CHRISTMAS GIFT BOOKS FOR THE READERS IN YOUR LIFE

If you're looking for some fun reads to put under the tree this year, I've got you set -

These paperbacks are available now; each is geared toward a different kind of reader:

MILES LEFT YET - For the reader in your life who is either newly retired or thinking or retirement. In MILES, 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.

Available at Amazon and B&N

WORDQUAKE - For your young reader (this one's at about the 4th grade reading level). Izzy Ashby is a girl who hates reading...one day, her hatred grows strong enough to shake all the words from her elementary school. At first, this seems like a dream come true! At least, until utter chaos breaks out...WORDQUAKE is short and includes some fun illustrations--perfect to keep your kids reading over their holiday break, or even to snag a reluctant reader.

Available at Amazon and B&N

ONE FATEFUL CHRISTMAS EVE - For your fan of clean romance or women's fiction. Mallory Stewart is a young on-the-rise editor, certain she's about to land a position at one of the “Big Five” publishing houses. All she has to do to clinch the deal is attend her prospective boss’s Christmas Eve party. But Graham Kendall, the charismatic author of a bestselling book on fate, insists her plans are about to be thwarted. Mallory immediately discounts Dr. Kendall’s warnings. Though she edited his book, the industrious Mallory believes in hard work rather than luck or good fortune. When a series of devastating Christmas Eve misadventures conspire against her, Mallory is forced to reexamine everything—her beliefs, her dreams, her own definition of success. What will Mallory choose? What will she discover—about Graham, about her own destiny, even about…a man’s socks? (Yes, socks.)

Available at Amazon and B&N

HAPPY EASTER - FREE READ

I'm celebrating Easter weekend with a free read!

A short story of long-distance relationships—the sort in which “distance” refers not to the miles that stretch between you, but the miles you’ve traveled together.

Patricia has participated in the April’s Promise Couples Race every year of her three-decades-long marriage with her husband Timothy. This year, though, they find themselves facing a slew of new challenges that steal their second winds and force them to question whether they’ll make it past the finish line.

April’s Promise is part of the Forever Finley Short Story Cycle, a series of stand-alone short stories releasing once a month throughout 2016.

Available from:
Amazon
iBooks
Kobo

Coming soon from:
B&N

Wishing you all a lovely weekend full of family, pretty bonnets, and tasty brunches!

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!

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:

Amazon

iBooks

Kobo

Page Foundry
Barnes and Noble
Scribd

Happy holidays--and enjoy!

BLEARY-EYED

Okay, I'll admit I'm a bit late in posting my own bleary-eyed, it's-too-early-for-a-real-hairdo Christmas-morning photo (FB and Twitter were full of 'em last week)...

We've had our own ugly sweater contest at the Schindler abode for the past few Christmases; the winner is in possession of the trophy all year long. This year, we went for decorating sweaters (or in my case, a sweatshirt) in some way that represented a carol. Mine was silver bells; I didn't even come close to winning. But, hey, I got a book to write. ;)

Hope you're all in the midst of a fantastic holiday!

More soon...

My '14 Christmas tree; I'm done with traditional trees. Obviously.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I'm off to plunge into a holiday week full of people, projects, and activities that fill my heart with nothing but joy...And I'm wishing the same for all the readers and bloggers who've been the highlight of '14.

Happy holidays!

GIFTING (SIGNED BOOKPLATES)

For anyone who plans to give one of my books as a gift this holiday season, I'm sweetening the deal a bit:

Email your mailing address to: hollyschindlerbooks (at) gmail (dot) com, and I'll shoot you a signed bookplate to go with the gift.  (The earlier you send your address, the better chance you have of getting it in time to put it inside the book before wrapping.)

A Christmas card I drew years ago for my parents to send out.

Happy holidays!

WHORUBLOG HOLIDAY #READATHON

I'm delighted to participate this year in the Holiday #Readathon, hosted by WhoRuBlog.  Technically, I'm up to my eyebrows in global edits for my first indie release (an NA rom com), and won't be able to hit my own TBR pile (man, that thing's getting enormous), but I am delighted to announce that I'll be hosting my own Holiday #Readathon giveaway.

