The (Not So) Noblest Feline on the (Not So) Noblest Quest

Despite all odds (not really – the surgeon said he expected Figaro to make a full recovery) the short haired domestic who’s white silky armor was adorned with even silkier black patches was once again darting around his domain like it had never known his absence. What a brave kitty is he – how should anyone doubt the courage of this majestic feline. Alas, no one could. No one did. For the short haired domestic known as Figaro made it clear that he was ruler of his fate and no man, woman, or beast would ever dictate his future. So when mighty Figaro set out on a voyage to find his misplaced sacred catnip, no one, not even the gallant kitty himself, could have foreseen how the catnip crusade would end.

How could such a daring kitty succumb to a task as elementary as catnip retrieval? We may never know this answer to this question. All we know for sure is that on that fateful day after losing to the elusive catnip, Sir Figaro threw a little kitty fit. It is a day the noble young feline looks back on and thinks to himself, “If I had thumbs, I would cleverly caption pictures of mom to make her look ridiculous – but since I can’t, I’ll make sure to puke on the carpet close enough to the tile that she knows I put it there on purpose out of spite.”

Not only does he require $40 cat food because of his high maintenance tummy but under the instruction of his sometimes girlfriend Dr. Johnson, he is allowed yogurt and milk to further aid his ailing insides. Brett and I could not imagine life without the little guy in it – if a cat who likes to drink from the toilet and wash his paws in any water cup he sees fit doesn’t tug at the heart strings then Figaro is not the cat for you so it’s probably best he’s with us.

Post Author Home Page Link

Your Social Media Links
https://www.facebook.com/NotAnotherNavyWife
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kendra-brown/58/637/bb6/

What inspired you to write your book?
I didn’t set out to write animal stories for children – it just happened. The first book I ever finished was Kiwi in Cat City in 2002. I had been made redundant and suddenly had a lot of time on my hands.

The story was inspired by a little black, fluffy, golden-eyed, chubby cat that I used to have, called Kiwi. She was cheeky, intelligent, curious, and liked to follow me down the road on the way to work – I’d have to scoop her up, take her back and run off! I’m sure she’d have hopped on the train with me if she could. Kiwi liked to chase shadows on walls, munch Whiskers food, roll on her back with her paws in the air for strokes, and hunt birds (alas, she was very good, and it was the only thing we argued about). When she wasn’t trying to swipe the dinner off my plate when I wasn’t looking or jumping in the air to catch a moth in mid-flight, she’d be curled up on my bed or waiting to pouncing out at me. One day she followed me to the supermarket round the corner, waited patiently on a wall, and then came back home with me.

Kiwi was lovely, but I lost her in 2000, when she was six, which is no age really. I started to really hate cars!!

When Kiwi was still alive, I wrote a poem about her. In 2002, during this time between jobs, I reread it and started thinking about a world populated by cats. I’d lie in bed at night, imagining it. They ran their own lives and did their own thing. I named this world Cat City, where cats roamed free and happy, away from the dangers posed by cars and dogs, and where it was always summer. The star would be Kiwi. I would bring her back to life on paper and make her go on adventures. In Kiwi in Cat City, the cat heroine is four, and she is ‘owned’ by Amy and James, and their parents, in the human world. I ended up making Amy a bit like me, although I named her after my niece. James was just my favourite boy’s name.

Gradually, other characters started talking and a catnapping plot emerged. I had no idea where the book was going, but I was having a lot of fun. I wrote every day. Kiwi became magical and able to communicate with the kids, whom she turned into kittens and took on an adventure to her other home – the blue-lit Cat City. Soon other characters evolved – Siam, a computer whizz with bent whiskers, Inspector Furrball, a ginger tom with a very red waistcoat, and Kip, a good friend of Kiwi’s, among others. Plus there had to be a bad cat and a few red herrings.

Why animals? All my life I’ve always been crazy about them. They make me go “Ahhhhhh!” When I was a child I wanted to be able to talk to our pets. Our house was full of them – my mum ran a mini zoo and it was magical to me. One of my best-est buddies at the age of six or seven was our cat Mitzi, who I talked to and was sure she understood. My dad had an aviary full of birds and I thought I could communicate with them by winking. I’d go into the aviary, hold out my two little hands full of bird seed, and the budgies would land to feed. They’d also hop on my shoulder to do the winking thing. So, in Kiwi in Cat City, I made the kitty communicate with the two children – my wish from childhood.

Genre and Targeted Age Group
Middle grade fiction

About your Book:
One dark night, Amy cannot sleep. She looks out of the window into the garden to see her cat, Kiwi, transfixed by the moon, which is glowing brightly like a cat’s claw. Waking her brother, James, the girl suggests they follow Kiwi to see where she goes… whether it involves a hunt for mice or something else. Little do they know that, with a flick of her tail, Kiwi is going to magically change them into kittens and lead them on the adventure of their lives to a world inhabited by catizens. In the blue-lit world of Cat City, the budding detectives help Inspector Furrball to investigate a catnapping and find out what happened to Madame Purrfect.

