Are you feeling lucky?

During April, I am offering fans of my facebook page the chance to win this one-of-a-kind canvas print, entitled "Looking for Trouble".  To enter the sweepstake, please visit and 'like' my page.  Then click the 'Contest' button (just under the banner), provide your email address and click 'enter'.   Your email is required solely to notify you if you are the lucky winner.  Everyone is permitted one entry per day, and you get bonus entries for sharing if your friend enters too.  So what are you waiting for?

Back in the land of the living

It has been months since my last post, and hard trying ones at that.  I moved home at the end of July and threw myself into painting walls and doors rather than illustration.  Typically of me, I overdid it, and there followed a period of bad health, which ended with me suffering a stroke at the end of October which affected my left side.

Once released from hospital, I spent a few weeks staring into space, trying to come to terms with what had happened to me.  Since then I've been working hard on regaining my balance, learning to walk normally and getting my left hand and arm to behave.  A recent breakthrough has enabled me to type with both hands again, although at nothing like the speed that I was once able. 

My new home has a conservatory which I have made my art studio.  It is great to have a dedicated place to paint rather than have to clear the dining room table every time I want to eat.  I've been working on illustrations for "A Lifetime of Cats", and the project has been forcably extended by two new felines joining my family.

The cats have played a major part in my recovery, providing me with a reason to get out of bed in the mornings and giving comfort.  Charlie, my 8 year old tabby, has taken on the role of my carer, making regular checks on me during the night and stimulating my affected hand with his tongue.  He also insists on accompanying me on walks to watch that I do not fall, and it has become part of our daily routine to walk round the block and visit the allotments to see the chickens.

You can view more of my paintings and follow the progress of "A Lifetime of Cats" by liking my Facebook page.

A Lifetime of Cats (A Work in progress)

Right now, my mind is somewhat preoccupied with moving house.  I should in fact have been spending this evening with a bottle of chenin blanc in my new home, but the seller has delayed and I'm sick with stress and not knowing when things will happen.

Painting is a great form of relaxation and I've been turning to it a lot over the past month.  I am somewhat regretting having already packed my coloured pencils, but my gouache and acrylic is still out and I've been cracking on with illustrating A Lifetime of Cats.

Henry, is the most recent portrait that I have completed.  He was given to me, along with his partner, Molly, by a friend of a friend who could no longer care for them, when he was 3 years old.  He was initially so vicious and would lash out every time we tried to approach him.  Gradually, we established a three-stroke rule and later he mellowed into a rather grumpy and unpredictable lap cat, with a love of gardening programmes.

I have another six cats yet to paint and six more stories to tell before the book is complete.  In the meantime, I invite you to download a sample chapter from 4shared.  This tells the story of Arthur, who battled skin cancer but still lived an incredible 27 years - and was climbing trees and mousing right up to the end.  I hope you enjoy it.

More Good News!

Just one week after winning an art competition, I received an email telling me that I had sold 500 copies of this greeting card to someone in Virginia, USA.  Whoever you are, thank you so much!  What a pity that my good luck didn't extend to last night's lottery results.

A lucky start to the Chinese New Year

The Year of the Rabbit is said to be optimistic, upbeat and full of luck. It certainly started that way for me when I received news that I had won first prize in FanArtReview's "Art in Nature" competition. It is the first time that I have won an art competition in over 30 years. The first time around, I won a yoyo for colouring in a picture of the Lone Ranger. Alas, my brother got the glory as I was above the age to enter so used his name.

This time though, the achievement is all mine and I'm thrilled. After a run of bad luck and serious expense, it couldn't have come at a better time and I have already been on a gouache-buying shopping spree with the proceeds. Thank you, FanArtReview! You have really boosted my confidence and inspired me to push myself and my work more.

