KNOW YOURSELF.Annie returns to her small hometown of Finley to celebrate her newfound success as an up-and-coming young artist...only to come face-to-face with Justin, her childhood best friend and a journalist who recently penned a scathing review of her work. Can an artist and her biggest critic find common ground--or have Justin's words destroyed their friendship for good?
Available now:AmazoniBooksKoboB&N--Enjoy!
Holly
I’m delighted to announce that my latest full-length novel, Miles Left Yet, is now available.
With Miles Left Yet, I move into yet another new genre, this time boomer lit.
Love Has No Age Limit
A road trip for a motley crew from the Granite Ridge Retirement Community—in a vintage Mustang convertible, no less—quickly turns into an adventure of second chances, fresh starts, and the discovery that love is never a landmark in the rearview mirror. No matter what the odometer reads, as long as there’s gas in the tank, there are always still new roads to explore...plenty of miles left yet.
Why boomer?
In so many ways, it’s really a natural fit. This period of life (retirement or shortly thereafter) is often referred to as the “second YA.” It’s a time of redefinition, of finding and figuring out your place in the world now that the nest is empty and careers are coming or have come to a close. As many of you know, YA is the first genre / age group I published in—defining eras of life are extremely attractive to me as an author. It lends itself to great character development.
Miles Left Yet also allows me to indulge in a new kind of narration. A character has different revelations, different observations, a different sense of humor depending on their stage of life. A seventeen-year-old doesn’t have the same worldview as a seventy-year-old. In this book, my characters are more fully rounded—in many ways, my narration is richer because of their experiences and backstories.
I’ve got a bird’s-eye view of this time of life. I live with a boomer who is also my first reader and had a big hand in shaping these characters. One of the most powerful experiences in life is seeing yourself on the page—hearing your own thoughts being spit back at you, knowing someone understands somewhat the reasons behind who you have become. It was incredibly important to me that readers in this age group would find the characters to be authentic, and that readers of all ages would enjoy the heartaches and joys of my characters’ lives, which are no less now than they ever were—still full of verve, curiosity, and new beginnings. Nothing has come to a close in this stage of life. Instead, new chapters are just beginning.
Welcome to Finley! Without realizing it, you’ve been there once before, when you read “Come December.”
Finley is a quaint Missouri town—as warm and welcoming as a quilt on a winter night. It’s the kind of place the residents grow homesick for the moment the town slips from the rearview mirror. And it’s also the setting of my latest short story, “January Thaw.”
I adore visiting Finley—the words I use to describe the town absolutely warm my heart, and hope they’ll warm yours as well. I plan to return often throughout 2016—once a month, I’ll release a new stand-alone short story set in the fictional Finley.
More on “January Thaw”:
Annie returns to her small hometown of Finley to celebrate her newfound success as an up-and-coming young artist...only to come face-to-face with Justin, her childhood best friend and a journalist who recently penned a scathing review of her work. Can an artist and her biggest critic find common ground—or have Justin's words destroyed their friendship for good?
“January Thaw” is available now on:
And is in the process of uploading to:
B&N
Scribd
Coming soon: more on my next full-length novel!
My readers all celebrate in a wild variety of ways--different holidays, different traditions. I imagine that my characters would all have their own unique observances as well:
I know Aura, Nell, and Grace (from A BLUE SO DARK) would all be headed to a warm, sunny Florida Christmas, Aura and Grace with fresh sketch pads in their bags, ready to challenge each other to a sunrise drawing competition...
Chelsea and Clint (of the PLAYING HURT series) are gearing up for their own first Christmas together, at the quaint snow-blanketed Lake of the Woods resort. Their guests are few this time of year, so Clint and Chelsea have plenty of time to spend together--Clint's introducing Chelsea to ice fishing, and Chelsea's challenging Clint to finally give her yoga a try. Romantic nights are spent in front of a roaring fire in the main lodge...