This book is the first in the Kiwi Series, of which there are six books.

Book Excerpt
Chapter 1: Follow, follow

Amy awoke and saw her black cat sitting perched on the end of her bed, studying the gleaming moon. She rubbed her eyes and sat up just in time to see Kiwi leap out of the window and on to the ledge below. Amy crept out of bed and peered outside. The cat was standing perfectly balanced on the wooden garden fence, calm and still, her tail perked up. A dark silhouette staring up at the moon. I wonder where she’s going, thought Amy. She crept into her brother James’ room where he was sleeping soundly, and prodded his arm until he woke with a jump.
“What?” he gasped, wiping the sleep from his eyes. “I was dreaming. You really scared me.”
“Come and look.”
“Eh?” He stumbled out of bed and, like a zombie, followed his sister to the window. Gazing out, they could see the black cat still sitting on the fence.
“She has been sitting there for ages,” said Amy.
“Maybe she’s stretching,” he shrugged.
They watched, but Kiwi didn’t stretch. Instead she leapt off the fence and stood on the path, looking up at the moon.
“Now that’s weird. That’s what I’m talking about,” said Amy. “She’s thinking about something.”
“I wonder where she goes at night,” James mused.
“Hunting mice,” grinned Amy.
“Yuk, she wouldn’t. Would she?”
“Tell you what, I’m going to follow her and see…”
“You’re crazy,” gasped James. “It’s 1am and mum will kill you.”
“I want to see what she has for breakfast,” Amy laughed. “Don’t you?”
“Yuk! That’s grim,” said James, screwing up his face.
Amy wandered back to her room with her little brother following, half-asleep and a bit confused.
“So you’re coming then?” asked Amy, putting on her shoes and jacket.
“Errm,” he murmured as his sister crept out of the room on tiptoes. “Okay, but if she catches anything I’m not touching it…”
James slid on his trainers, jeans and jacket, and crept down the stairs after his sister, being careful not to make a sound. He could hear his dad snoring like a sleeping dragon. The sound echoed off of every wall. They tiptoed to the back door and slowly opened it on its creaky hinges. It was so loud. Ahh.
Kiwi was still sitting in the middle of the garden, staring up at the moon. Holding their breath they slowly closed the door without a sound. Turning around, they were just in time to see Kiwi plunge over the fence in a single bound. The two children looked at one another, raised eyebrows, and ran to the bottom of the garden to the gate. Out they went, giggling. It was a warm summer night without a breeze. In the field beyond the gate, trees soared up against the night sky, jagged and spectre-like. Without the shine of the moon it would have been completely dark. James shivered, but he had already decided that he was not going to look scared, even if he was.
“There she goes,” pointed Amy, as they bounded across the field towards the black tail that bobbed above the grass in the distance.
They chased and chased. The black cat ran and ran. They swerved between trees and the black cat just kept running. The children started to puff and pant. “Kiwi!” they yelled.
Suddenly, the cat’s ears pricked up and she stopped with a jump. Caught unawares, the little black cat turned around, her yellow eyes wide and enquiring. “Are you two following me?”
Amy and James stopped dead in their tracks. James sat down on the grass with a bump, his mouth wide open. Amy wanted to say something, but she couldn’t speak.
“Well, are you?” asked Kiwi, standing up straight and resting one paw on her hip. “It’s a bit late to be out playing you know.”
Kiwi grinned the biggest, widest grin and flicked her tail. She sat down and started washing, knowing that she had just given her two playmates the biggest shock of their lives. She carried on washing her paw, flicked out a claw, and waited for a reply. It was a long time coming.
The children were transfixed, rooted to the spot. Cold fingers of air travelled up their spines and made all of the hairs on their necks stand up. Amy gulped. Was she dreaming?
“What’s wrong?” laughed Kiwi. “Cat got your tongue?”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!” Amy sat down with a thump.
“Yooouuuu taaaallllkkkkk,” James stuttered.
“Well, what were you expecting? Sign language?” asked Kiwi matter-of-factly.
“But, we can understand you,” mumbled Amy, pinching her arm. Ouch. She wasn’t dreaming. Could this be real after all?
“Well, I know several languages,” explained Kiwi. “It comes in handy. So you WERE following me? Ha ha!”
“Sort of,” said James. “We were wondering what you ate for breakfast.”
“Like mice?” asked Kiwi, grinning.
“Well yes.”
Kiwi laughed. “I have more important things to do. And mice taste funny. Errr. Not good. And mice have feelings too. They’re very intelligent you know. I have several good friends who are mice…” Kiwi stopped talking as the two children sat open-mouthed in shock, blinking oddly.
“Ok, well, enough of that,” she carried on. Best to change the subject. “I was joking. I don’t have any mouse friends! Well, you see that moon up there? See how it’s really bright and glowing?”
The kids nodded.
“And see how it’s shaped like a cat’s claw?”
“I guess…” said James.
“Well, nights like these are not ordinary nights,” said the cat, looking straight at the boy.
James shivered. “Why?” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer. Was Kiwi going to eat them?
“Well,” said Kiwi slowly, “if you really want to know… why don’t you follow me some more?”
It was a challenge. The cat was grinning from ear to ear now. Amy was cold and scared. She could only stare awkwardly as though hypnotised while her brother chatted to the cat… the cat… THE CAT! She felt dizzy.
After a few more minutes, Kiwi gazed back at the moon. It seemed even brighter. She got up. “There is no more time to lose. I have to go now. Are you coming?” She flashed her big, yellow eyes.
James sprung to his feet. “I’m coming,” he announced.
“No,” called Amy as James started to follow the little black cat. “I’m scared. Don’t follow. This is too weird…”
But James didn’t listen and carried on walking. Amy pulled herself to her feet and looked behind her. The field was empty. It must be about 2am by now, if not later. Their parents would be getting up in a few hours for work. Morning was fast approaching. What should she do? She couldn’t let her brother go alone. What if he got lost? “Wait!” she shouted, and charged after her brother and her suddenly talking cat. Things were not how they were meant to be today.

