Today is the Big Day!! The Black Sheep & The Princess hits the shelves in bookstores all over the place this very fine day.

Here is a peek at the back cover copy…followed by a wee bit o’ excerpt. Oh….and for this week’s SHaQ Attack, all ya gotta do is send me an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “Pick Me!” in the subject line. I will draw two names on Friday and you’ll get your very own copy. (If you were lucky enough to win an advance copy, you can select anything else from my bookshelf.) Good luck!

They’re the black sheep—the bad boys every good girl wants to have hold her, touch her, take her, love her. But being bad never felt so good…

“I have some spare beer, if you’re interested…”

I’d know that voice anywhere, and every time I hear it, it makes me sweat. Not that well-bred heiresses are supposed to sweat, but if you saw Donovan MacLeod, trust me, you’d need a change of clothes, too. It’s been eighteen years, but he’s got the same cocky swagger, silver-gray eyes, shaggy hair, and that sexy smile that promises a whole lot of trouble. Not that I’ll ever find out because he loathes me—thinks I’m some spoiled princess. So, there’s something I’ve just got to ask…

“Why are you here, Donovan?”

The lady asked a question, she deserves an answer. Well, Kate Sutherland, how about, I’ve fantasized about you for eighteen years? Or, I wanted to remember how it feels to need a cold shower every time you flick that perfect blonde hair out of your blue eyes? Or, why don’t you come over here and let me show you, baby? Yeah, good answers, but I’ll stick with this one—I came back to help, because I think you’re in some trouble. My bad boy gut says you’re gonna need me—in more ways than one…

Excerpt….

Kate glanced at him, then shifted her gaze firmly back to the winding mountain road. “Why are you here, Donovan? Just tell me.”

“I told you. I saw the write up in the paper, saw you needed some help.” He lifted a shoulder in what he hoped came off as a nonchalant shrug. “I happen to be in the helping people line of business these days. Or you can just consider it assistance from an old friend.”

She snorted. “We were hardly friends.”

He didn’t look away. Couldn’t actually. The morning light was far more revealing than the porch light had been last night. “No, I guess we weren’t. Sentimental reasons, then. I grew up here, after all. Is it so strange to want to give back?”

She looked at him again, clearly suspicious. “You couldn’t be bothered to come home after your father was buried, and please forgive me if I’m being completely insensitive, but you don’t strike me as the sentimental type.”

Mac decided to drop all pretense. “You’re right about that. I’d just as soon never step foot back on this property. A lot of memories are tied up here, most of them bad.”

“Then my question stands. And don’t tell me it’s about some stupid newspaper article.”

“It’s the God’s honest truth that if not for that article, I wouldn’t be here. But, actually, it was Rafe who spotted it.”

“Rafael Santiago? You’re still in touch with him?”

“I work with him. Finn Dalton, too.” He raised his hand. “And my word is still good. Always has been. There have been times when that’s all I had, so I don’t give it lightly.”

She didn’t say anything to that, concentrating on the road instead. “So you’re saying the Unholy Trinity has this sudden vested interest in saving a rotting old camp because of some little newspaper write up.”

“Hardly little. It was the New York Times. And the headline was something about an heiress giving up her inheritance to take control of family lake property in order to open up a camp for disabled kids. Is that true?”

“Which part? That I swapped my inheritance with Shelby? Or that I’m planning on a camp for kids?”

“Perhaps you’re doing well enough on your own not to need Louisa’s money.”

“Does it look like I’m rolling in it, Donovan?”

“I have no idea what game you might be playing at. With Shelby involved and an inheritance worth a lot of zeroes, now vandalism, and rumors of developers being involved—“

Kate braked and abruptly pulled over. “Get out.”

“I’m just calling it like I see it. Do you want me to sugar coat it?”

“I want you to get out. And stay off camp property. My property.”

She wasn’t looking at him, and her tone was flat and hard. But he saw the tremor in her jaw, the vein standing out in stark relief along the side of her neck, and the white knuckles gripping the steering wheel.

“Someone isn’t just spraying unhappy little messages on trees, Kate. Someone has been watching you,” he said without preamble. “You may not like me or what I have to say, or believe why I’m here, but that’s beside the point. The point is I have the resources to help get you out of whatever it is you’ve gotten yourself into.”

