The Adventures of Baby Cat in Cherry Grove

Lily - the Baby Cat

2012-01-11T01:02:00.002-05:00

2012 Update

2012-01-11T00:47:00.005-05:00

Susan and I are working on getting the first and second Baby Cat books ready for Kindle. We're also looking into the Nook and iBookstore eBook platforms for all the books.

In the meantime, we still have print copies of the first book available for purchase for $10, which includes shipping. The other two books can be easily ordered through Amazon by clicking on the titles below:

Baby Cat 2: Saving Faith
Baby Cat 3: The Golden Dragonfly

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at: timasteffen@gmail.com.

Happy New Year!
Tim

Baby Cat 3

2011-05-04T11:46:00.000-04:00

Baby Cat 3 - The Golden Dragonfly can be purchased using the following links:

iUniverse

and

Amazon

Thanks very much!

Baby Cat 3 - Mission Completed!

2009-05-19T21:44:00.007-04:00

The Golden Dragonfly, Book 3 in the Baby Cat series, has been completed. Susan worked unceasingly during the early spring to finish the illustrations on time and we're happy to say that we think this is the best one yet.

While we're still in the production process with iUniverse, the book will be done in the next month, just in time for our book launch in Cherry Grove on June 20th (my birthday!).

Please check back soon to find out how to order your copy.

Meow!

Baby Cat 3 Update

2008-10-17T16:31:00.002-04:00

Susan and I are hanging out in Cherry Grove and getting our Baby Cat groove on. The first rough draft of the The Adventures of Baby Cat in Cherry Grove: The Search for the Golden Dragonfly has been completed and Susan and I now are going through it, editing, refining, and working hard to finish up the last book in the Baby Cat series. This doesn't mean we're done with Lily, or that Lily's done with us. As soon as Baby Cat 3 is done we'll commence writing the first of three books in the Lady Cat series. What should the next stage of her life be? Matron cat?

Booksignings!

2008-06-10T07:59:00.004-04:00

Susan and I had a great week. The booksigning at Grace Church School was fantastic! We sold over 100 books. The signing in Cherry Grove also went well. We're looking forward to getting to work on Baby Cat 3 for next Spring!

Booksigning at Grace Church School!

2008-04-22T22:17:00.002-04:00

Susan and I will be signing books at the annual Grace Church Book Fair on June 4th! We're happy to return after two years.

Susan is currently working on Baby Cat 3 illustrations while we also muster up the creative juices to finish the text. Baby Cat 3 is going to be about life and death and understanding that we all have to go through transitions in our lives, Lily's being her becoming the Lady Cat.

Baby Cat 2 is Now Available!

2007-09-12T20:48:00.000-04:00

posted by Tim

After only six weeks working with iUniverse, Baby Cat 2 is now available on their bookstore website! Yay! We're as happy as two kids in a confectionery emporium. The turnaround was incredible and the design is fantastic.

If you'd like to buy a copy, please visit www.iUniverse.com. Enter "Adventures of Baby Cat" in the bookstore search box and you'll be taken to the book. We hope you enjoy it. If you do, please rate the book on the site so we can get some more coverage. If you'd like to help us out further, you can go to Amazon and rate it there, too!

Next up for Susan and me is revisiting Baby Cat 1, do some more illustrations, and re-publish it through iUniverse next Spring, and hopefully have Baby Cat 3 ready to go by the summer!

Baby Cat 2 Update

2007-08-26T23:18:00.000-04:00

posted by Tim

Well, iUniverse has sent us the author proofs and we have made a few edits. The book should be ready for release in October, so we are forgoing the September book signing in Cherry Grove and will have one in May/June of 2008.

We are thrilled with the design and layout iUniverse has done for us. The book has come in at 96 pages and looks fantastic!

We're so happy with this company that we are going to rework Baby Cat 1 and re-publish it through iUniverse.

We also plan to start work on Baby Cat 3 this fall and winter for a possible simultaneous book launch of 2 & 3 in Cherry Grove!

More to come...

Baby Cat in Santa Fe!

2007-08-11T18:17:00.000-04:00

posted by Tim

I just returned to NYC after a week at Susan and Nancy's new house in Santa Fe, NM - the land of enchantment. We thought in the third installment we'd include a few pages on Lily's experiences of winter life in her new home.

Susan and I did a lot of work on the new book and found a fantastic book publishing company called iUniverse. They do everything for the self-publisher and we are completely thrilled with their help and support - a truly wonderful company with which to work on your publishing dreams.

After a humble request by me for just a few more illustrations, Susan completed them this past week. I've laid out the book to iUniverse's specifications and have sent all the files to them.

We plan to have a book signing in Cherry Grove the second or third weekend in September. We've also got a book signing coming up at Grace Church School in October.

Maggie McCorkle

2007-06-14T08:37:00.000-04:00

posted by Susan in Santa Fe

All of the characters in our Baby Cat series have placed an indelible footprint or pawprint in the sands of Cherry Grove. The most famous is Maggie McCorkle, the "Mayor of Cherry Grove". What Tim and I write about Maggie in the series really happened. As she gave so much to our community, it is our intention to honor her spirit. I have drawn Maggie in that plaid shirt she wore so well. I made her look younger, too, because she was so youthful. She is featured on our website in an illustration from Baby Cat 1 with Sugar, the doe. She also has a much larger role in Baby Cat 2, engaging Lily to take risks, something we all need to do in our lives. Maggie gave me a little metal dragonfly. It hangs by my bed at Casita.

