Carol M. Salter
  • MY NEWS
  • MY BLOG - From Inspiration to Reality
  • MY WORK
    • WITCH ON THE WARPATH
    • GRISTLE'S REVENGE
    • QUEST FOR COURAGE
    • AQUASAPIEN - METAMORPHOSIS 18+
    • AQUASAPIEN PRODIGY
    • WHAT IF?
    • CHICKEN WIZARD
    • SHEA PINGLE AND THE SWARM
    • MY PAST CONFERENCES & EVENTS
    • FUTURE CONFERENCES & EVENTS
  • MY STORE
  • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
  • CONTACT ME


​FROM   INSPIRATION  TO   REALITY
​MY  PUBLISHING   DIARY

Caterpillars, Cats & Christmas.

12/21/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Hi everyone.
First, I would like to give a huge thank you to the eight people who gave me a thumbs up on my last blog. It’s a first for me. It made me feel so humble to know that someone out there does actually read my words—I was beginning to think I imagined it—and also took a couple of seconds at the end to click LIKE too. Thank you who ever you are. Because of this I’m going to continue blogging. I’ll admit I was starting to get a teeny bit dispirited.

Christmas is almost upon us, and before you ask I haven’t written a Christmas story, but I have completed Shea Pingle and the Swarm, hot on the heels of Chicken Wizard (WC). That’s two new children’s picture books written. I just need the illustrators to make them a reality. Ellie is hard at work getting through the pictures for WC (not to be confused with Water Closet) but there’s only so much one girl can do. I know she is trying to do her college work too and I don’t want to mess that up for her.

Mustard and Marmalade Dachshund Dog Detectives are still in my head at the outline stage. The first two books are rhyming stories, and I haven’t decided yet whether to continue the theme with The Case of the Missing Fillet Steaks. Not sure how much rhyming I can do around a butcher’s shop, but you never know.
I’ve finished all my signings and selling for 2022, and sadly haven’t got any bookings for 2023 until May. Unless you know someone who’s got an event I could fit in between now and then. You can of course order books through Waterstones or contact me direct. I’m happy to deliver locally.

I actually get most of my ideas and do a lot of my writing whilst at signings and Comicons etc. I think it might be the overwhelming environment of creative people within eye and earshot. The colours, the activities, the sounds. I also can’t resist purchasing items, either for myself personally or as set dressing for the table (that’s my excuse). Only last week I ended up buying a eight-foot furry caterpillar whilst I was in a toy shop. Do I need it? No. Is it for someone else? No. Is it set dressing? No. It needed me, and I needed it. Currently, Cleo the caterpillar is gracing our king-sized bed—my husband is so understanding!

I’m not sure whether I’m eccentric or still in child-mode—probably a bit of both— each room in the house boasts at least 20+ fluffy toy animals. Each is unique. Each has a name, or a function in a number of cases. For example, a blackbird on top of the sofa means one of the downstairs windows is open and needs closing before we go out. Okay, maybe that is the only one with a function, apart from the four or five animal doorstops. One cat, one mouse, one panda, one horse, one kingfisher. (I didn’t include them in the room count.)
I believe this all ties in with my love of fantasy. The famous Toy story films are right up my alley. I love things that make me go “ahhh”. Only the other day at work my colleagues announced that I was so easy to buy Christmas presents for. I wasn’t sure whether to be pleased with that statement or slightly irritated that I’m such a predictable person. I like to see myself as slightly edgy and unpredictable, but apparently not, judging by their smiles when they made me open the present in front of them. Yes, another of my weaknesses is hairbands and they purchased me some hum-dingers. I couldn’t make up my mind which one to wear for the rest of the day. Thank you ladies – I love them. That brings my hairband count to well over 50+

I’m sure there are folk reading this who also have there own unique indulgences. I’ve heard of people who collect owls, hedgehogs, elephants, tigers, (not real ones) and other curiosities. I myself have a few cats (I have a lot of cats!) from a specific pottery in Cornwall. They adorn the mantlepiece, the display cabinet being too full of other animals (and cats). Is it something we do as we age? I don’t think so. I think people have an affinity with a certain item, an element, something that calls to them and gives them enjoyment, to see it, hold it, interact with it, like books. Some come with memories, like ornaments from grand parents or aunts, some come from holidays, I have a blue goose in our downstairs loo from Disney World in the 1990’s. Some just speak to us. To me.

I’d love to hear what other people collect and how they choose to take home that specific object.

Anyway, till next year. I hope you all receive that one thing you want for Christmas, especially if its for your collection. Take care, keep safe and remember, we are all unique. There is noone else like you in the world, but someone else might just like fluffy animals too.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    View my profile on LinkedIn
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • MY NEWS
  • MY BLOG - From Inspiration to Reality
  • MY WORK
    • WITCH ON THE WARPATH
    • GRISTLE'S REVENGE
    • QUEST FOR COURAGE
    • AQUASAPIEN - METAMORPHOSIS 18+
    • AQUASAPIEN PRODIGY
    • WHAT IF?
    • CHICKEN WIZARD
    • SHEA PINGLE AND THE SWARM
    • MY PAST CONFERENCES & EVENTS
    • FUTURE CONFERENCES & EVENTS
  • MY STORE
  • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
  • CONTACT ME