Her cheeks drained of color and she swallowed hard.

“You may not even know what you’re up against,” he said, a tad less stridently. “So stop looking the gift horse you have in the mouth and let me help you.”

Her chest rose and fell more quickly.

“Look at me.”

Her throat worked.

“Kate.”

She swung her gaze to his, and there was no mistaking the fatigue, wariness, and the healthy dose of fear he saw there. “What?”

“To be perfectly honest, I haven’t the faintest freaking clue why I’m here. Maybe it’s some sort of whack karmic justice, or God having a really big laugh at my expense. All I know is that I felt—we all felt—like it was the right thing to do.” Now it was his turn to look away. Because he still wasn’t being completely truthful with her. “And maybe it’s because once I saw your picture, it stirred up a bunch of stuff I thought I was long done with. Stuff that not even my father dying stirred up.”

He felt her gaze flicker to his and looked up in time to catch it, hold it. “Meaning what?” she asked.

“Meaning we have unfinished business, you and me.”

“We don’t have any business. We never did.”

“I know.” His grin was slow, but it kept on growing until he saw the color steal back into her cheeks. “That’s the unfinished part.”

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Check back in tomorrow, same bat time, same bat station, for this week’s SHaQ Attack contest question!

Happy Monday everyone.

And Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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We have a winner!

But, first the MAC. The opening number had Emo Mia’s sweaty hands all over it (and Danny.) Wasn’t my favorite, but it was interesting to watch. Then we see Cat Deeley with her dead Aunt Tootie’s preserved senior prom roses in her hair. What was up with that? Honestly, put the crack pipe down, Stylist Person.

We find out that the bottom two vote getters of each gender will be in danger tonight. After watching some guy in very spongy tight pants leap around and sing in a very high voice, we find out that the bottom two girls are Jamie and Lauren. Not much of a surprise, though it could have been Sara and I wouldn’t be surprised. I wonder if Lauren was there because she’s not connecting with the people, or if they’re pissed she stayed over Anya, or simply because she danced first and was forgotten. This is pretty much what I’d predicted, so I wasn’t upset. In the end, it’s Jamie going home on the girl’s side. They’re all so giddy over the upcoming tour now, no one is particularly upset at getting axed at this point in the game, so it’s not as poignant.

For the guys, the bottom two are Dominic and Kam, which is as it should be. And Kam goes. Also not a surprise. The only moment of interest is Danny’s complete and utter joy at not being in the bottom two after weeks of getting slammed.

Each of the bottom four does a solo, despite the fact that the outcome has already been decided. I thought Jamie was just okay. Didn’t really care for Lauren’s at all, and wondered if she really was in danger. I thought Dominic really brought it with his, and Kam didn’t really come through until the end.

So, buh bye Kam and Jamie. Can’t wait until next week to see who is paired with who in the Final 8.

As for Top Cheftestant….boo, hiss, it was the mid-season bitch fest episode, with guest attacks from previous seasons. Oh joy. Not. I’ll pass until next week.

Now, on to our SHaQ Attack Winner. I asked you to guess who was going home on So You Think You Can Dance. I thought it was kind of interesting that both the viewinr and non-viewinh Blog Babes went with mostly the same guesses. If the Blog Babes had been in charge (and really, why aren’t they?) then it would have been buh bye, Lauren and Neil. As it happens, the Blog Babes weren’t in charge, more’s the pity) but three of you did make it into the contest, and one of you got it right on both counts. And our winner this week is Susan!! Wooooooot!! Congratulations!! You win a free book of your choice (and just so ya know, I do have copies of my new release, out next Tuesday…The Black Sheep & The Princess!)

Who me? Make shameless plugs?

Tune in next week for another fun round of MAC and SHaQ!

In the meantime, have a great weekend everyone!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Me!

So, on So You Think You Can Dance, Uncle Nigel’s hair finally completes its emotional journey, or it’s being properly medicated. Whatever the case, nice to see him looking relatively normal. Cat’s stylist, however, is on a journey too, and not a particularly good one. Roman Empire Toga meets Aunt Tilda’s Satin Draperies? Not a good look.

