A 2015 POST RE-CAP.

A tradition I first became aware of several years ago when I saw a post on Suko's Notebook. Who can believe it's December already and therefore time to recall the events of 2015 by sharing links to the first post of every month.

JANUARY: BOOKS READ 2014 ... Recalling 2014 which saw 137 books or approximately 41,858 pages read. Hmm! I wonder how 2015 will compare?

FEBRUARY: MRS DALLOWAY ... Sad to say but there is a certain amount of literary snobbery out there and I'm afraid when it comes down to the so called classics versus more contemporary fiction ..... Well, lets just say that in the book snobs eyes there is no comparison. And thus, worried my discernment as a reader might be called into question, I found myself almost loath to admit that not only did I not enjoy the novel, I was bored by it.

MARCH: ON MATTERS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND CONVENIENCE ... From the passengers on the bus shout 'ding-ding-ding to the 10 most unusual things left in a north east taxi.

APRIL: LOVEFILM: MARCH '15 ... 'Delivery Man', 'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes', 'God's Not Dead', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'.

MAY: 6 DEGREES OF SEPARATION #12: ELIZABETH IS MISSING ... A monthly meme in which readers are invited to link six books according to whatever connections come to mind. One of the few 'starter' books I had actually read, Elizabeth is missing took me from Swallowing Grandma by Kate Long to Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller.

JUNE: FROM NO SWEARING AT THE SHEEP TO A SEXUALLY INTENSE DUCK ... In an 'animal special' - the employee caught using profanities in front of animals to Desmond Drake, 'a sexually intense dead duck' and, of course, how could we forget? Bessie the Wallsend Cow.

JULY: GETTING CREATIVE ... From the 'Bibliochair' to DIY boobmarks via 'book bins' and a reading lamp.

AUGUST: THE PHARAOH'S CAT ... A time travel tale that takes us from ancient Egypt to modern day New York. Combining the history of ancient Egypt, a sweet romance, a pantomime villain and a talking cat with a great sense of humour The Pharaoh's Cat is as entertaining as it is educational.

SEPTEMBER: LOVEFILM: AUGUST '15 ... From 'Exodus: Gods And Kings' to 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' by way of 'The Boxtrolls'.

OCTOBER: THE SLEEPWALKER'S GUIDE TO DANCING ... At two pages shy of 500, too long. Not that this would put me off in itself but I'm afraid combined with the minute print of this Bloomsbury 2014 edition and the superfluous hour-by-hour, day-by-day ramblings reading The Sleep Walker's Guide To Dancing proved to be something of a chore.

NOVEMBER: A MEDIA MONDAY ETIQUETTE SPECIAL ... From videos comparing sex to that well known British pastime of drinking tea to the 39 steps of being a modern gentleman.

DECEMBER: WHEN LITTLE KITTY MET MOG: TWO 'PAW'SOME CATS, TWO GREAT CHARITIES ... Two great books raising money for two great charities both of which are close to my heart AND my favourite 2015 Christmas advert.

WHEN LITTLE KITTY MET MOG: TWO 'PAW'SOME CATS, TWO GREAT CHARITIES.

It's DECEMBER 1ST ..... Which can mean only one thing. Please open the door on Pen and Paper's Advent calendar which this year comes courtesy of Boowa and Kwala. Simply click on the Gingerbread House icon on the left hand-side sidebar and away you go. TT

Did I tell you about the book, Little Kitty The Cat Burglar, that I and several other authors had written?

I did?

Oh well! For those of you who might have missed it OR for those of you looking for the PURRfect Christmas gift, I bring you ...

'Little Kitty wouldn't  exactly call herself a cat burglar. She just likes to bring back the occasional gift for her humans .... A lovely story for younger readers and adults alike - perfect for reading together. Beautifully illustrated by Catie Atkinson and designed by Rachel Lawston'
- amazon.co.uk

Available in paperback and Kindle versions here at amazon.co.uk and here at amazon.com as well as all other amazon sites, all proceeds go to Alzheimer's Research UK.

Not the only 'cat' to be raising money for a good cause ...

On our screens since mid-November, if you are British and watch tv you can't have missed this BUT for the rest of you I give you my favourite 2015 Christmas advert ....

Raising money for Save The Children's UK Literacy Programme, the book, Mog's Christmas Calamity by Judith Kerr, is available to buy at many online retailers including here at Sainsbury's.

