My Recent Chat with the Canvas Rebel

In September 2024, I connected with an online magazine called CANVAS REBEL, and I have shared our conversation below. The mission of the CR is to create a space for artists, creatives and entrepreneurs to be able to learn from their peers through the magic and power of storytelling. It was a fun interview, and I hope you enjoy reading it. It’s copied below, but you can also find it here with this LINK: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-cathey-nickell/

CR: Cathey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

CATHEY: I’m a children’s book author, and my two picture books are “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car†and “Yazzy’s Amazing Yarn.†Many authors, myself included, go into elementary schools and speak to students about writing, reading, and inspiration as part of our promotional work and overall mission. I diverge from the industry standard by bringing a real ART CAR along for the students to see, touch, and experience! In case you don’t know what an art car is, they are vehicles that have had their appearance imaginatively modified as an act of personal artistic expression. You might turn your car into a hippo or zebra; you might glue fake fur all over it; or maybe you’d like to cover it in painted dragonflies, paisleys, or bumblebees. I live in Houston, Texas, and we are considered the “art car capital of the world,†as evidenced by our having more art cars (estimated at 60 or more) than any other city. We also have an annual art car parade that attracts over 200 vehicles from around the country. These mobile works of art are what inspired my first picture book, “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,†and I love introducing them to kids.

A fun fact is that art cars are not only driven in the parade; most are owned by daily drivers, which means it’s their only means of transportation—every day, everywhere they go, year-round. When I launched my book, I didn’t initially think about inviting an art car to join me at my appearances and school visits. I had an “aha moment†one day, however, and the rest is history. The Houston art car community has embraced my story with enthusiasm and continues to be supportive of my message for young readers. At my author visits, the children hear me speak first, where I give a fun presentation about writing, publishing, and creativity; then they go outside and see a decorated art car and can ask the driver questions as well. It’s a truly interactive school Author Visit!

CR: Awesome. So, before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

CATHEY: A few decades ago, way back in 1998, I moved from Louisiana to Texas, and it was the first time I’d lived in a city as large and diverse as Houston. Driving around our busy roads, I’d occasionally spot a decorated vehicle that seemed different, unique, or out of the ordinary. I think the first one I saw was a Volkswagen van covered in psychedelic colors with painted portraits of The Beatles; another early sighting was a car with plastic green Army men glued all over it. I asked around and learned that I’d had an art car sighting, and my interest in these whimsical creations grew from there. One day, out of the blue, I had an idea to write a kid’s book about a man who decides to create an art car and makes friends along the way. I’ve always been a writer, therefore, I tend to express myself creatively through words on a page; so, while I could’ve built my own actual art car, I instead wrote a story about it for children.

My background as a journalist and public relations professional gave me the experience and tools to know how to proceed, and I decided to self-publish “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car.†I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and I learned a lot by attending their in-person conferences, taking online workshops, and reading their industry magazines. As a sole proprietor, I started my own publishing company and named it Twenty-Eight Creative. In case you’re wondering, 28 is a playful nod to my last name—Nickel(l) is the 28th element on the chemistry periodic table. And no, I’m certainly not a chemist, but a lot of ingredients must come together in the creative process! I do my own writing, but I hire out the work I need help with, such as illustration, graphic design, and copy editing.

When my book launched in 2016, I knew I needed to find an avenue to sell copies that would go beyond indie bookstores, small gift shops, and Amazon. Through research, I discovered that many authors of children’s literature speak at elementary schools, and I knew this could provide another avenue for sales. I developed a presentation called “Amazing Book Ideas,†and I hit the pavement. Well, I actually hit the keyboard, because I started out by emailing school librarians and delivering a pitch. I soon booked my first talk, and I guess I did a good job, because that librarian recommended me to another school, and my public speaking took off from there. Three years later, in 2019, I published a second book, “Yazzy’s Amazing Yarn,†and the popularity of my school author visits has continued to grow. To date, I’ve been invited to more than 150 schools to speak to students. I average about twenty gigs per year, and schools pay me a speaker fee plus circulate a book pre-order form to parents and teachers, which gives me a path for book sales. And while I do enjoy selling books, I mostly love meeting children in person, and I’m hopefully inspiring them to someday write their own stories. That’s the real reward: encouraging young readers and writers.

As for my “brand,†that developed over time during my first few years as a published author. When I launched my book, I knew I would need a quick, fun way to autograph it. Because of the title and theme of Arthur Zarr (who, by the way, is a made-up character), I decided to sign everything with these two words: Be Amazing! One day, during a book signing at a small-town Texas public library, a girl who was probably around ten years old bought my book, and I autographed it with my usual flare. As she walked away from my table, I overheard her whisper to her best friend, “Oh my gosh, she signed it, ‘be amazing’.†Seeing the joy on her face, triggered by a few simple words on my part, brought it all together for me. In that moment, I knew my brand was based on the phrase, “Be Amazing!†And that’s my message to kids: You’re amazing, and you have an amazing mind, so go out there and do as many creative things as possible.

CR: Can you open up about how you funded your business?

CATHEY: My husband, Kevin, and I have a saying, or a mantra: Invest in yourself. For Kevin, who is a doctor, this might mean, for example, purchasing stocks in the field that he knows and understands best: science and medicine. Or, he might invest in a startup that has a new development in his particular niche of urology.

For me as a writer, “invest in yourself†means advancing my creative ideas. When I decided to create and publish my own children’s book, it meant making an investment in my idea . . . in myself. To write a book, you actually don’t need a lot of equipment. You could start with a pen and paper; an old-fashioned typewriter; a voice recorder; an app on your cell phone; or a laptop computer or tablet. I decided to go for the lightweight Mac Air, so that purchase was my first step in investing in myself.

Once you’ve written a story, whether it be a short picture book or a long novel, there are many ways to publish your creation. To break it down into an easy explanation, the two “main†ways are to either pursue a traditional publishing route (which requires getting a literary agent to sign you on) or an indie route (the DIY version of publishing). Since my first book had a local/regional appeal in Houston due to its art car theme, I felt self-publishing (DIY!) would be my best path. As such, I pulled the initial funds I needed from my personal savings, and I invested in myself!

I hired a copy editor to proofread my story. I hired a professional illustrator to draw the pictures and bring my words to life. I hired a printing company to print and bind my books, which were then shipped directly to me. I paid for marketing materials: bookmarks, flyers, and posters. And then, I started selling. It took a few months to sell enough books to hit my break-even point and earn back that investment; eventually, I had sold out of my initial supply and needed a second printing of “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Carâ€; I also produced a second book, “Yazzy’s Amazing Yarn.†It was a risk that paid off for me. I invested in myself.

CR: What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

CATHEY: I love to write. Letters turn into words; the words create sentences; those sentences become paragraphs. I know it sounds rather basic, but when it all comes together, it feels like magic to me. When I go into schools and see the children’s eager faces sitting in the audience, I know WHY I am a writer. Some of the students are often holding their own “books†(homemade, wrinkled, stapled-together pages) that they can’t wait to show me. I’m thrilled every time I hear a child say, “You’ve inspired me to go home and write a story.â€

That’s been my mission from the beginning. In fact, I wrote this down when I drew up an early business plan at the start of my venture: My mission is to develop books and other artistic products as a way to entertain, inspire and delight children of all ages, with an emphasis on wholesome, high quality, one-of-a-kind originality. That’s it. Pretty straightforward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.catheynickell.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catheynickell
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catheynickellauthor

I was featured in the IBPA Member Spotlight

Hi all! I’ve been a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for several years, and the online magazine recently featured me in their Member Spotlight. I’ll post the Aug. 6, 2024 interview, by journalist Adeline Lui, here! Thank you, IBPA for a wonderful article.

ART CARS + SCHOOL VISITS = A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS AS A SCHOOL SPEAKER

IBPA member Cathey Nickell is an author-publisher who’s also found success as a paid speaker in her home state of Texas, having earned the nickname “The Art Car Lady†and repeat invitations to speak at schools about creative writing and about her book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car.

She has presented at over 100 elementary schools, bookstores, and children’s museums, and each event comes with the opportunity to sell her books. Key to her popularity and uniqueness is that she brings a real art car with her to each of her talks. IBPA sat down with Cathey to tell us what is an art car, and share her tips on booking speaking engagements, speaker fees, and selling through schools.

IBPA: What was your inspiration to write your book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car? And oh, what is an art car by the way?

Cathey: Art cars are vehicles that have had their appearance imaginatively modified as an act of personal artistic expression. You might turn your car into a hippo or zebra; you might glue fake fur all over it; or maybe you’d like to cover it in painted dragonflies, paisleys, or bumblebees! I live in Houston, Texas, and we are considered the “art car capital of the world,” as evidenced by our having more art cars, estimated at 60 or more, than any other city. We also have an annual art car parade that attracts over 200 vehicles from around the country. These mobile works of art are what inspired my first picture book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. A fun fact is that art cars are not only driven in the parade; most are owned by daily drivers, which means it’s their only means of transportation—every day, everywhere they go, year-round.

IBPA: Cathey, you’ve told us that when approaching schools, it’s good to have a “hook.†And yours happens to be an art car…!

Cathey: When I launched my book, I didn’t initially think about inviting an art car to join me at my appearances and school visits. I had an “aha moment†one day, however, and the rest is history. The Houston art car community has embraced my story with enthusiasm and continues to be supportive of my message for kids. At my author visits, the children hear me speak first, where I give a fun presentation about writing, publishing, and creativity; then they go outside and see, touch, feel, experience a decorated art car and can ask the driver questions as well.

IBPA: You make 20-plus school visits each year. What do you speak about in your presentation, titled “Amazing Book Ideas. Where do They Come From?”?

Cathey: My book is about creativity, outsider art, thinking outside the box, and turning the ordinary into extraordinary. I give students ideas about how they can come up with their own stories, writing tips, messages about creating a full story arc, along with “insider secrets†about my book. Hint: my dog is illustrated on some of the pages. And, of course, I show them photos of art cars to pique their interest. The teachers and staff—and even the principals—seem to have fun too, because art cars bring out the child in all of us. My local moniker as the “Art Car Lady†makes me laugh a bit, because I don’t even own an art car myself. Not yet, anyway!

IBPA: What else accompanies your author visits?

Cathey: When I schedule a visit with a school, one of the first things I do is ask them to circulate my book pre-order form. They’re usually happy and willing to do this, and it allows parents to purchase an autographed and personalized book for their child. I also offer to pre-work with the school’s art teacher, giving them ideas as to how to incorporate my book’s theme into their art curriculum. I email teachers a few line art drawings of plain cars so that students can use their imagination to design their own inventive art cars. And finally, I order bookmarks in bulk from an online vendor, and I bring each child a free one, whether they order a book or not. In each situation, I try to give the school any help they need in advance, so that together we can deliver a successful author visit.

IBPA: Can you share some tips about author fees. How do you know if, or what, to ask?

Cathey: First of all, I believe authors should be paid to speak about their craft. We give our personal time and expertise, and a lot of work goes into each appearance. I’ll admit, I was initially nervous to give a public presentation and ask to be paid. A librarian friend encouraged me, however, and I visited her school at no charge as a way to practice my speaking skills and learn the ropes. After that first visit, I was hooked, and I started booking paid visits from that point on. As for what amount to charge, I asked a few school librarians and other author friends what the “going rate†was. I got a wide variety of answers: ranging from $250 to $1,200…or more! I decided to set my rates low at first, and as I gained experience, I raised them to where they are now, which is somewhere in the middle of the range I mentioned. The way I ask is … to just ask! I mention my fees up front in the very first email contact I make with the school so that they never feel misled or confused. By the way, I highly recommend joining a very helpful, private Facebook group called “Create Engaging School Visits.â€

IBPA: You’ve published another book titled Yazzy’s Amazing Yarn. What’s next for you?

Cathey: I am proud of my two self-published picture books, but I also have a personal goal of trying to enter the traditional publishing world. I’m now writing fiction middle-grade novels, which are for children ages eight to 12. I’ve completed one called A Night Without Light, and that manuscript helped me sign with my agent, Keely Boeving of WordServe Literary. So far, that first novel is still out on submission, but if we are unable to find a publisher for it, I might go the indie route again. Also, I’ve drafted another middle-grade novel with the working title of Ghost Zoo; I hope to have that one in my agent’s hands by the end of summer, and she’ll then take it out on submission as well. Whatever publication route ends up working best for me, I want to continue to stretch my imagination and improve my craft.

IBPA: Thank you so much Cathey for sharing your great advice with IBPA’s members. All the best to you!

About the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA): Founded in 1983 to support independent publishers nationwide, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) leads and serves the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. With over 3,500 members, IBPA is the largest publishing association in the U.S. Its vision is a world where every independent publisher has the access, knowledge, and tools needed to professionally engage in all aspects of an inclusive publishing industry. For more information, visit ibpa-online.org.

FINDING IMOGENE by Teri Case: New Novel Launch!

Since releasing my own children’s picture books in 2016 and 2019, I’ve had the privilege of helping several writer friends get their books out into the world as well. Today, I’m excited to announce the launch for Teri Case’s newest novel, “Finding Imogene.” Order any time, but if you order a copy on Amazon today (Sunday Jan. 7), it will help her algorithms quite a bit, and algorithms are the name of the game in getting the most mileage possible in terms of marketing and advertising. It’ll pop up on Barnes & Noble pretty soon, and a large-print version is also about to become available. Here’s a link to make buying easy: https://a.co/d/5qxiRbU

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Frances Jerome has been tormented by the disappearance of her childhood best friend, Imogene, for decades. Despite her best efforts, Frances hasn’t built honest or intimate relationships with anyone since, including her son and daughter, and she’ll never forgive her father for the role he played in Imogene’s disappearance. Worst of all, she blames herself for turning her back on her best friend when she needed her most. After 43 years of remission, Frances’s cancer returns with a vengeance, and she knows she doesn’t deserve to rest in peace until Imogene can too. Frances enlists the help of her daughter Jean, who is struggling with her identity as a mother and a wife, and Griffin, a burned-out private detective whose father was haunted by this case before his death. Together, they try to find Imogene before Frances’s time runs out. But will finding Imogene offer the answers, justice, and peace they each long for? Or will the truth expose far more than they can imagine?

So, how did I get involved in Teri’s most recent book launch? Well, many years ago, I was in a Mastermind group, hosted by Dan Blank. It was a community of like-minded writers—a place for us to exchange ideas, inspire each other, and offer support through our writing journeys. In that group, I was fortunate to virtually “meet” Teri Case, and the rest is history! We initially bonded (still virtually) over a shared love of writing books, and, over time, we began to trust one another as beta readers, advisers, and critique partners. She became one of my best friends, and we never run out of things to say. The funny thing is, we didn’t meet face-to-face for many years! In fact, we’ve only seen each other in person one time since becoming friends in 2016. I’ll share a photo from that 2023 meeting, as it was a really fun in-person get-together in California. I was at a writer’s conference, and she just happened to be visiting relatives in the area, so we met up; we shut the restaurant down (seriously, the waiter kicked us out!), and we could’ve talked all night. I guess that’s the power of the internet, phone calls, texts, e-mails, social media, FaceTime, and Zoom meetings—because that’s the only way we had communicated up until our October visit on the West Coast.

But back to business … Teri’s newest novel, Finding Imogene, would make a great gift for your avid-reader friends and yourself. It would also be a fantastic suggestion for your Book Club(s) that you might be a part of; as a domestic suspense novel, it offers many talking points, conversations and questions about family dysfunction, family dynamics, and keeping secrets. Here’s the blurb I wrote about “Finding Imogene,” which is printed on the back of the book (And yes, I do feel famous!): “A can’t-put-it-down story of a missing girl, a fractured family, and one woman’s quest to unravel a lifetime of secrets before it’s too late.“

By the way, Teri has two other novels that I love just as much as “Finding Imogene.” They are called “Tiger Drive” and “In the Doghouse,” so if you’re looking for a lot of new reading material, try those out as well. Tell your friends, because word of mouth means everything, and it will help so much in Teri’s book sales. You can also go online and find your local library to suggest it as a book purchase for their shelves. Or ask your favorite indie bookstore to stock it; they’re always looking for ideas about what to sell. If you like the book, write a review on Amazon after you read it; post about it on your social media sites. Authors, like Teri and I, appreciate everything you do to help us out in these ways.

Thank you for taking time to read this newsletter! I don’t send out very many (hey, aren’t you glad?!), but when I do, it’s because it feels like something important enough to share. As for me, my literary agent, Keely Boeving, is still trying to sell my middle-grade children’s novel for kids ages 8-12; it’s called A NIGHT WITHOUT LIGHT, and I hope it enters the world someday. I’m also drafting a new novel called GHOST ZOO (working title), and I hope to be sending it to Keely in a few months. My writing life is busy, and I continue to do Author Visits at elementary schools where I speak to students about writing, publishing, creativity, and inspiration. What’s really fun about my presentations is that I always invite a real art car to come along; the students hear me speak, and then they go outside to experience the very thing that inspired my first story, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. So, if you know a school who would be interested, please send them my way; they can reach me through the Contact tab on this website or email me at catheynickell AT gmail DOT com.

Have a wonderful day and continue to Be Amazing! And don’t forget to order Finding Imogene by Teri Case!

That’s Right, I’m Sixty.

Holy Moly, I’ve just celebrated sixty trips around the sun! And … um … I’m not sure how I feel about it. I mean, thirty was flirty; and forty was “the new twenty,” right? Fifty was pretty nifty. But 60? Sixty is mixty … giving me mixed emotions, that is. (I made “mixty” up, but it fits. Feel free to use my new word!)

A lot happened over the last couple of years. There was the Covid chaos, and we all know how awful that felt. But some good things came about too: I finished a middle grade novel, and I became agented by Keely Boeving of WordServe Literary. She and I went out on submission with the novel, and we’re in the process of looking for a publishing home for my manuscript—fingers crossed. Then, my husband and I spent a full year renovating our home that we’ve lived in for over twenty years. And I threw myself a fun birthday party for several close friends.

For a birthday gift, my husband Kevin surprised me with a bottle of 1963 port wine. It has aged as long as I have, except it lived most of its life fermenting inside an oak wood cask. (I’m hoping to stay out of all wooden caskets for a few more decades, lol). I read my new wine bottle’s description online as follows: A pale tawny wine; an assortment of spices combining into a tuned symphony; full-bodied; a long delicious aftertaste. Honestly? That sounds a bit like ME! Pale, spicy, full-bodied … and if I’m your friend, I’ll stick around for a really long time. 😉

There are more words that struck me. “Fresh and surprisingly clean and youthful for its age,” the description reads. Youthful for its age? Hey, I’ll take that explanation! Continuing, “It lingers nicely”—well, so do I! And, “Sexy yet ultimately crisp”—yes and yes, me too (well, my hubby thinks so?). All jokes aside, here’s something even cooler: “The 1963 Colheita Port is an old vines field blend bottled in 2014.” That phrase made me remember what I was doing in 2014, when my birthday bottle of wine was coming out of an old oak cask, finally being bottled into its perfect glass home. That’s the exact year that I came up with the idea for my first children’s picture book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. (The wine and I were doing some special work that year!)

Some of you remember the story. I don’t drive an art car myself, but the concept came to me one morning during rush hour while driving my then-teenage son to school. I used to keep the back of my old SUV covered with various bumper stickers. I joked with my son, Will, that I needed to be a polite driver and obey the laws of the road because my car is so incredibly recognizable. He laughed at me, insisting that no one ever notices me and certainly not my car. During the drive, Will’s comment got me pondering what else—besides bumper stickers—might make a car memorable? That question triggered me to think about art cars, and by the time I finished my morning carpool, the concept for the picture book was born.

