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.

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.

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

FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS + GIVEAWAY + PLAY IT AGAIN SNEAK PEEK

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:

I'm hosting giveaways of both books for newsletter subscribers! Sign up for the newsletter here.

PLAY IT AGAIN - MY PROGRESS

My editor and I are hard at work getting PLAY IT AGAIN (the sequel to PLAYING HURT) in tiptop shape. That's one of the absolute best parts of indie work, I think--being able to work on a manuscript without a set time limit, making sure all the pieces are just as you want them before releasing your latest book to your readers.

 

In the interim, though, I wanted to share what kind of questions I'm addressing in this new book...

 

There’s no love quite like the first. Ever. But what if you could go back? What if there was a chance to pick up where that first love left off? What if you could revisit the most powerful summer romance of your life? The one that changed you for the better? Would you do it? Or would you prefer to leave well enough alone, thinking that you could never possibly tap back into what you once had? Would you be afraid that if it didn't live up to what you remembered, you'd be forever disappointed--you'd even think differently of that time in your life?

 

Or: What if your former love walked back into your life out of nowhere? After you had put that chapter of your life behind you? How would you feel about seeing that person again?

Don't miss out! Find out how these questions work their way into the plot of PLAY IT AGAIN. The official release date will be announced on my newsletter (tinyletter.com/hollyschindler). I'll also be hosting giveaways for subscribers.

READERS' TOP THREE PET PEEVES ABOUT SEQUELS

Reader feedback has been utterly invaluable throughout my writing career--at times, I would argue, even more illuminating than some feedback I've received from industry insiders.

As I make my way through the rewrites of PLAY IT AGAIN (the sequel to PLAYING HURT), I decided to ask readers for a bit of feedback before my book released.

Specifically, I asked, "What's your biggest pet peeve about sequels--and, conversely, what do you love about them?"

The top three most frequently mentioned pet peeves were:

1. The dreaded info dump - Giving a giant synopsis of the previous book right at the beginning of the sequel, rather than funneling bits of information or reminders regarding previous plot points throughout the text.

2. Rehashing the same plot - Refusing to put your characters in a new set of circumstances, relying instead on a retelling of the previous story.

3. Forgetting who your characters are - Readers often indicate it's the characters that bring them back to a sequel, rather than the story line. They want to spend more time with the people they fell in love with in the first book. Bringing back characters who have changed too drastically since the last installment can be jarring and disappointing for your readers.

My absolute favorite response came from a reader who said she knew a sequel had been a success when it felt both "unexpected and inevitable." What a great point to keep in mind as I work on my rewrites...

CROSSROAD REVIEWS - #AUTHORCHAT + GIVEAWAY: FERAL AND PLAYING HURT

Another great show! I always love my visits with Jessica at Crossroad Reviews. I got some great questions from readers for the chat--about when PLAY IT AGAIN will release, whether there will ever be a sequel to FERAL, and what my writing process is like. I even got a chance to provide a bit of a preview about SPARK, my forthcoming YA!

Grab a cup of coffee, settle into your favorite chair, and join me as I talk about my work from my own office:


You can also enter to win a copy of FERAL or PLAYING HURT; the giveaway will run for the next two weeks. Enter to win here.

PLAYING HURT--THE SEQUEL!

I'm thrilled to announce that I've officially begun work on my next independent novel: the NA sequel to my YA romance PLAYING HURT!

With no further ado, the cover (and title):