Okay, tonight things get different. The judges judge, but they don’t get to pick who goes home. That’s up to us. (Don’t screw this up, people!) What we get tonight is ten dancers doing the same solo routine to a Wade Robson design. (Three dances in and I felt REALLY sorry for the poor sap who had to go tenth. Man.) Also? Everyone gets new partners for their partnering routine. AND, you don’t vote couples tonight, you vote individual. I’m not sure if they still send one guy and one girl home, or just the bottom two, but I’m guessing they stick with the equal gender slashing.

Solo Routines:
I kinda liked Wade’s contemporary anti war idea here, but not sure I like seeing it performed ten times. I just don’t see where it’s fair to the poor dancers going later in the line up. We’re sick of it by then, it’s hard to make it fresh. But that notwithstanding and trying to look at each dancer with fresh eyes, these are my impressions of the remaining ten.

Jamie did a wonderful job, but no shock there.

Dominic gave it his all and did a pretty decent job, but it’s obviously not his forte. Ditto with Pasha.

I liked Sara with this, I thought she brought some credible street angst and held up to the contemporary constraints as well. She was the surprise for me.

Lauren did an okay job. More jock/athletic than dance for me. And the scream wasn’t so good.

Neil did a great job, but again, no surprise. I liked him in this. Dammit. (Good recovery on the stumble, too.)

Sabra’s turn and as it happens, the girl can dance AND scream. Who knew? She’s a bit more frenetic than I’d have liked from her, but of course, she’s great.

Now we get Kam who is very Kam-like and essentially proves that what the judges say is true. I personally like the guy, but if you’re going to be all nit picky about technique (and this is a dance contest) then, like with Hok, I have to agree with them. Still. I like the guy.

Lacey gave me the performance I thought I was going to get from Sabra. Very well done. Very. Great scream, too. If the judges were concerned about her not putting her true self into a routine, I thought this nicely disproved that. Best, along with Jamie, of the whole bunch. And going ninth? Double golf clap.

Poor Danny gets the uncoveted last spot. But damn he’s a gorgeous dancer. Best guy of the night by a ton and a mile and then some more. Beautiful to watch, I’ll give him that. His leaps are insane and look so effortless. And his lines are simply stunning. If there was more natural emotion (and a better scream) I’d give him a ten for this. Okay, so he brought it at the end. Best thing he’s done, I think.

Pairs:
Lauren gets Pasha for a Shane Sparks Hip Hop routine that I LOVED. I thought Pasha did pretty well, but I really liked Lauren in this. And I don’t usually feel all that much for her, so that was a breakthrough for me. Really enjoyed this one. Watched it twice.

Sabra and Kam get a contemporary routine by Tyce. Sigh. It was actually lovely and I thought they were adorable in practice. But I agreed completely with the judges. Yes, Emo Mia was harsh with Kam, and yet I respect her for not caring about being nice, but sincerely wanting to help him grow as a dancer. Might as well put it out there while she can, considering they don’t get to say who leaves. Sabra was stunning as always. She’s a true frontrunner in this competition for me.

So….we get Lacey and Danny. I was instantly intrigued by this match, because she’s probably the only one who can match him talent and stage presence wise and might lighten him up a bit, to boot. We’ll see. They get samba. Well, poo. Ah well. Maybe this will give us a chemistry check, though. That could be interesting. But wait a minute! BONUS!!! They get Dmitry from last season as their choreographer (WOOOOOT!) and so I totally don’t care now how they do. More Dmitry. Less clothing. That’s all I have to say. Damn, he still looks good.

Okay, so in rehearsal they have NO chemistry and I totally blame Danny. Lacey and Kam steamed up the place. These two? Danny seems like he could care less and is just not invested in trying to connect with someone he clearly doesn’t like all that much. No surprise there. A shame, because she can match him on the dance floor and he should take full advantage of that to try and win viewers over since they love her and him? Not so much. Maybe he just can’t fake the whole lust for a woman thing. I dunno. (And would it have killed Dmitry to at least take his shirt off? Dammit.)