I went on to publish Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car, followed by a second picture book, Yazzy’s Amazing Yarn. Those two books have offered me the opportunity to speak to students at over 100 schools (and counting) about writing, publishing, inspiration and creativity. Additionally, I always invite a REAL art car to accompany me, which brings the publishing process—from inspiration to an actual hardcover book—full circle for the children. What began in 2014 as just a little seed turned into my passion business; similar to when my birthday wine left its oak cask, gradually becoming a delicious port wine over the years.

I don’t know when Kevin and I will uncork that pale, tawny 1963 port. I don’t know when (or if) my middle grade novel will be published. But I do know one thing—fine wine takes many years of “mixty-ness” to reach its full potential. So maybe sixty is a little bit mixty for me, too, but I think I’m okay with that.

~ Be Amazing!

All About Branding with iWrite Youth

This week – Thursday, Feb. 24, 7:30 pm CST – I’ll be talking via virtual Zoom about branding with a wonderful group of students in the iWRITE Youth Club. iWRITE is a nonprofit organization with the mission of building student confidence through writing. Their vision is that through writing, students become more creative and confident, which can open doors to new opportunities. Since 2009, iWRITE has developed curriculums that support the literacy journey of students throughout the Houston community, and one of my dearest friends, Sheri Jacobs, works on the iWRITE team.

Students in grades 6-12+ can log into my presentation with a quick $5 signup by going to this link https://iwrite.org/product/all-about-branding/. Adults can sign up as well. Tell your friends… the more the merrier!

Presentation Preview: Your brand is the personality of your business/company; you are telling a story to the public about what you are offering. Now, I’m not saying I’m an A-plus expert at every facet of branding, but my background in marketing gives me a leg up. I’ve also had some modest success at pulling my own personal brand together, and I am excited to share my thoughts and experiences. I’ll tell you about the Three E’s, Three V’s, Three C’s, and Three D’s of branding—which is something I made up to make it easy to remember.

I’m honored to be joining iWRITE as one of their workshop presenters. You can support this worthwhile organization by signing up for the class OR by donating to iWRITE here https://iwrite-donate.funraise.org/. I hope you will!

I’m baa-ack!

After some 20 months, I am finally back to doing school author visits—well, at recent two schools anyway! It feels so good to be doing what I love again following this loooooong Covid-19 shutdown that resulted in the cancellation of my in-person school visits—as well as those of all my author friends. But last week I was invited to speak at Westwood Elementary in Friendswood, Texas … and I also traveled 240 miles to Shreveport, Louisiana (my hometown) for a presentation at Southfield School.

Art car driver Elizabeth Smiley accompanied me both times with her purple furry creation named Penelope. Thank you, Elizabeth, for tagging along and always bringing “miles of smiles” to the children. It’s such a great way for them to see the full circle of creating a book, from inspiration to writing to publication. We even got featured in The Shreveport Times!

Below are a few highlights from these recent school visits. I think the photos speak for themselves, so I’ll leave you with this: THANK YOU FOR HOSTING US! I believe it’s so important for children to meet authors in person. It makes the writing/publication process and the authors themselves accessible and real to the students. And when—after hearing my presentation—they get to see and touch a real art car, it’s magical to see their eyes light up.

If you are a teacher or librarian and would like to invite me to your school, please reach out through social media and/or the “Contact” tab on my website. You can also email me: catheynickell AT gmail DOT com. Please follow me on Instagram or Twitter @catheynickell (I always try to follow back!) and find me on Facebook too. I’d love to meet you and come to your school whenever you feel it’s safe & timely. XO Be Amazing!

Joint interview with my agent

Kidlit Creatives is a private Facebook group that offers wonderful support for children’s book writers and illustrators. The Kidlit Creatives Team is currently made up of Manju Howard and Gabrielle Copeland Schoeffield, and I’m excited to be featured today, along with my literary agent, Keely Boeving of WordServe Literary. Thank you, Manju, for the lovely opportunity to talk about my latest project.

To read the full interview on Manju’s blog, go to this link: https://www.authormanjuhoward.com/post/joint-interview-author-cathey-nickell-and-agent-keely-boeving?fbclid=IwAR3wpE6gBb-S89JEQCxcLXy44jxCMlmAdBaTYG_CG5OGevdRYmWSNUkeuMs

In the interview, Keely and I talk about my unpublished middle grade novel. We are currently out on submission with a batch of editors, and my fingers are crossed that we get an offer of publication. I know it’s a long shot, but I’m trying to stay positive! My story focuses on a specific environmental cause with a unique premise. I interviewed numerous experts on the subject, read books, watched documentaries, and I’ve enjoyed learning how we can all work together to make small changes at home that could create big results for our planet. It’s a fun story for ages 8-12 that I hope to someday see on bookshelves.

My agent, Keely, says she fell in love with my manuscript because of the voice. She explains in her interview on Kidlit Creatives: “The main character, Bee, is so full of energy and enthusiasm that I knew I wanted to stick with her and see where this story went. It also has a really unique STEM angle that I hadn’t seen explored in a middle grade novel before, so I was intrigued. Once I started reading, I fell in love with Bee and her family—especially her sweet relationship with her grandfather—and I knew I wanted to represent this one.” Thank you, Keely, for championing my work … I could not do this without you!

Here’s a little bit about Keely. She began her career in New York working as an assistant editor at Oxford University Press before moving back to her home state of Colorado in 2014. She now lives in Denver with her husband and their boy/girl twins. Keely represents adult nonfiction books in the areas of health and wellness, business, parenting and family life, social justice, and books for the Christian market. In the children’s market, she represents middle grade, picture books, and the occasional YA novel; she loves stories that feature characters who are quirky and complex, and books that allow children to see themselves in the pages, perhaps for the first time. You can find out more about her at https://www.keelyboeving.com/ and find her on Twitter @KeelyBoeving.

And here’s a peek at Manju Howard and her blog. Manju is a children’s book author whose stories and poetry connect children with endangered animals as well as backyard creatures. When Manju was a preschooler in New Jersey, her mom supplied her with pencils, crayons, and three-foot rolls of white paper from the local newspaper. It was Manju’s job to fill that paper with storytelling pictures. Now she lives in Indiana with her husband, two teenagers and two forever puppies (Calvin and Cara). She writes stories about creatures from faraway lands and doodles in the margins. Find her here https://www.authormanjuhoward.com/ and on Twitter @ManjuBeth.

If you’re a writer or illustrator, please check out Kidlit Creatives on Facebook. It’s a closed Facebook group, so you must ask to join, and you’ll be prompted to answer three questions. It’s a terrific team, chocked full of interviews, helpful links, and fantastic feedback. Again, thank you for the interview, Manju.

XOXO BE AMAZING!

Guess what? I got an agent!

I’m super-duper-triple-axel-back-flip-cartwheel happy to announce that I officially signed with a literary agent today!

My agent—(oooh, I love sound of that!)—is Keely Boeving, and she has been with WordServe Literary since 2016. Keely is always looking for new voices and ideas, and, like me, she believes that books change lives. After receiving her B.A. in English from the University of Virginia, she went on to attend the Denver Publishing Institute and then began her career in New York working in the editorial department at Oxford University Press, where she acquired books for the trade history list. She moved back to Colorado in 2014 and began her own freelance editorial company before joining WordServe. She lives in Denver with her husband and their twins. You can find out more about her editorial work at https://www.keelyboeving.com/ and follow her on Twitter @KeelyBoeving (here’s a direct link to her account: https://twitter.com/KeelyBoeving).

I suppose my path to finding an agent started back with my two self-published picture books, which I launched in 2016 and 2019. My indie experience with those books has been wonderful: I’ve done at least 100 author visits, met new friends/writers/illustrators/librarians, and expanded upon a long-time writing career that began right after college when I was a newspaper reporter. I’ve learned so much and wouldn’t change a thing, but through it all, I developed a desire to try to enter the world of traditional publishing. One day, a fun story idea zapped into my brain, and I started writing it as a children’s middle grade novel (for ages 8-12).

I got really serious about this manuscript in January 2020; then, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I hunkered down at home and spent more time than ever on my laptop. I’d start early and would often write for 8-10 hours a day. During this time, I also worked with a book coach, Jen Braaksma. She kept me accountable on completing the finished draft, and by June, I joyfully typed “The End”! If you need a writing guide who will sit on your shoulder, whispering Jiminy-Cricket-like advice, please check her out at https://www.jenbraaksma.com/ … Jen is fantastic! My next step was to send my story out to several beta readers—individuals who review finished manuscripts before they’re published, providing the author with feedback from a reader’s point of view. I poured over their suggested edits, and I revised and revised (and revised!!) the draft a gazillion times, until I finally felt ready.

My first query letter went out to the vast, intimidating “Land o’ Agents” around the end of July 2020. And, of course, not just that one email, but many, many more. I was walloped with a lot of canned rejections, but I also got some requests! Woohoo! See, the thing novelists are looking for when we query an agent is a request from them to read the full manuscript. A query usually includes a cover letter and anywhere from 5-25 pages, depending on what each particular agent wants. I received a large handful of requests from agents wanting to read the full, so I quickly sent them off … and waited. Querying is definitely a test of patience, so I buckled up and prepared as best I could to enjoy the ride.

Fast forward to today—April 12, 2021—when I signed a contract with Keely. What an amazing day … you know, that magical Cinderella kind of moment when the Fairy Godmother appears. I’m glad we found each other. 🙂

Whatever your goals are, never give up. That sounds a bit cliché, I guess, but it’s true. There were times during this eight-month process of seeking representation that I wanted to quit. The rejections were sometimes tough to take (I was hit with far too many of those soul-sucking “no’s”!). One example of particular heartbreak occurred earlier this year … I thought I was close to getting a person I felt could be my “dream agent,” only to have her eventually pass; she was so nice and explained it had been a difficult decision for her, but the disappointment I felt was heavy. Although, you know what? Sometimes on the way to a dream, we get rerouted and find an even better one. For me, that meant joining Team Keely and WordServe Literary. I’m so grateful!

Now the hard part really starts! Next step: Find a publisher. Wish us luck!

BE AMAZING!

Holiday shopping made easy!

The holidays are right around the corner. Can you believe it? This difficult year of 2020 is almost at a close, and I’m hoping and praying for only goodness and grace to cover all of us in the upcoming year. And guess what? I’m finally getting into the holiday shopping mood. Are you? If so, I have some creative ideas to share.

(1) This 2020 Gift Guide was made possible by Katie Carlisle Gonzales, someone I’ve “met” (well, virtually anyway!) through a Facebook group called Moms and Ladies of Southwest Houston. There, we share tips and network with our neighbors. Katie had the idea to create a holiday shopping guide, and I was lucky enough to make the deadline and be included. The guide includes links to over 30 businesses, offering a wide variety of shopping items that you might not think of or know about otherwise. Check out the link here >>> https://bit.ly/34OY1qO

(2) Do you love books? Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could read the first chapter of a novel before you purchased it? Well, my friend Teri Case has made that possible with “Great Beginnings: An Anthology.” More than 30 authors—myself included!—have joined together to share the first chapters of their books for free, especially for you. We hope you find new authors and books to add to your must-read pile, and who knows, maybe you’ll even find gift ideas for your friends and family. Here’s a link that will walk you through the easy process of downloading the free e-book >>> https://BookHip.com/NMLQAW

(3) How about an open-air outdoor holiday shopping market? I’ll be one of about 30 vendors at the 16th Annual Heights Holiday Market from 10am-4 pm, Saturday December 5th, at The Church at 1548 Heights Blvd. I’m going to be autographing and personalizing my two children’s books: Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car and Yazzy’s Amazing Yarn. Meanwhile, my friend Bonnie Blue will bring her “Women That Rock” artcar/van, and she’ll be selling her hand-painted driftwood Santas (and more). Such a fun photo op for the kids! You’ll also find a coffee truck, a taco vendor, and so many amazing one-of-a-kind gift ideas, so please join us if you’re in the Houston area. Masks are required for both vendors and visitors. #houstonheightsholidaymarket

(4) I’m also in another online Holiday Gift Guide, thanks to Lone Star Literary Life, a wonderful organization that helps readers find stories and helps Texas authors find their ideal audiences. Owner and publisher Kristine Hall has put together a Holiday Gift Guide, and I’m in it! You can find my two books and so many other children’s books here >>> https://www.lonestarliterary.com/content/2020-hgg-books-young-readers … and if you go to the Lone Star Literary Life website, Kristine has put together some other gift guides for fiction and non-fiction adult books as well (go to the LSLL website and look under the “Features” tab).

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and the merriest of holidays in whatever way you celebrate, if you do. And, as we shop and buy and—as best we are able—find ways to safely fellowship together, let’s also remember those less fortunate. I’m trying to be mindful of the people whose lives have taken a turn, friends who’ve lost their jobs, that person who might be home alone this year, and those who are working so hard but not quite getting ahead. Every year at Christmas-time, I choose a charity or a specific family to support, and I hope you will consider doing the same if you are able.

BE AMAZING!

Butterflies Mixed with Cartwheels

When you get an email from a writer who’s with the Los Angeles office of the SCBWI, you sit up and pay attention. If you don’t already know, SCBWI stands for Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. It’s the only professional organization specifically created for individuals who write and illustrate for children and young adults. And, it’s international too, with nearly 100 chapters around the world: https://www.scbwi.org/

But… back to ME! I was asked to be interviewed for the SCBWI Pro-Insider newsletter and when I first read the email request, I paused with a “Wait, what?” kind of feeling. I was nervous (butterflies) and excited (cartwheels). I mean, it goes out to about 10,000-plus members! How did they even hear about me and my two indie books, I wondered? Laurie Miller, SCBWI’s event coordinator and writer-at-large in LA, explained that one of the regional chapter advisors referred me. In July, I had spoken via Zoom at the SCBWI Ohio Central-South chapter meeting, delivering a talk called “How to Hustle: Tips from a Self-Published Author.” (So, thank you Kathryn Powers & Leigh Lewis for singing my praises!)

I hope you enjoy the SCBWI Pro-Insider article. Here’s a LINK to read it: https://www.scbwi.org/finding-and-working-with-an-illustrator-when-self-publishing-a-picture-book/

Thank you, SCBWI for giving me the opportunity to talk about the path I took in hiring professional illustrators for my two picture books. I adore Bill Megenhardt’s hand-illustrated cross-hatch drawings that brought ARTHUR ZARR’S AMAZING ART CAR to life. And the original watercolors that Emily Calimlim did for YAZZY’S AMAZING YARN are so bright and beautiful. I will always be grateful to Bill and Emily for joining me in this book adventure. And like I say in the article: Always Pay Your Creative Professionals A Fair Rate That Acknowledges Their Value! You’re missing out if you’re not already following these two on Instagram… Bill is @megenhardtstudio, and Emily is @limlimillustration.

Also check out Kathryn Powers’ website here; she’s the regional advisor who referred me around SCBWI as a potential speaker: https://www.kspowers.com/ She’s a writer and illustrator, to name just a few of the hats she wears. And follow my friend Leigh Lewis on Twitter @leighwriting. I appreciate their support of my endeavors.

If you’d like me to speak (virtually for the time being!)—about writing, publishing, creativity and inspiration—at your school, library, meeting, organization, etc., please reach out by sending me an email through the CONTACT tab on my website: https://www.catheynickell.com/contact/

I’d love to hear from you!

Be Amazing!

Writing a Novel During a Pandemic

 

On Leap Year weekend this past February, I had no way to predict that it would be my last time to hang out face-to-face with my family for a long while. We were all in Baton Rouge, celebrating my nephew’s wedding. Stephen’s last name—Knight—set the tone for the evening with an “Oh, What a Knight” theme, based on the 1975 Four Seasons hit, “December 1963/Oh, What a Night.” And indeed, it was a fantastic night (aka/Knight).

I mean, how does one plan an outdoor wedding and pull it off without a hitch? Stephen and Paige did just that. The weather was gorgeous, not a cloud in the sky, and an acoustic guitar player set a natural mood for the breezy ceremony. We ate Louisiana cuisine—yum!—and danced all night (aka/Knight) to the Groove Factor Band. [By the way, hire them if you are planning a wedding or event… they’re amazing!]

It was a beautiful weekend, watching this young couple start their lives and future together. We all hugged and said our goodbyes, and my husband and I returned to Houston. Within the next few days and weeks, news of the coronavirus pandemic began ramping up. Sure, I had heard way back in January that it was declared a global health emergency, but I was still feeling safely insulated in Texas. In mid-February, for instance, the virus was given a name, Covid-19, but I wasn’t worried yet. Ignorance is bliss, as the poet Thomas Gray wrote.

By the end of March, however, stock markets had plunged, U.S. schools and businesses shuttered their doors, and stay-home directives were in place. New terminology like “social distancing” and “flatten the curve” and “relief bill” and “Zoom meetings” and “are you essential?” would become the norm. But back on that gorgeous Southern evening of February 29^th, the Grahams and Knights and other wedding friends were leap-year dancing. Mask-free, glove-free… FREE. Before all the international debates began—should we close down, should we not, and what the heck is Sweden doing???—we were dancing our hearts out. Oh, what a night (aka/Knight).

I came home from the wedding with a renewed dream and goal: finish my novel. It’s a middle-grade story that I got the inkling of an idea for in early 2018, or maybe even sooner. The details percolated in my brain for months, until I finally put pen to paper towards the end of the year… well, fingers to keyboard. Middle Grade (not to be mistaken with middle schoolers) is the name of a children’s literature genre for kids ages 8-12. Some people loosely call them chapter books, but that’s actually the name of yet another genre. Not confusing at all, right? HA!

My MG novel’s working title includes the word “Night”—which is kind of coincidentally cool, considering the awesome night theme I’ve got going here (aka/Knight). I’m not ready to publicly reveal the premise or theme of the story just yet, but I’m very excited about it. I wrote about a third of the novel during those early months, but then life got in the way, causing me to set it aside for way too long. I attended a fantastic small-group writer’s conference in September 2019, called Better Books, set at the beautiful EarthRise Retreat Center in Petaluma California. There, I received critical feedback on my very-rough draft from professional agents and fellow writers, and I flew back to Houston with a fervor to finish my novel. I knew I needed accountability, so, through a company called Author Accelerator, I hired a writing coach to help guide my plot and scenes and to push me on my deadlines. Thank you, Jen Braaskma for being the best writing coach I could ever hope for; and thank you, Jennie Nash, for having the vision to create Author Accelerator. You are both amazing.

When people were asked to self-isolate for the greater good, I decided to make my time at home count. I set up a makeshift office in my dining room—the one spot where I can best see people walking and biking along my beautiful tree-lined street. And I started writing. Writing. Writing. Writing. For me, it’s an urge I can’t escape… a muse who never leaves me… an inexhaustible source of magic. (Not to sound dramatic, lol!) And so, there I found myself, every day, at my laptop writing during a pandemic.

Fingers crossed, I should finish this manuscript in June. Then, I’ll show it to my critique partners and beta readers… as well as to my hubby, best friends and close family (simply because I enjoy hearing their biased praise about how awesome I am—they love me far too much to be purely objective). After that, I’ll likely send it off to a particular editor who, at that conference in Petaluma, asked to see it upon completion. [Dream Big!]

Like so many, I haven’t hugged my parents in well over two months, preferring instead to visit in front-yard chairs spaced six feet apart. I haven’t had a haircut, haven’t eaten with friends at a restaurant, and haven’t bought groceries without a healthy dollop of hand-sanitizer at the ready. And like you, I’ve worried ad nauseam about the millions of Americans who filed for unemployment, about bankrupted businesses, about all the children, about our leaders, about our front-line healthcare professionals, and about the death toll. I’ve struggled with a daily mental ping-pong tournament as to what I personally believe to be the right course of action.

