Cats and Dogs are just a few of my Favourite things...

It's hard to say which part of the creative process of writing and illustrating a book is my favourite, especially when cats and dogs are the main subject matter!
Jotting down one's initial ideas is always so exciting, it's the start of something and I find myself impatient to get going.
And then the actual writing begins and I find myself writing day and night, on the computer, but also in my head... while in the shower, preparing a meal, shopping, watching a movie, you name it, it takes over my mind and I find it hard to concentrate on anything else. Even in the middle of the night my mind likes to keep working - writers will find themselves agreeing with me - we've all got that notepad by the bed, right?
Of course, there are the laborious parts, the proof reading, the editing, the corrections and re-writes, but we know we'll get there and move on to the next part of the process.
The Little Cat who thought she was a Dog is illustrated and, as it is a project as close to my heart as anything could be, the illustrations had to be my own.
I had such fun sketching out ideas for the illustrations, as well as drawing and painting them, and could have included so many more had it not been for the printing costs involved, which affect the final retail price unfortunately.
And so, finally, the draft is ready and the illustrations are complete, so what's left?
Why, the cover, of course! Okay, admission, I love designing my book covers!
As an Indie author, it falls to many of us to design our own covers, and this is part of the benefit of being independent. We get to put whatever we want on our covers! We can go as crazy or as arty as we wish!
And so it was with my special illustrated kids' story, I went crazy and I went arty and decided to include many of my favourite things on the cover. I decided that it should just come right from my inner self, that it should be a 'Linzi cover'.
Anyone who knows me will see exactly what I mean as soon as they see the cover!
So here are the things I love:
I love pink.
I love leopard print.
I love Africa.
I love cats.
I love dogs - okay, dogs had to stay as illustrations within the book as the cover was beginning to look a tad crowded at this point!
Oh, I also love cute fonts...

And so, the cover ended up with lots of pink! Loads of leopard print! Delicious monster leaves and lizards! (That's the Africa part, although, strictly speaking, so is the leopard print of course...)
And a cat, Gypsy, of course, my beautiful little girl, who thought she was a dog!
I found the cutest font, Emily's Candy, which worked perfectly for me, and I sat back and nodded.
Yes, this was my cover!

  

 I hope you like it too!

The Little Cat who thought she was a Dog is available on most Amazon market places.

Here are the links for the UK & US:

Amazon UK

Amazon US