Thursday, December 24, 2015

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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!
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. 




Happy holidays, all!

Monday, December 21, 2015

GOOD NEWS: THE JUNCTION & MARK TWAIN AWARD + COME DECEMBER AMAZON BESTSELLER

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...

Friday, December 18, 2015

COVER REVEAL FOR CONTINUING SERIES OF STAND-ALONE SHORT READS: JANUARY THAW

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)...

Monday, December 14, 2015

CLASSROOM VISITS + WRITING CHALLENGE FOR STUDENTS

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!


Monday, December 7, 2015

A BLUE SO DARK - THE RUSSIAN EDITION!

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.

Monday, November 30, 2015

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! "COME DECEMBER": A FREE READ

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:




Happy holidays--and enjoy!

Monday, November 23, 2015

FORTHCOMING SPARK TOUR - THE IRISH BANANA REVIEWS

Irish Banana ToursThis 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.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

PLAY IT AGAIN (A PLAYING HURT NOVEL) REVIEW

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.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

WRITING SPOTS + RELEASE NEWS

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.

Jake "helping" put the outdoor furniture away.


These days, the backyard's pretty much just for mulching and raking.

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.


...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.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, WITCHES!

Happy Halloween from Sharknado:


John (my brother) the ballerina:
















And me, Myopic Batgirl:

















Have a great one!


Tuesday, October 27, 2015

THREE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN WRITING (AND PUBLISHING) A SEQUEL



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.

      My original YA romance, PLAYING HURT:
 

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.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

PLAY IT AGAIN IS NOW AVAILABLE

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.

Buy from Amazon, B&N, or Kobo.

Add to your Goodreads TBR.


 Enjoy!

Holly

Thursday, October 8, 2015

COVER REVEAL: HOLLY SCHINDLER'S SPARK (YA / HARPERCOLLINS / '16)



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 - 

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