Writing Belle: FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS - New Adult Rom Com with 'BITE"

Fifth Avenue Fidos

A New Adult Rom-Com with “Bite”

by Holly Schindler

“Once upon a time, in a magical metropolitan kingdom…” OR: When a mutt from Queens meets a purebred Upper East Side New Yorker, it takes man’s—and woman’s—best friend to convince them what they feel is more than puppy love.

When Mable Barker snags a job walking a snarly Fifth Avenue Pekingese belonging to the shy veterinarian, Jason Mead, she expects to spend her days dealing with yet another creature’s crap—figuratively and literally…Only to find that love is unleashed, as she and Jason fall for the Peke and for each other. But can three imperfect beings create utter perfection at the Westminster Dog Show?

Fifth Avenue Fidos offers a smart, sweet romantic comedy, using the conventions of fairy tales to explore what “happily ever after” means. A heartwarming story of love and dreams in dog-eat-dog NYC.

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Q&A with Holly Schindler

Based on your website, it looks like you've been writing all of your life - that's so awesome! What would you say is the most wonderful thing about writing?

I’ve always gravitated toward writing and books. I had to have a new Little Golden Book every time Mom and I went to the supermarket, and I was writing—and illustrating—my own books at my child-sized rolltop desk when I was six or seven.

I was a really shy kid, too. In part, writing may very well have been a way to have a “voice” early on. But it’s more than that, too. There’s something about storytelling that’s always been the right fit. I can’t imagine a life not writing.

You've said that you wrote lots of "margin notes" when you were growing up. What was the importance of these notes?

I’ve always got a little notebook or piece of scratch paper when I leave the house—never do know when inspiration will strike! But I also got in the habit really early on of revising—scratching out passages, rewording, reorganizing, etc. Authors are often REWRITERS as much as they’re WRITERS.

How many books have you published, total? Which is your favorite?

I’ve released four traditionally: A BLUE SO DARK (Contemporary YA, 2010) PLAYING HURT (YA Romance, 2011), THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY (Contemporary MG, 2014), and FERAL (YA Psychological Thriller, 2014). FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS is my first indie release. My traditional releases have earned starred reviews in PW and Booklist, and have won several awards (including a silver and gold medal in ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year and the IPPY Awards, respectively).

It’s hard to pick a favorite—I love them all for different reasons. BLUE will always have a special place in my heart, because it was my first-ever release, but FIDOS will also have a special place because it’s my first indie. FIDOS is also a book I originally drafted ten years ago. After multiple rewrites, I’m thrilled to have released this labor of love.

What inspires you to write?

I’m constantly finding inspiration all around me. I started writing FIDOS shortly after my own Pekjingese, Jake, came into my life. In fact, some of Innis’s character is based on Jake. It was also a joy to write a book that included so much humor. All of my books have some humor—even when the subject matter is slightly darker. But this time, I just let the funny fly…which was easy to do since the book features a dog. (Really—what’s funnier than a dog?)

Any new projects that you're working on?

Right now, I’m revising my next YA for HarperCollins, due out in ’16. I’m also writing PLAY IT AGAIN, the sequel to PLAYING HURT. You can follow along with my progress, get sneak peeks, first glimpses at covers, etc. of all my books by subscribing to my newsletter: tinyletter.com/hollyschindler.

About the Author

Holly Schindler is the author of four traditionally published books; her work has received starred reviews in Booklist and Publishers Weekly, has won silver and gold medals in ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year and the IPPY Awards, respectively, has been featured on Booklist’s Best First Novels for Youth and School Library Journal’s What’s Hot in YA, and has been a PW Pick of the Week. Fifth Avenue Fidos is her first independently published book. She is owned by a Pekingese named Jake and can be found working on her next book in her hometown of Springfield, Missouri. She can also be found at hollyschindler.com.