Claire and her father (from FERAL) will have a quiet celebration in Chicago, now that Dr. Cain is back from his sabbatical at the university. Rachelle, Claire's best friend, will stop by to exchange gifts with Clair and to share some holiday treats. Rich will be on his way from Peculiar to spend New Year's Eve with Claire as well...
Auggie and Gus (from THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY) are of course making each other creative gifts--no store-bought goodies for these two. And they're also in the midst of making Chuck, their minister, a fantastic new angel sculpture for the rebuilt community church...
Innis (the Pekingese in FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS) is taking Mable and Jason on snowy walks through Central Park, merrily wagging his tail as Mable and Jason reach for each other's hands. They pause, letting fellow New Yorkers scratch Innis's head or compliment his new red and green sweater. And they all take time to marvel at the famed Fifth Avenue front window store displays...
Natalie (from COME DECEMBER) is excitedly preparing her apartment to welcome the staff of Channel 27 News for an early, non-formal chili feast and gift exchange--mostly, she's preparing to spend the holiday with a new special someone...
At Casa Schindler, the celebration will include plenty of gifts and good food and usually a movie marathon (not to mention a dog walk or two).
...And of course, no holiday is complete without a few pics of family trees and goofy shots in fake beards and silly sweaters!
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| Check out the small tree leaning against the wall, to the right of the large one. It belongs to my dog Jake. Ya know--because ALL dogs deserve their own trees. |
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Happy holidays, all!
Some truly exciting things happened this past week:
First, I received word that THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY is now a finalist for the
Mark Twain Readers Award. (I loved casting my vote for the Mark Twain Award when I was in school. It's really cool to know that my book is now in the pool of works for students to vote on in the 2016-2017 school year.)
Also, my short story "Come December" hit the #1 bestselling slots in two separate Amazon categories: single author short stories, and thirty-minute literature.
It's gearing up to be a great holiday, indeed...
Have you read
"Come December," my free holiday short story?
I'm delighted to announce that I'll be releasing one short story per month throughout 2016. Each story will be a stand-alone, but will also be loosely connected (with all the threads weaving together for the final story in December of 2016).
I'm currently working on the next story in the series, titled "January Thaw," and am revealing the cover here for the first time:
The sweet romance of "Come December" will be present here--as will Natalie and her own love interest. But we'll also have two new characters who will be the central focus of "January Thaw."
I'm anxious to tell you more! For now, though, I'm off to get the story down on the page (er, screen)...
Read the rest of this post
I've been having a ton of fun incorporating video content into classrooms lately. I had an incredible Skype with Ms. Angel's class in Willard:
I also put together this short video for Ms. Brown's class in Halfway. It concludes as I turn the tables and ask students a question of my own; feel free to play it for your young readers and take part in my writing challenge!
This morning, I got a lovely early Christmas present: the Russian edition of A BLUE SO DARK (published by Ripol)!
The more I look at it, the more I dig that cover: Aura's wearing her hoodie and drawing in her sketchbook, Nell's behind her camera, Grace, Janny, and Ethan are on the beach, Jeremy's even front and center with his skateboard...Love it.
I'm
incredibly grateful for my readers. So much so, I've just given you all an early present: a free holiday read!
Come December
A sweet holiday short story about opening yourself up to magical possibilities.
Natalie is new to town, and feels invisible and painfully alone...until a mysterious stranger in a cemetery changes everything.
Come December is now available for download at:
Come December will also soon be listed at B&N and Scribd.
Happy holidays--and enjoy!
This Thanksgiving, I have much to be grateful for--family and friends, a fulfilling creative life--and, more than ever, readers and bloggers.
I'm delighted to announce Hannah at Irish Banana Reviews is organizing a blog tour for my forthcoming YA, SPARK!
I've loved the blog tours for my previous traditional releases, and can't wait to find out where this tour will take me as well...
In thanks for all the support my readers have given me over the years, I'm also planning a special December release. Find out all about it via my
newsletter.