Chapter 2: As easy as one, two, three

“Come on,” said Kiwi. “We’re nearly there.”
“Where?” asked James, glancing around at the big, open and completely empty field. All around the edges, the tall trees loomed, stretching up like a giant, natural wall.
“Here,” said Kiwi.
“But there’s nothing here,” said James, cold and slightly impatient. Not only could his pet cat talk, but she was also clearly crazy.
“There’s more than the eye can see,” said Kiwi, gazing up with her big, yellow saucer eyes. “Just follow what I do. And concentrate. It’s easy.”
The cat sat down and stared up at the moon. “One, two, three, a flick of the tail, a purr, a leap and away we go…”
Puff! She vanished. All that remained was a strange, glowing, purple mist.
“She disappeared!” cried Amy, turning round in a circle. “I can’t see her. Can you?”
“Your turn,” he said quietly.
“What? Are you crazy? She‘s just hiding in the grass,” said Amy.
“You go first, like she says…”
Amy looked annoyed. “You can’t be serious. You’re not suggesting…”
James nodded. “You’re the oldest.”
“No way!” she replied. “I haven’t got a tail to flick and I’m pretty sure I can’t purr…”
“I think you’re meant to imagine one…”
“You’re mad,” said Amy.
“Mmm I’m going to try,” sighed James, and he starting counting out loud.” One, two…”
“Okay, okay,” cried Amy, clenching her fists to her sides. “Now straight after this I’m taking you home. Okay?”
And so, Amy flicked her imaginary tail, which was pretty long in her mind, purred and leapt up into the air – into nothing, or something? She couldn’t make it out. She had this amazing feeling of pure weightlessness as if her body weighed nothing. It also felt smaller, and she seemed to be floating. All around, everything was purple…
“Wow, it worked,” shouted James, jumping up and down. And he collapsed into giggles. “Cool!”
In the spot where his sister had jumped, only a puff of purple mist was left. Now it’s my turn, he thought, and turning round with a one, two, three and a flick of his imaginary tail, a purr and a leap, away he went to who-knows-where. A feeling of sheer weightlessness gave him the impression that he was flying. Wild! But where was he flying to?
“Ahem, the landing can sometimes be a bit difficult until you get used to it,” grinned Kiwi, washing her nose with a paw as Amy found herself collapsed in a heap on the floor. “You’ll have to get used to being on four feet now!”
“Four?” Amy stuttered, bewildered.
“Sure, look down and see how many feet you’ve got.”
“Eeeeeek!” Kiwi was right. Not one, not two, not three, but four feet were attached to her new body – but they were not feet, they were paws!! Fluffy black and white paws! “No!” Amy jumped backwards and fell over. But the biggest shock of all was the big white fluffy tail that wiggled out like a worm behind her. “Oh no!” she cried, and then fell over again trying to chase round in a circle to check out the tail more clearly. “Ahhh”, she yelled, and then a small laugh bubbled up inside her, spilling over until she couldn’t stop. She rolled over on her back with her legs in the air. All four of them. “I have a tail! A tail!” she cried, and laughed some more.
Just at that moment, James fell through the sky and bounced on the ground with a little “ouch”.
Except that, of course, it wasn’t quite James. Well, it was and it wasn’t. James was now a little, tabby kitten with a very pink nose. He wobbled a bit on his new feet when he walked, with his tail stuck up like a radar.
“Where’s Amy?” he asked as he sat down, a bit dazed.
“Don’t you recognise her?” grinned Kiwi, nodding towards the little black-and-white cat, who sat bright-eyed and staring at him.
“No, really, where is she? Is she okay?”
“I can see this is going to take a while,” said Kiwi, taking charge. “Amy meet James, James meet Amy. No, you’re not dreaming. Yes you have a tail.”
“No, you’re joking…”
“I’m afraid she’s not,” purred Amy in her feline voice.
“Ah,” shouted James and fell over. He noticed that Amy still had her flowery necklace on. “It can’t be true! Hey, what’s that? Hey, I’ve got a tail! Wow! And four paws. No way! This tail is really bushy…”
Amy started giggling. Kiwi raised an eyebrow. It was going to be a long night. Humans!

