Good morning, and book-ish friends!

This is Christy & the Shelties from the “Castle in Kilkenny: Fairy Tales” series, and I have exciting dog news and exciting people-book news. 

1. Old Story, New Cover
2. Most exciting dogs: the Iditarod
3. Exciting book news: art notebook giveaway
4. Household exciting dog news: talking dogs
5. Recommended books & promotions
6. Embroidery photo

New Cover Reveal

After many discussions and focus groups, I have come up with a new cover for “The Horned Women.” Again. It has been so hard to indicate both genre and plot with this one! I'm trying for that intersection between family stories and fantasy. What do you think?

Amazing Dogs: the Iditarod

For the last couple weeks, I have been following the Iditarod. Growing up in Alaska, this was always an essential part of my winter, but it’s been hard to hold onto since I’ve moved away. 

When I was a girl, it was a highlight of the winter to watch the dogs take off. We would walk down the hill to the bike path where we walked our own dogs and join dozens of spectators gathered along orange plastic fencing, cheering every time a dog team rushed past, like hundreds of Alaskans all along the 12 miles of the ceremonial start through Anchorage. I’m old enough to remember the all-poodle team, who was always a crowd favorite, although they have since changed the rules to only allow northern breeds.

I am not sure that humans have the capacity to love something as fully as dogs, and sled dogs love to run. They especially love to run when they’re in harness, working together, with their favorite person on the sled, and it's nice and cold. And dark. Yayyy!

One of the videos this year is a team leaving a checkpoint, at night, a couple hundred miles into the race. The dogs were so excited to run-run-run that it took multiple people to hold them while the musher prepared, and as soon as they let go the dogs leapt forward like they’d been cooped for a week—not three hours. That is a beyond human amount of joy and passion, and I love it.

When I was a girl, I only needed one criteria to pick my favorite mushers: I rooted for the women in the race. There were always a few, but just a few. I cheered for Susan Butcher to win, and cheered for the women in the back to not have to scratch. This year, there are so many women racing that I couldn’t keep track of them all. It used to be that although the whole family worked with dogs it was the dad who raced, but now there are many husband-and-wife teams. I love that too.

As the mushers drew into the final stretch, I kept going back to look at the leaderboard, where three out of the top five mushers were women. Child-me can’t believe that we have come so far.

(As of right now this second, Paige Drobny is in Nome in third place, Michelle Phillips is ten miles from Nome and will get fourth, but Mille Porslid had trouble crossing the Bering Sea and is running in 9th. This newsletter is late because I keep checking on them.)

Book & Art News: A giveaway for you

Okay, my Iditarod update got a little overenthusiastic for a newsletter which you had no idea was about dog mushing. Maybe I should write a novel about it.

Meanwhile, I would like to give you something special! Many people who love books (and fiber arts) also love their notebooks. When I am taking notes or brainstorming, my absolute favorite notebooks are from Denik. The paper is smooth, and thick enough to avoid most bleed-through without being so thick that it feels like it’s too nice to write on. Denik allows customization, and this fall I designed several notebooks with my art on them. I think they look and feel lovely, and believe you would enjoy using one of these notebooks as much as I would.

So I am offering a drawing for one of my CUSTOM Denik notebooks for one of YOU!! 

Please bear with me as I work out the logistics since I’ve never done this before, but here goes… 

How to enter:

I want to thank everyone who is willing to write a review for any of my books, which will help so much as I move forward. Since I want honest reviews, I don’t want you to feel like I am looking over your shoulder. So in order to enter the contest, please just reply to this email and write something like:

I am willing to write a review

Then put it on your to-do list or whatever, so you remember, and I will put you down for one entry!

What if I have already written a review?

Then just reply to this email and let me know!

Where do I post the review?

Wherever you want, in as many places as you want, for any of my "Castle in Kilkenny" books, including: GoodReads Amazon Kobo BookBub 

Additional entries:

You can get additional entries if any of these options inspire you:

📚sign up and like/comment on my Instagram or TikTok

📚sign up for my feminist Substack newsletter

How long is the contest open?

Three weeks. I will do the drawing the weekend of April 5th.

Who can enter?

Unfortunately, when I checked several non-US countries, shipping from Denik is higher than the cost of the notebooks. But I still appreciate all of you! Please go ahead and enter, and I reserve the right to come up with an alternate (but wonderful) prize for a winner outside the continental U.S. 

Sheltie News: Talking Dogs

So…I gave in.

They were so enthusiastic about their bells to go outside and come back in again, I got a set of those talking pet buttons. We haven’t even had them a week yet; so far it’s mostly my 5-year-old who is VERY excited. Despite having functional vocal chords, he’s been pushing buttons with his own nose.

I will keep you informed of how the Shelties do with learning to "talk"! Meanwhile, the 5yo has mastered all three buttons.

Free Books & Promotions for March

Here’s a special little promotion that I thought you would enjoy!

Free Celtic Fantasy

In celebration of Aiden’s publication and because a number of you told me that you enjoy reading YA, I teamed up with some other authors to collect our Coming-of-Age novels. This also has some middle grade for the younger reader in your life.

Coming of Age Stories

And if you’ve enjoyed my fairy tale retellings, you might enjoy this retelling of Aerope. 

Embroidery

This week I’ve been working on wool felt mushrooms. I also wrote a Substack post about how embroidery keeps me going through hard times...except when it doesn't.

Remember, just reply to this email to enter the giveaway.

I look forward to hearing from you! Next time, the Shelties are going to round up some book reviews for you to explore what "cozy fantasy" looks like today.

Happy reading,

Christy & the Shelties

This is from this week. It doesn't include me, but it has my favorite things: a writing meeting (with Kate Quinn!), stitching, and my sweet puppies!

Here's a picture of me, just to say hi.

P.S. Michelle just came into Nome to earn fourth place!