I have a cat. I have a cat that is an owl.

I have a cat.
I have a cat that is an owl.

I have a cat. He is a famous cat. He is extra special. Not least because he can open doors with his shoulders! He has muscles like he-man. I can't even open some of the doors he can manage. And not least because he can go to sleep on top of a flat screen tv, and especially not because he begs like a dog for cat treats and even his plain old cat food, then will cuddle you in after eating.
No he is special because he is one of the stars of my book, in my chidren's series of stories.

With a difference. Sooty (Lord Snoots) is a cat. Sooty (Lord Snoots) in my book is an owl!
We gave him the nikname Lord Snoots due to the way he sits and looks at us waiting to be served very regally.
Did you know there was such a thing as a Sooty Owl?
No I didn't either.
Until I did some research on owls (I thought I knew everything there was to know about owls as I love them so much)
He was going to be Lord Snoots the snowy owl, now it has changed to Lord Snoots the sooty owl!
Quite a transformation from white to black, but very apt for my sooty cat, and I certainly enjoyed creating this character and bringing him to life.
Sooty agree's. I couldn't have done it without him.
Sooty should have been a fluffy soft teddy bear, due to the way he loves cuddling in.
Cats are meant to be strangers in your own home, unlovable, selfish creatures, or so I've heard. Not ask for cuddles like a puppy!
I do have photo evidence of course. I also have another cat called Tipsy. That's another story.




Obviously Sooty has his very own book underway, and he is a cat in that one, but I must get this series of magic owls out first, before starting another project.
The books have been written and edited and are waiting patiently for me to put the final touches to the illustrations and format it all to e-book form. About the illustrations, that was the easy part! The hard part was after. I love art and drawing. I used to make my own cards and scrapbooks, so I thought it would all be so exciting to do.
But I didn't realise how much time and effort goes into it all. Deciding on what pictures to use. How would I colour the backgrounds? would they be left pencil sketches?  Maybe the odd one, but mainly coloured with water paints or pencils, what about brilliant art pens? So a combination then? I couldn't decide at the time, then when I did I would change my mind, then change it back!
 How would I get it onto the computer and adapt it to the size and again colour I was after?
So many decisions and I didn't want to spoil it by rushing. Sometimes I left it for days and with a clean head went back to it, as you do when you write a book or a chapter. When you read it again you see it with new eyes.
I did love the time when the children drew owls in the baltic museum in Newcastle and then pinned then up on the board, that was great fun. So plenty of photo's taken that day.
Then I became aware the place had gone mad with owls. These crazy owls, you will see them everywhere you go now. I got a text to say -'What have you done? the world has gone owl mad!'
'Don't be silly' I said until I came across the newest range in wilkinsons and every other shop I go into!  Not real ones I might add,no,the stuffed variety.Not the real stuffed variety, the plush stuffed! Well you know what I mean.
It is true though, when you are focused on a subject you see it everywhere you go! If it was elephants, then that is what you would find in the isles at asda. If it was pigs, well you get the picture :)

So I am at the stage now where I am being asked when is the book ready to go out?
November I say!
I am still fiddling with my errors.
Today the printer broke, on the same week the boiler died on us, and the stair carpet man didn't come on the day he said he was going to. (The only day I had off work)  instead he came knocking at the door today just as I was in a mad rush out the door going to work.
I need more time! But I have wrote a blog about that, so will just leave time alone. I wish It would do the same for me, from time to time anyway.

Enjoy My cat pictures.

Chocolate has an evergreen Mother and a cocoa Father

Chocolate has an evergreen Mother and a cocoa Father

What could I possibly blog about today that could enhance your day?
I might start a blog about ~Why is it that there are no 'nice' roses in a roses tin anymore?  
 (we are talking chocolate here)
 Gone are the days of the real chocolate boxes, you remember the ones with tassles on the edge of a swanky satin covered box. I don't remember ever buying a box like this, but I do remember my Mother keeping some useful items in it long after the last liquid centred cherry one vanished. 



I did however go out to buy a box of Black Magic last Christmas, for old time's sake, and was horrified to see how all the chocolates have changed beyond recognition! They may still all be covered in dark chocolate, but I'm telling you that's where the similarities end. 
How dare they get rid of the liquid cherry ones! But when I posted this on facebook last year, I was even more horrified to discover that the liquid cherry ones had long gone. That was the only reason I bought them, and the only reason I used to love looking into a Black Magic box every christmas when I was young. Am I out of touch or are Nestle? 
They also got rid of Mingles as well! Who are advising these businesses! 
Bring back Mingles and bring back Liquid cherry Black Magic! 



Charlie and the Chocolate project.

When talking to children at school about chocolate, and reading them Charlie and the chocolate factory, (of course) which was a lovely chocolatey  introduction before going onto learning about  cocoa beans. Class 6 were asked to write something about chocolate, did they like it? What was their favourite chocolate etc.
 One lovely picture showed a lovely brown splodge with the title, 'I love chocolate, but not nutters.'
Another lovely child wrote, 'People all over the world love chocolate, they have enjoyed it forever, and maybe even longer.' 

I never forgot those little gems. 

Once onto the cacao pods in the classroom we talked about how they got here.  
Teacher- 'Columbus took some chocolate beans to Europe in 1502, and then he did something he had never done before, what do you think that could be'? 
Teacher looks around to find a willing child with their hands stretched high. Nods at one child. 
Child-'He died.' 

