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 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.
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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