But despite everything, I feel accomplished. I’ll have something to show for this emotionally heavy period in history… the time in my life that the world shut down.

The words to that happy, vibrant song keep echoing in my mind and heart:

 

 

Oh, what a night

Why’d it take so long to see the light?

Seemed so wrong, but now it seems so right

… Sweet surrender, what a night (aka/Knight).

BE AMAZING!

I’m Grateful For My Opportunities

This Thanksgiving season, I’ve been thinking about what I’m grateful for. Like many, I would put HEALTH at the top of the list. Not just my own health (which is pretty good, knock on wood), but also that of my large family. My mother had a rather serious health issue this year, as did my youngest sister; thankfully, they have both navigated the road to recovery and are doing fine. My father—at age 82—has a full-time career running a non-profit organization, does part-time ministry volunteer work, and is also working on a PhD in mind-body medicine. Talk about good health … WOW! Dad is truly the energizer bunny! The rest of my family is healthy, too, as are my four children and my husband. I’m grateful.

Beyond health, I’m grateful for OPPORTUNITIES. I’ve always been a writer. Every job I’ve ever had throughout my career has been as a writer: newspaper journalist, magazine contributor, public relations professional, etc. About seven years ago, I relaunched my writing career when I was hired to research and write the 60-year history of the Institute for Spirituality and Health in Houston’s Texas Medical Center. The result was Uniting Faith, Medicine and Healthcare, a nonfiction book that ISH uses as a communications and development tool. The book also became the foundation of my thesis project, earning me a Master of Arts from LSU-Shreveport in 2013. You can read more about the Institute and their mission here: https://www.spiritualityandhealth.org/

That freelance job for the Institute opened up my mind to different writing styles, and I bubbled with ideas for children’s books. I launched my first book for kids—Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car—in 2016, and the following year, it was awarded first place by the Texas Association of Authors in the category of Picture Books. My story even inspired the Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum to create a permanent art car exhibit. Many OPPORTUNITIES opened up for me, and I became an elementary school speaker. I’ve now presented at more than 70 schools, spreading my artsy message about reading, writing and creativity to thousands of children. I also met dozens of creative individuals who enjoy the art car lifestyle; they join me at my school visits, bringing smiles wherever they go.

My second picture book, Yazzy’s Amazing Yarn, launched in August 2019 and is a playful story about a girl who “yarn bombs” her neighborhood park. It was named a finalist in the 2019 Best Book Awards by the American Book Fest in the category of children’s hardcover fiction picture books. The contest yielded over 2,000 entries from mainstream and independent publishers, which were then narrowed down to some 400 winners and finalists. Reader’s Favorite gave YAZZY a coveted top five-star review. Also, my illustrator, Emily Calimlim, won a diversity scholarship at the SCBWI-Houston conference this year and was named Most Promising Portfolio for 2019. I feel lucky to be in Emily’s talented sphere! Check out the winner and other finalists in my category for the 2019 BEST BOOK AWARD here: http://www.americanbookfest.com/childrensbooks/picturebookfiction.html

“Yazzy’s Amazing Yarn is a yarn-tastic story that will motivate young readers to be creative and bring color into all aspects of their lives.” — READERS’ FAVORITE FIVE-STAR REVIEW

Other writing OPPORTUNITIES this year include:

• In June, I was recognized as a finalist in the Writer’s League of Texas 2019 Manuscript Contest for a middle grade work-in-progress;
• In November, I attended the 2019 Better Books writing workshop in Petaluma, California, which gave me the chance to meet agents, editors, and other talented authors;
• In October, I had a productive weekend at the SCBWI-North Texas Novel Retreat in Waxahachie, Texas, allowing me to get one-on-one advice from an agent;
• At the September SCBWI-Houston annual conference, I received critiques from some top editors in the kid-lit world, which improved my work-in-progress;
• My local writer’s critique group added some new members, creating lasting friendships and valuable feedback on my current manuscript.

Right now, I’m trying to carve out time to write. I’ve garnered some publication interest in a middle grade novel I’m writing, so my goal is to complete it by early 2020. I’ll keep you posted on my efforts!

Meanwhile … what are you thankful for? And remember to BE AMAZING!

P.S. I can’t close this newsletter without patting my friend TERI CASE on the back! She WON in the Fiction Cross-Genre category in the American Book Fest 2019 Best Book Awards for her novel: In the Doghouse: A Couple’s Breakup from Their Dog’s Point of View. This book makes a fun holiday gift or book club read! You can learn more about Teri and her books here: http://www.tericase.com/

Yazzy’s Amazing Yarn: We have a launch!

When I discovered yarn bombing a few years ago, the idea grabbed me so much that it inspired a children’s book. Fast forward to today … and YAZZY’S AMAZING YARN has hit the shelves! Yarn bombing is a craze that you may (or may not!) have heard of in which knitters and crocheters decorate everyday outdoor objects with their soft and fuzzy creations. For example, you might see a telephone pole wrapped in yarn or a statue wearing a playful, knitted cap. I guess outsider art—which is art produced by self-taught artists who are not part of the mainstream artistic establishment—is something that draws me in. Isn’t it cool? I must think so, because this is my second children’s book that focuses on this kind of outside-the-box artistic endeavor.

My first outsider-art-type book, ARTHUR ZARR’S AMAZING ART CAR, won First Place for Children’s Picture Books-All Ages in 2017, from the Texas Association of Authors. It also was a winner in the 10th Annual National Indie Excellence Award competition for Picture Books-Ages 4 to 8; and it was a finalist for Book Cover Design, also from the NIEA that same year. It’s about a man who builds an art car and makes friends along the way. I was inspired by the art cars I see around Houston and at my city’s annual Art Car Parade (hosted by The Orange Show). The book, which is illustrated by Bill Megenhardt, sold so well that I’m now in my second printing of sweet Arthur’s whimsical story.

But let’s get back to YAZZY’S AMAZING YARN. The story is about a creative girl who loves yarn and loves to knit. Her mother taught her the craft, and then Yazzy goes on to teach her two best friends—Kayla and Isabel. Yazzy’s neighborhood park is dull and rusty, but she has a grand plan. The three friends transform Penny Park into a fuzzy rainbow of warmth and color. Visitors to the vibrant playground love it more than ever! The story ends by asking: What yarn-tastic idea will Yazzy think of next? My illustrator, Emily Calimlim, brought it all to life with her beautiful watercolor images, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

So much has happened since the book released this month in August 2019. First of all, the reviews! I’m getting the most wonderful feedback from readers, and I appreciate every single mention. One really cute reviewer wrote: “This book has definitely inspired my crafty daughter to create some yarn bombing of her own. It would make a great birthday present to accompany a knitting kit.” And I need more reviews! So, if you don’t mind posting one on Amazon, I would really appreciate it. It’s easy, and I can explain how: Log into your personal Amazon account, search for my book, click on it, scroll down until you see “Write a Customer Review” in a box, choose a certain number of stars, and then write something. Voila! It’s fairly simple and helps me so much. Even a short review is beneficial, because it’s all based on the number of reviews, not on the length of each one.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• I’m currently part of a virtual book blogging tour with Lone Star Literary Life! So you might be seeing posts about my book, including a drawing for a free autographed book. I’m giving three away! Google the LSLL website to find out more.
• I’ll be signing books from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Saturday, September 14, at the Texas Word Wrangler Book Festival, 276 N Orange Street, Giddings, Texas. Open to the public so drop by if you’re in the area.
• I’ll be signing books from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, Saturday, October 12, at the Galveston Book Festival, 5600 Seawall Blvd. Open to the public so please stop by if it’s a beach day for you and your family.
• I’ll be signing books from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, Saturday, October 19, at Tomfoolery Toys and Books, 4844 Beechnut Street in Houston (in the Meyer Park Shopping Center across from Meyerland Plaza). Please come out to this fun event that is open to the public!
• I’ll be doing quite a few school author visits, which even includes a bit of travel outside of Houston.

I hope you will take a minute to check out YAZZY’S AMAZING YARN. It’s been so much fun to write, create, and now … to launch! Follow me on Instagram (@catheynickell) and Facebook. Thank you for all your support and remember to …

BE AMAZING! xoxo

Happy Drops of Validation

In the deep sea of rejection that writing often brings, it sure is nice to get a bit of occasional validation. I’ve been querying literary agents; I’ve received nibbles here and there, a few requests, but no official bites yet. No contract. So, imagine my surprise when I received an email last week saying I was a finalist in a writing contest.

I entered my unpublished work-in-progress, A Night Without Light, in the Writers’ League of Texas 2019 Manuscript Contest, and I was named one of the finalists in the middle grade category. Congratulations to the tip-top winner in our section, Jennifer Voigt Kaplan of New Jersey, and to the other three finalists! As part of this win, I’ll get a special ribbon on my badge noting me as a MG finalist at the WLT Agents and Editors Conference. That’s right … you heard me … RIBBON POWER! I shall wield a heavy ribbon-esque sword this summer, and I can’t wait.

Middle Grade is a genre of writing for children ages 8-12, and as Buddy the Elf would say, “It’s my favorite!” It can be tricky to write because there is such a wide range of reading and maturity levels in this age group. Adolescence is hovering in their future, but they still have an adorable innocence that makes these books so fun to write. The WLT manuscript win doesn’t mean my story will be published — not by a long shot — but it’s a small step in the right direction.

One of my Houston critique partners refers to these kind of honors as “multipliers” — i.e., accolades that help open doors. I love that term (thanks, Sylvia!), and I plan to seek out more such gate passages! And speaking of my critique group, we’ve begun to overflow with validation. Two of my partners were recently signed by agents and another received an R&R, which means an agent asked her to revise and resubmit her manuscript. The support we give each other is priceless, and I’m so grateful to my team (you know who you are).

The drops of validation sometimes take the form of a big bucket! Take it from my author publisher friend, Teri Case. She was named the GOLD winner in the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award in the Popular Fiction category for her breakout novel, Tiger Drive. Quite validating when you consider that Tiger Drive was initially rejected by a few agents; Teri rewrote the book some thirteen times before it became a reality. It must be “lucky 13” because I love the story which is based on a family full of secrets and four people who want to matter.

Teri is prolific! She launched her second novel, In the Doghouse: A Couple’s Breakup from Their Dog’s Point of View, on April 16, 2019. A big turnabout from her first novel, this one is based on a dog named Skip and how he helps his master (Lucy) navigate heartbreak as a pack. In the fall, Teri will have the first book of a “cozy†mystery series available with co-author, Lisa Manterfield, and her third book, Imogene, will be released in 2020.

I love a quote from Teri, who sums up this sense of affirmation so wisely: “Every day, over 1,000 self-published books are added to Amazon and mostly from people who aren’t career authors, who aren’t concerned about quality writing or appreciating the value of a reader’s precious time and money. I have to fight the stereotypes that everyday self-publishers create. Winning the Gold Benjamin Franklin Award for ‘excellence in content and design’ has been validating because it recognizes that I am a career author. And the award sends a signal to readers, librarians, and booksellers that I can rise above the noise and will continue to do so.”

Pay attention to your drops of validation, however they might arrive.

And don’t forget to BE AMAZING!

New, New, New – Lots of NEWS!

I’m excited to announce the upcoming launch of my NEW children’s picture book, Yazzy’s Amazing Yarn.

My First Podcast! Thank you, Dan Blank!

Celebrating my fiftieth school visit in October was a milestone that made me want to do cartwheels (if I still can?). I wrote a fun blog about it that you can READ HERE, and it was an amazing feeling to treat the school, Ridgemont Elementary of Houston, to a number of surprises that I had up my sleeve.

One surprise that I did not plan for or expect to receive was a PODCAST! After I posted a photo of myself holding two large gold FIVE-O balloons on Instagram, I almost immediately received a text from Dan Blank. He said he was fascinated that although my children’s book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car, came out awhile ago (in 2016), he was impressed that I’d done such a good job of making it relevant. Of showing up. Of forging meaningful connections around it. WOW! That made my day! Dan then asked what I had learned along the way and what value I had realized from it. We chatted, and he said he’d like to feature me on his podcast.

Our interview is titled “Keeping a Book Alive (and selling thousands of copies) Two Years After Lauch” … and I love how it turned out. Hopefully you will, too. Here is a LINK  to listen. It’s about 34 minutes long, so grab a cup of coffee and a cookie before you click play. 😉

Let me rewind a bit to tell you who Dan is, in case you don’t know. Dan Blank is the founder of WE GROW MEDIA, and he helps writers and creative professionals share their stories and connect with their audience. He has collaborated with thousands of people via consulting, workshops, and courses. Additionally, he’s worked with amazing organizations such as Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, Sesame Workshop, Workman Publishing, J. Walter Thompson, Abrams Books, Writers House, The Kenyon Review, Writer’s Digest, Library Journal, and many others.

Dan also facilitates the Creative Shift Mastermind, which I was fortunate enough to participate in twice. When you sign up for his Mastermind course, you join Dan and approximately ten other writers to find more time to create, hone your creative process, reach readers, and get accountability. The next session begins January 1, 2019, and you can sign up for it HERE!

Pick up your own copy of BE THE GATEWAY by Dan Blank. I loved this book!

Finally, Dan is the author of BE THE GATEWAY: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience. It’s available on Amazon, and HERE IS A LINK TO BUY IT. If you prefer Barnes & Noble, you can FOLLOW THIS LINK and order a copy. I purchased the book as soon as it came out, and several nuggets of wisdom jumped out at me. Like this, where Dan writes: “Be the gateway. Instead of framing the value of your work by how it performs in the market, you define it by how other people experience the world through your creative work—the stories and experiences you share, and the topics you talk about.” AND this statement resonated with me, too: “Reframe success so it isn’t about seeking validation from massive audiences, but rather how you reach one person.”

I also appreciate Dan’s suggestion that to find success, creative professionals must hone in on what matters more than anything else. Find the core part of what matters to you most. Don’t seek quick validation. Think about what you would fight to NOT lose. Dan continues:

“This is why millions of ‘clever ideas’ sit on hard drives, in the bottom of someone’s desk drawer and in the back of someone’s mind, never seeing the light of day. It is the reason why when someone has a huge smash hit with an idea, thousands of others say, ‘I thought of that years ago.’ Why did this one person succeed? Because they believed in it more. It was more core to their personal narrative of what mattered, and where they could devote their time, energy, and money. The person who succeeded waded through risk long after you would have said, ‘This is crazy … I’m not wading any further into this.'”

I talk about this very thing in Dan’s podcast. About how when I got the idea to write Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car, it was a dream that grabbed me. A creative passion that I didn’t let go of—not for a minute—until I was holding the beautiful book in my hands. And since art often imitates life (or maybe, according to Oscar Wilde, it’s the other way around), my fictional character, Arthur Zarr, did the same thing. He didn’t know he was going to build an art car that day when he first glued an acorn to the front of his vehicle. It was just a snippet of an idea. An idea as small as the very acorn itself. But that idea grew and grew into an amazing art car, and as a result, Arthur made friends and found his community—his tribe—along the way. Here’s a quick link to buy ARTHUR ZARR’S AMAZING ART CAR.

My children’s picture book was released in 2016 and is still thriving!

And like my imaginary Arthur Zarr, I’ve found my tribe, too. Amazing friends I met through Dan’s Creative Shift Mastermind—Teri Case, Lisa Sinicki, Amanda Toler Woodward, Rupert Davies-Cooke, and Brian Joyner. People I met online or in person through various writing groups—Ellen Leventhal, Noelle Shawa, Rachel Kosoy, Ellen Rothberg, Lynn Abrams, Allison Zapata, and Shelley Kinder. Those I met in the trenches of book creation—Bill Megenhardt, Emily Calimlim, Paige Duke, Sheri Jacobs, Scott Sinnet, and Mackie Bushong. The many teachers and librarians who have supported me by inviting me to speak at their schools. Old friends I’ve known for years who share my passion for books and writing—Laura Holman-Byrne, Mary Ann Van Osdell, Pat and John Graham (Hi, Mom & Dad!), and so many others. And of course, I can’t forget ALL my fantastic new art car friends!

What are you passionate about? What creative push are you focused on today? Whatever it is … Be Amazing!

Fifty (school visits) is Nifty!

What better way to mark the day than with gold balloons?

Milestone alert! I recently celebrated my FIFTIETH school author visit! I’ve delivered my presentation so many times, I can practically do it in my sleep. Nevertheless, every visit feels fun and special. There’s always something new and different that comes up, which means no two visits are ever alike.

Take, for example, that one student who asked, “Why don’t you have a body guard since you’re supposedly so famous?” And the time an honest child informed me that I look older in person than I do in my poster’s marketing photo. Oh, and the really bold kid who wanted me to sign his forehead!

Those are some funny examples, but there are tender moments, too. “I can’t wait to go home and write a book” is a frequent and favorite comment I receive at most every school visit. The girls often tell me they love my necklace (it’s a little blue car charm) or that they love my dog (Cricket is featured in my presentation). I’ve even had some sad comments, like when a child comes up to tell me that he/she doesn’t have a mother (that has happened) or that their father passed away (that has happened, too). When that occurs, I know to just give the child a big hug. Silly, sweet, or sad—I cherish all of these experiences.

Dragonfly Whimzee and Penelope helped me celebrate my 50th school visit!

Reaching my 50th school visit felt important, so I decided to ring it in with STYLE! Houston’s amazing Ridgemont Elementary School in Fort Bend ISD was the school that happened to be my special fiftieth, and I invited not one but TWO art cars. Art car driver Elizabeth Burnham brought her purple furry “Penelope,” and Jada August brought her new painted art car called “Dragonfly Whimzee.” The kids LOVED them!

Jessica Edwards WON the door prize!

A girl at Ridgemont Elementary couldn’t wait to show me her leggings! CRICKET!

I also created a huge gift basket as a door prize (something I’ve never before done for a school visit). I filled it with numerous autographed books, candles, artwork, trinkets and chocolate—I mean, who doesn’t like chocolate? P.E. Coach Jessica Edwards was the lucky winner, and she made my day when she said, “Omg, I never win anything! Thank you!” Then she quickly took off to lock it up in her office for safekeeping, lol!

A roadrunner art car by Bill Megenhardt.

And finally, I gifted the school with an oversized custom drawing by my amazing illustrator, Bill Megenhardt. He drew Ridgemont’s roadrunner as he thought it might look in an art car parade! The students, faculty and staff went crazy for Bill’s creative rendition, which will forever hang in their library.

My 50th school visit at Ridgemont was a good day, and it reminded me of comedienne Molly Shannon as the infamous Sally O’Malley on Saturday Night Live: “I’m fifty! And I like to kick, stretch and kick! I’m fifty!” And that’s how I really feel … kicking my heels up (literally) each time I book another school visit … and streeeeeeetching myself to get outside of my comfort zone.

I can’t wait until the day that I get to post about my 100th school visit … stay tuned! And I hope you all keep kicking & stretching along with me.

~ Be amazing!

Wrangling Words and Authors!

The Texas Word Wrangler Festival, benefiting the Giddings Public Library and Cultural Center.

It’s never easy to travel out of town for a school or book engagement. I have to consider mileage/gas costs, hotel rates, meals, and other logistics. But when I was invited to feature my children’s book at the 13th Annual Texas Word Wrangler Festival—benefiting the Giddings Public Library and Cultural Center—I had to say YES! This resulted in a two-hour drive, a two-night stay … and a lot of fun. Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car loves a good road trip!

Author Jonathan Oliver poses with staff members of the Giddings Public Library.

The first stop was an author visit where I spoke to third graders at Giddings Elementary School. I gave four presentations back-to-back, and after the last talk the teachers said they were having so much fun they didn’t want to leave! So, I stayed a bit longer, answering the many hilarious questions that the students had for me. It was AMAZING!