Self publishing on a shoe-string: one writer/ illustrator's life: A Lifetime of Cats: Jet

Self publishing on a shoe-string: one writer/ illustrator's life: A Lifetime of Cats: Jet

A Lifetime of Cats: Jet

Jet : A Lesson Learnt

Whilst at art college, I lived on the top floor of a big Georgian house in Doncaster where I could not have a cat. Those two years of my life are the only time that I have been without one. The weekend after I moved into a small house in Sheffield, I went to the shelter in Broomhall and to seek 'a special cat'. Whilst many wound themselves around my legs, this big black cat sat in his cardboard box, calmly watching the proceedings. I enquired about him and was told that he was a big softie. It was clear that he was something of a favourite with the staff, so my mind was made up.

Jet quickly made himself at home and was popular with visitors. He was talkative and a lap cat. Shortly after, we were joined by a young stray named Morgan, and after a few initial spats, they became great friends.

Despite his size, Jet was something of a coward and on several occasions, he had to go to the vets for wounds to his back legs. It seemed that in a fight, he would always get bitten running away! Jet was a regular at the vets. He had recurring gingivitis which regularly caused him to lose his appetite. He acquired quite a liking for the yeast-flavoured tablets the vet gave him and once helped himself to a whole week's worth during the night! Thereafter, I bought him his very own pill box and he would come running when he heard the click of the lid being opened.

Later, I learnt that the gingivitis was a symptom of Feline Leukaemia and Feline AIDS. I don't know whether Jet had these at the time he was in the shelter, or picked it up from the bites he sustained. Although I always had my cats vaccinated against cat flu, no vet had ever recommended vaccinating against Leukaemia, and I had no idea that this awful disease even existed. It is passed on through saliva, and in a multi-cat household where they eat out of each other's dishes, it can spread like wild-fire. I lost three cats in just four months to this disease, and it was devastating. Whilst there is no vaccine yet for Feline AIDS (Jet had both illnesses), I now ensure that all my cats are vaccinated against Leukaemia and urge everyone to do the same.

You will be able to read more about Jet in my forthcoming book, "A Lifetime of Cats". I hope to publish later this year, but it is taking me much longer than expected. I could finish in a month or so if I used old illustrations, but feel this would be cheating. I want to create a new portrait of each cat - and there are many of them!

Are you missing out on DACS?

If you have ever had a painting or photo published in a book or magazine, or had a work of yours featured on television, it would be foolish not to sign up with DACS.

DACS pays an annual royalty based on collective schemes, for example when someone wishes to photocopy a page of a magazine or book that features your work. Even if you have only had a couple of pictures published several years ago, if you can provide DACS with the relative information, you could earn a decent small sum each year.

Thank you very much DACS for helping to pay my winter water bill and for being able to buy myself a pair of 'cat earrings to die for' with this year's cheque.

Looking forward to two weeks of art

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Term has finally ended and I can forget about registration and drama-queen girls for 16 whole days!

I am looking forward to working on the two books that I hope to publish next year. It is hard to find the motivation to paint on these dark nights after a full day at school, but now I have no excuse.

This picture marks Pablo's debut on my annual Christmas card design. A whole year has flown by since someone abandoned him on my doorstep suffering from pneumonia. Hard to believe that someone could dump such a cute and adorable little character. He has certainly brought a lot of fun and joy into my life. Last Christmas, he was far too ill to appreciate everything that was going on around him, so this year, I am going to make sure that he is spoilt rotten.

Events

Book Launch, 13th November

Congratulations to my friend, Lynn Taylor and her toy mouse, Miss Mousey, who have been interviewed this month by new online Manchester based magazine, 'Natter'.

Lynn's second book featuring Miss Mousey will be launched on 13th November at a reception held at Urmston Library. The Lord and Lady Mayoress of Trafford will also be in attendance.

Sefton Arts Book Fair, Sunday 7th November

Tabby Cat Press will be attending the book fair which kicks off Sefton's first Writing Festival. The fair will celebrate the diversity and quality of independent publishers and book shops across the North West. Held at Crosby City Hall between 11am and 4pm, entrance is free. Come along and meet Tabby Cat Press's authors Lynn Taylor and Angela Cater who will be signing copies of their books.