What formats are your books in
Both eBook and Print

How do you see writing a book in the Pet Genre as different from writing other genres of books?
I love writing about animals. I tried writing a book for older readers, a romance, but it turned into a comedy that starred a dog. My favourite character ended up being the pooch! And I enjoyed writing his sections more than the others. I also write poetry about creatures and nature, and insects. So I guess I’m always going to be writing about pets of some kind!

When writing for children, I think you’re imagination can just go wild. You can create anything. I think pets and magic go well together – we all wanted to know what it would be like to get inside the head of our pet or follow them to see what they get up to. I’d love a hidden camera to see what my kitty, Moggie, gets up to when I’m out! Or asleep!

I’ve had pets all my life. When writing, you can think of the pet you had, picture how they walk, act, sleep, stretch, talk, what sounds they make, how they wash, any crazy little things they do… all these things can go into your story. So, you can just describe all this and make up pet characters, who are connected to real life in that they act and seem like real animals. Then you can go a stage further and imagine what it would be like to be that pet, and try to act through them.

When I’m writing about the cats in my book, I make them do things that kitties do, like play with toys, bat something, fancy a wild snack, drink milk (but lactose free!!), jump high, have perfect balance, wash behind their ears, flick their tail, pick up sensations on their whiskers, have a scratch… all these things. Then you feel like you’ve got real animals as your characters and not just humans in furry suits! Although that would be cute…

Advice to someone that is thinking about or currently working on a pet book
Go for it! Just write what you enjoy and don’t give up. So many people love reading about animals – I’ve realised that I’m not alone! A lot of us were creature crazy as kids, and our love of them and of nature followed us as we grew up. I love watching the birds in my garden and I thought this might be embarrassing, but, no, so many people are home birdwatchers! So, find your own style and niche, and just enjoy yourself. Writing is such great fun. It’s total freedom. I think everyone has a good story in them and now is the best time to be a writer because things have opened up. It is very easy to publish a book, and there are many writers’ groups on Facebook who offer great advice and support. You’ll find a great community of indie authors online, all passionate about writing. Let your imagination be your guide.

How did you decide how to publish your book and where is it published through:
I wrote Kiwi in Cat City in 2002, but no one read it until 2011. It just sat in a draw, gathering dust. I sent three chapters and a synopsis to a big publisher shortly after writing it, but it was rejected. The publisher didn’t comment on the book and just said the company was not publishing any children’s books because they’d had a massive influx of them. I assumed the book was rubbish and I gave up. I went back to writing poems and short stories that I never finished!

In 2011, around January, my boyfriend read about self-publishing on Amazon Kindle. When he told me, a little light switched on in my brain. I wondered if I could finally publish Kiwi. I just wanted to see it in the public eye and get just a little feedback. No one had read it, so I had no idea if anyone would like it. I dug out the book, which was handwritten, typed it up, learnt how to format an ebook, found a cover, and published it. I then contacted two reviews on Amazon. To my shock, they liked it. I was flabberghasted and really happy. I remember crying over my first review!

Since then I’ve changed the cover, and after meeting a lot of authors who inspired and supported me, I wrote five more books in the series. Self-publishing fired up my writing. If my boyfriend hadn’t come across that article, I’d still only have one handwritten story, wilting in a drawer.

Author Bio:
Vickie Johnstone lives in London, UK, where she works as a freelance sub-editor on magazines and an editor on indie books. She has a thing about fluffy cats and also loves reading, writing, films, the sea, rock music, art, nature, Milky Bar, Baileys and travelling.

Vickie has self-published the following books:
Kaleidoscope (poetry); Travelling Light (poetry); Life’s Rhythms (haiku); 3 Heads and a Tail (comedy romance); Kiwi in Cat City (magical cat series for middle grade readers); Kiwi and the Missing Magic; Kiwi and the Living Nightmare; Kiwi and the Serpent of the Isle; Kiwi in the Realm of Ra; Kiwi’s Christmas Tail; Day of the Living Pizza (comedy detective series for middle grade readers), and Day of the Pesky Shadow.

The Kiwi Series contains super illustrations by Nikki McBroom.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Book On Amazon
Link to Book on Barnes and Noble
Link to Book for sale at Smashwords
Link to Book for sale via other sites

Your Social Media Links
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4788773.Vickie_Johnstone
http://www.facebook.com/KiwiinCatCity
http://twitter.com/vickiejohnstone

Vickie has self-published the following books:
Kaleidoscope (poetry); Travelling Light (poetry); Life’s Rhythms (haiku); 3 Heads and a Tail (comedy romance); Kiwi in Cat City (magical cat series for middle grade readers); Kiwi and the Missing Magic; Kiwi and the Living Nightmare; Kiwi and the Serpent of the Isle; Kiwi in the Realm of Ra; Kiwi’s Christmas Tail; Day of the Living Pizza (comedy detective series for middle grade readers), and Day of the Pesky Shadow.