Thank you for the beautiful drawings and artwork, St. Paul Serbin students!

My second school visit took me to a beautiful facility with the most gorgeous cemetery nestled in a secluded, rural area. There, I gave two presentations for K-5th graders at St. Paul Serbin Lutheran School, and the kindergartners presented me with a stack of colorful, beautiful artwork. I love receiving handmade drawings such as this, and I’ll keep them forever.

The next day was full of book sales at the library. School after school poured through the doors as students were brought by the busload for field trips to meet the authors. The children lined up for autographs, bookmarks and books. I signed one girl’s book and wrote “Be Amazing!”—as I always do—and she nudged her friend, whispering, “Can you beeee-lieeeeve it? She wrote ‘Be Amazing’ in my book!” My feet were aching but my heart was full!

“A Little Bit of Nonsense” was there!

This year, it was Alan Bourgeois’s idea to add a new Saturday event to the festival, complete with food trucks, snow cones, cotton candy, kiddie train rides, a jumpy-bouncy house, and MORE book sales. Alan is founder of the Texas Association of Authors and is a long-time supporter of the Texas Word Wrangler Festival; his efforts helped the library create what we all hope will be a new Saturday tradition. I invited Randy Blair to bring his art car, “A Little Bit of Nonsense,” to the festival, allowing visitors to see and touch a REAL art car up close. Randy and his car were a hit!

One of the best results of this weekend event was rubbing elbows with the other featured authors. I met so many smart, creative professionals, and it was wonderful to exchange ideas and knowledge. It was an amazing weekend full of irreplaceable moments, and I’m glad I was welcomed and honored by the warmth of the people of Giddings, Texas.

Cick here to see the WORD WRANGLER festival website.

Below I’ll post as many photos as I can of these talented writers who were in attendance with me.

Kat Kronenberg of Austin, Texas is author of “Dream Big,” and her next book “Love Big” will arrive soon.

Here I am with Harry Capers of Sugar Land, Texas, author and illustrator of the “Dino Buddies” series of children’s books.

Andrew Fairchild of Texas City, Texas is an award-winning author of many children’s books.

Kathleen Shields wowed the children with her “Hamilton Troll” series and other books, too.

Jonathan Oliver (shown here with his mom) is a stay-at-home father and author of “Joy In the Journey.”

P.G. Shriver is author of the “Sally The Travelin’ Saddle” series and many more books.

Mystery writer Kathryn Lane spoke to 100+ students in Giddings, Texas.

Carolyn Stovall is author of the award-winning cookbook, “A Texas Gal Cooks” (I bought a copy myself!), and “Granny Ozark’s Treats.”

Angela Castillo and Jamie Foley are co-authors of the “Busy Moms Guide To” series as well as middle grade and young adult books of their own.

Amazing Author #1: TERI CASE

My friend, Teri Case

Picking up on an fun idea that I’ve seen on other websites, I decided to start a periodic column on my blog called the “Amazing Authors Series.” I didn’t even have to ponder who I would feature first—I knew. TERI CASE is a witty, smart, talented writer I met in an online Mastermind course in 2016. After chatting through that Slack group for awhile, we eventually became friends beyond the course. I’ve never met Teri in person, but not for a lack of trying. We planned to meet for a cup of coffee last year when I was visiting New York with my family (Teri lives a train ride away from where I was staying); alas, an unexpected blizzard prevented her from traveling to the Big Apple. Maybe next time!

Teri and I share texts, emails and the occasional phone call to bounce ideas off each other and discuss our various book projects. I’ve served as a beta reader on two of her novels; she has done the same for me. It’s invaluable to have a colleague who enjoys brainstorming (ad nauseam, lol) about the same topics that I like. I highly recommend you find a Teri Case ♡ if you don’t already have one! Read her interview below, and perhaps you’ll order a copy of her moving, raw, powerful, debut novel Tiger Drive. It’s a wonderful vacation read; I couldn’t put it down! It’s also recommended for book clubs, and Teri will Skype into your book club, schedules permitting.

Tiger Drive is available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Q: What genre of books do you write?

• Literary Fiction

Q: Do you write anything besides books?

I write a (mostly) weekly newsletter called Vitality Stories where I share a variety of stories, experiences, Dear Me letters, and updates on my current projects.

Q: What did you like to read as a child?

• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder;
• My dad’s True Crime Magazines (I wish I were kidding);
• I’m not sure if schools still do this, but when I was in elementary school, we’d get a Scholastic order form each month to order books (and kitten or puppy posters). I always got to buy a book to read. I wish I could remember all the titles;
• I loved Choose Your Own Adventure books, too.

Q: What jobs have you had?

• I was the youngest assistant manager ever at Round Table Pizza in high school;
• I witnessed weddings for the Justice of the Peace in Carson City, Nevada, for four years, three Saturdays a month. I made $5 per wedding (and the judge always bought me lunch);
• I worked as a cocktail waitress for one summer to catch up on bills—the hardest job I’ve ever had to be sure;
• I held a variety of secretarial jobs at the University of Nevada, Reno, both as a student worker and as a full-time employee after I graduated;
• I once assisted a CFO at a luggage and leather goods company. The owner was paranoid, so our office was in a warehouse with no windows because the owner was afraid of snipers and assassins;
• I was a credit manager for an outdoor apparel company;
• I was a c-level executive assistant in the biotech industry for decades;
• And now, I’m an author!

Q: Is writing your full-time job or part-time passion? In other words, do you have a day job?

Writing has been a full-time job for the past four years (though I’m hard pressed to prove my productivity looking back on it—you’d think I’d have four books published by now. Egad!).

Q: How long have you been a writer?

I wrote my first book in the third grade. It was about a Native American boy named Andy who had a pear-shaped head. All the kids picked on him for the shape of his head. I wrote my second book thirty-two years ago. I was fifteen, and it was a teen romance. I entered it in a contest with Seventeen magazine. I punched three holes in the margin and bound it with light blue yarn. I didn’t win.

Q: Do you have an agent? Do you think it is important to have one?

I do not have an agent because it’s not important for me to have one. I think whether or not an author needs an agent is a highly subjective decision and influenced by the individual’s goals, capabilities, and resources, as well as the specific project.

Q: Did you publish through the traditional route or self-publish? Any thoughts you’d like to share about this?

I chose to self-publish Tiger Drive based on my goals, capabilities, and resources. I have no regrets. In fact, I am going to self-publish my second book, In the Doghouse, as well.

Tiger Drive comes in two different cover choices. So, I bought both! Decisions, decisions.

Q: What can you tell me about your most recent book or project?

Tiger Drive is about four members in a white trash family trying to break the mindset and habits of generations to change their futures and to prove they matter (February 2018 release). I’m super proud of the novel and some of the reviews have made me cry happy tears.

I’m currently editing my second novel, In the Doghouse, but I’m not ready to share the premise yet. I’m afraid someone will beat me to the idea (laughs out loud, maniacally). People usually respond to this fear with, “Only you can write the story your way.†But sometimes a story’s premise is different enough that it would be a challenge to have more than one book out at a time with the same premise, and that’s how I feel about my latest project. But I promise to share more as soon as possible.

Q: Now’s your chance to brag a little … anything you want to add?

Writing Tiger Drive inspired the Tiger Drive Scholarship for high school students who want to reach, learn, and grow beyond their familiar environment by pursuing a college education. So far, eight scholarships have been awarded and a few of the recipients made the Dean’s List their first year in college.  [Cathey’s Note: I love contributing to Teri’s scholarship program. Here’s some information about donating.]

Q: What advice do you have for other writers?

Dear Writers:

To break a writing rule and use a worn-out cliché, there is no time like the present. In fact, there is no time except the present. Sit your butt down, turn on a timer for twenty minutes each day, and write.

Love,

Teri

Q: Do you have any pets?

I currently don’t have any pets because my partner and I travel (and move) a lot, and I’d hate to leave them behind. Growing up, I had a dog, Marie, who lived to be thirteen; she died just six months after my father passed away. As an adult, I had a wonderful Labrador-mix, Kimo, for thirteen years. I lost him in a breakup, and in hindsight, losing him was the hardest part about the breakup. But it was the right choice and he lived four more very happy years without me.

Q: Would you mind giving us the LINKS to your social media? 

https://www.tericase.com

Instagram: @TeriLCase

Facebook: TeriCase_Author

Twitter: @tericase_author

Will the REAL Mr. Newland Please Stand Up?

If you’re near my age (55), you probably watched that television game show, TO TELL THE TRUTH, which aired from about 1956 to 1978. On the show, four celebrity panelists were presented with three contestants. The challenge was to identify which contestant accurately matched up with the unusual occupation or experience that was read aloud by the host. Two challengers were lying; one was telling the truth. At the end, the legitimate person stood up.

A recent experience has had me thinking about that show all week. It started with an idea that’s been buzzing around in my brain for a middle grade book—you know, lots of chapters, aimed at readers age 8-12. I’ve already written the first book in what I hope might turn into a children’s series, and I secretly refer to it as The Bee Book (not the real title). I’m currently querying agents with that manuscript in hopes of getting on the path to publication. I’ll blog about the query experience later!

I’m now working on an outline so that I can draft what I’ll call Bee Book Two. The second book is going to require a good bit of research because it covers a scientific topic that’s outside my area of expertise. I needed to interview someone who specializes in astronomy, and I remembered my son took that class last year at his high school. I emailed Will’s former teacher—Jimmy Newland—and asked if I could talk to him in person about a potential book idea. He was happy to help, and we set up an appointment. Mr. Newland asked me to show up at a specific time, on a specific day, and told me he was in Room 186 of the school’s science wing.

Punctual as ever, I showed up, walked into the classroom, smiled. I think I even waved at him, chirping, “Hello!†The teacher replied, “Hi!†I explained, “I’m Will Nickell’s mom.†He said, “Cool, give me five minutes. I just need to start these kids on a makeup test.†I waited until he was free, and he then said, “So what’s up? What can I do for you?†I proceeded to tell him about my book idea, and he got animated. “This is good,†he said, “and it’s definitely a real-world plausible story idea. This could work!†I was excited by HIS excitement. It was contagious. He gave me lots of ideas, pointers, and recommendations. I took notes. I thanked him for his help and left.

Feeling pumped about the experience, I texted my son: “Hey! I just met Mr. Newland and he loved my book idea. He was so helpful!â€

After a while Will texted me back: “When did you see him?â€

ME: “Today! He was great! And he gave me so much info!â€

WILL: “Umm, I just went by to say hello to Mr. Newland. He said you were a no-show.â€

ME (annoyed): “Nope, I was there. He was great! So helpful!â€

WILL: “When? Today? Where did you go? What room?â€

ME (exasperated): “No worries. Let’s just talk after school.â€

When I picked Will up from school, he peppered me with questions. “Exactly which guy did you talk to, Mom?†I went through the details again, explaining that I met Mr. Newland in Room 186, he loved my idea, blah-blah-blah. Not letting it drop, Will said, “Mom, did he have on a red shirt? Because Mr. Newland is wearing a red shirt today.†Confused, I admitted that the man I had spoken to wore a blue sweater. Not red.

This was NOT the REAL Mr. Newland!

Will (laughing at me) Googled a photo of Mr. Newland, and turned his phone screen toward me: “Is THIS who you talked to today? Because THIS is actually Mr. Newland.†Alas, it was not. I wasn’t sure who I had interviewed! I quickly opened my laptop and emailed Mr. Newland: “I was there today, but apparently I met with some random teacher who was not you. But he was very helpful and knew a lot about astronomy! LOL!†The red-shirted Mr. Newland wrote me right back: “I’m curious who this person was. That’s a very good story though. Let’s try again Monday.â€

Round Two. I returned to the high school, went to the science wing and realized my mistake. On the prior visit, I had accidentally entered Room 185. This time, I made sure to go to the correct room (186, doh!). The good news is that the REAL Mr. Newland liked my story idea, too … just as much as the “fake†Mr. Newland did! Halfway through my premise he said, “I’m already excited about this.†He gave me names of three experts for me to interview as part of my research; I took more notes. He encouraged me to proceed, saying, “You’ve definitely got a great idea.â€

I eventually figured out who the teacher in the blue sweater was—another legit science teacher who does, indeed, know plenty about astronomy. He didn’t deliberately pose as Mr. Newland; in his defense, he had no idea why I was there, but he chose to be nice and helpful. And come to think of it, he never actually SAID his name. (I’m sure he was scratching his head later: “Who was that mom and why was she bothering me!?â€)

To tell the truth, it was affirming to get a thumbs-up from not one but two smart astronomy teachers. And next time I’ll double-check the classroom number a little more closely.

Now I’m off to outline this new book.

—Bee Amazing. 😉

What Triggers the Story Ideas?

https://storgy.com/2018/02/16/yellow-by-cathey-nickell/

I’ve only written one short story, and a London-based online site called STORGY Magazine recently published it. Here’s  a link to “Yellow,†which was inspired by something my father said in passing one day. Dad was looking at a brochure for a company that offered time-shares on a yacht; he thought it looked fun and showed my mother. Practical Mom was NOT interested, and Dad’s short-lived boat-dream faded soon thereafter.

When I got home from visiting them, I couldn’t shake this idea that was forming about couples and how they reach decisions. Whose career comes first? How are financial decisions made? Does one person get their way more than the other? I sat down and wrote “Yellow.†It has nothing to do with my parents, but Dad’s yacht-brochure-peruse triggered in me a creative moment. A short story was born.

Another time I was driving my son, Will, to school in our SUV. I was joking about the many (18+ and counting!) bumper stickers I have on it; he began to tease me, saying, “No one cares about your bumper stickers, Mom.†I dropped Will off at school, and my brain was on fire the whole drive home. I went inside, ignored the pile of tasks I needed to tend to, and instead pecked out the first draft of what would eventually become my first children’s book: Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car.  I wrote a blog about it.

Where it all began!

I’m currently working on my second book—a middle grade story based on a unique experience that happened when I was in the third grade growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana. I’m not ready to share the exact premise yet, but the idea came from a real-life occurrence. For now, I’ll refer to it by a code name—The Bee Book—that perhaps will make sense … someday! The initial idea to write about my childhood mishap came to me in 1989. I had been out of college for four years and was working as a Publications Director for a medical clinic/surgery center. Before work one morning, I read an article about actress Ally Sheedy. I learned that while at New York’s Bank Street School, 12-year-old Ally wrote about a mythical encounter between Queen Elizabeth I and an inquisitive mouse. The result, She Was Nice to Mice, was published in 1975 by McGraw-Hill and became a bestseller.

Children’s book author, Tara Lazar, posted a photo of “nice mice” on Instagram, and I commented.

I was 26 years old when I read about Ally. I remember thinking, Wow! Ally Sheedy was born in 1962, so she is only one year older than me. And she has already written a published book. If she was able to do that at the age of 12, then why can’t I do the same thing now? [As you’ll see in the screenshots, I’m not the only person who felt this way. Tara Lazar has a very similar memory!]

Tara’s response made me laugh! We think alike.

I also liked the rhyming style of Ally’s book title, and the name for my future book popped into my mind. I knew what I wanted to write and what it would be called. I arrived at the clinic, did my regular work, and patiently waited for my lunch break. During that one-hour time slot, instead of eating, I typed out five single-spaced pages on green copier paper I had swiped from the office supply closet. This was before computers were commonplace, so I used one of the office’s IBM Selectric typewriters. I later transferred it to a word processor, and I still have the 3.5-inch floppy disk! Those original five green pages became the first draft of The Bee Book (remember, that’s merely a code name, not my real working title). It wasn’t even a middle grade chapter book at the time. It was simply a clever turn of phrase, a few funny references … but an original story for children, nonetheless. I filed it away. And there it sat for about twenty-five more years!

Fast forward to 2015. I was working on Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car, and my creative juices were awakened during that project. I was frequently thinking of new story ideas, jotting them down in a notebook. That’s when I remembered The Bee Book, which was still tucked away in a file cabinet. I hadn’t seen it since 1989, and when I pulled out those old green sheets, I laughed at how truly bad it was! My writing has improved over the years, I thought with relief. As terrible as it was, I realized that I held in my hands a craptastic outline of what might possibly become my first middle grade children’s book.

Using that outline, I spent about three months writing the 23,000-word document of The Bee Book. I took my Mac Air everywhere and wrote every chance I could: early mornings before my family woke up; in the SUV (the one with the 18+ bumper stickers!) while sitting in the after-school carpool line; at Starbucks when I was able to sneak away from my other responsibilities; in a comfy living room chair while my kids sat next to me watching a movie; anywhere, anytime. Sometimes my husband would hear me laughing and would ask why, and I’d answer, “Because this story I’m writing is really funny!â€

A must-read for writers!

Last weekend, I spent a Saturday afternoon reading Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way To Success, by K.M. Weiland. It’s a great book, and I highlighted something every few pages. One of my favorite passages was in Chapter One, where she discusses how both sides of our brain divvy up the necessary responsibilities of creating a story. Conception—that first spark of a story idea—is a deeply right-brain activity, Weiland writes. Then, “outlining is where the left brain gets its first crack at the story,†she continues. “Writing the story is an intensely right-brain experience … Revising brings the process full circle by once again imposing left-brain rationality onto the creativity of the first draft.â€

My 8-year-old niece Meghan also critiqued my middle grade story.

I’ve revised The Bee Book many times, and I think I’m on Draft #5 or so! I’ve had it critiqued by fellow writers, and it has gone through several beta readers and a proofreader. I hope to start querying agents soon, but I don’t know if The Bee Book will catch anyone’s interest. I think if it’s ever published, I’ll repay my former boss by giving him five pieces of green paper like the ones I stole from his office in 1989. I owe him that much, right? But since I was working at my father’s medical clinic at the time, I don’t think Dad will mind. 😉

—Be amazing.

Be an Inspiroror!

Have you ever been an inspiroror? Are you unsure what one is? Well, my almost-nine-year-old niece Marie seems to know. We share the exact same February birthday along with an affinity for writing stories. A few months ago, when Marie’s mom attended Back-to-School Night, she spotted this and texted it to me:

“My aunt Cathy is the writer of: the art car. She is an inspiroror. I love love her, and her writeing.” — Marie.

Come on!  It would be hard to feel rejected after that kind of praise. Marie loves me; she was spot-on drawing my poofy brown hair and art car t-shirt. And after seeing this mini-article she wrote, I was motivated to write my own blog post (this one!) after a long dry spell.

Inspiroror-ation comes from unexpected places. I’ve never drawn a comic strip, but in October, I was motivated by the morning news of all things. I watched Chris Cuomo and Carol Costello on CNN as they reported on several random stories. My brain strung them all together, and I drew a cartoon to illustrate what the news felt like that day.

I’m not going to post my lame drawing, because I prefer to avoid politics. Plus, it’s just really embarrassingly bad! At the time, I thought it was the CNN anchors that inspired me, but I now believe it was one of my writer friends, Lisa Sinicki. Lisa is a public relations professional in Atlanta, and author of My Mother Served Gouda When Company Came: Scenes from a cheese-lover’s life. You can find it on Amazon.

We became friends through an online Mastermind facilitated by Dan Blank, founder of WE GROW MEDIA. Lisa and I, along with a few others from that Mastermind group, have kept in touch and continue to support each other. Lisa draws playful cartoons, which she regularly posts in her newsletter. I recommend you buy Lisa’s cheese book (it’s gouda!) on Amazon and that you subscribe to her newsletter: Queen of the Chronic Overthinkers.