Cheeky Charlie - a Cat of the Neighbourhood

A Lifetime of Cats: Cheeky Charlie

I was in the garden one autumn afternoon when a young cat streaked across the lawn and into my house without so much as glancing at me. This is very characteristic of the cat who came to be known as 'Cheeky Charlie' - he is very much independent and although he likes the occasional cuddle, affection is very much on his own terms and most days you are lucky if he will so much as acknowledge your existence.

Soon after, a young Scottish woman knocked at my door and asked if I had a tabby and white cat. It turned out that she lived across the road from me and over there Cheeky Charlie was known as 'Tabby', although he didn't really belong to her either.

For the next few years, he continued to spend half his time on my bed and half his time on hers. We became good friends and regularly cat sat for each other's multiple cat households. When she relocated to York, she chose to leave Charlie with me,

feeling that he belonged more to the neighbourhood than any individual person.

Indeed, I frequently see Charlie going in and out of other houses on the street, sometimes as far as half a mile away, and I often wonder just how many names he has. I feel honoured that he chooses to spend so much time with me.

Learn more about Charlie in my forthcoming book "A Lifetime of Cats", to be published in 2011.

Arthur the Wondercat (1983-2010)

A Lifetime of Cats: Arthur

It's hard to know where abouts in "A Lifetime of Cats" to include Arthur as her remarkable long life made her a contemporary of so many, and she outlived 14 others. Originally named "Diamond", she lived rough for several years before moving in with my family and being renamed "Arthur" after the famous Kattomeat cat.

Her years as a stray had taken their toll, and that well over a decade she battled against skin cancer. Unbeknown to us, she was already almost 25 years old when we made the difficult decision to have the tips of her ears amputated. She made a remarkable recovery and the operation certainly increased her life expectancy.

A great 'grumpy old woman', Arthur continued to climb trees, catch mice and entertain over 400 Facebook fans right up to the end. She finally lost her fight against the cancer in August 2010.

You will be able to learn much more about Arthur in my forthcoming art memorial book, "A Lifetime of Cats".

A Lifetime of Cats (The True Stories Behind the Art)

A Lifetime of Cats (The True Stories Behind the Art)

This work in progress will feature stories and paintings of every cat I have ever owned. I was just two years old when 'Uncle Ron' gave me my first kitten who became imaginatively known as 'Ginger'. Since then, apart from two years at art school, I have never been without a cat and I guess that Uncle Ron is largely to blame for my image as a 'Crazy Cat Lady'.

This portrait required a lot of artistic license as the original photo shows me sat outside in front of an unattractive brick wall and a badly peeling drainpipe. A google search gave me the 1960's wallpaper (I remember similar colours) and a familiar looking wall clock. I also changed the colours of my clothing so they don't clash so much. I wonder why, if it was so cold that I needed a thick hand-knitted jumper, why am I wearing shorts?

Ginger lived to be around 5 years old. He was a remarkably tolerant cat and put up with my early attempts of veterinary care when I covered him in sticking plasters.

There are many more cats to come, but I hope to publish in the first half of next year. Watch this space for more cats and more true cat tales.

Book Fairs - a great opportunity to network

Earlier this year, at the book launch of an author that I was publishing, I met another independent publisher who suggested that we pool resources and share a table at the Manchester Independent Book Fair. Unfortunately, we missed out this year on being able to get a stall, but I went down to the city centre at the weekend to see for myself what other were doing.

As well as a handful of book stalls, there were more arts and craft type of businesses there. Being the hottest day of the year so far, the square was buzzing with browsers.

I took the opportunity to introduce myself to a number of the book stall holders and was surprised and delighted with how candid they were about the success (or otherwise) of their stall and their willingness to answer questions about how they prepare for such events. I came away full of ideas and am now greatly looking forward to attending the Sefton Book Fair in November.

Busy, Busy....