Sequels are tricky--no doubt about it. Telling a story that rings true to fans of the original can sometimes seem a daunting task. So this recent review for PLAY IT AGAIN (from a fan of PLAYING HURT) thrilled me to no end:
"When I heard there was a sequel to Playing Hurt in the works, I was excited because that is one of my all-time favorite YA books. I am happy to say that Holly absolutely nailed this sequel. Chelsea and Clint are older and both have become victims of imagined hurts and broken dreams. When Chelsea arrives at the resort and sees how it's fallen into disrepair, her competitive fire rekindles and she jumps into reviving it, dragging her musician brother, Brandon along. What she hoped would be a chance to rebuild that magic she and Clint experienced four summers ago becomes instead a modern 'war of the roses' as Team Clint and Team Chelsea go toe to toe in an effort to salvage the place both really care about.
New characters fit the story perfectly as do the constant stream of misunderstandings and hurt feelings the two hold onto like kids with their favorite toy at risk. All of this makes the ending that much more satisfying. To say this was worth the wait would be a huge understatement."
--John Clark, Retired librarian, author, freelance editor, book reviewer
PLAY IT AGAIN at
Amazon,
B&N, and
Kobo.
My favorite writing spot's the back deck (it's my writing buddy Jake's favorite spot, too). But we finally had to give up the idea we'd get back outside again this year--we recently packed up all the patio furniture.
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| Jake "helping" put the outdoor furniture away. |
These days, the backyard's pretty much just for mulching and raking.
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| Jake "helping" to rake pine needles. He's become quite the digger in his senior years. He has several holes he works on every day during morning walks. |
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...And I'm back at work in my office. I've got a ton of fun stuff planned for release next year, beginning with a holiday gift to my readers! All the details will be announced on my
newsletter.
Happy Halloween from Sharknado:
John (my brother) the ballerina:
And me, Myopic Batgirl:
Have a great one!
1. Let your characters determine the new plot. Characters—rather than the plot of the original book—are largely what will make your readers want to pick up the sequel. (Which is yet another reason why you should think about creating likable characters to begin with—if readers enjoyed hanging out with your protagonist, they’ll be more likely to pick up book #2.)
In order to plot PLAY IT AGAIN, the sequel to PLAYING HURT, I started with the same general scenario I’d wanted to tackle since PLAYING HURT released: What if Chelsea and Clint weren’t able to meet up again for their second summer? What if several years passed before their paths crossed? In order to determine the course of events that would follow, I simply thought about who Chelsea and Clint were—what they’d already been through in the original book. I asked myself: How would the time apart affect them? How would they respond to seeing each other again? And then how would each of them respond to THAT? And suddenly, I was off and running. (To write a sequel, then, it also helps to be a bit of a pantser. To let your characters, instead of an outline, dictate what happens next.)
2. Think about cover continuity. Visual similarities will allow your readers to quickly determine which of your books belong to a specific series or storyline. For PLAY IT AGAIN, I knew I wanted a guy-and-girl image (just like PLAYING HURT featured). I also used similar fonts and colors for the title, as well as a title that obviously played off the first—no pun intended. I also pulled out one of the most important symbols from the original novel: the waterfall. In fact, “waterfall” was the keyword I used in my search for a cover image. Using an important carry-over symbol from your original book can be a great place to start in your search for a cover; font and colors of the title easily fall into place after that.
3. Get your readers out of your peripheral vision. Don’t worry about what your readers will think at every new turn. You can drive yourself crazy with second-guesses (it’s maybe the one aspect that makes writing a sequel harder than writing the original). Don’t try to imagine what your readers will think of every decision you make with this book. Write the book you want to write. Write the book your characters are asking you to write. The sequel will find its fan base, the same way your original book did.
Star basketball player Chelsea "Nitro" Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone's admiration in her hometown. But everything changed senior year, when she took a horrible fall during a game. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.
