Book Lovers Day

In honor of Book Lover's Day on 9 August, my writerly pals and I are having fun by sharing all the ways we adore reading.  There is nothing better than getting lost in a good book but sadly it has been a while since I have picked one up due to this year being…. Well, ridiculous! When I heard it was book lovers day I thought now this is the perfect opportunity to put some time aside and indulge in one of my favourite past times.

How we will be celebrating book lovers day

READING TO MY CHILDREN

I always used to love reading to my children when they were little but I must admit over the years this fizzled out as these things tend to do. However as part of the national read aloud month in March I thought it would be fun to read my kids a bedtime story, even though they are now 8 and 11. Do you know what, it proved that you are never too old to be read to! We carried on with the nightly bedtime reads way beyond the month of March. The kids loved having that extra bit of mum time. We would get our jim jams on, cuddle up in bed and read a story. My daughter, Flic, would insist on taking it in turns to read, which really helped her reading skills at school. Dylan was more than happy just to lie back and wait for my terrible attempts at accents. I too enjoyed the break from the drawing board and it gave me a chance to study the art of writing more, and to see what things worked with the kids and what didn’t, so it was a good learning experience too.

PUTTING SOME TIME ASIDE TO READ SOMETHING

I am ashamed to say that the last few months we have stopped the night time reading ritual, so much has happened the last few months but that is an entire blog in itself. Its been an erm…. Interesting year! So for book lovers day I am putting some time aside and I have told the children that we will start reading again starting from Sunday. My latest book commission comes to an end this week so it’s about time that the paintbrushes are put down and the books picked up.

READ SOMETHING FROM A NEW AUTHOR IN A GENRE THAT IS DIFFERENT TO MY TYPICAL CHOICE

My usual book of choice is a good horror, something gritty with the shock factor. Favourite authors including the likes of Steven King, Clive Barker and Martina Cole. However as I have grown up a little more, I have stepped out of my comfort zone and started reading a bit of historical fiction. This was quite the eye opener as I found I thoroughly enjoyed this genre. Lesley Pearse is now another name added to the fave list; so don’t be afraid to start turning the page on a book because it isn't something you would  normally read, you might just be pleasantly surprised.

The more I am networking with authors the more my eyes are being opened to different styles of writing and genres  out there. I have read some real gems the last year, titles that I would never have read if it wasn’t for the friendships that have been formed. I have now read autobiographies, children’s fiction, teen fiction, erotica, horrors, the list is endless.

So to celebrate Book Lovers day, I have several books I have dowloaded from fellow author buds and I shall be reading the Yellow Bus Boys written  by Ron Shaw for my bedtime reading and Felicity will be reading Pretty Please by Princess Polly by AJ Cosmo. Dylan will be reading Pedro The Ugliest dog In The World by Papa G

Thanks for stopping by. For more book love, please visit these awesome bloggers next.

Cat Michaels

Cat's Corner

Cat marks Book Lovers' Day with a wink and a smile in her RAP (Really-Awful-Poem) "Ode to Books" with apologies to Gertude Stein, the Bard, Dr Seuss and true poets everywhere.

Söndra Rymer

Fairy Tales Imagery

Söndra marks Book Lover's Day by slipping into the past to pick up a beloved children's book and quietly obsess over "This is where it all BEGAN!"

Auden Johnson
Dark Treasury

Books showed me I wasn't alone

Carmela Dutra

A Blog For Your Thoughts

Did you ever read a book that just made you fall madly in love with it? 

Leigh Emery Shearin

Leigh Shearin, Writer

"How I found the secret to life on the big oak bookcase"

Karen Emma Hall

Kid Literature Today

"Enjoy Book Lovers day by making time to read"

If you have a blog about book love, post your link in the comments section, and we'll give you some blog loving!

Animania sponsors Critterish Allsorts

I have been itching to announce this and now I can, woohoo! Over the last month I have been liaising with Dale Preece Kelly, founder of Critterish Allsorts about this exciting little partnership.

