Thank you for reading my stories!

Welcome, !

You are receiving this welcome email because you read "The Horned Women." I hope you enjoyed the story! I have so many more for you. 🥰

You might be confused by why you suddenly are receiving a welcome sequence. The answer is simple: I realized how much I did not know about sending a newsletter so I read a book. I am a huge fan of reading a book when I don't know enough about something. This book explained that it's important to be honest and clear with the reader about what I'm offering. I am also a huge fan of honest and clear relationships (as you can tell in my stories), so here we go.

#1. I will send you a newsletter about once a month

Sometimes life gets in the way. Sometimes we might need a summer break. And sometimes I will send an extra, very brief, time-sensitive announcement.

I plan on keeping the newsletter quick and light-hearted. I will include:

• quick round-up of author news & interesting points
• one dog-training tip (real dogs)
• one embroidery comment, plus occasional drawings for embroidery related art
• books you might enjoy

I will never ever use your email for any purpose other than this newsletter. I will never sell or rent emails.

And if the newsletter isn't for you, you can unsubscribe. It's okay.

#2. I like to hear from you, and I might adjust content or format depending on what people like to read

Do you know why I want to be a writer? It's certainly not for fame or fortune, and it isn't even because I have a specific story that I am driven to tell.

I write because I want to connect with people. I am so honored that you have read my story, and so honored that you are here reading with me now. My dream is that something I write can touch someone's heart or mind or help them feel seen. My dream is that one day, someone will reach for one of my stories when they are sad or tired, or curl up with one of my stories when they want to relax or need to shut out the world.

Perhaps it will be you.

So please, go ahead and respond to the emails. Take the surveys. Many people will read my stories, but you are the special ones who are here to spend time together. I appreciate you.

#3. That's done...so here are the two tips I promised in my confirmation email...plus a present

Remember how I said that my email server is sending me emails about bitcoin and mattresses, and still putting important things in the "junk" folder? Well, now I have read tips about how to train your email server and I'm sharing them with you. This sounds like training a puppy, and I like puppies.

First of all, add THIS email to your contacts. Whatever one is at the top of this email — this is the part I'm unclear about, but I think it's cmmforrest@gmail.com. Honestly, all the instructions always say to tell your subscribers to add this email to your VIP or starred contacts, but I don't want tons of email addresses cluttering up my starred contacts so I'm assuming you don't either. So let's say regular contacts, like training your server with regular treats instead of extra-juicy chicken.

And there's something even easier! I love easier! Apparently if you click on something in an email, then it tells your server that you want to see the email.

S0 (this is my own tired-mom interpretation), even if you don't have time to read an email, if you open it and maybe even click a button, and two days later come back and think "why is that window open" and close it again, it's giving your email server a nice supply of puppy treats and you're likely to see the next email. And because you are my favorite, I am definitely going to send out free stories, free artwork, and secret discount codes. So I'd hate for you to miss the clicks that are cookies for you!

This is the end of this email, and I'm giving you a button you can click. It's okay. It's a nice button, I promise. (But I can't figure out how to make it auto-play, so you might have to click again. This was my own idea, not in the book at all.)

Click here for not-quite-puppy treat

Thank you for reading! I have two more emails in my getting-to-know you series, and then

you can expect a newsletter about the second week of the month. The November newsletter is coming soon. I look forward to spending time together.

-Christy & the Shelties

These puppies are 100% willing to be trained with clicks, chicken, or just old-fashioned flattery.