One of Lisa’s recent comics called “A Visit From the Idea Fairy” had my husband and I cracking up. I wrote to tell her the good news: “Lisa, it made us spit soda out of our noses! Someone needs to buy them!†She replied that she submitted some of her cartoons to The New Yorker: “I sent a couple of early one-panel things that got rejected. I recently sent in five better ones. I imagine that IF I keep submitting eventually something will stick.†I admire Lisa’s positivity, because I’m sure she’s much like me and other creative professionals who struggle to stay confident in the face of rejection.

For me, I think it was a large dose of false confidence that propelled me into action on my CNN/Lisa-Sinicki-inspired comic-strip-drawing day. I finished my masterpiece, and I should have quietly filed it away; instead, I sent it to The New Yorker. Wait, what? Yeah, I did. I guess I wanted to be like my inspiroror—Lisa! Then, I waited. And waited. And then, I got rejected!

Are you familiar with a site called SUBMITTABLE? It’s an app where writers and artists can submit their works for possible publication. Check it out and you’ll find yourself going down a literary rabbit hole. Before I could mutter “submittable,†The New Yorker rejected my first-ever political cartoon. Undeterred, I submitted a few writing samples to other publications. As a result, an online site called Parent Co. accepted my personal essay called “If These Scars Could Talk.†It was published on Nov. 4, 2017 as a part of their November writer’s contest based on the word prompt: gratitude. YOU CAN READ IT HERE!

ME:  I’m on a roll!

That thinking led me to submit some more. I’ve had a short story called “Yellow†sitting in my computer for about a year. I sent it out to a few publications, and an online literary magazine called STORGY accepted it (to be published on Feb. 16). In both instances, I chose to adopt Lisa Sinicki’s mantra: “If I keep submitting, eventually something will stick.†(This should be a meme for creative professionals).

“Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car” is my first children’s book.

My first—and last!!—political cartoon wasn’t published in The New Yorker, and I don’t know what sort of response I’ll get for my short-story “Yellow†once it appears on STORGY. But some positive wins have happened since I launched my children’s book last year. Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car was awarded first place by the Texas Association of Authors in the category of Children’s Picture Book—All Ages for 2017. I’ve also spoken/presented at more than 35 elementary schools since launching my book. And the biggest win happens at that sweet moment when a student tells me, “You inspired me! I can’t wait to get home and write my own book.â€

So, who is your inspiroror? Are you inspiroror-ing anyone? And as always, Be Amazing!

Happy birthday to us!

Halloweensie Writing Contest

Susanna Leonard Hill’s 7th annual Halloweensie Writing Contest has arrived! The rules are as follows: Write a 100-word Halloween story appropriate for children 12 and under, using the words candy corn, monster, and shadow. (Candy corn is counted as one word).  So here goes:

POOR TERRENCE (100 words)   

Terrence was terrible,

as everyone knew.

He stomped on toys,

he kicked with his shoe.

“You’re such a monster!â€

His classmates would shout,

“You ruin all our playthings,

you should be thrown out!â€

When Halloween came,

Terrence snatched their candy.

He hid in the shadows,

he scared Sue and Randy!

“You’re always so mean,â€

the children cried.

“You ate all our candy corn!â€

“Be nice!†Teacher sighed.

The day after Halloween,

Terrence tried to do better.

He stopped kicking and stomping,

wrote an apology letter:

“I’m sorry for being

a candy corn robber!

Let’s be friends,

or I’ll give you a clobber!â€

UPDATE: I didn’t win anything for this entry, but it was a lot of fun to write. — Be Amazing

Woo-hoo, Chattanooga choo-choo!

Can you believe it? My book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car, has taken me on the road to speak to children at schools around the country! To date, I’ve spoken at some 38 schools in my hometown of Houston; in Shreveport & Monroe, Louisiana; in Atlanta, Georgia; and in Austin, Texas.

Bill Megenhardt says this is the kind of art car a ram would probably drive!

Most recently, I was invited to travel to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and I spent a beautiful morning speaking to students at Bess T. Shepherd Elementary School. Three art car drivers joined us at my school visit: Isaac Cohen (Houston), Wendy Tippens (Tennessee), and Paulette Perlman (Florida). And the presentation wouldn’t have been complete without the talent of my amazing illustrator, Bill Megenhardt. Together, I think all of us delivered a visit that the students will remember for a long time. And that’s not all—several other art car drivers visited a few more schools around town: Jewelz Cody, Bonnie Blue, Ted Mangum, and a few others (I’ll try to find out their names to add them later!).

We were IN THE NEWS throughout the Chattanooga weekend, starting with an article published in The Chattanoogan— Read the article here!  What’s more, News 12 (WDEF-TV, David Moore) was on hand to film the school event, and the children were excited to meet a real author, a real illustrator, and to view the art cars up close and personal. Click the words “ART CARAVAN” below to see the televised feature!

http://wdef.com/2017/05/01/art-caravan/

Kate Warren (Art 120), Cathey Nickell, and Lee Warren.

I also had the pleasure of meeting the dynamic Kate Warren, executive director of Art 120, a seven-year-old non-profit organization created to enrich Chattanooga and its surrounding community through the creation, education, and celebration of STE(A)M-based learning. Kate explains, “About 32 of our 42 elementary schools in Chattanooga do not even have art programs, so our organization raises funds to bring art to the schools.” Read more on what ART 120 is doing by clicking this link!

Kate is the mastermind behind the Scenic City Art Car Weekend, which she brought to her town about six years ago. This year, more than a dozen art cars showed up from around the country, bringing a weekend of inspiration to the city. Perhaps you’ll consider a DONATION to Art 120 to help support the amazing work they’re doing for school children in Chattanooga. Every $5 donation brings art to a child, and Kate’s passion for her mission is contagious. (I hope you catch it!)

Isaac Cohen brought the beautiful wooden “Slider” from Houston for the weekend festivities.

The cherry on top of my stay in Chattanooga was a book signing at Barnes and Noble (thank you, Kelly Flemings). It was a great weekend full of fantastic art cars, hometown charm, delicious food, interesting sites, and a whole bunch of new friends. I enjoyed my visit so much, and I hope you’ll read more about the creative, important work of Art 120 through the links I’ve posted here.

Be like these guys—be amazing!

Ted Mangum’s “Radio Flyer” was one of the art car hits of the weekend!

Keeping It Rolling!

I feel the same sort of awe whenever I see Randy Blair’s art car called “A Little Bit of Nonsense.”

This week, students at three elementary schools will hear all about art cars, writing, publishing, illustrating, creativity and inspiration when I show up to present my children’s book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. The lucky schools are Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet, Travis Elementary School, and St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. And the timing could not be better since Houston’s 30^th Art Car Parade  will roll at 2:00 pm Saturday, April 8, downtown along Smith St.

I’ve been presenting my book to various schools in Houston and beyond since last year’s launch. Just this year alone, I’ll have been to about 20 schools by the end of May! WOW! You can check out my calendar here.  I speak to students about how I got the idea for my book (hint: my car sports 16 bumper stickers and counting), how they can come up with their own amazing story ideas, the writing and publishing process, and, of course ART CARS! I also reveal a few “insider secrets†about the making of my book. My illustrator, Bill Megenhardt, often accompanies me on these school visits. And there is always a real art car for the students to see up close!

The student artwork from Atlanta’s Fernbank Elementary was AMAZING!

The best part is getting thank-you letters from the students. One fantastic school—Fernbank Elementary in Atlanta, Georgia—presented me with a huge binder full of their own art car illustrations! It’s also fun to see how creative the schools get in honor of my visit. They build their own miniature art cars, hang art car banners down their hallways, paint wooden cut-out art car signs, and more. Sometimes I can’t believe my little ole’ book encouraged some of these ideas!

A lot of folks ask me how I wrote and published my book. In case you don’t know, I’ll explain how it all started back in 2015. I moved to Houston about twenty years ago, and I had never seen an art car until I landed in this awesome city. These rolling wonders fascinated me, and over the years I took photographs whenever I spotted one “in the wild.” So, I don’t drive an art car myself, but the concept for Arthur Zarr came to me one morning during rush hour while I was driving my teenage son, Will, to school.

A creative parent made this painted wood car in honor of my visit to Southfield School in Shreveport, Louisiana.

I keep the back of my SUV covered with various bumper stickers. I joked with my son, Will, that I need to be a polite driver and obey the laws of the road because my car is so incredibly recognizable. He laughed at me, insisting that no one ever notices me and certainly not my car. “You’re the only person who thinks your car is cool, Mom,” he teased. Throughout that drive, Will’s comment got me pondering what else—besides bumper stickers—might make a car memorable? That question triggered me to think about art cars, and by the time I finished my morning carpool, the initial concept for Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car was born. (Here’s another post about those inspirational bumper stickers!)

I’ve highlighted, notated and dog-eared this book through at least three full readings!

Simply put, I had a playful idea, and I acted on it. Immediately. That very day. I didn’t wait to finish the laundry or to load the dishwasher for the millionth time. I decided to say “yes” to my idea. Most of us have moments of inspiration, but we’re often too tired or too busy to do anything about it. Right? Best-selling author ELIZABETH GILBERT talks about this in her book, Big Magic.  She writes, “Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege. The work wants to be made, and it wants to be made through you.” She goes on to say that she believes “ideas spend eternity swirling around us, searching for available and willing human partners.” I believe that I was an agreeable human that day during my morning carpool.

It’s been a life-changing experience, and I enjoy sharing my message about inspiration and creativity with elementary students. I tell them about my book, which is set in an imaginary town, where Arthur Zarr is a quiet man who lives alone. When he gets a creative idea to add everyday objects to his car’s plain exterior, the people in his community start noticing Arthur for the first time. Neighbors and other bystanders join him by adding their own artistic flair to the car. Soon, Arthur becomes a contender in the town’s Art Car Parade. His life becomes more colorful as the book progresses, and he makes friends along the way. (Hey! That’s kind of like me!)

Themes include recycling, outsider art, friendship building, community pride, and the power of imagination. There’s an ABC motif that runs throughout the book—Arthur adds objects to the car alphabetically. At the end of the book, I included a page that gives readers the “History of Art Cars.” Teachers and librarians appreciate that I added this non-fiction summary, as it helps them tie the story into their curriculum and possible assignments. I explain more about school visits here.

The final result: Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car, a hardcover book with dust jacket, published by my very own company, Twenty-Eight Creative (ISBN: 978-0-9961150-0-1; $19.99). It is available for purchase directly from me (there’s a PAYPAL LINK on this website under the BOOKS tab) or at various retail outlets and online through Amazon. Houston shops that carry the book include: Brazos Bookstore, Bering’s Hardware (Westheimer location), and The Beer Can House.

I love my thank you letters! Keep it rolling!

If you have an idea that you think has some legs to it, please grab hold and don’t let go! The creative process is a fun—and sometimes exhausting—pursuit. But it’s one that I don’t regret following. Liz Gilbert believes “we are all capable at times of brushing up against a sense of mystery and inspiration in our lives … You can’t explain it. But it felt as if you were being guided.” That’s what I experienced when I was creating Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. So, I’ll tell you the same thing I tell the students when I speak at schools: Be like Arthur Zarr … Be amazing! The laundry and dishes can wait.

The Love-a-lots!

Illustration (just for fun!) by Cathey Graham Nickell … with a little bit of tracing involved.

It’s that time of year! Time for Susanna Leonard Hill’s 6th Annual Holiday Contest. The rules this year are fun: Write a children’s holiday story using the basic format/concept of “The Twelve Days Of Christmas,” not to exceed 300 words.

The story can be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever else one might celebrate. Once it’s written, the contestants are asked to post it on their website.

In February of this year, my “Valentiny” story (which had a 214-word limit)—called “Kandie’s Kiss”—won second place!

I don’t know if I’ll get to keep my fancy crown or not, but here goes! Happy Holidays!

THE LOVE-A-LOTS!

(300 words)

Dearest Santa Claus,

We are a warm and lovely pair

With lots of love to give.

If only we had children,

We’d have new reason to live!

 

It’s been our Christmas yearning

As long as we recall.

Alas, we are still childless;

Perhaps our wish is too tall?

            Signed, Mr. and Mrs. Love-a-lot

On the first day of Christmas,

Santa answered their request.

He brought the Love-a-lots a girl,

Who had no house to rest.

On the second day of Christmas,

Santa brought one more.

A boy with sun-tanned skin,

Who’d never had a home before.

On the third day of Christmas,

Santa knew what to deliver.

Twin orphans from afar,

Their excitement all aquiver.

“Oh, my!†exclaimed the couple,

Their emotions were quite sappy.

“Three boys and one girl!

We’re finally feeling happy!â€

But that wasn’t all, you see,

For Santa had a plan.

On the fourth day of Christmas,

He added six more to the clan!

The ten children bonded,

As they studied, ate and played.

They came from different countries,

Each skin a different shade.

It wasn’t long before the neighbors

Began their talk and whispers:

“Those Love-a-lots are such a mess,

Too many brothers and sisters!â€

And so to show the busybodies

Their thoughts were quite outlandish,

Santa delivered two more darlings,

On days five and six with brandish.

“We love our growing family,â€

Mrs. Love-a-lot said caringly.

“But twelve children are enough,

We’re getting by so sparingly.â€

When Santa Claus heard her words,

He tied packages tight with twine

And delivered toys, clothes and extra beds

On days seven, eight and nine.

The neighbors’ hearts began to thaw,

They took sweet treats off the shelf

And dispensed them to the Love-a-lots

On days tenth, eleventh and twelfth.

Thank you, dear Santa!

From all the Love-a-lots!

UPDATE:  Alas, no prizes for my entry, but the challenge was good writing practice! — Be Amazing

10,000 Smiles Per Gallon

It was my first book signing for my children’s book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. I was terrified. Which was kind of silly, because all I had to do was set up a table at an elementary school holiday market. Nevertheless, I felt nervous and unsure. So, I did what any mature author would do … I begged my mother to be my sidekick!

Cathey & Randy at the Wilchester Elementary Arts Market.

As Mom and I parked in the school’s unloading area, I was surprised to see an artcar in the lot. It was covered with every glass object, trinket and phrase you can imagine, and I’ve since learned that it’s called “A Little Bit of Nonsense.†Mom helped me lug my case of books inside, and the first person we met was a 6-foot-4 bald man wearing tie-dyed clothes and antlers on his hat!

“I’m Randy Blair,†he said, walking over for a handshake. “I have a very hot wife, wanna see?†He opened up his wallet to show off a photograph, and a huge orange flame snapped out. Ha! That’s how I discovered that—in addition to decorating and driving one of the most spectacular artcars I’ve ever seen—Randy also does magic tricks. And he makes and sells jewelry. And he’s a chef. And he runs his own private catering business, “Five Loaves and Two Fish Catering.†And he’s a father to five kids, a husband to Wanda, a cancer survivor.

Randy Blair is a big tall bundle of interesting! But that day, he was the person who made me feel comfortable about selling my new artcar book. He was my first buyer that morning, too. He bought a copy and stepped back over to his own sales booth to read it alone. I had no idea what he thought of it, and his opinion mattered to me. Not only was he a REAL artcar driver, but also he was the FIRST “cartist†I’d ever met in person.

After awhile, Randy came back over. “You know what? You wrote my life story! I’m just like Arthur Zarr!†He went on to explain that (like my Arthur) he never intended to build an artcar, but it accidentally evolved over time. For some 20 years, Randy was a chef in corporate America, forced to wear a required, conservative, plain uniform. In 2001, he started his own catering business, which allowed him a new level of freedom. “I’ve always been very creative and very visual, and it started seeping into other areas of my life,†Randy says.

Take his vehicle, for instance. Randy’s first artcar was an old green Honda CRV. He decorated the interior dashboard and let people sign the roof of the car with markers. Soon after, he bought a pair of crazy tie-dyed chef pants that he wore with his white jacket. Over time, Randy’s plain chef’s coat was replaced with a colorful one dyed by Don Bingham, owner of Tribal Grounds in Houston. “First my car started changing, then my clothes started changing,†Randy laughs.

The amazing “A Little Bit of Nonsense.”

When the aging Honda’s engine finally died, Randy bought a brand-new candy-apple red Toyota Yaris. (I’ve always thought that artists had to buy an old jalopy as a base to build an artcar. Wrong!) Immediately after buying the Yaris, Randy started decorating the interior, and—like my book’s character, Arthur Zarr—he began to get noticed. “People would tell me, ‘Your car is so cool on the inside!’†Friends recommended he enter it in the Art Car Parade; so, he showed photos of it to some folks at The Orange Show—the group that hosts Houston’s Art Car Parade each year—and the rest is history.

Like Arthur Zarr, Randy knew his car needed more oomph to be ready for the parade. He bought a kiln and started making “fused dichroic glass†as a hobby. These colorful, shiny objects made their way to the outside of his Yaris. By the time he drove it in the 2009 Art Car Parade, the exterior was completely covered with objects. That first year, Randy won first place for daily driver and first place for participant’s choice. The following year, he won both categories again. And just like my Arthur (and me!), Randy made a whole bunch of new friends along the way.

Randy’s “A Little Bit of Nonsense†artcar now has multiple layers and significant height to it. He drives it daily because he loves making people happy. He says viewers often ask him if the weighty objects affect the mileage he gets per gallon of gas. He answers, “It doesn’t matter how much weight I’m adding, because I’m getting 10,000 smiles per gallon!†Those smiles are addictive, he tells me, and it’s why he keeps driving his artcar.

Just one of Randy’s many artcar quotes!

I agree with a phrase that’s printed on Randy’s car that says, “The sweetest fruit is at the end of the skinniest branch.†I had to get out of my comfort zone to reach my fruit. To write and publish my children’s book. To put myself out there. To risk rejection. When I speak to students at elementary schools, when I sign books for children, or when I see someone smile at my book cover—I know it was worth climbing out on that bendy limb.

Be Amazing.

Note to my favorite book reviewer, Paul McRae: Yes, I spelled artcar as one word. For you. 🙂

Arthur Zarr By The Numbers

Promoting my children’s book has become a favorite pastime!

This week—May 3, 2016 to be exact—marks the six-month anniversary of the launch date of my children’s picture book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. I thought it might be interesting to celebrate the occasion with a breakdown of numbers and other fun facts.

NUMBERS:

• 783 = total number of books sold so far
• 100 = number of books donated to schools, libraries, and contest winners
• 95 = number of books purchased by customers online through Amazon.com
• 40 = number of pounds that each case of books weighs
• 41 = number of readers who posted five-star reviews on Amazon
• 1 = number of times I’ve been interviewed on a NPR station (Thanks, Kate Archer Kent, formerly of Red River Radio!)
• 8 = number of newspaper or magazine articles about my book
• 5 = number of schools I’ve presented to
• 1,000,0005 = number of schools I wish I could present to!
• 1,400 = approximate number of children who have heard/seen my presentation
• 5,000 = number of giveaway bookmarks I ordered
• 10 = number of Indie book shops and other stores that sell my book
• 23 = number of states my book buyers come from
• 21 = number of months it took me to write and publish my book
• 29 = number of art car parades Houston has hosted since 1987
• 1 = number of art car exhibits inspired by my book so far (Thanks, Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum and Melissa Saye!)
• 1 = number of bearded men driving a Santa Claus car I’ve met (Hi, Bryan Taylor!)
• Countless = number of art car daily drivers and other new friends I’ve met as a result of writing this book.

FUN FACTS:

• Canada = country where my book was printed
• Venezuela = purchase made from the farthest away
• Roswell, New Mexico = most interesting city represented by a buyer (Hmm, aliens?)
• Patsy Stamps Graham = name of person who thinks she bought the first copy of my book (Thanks, Mom!)
• John Cooper = name of person who actually bought the first copy (Sorry, Mom, but I’m finally admitting that he beat you to it!)
• Connie May Bingham = name of person who made the first online Amazon purchase
• Jason Rounds = friend who drove the farthest to attend a book signing event (Jason and his daughter drove 1 hour from Texarkana to Shreveport). Two of my relatives, Shawna and Amanda Cotten, did the same!