I have always wanted to give a little back with my work and now that I am self publishing Animania it seemed like the ideal opportunity to do just that. 

I was introduced to Critterish Allsorts last year through Paul Cody (co Founder of Success Skunks). I was fascinated with the concept behind pet therapy , so I watched a tv documentary based on one of Dale’s visits to a nursing home to give me a better understanding of what he does. I was so touched to see the joy that his visit and the animals bought to these people, their faces literally lit up as soon as they held the animals, it was so lovely to watch. I have since been following his work and seen him go all around the country visiting the elderly and people with mental health issues not to mention the numerous school visits to educate children on the importance of animals. I think what he does and what his organizations stands for needs to be shared with as many people as possible so I wanted to help. I have decided to donate half of all e-book sales to Critterish Allsorts to help Dale continue to grow the business and reach as many people as possible.

To learn more about the organization and the powerful healing properties of pet therapy then contact via:

Website Facebook Twitter

This is a video clip of the episode I watched...

I am planning to visit Dale this August, with my son Dylan at his soon to be Critterish Cottage, I will share our experience with you all. We are both very excited to be able to meet these 65 plus critters that he lives with and I thought this would be a perfect bonding experience for me and Dyls. He is going to high school in September so my baby boy is entering that next chapter of his life and turning into a little man, bring on those mood swings!

I am so pleased to be a part of this and I hope I am able to help, as they say every penny helps, so let’s hope Animania can pull a few in for them. 

Please show some support by following Dale’s work and you can now also purchase the e-book of Animania for $2.99 or £ 1.99 at:

Buy E-Book at Amazon UK 

Buy E-book at Amazon US

Dale is also co founder along with Paul Cody of Success Skunks. Stoosh and Skittles the skunks are the mascots for this group and they interview people who Plant Passion in Kids for the Arts, Music, Writing, Science, Business, Sports & Life! I was honored to have been interviewed myself last year. You can read the interview here:

Interview with Success Skunks

Another great group who’s aim is to educate and inspire children. You can follow success skunks at: Website Facebook Twitter

The Secrets to a Successful Book Launch

I have recently made the decision to self publish my book Animania. I am in the process of uploading the book to createspace and have started to put together a marketing plan for the book launch. As if by magic I came across an advert on facebook for a webinar on how to host a successful book launch by Joel Friedlander, talk about perfect timing! I shared the post and one of my fellow author buds suggested I write up a blog on what tips I pick up as they couldn't attend the webinar. So here I am to share my findings with you. I must admit at the end of the session I was a tad overwhelmed and came to the conclusion I really need to be doing this full time. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I am actually doing what they suggested albeit in a half hearted manner but at least I'm on the right track. Anyway here is what the session covered, I hope it helps some of you too, it was certainly an eye opener...

So the first thing that was covered was the 14 reasons that most book launches fail. I have picked the points that stood out to me the most, and thrown in a few of my own comments.

Why Most Books Fail

• Refusal to Collaborate and Socialize

It is vitally important that you network your socks off way before your book is launched. You should engage with people throughout the whole development process. Their input will help you identify what matters most to them, the benefits they want your book to deliver etc. 

The more invested people are, the higher the value they will place on your work – because they helped create it. Encouraging a social, community-oriented mindset builds trust and and makes people feel that they are part of something special. 

Social media is a fantastic tool for this, so get out there and start networking, you won't look back. If you haven't signed up to twitter then you are missing out. I was dead against it to start with, but I cannot stress how valuable it is as a networking tool. The other sites facebook, pinterest, instagram etc are all great ways to connect too, but for me personally it was twitter that opened up a whole new world.

• Rushing to Get It “Out There” 

It is very tempting to rush to get your book out there, but for a successful launch you need to do your research before and come up with a marketing plan that is achievable. Once you announce your launch date stick to it and allow for a bit of extra time for breathing space. There is nothing worse than getting a stress head on because unplanned events get in the way of your very tight schedule. So avoid that and give yourself some extra time to make everything run as smoothly as possible. Start your planning process early – ideally while you’re still writing or editing. 