The Kiwi Series contains superb illustrations by Nikki McBroom.

What inspires you to write?
What inspires me? All sorts.

I write poetry, so anything can inspire me here – a walk in the forest, birdsong, a spider web, a drink of chocolate… anything. One day the moon was really full and shining really brightly with a halo of mist – I hurried home to write about it. The only problem is that sometimes I think of something in the shower or when I’m about to go to sleep – just a line or two – and it’s lost because I don’t write it down. My memory isn’t the best!

3 Heads & a Tail, a comedy starring three people and a dog, was inspired by the challenge of NaNoWriMo – writing a book of 50k in 30 days. I named the dog after my first pet, called Glen, and made him a Labrador – my favourite breed as I always thought Guide Dogs were amazing. I’m not sure what inspired his character – I made that up as I went along! I wanted to humanise him a bit – he’s a little grumpy too, and swears like a trooper. I wrote this book so fast that my imagination took over from any structure I wanted to enforce. It was a seat-of-the-pants job. I didn’t know what would come out.

The Kiwi Series was inspired by a little black cat I used to have called Kiwi. I wrote a poem about her when she was alive. She died in 2000. In 2002, I was made redundant from my job. Sitting at home with nothing to do, I went through some old notebooks and poetry books that I’d written. I found the Kiwi poem. For some reason I started thinking about a story about cats – a world full of cats. I called them catizens and started writing Kiwi in Cat City. Various characters popped up in my head and the plot of a catnapping. I had a whale of a time writing this book. I wrote it in four weeks.

Reviews of my books inspire me and other writers. The first two reviews for Kiwi in Cat City were good and I was soooo happy. I can’t tell you how much. I was so happy, I cried. This inspired me to write more because I assumed the book was garbage because a publisher had rejected it long ago. It made me hope that maybe I can do this. I’ve written ten books since then.

I can honestly say that other indie writers inspired me to write the books that I’ve written since 2011. There is a great community of them online. They rock.

Tell us about your writing process
I don’t really have a process, I think! For example, I’ve been working so hard since Christmas that I haven’t written anything – but that has to change soon as I’m dying to write!!

In 2011, on the advice of an indie author, I started keeping a notebook with me at all times. I scribble poems in there and ideas for books, or characters. When I’m writing a book, I scribble down keywords for things I’ve thought of, so I don’t forget. I’ve put rough plot lines down too.

I write on my laptop. I used to write freehand, but this changed in 2011. I think of that time as the year I started writing properly and taking it seriously. I don’t use any software. Just Word.

With NaNoWriMo, my process changed. For that, I had to sit down every day and write something, and think on the spot – I had no plan. This changed the way I looked at writing.

With poetry, I write them fast. I see something in my head – an image or a character or just a feeling about something – and I write. Most are written in five or ten minutes. Most don’t rhyme either. Prompt words really help to get me thinking. I started writing haiku in 2010. I love it, but I have to count the syllables on my fingers. Again, most are little flashes of inspiration in a few minutes.

Most of the time, I just get an idea. I can’t start writing until I see the scenes rolling in my head. That goes into the question below though, so I’ll shut up now!

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Lol, yes! I can’t write until I have the characters in my head and I can see them. I don’t talk to them – although I used to talk to my cat Kiwi, if that counts! I talk through them instead. I have to see the scenes playing. I think of them and try to imagine them. The best thing is if you’re walking down the street and you suddenly see all this stuff in your imagination – that’s so cool. When everything goes quiet and there’s nothing up there, I’m thinking uh oh! But NaNoWriMo taught me that even if there’s nothing going on – no inspiration, so to speak – if you sit down and get out your laptop, something will come. It might not be great, but it will come!

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I’ve always written since I was really young and always had my nose in a book. But I never actually finished a book until 2002 – Kiwi in Cat City. I did write a couple as a teenager, but I’ve no idea what happened to them. I probably binned them! Kiwi was my first proper book. I sent it to one big publisher, who rejected it, saying they’d received far too many submissions of children’s books. They made no comment on the book, so I assumed it was rubbish. I gave up. I put it in a drawer and forgot about it. No one read it, and I went back to writing poetry and stuff I never finished.

Around January 2011, my boyfriend read an article about an author who had self-published on Amazon Kindle. When he told me, a little light bulb flashed in my brain – could I do that? It seemed the only way I would ever be published and I started getting really excited about it. My dream from when I was young was to publish a book. What I wanted was for my story to be read and get some feedback. Just to see it in the public eye would be enough.

I self-published Kiwi in Cat City and a book of poetry, called Kaleidoscope, in the first couple of months of 2011. I’ve written ten books since then because the fact that I can publish them and they can be read, and maybe inspire happiness in someone (I know that sounds corny!), drives me forward. They don’t have to sit in a dusty drawer.