So, the routine itself? Damn, Lacey. I was surprised we could see the routine for all the steam that had to be smokin’ around you. You go, girl. And go she does. I know the judges slam her for not being real, but being a stage pro instead. I say who the hell cares when she can act that well? Danny, for his part, could have been a teeny bit more alpha, but he did bring it more than I expected he would and I liked them together well enough. Mostly that was lacey’s doing though, as she just doesn’t take eh for an answer. She was making love to the audience more than to Danny, but that was probably because the audience might actually care. Loved Dmitry’s routine. It was hot and unique, full of samba, and a ton of fun to watch. Twice. And in rewatching, I’m reminded again just how off the charts both the talent and the choreo is this season. Amazing!

Yikes. Jamie gets Dominic. I was sort of hoping she’d get Neil, just to see their potential for grace. Ah well. This should be…interesting. And they get the Viennese Waltz? AND their choreographer wants to give it a Spanish flair? Wha? Jesus, why not just send them home now? So, I was hoping to be so wrong wrong wrong about this, but no, it’s a trainwreck for me. Her dress got in the way and camo’d her lovely lines. I have NO idea how to take the Spanish-slash-Viennese thing, it totally didn’t work for me, and neither of them looked remotely comfortable. Double yikes for me. Least favorite of the night. By far.

Last pair of the night are Neil and Sara. Hmm. Not sure what to think, but I cringe for them when I hear they get Disco. Dang. Poor them. I never think they choreo these particularly well, so I’m not hopeful here. And they get Doriana Elvira. Great. I think they should take this style out of this competition. It just doesn’t do anything for the dancers. Oh well. Here we go. The opening camera angle was…interesting. But good. And fun song. I’m ready to have my mind changed. They definitely bring the fun to this and it is, already, the best disco this show has seen. They’re stinking cute together and her dress is smokin on her and Neil actually pulls off the leisure suit look with cute humor. Okay, so maybe I was hasty. Good close to the show!

So….recap: I still thought Shane’s transformer routine was the best of the night. Wish it had been last so it wouldn’t be lost in the hours long show. Thought the samba was second best, and the disco third. (I know!) The waltz was the worst and the contemp next to last. But, as for dancers, here’s how I’d rate them based on tonight alone.

Girls: In order - Lacey, Sabra/Lauren tied for second, Sara, Jamie last (but only because of that atrocious routine.) I have NO idea who I’d send home of the girls based on tonight. No one really deserves it. I fear for Jamie. I guess.

Guys: In order - Neil(I know!), Danny, Pasha, Dominic/Kam tied for last. I’d send Dominic home, but I fear for Kam.

Discuss!

Don’t forget to enter this week’s SHaQ Attack contest. Tonight, 9pm EST is your last chance to enter. I realize I forgot to put my email in this week. Sorry! You can post here, that’s fine. But you can also send your entries the regular route: donna@donnakauffman.com with “Dance Dance!” in the subject line. (All previous entries are valid! No need to re-enter.) Winner announced in the morning, along with some more Dance MAC and a wee bit o’ Top Chef MAC if I get to watch it.

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The fall season will finally be here in a few short weeks, and that means fun returns to television! (I mean, if it wasn’t for Do You Think You Can Understand Uncle Nigel’s Hairstyle, we’d have had nothing this summer!) Dance is slated to finish up mid-August, along with Top Chef. I have no idea about Big Brother. Has it gotten any better? I have all the regular episodes cluttering up my TiFaux, but haven’t dug into them yet. Should I?

But back to the Good News! Survivor: China starts September 20.

I still haven’t finished Harry. I’m the only one on the planet still on the first 100 pages. But I’m still spoiler free, so there is that!

Tomorrow night is another round of Dance Dance and Cheftestant Cookery and I will have all the MAC that’s fit to print and even more that’s not, so tune in on Thursday!

Don’t forget to enter this week’s SHaQ Attack contest. Details in Monday’s post.

Tags: Writing by Donna
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So, I got my precious copy at midnight-oh-one…then spent the weekend so tied up that I’m still in the first 100 pages! Augh! So now I won’t be able to watch television, read newspapers, or, basically, talk to another human being before I finish this if I don’t want to be spoiled. I know. Fat chance.