Have your author website or book landing page ready and functional. Make sure it’s not only easy for people to buy your book, but easy for them to share the information with their friends.

• Assuming Book Launches Are Only for Big Name Authors or People with Deep Pockets

A successful launch doesn’t require heaps of cash, a huge network or a secret handshake. If you have a well planned launch, with clear goals and objectives you expect to achieve, your launch may be dramatically more effective and fruitful than a well-financed but unfocused one.

Putting together a book is no easy task, why shouldn't you celebrate all of the hard work you have undertaken. You have every right to be proud of what you have accomplished so share this with everyone. It doesn't need to be something fancy just a gesture to give yourself a little pat on the back and a chance to celebrate with all the people that have supported you throughout the process. 

• Enveloped in an Author Identity Crisis

You need to get to know yourself, self-knowledge is a very powerful tool, and knowing who you are, what you’re about, and why you do what you do can provide a significant and compelling way to break through the noise.

Spend some time getting to know yourself and the reasons you write what you write. 

Infuse your personality and message into every piece of content you share, and your uniqueness will give you your competitive edge. When you discover and build on what makes you different, you eliminate your competition.

• Being The Lone Wolf

It takes a village. 

The most successful authors have used the power of the group to increase their sales. This all boils down to networking again. When you start networking and building friendships with people you will naturally start to collaborate with like minded individuals. This key group of supporters will be the basis of your success. 

To gain the support you must be willing to help others too, it is a two way game. If you support others and build friendships then they will want to help you in return. Reach out and start making connections early so that relationships have time to develop, and clever ideas for joint ventures during your launch can be fleshed out. There are loads of ways you can collaborate with others such as blog tours, interviews, guest blog features etc

Many people claim that they can't possibly do this as they are born introverts. Well I hold my hand up to being the dreaded i word and from what I have learn't over the years in this industry is that most creatives are. If you really want to be a success you have to try and overcome this, it is hard and it takes time, but the more you network and start meeting like minded people the more your confidence will grow. There are many things that still freak me out, but I am willing to step out of my comfort zone because I have to.... and you know what, I am actually enjoying it. Don't be afraid to reach out to people, you will find that the majority of people out there are more than happy to strike up a friendship and if not, no biggy, not everyone will get you so don't take it personally if some people have their guard up.

• Failure to Ride the Wave

It’s tempting to take a much needed break after all the excitement – and you should take time to celebrate. You’ve just launched your book to the world!

But having a plan in place to leverage your launch momentum, to follow up with new opportunities and to analyze and measure the results of your launch, is critical.

Don’t be tempted to pull back. Use the energy and buzz you’ve generated to open even more doors.

Note what worked well, what didn’t, and take the time to personally thank everyone who contributed to, or supported your launch in some way. Their help was no doubt indispensable.

To see all 14 tips you can view their blog here.... 

14 Ways To Crash Your Book Launch

The next part of the session was based on the 6 essential elements of a flawless book launch

The Six Essential Elements of a Flawless 

Book Launch

• Define Your Launch Objectives

Try to get a bird's eye view of your launch and it's relation to your overall career path. What do you want to accomplish?

• Get Clear on Your Message and Positioning

Master your message, what do you want to say, who do you want to say it to. Get to know yourself. When you connect to your purpose and can articulate clearly on what you have to offer, your ideal audience will respond. Focus on you passions, strengths and goals, discover who you are and what you are trying to do. Outline your unique values and clarify what makes you unique and different. Your story is what people will connect to on an emotional level. One of the best strategies to quickly establish credibility and to get known and differentiate yourself is to share our why. So attach your launch to a bigger story and give people a reason to care.