As a graduation present, Chelsea's dad springs for a three-week summer "boot camp" program at a northern Minnesota lake resort. There, she's immediately drawn to her trainer, Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who's haunted by his own traumatic past. As they grow close, Chelsea is torn between her feelings for Clint and her loyalty to her devoted boyfriend back home. Will an unexpected romance just end up causing Chelsea and Clint more pain—or finally heal their heartbreak?
My adult sequel,
PLAY IT AGAIN:
Four years ago, Chelsea and Clint had both seen their share of tragedy. Will their second chance at love end in triumph…or will it be yet another heartbreak?Chelsea was a teenage small town celebrity—a basketball star with the promise of a free ride to college…until an accident on the court shattered her hip and her dreams. Clint was a high school Minnesota hockey player whose first love died in a car accident on the way to one of his pond tournaments; head no longer in the game, Clint was forced to hang up his skates.
On a family vacation to Minnesota, Chelsea met Clint, a fishing guide and personal trainer at her resort. Through their overwhelming, inexplicable, and undeniable whirlwind romance, they began to heal each other—to discover their own strength and resilience. Their summer together was short, but it bubbled over in intensity: stolen kisses, passionate meetings under starlit skies, lovemaking to the beat of a cascading waterfall. And it ended with the promise of a second summer.
Life got in the way, thwarting their plans. Now, four years later, the compass of Chelsea’s heart is pointing her back to Minnesota—toward the strongest love of her life. But can that original heat be reignited, or will old wounds snuff out any chance at rekindling their original passion?
Play It Again picks up as Chelsea’s and Clint’s paths cross again to explore issues of forgiveness and second chances, and to ask whether true, lasting adult love can grow from the fires of youthful passion.
I'm thrilled to announce that PLAY IT AGAIN (the sequel to my 2011 YA romance PLAYING HURT) is now available:
Play It Again
A Second Chance at First Love (A Playing Hurt Novel)
Four years ago, Chelsea and Clint had both seen their share of tragedy. Will their second chance at love end in triumph…or will it be yet another heartbreak?
Chelsea was a teenage small town celebrity—a basketball star with the promise of a free ride to college…until an accident on the court shattered her hip and her dreams. Clint was a high school Minnesota hockey player whose first love died in a car accident on the way to one of his pond tournaments; head no longer in the game, Clint was forced to hang up his skates.
On a family vacation to Minnesota, Chelsea met Clint, a fishing guide and personal trainer at her resort. Through their overwhelming, inexplicable, and undeniable whirlwind romance, they began to heal each other—to discover their own strength and resilience. Their summer together was short, but it bubbled over in intensity: stolen kisses, passionate meetings under starlit skies, lovemaking to the beat of a cascading waterfall. And it ended with the promise of a second summer.
Life got in the way, thwarting their plans. Now, four years later, the compass of Chelsea’s heart is pointing her back to Minnesota—toward the strongest love of her life. But can that original heat be reignited, or will old wounds snuff out any chance at rekindling their original passion?
Play It Again picks up as Chelsea’s and Clint’s paths cross again to explore issues of forgiveness and second chances, and to ask whether true, lasting adult love can grow from the fires of youthful passion.
The book is in the process of being uploaded to Barnes and Noble and Kobo as well.
Enjoy!
—Holly
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My next YA, SPARK, is being unveiled across the blogosphere today. I'm thrilled to share here, as well:
Holly Schindler’s SPARK:
When the right hearts come to the Avery Theater—at the right time—the magic will return. The Avery will come back from the dead.
Or so Quin’s great-grandmother predicted many years ago on Verona, Missouri’s most tragic night, when Nick and Emma, two star-crossed teenage lovers, died on the stage. It was the night that the Avery’s marquee lights went out forever.
It sounds like urban legend, but one that high school senior Quin is now starting to believe, especially when her best friend, Cass, and their classmate Dylan step onto the stage and sparks fly. It seems that magic can still unfold at the old Avery Theater and a happier ending can still be had—one that will align the stars and revive not only the decrepit theater, but also the decaying town. However, it hinges on one thing—that Quin gets the story right this time around.
