Bookshelf Beauty – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Illustrated Edition)
I love Harry Potter. I grew up reading the series and waited impatiently with millions of other fans for each new book to be released. I was already an avid reader, but Harry’s world captivated me and I wished so hard for a letter to arrive inviting me to Hogwarts. (There’s obviously been some sort of terrible admin error, but I’ve still got my fingers … Continue reading Bookshelf Beauty – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Illustrated Edition)
Acciaroli, the secret to a long and healthy life?
Last August, I had the pleasure of staying in the gorgeous hamlet of Acciaroli for a week. The place has a sleepy charm during the day and a vibrant community spirit that comes alive as the sun goes down. This week, Acciaroli has been making headline news around the world because of its large concentration of centenarians. One in ten residents is over the age … Continue reading Acciaroli, the secret to a long and healthy life?
Blog to Book Series (Part 5) – The Book Cover
One of the most exciting moments in the whole of the Blog to Book journey was when I first saw the cover. I’d been asked to provide a choice of full body shots of Bailey. The designer could then choose an image to use for the cover. I was told that the designer would likely cut out Bailey and position the various photos of him … Continue reading Blog to Book Series (Part 5) – The Book Cover
Bookshelf Beauty – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Other Stories
I’m a real sucker for pretty books. Not only do I love reading but I also appreciate beautiful books both old and new. In this new series, Bookshelf Beauties, I’m going to highlight some of my beautiful books and why I love them so much. To start with I had no choice but to share this stunning Barnes and Noble Leatherbound Classic Collection copy of … Continue reading Bookshelf Beauty – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Other Stories
Blog to Book Series (Part 4) – The manuscript
Once the contract for Bailey Boat Cat had been approved by all parties and signed, I got to work on the actual manuscript. During the contract stages we’d discussed deadlines, and initially I was quite surprised by how quickly Bloomsbury wanted the manuscript written. In total, I had about two months to get the manuscript of around 10,000 words written. I also had to do … Continue reading Blog to Book Series (Part 4) – The manuscript
Blog to Book Series (Part 3) – Understanding the publishing contract
Once the Bailey Boat Cat book proposal was accepted and signed off by the Bloomsbury sales and editorial team, the figures and costings had to be calculated before the book idea was put forward to the acquisitions team. Once everything was approved at Bloomsbury’s end, we discussed and agreed on the terms of the publishing contract and then my contract was signed and everything became … Continue reading Blog to Book Series (Part 3) – Understanding the publishing contract
Blog to Book Series (Part 2) – The Proposal
Even though I was contacted by the publisher asking if I’d be interested in turning the Bailey Boat Cat blog into a book, I still had to prepare a proposal that the editor could present to the sales team. I had no idea what I was doing or what was expected for a proposal, and of course no agent to guide me, so I was … Continue reading Blog to Book Series (Part 2) – The Proposal
Ten years of travelling – Top ten destinations!
I love to travel! Travelling feeds creativity and broadens the mind. I left my home in Cornwall ten years ago… Since then I’ve lived in Bristol, Paris, Nice, near Rome on a sailboat and now I live by the lakes near Milan. I worked as a flight attendant for eight years travelling all around Europe and I’ve been lucky to travel to some other wonderful … Continue reading Ten years of travelling – Top ten destinations!
Blog to Book Series (Part 1) – My first big mistake!
When I first started the Bailey Boat Cat blog, I’d just finished my degree with the Open University and I was excited about having more time to write. I really wanted to blog about our life afloat, but the blogosphere was saturated with other sailing blogs and we weren’t doing anything that exciting to make us stand out from the crowd. I spent weeks wondering … Continue reading Blog to Book Series (Part 1) – My first big mistake!
Are you an aspiring writer?
Do you dream of writing whilst you struggle to put pen to paper? When you type characters, words and phrases, do they swim around incomprehensibly on the screen? I’m guessing the answer is no. I reckon that if you’re reading this, the chances are, that you can actually write. You might not be a bestselling author or shortlisted for any prizes, you might even be … Continue reading Are you an aspiring writer?
Sailing Titanium 