I would advise new authors to look at Amazon Kindle and Smashwords. The Smashwords Style and Marketing guides are great. You can also self-publish a paperback on Createspace – it looks hard, but once you find out about it, it isn’t. There are many author groups on Facebook and LinkedIn that you can check out, and really, they will teach you everything. Set up on twitter and make a blog. You can put everything about you and your books on your blog. You need one! I’m currently doing my first blog tour, which is fun – recommended too! There is so much to learn and there is so much on offer – these things above are just the tip of the iceberg. Also, don’t forget to have fun And get a good editor. Don’t pay a publisher for anything – that’s vanity publishing. You can do it yourself. All you need is to learn how to format, create a cover and find an editor. You just need Word and PhotoShop.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?

It’s expanding. It’s getting bigger and the playing field has been levelled. I think this is the best time to be a writer. Everyone can self-publish a book. There are no limits. I find marketing very difficult. Getting your books and name noticed is hard. You need to build up a following and a good reputation – that’s hard. After all, only the readers can say whether your book is good. Finding your readers is a big challenge. I’d like to see more ‘middle men’ – those offering services to help with marketing and promotion. Also, I hope that everyone starts to take self-published books more seriously. We have to offer the best books we can produce. I think perceptions are changing. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens in future. Oh, and I hope the vanity publishers disappear!

What do you use?
Professional Editor

What genres do you write:: Poetry, children’s books (middle grade), comedy and general fiction

What formats are your books in: Both eBook and Print

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Author Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site

Your Social Media Links
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4788773.Vickie_Johnstone
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorVickieJohnstone
http://twitter.com/vickiejohnstone

Although David is inspired primarily by fantasy fiction, he also finds his muse in the form of anime, world cinema, history, and biographies. His own books, Fezariu’s Epiphany and A World Apart, and the in-progress Ansel’s Remorse and The Stars Beneath the Parapets combine aspects from worlds both old and new into compelling tales of a world not soon forgotten. David himself certainly does not lack a spirit of adventure; in fact, he left his job in 2007 in order to spend a month travelling. Second only to meeting and marrying his wife, David counts this as one of the most amazing experiences of his life.

Did David mention he owns six cats and that at least one of them is trying to take over the world?

What inspires you to write?
I always loved reading in my teens and even tried writing a book or two but never could complete one. Through school, college and university, my favourite subject was always history and even after my education ended I continued to delve into the past in search of more knowledge and revelations from those that have preceded us. History is a goldmine of inspiration for me and it helped me to build a fantasy world. Recurrent themes exist in human history, our many failings of the past replicated in the present. Technology may change but I don’t think a lot of people really do.

When it comes to writing, I love creating new characters, imagining how I would handle certain situations they find themselves in. A combination of history, films, music, books and even games tend to be the catalysts that give me the ideas and inspire me to keep going on. The world in general inspires me. An idea can come to me from the simplest of things. A conversation I have heard, a piece of land I have seen or a sudden memory that comes to me. My biggest inspiration though is my wife and muse, Donna, who I owe my writing career to. She gave me the confidence to publish my first novel and with her by my side it’s been a richly rewarding journey. I would not be here had it not been for her.

Tell us about your writing process
When I’m writing about our six cats I am usually reliant on spontaneity in reflecting their latest antics such as the daily blog, Diary of Mr Kain. I don’t consider myself a hilarious person but I do think I can be quite witty and I do find that writing about the cats allows me to write in a relaxed manner. Where they’re concerned I can just be as silly and ludicrous as I want to be and it tends to befit them. I don’t really believe they’re out to get me and take over the world. Goodness no, I know it for sure.

When writing fantasy my approach is very different. I often have to outline the story in depth (even if it is just in my head), or I may need to trace a journey and timeline of events across a map just so I’m clear in what I need to do. I will have key events in my mind that are set in stone before the prologue or first chapter has even been written. When I do start to write a book I can visualise those key events as major landmarks on my path and all I have to do is to bridge the gaps between those prominent points that protrude from the earth and are high on the horizon. Although I have the key moments in mind prior to the start of the novel, I often find the story may take an unusual turn before I have finished connecting those landmarks.

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I think of my characters as being in the same room as me at times. I may not engage in a conversation with them as such but quite often I will be writing, thinking I know what I have in mind for the story, when suddenly the character(s) will take charge. I sit writing, wondering where they are taking me, and very often it is on a different path to what I had first intended. It always turns out to be a better path than what I had intended but it is no exaggeration to say that I sometimes feel separated from myself when I write. I hover just above and watch as the characters take charge. There have been times when I’ve been watching the words flow and only when I stop am I aware of my surroundings. It’s as if everything around me hasn’t just been blocked out, it’s no longer there. Some characters speak louder than others and I feel compelled to write about the loud ones. It’s all I can do to get them to leave me alone.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
As I finished my first novel, my wife supported me in researching the best way forward for the book. Although I was writing fantasy, it was a different kind of fantasy, one that may or may not be so easily embraced. Self-publishing was a great way to test the water and see how viable my writing was as a future prospect. I have no issue with publishers but they are focused on publishing books that will be successful and easy to market. Taking a gamble on something different is not often a sensible step for them.