Thank you, Houston Chronicle, for the front page Community Extra article!

THANK YOU, to Bill Megenhardt, for your amazing illustrations and wonderful collaboration. And, THANK YOU, to everyone out there who helped make my publishing success possible. I appreciate every book purchase, every Facebook like or share, every re-tweeted Twitter message, and every friend or stranger who showed up at a book signing event. I appreciate all the creative art car artists who have welcomed me into their fold.

The thing I’m the most proud of is that Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car has inspired so many children to open up their imagination in countless ways. I remember the boy from a Houston school who said, “Mrs. Nickell, I went straight home after your talk and wrote and drew my very own art car book.” I feel like I’ve left a small mark on the world, and it’s been a life-changing experience for me.

Be like Arthur Zarr … be amazing!

If These Scars Could Talk

I remember a story I overheard or saw on television as a child when I was about ten years old. It was the 1970s, before lasers were available to remove tattoos. The story I heard was about a woman who wanted a heart-shaped tattoo removed from her derrière. Apparently the doctor incised the heart tattoo and stitched up the wound. The scar that the excision left was in the shape of a capital letter Y. I remember thinking to myself, “She better marry someone whose name starts with a Y, otherwise her husband might get jealous!†Something about that heart-turned-into-a-Y-shaped-scar always intrigued me. That woman had a story to tell!

In the third grade, a broken femur set me on the path to scardom!

At age nine, I earned my own first noticeable scars when I broke my femur. My parents bought a small Suzuki motorcycle, and they’d take us kids out for rides on a piece of country property that our family owned. I was too young to ride the motorcycle alone, so I climbed on the back and hung on behind one of my father’s friends. It was an accident; Emile certainly didn’t want me to get hurt. But, a piece of barbed wire was dangling in our path, and it snared the wheel, yanking the bike onto my leg. I still remember the pain and the long drive to the hospital. The orthopedic surgeon inserted a metal pin through my leg to set me up for traction. After six weeks in the hospital, six weeks at home in a body cast, and several weeks on crutches, my femur finally healed. Over 40 years later, I still think about that accident whenever I see the small scars on either side of my right leg where the pin was.

SCARS = EXPERIENCES:

Most of us don’t like scars. Right? If you Google the word “scar,†numerous plastic surgery and dermatology websites for scar removal pop up. Apparently there’s a lot of money to be made in getting rid of our scars. Everyone wants beautiful, flawless skin that’s free of freckles, moles and wrinkles. But, if you think about it, scars equate to experiences. Every scar has a story. Without my stories—and my scars—who would I be? The memory of spending much of third grade in traction has stayed with me all these years. I remember feeling trapped in the body cast (i.e., itches I couldn’t scratch, places I couldn’t go, embarrassing moments I couldn’t escape). I remember being afraid to have the cast removed, because it kept me safely cocooned for so long. Later, my broken femur story inspired a college English essay, and the professor cited it to the class as “an example of an A+ paper.†My broken leg also led me to draft a children’s chapter book based on the experience (yet to be published).

I acquired other scars over the years, too. There’s a small one on my knee from a cut I received in a high school car accident. I think of my friend Linda when I see that scar, because she was in the car with me. The car was totaled, but Linda and I were okay. In adulthood, two cesarean section deliveries left a thin zipper across my lower abdomen. My sons are the result of those childbirth experiences, and the scars remind me of bringing Mason (25) and Will (16) into the world. There’s also the one on my back where I had a benign skin cancer removed. The basal cell carcinoma was likely the result of childhood sunburns, and that scar brings back memories of a particularly hot family beach trip to Corpus Christie, Texas one summer.

EXPERIENCES = GROWTH:

Despite rupturing my Achilles tendon, I found a way to attend my recent book launch events for “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car.”

My most recent scar is fresh! Still healing. It runs up the back of my ankle, due to having a ruptured Achilles tendon surgically repaired two weeks ago. I was on a snow skiing vacation in Telluride, Colorado for Spring Break. I guess I was skiing to the right while a young man turned too fast to the left. Our skis crossed, and I flew out of control into some trees. It was a frightening experience, and I immediately felt intense heat throughout my ankle. I thought it was another broken leg bone, but I was wrong. It turned out to be a 6.5-centimeter tear in my Achilles tendon requiring immediate surgery.

This latest injury has left me dependent on family and friends. I cannot do much for myself, and it’s important to keep the foot elevated to prevent swelling. Since it’s my right foot, I can’t drive a car for a few months. I’m fortunate to have a husband, sons, parents, sisters, and friends who don’t mind taking care of me. I dislike being dependent on them, but I’m learning that the Beatles were right when they sang, “I get by with a little help from my friends.â€

My scars aren’t so bad. They tell a story. They’re a literal skin road map of life that allows me to retrace my varied experiences. They reveal a sense of adventure. The scars also point out that I might be a bit clumsy! I don’t know yet what my new ankle scar looks like, but I’ll find out in a few days when the doctor unwraps the soft cast. I’ll laugh if it’s shaped like a capital letter Y.

Tell me about your scars!

Hey, Bill Joyce: Nice Job!

Me with Bill Joyce, getting a few of my favorite books signed.

“I highly recommend winning an Oscar… it’s just really fun,†joked Bill Joyce. I’ve repeated his words to many friends after hearing Joyce speak at the 2016 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference in February. A crowd of 1,151 attendees devoured every detail of his speech, titled “Books are Like the Ice Cream Sandwich: How New Technology Doesn’t Change Much of Anything but it’s all Kinda Cool.†We laughed along with him as he described his whimsical approach to publishing, producing, writing, illustrating, and all the other projects his team develops at Moonbot Studios.

“A book is like an ice cream sandwich, it has a hard outside, and the good stuff is in the middle”—Bill Joyce

Joyce described what it was like when he and Brandon Oldenburg won “Best Animated Short Film†at the 84^th Academy Awards (Feb. 2012) for The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. From wearing tuxedos made by Dickies (that was an amusing tale) to hearing the phrase “nice job†from the likes of George Clooney and Meryl Streep, all in all, Joyce insisted that winning an Oscar “was just really fun.†Before that Oscar win, the film had also won numerous film festivals, including “Best Animated Short†at the Austin Film Festival, Cinequest Film Festival, and Cleveland International Film Festival (to name a few).

Joyce wrote his winning story on a flight to visit his friend, Bill Morris, a “crusty old guy†who was ill. Morris was a longtime children’s books publisher at HarperCollins and Joyce’s mentor. Joyce read that early draft of the story to Morris, the muse for his book about Morris Lessmore (a play on words that referenced Morris’ diminutive size). The man who Joyce fondly refers to as “a three-martini lunch kind of guy†died two days later. Although Morris never saw Joyce’s team create the award-winning book, or the award-winning app, or the award-winning movie, he lives on in that inspiration. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books that return the favor; it’s a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story. You can hear Bill Joyce talk about Morris here.

Just like Morris’s smallness was good, so, too, is the smallness of Shreveport, Louisiana. Joyce hails from the same hometown as I, and while he has stayed there throughout his life, I moved from Shreveport to Houston about 20 years ago. (Fun Fact: We graduated from the same C.E. Byrd High School and were taught by the same journalism teacher, Mrs. Maredia Bowdon). I agree with his love of Shreveport when he says, “small is good.†Sometimes the anonymity I feel in Houston is comforting, but I often long for the ability to walk into a restaurant or store, knowing I will see someone I know. Shreveport reminds me of a rendition of the theme song from the 1980s television sitcom, Cheers, “Where everybody knows your name.†I miss that.

While I left Shreveport to marry my love (aka/hubby, Kevin), Joyce stayed and became a cherished jewel in a small city that knows how to love their gems. He helped put our town on the map—a place now known for its stronghold in the film industry, primarily due to the tax incentives Louisiana offers producers and production companies.

When he comes up with ideas, Joyce explained that he always thinks of the book first. I agree with his reference to books as being “the most artful and interactive way to tell a story.†Producers or investors sometimes push for the interactive nature of apps, but Joyce said he feels almost incredulous, saying, “What the hell do you think happens when you open a book?†And books even work better, he said: “They don’t break, they’re portable, and you can even drop them in water without creating too much damage.†So he thinks of the book first, usually (well, always).

In the case of Morris Lessmore, the tablet (iPad) had just come out. Joyce’s team knew if they could be the first to release a beautiful story app, they’d get noticed. They also took full advantage of the lack of a gutter that the app offered (that large split between two pages that all illustrators hate!). So, they put the app out, and one famous guy tweeted about the app, and Moonbot received four million hits in three hours, thus dragging Joyce away from his swimming pool and back to the office. [He never told us at that SCBWI conference who the famous guy was, but apparently he had something to do with Facebook!].

Moonbot’s app became the #1 selling app in the world. That app was the same basic story as the book, but emphasized in a different way. Same thing with the movie—it was the same story, but silent (all visual, no words). So, the book was about to come out, the app went to #1, and the film won an Oscar (Remember the tuxedos by Dickies!). “The app paid for the short film because it did so well,†Joyce explained.

Although Joyce never wanted to run a company or be a boss, opening Moonbot Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana has been an uphill ride that is still going places as the first major animation studio in Louisiana. Beginning with four employees in 2009, the company has grown to a staff of about 60—all committed to his company goal of “never doing anything that’s crummy.†Despite not wanting to be a boss, Joyce said, “I’ve done more books in the last five years than in the 20 years previous.â€Â  (Here is a LINK TO MOONBOT Studios if you want to learn more.)

Final words that day in New York from Joyce: “You don’t need an investor; you need a few compatriots and [you need to] collaborate. Collaboration is critical for writers, who usually spend their time at a desk alone with their laptop, typewriter and paper.†So, he said, “Go talk to people.â€

Next up for Joyce is Ollie’s Odyssey, his children’s novel set to launch in April. That and his continuing path as a purveyor of whimsy, to which I say, “Nice job, Bill Joyce!”

Cathey’s Disclaimer: My background in journalism makes me committed to accuracy. I was taking copious notes during Bill Joyce’s talk at the New York SCBWI conference, while laughing the whole time (he was hilarious). So, I apologize if any quotes are off, but I think I did a good job sharing this shining moment. After his speech, all of us kept saying, “I could listen to Bill talk all day long.” 

For Me, Second Place is the New First

Have you ever come in second place, but still felt like a #1 winner? I have. Quite recently. Last week, I was chatting with a fellow writer friend, and she told me about a fun “Valentiny” contest she had entered. It was hosted by kid-lit author SUSANNA LEONARD HILL, and I couldn’t resist. The challenge was to write a short, 214-word children’s story about a grumpy Valentine. I immediately had an idea, churned it out, and posted it on the contest site within hours. A few days later, I was surprised to discover I was one of the 12 top finalists! What’s more, Susanna reported that she had received 154 entries—her largest contest turnout to date. Her team narrowed all the entries down to 12, and she then opened it up to public voting.

On the morning of Friday, Feb. 26, I discovered that I had won second place! For me, this was a FIRST in so many ways. I had never entered a short story competition before (or any writing contest, for that matter), and I placed second place. It feels great. CLICK THIS LINK to read my entry, called “Kandie’s Kiss,” told from the point-of-view of a heart-shaped piece of candy. The winning story, written by Dawn Young, is a tale called GRUMPY BEAR’S VALENTINE. I don’t mind coming in second behind Dawn, because she wrote an adorable piece, and there’s plenty of Valentine love to go around!

I’ve been riding around on huge puffy white cloud all week. There’s something validating about being recognized with a title (2nd Place Winner!) and a prize (I’m waiting to find out what I won, but the various gifts were all incredible). As the saying goes, “winning isn’t everything;” but this nod in my direction made me realize how important it is to HAVE FUN with my writing career. It’s easy to get bogged down with the marketing, research, phone calls, scheduling, and never-ending to-do lists. This cute little Valentine’s Day contest—or as Susanna Hill calls it, “The First Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Writing Contest!!!”—makes me think I just might know how to write a little bit after all, despite my frequent worries to the contrary.

A few other amazing numerical things happened this week.  I promoted a Goodreads book giveaway, offering five autographed copies of my new children’s book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car, in a free drawing. Well, I was blown away to hear from Goodreads that in just one week, 687 members signed up, all hoping for a free copy of my book. I wish I could send one to everyone, but there are only five winners who will soon receive their free book. Congratulations to Robert from Missouri, Rebecca from Indiana, Tee from Missouri, Linda from North Carolina, and Angela from all the way up in Canada. And thanks to everyone out there who signed up for the drawing. It warmed my heart that my book cover caught the attention of so many readers. Or maybe they just like FREE stuff; which is fine, because I’m kind of like that, too.

I’m also lucky enough to have a few Author Visits at schools around Houston.  I’ll be the Grand Marshall at the St. Mark’s Episcopal School Mini-Art Car Parade in April. (My sister, Ginger, has jokingly recommended that I start calling myself “The Grand Poobah” from now on). I’ll be the keynote speaker at The Kinkaid School at their 4th Annual Art Car Parade Assembly. I’m also visiting The Grace School, Poe Elementary School, and a few others that will be confirmed soon.

Final bit of excitement: I’ll be part of a book blogging tour from March 7-16, hosted by Lone Star Literary Life. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REVIEW BY LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE. More details on the book tour in my next blog. A few years ago, I would have never predicted that I’d be involved in school visits, art car parades, and Valentiny writing contests. I’m having so much fun! I hope you are able to carve out time to do that which brings you joy, too.   — Be Amazing

Hey, NYC! I’m Back In Black!

I wore a loose-fitting, hot pink shorts set with white tennis shoes. It was May of 1999, and it was my first trip to New York City. Oh, and I was six months pregnant! If you know anything about NYC, it’s that the locals tend to wear a lot of black. Sure, they might experiment with color a bit during Fashion Week. But fuchsia maternity shorts with a coordinating top? Unlikely. Regardless, I thought my matchy-match pink outfit from A Pea in the Pod seemed appropriate for a scorching hot day touring the Big Apple.

Pretty much me in New York in 1999.

I had that pregnancy glow. As I walked down Lexington Avenue, a passerby looked me straight in the eye. He pointed a finger at me and loudly said, “Hey Cutie… †For a split second, I puffed up from the compliment and flashed a smile, about to respond with a polite Texan “hello.†No time for me to reply, however, as he instantly finished his sentence with “ …Roly Poly!†True story. He was thigh-slapping and laughing as he continued on, still muttering, “roly poly.†I stood there open-mouthed, gasping like Macaulay Culkin in the movie Home Alone.

“HEY CUTIE… ROLY POLY!”  —Mr. Manhattan

That’s how I first learned I don’t always fit in. That guy? He fit in. He was in the inner circle of NYC. He knew stuff. He knew where he was going and what to wear (black!). To be sure, I probably looked like a ridiculous pink balloon. But did Mr. Manhattan have to point it out? Did he have to remind me that I didn’t belong?

Sixteen years after that wardrobe malfunction, I found myself on a flight heading back to New York. Once again, I was nervous about not fitting in. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) was hosting its Winter Conference, and I didn’t want to miss the workshops and faculty lineup. One draw was the keynote speaker: Oscar-winner/writer/illustrator/creator and fellow Shreveporter, William Joyce. Also, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Rainbow Rowell, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Gary D. Schmidt. I was nervous about going alone, but most of my friends are uninterested in an assemblage of over 1,500 writers who want to talk about books. My husband, Kevin, who is always game for a trip to New York, offered to accompany me; but I knew I’d be booked in meetings all day. So, I went alone.

On the plane, I thought about my fear of not fitting in with the other writers I’d be meeting in New York—many of whom had agents and/or contracts with Big Six publishing houses. Doesn’t everyone feel like this now and then? I remembered my mother’s reassurances when I was a teenager: “Cathey, when you find yourself nervous about tackling a new experience, just remember that everyone else in the room feels the exact same way. Once you understand that, your fears will dissolve.†I decided I would walk into every conference situation with that thought in mind: I’m not the only one here who is nervous and full of self-doubt.

Fitting in better in black, February of 2016.

Fortunately, our SCBWI Houston regional chapter helped us out by putting the local attendees in touch with one another in advance. There were about ten of us going from Houston, and we created a group text so that we could meet up once we arrived at the Grand Central Station hotel. I don’t suffer from a diagnosable social phobia, but I really hate going to an event and not seeing a single familiar face. Thanks to that group text, however, I had an immediate circle of friends with whom I could sit, dine, compare notes, and hang out. From the minute I arrived, a tribe of creative, like-minded colleagues surrounded me.

The February 2016 SCBWI Conference in New York was inspirational, and I’m glad I didn’t cancel my registration. I took notes, developed ideas, made friends, networked, exchanged contact information, got autographs from a few famous authors, and learned about the publishing industry. I felt okay. I fit in. And this time, I wore black.

Teensy Weensy Valentiny Writing Fun!

Although I’ve seen her children’s books, I never came across author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website until today. I didn’t know what I was missing, and now I’m hooked! A friend told me about an intriguing writing contest, which led me to Susanna’s blog. The instructions were to write no more than 214 words about a grumpy Valentine experience! It had to show grumpiness and had to be appropriate for children. Unable to resist such a clever challenge, I put a little (pardon the pun) something together. Do you get it? Why Susanna chose that specific word length?

I showed my story to my mother (aka/Biggest Fan), and she said, “So clever! I was right there in the bowl!” This will make more sense once you read my teensy tale. Mom and Dad both said some other glowing things about how amazing I am, but I’ll leave all that out since they’re rather biased. I’ve never written anything so short, but it was fun! I encourage all my writer friends to try something like this. It made me chuckle and stretched my keyboarding fingers and squishy brain a bit. I mean, my two sisters (Hi, Margaret and Ginger!) will be the first ones to tell you that I’m terrible at math! But, hey, I can count to 214. ;)  Here’s my entry. Feel free to comment or read it to your kiddos. Happy Valentine’s Day! ♥

KANDIE’S KISS (214 words) – by Cathey Graham Nickell

Kandie buried herself as deep as possible. She wiggled and squirmed until she was hidden by her heart-shaped friends.

What kind of Valentine’s Day surprise am I? Kandie scowled from the bottom of the bowl. She peeked out. That just made her even crankier.  

“I’m all wrong!†she wailed, eyeing the other sweets. “How can you smile and feel sugary at a time like this?!â€

Old Man Tart chuckled from across the way, “What’s yer bellyaching about?â€

“You all have such beautiful words. I’m a fructose failure,†Kandie sulked.

She had a point. Old Man Tart’s tummy boldly stated: HUG ME! Pinky’s bragged: TOO CUTE! Why, Honey’s phrase even proposed: MARRY ME!

Kandie glanced down irritably at her own letters. “HISS ME? Seriously. HISS ME?†she pouted. “Someone at the factory cannot spell! Whoever heard of a candy heart that says HISS ME? I’ll never find a Valentine! No one will want me!â€

Old Man Tart waited for her to finish complaining. He cleared his throat and said, “A wise person once said there is someone for everyone. Kandie, I’m sure you’ll find your match.â€

I should try to be optimistic, Kandie thought, scooting back to the top of the bowl. And the first person she spotted was Gummy Snake smiling shyly at her.

UPDATE: Amazingly, I won second place in this writing contest!

An Amazing Book Review & Why This Matters

Lone Star Literary Life is a superb organization I discovered while producing and marketing my new children’s picture book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. This group connects readers with Texas writers and Texas books. I recently submitted my book to them for a review, and what I got in return is wonderful.  CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REVIEW BY LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE.  It was published in their Jan. 31, 2016 online newsletter, and I’ll clarify that I paid for this professional review. Some people don’t even realize paid reviews exist, but they do! It’s not always recommended for self-publishers, but in this case, it was part of my specific marketing plan. I was delighted that they praised my illustrator, Bill Megenhardt, for his original, crosshatched, hand-drawn technique.