BC2 Pre-Orders...

2007-06-14T00:04:00.000-04:00

posted by Tim

For those of you interested in pre-ordering Baby Cat Book 2, you can visit our website, www.baby-cat.com, and click on the ordering link. The book is a 50-page soft-bound edition with lots of wonderful illustrations by Susan. She's been working every day on the new illustrations and I'm thrilled with what she's been creating (I just posted a new one she sent me today). Way to go, Susan!

We're planning on a September book release party at Susan & Nancy's house in Cherry Grove, Casita. There's also a planned book-signing at Grace Church School at their book fair in October. The students and parents at the school have been very receptive to the book and we really appreciate their support.

Susan in Santa Fe

2007-06-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

posted by Susan in Santa Fe

Yes, I wanted to roast Tim over a cowboy's campfire. We are not done yet? I admit that in the process of moving from New York City to Santa Fe, I was weary. Now that I am settling into life here, I have a renewed energy for illustrating. I shall be back at Casita in September, as will Nancy, Lily, and Spike. In the meantime, I am staying close to our beloved Cherry Grove, it's two-leggeds, and four-leggeds by drawing for our new book. Cherry Grove is always in my heart and mind.

In the meantime, Lily is an indoor kitty. There are coyotes out there, and they would not be friendly to The Baby Cat of Cherry Grove.

Well...maybe not so finished...yet...

2007-06-10T23:02:00.000-04:00

posted by Tim

I just emailed Susan. In the email I offered myself as a sacrifice for a BBQ if she becomes particularly annoyed with my request. This whole publishing process is amazing and directly engages you to scrutinize every possible last detail because nobody else is going to do it for you.

As I re-read the text tonight, plugging in the illustrations Susan had done, I found that we had many pages and visual lags where there were no illustrations to support and enhance the words. I just emailed her a list of suggestions for simple black and white illustrations. I'll find out soon if she wants to marinate me before putting me in the oven.

We've got time, though, for her to work on these new illustrations. I'll be back from Amsterdam on the 23rd and hope to get the proverbial design ball rolling by the beginning of July. (Paws, once again, crossed.)

Illustrations Finished!

2007-06-10T11:12:00.000-04:00

posted by Tim

Susan just sent me the cover illustration for BC2. I think it looks great! That was the finishing touch on the illustrations - they are complete, finito, finished, kaput, done. We're now ready to have the book laid out with text and illustrations.

I have to say it's been a wonderful experience working with Susan. It's a fascinating process of writing, editing, and deciding on what illustrations should be drawn and where they should go in the actual book. The experience has shown me that anything is possible and that anyone can publish a book on their own.

Baby Cat Book 2!

2007-06-09T23:02:00.001-04:00

posted by Tim

Susan and I are very excited about The Adventures of Baby Cat In Cherry Grove: Saving Faith. It is book 2 in our series on the life and times of Lily, aka Baby Cat, in the magical landscape of Cherry Grove. The new book is going to be about twice as many pages and will include many more illustrations by Susan! We hope to finish the design and layout by the end of the summer for a book release in September. We're keeping our paws crossed!

Here's a little teaser from the back of the book:

Can cats and dogs really get along with each other? That’s the big question on Lily’s mind in The Adventures of Baby Cat in Cherry Grove: Saving Faith. Lily, aka Baby Cat, must help cats Alf and Rome find their lost dog, Faith, but Maggie says there’s a storm comin’. Will they beat the storm? Will they save Faith?

Book Signing in Sayville

2007-06-09T22:57:00.000-04:00

posted by Tim

I took the train out to Sayville this morning for a booksigning at Runaway Bay Books. I had a wonderful time and enjoyed hanging out for the afternoon with owner, Marianne, her two employees, and Harry Potter - the store cat. He really liked the Baby Cat book. Author/illustrator Greg Fox was also there. We talked for a while and he offered much insight into the publishing business.

Marianne's been in business for over 14 years. I like that it's an independent bookstore that has survived the corporatization of bookstores. It's small, quaint, and has a wonderful smattering of literary delights for all ages.

All in all it was a great day for "Baby Cat". It was nice to get back into the groove of talking with people about the book, especially since Book #2 is coming out in the fall!

The Adventures of Baby Cat in Cherry Grove

2007-06-09T22:42:00.001-04:00

posted by Tim

The Adventures of Baby Cat in Cherry Grove began a few years ago when my co-author Susan wrote a rather "catchy" tune about her own baby cat, Lily. Some time after that, before I even knew her, I was walking on the boardwalks of Cherry Grove on Fire Island and Susan picked me up, took me back to her house, and showed me her artwork. We were instant friends, and like all great friends, there was the feeling that we always knew each other, and that it was only a matter of time before we found each other once again.

Susan and I decided to collaborate on a children's book about her cat, Lily, whom she and her partner affectionately called Baby Cat. We wanted to the book to present a loving, intimate picture of Cherry Grove through the eyes of a cat. I feel that we succeeded in this goal of celebrating a community we love very much and hold so very dear to our hearts.

We published Book 1 in May 2006. We plan on releasing Book 2 in September with a book-signing in Cherry Grove. Book 3 is scheduled for a Summer 2008 release.

Goto www.baby-cat.com to read some excerpts, see some illustrations, and perhaps buy a book!