A few years ago, I went on a holiday that inspired me. We were in Positano, Italy, and amongst all the glamour and wine and prosciutto crudo, what really captured our hearts was a little family of stray cats, a mother and her four kittens. When we met them they were weak and scared, and by the end of the holiday they were still spitting and hostile, but playful and energetic after all the food we fed them (goodbye, prosciutto!)
I was trying to write a crime thriller at the time, but I couldn't get the memory of those cats out of my head. The mother was so fierce and hardworking, an angry but dedicated mother. Her kittens were all so different, with unique colorings and personalities, and so sweet despite the hissing and the spiked tails and baby fur. We never managed to get our hands anywhere near them, they were so independent.
Fast forward a year, and as I was sick of having my mind full of dark twisty crime, I decided to write a children's book instead, inspired by that family of cats. I finished the book, was pleased with it, and sent it out to a few agents. After a few months of rejections, it got placed on the longlist for Macmillan Children's Books Write Now prize where it waited for a few more months. It didn't make the shortlist, I moved from London to San Francisco, and let the book rest.... until now.
Last Friday, I made an inspiring new friend. We were sailing the bay at sunset, and he told me to start 'gifting,' and to start a blog, and make my dreams come true the San Francisco way - so I've decided to take that book and publish it on Kindle.
As the book is ready, I just need to figure out all the self-publishing admin that goes along with it, and try my best to make it pretty and readable, and I'd love to do it before my birthday (which is in three weeks!)
Wish me luck!