• Take Inventory

Use all of your assets to their full potential. Your author website/blog, social media, email lists etc. Often it is your early adopters that are the best supporters so reach out to them and get them involved in your book launch. It's not the tools but the implementation that matters, if you use these assets to their full potential you can be sure to have a successful book launch. 

• Make Them an Offer They Can't Refuse

A hard truth but people don't care about your book, they care about what your book can do for them. Focus on launch content that will add value and not that solely pushes your book.

• Gather Your "A" team

As mentioned before, you really need to network and collaborate with people throughout the entire process. Gone are the days of the introverted writer, connections are critical and incorporating networking in your launch strategy is a must. To survive you have to have a shift in mindset, you need to have the approach of what can I do for them rather than how can they help me.

Once you have a team of "super supporters" include them in your launch strategy and give them extra special attention and care. Help them tell the story, create resources, pre written blog posts, images, videos, quotes... whatever you can to get your team excited. Create an insiders list and give them advance copies of your book. Get feedback on content and encourage them to get invested in your project. 

• The Launch Plan

Your launch plan is your blue print to your entire book launch. It combines the task involved and the sequence of events for the launch. It should include the tools you use (implemented in the right way), the tasks completed, day by day plans before launch. 

Your plan needs to include what you need to do, when you need to do it and how you will get it 
done.



I have condensed all of this down for you to give you a rough idea of what was said. Their were loads of other tips but these key points stood out to me the most. 

Have you launched a book? What worked / didn't work for you? Maybe you have some tips that you could share in the comments section.

Happy Birthday Kid Literature Authors

I have been quiet lately trying to complete Animania and working on Animal Stories For The Young Part 4. So as you can imagine blogging and social media have taken a bit of a nose dive.

I had to put some time aside to put together a very special blog though and that is one to dedicate to Kid Literature Authors first birthday. For those who do not know about team KLA they are a group that formed on twitter and facebook with the aim to create a place where authors, illustrators and kid lit enthusiasts could share their works, but to also create a place where we can all encourage each other and support one another. To grow, to give back and to inspire children world wide. The group comprises of Karen Emma Hall, (founder) Steve Conoboy, Cat Michaels, Carmela Dultra, Hilary Hawkes and Carolin Palmer. Each one of them will be helping celebrate this huge occasion from the week of the 13th-19th April. 

So what will they be doing to celebrate this big occasion??

To mark the occasion there will be a week long celebration of fun on their Facebook and Twitter pages which everyone is invited to. There will be videos, games, giveaways and much more, so do come along and join in the festivities. I will also be giving away some cards and prints as part of the rafflecopter feature and will post updates on my Facebook and Twitter pages. Do come 
along and show some support for everything this amazing team does.

To kick start the festivities, here is a chance to enter the first rafflecopter hosted by Cat Michaels  For a chance to win a copy of her " Sweet T and the North Wind" just click on the rafflecopter tab on my page. This will be updated as new giveaways come along.



Here is a little video to show what these guys have been up to the past year...

Why team KLA are such an important part of my life

I signed up to twitter a couple of years ago and didn’t get it at all. After a couple of days scratching my head with it I decided to not pursue tweetsville any further. It was only after reading a blog about how to get your artwork noticed that I decided to give it another bash a year later. One of the top things to do was to join twitter, so off I went again. 

As much as I was a rabbit caught in headlights at first, I stuck with it and started striking up friendships with people. Team KLA were one of the very first groups to reach out and show support to my work. 

I was blessed enough to help out behind the scenes with spreading the word of KLA and in return I have been rewarded with constant inspiration, tips, support and most important of all friendship. This group homes some of the nicest people out there, people who have a wealth of knowledge under their belt about the whole children’s literature industry, from writing to illustrating to publishing and marketing. I have learnt so much the past year and the majority of that has been through the lovely folks at KLA. I am just tipping my toes in the author world and I tell you this much so far.... it's not an easy road to go down! Promoting artwork is a piece of cake compared to producing and marketing a book. It's an upward struggle at times but the support and inspiration from all members of the group has been invaluable and has kept me going.