We are having a SHaQ Attack contest this week! Woot!

Your contest question is: Who do you think is going home on Dance For Your Life this week? (aka So You Think You Can Dance.) Even if you don’t watch, you can take a wild guess - you never know! Pick one guy and one girl - if either of your choices gets voted off, you’re in the running for a free book.

Your choices are:
Girls - Sara, Sabra, Lacey, Lauren, and Jamie
Guys - Dominic, Pasha, Danny, Kam, and Neil.

You have until Thursday night, 9pm EST to get your votes in. I’ll annnounce the winner Friday morning. If nobody gets it right, everyone who sent in a guess will be in the running. So enter already!

Good luck!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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This week I asked you to name the five “woo woo” books I wrote….they are: The Legend MacKinnon, Legend of the Sorcerer, Your Wish is My Command, The Royal Hunter, and The Charm Stone. Many of you got it right, but the winning Blog Babe this week is Kimberly L! Woo hoo!!!

Tune in next week for a new SHaQ Attack and more MAC. Hope everyond has a fabulous weekend.

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That pretty much sums up my feelings on the night. Yeah, yeah, it was the right decision for the guys, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it! I don’t have a lot of excitement for either Danny or Neil, but they are better dancers. However, I’d buy a ticket to see Hok. Go figure.

As to the girls….well, I didn’t expect that! Boy, I bet Mary is spitting mad! But, while I thought it should be Lauren, I’m not unhappy it was Anya. She is a lovely dancer, but America is clearly not connecting with her. She’s been in the bottom several times now. Ya gotta pay attention to that.

So, we have our Top Ten!
Lacey, Sara, Lauren, Sabra and Jamie for the girls. Kam, Pasha, Dominic, Neil and Danny for the guys.

I will say this, it’s anyone’s game really. There are some amazing dancers in that bunch, some technically brilliant, some super engaging, some a lot of both. But no clear cut winner of this whole thing, not like last year when Donyelle, Benji and Travis more or less owned the show for the whole second half of the season.

Who’s gonna win, Blog Babes? Hmmm……….

Of the remaining dancers, for me? Lacey, hands down. Sabra a close second. Jamie is technically lovely, but doesn’t pull me in emotionally. I love Sara, but though she’s come an amazingly long way and deserves top ten and the tour, she’s not the winner. Not this year. And Lauren is there by the skin of her teeth.

If it had to be a guy? I’d be hard pressed to pick. Shockingly, it would probably be Dominic, which is wild when I consider where he started. But they’re right about Kam , love him though I do, not having enough stage presence. Danny is brilliant but leaves me cold. Neil is a good stunt dancer, but doesn’t grab me. And Pasha is a bit like Sara, he’s gives it his all, but he’s not the winner. So, wow. Hunh. But I’m thinking it’s a girl’s turn this season. Finally.

Now….SHaQ Attack time! I’m gonna be nice, since I didn’t post until Tuesday, and give everyone one more day to play. I’ll announce the winner tomorrow. Promise! See details in Tuesday’s post to play.

Oh yeah….Top Chef? Who died and suddenly made Howie and Joey BFF winners? Hunh? Editors? Bueller? Anyone? The universe is tilting madly. My vote is still for Tre. And dear god, Howie, wear a bandana to catch all that sweat that I cringe is dripping into all of your prepared food. Shudder!

I agreed with the firing this week. I guess. But I was still sad to see Lia go, and heartened to see how close this bunch is. Easily the closest, not-too-clique-ish cast thus far.

TGIF!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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So, last night was interesting… Uncle Nigel’s hair is still on an emotional journey, this time to a Beauty School Barbershop apparently, Mary’s dresser is still on crack, and we get Wade Robson who wants humanity in his dancing, dammit!

I have no idea what Cat was wearing, but she had great hair.

And we’re off. We learn this is the last week they dance with their current partners, and the last week the judges have a say in who goes home. After this, they change pairs each week. As much as I hate it for them, losing the person they know and trust, I think it will be interesting for us. But first we have to whittle our top 12 to 10, which is a meaningful number as that’s who goes on tour.