This is why I love the indie world. Authors can write whatever they wish, experiment with genres and story lines, and publish their work. Readers are the best judge of a book’s quality and through self-publishing I think we all have a level playing field. The challenge is making yourself heard but at least you are in a position where you have a book available to readers at the click of the a button and their reviews and feedback will give you the insight you need on just how good you are as a writer and to the quality of your work.

I would recommend self-publishing for new authors. It’s hard work and you will have to pay for professional services (editing, formatting, book cover etc) if you want to release a quality product but it is worth it. You have so much more freedom and you will meet so many wonderful people on the way who will not shun you for being a novice, they will embrace and help you.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think both traditional and self-publishing will continue to thrive side by side. Whichever path you choose, it isn’t easy to be a huge success and even harder to make writing your only source of income but it is still a dream worth pursuing. There is a stigma attached to self-publishing still but I do believe indie authors are redressing the balance with books good enough to rival, if not better, traditionally published works. That stigma will be hard to remove though given how easy it is for anyone to publish a book, regardless of its quality, so for the time being I think there will be readers willing to read both traditional and self-published works, but many may prefer to stick with traditional works for the time being.

I also don’t believe that the rise of the ebook will spell the end of hardbacks and paperbacks. The new technology is very good but I don’t think you can fully replicate that feeling of reading a book in a digital format. I read both types and would miss either were they to cease to exist.

What do you use?
Co-writer, Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers

What genres do you write:: Non-fiction/Humour, Fantasy, Short Stories

What formats are your books in: Both eBook and Print

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Author Page On Amazon

Your Social Media Links
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4878327.David_M_Brown
http://www.facebook.com/davidmbrownauthor
https://twitter.com/elenchera
http://pinterest.com/elenchera/

I am the author of the children’s book ‘Paolo’s Adventures, The Tale of a Very Brave Little Kitty, Volume I’. This book was self-published through Book Publisher’s Network in Bothell, WA. Since its release in October, 2011, the first printing has sold out with a second printing now available. ‘Paolo’s Adventures’ has been received very well. I have had successful book signing events in several books stores, such as Barnes & Noble, Third Place Books and Elliott Bay Book Company. KOMO NEWS interviewed me at one of the book signings. KING 5′s New Day Northwest and Q 13 FOX News had me as a guest on their studio shows. Links to all three appearances are available on the following press release.

Some information about Paolo:
Paolo’s Adventures is the tale of a very brave little kitty who was born in the wild with his siblings. Paolo and his siblings were rescued and brought into a foster home. When this small kitten played, he ran out of breath very quickly. This was due to a concave ribcage, pushing his heart and lungs to the side. Paolo had a surgery to correct this and wore a body cast while his body healed. A long the way, Paolo learned how to trust people in his journey of healing.

Paolo was brought to MEOW (Mercer Island Eastside Orphans and Waifs) Cat Rescue for his surgery. MEOW is a non-profit, no-kill cat and dog rescue organization that helps many animals such as Paolo. A percentage of the net proceeds benefit MEOW.

And we thought you would enjoy some photos of Paolo too:

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Buy Book On Amazon
Link to Buy Book on Barnes and Noble
Link to Book for sale via other sites

Find Us On Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/paolosadventures

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Thanks to GeekCast.fm for hosting our podcasts! Please also visit NightFire Publications for books published by Deborah and Friends.

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What inspired you to write your book?
Many years ago I was living in Hawaii, one of my roommates at the time had a cat and her name was Puka (but I called her Puky). Anyway, when my roommate moved back home to be with her family, she left Puky at the house, thinking she would eventually come back to live. There were a couple of other roommates, but Puky decided on me.

I told my neighbor Tom, a great lover of cats, that this crazy cat was following me around. And when I say following me, I mean to the store, to other friends houses, all over. I would come out of the store or someone’s house after hanging out for hours and there she would be. Well, my friend Tom made it very clear that the cat loved me, so I better embrace it.

I told Puky that I would do my best to take care of her and I really let her know that I was young and liked to do things like go out dancing to the wee hours in the evening. I basically let her know that I was pretty self-involved. I also told her if it came time to go our separate ways, then we would, but until then I would watch over her.

I want to state here for the record that this is a true story and this really happened.

Okay, that said, right after I gave her my speech, she got up, walked over and tucked herself into my rib cage purring her love into me. We became fast friends and after about a year, I sat down and wrote a poem about her called, The Cat Food Chronicles. I wasn’t then nor am I now a big writer of poetry. In fact I didn’t right at all back then. Years later when I started writing I decided to turn the poem into a novel, because I liked the title. I wrote about two chapters then forgot all about it. Several more years past, and I had been writing a lot by then, mostly children’s and non-fiction stuff, anywho, about this time I found myself in Alaska.

