Remembering Father Vincent
This week my great-uncle, Father Vincent, passed away. He was such a special man who dedicated his life to the Church and to helping people. He was a Dominican Priest and he worked all over the world. He spent nearly twenty years in Trinidad and Tobago and even worked alongside the Pope in Rome. Despite this, Father Vincent remained a humble and gracious man.
When we visited him at his priory in Limerick, the Prior there told us how Father Vincent always had time for everyone and took a particular interest in people who were struggling or needy. He was generous with both his time and his means and would even send what he could to a young man in prison who had lost his way and had asked Father Vincent for help.
Last year he moved to Newbridge College, Dublin, and I am so grateful that James and I managed to go and see him last month. He was very happy there and very well cared for. He loved the view from his room of the River Liffy and I was in awe of their beautiful library.
We enjoyed a beautiful meal with all of the Brothers at Newbridge and I’d like to thank them all for their love and support for Father Vincent.
They are memories that I will cherish forever.
May he rest in peace. x
Blog to Book (Part 10) – Lessons Learned
I think the most important thing I’ve learned throughout the whole Blog to Book process is to write what you love and love what your write. If you’d have said to me six months before I started the Bailey Boat Cat blog, that in a year’s time I would have a book deal with a huge publishing house, writing from the perspective of my cat … Continue reading Blog to Book (Part 10) – Lessons Learned
Blog to Book (Part 9) – The Book Launch
The book promotion got so much more exciting the closer we got to the book launch. I was very aware that I couldn’t solely promote the book on Bailey’s blog, or people would lose interest. I continued to blog about our life and other things of interest with sailing and pets as the subject matter. In the week running up to the book launch however, … Continue reading Blog to Book (Part 9) – The Book Launch
Six months have flown by!
I’m amazed at how quickly the last six months have flown by! On the 1st of April our muddy litter monster was born and we moved off our sailboat in Rome into a house by Lago Maggiore near Milan. Today marks six months since then. It’s been a very busy six months and so much has changed, but it’s been a great adventure. We were … Continue reading Six months have flown by!
Blog to Book (Part 8) – Advance Copies
Even though I’d seen the BLAD and of course the final proofs in a PDF format, the book still didn’t feel 100% real until I received the advance copies through the post. I knew what size the book would be, the number of pages and what the cover would look like, but I still really struggled to imagine it as a REAL book! When the … Continue reading Blog to Book (Part 8) – Advance Copies
Bookshelf Beauty – The Complete First Edition of The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
Like all writers, I LOVE a great story. That’s why one of my favourite bookshelf beauties is The Complete First Edition of The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. It’s such a wonderful book! The introduction is informative and interesting, it explains how the original tales were rediscovered. I learnt a lot about the brothers and realised that they didn’t actually travel … Continue reading Bookshelf Beauty – The Complete First Edition of The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
Blog to Book (Part 7) – Marketing and Publicity
The marketing and publicity for Bailey Boat Cat – Adventures of a Feline Afloat was one of the most fun aspects of the whole Blog to Book process. Bloomsbury have offices in London, Sydney and New York and each team had people dedicated to marketing and publicising the book in their area. Bailey Boat Cat – Adventures of a Feline Afloat was the first Adlard … Continue reading Blog to Book (Part 7) – Marketing and Publicity
Bookshelf Beauty – Wonderbook
I have a whole shelf on my bookshelves dedicated to writing books and my favourite by far, in terms of beauty, is Wonderbook – The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer. It’s a fantastic book to pick up and flick through to get the creative juices flowing. The book can really turn your ideas upside down and inside out leaving you with … Continue reading Bookshelf Beauty – Wonderbook
Hemingway’s House – Key West
I’m currently reading Earnest Hemingway’s On Writing which is a book compiled of Hemingway’s comments and observations on writing throughout his life and career. I’m throughly enjoying it and I think it’s a great book that I’ll dip in and out of again. Its next to my new Bonsai tree which I’m in love with. I’ve wanted a Bonsai for ages but until this week, … Continue reading Hemingway’s House – Key West
Blog to Book (Part 6) – The BLAD and First Proofs
Until the Bailey Boat Cat Blog to Book process began, I’d never heard of a BLAD. I didn’t even have a clue what a BLAD was! As I’ve said before, I was so lucky that my editor and the team at Bloomsbury were very patient with me and they kindly explained that a BLAD is a printed sales tool. (BLAD = Basic Layout And Design) … Continue reading Blog to Book (Part 6) – The BLAD and First Proofs
Sailing Titanium 