I suppose cacao trees are only interesting if you happen to be interested in them. 


It has only took me several minutes to write this so it's going up now before I forget or fall asleep, no doubt to be added to tomorrow morning! 

Quickly writes 'Chocolate' at the top of my to do list..
At least I know I'm going to get something ticked off tomorrow.. Yawns

You will always find an Owl and a cat in every room

Updated 01/09/2014

No-one was allowed to read any of my 'writings,' right up until last year (2013).  

It wasn't because I hadn't written much, because I had. Plenty on little scraps of paper floating around, to be found at the bottom of any cupboard, drawer, or wardrobe. Plenty of half started novels, poems, and 'ideas' on several notepads were also abundant. These were even going back to the days when you had no choice but to write on notepads made of paper instead of techy notepads.

 (I still prefer this today).

  You just sort of write something when the inspiration takes you, you think the world should know, then you put it down- (because the dog upset the cat, or the cat runs away, and hides in your neighbours bedroom thinking it has got another cushy pad to lie low) or something of this nature. (That actually happened BTW)  and you want to go back to it, but then all the other jobs get in the way. 

Then! 

Then you get more ideas. Idea's are what we need as writers, so that's good, but what happens is you get a fresh piece of paper for your fresh new idea, and then that new idea gets stored away until the time comes for you to sort them out and then there is this huge pile of them! Now where do you start? Well this is what happened to me. Where do I start?

I will start here. My name is Karen Emma Hall, and years ago I thought I knew what I wanted to write about. We write about what we know right? So I was going to be the next Catherine Cookson, I don't live to far from her stomping ground so that was a good start. My life story up to now would be a best seller, if I could get it finished..

 So that was what I started on, just like many other budding writers, 'My Life Story' only vaguely interesting to me and my brood (because I insisted and encouraged them to read it.) 

Then I gave up on that nonsense, all papers went to the bottom of the pile, at the bottom of any hidey-hole along with all the 'ideas which had been growing on a weekly basis.

I concentrated on my family, looked after children in school's and the elderly in homes. 

I helped support art cllasses for the reception age children at primary school and also listened to children read. I later found I could tell a story, and not only that but they loved them, they even giggled at the way I told them. In fact.. hold on, was I getting another idea here?

My first lot of children's stories grew from one magic name -Phoenix. 

Phoenix the owl was a rescue owl and my children loved him. The star of my books was the little baby to Mrs Phoenix and I named him Teeny Pheeny.

I also love art and crafts and while spending time and even starting a shop on etsy, I found some awesome owl art by an amazing lady called Annya Kai Annya Kai on Etsy . So I started collecting owls, and sketching and drawing them. 

                                     Annya Kai

I felt if I could entertain my biggest critics (my little ones, with little attention span at the time) and my Father, who always corrects grammar and spellings with a disapproving frown (He is not called Grumpy Grandad for nothing) then I'm onto a winner! He loved them, not only that but he could see them as if they were real, these little characters I had created, he could picture them as if on the TV he said.

 So this inspired me to bring them to life for you and your children. They are almost born, I am breathing life into them right now as you read this, from the very first pencil stroke and I love each and every character! I hope you do too. Little did I know they would end up turning into a real book, the way Pinnochio did when he turned into a real boy. Today we are still playing the waiting game in order for the series of children books to actually be in print. Oh to have your own book in your hand, fresh from your publishers, and I can't wait. You will here about it here first Author Karen Emma Hall with Hello Teeny Pheeny

And just as much surprising was how the 'kid literature' social media sites took off at a gallop,  Kid literature at Twitter and KidLiterature on facebook  media. I sort of hit on an idea, but more than that, I followed it up with a huge passion that will not quit. 

 It was amazing how I met some fine folk who joined together to form some of the admin from the 'kid Literature' team. We have many content contributors, who we help support, but the main person I would like to mention is a truly lovely lady from across the pond, Carmela Dutra (we met in Westminister, in  London at the Sherlock Holmes Museum , how romantic!) Carmela  is the author of the children's book Lorenzo the Bear. It was amazing meeting Carmela and her family. We had such a good time, we met the following day also and walked around London Bridge taking photographs (Carmela is also a photographer) We all really enjoyed our time so much I will be going out to California next year. 

  Then I have the amazing Steve Conoboy,  my editor and all round everything. (I am going to drag him to California! he may as well, he was dragged around London) 

The adorable Cat Michaels, who is author to the wonderful endearing book Finding Fuzzy, she is now  admin and blogger with the Kid Literature group and she loves Harry Potter as much as my daughter. 

Kid literature is now on pinterest. You must love owls and cats and art to follow us. We do many links from author advice and inspiration to raising readers advice as well, plus 50 more boards for your enjoyment and interest, but the owl art is nobodys business! :D

I have owls and cats in every room. Not real owls I hasten to add. Plenty of arty ones, sculptures, photos, lights,ceramics, wood, some you will find on my pinterest boards. Although the rate we are going with cats we may have a real one in every room before long. I have a new kitten, and he has a blog all to himself, on another of my blog posts Incoming blog~ Tonto the Kitten comes to stay

pinterest took off for KidLiterature in August 2014

My Tonto cat helping me with some work. 

A suspicious owl that has had more than 60 pins in several days (not quite sure why) See if you can find him on the owl board in the pinterest. 

We also have our new website coming very soon just in the nik of time for Autumn to start. 

My personal page   and Me on Twitter  for you to follow 

I hope to retweet you Later good Folk