Author Q&A with Victoria Schade

1.     When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

Writing has always been a part of my life, from the time I started my first journal in middle school. (I kept it up off and on all the way into my late twenties!) Writing has also always been a part of my career, even when I was dog training full time, since I wrote articles for web sites like PetMD and Chewy. The pivot to writing dog training how-to books, and then fiction, felt really natural for me.

2.     If you could meet any author who would it be and why?

I’ve been lucky enough to do in-person fangirling with a bunch of writers I admire, but I would love the chance to meet Emily Henry, because she just seems so darn silly and fun. And I adore her books, of course!

3.     What's your favorite memory as a dog trainer?

Working with the puppies on the Puppy Bowl set every year will always be a highlight for me. Since they’re untrained and in a totally new (and weird!) environment, I have to use all of my trainer tricks to coax performances out of them.

4.     Did the inspiration for Unleashed Holiday come from your training sessions?

The inspiration for Unleashed Holiday is right there in the title - the cozy vibes of the holiday season! I really wanted to immerse myself in that festive fall/winter timeframe. As for the dog training aspect, I definitely drew from my experiences as a trainer to inform some of what Chelsea went through.

5.     Do you have a favorite character from your novels?

Oof, such a tough question! I love all of them, but of course the dogs come first!

6.     What do you do to celebrate a new contract or a book release?

I’m boring – I keep things pretty mellow at this point! Usually just a bottle of prosecco and a sweet treat.

7.     If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Italy is on my bucket list … I’ve been lucky enough to do a fair amount of international travel but I haven’t made it there yet.

8.     Do you have another book in the works, and if so, can you tell us a little about it?

A little secret about me is that I also do ghostwriting under a pen name, so I always have a book in the works, but I can’t necessarily talk about it! (There have been some years where I’ve written 3 books under the pen name!) That said, I’m also working on an official “Victoria Schade” book that’s taking me way longer than usual to finish. I had a title for it that I loved, but now, for reasons I can’t get into, I’m shifting it to a new title. Fingers crossed it hits shelves soon-ish!