Admittedly, I haven't blogged for a while, but that doesn't mean I've been idle - oh, no! Tabby Cat Press is due to publish two new picture books in late August. Right now, authors Giovanna Lagana and Lynn Taylor are eagerly/ anxiously awaiting the proof copies and I'm just as anxiously awaiting their reactions and hoping that I got the layout right and that there are no typos this time around. Both writers are a joy to work with. Giovanna gave me full artistic control in creating the illustrations for her Rickie Raccoon books. Those who read "Rickie the Raccoon Learns about Recycling" will notice that in "Rickie Raccoon Takes a Tour of the City", Rickie has developed much more of a bandit's mask. My first Rickie was based on images found from google searches, but by chance, I caught the last 10 minutes of a documentary and discovered a raccoon living in an animal sanctuary just 20 miles away. A phone call and a visit on the wettest windiest day imaginable, resulted in some blurry photos of 'Ben', a 17 year old grumpy raccoon with a definite mask!

"Gary, Charlotte's Goose" is Lynn Taylor's second book, this time aimed at a very young audience. It is a product of love and written especially for her niece, Charlotte, who is featured in the book. Lynn has also recorded a very catchy, sing-a-long song to accompany this short story.

As for me, summer means exhibitions. I have for once, completed my submission pieces for the UK Coloured Pencil Society well ahead of the deadline and even got them framed! I am now putting the finishing touches to my second offering for the Society of Feline Artists. After that, I can get back to producing some new greeting card designs, and working on two new books that I have planned for next Spring. Watch this space!

Meet the star of my new book

At the beginning of December, someone abandonned this little grey and white cat on my doorstep. He was suffering from pneumonia, and was initially suspected to also have heart disease. For a few days, I didn't expect him to survive, but with a whole month of vet visits, rest and care, he pulled through. Almost immediately, he then got an eye infection and we are now battling an allergy! But despite the stress and the expense, I can't thank the scum who dumped him enough. He's the best Christmas present I've ever had, the most adorable, loving personality and full of fun and joy. With his flat head and large Roman nose, I sought a Latin name, and my friend came up with 'Pablo'. Somehow it suits him.

It's not the first time that I've found and saved a dying cat. St Patrick's Day 1996, I found an old stray in the snow behind the dustbin. I carried him inside, laid him in front of the fire and soon the room was filled with the loudest purrs and snores. At that time, we already had three cats but our next-door-but-one neighbours/friends only had two. We pooled resources for his vet bills and agreed that he would live with them. 'Bruiser' however had other ideas and has soon as he was well enough, marched straight back round to me. He was forever grateful that I had saved his life and always keen to please. He was rather like the Corporal Jones (Dad's Army) of the cat world. If I shouted, "anyone for a flea-spray?", he would be the first in the queue, even though he'd be trembling with fear.

I have reason to thank Bruiser for saving me too. I went through a phase of having blackouts, absences and seizures, and more than once, it was Bruiser persistently headbutting me in the face that brought me back to consciousness.

"Brogan's Good Turns" (unless someone comes up with a better title for me) will be loosely based on these experiences. It tells the story of a cat who vows to repay his young mistress for saving his life. But what a cat considers a good turn is not necessarily what its owners would wish for ....

Earning without selling

Just before Christmas, I received a very nice cheque for £168. This came from an organisation called DACS who look after the interests of UK artists, illustrators and photographers.

If you are an artist or visual creator in the UK, you may qualify for a share of Payback royalties if your work has been published in books or magazines published in the UK or has been broadcast on certain UK television channels.

Payback royalties come from revenue generated through collective licensing schemes for example, when someone wishes to photocopy a page of a book which features your work.

To sign up for Payback, visit DACS

"Miss Mousey" meets her public

L-R: Angela, Lynn, Heather, Sue

When I met Lynn Taylor through a women's walking group last autumn, I could not have imagined that barely a year later, we would be standing together at the launch of her first children's picture book, "The Adventures of Miss Mousey", held at Urmston Library. Retirement has enabled Lynn to put her energy into creating, and what energy that is!

Having already taught myself how to publish a book, I was delighted to help Lynn in making Miss Mousey 'print ready'. The speed with which Heather Dickinson produced the delightful illustrations was breathtaking. I spent almost a week formatting the book and putting it together, and a fortnight later, we held the proof copy in our hands. Lynn also has narrated the story onto CD and composed a number of songs of songs to go with it, co-sung by another friend, Sue who she met through her choir.