Cut to early 2008 and my first Alaskan winter. I was on the computer and I somehow found a article about entering to win a scholarship to, The Santa Barbara Writers Conference which is a very well know and prestigious conference. In order to submit, you needed to send in five pages of a novel in progress. I took out about three different things, all of them about two chapters and decided on The Cat Food Chronicles. I re-wrote very little of it, then sent it off to Santa Barbara.

About three months later my boyfriend woke me telling me that the Santa Barbara Writers Conference had just called. I was in shock and thought, could I possibly have won the scholarship? Well, let me tell you, my hands were shaking when I called them back. I can honestly say that, that day changed my life forever, because, yes, I did win the scholarship.

I was elated for about two hours and then I thought, OMG I have to write a book! So, I went to the library in hopes to mine it for ideas. That night I also said some prayers for guidance. The next morning I awoke and had a very strong visual about a pop-culture celebutante dying on stage and my character Spooky, the lead character in the book, solving the crime. I knew I had something, so I just started writing and writing.

Of course, I am still elated about winning the scholarship, and when I went to the conference, I loved every minute of it! It was very nurturing, empowering and inspiring. I met some great writers who are now my good friends and most importantly I met the late great Ray Bradbury whom I found out later helped launch the scholarship. I got to hold Mr. Bradbury’s hands and kiss him. Then I told him I that I had loved him since I was 16, when I read Fahrenheit 451, which had changed my life, as well.

It took me four years to finish The Cat Food Chronicles because I had so much to learn. Also, I was writing other things and finishing other projects. I have learned a lot writing this book, and believe me, I still have a lot to learn. Still, it never would have came about if my sweet little Puky hadn’t been there for me and loved me first. She was the best!

About your Book:
Reading
Level: Adult & Young Adult (16 & up)

If you like Sookie Stackhouse, Stephanie Plum, KoKo and Yum Yum, you’re
sure to love Spooky Sinclair, the lead character in the wickedly
funny, seriously psychic, six part series, The Cat Food Chronicles.

The Cat Food Chronicles is a contemporary pop-
culture mystery filled with A- list celebrities, righteous
rock-n-rollers, and ridiculous romantics. A crossover
novel, The Cat Food Chronicles targets savvy yet silly adult and
young adult cat lovers sixteen and up.

Synopsis:

Following in the footsteps of Britney, Lindsey, and the likes,
Callie Bryant, Hollywood’s newest bad girl, comes to town
as the lead in the much awaited Romeo and Juliet … the Rock Opera.

When Callie actually dies on stage, Lily, Holly and Spooky (two
psychic sisters and one psychic cat) get together with the irkily
handsome, yet musically inclined Detective Richardson to solve the
crime.

Set in San Francisco, The Cat Food Chronicles is a story of
cats, crime, cuisine, and lol comedy.

Book Genre: Pop-culture, Mystery, Mystery cat sleuth

What formats are your books in
eBook

How do you see writing a book in the Pet Genre as different from writing other genres of books?
For me it is more fun because I gave my lead character, a cat named Spooky Sinclair, plenty of super powers. She’s also ridiculous and hopefully hilarious. And she gets to do and say all the things we don’t dare. Just ask, The Counting Crows. I believe as they say that, “Everybody wants to pass as cats.”

Advice to someone that is thinking about or currently working on a pet book
Enjoy it, the research is fun. Kiss, pet and thank all animals that inspire you. Let them hang out while you are working.

How did you decide how to publish your book and where is it published through:
What happened was I found an article in Poets and Writers on self publishing. It hit home and snowballed very quickly. When I say quickly, I mean considering I had a lot to learn and a lot of help from friends. I did not use another company to help me. I own all my books, built my covers, and published under my own company.

When I first started writing, I looked at self publishing for my non-fiction stuff, but it was not really feasible for me (this was some 10 years ago) now it’s a whole different animal, and since I am a control freak, it seems to suite me. We’ll see.

Author Bio:
Maya likes to count chickens before and after they’re hatched, attempt car repossession alone at night, debate television personalities while in her living room, and of course speed-walk!

She is the creator of Spooky Sinclair, the lead character in the delightfully ridiculous, six-part serial novel, The Cat Food Chronicles. Maya is a writer, actress, and make-up artist with national and international credits. She has been professionally entertaining people for over 25 years, and was the recipient of the 2008 Santa Barbara Writers Conference Endowed Scholarship Award, launched by the late great Ray Bradbury. Maya writes in many genres, including fiction, non-fiction, children’s, and young adult.

If you would like to learn more about Maya, please visit her website or follow her on Twitter, Facebook or her blog.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Book On Amazon
Author WordPress.com Site
Author Website

Your Social Media Links
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6557492.Maya_Pruett
http://www.facebook.com/mayapruett?ref=tn_tnmn
http://twitter.com/mayapruett

Originally Posted at BookGoodies.com