Spotlight & Giveaway: Dog Friendly by Victoria Schade

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Victoria Schade to HJ!

Hi Victoria and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Dog Friendly!

 
Greetings Friends!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

I’m so excited about my new book, Dog Friendly! It’s merges my love of dogs and Nantucket, as well as the magic of two people finding one another at exactly the right moment. My main character, Morgan Pearce, is a veterinarian facing compassion fatigue due to the demands of her work, and she escapes to Nantucket to try to find some peace. While there the mix of sunshine, sandy paws, and a certain handsome entrepreneur help her recalibrate, until some unexpected family angst changes the shape of her summer.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

I sent advance copies of Dog Friendly to a group of veterinarians and nearly all of them commented on the first line of the book: “Ticks have legs, nipples don’t. Those are definitely Tucker’s nipples.” It turns out that canine nipple/tick confusion is very common among pet parents!

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• Most of the spots mentioned in Dog Friendly are Nantucket staples, so if you get the chance to visit “ACK” make sure to grab a sandwich at Provisions and an ice cream cone at The Juice Bar, just like Morgan!
• Archer the dog is modeled after one of my foster dogs named Calvin.
• I picked Dog Friendly for the title for two reasons: Nantucket is incredibly dog friendly (they’re EVERYWHERE, from the library to the shops!) and Hudson the dog is decidedly not dog friendly at the beginning of the book. (Hm, I wonder if that fact changes by the end?!)

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

When Morgan Pearce spots Nathan Keating for the first time his appeal is obvious – he looks like a model! She’s shocked because he seems to be flirting with her during their initial interaction, but she’s not sure it’s for real. Despite her misgivings, Morgan can’t resist the charming entrepreneur who helps her move out of her comfort zone to sample the joys of easy summer living.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

I was blushing a little writing the first time Morgan and Nathan kiss. Sure, it’s just a kiss, but Morgan’s craving for physical affection roars to life in that moment, and she’s so raw with need that she’s almost a little desperate for him:

It had been ages since her body had responded to pleasure. For too long, her life had been an endless cycle of deprivation, of not enough sleep, or food, or relaxation or happiness. But now, as she was getting ready to kiss a man so pretty that he didn’t seem real, the exhilarating feelings came flooding back, tripping each sense until they responded like they’d been starved. Morgan cataloged every nuance of what was happening in an instant, from the pressure of his hands on her body to his suntan lotion scent.

Readers should read this book….

… if they’re looking for a summer read that mixes beach read vibes, dogs, a gorgeous setting and a swoony HEA!

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

It’s summertime but I’m deep in the holiday spirit, working on my first Christmas-themed book. It spans all of the holidays from Halloween to New Year’s Eve, and I’m enjoying writing about pumpkin pie, mistletoe and everything in between!
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: A print copy of Dog Friendly by Victoria Schade

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: One of the plotlines has to do with childhood bullying and the long term implications of it. Did you or anyone you love ever have to deal with bullying? Were there lasting ramifications from it?

 
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Excerpt from Dog Friendly:

“Hey Morgan Pearce!”

The shout startled her. She stopped in her tracks, frowning as she looked around the crowded sidewalk.

“Over here!” A bike bell sounded off.

Morgan turned to the cobblestone street and froze when she realized it was Nathan the soda guy, pedaling his bike cart down toward the dock where she’d met him the day before. He slowed down as he smiled and waved, not seeming to realize that he was holding up a parade of cars behind him.

Holy crap he’s perfect. Even riding that dorky bike cart.

She waved awkwardly. “Hey there!”

“You should come visit me later! Same spot,” he bellowed so that the few people who hadn’t been watching now turned to stare.

It was like they were old friends and he wanted to catch up with her, until she realized that it was probably part of his sales pitch. Make everyone feel like a buddy then get them to open their wallets for juice that costs as much as a glass of champagne.

He’d slowed down to almost a stop waiting for her to answer. Morgan couldn’t believe the cars lined up behind him weren’t honking.

“Okay, I’ll try!” She offered, hoping he’d move along and everyone would stop watching them.

“Cool!” He stood up on the pedals and leaned forward, his calves straining at the effort to move the heavy cart on the bumpy street. He threw another glance at her as he gained momentum. “I like your dog.”

“Oh, she’s not mine . . .”

“Huh?” He slowed down again.

Morgan realized that she was now part of the reason for a major downtown backup. The Volvos and Land Rovers were stopped all the way to the imposing brick building at the top of the street.
“Nothing! Bye!”

He waved at her again and finally pedaled off.

He’s like that with everyone, just stop.

Morgan found her way to the closed-off side street crowded with farmers market merchants but still relatively free of other shoppers. She kept an eye on Bernadette as they headed in, watching to make sure her posture didn’t change. The little dog’s maiden voyage in town on four paws had to be as positive as possible. Morgan snapped a quick photo of Bernadette standing at the entrance to the market near a flower merchant and sent it to Eugene and Karl.

“We’ll do a quick walk-through, Miss B,” Morgan said to her. “Then maybe we’ll stroll down to the docks.”

Duh, of course you’re going down there. To see him.

They kept to the middle of the street and Morgan peered at the goods for sale from a distance. She made a mental note to check out the handmade jewelry and natural soaps and lotions with a cute mermaid logo another time since her first priority was focusing on Bernadette. The dog was too busy sniffing and exploring to let her ponder which Nantucket bracelet to buy.

“Hey, I know you!” A voice called out from behind her.

What is it with this island?

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

A burned-out veterinarian takes a much-needed beach vacation, where a charming surfer makes waves in her love life, and a unique foster pup renews her passion for her work.

Exhausted veterinarian Morgan Pearce is feeling overworked and under-thanked, so when two favorite clients ask her to watch their special needs senior dog in their Nantucket home, she jumps at the chance for a summer break. She hopes her time on the island will be a reset from the stress of her everyday life, but her chill vacation vibe takes a hit when she gets roped into fostering a challenging, anxious dog and helping plan the local rescue group’s glittery annual fundraiser.

Her trip starts to feel more like a vacation when Morgan begins falling for Nathan Keating, an irresistible entrepreneur who thinks every problem can be solved on a surfboard. Just as the summer is shaping up to be the magical refresh she needs, thanks to a fling that feels like the beginning of something real and Hudson, the foster dog who reminds her how much she loves her job, a visit from her estranged brother and the discovery of who Nathan really is changes everything. Morgan finds herself at a crossroads, trying to determine if mistakes from the past must define the future, or if she should forgive, forget, and grab hold of a chance to finally rescue herself.
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Meet the Author:

Victoria Schade has been a dog trainer and writer for over twenty years. During that time her dog duties have included working behind the scenes on Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl as the lead animal wrangler, appearing on two seasons of the Animal Planet show Faithful Friends, writing dog training content and appearing in educational videos for NBC/Universal, Chewy, Great Pet Care, and petMD, as well as writing two dog training books, Bonding With Your Dog and Secrets of a Dog Trainer.

Victoria shares her 1850’s always-in- need-of- renovations home with Millie the Smooth Brussels Griffon (who wants you to know that she is not a skinny pug), Olive the mixed breed dog, the occasional foster pup, and her incredibly tolerant husband, Tom.
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