Sheltie Gazette: Malin's a busy boy!
May 01, 2025 2:18 am
It's a busy week, !
Quick reminder: Malin is the sable Sheltie (the blond one). He's also the bossy, sassy, in-your-face one.
This morning he was out in the yard, insisting on barking at things (like cars) instead of coming inside when we called. My teen son went out to bring him in.
Outside... my son scolded, "Malin!!"
Inside... Adare lay down at my feet and put his chin on his paws. Very submissive. Very obedient. Very...not the dog being yelled at.
me is very good dog,
always do good thing
However, to give credit where credit is due, Malin has VERY good herding instincts, and there's an entire sheep-pen worth of news for you this week! Except... books. Not actual sheep.
As you know, my books are on sale for 99c!
Be sure to tell your friends — this week you can get The Horned Women AND The White Deer for only 99 cents/pence/euro pence! You can find all platforms in the link below.
My favorite review yet...or at least of the moment
Duct tape, coffee, and pure mom grit...that's all Maura has to hold this whole disaster together! I love Gina Rae Mitchell's description of my main character. Maura's just an ordinary mom, just trying to get through the evening.
What a fun, witchy little read! The Horned Women takes a creepy old Irish fairy tale and spins it into something fresh, smart, and totally charming. I loved Maura — she’s got that “holding it together with duct tape and coffee” energy I can seriously relate to — and seeing her face off against twelve different horned witches with nothing but folklore, stitching skills, and pure mom grit was just so satisfying.
Christy Matheson writes with a cozy, heartfelt vibe that makes even the spookiest moments feel grounded and real. It’s a quick read, but it really sticks with you. If you like your fairy tales with a bit of chaos, a little magic, and a lot of heart, you’ll love this one.
Which disaster was that?
My main character, Maura, isn’t morally gray or coming of age or hiding latent superpowers.
She’s just a single mom. And she’s tired.
Once upon a time, many years ago, she had dreams of becoming a folklorist. Even though none of her family were college types, she got into a PhD program at one of the few schools in the US that offers an advanced degree in folklore, and she was full of ideas. But you know the way it goes…it ended with a man, and family is the most important, right?
She did her best for her kids—but she’s not some kind of TikTok trend supermom, either. Sometimes she felt isolated and resentful, and when her second baby was so much harder than the first, she never had enough sleep, and Oona wouldn’t let anyone else hold her, and sometimes Maura had flashes of something that were almost like anger at her own poor helpless baby. But she kept trying.
She kept trying to help her marriage, too. She’s been trying for so long...
Musicians, theater people, and other performers...what do you think?
Both my agent and I have our background in the performing arts, which might be part of why we clicked. How about you? I am always impressed with how many serious performing people I find in the wild, and I wonder how many are on this mailing list!
Here's a blog post about five things that I gained from my training as a musician that serve me well as a writer. If you're a performer, does this sound right? If you're not, here's my "secret sauce" to building a writing career...
Take criticism & work with it
- I took private piano lessons for about twenty years, plus lessons on two additional instruments. Beyond the childhood stages, a “private lesson” basically means an hour straight of someone telling you what to do differently. In music, it’s considered an honor to be allowed to take a masterclass, which is the opportunity for someone who doesn’t know anything about you, your struggles, or your artistic vision to lecture an entire audience about what you’re doing wrong.
- It was wonderful. I learned to push myself and...
Maybe a new cover — ?!?!
What do you think, ?
My team and I are working on getting The Squire and His Magical Library ready to go out. We don't have all the details finalized, but I'm so excited about this cover that I had to share! What do you think? Does it say "historical fantasy"? Do you like the font, or miss the uncial?
And I promised you Brussels sprouts...
Before I could write this newsletter, I had to put dinner in the oven. (Speaking of mom-life...) I prepped a pan of Brussels sprouts, but the ends and extra leaves looked so happy and bright and green that I didn't want to just throw them away. Who might want them? Hm...
There are always some bright eyes when I'm in the kitchen, so I just set down the whole cutting board. I figured they might give it a try, but...
Let's just say....within a few minutes, all the Brussels sprouts were gone!! I guess they'll have more energy to round up some more writing news for you next week.
And I almost forgot! Here's some books for you
What can we do in this troubling times? Like you, I stand up for women's rights, and value the importance of all cultures. Often, that doesn't feel like enough, so here are some books to inspire us. They're not free, but our money is going to someone who is working to make our world better. The stories we tell are important.
My "White Deer" is a myth retelling from the POV of the female character (and it's on sale!). I picked up "Maeve in the Morning" from this sale and it's next on my TBR--I'll share the review with you soon.
Happy reading!
Christy & the Shelties
Malin is also the cuddliest, although slightly skeptical of my picture-taking
