I’ve never actually seen copies of these books, but apparently all three of my “Chicks with Sticks” titles (TANGLED UP IN LOVE, LOVES ME, LOVES ME KNOT, KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP) have been translated into Turkish. And every time I turn around, tweets about them are popping up on Twitter or Facebook.

Which leads me to believe that I must be very big in Turkey.

:turkey

And the covers are absolutely GORGEOUS!!!

Recently, I stumbled across this, which I can only assume is an ad for the entire trilogy.  Do I have to point out that it is AWESOME?!! or could you figure that out for yourself? :wink

I only wish I could read Turkish!

Last week, I shared the news of my participation in Lori Foster’s next benefit collection, with proceeds going to the Animal Adoption Foundation.  Which I thought would be a great way to launch into something that I hope to make a weekly post:  Manuscript Monday  One day a week (give or take) when I post something from or about my latest writing endeavor.

This week it’s a bit of background about “Gimme Shelter” (tentative title), the novella I’m working on as part of Lori Foster’s next benefit book.  The basic guidelines were that it should be sexy, fun, & contain a pet as a secondary character.

Gee, let’s see…

Can I do SEXY?

Given some of my past books (knitting & vampire, to name a few :wink ), I’d be willing to say yes.  But I’m also basing my hero, Dean Maxwell, on Supernatural‘s Dean Winchester—you heard me; I’m giving my hero his name & his looks & working out a few personal fantasies along the way—so sexy is pretty much a given. :turkey

Can I do FUN?

Well, poor Dean is thrown totally out of his element when he discovers three tiny, rain-drenched kittens in a drainage ditch late one night after work.  He has no clue what to do with them, but thankfully has a neighbor who will.  Gee, I wonder what will happen when he goes knocking on her door at midnight during a thunderstorm.  And she won’t let him dump them on her, so he’ll just have to spend the night…

Can I do PETS?

That might actually turn out to be the hard part.  There are definitely pets in my story.  Erica has five of her own—three rescue cats & two rescue dogs.  And now Dean has shown up with his three little furballs.  I have to be honest:  I can’t wait to see how this Yours, Mine, & Ours thing turns out when Dean & Erica decide to get together. :sled

So I think I’ve got all of the elements necessary for a great novella.  And even though the holidays have me moving slower than I’d like, it’s coming along pretty well.  I’m really loving the characters & being able to put animals—especially rescue animals—front-&-center.

More to come as the story moves along… :orny

A holiday is no excuse not to announce the winner of our latest Free Book Friday giveaway—Under the Millionaire’s Mistletoe by Maureen Child & Sandra Hyatt…

:prettylights   Gail S.!!!  :prettylights

Congratulations, Gail! :cheers   Please contact me with your full name & mailing information, & I’ll get your book out to you as soon as I can

And just to let you know whose information I’ve received from past giveaways & which prizes have been claimed…

Donna A. claimed Seduction & Scandal by Charlotte Featherstone

Hollie R. claimed 511 Things Only Women Understand by Lorraine Bodger

Still unclaimed…

Debi Chowdhury – The Scorecard by Greg Gutfeld