Up first is Sabra and Dominic who do an almost pro speed jive that is both colorful and entertaining. I especially notice Sabra, who really just nails whatever they give her to do. Dominic is also a bit boggling, given he has zero training. The judges tend to concur. I think they make the top ten.

Next is Hok and Jamie, who get Broadway, but it’s a Tyce Broadway routine, so naturally it’s whack. He gives Hok this old man role to play, and while I admittedly didn’t get it during the routine, I otherwise thought it was truly lovely and very Broadway in that I felt I was watching a play or musical while they performed. I really enjoyed it. The judges? Not so much. They gush all over how gorgeous a dancer Jamie is - and she is, truly — but I seem to have a hard time reconciling her giggly, air-headedness with her far more sophisticated dance style. Hok, I love, but the judges rip him a new one, which he handles with dignity and grace. I fear for them in Bottom Three Land. Stupid judges.

Next is Sara and Pasha, who get Jazz with Mandy Moore (no, not that Mandy Moore) who gives them this really interesting routine to Queen’s Body Language. I found it more fascinating, the by play between how she moves the dancers around, than outright entertaining, but I really did love it. The judges give them some critique but mostly props. I think they are in the top ten, too.

Lauren and Neil get contemporary, which means a bizarre routine by Emo Mia. I thought it was cool, in a Blue Man Group kind of way. Wade loves it, Mary and Nigel totally don’t get it, but they do give the two dancers props. Kind of. I have no idea where these two will end up, but I think they did justice to the routine they were given, so kind of unfair to call them on that.

Now it’s Danny and Anya’s turn and they get Fox Trot to big band music that seems to unleash Danny’s inner human. This makes Wade so very happy. I thought they were lovely, but I’m still not emotionally connecting to these two in the way that makes me want to vote for them. But they certainly deserve to stay this week.

Last but not least are Kam and Lacey, who get hip hop with my former tv boyfriend, cranky Dan. I actually liked the routine, though they really pushed Lacey into nasty girl territory, she seemed totally up to the task. How that makes her Mormon family feel, I have no idea. Clearly these two are together as a couple in real life as well as dancing, and it shows in their chemistry. I really enjoyed this routine, but the judges tear them both a new one, and while I do see their criticism, jeez guys, you’ve been real buzz kills tonight. Both dancers take the reaming in stride and I hope the audience votes like mad for them anyway. They should be on tour.

So, even though we get a bottom three tonight, as they are cutting from 12 to the Essential Touring Ten, I will only predict who goes home, and I think it might be Hok and maybe Lauren. I don’t know. In the bottom three I think we get Hok/Jamie, Lauren/Neil, and maaaaaaybe Lacey/Kam due to the judges. I honestly have no idea, really, but I think Hok is in the most danger, which sucks as I would far rather pay to see him on the road over Neil. Or Danny for that matter.

I guess we’ll see tonight!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Yay, tonight is Dance, Dance and Crazy Chefs Big Brother? I watched the first night, caught a little of the Big Brother After Dark the first week…and the rest are piling up on my TiFaux. I just can’t seem to get excited about it. Much less watch it. Am I missing anything? While out of town, I did, however, watch Last Comic Standing and Age of Love. The first one made me laugh…the second one made me cringe. I will try to catch Last Comic now that they are moving into the actual show, but of course, they program it against the only show I watch. Figures!

I can’t say that this summer has been All That when it comes to television programming. I know the summer months can be the Death Valley of television, but it’s been better the past few. This one? Not so much.

Which means we should all be reading more! I need a few good Beach Reads (not that I’m going to the beach, but a girl can dream.) Any suggestions?? What is the discerning Blog Babe reading this summer?? My next Must Buy is Agnes and the Hitman, from Jenny Crusie and Bob Woodward, coming next month. Well, that’s after Harry Potter next week, but then, that’s a given. I really don’t want to read that one. Not because I won’t love it, but because then the series will be over. But I’ll have to wolf it down or risk being spoiled by every person on the planet talking about it twelve hours after it’s released. Sigh. I hope she already has plans for a new series.

Don’t forget to enter this week’s SHaQ Attack contest. Details in Tuesday’s post.

Tags: Writing by Donna
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