All right, . You knew it.

If I write a book about dogs, it was going to really be about dogs.

You've been reading this newsletter. You know that I care about my dogs individually, and I see each personality, each gesture — I find the words my Shelties cannot speak. So if I am going to publish a book about dogs, the dogs are going to be just as real and vivid as the human characters.

Here you go. You've been waiting, and I finally have it ready for you.

The Little White Cat and the Dog Who Wasn't

Isn't that cover beautiful, ?

You're the very first one to see it! (Besides my kids, when I got the first draft on the train in Japan and couldn't help squeeing to someone.)

I've added a new cover designer to my team for this series. She specializes in fairy tale retellings, and I love her rich, interwoven designs. (Like always, there's no AI, ever.) I've got another to share with you soon!

So, I wonder..... when you look at this, what do you think the book will be about? What makes you curious? I'll answer all your questions in the next newsletter!

(NB: The preorder is so new that not all the links are working. As of right now, if you want to read the opening, you can get to it on the Kobo link.)

So, what is the book about?

You've met Ailbe (pronounced almost like the modern "Ava") in a couple of my other books — she was Queen's Saba's head lady-in-waiting in The White Deer of Kildare, and helped Rian in The Knight & His Magical Armlet.

Ailbe takes center stage in my story in Feisty Deeds, "Escape to the Peaceful Valley." If you like to read things in order, absolutely no spoilers, I suggest that you go straight over and pick that up!

Yes, the e-book is almost the cost of a coffee, but all the money goes directly to scholarships.

"Escape to Peaceful Valley" in Feisty Deeds

If you've read that, you know Ailbe escaped when she was about to be forced into marriage with an evil sorcerer. That's the set-up for this book.

Well, in The Little White Cat & The Dog Who Wasn't, the sorcerer has caught Ailbe after a year of hunting her down. He's locked her in his magical castle, and announces quite calmly that she is happy because he has given her everything she wants. He also assigns twenty-four black wolf-hounds to keep her from running away.

But Ailbe isn't a pampered princess, and she's not happy. She's tough, practical, and determined to get out.

Without leaving one single dog behind. Especially the one who matters the most.

And there's a cat!

The original fairy tale was called "The Little White Cat," and I've really had a ball with this snarky, self-satisfied, inexplicable Fae creature. My next newsletter is going feature His Catness, complete with a sneak peek into one of my favorite scenes (ever)!

The dogs-as-guardians was also in the original fairy tale. Clearly, it was just begging me to retell it!

Some romance + defeating some evil = your perfect escape

Like many fairy tales, this has a strong romance element. Unlike original fairy tales, the characters are imperfect, emotionally intense, and opinionated. I've also thrown in some twists and turns and a decoy... well, I'm not going to tell you about that. 🫣

Thank you, to so many of you who wrote back with your support and empathy to my last newsletter — and to everyone who felt emotional or supported when reading it. We've agreed that one way to manage evil and dissent in our real world is to have the chance to defeat evil in a fantasy world.

I wrote this one as an escape for you, dear reader. There's dogs, there's friendship, there's a charming castle and lush scenery.

So make a date with a cozy chair, a cookie, and some tea...

... in early March, as the blustery winds blow outside. Pre-order today, and you'll be in a magical castle in the lush summer in ancient Ireland...

... with Ailbe of Dún Allaine, her pack of loyal wolfhounds, and a cat who thinks he can boss her around.

The Little White Cat and the Dog Who Wasn't

Best wishes & happy reading,

Christy & the Shelties

P.S. Do you prefer paperback? This one's going to be lovely, with full wrap-around cover art. The pre-order will be up any time through Bookshop dot org or Barnes & Noble (I'll add it to the link). Amazon doesn't do pre-orders for paperbacks, but it will be available upon release.

P.P.S. If you're on my ARC team, you'll be getting your advance copy next week!