So wishing all at Kid Literature a huge Happy Birthday. I am so lucky to have seen you start from nothing to this flourishing hub of creativity, all in the space of one year. Each and every one of the admin team deserve a massive hug for all they do.

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

The wandering traveller has returned. I have had two blissful weeks on board the beautiful Sea Princess visiting the South Pacific Islands for my Mums big birthday celebrations. I have well and truly recharged my batteries and am all raring to go with Animania and Animal Stories For The Young volume 4. 

I had a lovely surprise before I left and received an email from the lovely  Cat Michaels to inform me that I had been nominated for the Very Inspiring Blogger (VIB) Award. This award recognizes bloggers who work hard to keep the blogosphere a beautiful place.

Thanks so much Cat, I was so very touched to have been nominated and was a grin on legs when I saw the email. In addition to blogging, Cat is the author of Sweet T and The North Wind and Finding Fuzzy . She earned her master's degree in special education and has helped students with learning disabilities from kindergarten to college for more than two decades helping the students reach their true potential. She writes illustrated chapter books for young readers and the young at heart and is one of the administrators on Kid Literature Facebook Community

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Very Inspiring Blogger Award

As part of the VIB tradition, I was asked to do two things: reveal seven things about myself and To pass the creative baton by nominating other bloggers who inspire me.


So seven things about yours truly….

Africa 

I spent my childhood in Zambia (Southern Africa) until the age of 11. My childhood is something that will always be very dear to my heart and holds some of my happiest memories. It was such a liberating way of growing up, no trends and peer pressure to worry about. We had the very basics yet lived such a full life. My fondest memories are sitting up in the fruit trees munching away, running around barefoot and going to the numerous bbq gatherings and social events that my Mum and Dad were invited to and held. So much fun!! 

I Was An Aboriginal artist 

Yep you read right he he. While travelling around Australia with my better half I did a spot of work as an aboriginal artist painting up their souvenirs. I was taught the meaning behind the symbols and the methods used to make the eye catching designs. I have a soft spot for this art and still dabble with some of the techniques to this day.

Horror Fan 

I am a massive horror fan, I absolutely love watching them , the grimmer and more twisted the better. I am a huge fan of Quentin Tanantino films and all of the Saw films. As you can imagine, I love love love Halloween!

The Supernatural 

When I was a teen I went through a phase of being fascinated with anything to do with the supernatural. I avidly read books on palmistry, tarot reading, astrology, graphology, the spirit world... the list is endless. The subject still fascinates me.

Trees 

I have a weird fascination with trees. I just love them. Pretty much all of my landscape studies will feature a tree or several. Maybe it stems from my childhood where I used to be constantly up one stuffing my face.

Fussy Fruit Eater

Bit of a strange one but I am a very fussy fruit eater! If I do have them they have to be very unripe and crisp. There is only a small selection of fruit that I will actually eat. The thought of a mixed up fruit salad will actually turn my stomach as will any mushy fruit uuuurrrghh feel sick just thinking about it.

Unusual Pet 

We have a pet corn snake called Snakey ….original eh

Well that was fun. Next step my nominations....

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NOMINATIONS FOR VERY INSPIRED BLOGGER AWARD

The blogs that I would like to give the Very Inspired Blogger Award to are:



Author Sandra Mitchell of the Hedgerow Capers Series
http://sandrascapers.com/hedgerow-village-books/

Author and illustrator Patrick S Brooks
http://psbrooks.com/aboutme/

Illustrator Yvonne Gartside
http://yvonnegartside.blogspot.co.uk/

Cartoonist Jon Esparza
http://bubblefox.thecomicseries.com/

Author Nelson Suit and founder of the Inkspokes Community 
http://www.wordcaper.com/

Author and poet Alastair Millen
http://myembreldiary.blogspot.co.uk/

Illustrator Steve Brown
http://www.stevebrownillustration.co.uk/node/4

Author Ron Shaw and DJ for The Artist First radio network
http://ronshawmedia.com/

Artist Jeannie Vodden
http://www.jeannievodden.com/blog/

Please visit these Very Inspired Bloggers and leave a 'like' and a comment. We love to interact with others out there and you are in for a treat with these selected pages.