LITTLE KITTY THE CAT BURGLAR.

Hmm, reviewing a book you've had a part in writing? Is it just me or isn't that the done thing? 

Having created Pen and Paper as a means of cataloguing the books I'd read and my thoughts on them let's think of this not so much as a review as my simply recording my thoughts on a book just as I would any other.

LITTLE KITTY THE CAT BURGLAR by CATERINA LONGTAIL.

BACK COVER BLURB: Little Kitty wouldn't exactly call herself a cat burglar.

She just likes to bring back the occasional gift for her humans.

When they go away on holiday, Little Kitty has the house all to herself. She lazes on the sofa in the sunshine, explores the new neighbours' garden and listens out for old Mrs Browne who brings over her dinner every day.

But after a fur-raising run-in with a big black cat called Thor, Little Kitty soon realises it's going to be up to her to protect the residents of Peppercorn Place from a real thief.

FIRST SENTENCE {Chapter One as written by myself}: Ah, how I love Sunday mornings!

SOURCE: Purchased from amazon.co.uk. (The book is also available on other local amazon sites.)

MY THOUGHTS: Caterina Longtail? Ah, that would be the collective pen name of myself and the seven other authors - Ann Bowyer, Suzan Collins, Lucille Rayner, Jo Wilde, Tottie Limejuice, JB Johnston and Ros Lyons - each of whom wrote a chapter of this chain story that chronicles the adventures of Little Kitty.

Even though I do say so myself, a purrfect read for cat lovers of all ages or indeed those who are simply after a wonderfully sweet little read. A pawsome stocking filler ideal for bedtime reading ... and it raises money for a worthy cause to boot (all proceeds go to Alzheimers Research).

Designed and illustrated by Katie Atkinson and Rachel Lawston, though I say so myself the illustrations are absolutely adorable. A kitten in the top right hand corner appearing to run as you flick through the pages.

But enough of my thoughts, what are other readers saying?

'When Tracy announced the book was available for purchase, I immediately ordered three copies: one for my grandchildren, one for my kitty-obsessed younger daughter, and (of course) one for myself. when I gave my daughter her copy, she pointed out something I hadn't yet noticed ... the little kitties on the upper right of each page "run" when used as a "flip book"!! Such fun!

It's a delightful tale, one to be enjoyed by all ages. I highly recommend it!'

- Kelly (Kelly's Thoughts & Ramblings)

'A super little story of a very brave little kitty written by several ladies, it was very clever idea to write it as they did. I think all ages would love this and what a fantastic way of making some money for Alzheimers Research UK. This terrible disease is in every family and we are all touched by it in some way. Well done.' - Katiematie (amazon.co.uk)

'This is a lovely story that everyone will be able to relate to as you delve into the thoughts and manipulations of Little Kitty. It's sweet and funny: I laughed out loud on more than a few occasions. This is a lovely little story that people of all ages would enjoy and the fact that it's for a fabulous cause is even better.  - Patricia Smith (amazon.co.uk)

A precious little tale with delightful illustrations - one to be enjoyed by all ages. Plus, all proceeds go to a worthy charity. It can't get better than that! - KsrgmcK (amazon.com)

MEDIA MONDAY: FOOD AND DRINK SPECIAL.

PLEASE NOTE: Whilst I endeavour to keep Media Monday family friendly some of the articles featured do have links to articles of a more adult nature. TT

First and foremost, this weeks news from the Pen and Paper times ...

Little Kitty the Cat Burglar is now available on Amazon. Blogger Tracy Terry asks her blogger buddies to spread the word about a great book raising money for a worthy cause.

Having discovered a protein which binds the components together scientists have come up with an ice-cream that doesn't melt quite so fast.

The perfect round-up to every carnivore's feast or a waste of good bananas?

Peanut butter covered banana wrapped in bacon.

Unsurprisingly (and thankfully) unavailable in the frozen product aisle of any supermarket but devised as a treat for penguins, a zoo has come up with fish flavoured ice-lollies known as sushi Zoo-shi.

Breakfast may have become a lot more fun after Kelloggs have unveiled a range of wacky inventions which includes amongst other things 'The Crane Head Cereal Serving Device', a hands-free helmet that allows you to dig into a cereal packet and serve into a bowl and dispense milk) and (my favourite) 'The Soggy-O-Meter', a gadget that sets off an alarm when your cereal reaches your preferred level of sogginess.