“Mr. Zarr grows from his grisaille existence into a citizen of a diverse, polychromed neighborhood.” – Lone Star Literary Life book review.

READER REVIEWS ARE IMPORTANT. Why? I’ve been researching this topic for a long time, and here’s what I’ve learned. For all authors—but especially for indie authors like myself—reader reviews are vital to the success of our books. I’m not talking about paid reviews; I’m referring to a non-paid review from someone who read the book. Positive reviews can increase sales, increase visibility, grow an author’s newsletter, increase social media engagements, and much more. For example, HERE’S ANOTHER POSITIVE REVIEW I received by Paul McRae of Artcar Nation, a spectacular website dedicated to art cars. I didn’t pay for Paul’s glowing words, and I’m so grateful to him for the publicity. I wrote a fun blog about it, too.

Reader reviews help get the word out and can create a buzz about a particular book. They also give potential buyers an idea as to what the book is about, which in turn might generate sales. Reviews can influence contagious behavior. I learned in my college marketing classes that it’s psychological. When products appear to sell a lot, they go on to sell even more. People want to know why something is popular, and they’re often willing to buy it to find out.

There are also these mysterious processes that create suggestions on Amazon such as, “You might also enjoy this.†I’m still learning how these algorithms work. I’ve read that I need at least ten reviews on Amazon so that my book might pop up with “also bought†and “you might also like†phrases. At the time of writing this post, I have received 23 Amazon reviews in two months—all of which are positive. This brings up another issue: apparently it could look “fishy†if all my reviews have the highest five-star ratings. Readers might not trust the reviews if every single one is glowing, and I’ve heard it might help to have a few negative ones.  Well, please don’t go post an unenthusiastic review! I’m quite sure those will arrive organically over time, because no book is universally loved by everyone.

So sales are one thing, but there’s another reason why I might need favorable reviews from some respected groups like Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. I’m trying to submit my book for a few different publishing awards, and some of these contests require favorable reviews from specific key sources to even be considered. Many of these professional reviews cost money, however, and authors should cautiously weigh the cost vs. return on investment.

THE PROBLEM is obtaining enough non-paid reader reviews. I would never stoop so low as to pay for a reader review on Amazon or Goodreads; plus, it’s considered unethical, so don’t go down that path! Authors run the gamut from gently suggesting to outright begging everyone they know for reviews. It only takes a few minutes, but getting someone to actually sit down and write a review is not easy. I’m batting about 10:1. Meaning, for every ten people I’ve asked to write a review, I’ve gotten about one person to follow through. I’m not complaining; just stressing how hard it is to get book reviews. I don’t plead; I ask once and leave it at that. If you want to learn more, you can google “Why Book Reviews are Important,” and you will discover a wealth of information.

To those dedicated individuals who posted honest reviews about my book: Thank You! I sincerely appreciate the time it took for you to sit down and finish this task. I don’t take it for granted, and I am grateful to my two dozen or so reviewers (with that number growing, I hope). If you’re reading this blog and haven’t written a review yet, please do so. I know your time is valuable, but it matters so much!

In case you’re not sure, I’ll explain here, “How to Post a Review on Amazon.†It’s easy:

• log into your Amazon.com account as usual;
• in the search bar, type Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car;
• click the book title to get onto my book page;
• scroll down to the Customer Reviews area;
• click the white rectangular box that says “Write a Customer Review;â€
• choose a number of stars, hopefully 4 or 5;
• begin writing your review in the available box;
• even a few positive words will help, it does not have to be long and complex;
• give your review a title in the next box;
• in the upper right corner of this page you can even change “Your Public Name;â€
• don’t forget to hit SUBMIT!

Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy the attached book review by Lone Star Literary Life as much as I did!  Here’s another link for you to read the whole review.

The Beer Can House is Selling My Book … How Apropos!

I have a long-standing relationship with beer. Okay, that didn’t come out right. I mean, I enjoy an occasional beer, but that’s not the point. The point is that autographed copies of my new book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car, are available for purchase at the Beer Can House in Houston, Texas. If you don’t know about this delightful and iconic Houston site, you’re in for a treat. First, though, let’s get back to my relationship with beer.

Margy Stamps, 1915-1994.

Margy Mae Stephenson Stamps was my darling grandmother, and her eight grandchildren called her “Ma.†Born July 25, 1915, I remember how Ma liked to brag about her Leo zodiac sign. And the Leo description fit her to a tee: “Charismatic and positive-thinking, they attract not only an abundance of friends and opportunities, but manage to survive life’s stormy times with style and good humor.†Ma had a playfulness about her, despite having experienced her share of hardship. She told us stories of going through the Great Depression, and of taking care of her two younger brothers when her mother fell ill. I also knew she had tragically lost her husband—my grandfather, Dobie Stamps—when she was just 48 years old. But you wouldn’t have known it, because she remained witty, spirited, hard working, loyal, and loving until she passed away in 1994 when I was age 31.

“Out of the mouths of babes!”

Ma liked her beer. Schlitz beer. My parents didn’t drink, and, growing up, we never had much, if any, alcohol in our home. So, as a child, it tantalized me that my petite, respectable grandmother drank a beer each day. How fantastically scandalous, I thought! Her affinity for a can of beer, coupled with her trendy style (think fashionable jeans instead of shapeless “grandmotherly†dresses), made her the coolest granny ever, in my eyes. In my youth, I wrote and illustrated hand-made books at a prolific rate. My heroine, Ma, was often the front-and-center theme of my childhood creations. This photograph is one of many silly examples in which I demonstrated Ma’s cool-factor in the form of literature and art (written by me at about age 8 or 9).

Ma would have been 100 this year, and I find it fitting that my children’s book is being sold at the Beer Can House gift shop. Does that sound like an odd location to sell a children’s book? Well, it’s not! The Beer Can House is a beloved Houston attraction that draws thousands of children and adults each year. John Milkovisch, a retired upholsterer for the Southern Pacific Railroad, started his project in 1968 when he began inlaying thousands of marbles, rocks, and metal pieces into concrete and redwood to form unique landscaping features. Next, Milkovisch began to add flattened aluminum beer cans to the sides of the house itself—a process that he perfected over the next 18-plus years. I’ve read that Ripley’s Believe It or Not! estimates that over 50,000 cans adorn this must-see monument to recycling.

Will, age 9, at Beer Can House.

In 2009, six years before I wrote or even thought of the idea for Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car, I took my youngest son Will—who was then age 9—to visit the Beer Can House. I wanted him to learn about outsider art, and this was one of our many stops throughout Houston on what I dubbed our “art crawl.†I can’t remember if we saw any Schlitz cans nailed to the house, but it is reported that Milkovisch said his favorite beer was “whatever’s on special.†That sounds like something Ma would say, too. If she were still alive, I know she would get such a kick out of seeing my book on sale at the Beer Can House.

Are you still wondering why my picture book is being sold at the Beer Can House, of all places? Well, the restoration of this home is an ongoing project of the The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art—the same organization that hosts the annual ART CAR PARADE. So, that’s the connection! The Beer Can House is open most Saturdays and Sundays from 12-5 p.m. and is located at 222 Malone Street in Houston.

My Art Crawl, 2009.

Admission is only five dollars, and kids 12 and under are free; and the fun memories of your visit are also free! While you’re at it, perhaps you’ll buy a copy of Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. Your purchase there will support the endeavors of the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, which is a 501(c)3 publicly funded non-profit organization.

Note: Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car is also available for sale at The Orange Show’s main office, located at 2402 Munger, Houston, Texas. Check with them for hours of operation.

You can buy the book through other means as well, and I don’t mean to exclude all my other wonderful sales outlets. But today’s blog is dedicated to the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. And to beer. And to Ma. ♥

Art Car vs. Artcar

Two amazing things happened this week. Well, a lot more than that, but here are two I want to mention. First, a reporter from the Houston Chronicle called to interview me about my new picture book! Apparently there will be an article in their weekly Community section. I’ll post it as soon as it’s out. A photographer is dropping by this afternoon to take my picture … wow!

Secondly, a writer named Paul McCrae posted a review of my book on his website called Artcar Nation. You can read Paul’s review here.  I was flattered by his positive words, especially because he had a right to be skeptical. After all, I don’t drive an art car. Who is this random person sending me a children’s book about an art car? he must have thought. But what I want the art car aficionados to understand is that while they express themselves through their decked-out cars, I express myself by writing (regardless of the topic). Either way, each of us believes in and is proud of what we are creating.

I’ve also made some new friends during this process of launching my book. Like Randy Blair–a fantastic Texas chef/caterer as well as art car driver of “A Little Bit of Nonsense” (pictured here alongside my SUV!). Randy also sells handmade jewelry, is father to a whole bunch of kids (I forget how many!), and a loving husband (he brags about his beautiful wife a LOT!). You can read about Randy Blair’s art car here!

I also had the pleasure of meeting Rev. Bryan Taylor, a former president of the Houston Art Car Klub. He drives a Santa Claus art car (SantaCar MKIV); I’ve seen it around Houston but, until today, I had not yet snapped a photograph of it. Now I have! Bryan says that I’ve misspelled ART CAR. He explains in a recent email, “Congratulations, Cathey. From what I have seen posted by the community on FB the last few days, you have a winner on your hands. I see one small typo that is very common. You see, Cathey, artcar is ONE word.  Not two, as it is a compound word made up of two separate individual words that, upon being combined, create something new and unique; and if that ain’t a description of artcars, then I do not know what is. More importantly, unless we begin spelling it correctly, it will not get entered into the dictionary, which is a goal of mine to help get accomplished before I drive up to the Big Recycling Center in the sky.”

Well, Bryan, I don’t know if it’s one word or two, but I do know that I like art cars (aka artcars), and I am happy that this particular book idea popped into my brain last year! Otherwise, I would have never met you, Rev. Bryan Taylor; or my illustrator, Bill Megenhardt; or chef Randy Blair; or Sue Shefman, the owner of the hippo car named Cheerio; or Lennie Henry at the Orange Show; or Alicia Duplan at the Art Car Museum; or the fun people at City ArtWorks; or Stephanie Walton at Wilchester Elementary School; or Kristin and Laurie, the librarians at St. Mark’s Episcopal School; or Ellen Leventhal/Sheri Bernstein/Toby Haberkorn, and all the other Houston authors I’ve met through this process; or Mitch and Eduardo, my website gurus. There are too many new friends to name here, especially since I have a Houston Chronicle photo shoot to get ready for! But all of you know who you are.

And if it wasn’t for my wacky art car book idea, I wouldn’t have met Mr. Arthur Zarr, for that matter, and he’s quite special to me.   — Be Amazing!

Publicity & Art Car Fun!

Did I mention that my book cover WON a Facebook contest in October?  A site called Promoting Picture Books ran a fun contest, and my cover of Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car won! Thanks goes to my amazing illustrator, Bill Megenhardt, who designed the vibrant image on the front of the book and throughout all the inside pages!

My new picture book also was featured at the Wilchester Elementary Arts Market, where I had a booth and sold books. Bill was on hand to draw some adorable on-the-spot artwork for the kids! An art teacher at Wilchester, Stephanie Walton, made it all possible! She will also present my book at a workshop this week at the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) Art Teacher’s Conference, held in Galveston. She helps other teachers learn how to incorporate art cars into their classroom lesson plans. She rocks! Thanks for handing out my bookmarks and flyers at the conference, Stephanie!

St. Mark’s Episcopal School welcomed me on Nov. 10 for an Author’s Visit. I had a great time talking to the kids in multiple grades about “Amazing Book Ideas: Where do they come from?” They were a fantastic bunch, were super attentive, and asked great questions. Thank you, St. Mark’s, for making me feel comfortable the first time I presented at a school. (Two of my nieces attend this precious school, which made the day even more special for me).

You’ll never believe what this Saturday Nov. 14 is … that’s right, it’s WORLD ARTCAR DAY 2015 Houston! Who knew there was a whole day set aside to celebrate these rolling works of art? The Houston Art Car Museum will have a mini-art car making workshop from 12:00 noon until 3:00 pm. Each child will get a toy car and all the paint, glue and accessories they need to create their very own miniature art car. On hand will be local art cars of the Houston Art Car Klub. Check it out here!

If I think of anything else going on, I’ll update the post. For now, I think this is plenty. It’s been a busy launch week, but lots of fun!

It’s been an AMAZING week!

Plenty of AMAZING news this week … My book is live on Amazon!

http://amzn.to/1S0kce7

And since I’m the distributor, it’s also available for purchase directly from me through my website. Go to www.catheynickell.com and you should see the PayPal “Buy Now” button under my BOOKS tab.

It doesn’t matter to me which way you purchase … Amazon or PayPal.  Either way is AMAZING!

I’ve showcased my book at a recent “Art of Conversation†luncheon hosted by City ArkWorks. It will also be showcased this week at the 34^th Annual Gala for the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. Lots of cool stuff going on.

My illustrator, Bill Megenhardt, will join me this coming Saturday to autograph and sell books. We’ll be at the Wilchester Elementary “Holiday in the Park†Arts Market, from 10: a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Nov. 7, 2015, at 13618 St. Mary’s Lane, Houston, Texas, 77043. It’s an awesome event, which benefits her art class as well as a school Art Show in February. Stephanie Walton is an art teacher I met on Facebook, and she’s the person who developed this fun sales marketplace. Stephanie is an inventive educator who uses art cars to teach creativity to her students. What a concept!

https://www.facebook.com/MrsWaltonsArtCar

If you know what an art car is, I’m confident that you’ll enjoy Arthur Zarr’s story. And if you’ve never heard of art cars, you might like learning about this artistic expression. If you do purchase my picture book, please post a review on Amazon. Thank you!

While you’re at it, how about “liking†my Arthur Zarr on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ArthurZarrsAmazingArtCar

Tip of the day: Be like Arthur Zarr & Be Amazing!

Arthur Zarr is Born!

My first children’s book, Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car, has arrived!

A few silly bumper stickers triggered the concept for my new picture book. Nothing big. Just a twinkling of an idea that started small but took flight. And for my book’s main character, Arthur Zarr, it all began with an acorn that fell from a tree.

The costs that my book project incurred started off small, too. However, the expenses quickly grew, and while I don’t want to discourage anyone from self-publishing, I’ll be frank. It’s expensive to develop a hardcover book with dust jacket, complete with hand-drawn illustrations and Smythe-sewn binding! But my goal was to create a professional-looking book—one that could hold its own next to those developed by big publishing houses. So, I had to be willing to make a financial investment. I’m glad I did. (Note: e-books and print-on-demand books are considerably less expensive, but I had other plans in mind).

After a long ride from Canada, the books arrived this week. Like any proud mother, I can only see perfection when I look at my new baby. It will soon launch on Amazon (today, I mailed cases of books to three different Amazon Fulfillment Centers!), as well as Barnes and Noble, independent bookstores, gift shops, schools, libraries, my website, etc. Give me a few days, and it will be available for purchase by next week.  (Update 2018: My book is selling well and still available on AMAZON!).

If you know what an art car is, I’m confident that you’ll enjoy Arthur Zarr’s story. And if you’ve never heard of art cars, you might like learning about this artistic expression. If you check out my picture book, I’d be so honored if you’d please post a review on Amazon. While you’re at it, how about “liking†my Arthur Zarr on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ArthurZarrsAmazingArtCar

Am I a Legitimate Author?

“Can you help me get my book published?â€

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked that question… it wouldn’t make me a millionaire, but I bet it would buy me a few tanks of gas. It’s funny, because a big-name publisher has not published my work. Nor a small publisher. Still though, it seems that some are noting my humble progress, and they’re asking how I’ve done it.

You’ve heard the well-known quote: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.” Well, I’ve discovered that “getting my book published†and “getting on Amazon†takes a lot more than practice.

I have two books under my belt. The first—a historical nonfiction—was published in 2012, with a revision and second printing in 2015. Uniting Faith, Medicine and Healthcare: A 60-Year History of the Institute For Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center was the result of a freelance writing job. A Houston non-profit organization, called the Institute for Spirituality and Health, hired me to conduct interviews, research their annals, and develop a cohesive, historical chronicle of their years from 1955 to 2015.

The Institute project was unique because (1) I was well paid to write the book, and (2) the Institute funded all production costs to publish it. So, from a financial standpoint, I didn’t have to front the required capital. I didn’t take on any risk, other than my reputation as a writer. Since we chose to self-publish, I was able to skip the process of finding an agent, editor, or publishing house. I understood the publication process, thanks to my former years as a journalist and public relations professional.

My second book—a children’s picture book—has been an altogether different endeavor. In January of 2014, I came home from carpooling my son to school with a book idea. I sat down at my computer and created Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. I wrote the first draft in one sitting that took up most of my day. I felt it was an original story, and, after some research, I discovered that it would be the first children’s picture book on the topic of art cars. This led me to various appointments where I discussed my idea with smart, creative people. I considered self-publishing, and most everyone I talked to encouraged me to move forward with this idea.

The problem was that I wanted to feel legitimate. To me, that meant finding a “real publisher†or an agent. I couldn’t shake the notion that I wouldn’t be taken seriously if I self-published. Anyone can self-publish a book, was the nagging thought in my head. I discovered a small publisher that accepted non-agented work, and I mailed my manuscript off. I waited. And waited. After two months, I emailed the editor there, and she surprised me by writing back, saying that she was eager to read my story and would soon get back to me. I waited some more. And waited.

“PLAN B†IS SOMETIMES BETTER THAN “PLAN Aâ€â€¦

I never heard from that small publishing house. Looking back, I’m glad they didn’t respond. Undeterred, the months I spent waiting on that publisher’s call gave me time to develop a new plan. Ten months had passed since writing that first draft of Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. By this time, I had revised it dozens of times. I felt even more attached to my character and the dream of seeing Arthur come to life. I hired a local children’s book illustrator, and the real work began.

My constant narrative of “anyone can self-publish a book†wasn’t true. Producing my picture book has been a daily job that has required thousands of hours of proofreading, researching, learning, creating business/marketing plans, conducting cost comparisons, etc. I studied the basics of web design, blogging, social media, and building an author platform.

Self-publishing is hard work that’s not for the faint of heart or for the faint of wallet. In addition to the costs incurred in publishing a book, I’ve also taken courses, attended conferences, joined organizations, listened to webinars, and bought numerous industry books. Producing a hardcover picture book complete with dust jacket is an expensive endeavor with no promise of reimbursement through possible sales.

DARE TO SHARE…

But something special happened to me during the process of creating and producing Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. I grew in terms of creativity, productivity, and confidence. I’m not sure how, but I whittled out time to write a middle grade book that is currently in the rewrite phase (and that I might produce next). I revised the non-fiction book for the Institute for Spirituality and Health, and I produced its second printing. I completed my thesis and earned a master’s degree. I served as a paid consultant on a book project for another non-profit Houston organization. I helped a new acquaintance self-publish her book of poetry called Conscious Transformations: Within Me, Within You (by Marla Maharaj, for sale on Amazon). I assisted my parents as they sold their home and moved into a new house. I was a friend, a mother, a stepmother, a daughter, a sister, and a wife.

At first, I was afraid to put my writing, my books, and my ideas out into the world with no assurance of acceptance or appreciation. But as the inspiring author Brené Brown says, I think I’m “daring greatly!†I feel like a legitimate author. I can’t wait to open that first case of books in two weeks. Loveable Arthur is almost here!

Just Call Me “Hospital Girl”

I lived in a hospital from age 14 to 21.