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Please join the conversation in the comment section.
What qualities do you look for in a blogger?
What keeps you coming back to read a blog?
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How to involve children in your creative process

Do you ever have writer or artists block?... 

I know I do!! Not so much with thinking up illustrations but the times I have tried to sit down and write a story I am as much use as a chocolate teapot. I used to love writing as a child so you would think this would come naturally but I find it very hard to get that initial concept for the story line down. Once I have it then it all flows but getting it is the tricky bit! I tried writing my first book around five years ago and I really struggled. 

So what did I do….. I asked my son Dylan who was five at the time to come up with a story. It took him seconds to come up with an idea and went something like this….

“ so there’s this penguin who wants to fly but he can’t…. so he travels to the jungle and meets a peacock and he teaches him how to fly”

My initial thoughts were…. Okaaaay!... that was a pointless exercise!  But at the time Dylan had a fascination with peacocks and I couldn’t find them as a character in any picture book out there so I sat down and I started writing and you know what.. we came up with a really cute little story called Flic’s wish. It’s a book I would still like to illustrate one day. That was my first attempt at writing as a grown up and I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed it but full credit goes to Dylan as I would never have thought the initial idea up in a million years.

It’s a similar story with my latest book Animania. The original idea is something Dylan came up with a few years back. We were having one of our nonsense chats on the way to school and he mentioned how strange it would be to mix animals up. So we landed up discussing what animals we could make up, what we could call them and what they would look like etc We came up with characters such as the prickly python, antosaurus and fluffa fish.  A little light bulb switched on flashing "picture book" So I was going to write a story based on that idea but after doing some research I noticed that there was already a book out on the market like that…typical!. So I have now gone with a rhyming animal alphabet book with a twist. Making it a fun educational tool, if anything I actually prefer this concept so it was  a blessing in disguise.

My daughter Felicity aka Flic also has her characters included which are the tickly bears and hefty weirdos. These names came up when we were reading one of her bedtime stories. I can’t remember the exact wording but the characters were a hippo and a panda. She muddled her words up some how and came up with the names hefty weirdos and tickly bears. I fell in love with them and they have been used many a time ever since. So when Animania came up it was only natural that they were to be included.

My children are a massive part of my inspiration, I very much doubt I would have thought of these ideas up myself and I am sure my illustrations are influenced a lot by them. So how can you too gain inspiration from the little people in your life….

How to get children involved with the creative process

Have brainstorming sessions

Children love being part of the creative process and they have the best imaginations in the world. Make the most of this and utilise it. If you have absolutely no idea of a concept then ask them to come up with a story, simples….you will be very surprised with how quick they can do this. Or start off with a main character, discuss what they should look like, do they have any special talents? What kind or personality do they have? What do they look like? What do they love doing? etc From there you can start to build a story. You will be very surprised how a little brain storming session like this can open up a floodgate of inspiration.

I tend to have our little "chats" on our walks to and from school or while they are having a bath etc. The key is for them to enjoy the experience so by turning it into a “game” you will most probably find the best ideas come up. I find this works better for us rather than sitting  down with a notepad and pen and quizzing them, this turns the experience more into a homework session, and that is a big no no with my lot. So try to make it as relaxed as possible, and keep mental notes that you can jot down after.

Turn it into a game

One of the games my children enjoy is making up a story by taking it in turns  to come up with the next scene in a story. So for example I will say “Once upon a time there was a little mouse called tufty who lived with his mum dad and sister in an old abandoned farm”

Then they would then continue with the next scene …. “ Tufty loved going on adventures with his best friend Chip, one day they decided to go to the seaside.