My '14 releases (THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY and FERAL) feature smart protagonists who don't see the world as it is, in a literal sense.  They're both wildly imaginative--they're out-of-the-box thinkers.  So for my giveaway, I'm asking readers to tell me:  

What's the most out-of-the-box, non-traditional thing you ever did that gave you a sense of the Christmas spirit or put you in a holiday mood?

Tweet your answer to @holly_schindler (or leave your response in the comments) to enter.  One winner will receive his or her choice of  a signed copy of THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY or FERAL.

Giveaway runs through December 7; US only.

More on the books up for giveaway:

THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY (Contemporary MG) 

“Beasts of the Southern Wild” meets Because of Winn Dixie in this inspiring story of hope.

Auggie Jones lives with her grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of town.  So when her wealthy classmate’s father starts the House Beautification Committee, it’s homes like Auggie’s that are deemed “in violation.”  But Auggie is determined to prove that there’s more to her—and to her house—than meets the eye.

What starts out as a home renovation project quickly becomes much more as Auggie and her grandpa discover a talent they never knew they had—and redefine a whole town’s perception of beauty, one recycled sculpture at a time.

Holly Schindler’s feel-good story about the power one voice can have will inspire readers to speak from their hearts.

FERAL (YA Psychological Thriller)

The Lovely Bones meets Black Swan in this haunting psychological thriller with twists and turns that will make you question everything you think you know.

It’s too late for you. You’re dead. Those words continue to haunt Claire Cain months after she barely survived a brutal beating in Chicago. So when her father is offered a job in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out will offer her a way to start anew.

But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire feels an overwhelming sense of danger, and her fears are confirmed when she discovers the body of a popular high school student in the icy woods behind the school, surrounded by the town’s feral cats. While everyone is quick to say it was an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it, and vows to learn the truth about what happened.

But the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to realizing a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley….

Holly Schindler’s gripping story is filled with heart-stopping twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very last page. 

HAPPY THANKS, TURKEYS

I've got quite a bit on my Thanksgiving plate this year...and it's not just gravy and mashed potatoes, either.  I'm up to my eyebrows in global revisions for my very first indie release.  And I'm having a blast with it.  This year, I'm thankful for new life chapters and exciting projects...

Wishing all of you a bountiful Thanksgiving!

I recently spotted these guys in a field near my house.  They took one look at me and skedaddled.

HAPPY NEW YEAR + YAOTL GIVEAWAY!

Hope you all had a fantastic end of '12 and are staring straight into a very promising '13!

We're kicking the new year off with a bang at my YA blog, YA Outside the Lines.  You can't afford to miss our giveaway extravaganza, as this short vid explains:




To enter, click here.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

CHRISTMAS LOVE

I dig Christmas.  I love the smell of pine and little white lights and decorating the house and wrapping gifts.  I love carols and stockings and made-for-TV holiday flicks and carving the roast beast.

Jake and I both also love absurdly dorky Christmas sweaters...This year, I have to admit, our sweaters are awesome in their badness...

 

If Thanksgiving is the holiday to pause and let yourself truly feel all that you have to be grateful for, then Christmas, I’ve always figured, is the holiday to do something to show the people in your life how important they are to you—and it never has to involve spending a ton of money.  It’s a card filled with well-wishes; it’s an unexpected plate of homemade cookies; it’s taking a moment to share a cup of cocoa and a long talk at a kitchen table; it’s making plans for a new year together, while tingling with excitement.

…Since 2010, when A BLUE SO DARK released, I've always included my readers on my gratitude list.  And they're right at the top of my list again this year; they've been so incredible as I made my announcements regarding my forthcoming books (a YA, FERAL, and a middle grade, THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY).  In all honesty, connecting with and getting to know my readers has become every bit as enjoyable to me as actually writing my books.

As I wrap up the year, my thoughts keep turning back toward my readers, and about how I can do more to show my gratitude, especially as my two books in development near publication—how I can connect with them even more in the future.  For those of you who haven’t yet, please do sign up for my mailing list, to keep in touch with all these new ideas.

 
Here’s wishing all of you a pleasant end to ’12, and here’s hoping that ’13 brings growth, comfort, pleasant surprises, and the kind of exciting developments that make your heart feel like it’s about to bust right out of your chest!

