Helping paws

Down at the mill, and even though the raffle is over signed books are still selling well, both at the mill itself and online, so we sent Her off to sign some more and also sent instructions to the mill cats, to help Her out.

 

Tired after all the hard work, Heddle rested a while and checked that the books fit in the box.

 

Cats sell books!

Down at the mill the book launch went well. The cats were very good at persauding people to buy books and kept an eye on the raffle to make sure all was done well.

 

The raffle was won by Linda McCarroll from Solva. And She says thank you to everyone who bought a book and wants us to remind people that they can still but books form the mill, online, signed. Next year we will have a raffle again because people seemed to like it.

Fireside chat

Max: Warm. Good. She should be sitting here.

Maurice: She's busy. I think She has been surprised by the amount of books She has shifted from the Woollen Mill. And She's colouring in, a sheep or something. Not enough cat pictures.

Max: There are cats at the Mill, I am told. Working cats. In the day they lounge around in boxes, but at night they prowl and stalk around the weaving looms snicking and snacking on foolish mice.
Warp, Weft and Bobbin. They are working cats.  But all day they sleep, although sometimes Bobbin sits on high beams and supervises the building work.
There is a new room being renovated to make more shop and tea room space and She is hoping there will be wall space for paintings.

Maurice: So, it's in a few days time, and there's still time for cats to get their owners to buy a book, though why they would want to win a drawing of a bear I can't imagine, and they can find links to the Mill below or here . And do you think after that She will have time to sit with us?

Max: Probably not, because She is a foolish creature too busy for Her own good.

Maurice: Can you see tigers playing in the flickering flames. 

Eavesdropping. Elmo tells Max a secret or two.

Ssshh..... come close. I will tell you some secrets in whispered cat words. 

She has been painting cheetahs and cherries again when She should have been working on something else.

 

And, sshhhh... She is having a book launch for The Ice Bear, in Solva Woollen Mill in Middlemill, Pembrokeshire on 27th November, from 5 pm. There are cats in the mill. During the evening every book that is sold will come with a raffle ticket and at the end of the evening a winning ticket will be pulled from a hat and the winner will take home the drawing below. Sadly it is only a drawing of a bear, not of a cat, but it is quite a nice drawing despite that, in pencil, on board. And to make things fair to our friends who live a long long way away any book bought from the mill's online store will also come with a raffle ticket and the buyers details will also be put into the draw on the evening of 27th. One book, one ticket. All the books at the mill are signed and the offer applies to all the titles, not just The Ice Bear.

And, this is not a secret so we can shout it loud and proud, Tell Me a Dragon has been nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, and we are proud because we helped her to paint the dragons with their cat's eyes and cat's claws and elegant feline grace.

Wool and dragons and cats

At Middlemill there is a mill, with a stream running past and a big water wheel. Sometimes otters swim by. Inside the mill it smells of wool and at the mill two cats work, keeping mice from eating wool and sitting on the rugs to be sure they are comfortable. Heddle and Bobbin. Both have eyes like dragons.

In the mill the looms hammer and clank and you can watch the weaving and see some of the old machines.

Amongst the wool and the sheepskins and the other beautiful things are now signed copies of Her books for sale. You can order them by email, or by phone and you can see more of the mill at their website.

When She signs books She always draws a little picture too. Each one is different.