More of Lynn's energy went into the organisation of a wonderful book launch. The library was thrilled to be packed out with families and children. More friends had been recruited to serve drinks and to sell books and other merchandise. Lynn was kept busy signing her autography, reading exerpts, singing songs - and Miss Mousey and the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress all put in an appearance.

It was a very exciting event for all of us that were involved in making Lynn's dream of producing a book reality. It was lovely to see so many children going away with a copy in their hand. For me, it was also an opportunity to make some new contacts who will hopefully help me get my books into schools and my stories better known. I've discovered though that too much excitement can make you very sleepy!

Finding the right audience - one hit and miss experience!

As writers, when we start out in drafting a book, we should have a clear idea of the age group and audience we are writing for, and tailor the language and content accordingly. Our marketing efforts are also targeted according to the ideal customer that we have in mind. However, I found that this can go completely awry when accepting invitations to read!

I was thrilled to be invited to do a reading at my local library during half term. It is close to Platt Fields park, where my character Mrs Mallard and her family live and I hoped therefore, that the audience would known and identify with many of the characters. I arrived early (only to find myself locked out along with the rest of the public, as it was lunchtime), armed with a box of autographed books and badges and bookmarks that I had made.

My story is aimed at a readership of 6-8 years old. Alas, the time came to do my reading and I was surrounded on the mat by a crowd of 3-5 year olds. The mothers all listened attentively with fixed smiles on their faces, cooing and ahhing at the pictures, whilst their youngsters wriggled and squirmed about on the mat, refusing to so much as look at me. And as for engaging them in conversation... forget it!

I was just starting to clear away to leave, when I was approached by another family with a couple of older children who asked if they were too late to hear the story. The mother told me that they breed ducks. Having little else to do on such a wet afternoon, I thought 'what the hell?' and sat down once more, the oldest daughter right beside me. For the next half hour, I told my story whilst the girl asked me numerous questions about ducks and other birds she sees in the park, and we both went away much richer for the experience.

Trying to Conquer the World - How to get your book out there

Once you've published your book, you face the problem of how to get it out there to the customer. We all know the stereotypical image of the author with boxes of their own books under the bed gathering dust. Distributing your book yourself takes a considerable amount of time and effort (time which I would prefer to spend illustrating) and you also need a lot of nerve. One of my friends recently bought 300 copies of her own book. She's retired so has the time to do the footwork around bookshops and libraries, and she has had some success. It seems that my grandma's mantra of "if you don't ask, you don't get" is really true, but much of the time I don't have the nerve to ask.

The problem of distribution is largely solved by using a 'self-publishing' company but unless you have a magic porridge pot of money, these vanity presses are best avoided.

When it comes to true self-publishing and print on demand, Lulu, CafePress and CreateSpace are making it more and more viable for authors to publish their own books. It is worth looking at all of these, comparing costs and considering how they fit in with your needs. If all you want is to produce a few copies of your book for friends, family or your community group, then they may well be your best bet. Both Lulu and CreateSpace now offer a free ISBN and selling via Amazon.com, great if you are US based.

As a UK writer and illustrator though, it was important to me that my books were readily available in the UK and through the UK Amazon. By chance, I learnt that many POD books in the UK are produced by Lighting Source, who also have branches in the States and in Europe. I contacted them and they confirmed that they would be willing to work with me, providing I could create print-ready files to their very specific requirements (what a learning curve that was!). Lightning Source has set-up fees which can make it more expensive if you only want a few copies of your book, but if you are aiming high and UK sales are important, then it comes into its own, printing costs are very low and the quality high. Your books will be sold not just through Amazon, but Ingrams, Barnes and Noble and many more. I'm often surprised just where my books appear! You never need to worry about handling stock or shipping charges, will receive royalties on a monthly basis, and best of all it frees you up to concentrate on promoting your book and on creating more.