Holly Schindler brings the magic of the theater to life in this tale of family ties, fate, love, and one girl’s quest to rewrite history.
~
“In my hometown, the restoration of a former movie theater on the town square provided the genesis for my new YA novel, SPARK. Who among us hasn’t dreamed of seeing their name in blazing neon across a gigantic marquee? Let me invite you to dim the lights and draw back the velvet curtains—let your imagination run wild as you enter my fictional Avery Theater, where literally anything goes…”
—Holly Schindler
~
Holly Schindler is the author of three previous YA novels: PLAYING HURT as well as the critically acclaimed FERAL (starred PW review) and A BLUE SO DARK (starred Booklist review, ForeWord Book of the Year silver medal, IPPY gold medal). A writer of books for all ages, Schindler’s MG, THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY, has made the master list for children’s book awards in Illinois, South Carolina, and Alabama. She is also a hybrid author, having independently released comedic women’s fiction (FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS) and the forthcoming PLAY IT AGAIN, her adult follow-up to her YA PLAYING HURT. She can be reached through her author site: hollyschindler.com, and hosts special sneak peeks and giveaways for subscribers of her newsletter: tinyletter.com/hollyschindler.
~
SPARK “Premieres” May 17, 2016, but you can buy your “tickets” now.
Links to pre-order -
Add to your TBR list -
I'm coming to the end of two projects right now: I'm reading first-pass pages of SPARK, my forthcoming YA, and I'm copyediting PLAY IT AGAIN, my next indie release.
...After many months of juggling several projects, it feels really good to start to moving two of them to the "done" side of the ol' checklist...
In honor of National Read an E Book Day, I'm giving away a copy of my recently re-released comedy, FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS.
To enter, just leave a comment below.
More on FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS:
Once upon a time, there was a princess who felt like a dog…I mean a real mutt.
Mable Barker, a frizzy-haired mongrel from Queens with no real life direction, is never going to snag a man like Jason Mead, a purebred Upper East Side veterinarian. Or so she thinks. Even in her daydreams, the infatuated-with-fairy-tales Mable imagines herself as a princess with a crooked tiara and a whole orchard of poison apples. Then again, Jason isn’t exactly traditional prince material himself. The shy but adorable Dr. Mead’s awkward ways around women have him substituting the search for his lifelong human companion with playing canine matchmaker—breeding blue ribbon champions.
Jason’s first breeding attempt yields Innis, Fifth Avenue’s snarliest Pekingese. A dog whose temperament, it appears, will never fit show-dog standards…until he meets Mable, whom Jason hires as a dog walker.
Could Mable actually have what it takes to handle Innis and Jason? Can three imperfect beings ever come together to create utter perfection at the Westminster Dog Show—and beyond? Will Mable and Jason ever trust their feelings, allow love to be unleashed? Will Mable ever see herself as a princess capable of riding off into the sunset?
Fifth Avenue Fidos offers a deceptively simple tale that is both a sweet romantic comedy and a satirical look at modern relationships. A smart exploration of the fairy tale promise of a one-size-fits-all happily ever after—and a heartwarming story of love and dreams in dog-eat-dog NYC.
Praise for FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS:
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“A fun and funny read with adorable, quirky characters of both the human and four-legged variety. Readers who love dogs, romance, and fairytale endings will be charmed by this book.” – Jennifer Salvato Doktorski, Author of The Summer After You and Me
“The humor…had me rolling with laughter.” – My Favorite Pastime
“An adorable story…[with] good character development and growth.” – Candace’s Book Blog
When authors discuss editorial letters, they often reference the daunting ones. Those that require massive global edits—the kind of thing that finds an author cutting half her book out before starting in again…
But for me, one of the most fascinating parts of the editorial process is the way a smaller change can completely give a book a new spin. How simply tweaking a few lines can bring an entire book together in a new way.