THANKSGIVING BEST

My absolute favorite part of the Thanksgiving weekend is putting up the Christmas tree.  Every year, I get hit with the tingly anticipation of what's soon to come as I decorate the interior of the ol' Schindler abode. 

...Of course, there are no presents quite yet under our tree, but I feel it's safe to say that will be remedied soon enough...

 

Anybody else have their tree up?  I'd love to see pics!  Put your links in the comment box below.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

I can't help it...I'm already in the holiday spirit.  It's infecting me earlier and earlier each year.  Which means I've already decorated the outside of the house, and I spent most of the day on Sunday driving across town to grab a present for my brother.

Another thing that's making my holiday spirit explode is discovering lovely posts online about my already-released books.  They're honestly like little pre-Christmas gifts.

 

 

For example, I keep bumping into a quote from A BLUE SO DARK...It's the most-lifted quote from the entire book.  Just yesterday, I discovered it yet again in a post on Facebook:

"Sanity is a sonnet with a strict meter and rhyme scheme—and my mind is free verse."

I also found a lovely new review of PLAYING HURT, courtesy of Forever 17 Books. 

...I'm firmly convinced that having incredible readers is the best Christmas present a gal could ever ask for.  Thanks for making my pre-Christmas the best, guys!

THE BEST FIREWORKS

I didn't write much of a post about the Fourth this year, because I didn't get to enjoy my usual celebration...

I live just south of one of the best fireworks displays in town.  Most years, on the Fourth, I walk a few blocks, pop open a lawn chair, and hang out in a conveniently undeveloped field, watching the incredible professional fireworks from the Twin Oaks Country Club.  They completely fill up the sky, rattle through my chest.

This year?  My tried-and-true empty field was a construction zone.  And the heat was absolutely vicious, keeping me from my usual bird’s eye view.  Though my neighbors and I are residents of the county, and can legally shoot our own firecrackers, our worries about the brittle, dry surroundings during this prolonged drought also kept most of us from lighting much more than a few sparklers. 

  

So there just wasn't much going on, in our skies this year.

But we did spend plenty of time in our backyards, hitting grills or backyard pools. 

Some of my younger neighbors—a couple of elementary-school-aged girls—spent the Fourth on a picnic blanket, under a backyard tree, with assorted cold summer snacks and drinks and a pile of books.  I kept watching those girls, as the day lingered on, engrossed in their reads and laughing and enjoying each other.   

It has since occurred to me that those are perhaps the best fireworks of all—the fireworks of connecting.  To another person.  To the voice in a novel.  There’s nothing like that rattle that echoes through a chest when you find someone—or something—that you can relate to, on a personal level. 

So here’s to all those fireworks of connection—may they be popping and banging all around you, this summer and for many more to come…

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday from yours truly and Jake...

WISHING YOU ALL A...

CONFETTI & SHEER HAPPINESS...

Happy New Year!

Here's to 2012!

SEASON'S GREETINGS!

I just want to take a moment at the end of 2011 to thank all my friends and followers here at the blog for such an incredible year. 2011 saw the release of my second YA, PLAYING HURT, and it was because of the support I received from bloggers during the successful PLAYING HURT Blog Tour that the book got into the right hands. (Thanks to my fabulous readers, discussion of the novel lit up the blogosphere...)

I'm so glad that I got a chance to meet so many new readers and fans throughout the year, and can't wait to find out what's just around the bend in '12...It's bound to be a fantastic year, and I'm thrilled I'll get to share it with all of you!

For now, though, I'll wish you all a very happy holiday season. (The card below is one that I drew many years ago, for my parents to send out. Now, I'm sending it to all of you!)


Season's greetings!

HAPPY, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2010 is wrapping up...and what an incredible, incredible year it's been! I wouldn't change a single moment of it...and I have you guys to thank for that. You're the best. I mean it.

So here's an "in-person" happy holiday message to all of you...from me and "I-Am-So-Above-This" Jake Schindler.







...I'm also going to be doing many more vlog posts in 2011 (vlogs are just about as addictive as dark chocolate), so feel free to subscribe to the YouTube channel...

Happy holidays, everyone...See ya in '11!