Have you ever been to a party where they play that icebreaker game? Everyone has to say one fun fact about him or herself that you probably wouldn’t already know. Well, “I lived in a hospital from age 14 to 21†is my line. It’s a safe bet that I’m the only person in the room who can make that statement. It usually gets a laugh, until they find out I’m not joking.

It’s a unique story, but probably not as weird as you are imagining. My family lived in Shreveport, Louisiana, and Dad was a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. My parents bought a large private hospital to set up his solo medical practice. They had a vision for a business that was revolutionary at the time—a freestanding day surgery center. It was the late 1970s, and there were no other such facilities in Shreveport, and only a few in the United States. The building they purchased was originally a 1920s English Tudor home belonging first to the Ratcliff family, and later to the Frank Hemenway, Jr. family. In 1960, Dr. Peachy Gilmer acquired the home, enlarged it, and converted it into a 35-bed hospital. Later, a group of doctors bought it, and it became known as Fairfield Hospital.

My parents established it as The Plastic Surgery Center. Mom was the administrator, and Dad was the surgeon. They made a great team, hired a staff, and set to work. Soon after buying the large 14,000-square-foot building, they realized that it had more space than the business required. So, they created a home for their family of five children in a designated part of the building. Meanwhile, the medical clinic and day surgery activities took place in the front half of the building.

Spending those years in “the hospital,†as we often referred to our home/center at 3000 Fairfield Avenue, created a childhood that can’t be replaced. Here are some of my best memories.

1 – We had full access to a commercial-size Coca-Cola machine. Remember when soda machines had glass bottles? Ours was that type. Sodas were only 25 cents. My siblings and I were in cokes-for-a-quarter heaven! Poor Mom did her best to set carbonate limits, but we learned to quietly sneak them out of the machine. That just added to the fun of it.

2 – Most homes have a driveway. Our hospital/home had an enormous parking lot. That meant plenty of room for all of our cars and those of our friends. It also provided generous space for us to paint banners before the weekend high school football games. My little brother, Patrick—who was only seven years old when we moved into the hospital—had a large expanse of concrete to drive his go-kart. The patients loved it when they saw the handmade sign that Patrick posted one morning: “Caution: Watch Out For Go-Kart Driver!â€

3 – We had an elevator. It was the old-fashioned kind that required us to manually shut the heavy door. Next, we had to close an accordion-style metal gate by hand. There was a large lurch when we first hit the button for the floor we wanted. The hospital had three floors, which provided endless elevator entertainment for five kids. It was also fun to scare our friends by pretending we were stuck between floors.

4 – There was a real operating room upstairs. I only saw the inside of the O.R. a handful of times. It was a sterile area, and we weren’t allowed to enter. Dad has always had a great sense of humor, and he had fun keeping non-medical staff (and his children) out of that section of the center. With bright red duct tape, he created a thick, forbidding line. Above it was this phrase: “Thou Shalt Not Cross the Red Line!â€

5 – After hours, we had access to several well-equipped business offices. Copier machines are an everyday occurrence in homes now, but in the 1970s, they were not common. We had a full-blown Xerox machine. We taught our friends to lean over the glass plate to print out hilarious faces. We also had a few IBM Selectric typewriters we could use anytime … and office supplies … and plenty of desks for homework time … and business telephones with buttons that enabled us to put our friends on hold!

6 – We had a historic gazebo in our back yard. It was the site for many bridal photos and wedding proposals. I mentioned before that Dad has a great sense of humor. Well, the gazebo was old and in need of repair, so my parents hired some renovation experts to bring it back to its original 1920s glory. The patients kept asking what was happening to the gazebo. To stop the questions, he installed a huge sign on our busy street corner that announced: “The Gazebo is having a facelift.†It made it into The Shreveport Times.

Our beloved Plastic Surgery Center has since been torn down and replaced with a large bank building. The gazebo was relocated a few miles away to the campus of Centenary College, which my parents and three siblings attended. But we still have our memories, and I wouldn’t change anything about those years growing up in a hospital. I think my brothers and sisters would agree. Thanks, Mom and Dad.

GAZEBO PHOTO BY: Langston McEachern (1918-2004), former photographer at The Shreveport Times.

My Picture Book Got a Crew Cut

I wrote my first picture book. I brought the manuscript to a conference hosted by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, held in Houston this past April. And I felt pretty darn good about my creation. I’d already spent months making adjustments and changes, rearranging sentences and paragraphs. I’d shown it to several friends and family members. I’d consulted with a few fellow writers. It’s a clean document, I thought. It’s pretty much done.

I knew I wanted to self-publish Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car. I had already published a nonfiction history book through a freelance writing job. So, I knew the procedures of obtaining my ISBN, barcode, copyright, graphic designer, and printer. And I was confident that the text for my picture book was ready. I’d hired an illustrator, and he was busy drawing. I felt good about where my book stood at that point.

Fast forward to the end of Day Number One of the SCBWI conference. Wow. As I drove home, I reflected on what I had learned over the past eight hours. Much of it, I knew. Things like, trim the fat. Make every word count. Don’t use adverbs. Show, don’t tell! Show, don’t tell! Show, don’t tell! (We heard that one a LOT).

I heard some other information, too. One speaker emphasized, “It all begins with strong verbs.†He also said, “The adjective is the enemy of the noun.†By that he meant, don’t say “an enormous house†when you can say “a mansion.†An agent stressed, “Is your manuscript as polished as possible?†Another agent encouraged, “Trust the reader.” And in every talk, the editors stressed: Rewrite. Rewrite. Rewrite.

I came home and read my picture book with a fresh set of eyes. I tried to think like an agent or editor. I rewrote. Again. And again. And again. I’m including one page of my text to demonstrate what I did. I cut my manuscript. After one enlightening day at a SCBWI conference, I deleted 612 words from my story!

For a moment, self-doubt got the best of me. I’m untalented. I’m afraid. My ideas are lame. I have no business trying to self-publish a children’s book. But then I remembered something else I heard that day at the SCBWI conference: “Everyone gets rejected.†And, “Nothing succeeds like failing; because if you’re failing, that means you are trying.â€

So, I flipped my thoughts and looked at my book-scalping experience as a success. I also hired a copy editor, and that—in addition to the fee to attend the SCBWI conference—was the best money I’ve spent while developing my picture book.

If you’re a writer, don’t be afraid to give your manuscript a serious haircut. Who knows? Maybe crew cuts are back in style.

https://www.facebook.com/ArthurZarrsAmazingArtCar

Five Ways To Impress My Dog

I’m the seeing-eye person for my little blind dog. I tap my foot to indicate the spot where I’ve dropped Cricket’s treat. I gently tug her head up by the leash so she doesn’t bump her nose on the curb. I squeak her toy before the toss so she knows how to track it. I never rearrange our furniture.

Cricket wasn’t born blind, but juvenile cataracts took her eyesight at the young age of two. She’s eleven years old now, and, like most pet owners, we adore our fur-baby. As such, my husband and I spared no expense. Cataract surgery on both eyes; laser surgery to save one detaching retina; pricey drops to keep glaucoma under control. Cricket is high maintenance!

Perhaps you’ve heard the funny saying, “Be the person your dog thinks you are.†I have a ceramic dish that displays the quote, and it got me thinking. What kind of person does Cricket believe I am?

#1 – My dog thinks I’m a caretaker.  I provide for all of Cricket’s needs. I feed her, pet her, bathe her, walk her, and administer her medications. I make sure she doesn’t bump into things. I keep her safe. So, according to my ceramic dish, I need to BE this person, right? That means I should take care of myself. My husband, colleagues, friends and family will treat me the way I treat myself. I recently heard Elizabeth Gilbert, best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love, explain her thoughts on this topic. She says that after years of self-work, she finally blossomed into a person who could attract positive results. She learned how to treat herself so well that she finally recognized what it felt like to be treated well by others. I need to take care of myself as well as I take care of sweet Cricket.

#2 – My dog thinks I’m the alpha.  Cricket knows I’m the boss. She can’t help it. It’s instinctive. She hangs her head if she thinks I’m upset with her. She rolls onto her back to get my attention. She stays in place when I tell her not to move. If I’m going to BE this person, I need to be the alpha of my own life. If I don’t take charge, someone else will. As William Ernest Henley wrote in his poem, Invictus, “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.†Every day is a new opportunity to focus on my goals. I have to be my own alpha.

#3 – My dog thinks I’m active.  Twice a day, I lead Cricket on her walks. I toss toys to her. I brush her fur. I help her chase a soccer ball around the yard. To BE the person Cricket thinks I am, I need to stay active. I lost a smart, vibrant, beautiful college friend this year to cancer. I think if she were alive, she’d say, “Lethargy has no place in your life, Cathey. Go live!†I need to actively live until the day I die. Cricket cannot see the toys I toss, but she enjoys fetching them as if it were the most exciting event she has ever encountered. Just as Cricket adapted to her blindness with her frisky personality still intact, I, too, want to face each day’s challenges with active enthusiasm and energy.

#4 – My dog thinks I’m cuddly.  Cricket sleeps in the bed with my husband, Kevin, and me. She cuddles with us, especially during thunderstorms. I translate this to mean that I should be soft (cuddly!), not harsh. Karma means that there’s a law of attraction at play in my life. I want to be supportive and encouraging of the successes of my friends. I want to think positive thoughts; listen to my intuition; visualize how I want my life to be. That prickly old feeling of disappointment is the opposite of cuddly, so I strive to not wallow in discontent.

 #5 – My dog thinks I’m part of the pack.  Cricket does a pretty typical dog thing, or maybe it stems from her breed (Havanese!). No matter who walks in our door, she barks—even if she knows the person quite well. When our son, Will, comes home from school, Cricket barks. When Kevin gets home from work, she barks. When our older college kids visit, she barks. I guess she’s warning me that our other pack members have arrived. But, interestingly, whenever I enter the house, she doesn’t bark. I love that she’s silent upon my arrival, because it makes me feel that I belong here. I like being an integral part of the pack. I think in other areas of my life, I need to be a bigger slice of the pack. A member of the author pack. A member of the publishing pack. A member of my pack of awesome girlfriends. It’s a creative world, and I want to be part of it.

Please forgive the awkward photo of Cricket. Because she can’t see, she was confused about what I was doing with the dish!

My Old SUV Inspired a Picture Book

I remember the playful statement I made to my teenage son last year on the way to his school. “Will, I need to be a polite driver and obey the laws of the road, because my car is so incredibly recognizable. Other drivers notice me, you know.†Will’s response? Eye roll, wrapped in a deadpan reaction, surrounded by mockery. “Uh, no, Mom, no one ever notices you. No one. And they definitely don’t pay attention your car.†We both laughed and went back to listening to our favorite morning drive radio show.

See, I’ve spent many years braving the freeways of Houston during rush hour while chauffeuring my kids to school. What you don’t know about me is that I like to cover the back of my SUV with meaningful bumper stickers. There’s one from my alma mater, Baylor University. Will’s school, Bellaire High. Katie’s college, Southern Methodist in Dallas. Pamela’s law school at the University of Texas in Austin. Mason’s college, University of St. Thomas. Then there are my declarative stickers: I ♥ Telluride, I ♥ My Havanese, and Do What You Like/Like What You Do! The bumper stickers have become a running joke with my friends and family. But you can’t blame me for trying to make my car seem a little less ordinary than the plain, whitish-bronze, 2003 SUV that it is.

I teased Will that morning about having a memorable car that everyone notices. He bantered back that no one would ever notice me. It was a simple joke, but it got me thinking. What else—besides bumper stickers—makes a vehicle stand out? What makes a car memorable? My own questions triggered me to contemplate art cars. Art cars are pretty darn memorable, I thought. By the time I had finished my morning carpool, the idea for Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car was born. And even though I’m not an illustrator, I knew it would somehow become a picture book.

• DO A BIT OF RESEARCH!

I wondered. Has anyone already written a story like this? Are there books available for children that describe art cars? I visited bookstores and libraries, and I researched the topic. I found several interesting photographic art car books for adults. But no colorful children’s books. No imaginative made-up stories. I asked around, and I was surprised that many people don’t even know what art cars are.

It seems that most residents in and around Houston know about art cars, because Houston is home of the country’s first and largest annual art car parade (now in it’s 29^th year). But most of my friends and relatives outside of Houston have never seen or heard of an art car. This discovery made me want to write and publish my story even more. I couldn’t wait to see the Arthur Zarr of my imagination come to life.

I rushed home from my library/bookstore quest to write. The story is set in a small, imaginary town, where Arthur Zarr is a quiet man with few friends. His life is rather plain, and his car is plain, too. But not for long! Arthur gets a creative idea to add everyday objects to his car’s exterior. People in his community start noticing him for the first time. Neighbors and other bystanders join Arthur by adding their own artistic flair to his car. Soon, he becomes a contender in the town’s Art Car Parade. Arthur Zarr finds happiness and makes friends by building an amazing art car.

• BE SURE TO COLLABORATE!

All this, just from a silly conversation about my bumper stickers! My husband read the manuscript first, and he liked it. His enthusiasm gave me the confidence to continue to pursue the project. Friends and family encouraged me to self-publish, but I needed objective advice. A local advertising guru agreed to a gratis consult. He listened to my idea, and he said the same thing: go home and self-publish your book. He said something else that stuck with me: “Start talking about your book, Cathey. I’ve seen ideas die on the vine simply because someone was afraid to talk about it. Start talking about your book. Start collaborating.â€

I had already written and self-published a nonfiction history book, but never a picture book. I asked around and made a few calls, which led me to a handful of illustrator options. I narrowed the list down to Bill Megenhardt, an experienced Houston children’s book illustrator with great references. His services weren’t exactly inexpensive, but he wasn’t the most expensive either. It was manageable. The illustration and print costs are not small, so this is a serious venture for me. But as my bumper sticker advises, I’m doing what I like and liking what I do! If all goes as planned, the book will be ready by November.

Listen to that kernel of inspiration that might be tickling the back of your mind. Pay attention to the silly stuff you joke about with friends or family. You never know, an object as ordinary as a 12-year-old SUV covered with bumper stickers might be all it takes to trigger your next project. And, like Arthur Zarr, maybe you’ll build something as amazing as an art car.

Hey, how about “liking†my creative guy, Arthur Zarr, on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ArthurZarrsAmazingArtCar

How I Wrote a Thesis and a Book… At the Same Time!

Completing my thesis—and thus wrapping up my graduate degree—was one of those items I was determined to check off my bucket list. But I had gotten remarried, and my new husband and I were trying to blend our family of three children. Then, I had another baby. Life’s circumstances pushed my thesis goal to the back burner. Sixteen years later, I was still writing at the top of my bucket list: “Finish Master of Liberal Arts degree.â€

In the mid-90s, I enjoyed a dream job as the public information officer for a university in Louisiana. Prior to that, I had done public relations work in the healthcare industry. So, working with professors in an academic environment was a new adventure. The politics and flavor of campus life fascinated me, and I wanted to soak in all my new workplace had to offer. When I discovered that full-time employees were allowed to take classes at no expense, I was first in line to register. I was a single, working-mother in my late 20s, so the words “free tuition†sounded like winning the lottery.

TIP #1: IT’S NORMAL FOR YOUR ENGINE TO STALL!

By taking night courses after work and some during my lunch hour, I eventually finished the required credits for a Master of Liberal Arts degree. The only thing I lacked to graduate was writing a thesis. That’s where I stalled. I had heard from my professors that the M.L.A. degree at this particular university was considered a “low-completer†program. Meaning, students usually finished the classes but often didn’t graduate due to the daunting thesis requirement.

That will never be me, I thought. I’d be a fool not to finish a graduate program that doesn’t even charge me tuition. I’m a writer. This will be a snap.

But that was me. I was a “low-completer.†I had a million excuses… I moved to another state. I got remarried. I had a baby. I can’t think of a thesis topic. Working long-distance with my professors will be difficult. Too much time has passed (16 years!). The Graduate Council probably won’t readmit me into the program.

Plus, that requirement of a thesis paper being “original research†stumped me even more. I had, of course, written numerous news releases, brochures, newsletters, articles and research papers. The thesis, however, was a whole different beast. All my insecurities about writing crept to the surface.

Tip #2: START SAYING YES!

 One day, I got a bucket-list-changing phone call from my father. He’s the President/CEO of a non-profit organization in Houston, and he wanted me to research and write its rich sixty-year history. The Institute for Spirituality and Health has been around for six decades, but no one had ever compiled their unique story into one cohesive document. He thought of his daughter (me!) and made the call.

I wanted to get back into writing. I wanted something to call my own. Something that didn’t involve kids, carpooling, or running a home. Something creative. I also saw a chance to finish my graduate degree at the same time. I knew that if the university’s Graduate Council would agree, I could kill two birds with one stone. So I immediately answered, “yes.â€

Tip #3: DON’T EVER THINK YOU’VE MISSED THE BOAT!

 Even though I hadn’t spoken to her in many years, I got up the nerve to call one of my former graduate school professors. The first surprise was that she remembered me. The second surprise was that she liked my thesis idea. She asked me to petition the Graduate Council in writing. I did, and my research topic was accepted! I was readmitted back into the program, my lengthy time-lapse forgiven. She even agreed to serve as one of my committee readers, along with two others.

I spent many months conducting one-on-one oral history interviews with longtime supporters of the Institute for Spirituality and Health. Some of the interviewees were in their 90s, so my work mattered. I was helping to preserve history by writing down their memories. I dissected my notes to find a perfect quote here and there. I spent tedious hours every day, searching through sixty-year’s worth of board minutes, newsletters, hand-written letters, special event programs, books, and other documents.

The hard work paid off. I compiled the first chronological historical record of the organization’s years from 1955 to 2015. It was original, never-before-written research. The graduate committee approved my thesis document, and my defense was accepted. I earned my master’s degree.

TIP #4: BE A HIGH-COMPLETER!

 The Institute had a modest financial budget for the history book, but it was enough. I hired a graphic designer and chose Lightning Source/Ingram Spark as our printing company. The result: “Uniting Faith, Medicine and Healthcare: A 60-Year History of the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center†was released in May 2015 to coincide with the organization’s sixtieth anniversary.

The 120-page book is available for purchase online through Amazon and/or Barnes and Noble. The softcover (ISBN: 978-0-692-42612-8) is $12.00, and the hardcover version (ISBN: 978-0-692-42613-5) is $18.00. All proceeds benefit the Institute for Spirituality and Health, which depends on contributions from the community to achieve ongoing success.

I don’t profit financially from sales of the Institute’s history book. But I profit in other ways. I feel like a “high-completer†now. My bucket list is a little shorter, too. Working on my thesis and the ensuing book brought me back to life. I haven’t stopped writing since, and I continue to develop other book projects. Next up is my first children’s picture book called, “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” which I hope to launch in November 2015.

What’s on your bucket list?

Cathey’s First Blog

Hi guys! I’m a big fan of actress Valerie Harper. Like so many teenage girls, I identified with Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s Mary Tyler Moore Show. I love something Valerie said once, “Don’t let your fear today rob you of a fun life.” Since Valerie’s been battling cancer for about five years, I figure she’s an expert at making each day count. That’s the kind of person I strive to be.

I write in a bright sunny office at my home here in Texas. My workspace features a large cork board that’s covered with inspirational notes and pictures. Pretty much anything that interests me goes on the board. On one scrap of torn paper, next to Valerie’s quote, I jotted down another phrase I like: “The ability to grow is directly related to the amount of insecurity you are able to take in your life.” I guess that means I need to do things that make me anxious! That’s how I approach my new writing career… It’s a little scary when I think about the possibility of failure, but that’s not going to stop me.

Be tenacious and determined!

Thanks for reading my first post. Hopefully I’ll get better as I go.