I recently made one of those changes to my adult comedy, FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS. The novel is actually an examination of our own “fairy tale” expectations of what constitutes a happy ending—in order to paint this picture, the book has always featured two storylines: one involving Mable, Jason, and Innis the Pekingese finding both love and their place in the world—they’re three “mutts” or imperfect beings who live up to their wildest dreams, conquering the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, a place where “perfection” reigns supreme. The other storyline follows Rosy, a princess (and Mable’s fairy tale alter ego) who descends her family’s glass tower to try to both find her prince and make her own way in her magical metropolitan kingdom. While looking again at FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS, it suddenly occurred to me that with a few simple alterations, Mable’s and Rosy’s stories would intertwine more clearly. It’s a change that I feel will allow my readers a more enjoyable—and chuckleable!—experience.
I’m also delighted to announce that the updated FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS now concludes with a PLAY IT AGAIN sneak peek.
The updated FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS is available at
Amazon,
Barnes and Noble, and
Kobo. (Please note that because this is such a recent update, Barnes and Noble is not yet displaying the correct opening pages. To get a glimpse of how I’m weaving together the two stories, you can read the first pages at both
Amazon and
Kobo.)
More on FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS – A MODERN-DAY FAIRY TALE WITH “BITE”:
Once upon a time, there was a princess who felt like a dog…I mean a real mutt.
Mable Barker, a frizzy-haired mongrel from Queens with no real life direction, is never going to snag a man like Jason Mead, a purebred Upper East Side veterinarian. Or so she thinks. Even in her daydreams, the infatuated-with-fairy-tales Mable imagines herself as a princess with a crooked tiara and a whole orchard of poison apples. Then again, Jason isn’t exactly traditional prince material himself. The shy but adorable Dr. Mead’s awkward ways around women have him substituting the search for his lifelong human companion with playing canine matchmaker—breeding blue ribbon champions.
Jason’s first breeding attempt yields Innis, Fifth Avenue’s snarliest Pekingese. A dog whose temperament, it appears, will never fit show-dog standards…until he meets Mable, whom Jason hires as a dog walker.
Could Mable actually have what it takes to handle Innis and Jason? Can three imperfect beings ever come together to create utter perfection at the Westminster Dog Show—and beyond? Will Mable and Jason ever trust their feelings, allow love to be unleashed? Will Mable ever see herself as a princess capable of riding off into the sunset?
Fifth Avenue Fidosoffers a deceptively simple tale that is both a sweet romantic comedy and a satirical look at modern relationships. A smart exploration of the fairy tale promise of a one-size-fits-all happily ever after—and a heartwarming story of love and dreams in dog-eat-dog NYC.
More on PLAY IT AGAIN- A SECOND CHANCE AT FIRST LOVE:
For old fans of the original, and new fans who will instantly be swept away by Chelsea and Clint’s love story…
Four years ago, Chelsea and Clint had both seen their share of tragedy.
Chelsea was a small-town celebrity—a basketball star with the promise of a free ride to college…until an accident on the court shattered her hip and her dreams. Clint was a Minnesota hockey player whose first love died in a car accident on the way to one of his pond tournaments; head no longer in the game, Clint was forced to hang up his skates.
On a family vacation to Minnesota, Chelsea met Clint, a fishing guide and personal trainer at her resort. Through their overwhelming, inexplicable, and undeniable whirlwind romance, they began to heal each other—to discover their own strength and resilience. Their summer together was short, but it bubbled over in intensity.
Playing Hurt, the first in a series of novels chronicling the love story of Chelsea and Clint, closes with the promise of a second summer. Play It Again picks up as their paths finally cross again to explore issues of forgiveness and second chances, and to ask whether true, lasting adult love can grow from the fires of youthful passion…
Giveaway Alert:
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I'm delighted to announce I'm now organizing the cover reveal for my forthcoming YA, SPARK!
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This Thanksgiving, I have much to be grateful for--family and friends, a fulfilling creative life--and, more than ever, readers and bloggers.