Three students and a barman have hauled a nine gallon barrel of ale up to the summit of Ben Nevis (at 4,4061ft/1,344m Britain's highest peak) and set up a pop-up bar to serve the hand-pumped 'Tunnel Vision' beer to climbers.

Must see image of the week ...

You could be forgiven for thinking this display is enough to quench your thirst but what at first appears to be a bucket of beer is in fact ..... a cake. 

And finally, the articles that though not food related I simply had to share ...

Organisers of a festival in Cornwall have reported how a female festival goer was 'teleported' across the festival site in a portable toilet when it was moved by a forklift truck.

Given the popularity of Leanne's dog Willow ...

Meet Barry the Bedlington Terrier from Kirby Stephen, Cumbria who having learnt to ride a tricycle has upgraded to classic cars.

AVAILABLE NOW: LITTLE KITTY THE CAT BURGLAR.

Oh it's such a perfect day, I'm glad I spent it with you' so sang Lou Reed.

A purrfect day indeed and what better way to share it than with you, my friends and fellow bloggers.

As of yesterday, Saturday the fifth of September, Little Kitty the Cat Burglar (the first chapter of which was written by yours 

truly) who ....

'Wouldn't exactly call herself a cat burglar. She just likes to bring back the occasional gift for her humans' ....

became available in paperback on Amazon (links at the bottom of the page) with a kindle version available to pre-order soon.

With all money raised going to Alzheimers Research, a great charity that is close to my heart, I'd like to thank my fellow authors Ann Bowyer, Suzan Collins, JB Johnson, Tottie Limejuice, Ros Lyons, Lucy Rayner and Jo Wilde as well as Catie Atkinson and Rachel Lawston for the illustrations and design and Jaine Keskeys (editor) all of whom gave their time and expertise for free. And of course not forgetting Mr T (my apologies for being a total pain) and author and friend Patricia Smith for all their encouragement and support.

To answer your questions that came about as a result of a previous post on Pen and Paper ....

A 'chain story', there were eight of us who wrote a chapter each. Knowing my love of cats and that I had a close family member suffering from this awful condition I was approached by Suzan Collins (whose books I had reviewed previously) who coordinated the whole project to write a chapter.

As for the cover (sweet, isn't it?), thanks must go to Catie Atkinson and Rachel Lawston for the illustrations and design.

Sorry but I'm afraid that my chapter won't be published anywhere other than in the book .... unless because the copyright for that chapter remains mine I choose to include it in any works I publish independently.

Available in paperback here on amazon.co.uk, my friends in the US can find it here on amazon.com. For friends elsewhere Little Kitty the Cat Burglar should be available, if it isn't already, on your local amazon site.

Please feel free to share this post and/or the link to the book on your blogs, FaceBook pages, Twitter, etc and lets raise some money for this wonderful cause. 

EXCITING NEWS: LITTLE KITTY REVEALED.

Remember my mentioning that I'd be asked to write a chapter for a book to raise money for Alzheimer's Society research?

Well .....

Today I'm delighted to be able to reveal the cover with author biographies and purchasing information to follow early next week.

Lovely isn't it?

Please note that this is a corrected version of an image that I previously posted here.

IN MY ABSENCE .....

Apologies I haven't been around for the last week or so. A malware meant the computer was out of order for a few days and then, wouldn't you know it, I came down with a nasty chest infection.

Anyway, on the positive side. I received the results of my latest MRI last week and I'm relieved to report that all is well, that there is no sign of any growth, so I will continue to be monitored with the possibility of radiotherapy should things change.

AND .....

A group of us are about to start an interesting project. We are going to write a chain story book and all the monies will go to Alzheimer's Society research. 

Thank you to the following people who will each write a chapter .. Tracy Terry, Ann Bowyer, Emma Bunn, Lesley Krier Tither, Jo Wilde and thank you to Lily Tarbox who will be asking her niece to design the whole cover for us.

- Suzan Collins, FaceBook, February 16th 2015.

Yes, you read right, I'm honoured to have been approached by Suzan Collins, author of amongst other books the wonderful Chatty Cat: The First Six Months, to write a story in aid of the Alzheimer's Society. Excited and nervous all at the same time I'll be sure to let you know how I'm progressing and in the meantime in my absence please accept this from me ....

- Image courtesy of Natural Solutions Magazine on FaceBook.