You get the jist. More often than not the stories just get ridiculous and make no sense whatsoever but you will be surprised how they might just trigger something off for a concept.

All children will enjoy doing this, they don’t have to be a budding author or illustrator. Dylan doesn’t enjoy writing but he has such a good imagination on him and is a fantastic story teller so if you see this in your child please encourage it. If they aren’t a keen writer then play games like this to feed their imagination.  

Photocopy your sketches to use as colouring pages

Some children enjoy drawing more than others. Flic loves drawing and painting and will more often than not sit with me while I am painting. I let her colour in my sketch book so when I have my pencil draft I will transfer it over to my heavyweight paper and work on that and she will sit there and colour in my original sketch. 

I also try and get photocopies of my initial sketches as they make great colouring in pages. Their friends often ask if I have any of my colouring sheets to use so if your child has an interest in drawing this would be a great way to get them involved in your creative process.

I always feel guilty when I am working on a  book that I am not spending enough time with the children but by doing things like this you are making the whole experience more interactive, they get a bit more mum time and you in return are rewarded with the best inspiration available out there!

If you don’t have children then there are plenty out there you can borrow he he! Nephews, nieces, cousins, everyone must have  a tiny person somewhere they can reach out to. Now go out there and get inspired!

Have you involved children in your creative process? Perhaps you have a game or tips you would like to share. If so please leave a comment :)

New Year New Beginnings

Happy New Year everyone!! I can’t believe a year has gone by… crazy stuff!! Well I don’t know about everyone else but I see 2015 being a big year of change for me, lot’s of plans being made. We are hoping to move house so that in itself will be a massive change. Hopefully I can at long last have a little studio…. Fingers crossed. This is also the year I will have my own book completed so will be giving that all of my attention for the first six months and all going well the ebook will launch this summer.  If it doesn’t do well then it’s time to work on my other back up plan which is taking a sabbatical from the art stuff and starting a dating service with my sister, random I know. This is something I started preparing last year but the timing just wasn’t right to pursue it.  I have got to that stage now where I feel I have done all I can with trying to push myself into making a career out of illustrating. If I am still in the same situation by the end of the year then it is time to focus on something else . I will still paint now and again, that desire will never go but it will be treated more as a hobby with benefits. So it should be an eventful and hopefully a year of some much needed life changes.

Anyway enough waffle about my plans for 2015. Other than having some quality fambo time over the festive period, we also adopted a little Roborovski hamster called Squidge. He is ever so cute, so tiny and resembles a little cotton wool puff on legs. We are on project taming mission at the moment which is a slow old process….. he is ever so timid!! I have never seen hamsters this teeny before and fell in love with him as soon as I saw him. They are usually very social animals and like to be in groups but once separated cannot mix with others. Sadly he was the last one left in the shop so he is destined for a life of solitude. He seems’ happy enough though.

I don’t have high hopes of being able to handle him for a long long time but he takes things from my hand (very warily) so that’s a start. I also nearly managed to lose him, there is a reason they say clean the cages out over the bath he's a nippy little thing. I stupidly decided to do it on the table resulting in one fugitive hyper hamster and one panicked mum frantically trying to catch him before he plummeted to his death.... not a fun experience!! Yes lesson well and truly learnt, at least I got to hold him briefly he he. So project taming shall continue as will project productivity.

This wont be a long blog, just a quickie to say Happy New Year before it’s the end of January… where is the time going!!! Hopefully as the time goes on I will have more useful things to talk about with regards to the publishing world but as it is I have only just bought my armbands so I don't feel I have the right to share tips just yet. I shall sign off with some pics of our latest squirrel feeding afternoon. We weren't expecting to see many squirrels down the park as I thought they would be hibernating… wrong! They were out and they were hungry! I couldn't believe how tame these little fellas were, they even gave them little hand grabs and high fives, way too cute! So I leave you with a bunch of hungry squirrels. It was the perfect way to end our festive break.