This book is purrfect for any cat lover! 

Sallie Cochren – 19 August 2024

The Back Flap

When a sweet cat named Ashley finds herself tossed outside to live on her own, she doesn’t know what the future holds for her. Frightened and forced to fend for herself, she isn’t sure that she can ever trust humans again.

But that soon changes when she meets Summer, a kind woman who rescues her and gives her a new name – Sapphire. Despite Summer telling Sapphire that she loves her and that she is her forever baby, it takes time for Sapphire to trust a human fully again.

Sapphire and Summer aren’t alone for long. It seems that Sapphire has brought some other cats with her. When she has three beautiful kittens, they all want to stay with Summer. Can they convince Summer to keep them all? And when a new cat named Mango shows up, how will he change their family dynamics?

This heart-warming tale, told by a former street cat, shares her journey as she learns to love again!

About the book

What is the book about?

My book is about a street cat who is rescued by a kind woman named Summer. It’s told by the main character, Sapphire, and shares her heartwarming story as she goes from being a stray cat to a beloved family member.

When did you start writing the book?

September 2022

How long did it take you to write it?

It took a little over a year and a half to write it and to make all of the revisions.

Where did you get the idea from?

In real life, I rescued a cat who had been dumped in a business complex. After I brought her home, I soon learned that she was expecting kittens. I fell in love with all of them and wound up adopting the whole family. Sapphire’s rescue is very similar to Ebony’s real-life rescue. I was blessed to have over twenty years with Ebony, and I wanted to memorialize her and her kittens in a fun way.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

There were so many things that happened in real life with Ebony and her kittens. I wanted to share as many memories as possible. However, I didn’t want to include too much and keep the book from flowing easily. At times, it was a bit of a struggle trying to figure out what to include and what to leave out.

What came easily?

I do really well “becoming” my book characters. I found it easy to write the book as if I really was Sapphire.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

My feline characters are based on cats I’ve had in real life. Some of the characters were inspired by more than one cat. Some of the human characters were also inspired by real people as well. I thought of myself when I was writing about Summer since I was Ebony’s real-life rescuer. However, there are many differences between Summer and me.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I have read many authors’ work and love different genres. For this particular book, I’d say that one of the books that inspired me is an older title. The Cat Who Went to Paris by Peter Gethers was such a good book. While mine is told by a feline instead of a person, I wanted mine to be a fun read also. There are more authors who have inspired some of my other titles. I love dystopian authors like Suzanne Collins, Marie Lu and Veronica Roth. I’m sure that reading so many dystopian books partially inspired me to write my own dystopian series, Check Mate. I’m also a fan of vampire novels. I’d say that my vampire hunter series was inspired more by Richelle Mead than Stephenie Meyer, even though I love both of their books.

Do you have a target reader?

This book is purrfect for any cat lover!

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

When I first start writing, I free write. I usually have an initial idea that I get excited about and just want to get my ideas down as quickly as possible. After I’ve written a bit, I begin to organize my work into chapters and start thinking about how I want the book to end. I’m often working on multiple projects at the same time, so I usually let the book sit while I work on another project before looking at it again. I also wind up going through several revisions before I’m satisfied with the final product.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

After I’ve written a few scenes, I find that it helps to map out the events that I want to happen. At first, I just write a sentence or two about each scene. Later, I organize those scenes into possible chapters. I frequently make changes to the outline when I realize there are more scenes to add.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I edit minimally as I go. If I see an obvious mistake, I’ll fix it, but I don’t obsess about errors or wording on the rough draft. I just want to get ideas down before I forget where I want to go with the story.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I do all of my editing myself. Before I started writing, I was a language arts teacher for sixteen years. My career gave me a lot of practice catching errors. I also find it’s very helpful on the final read-through to have the computer read the book aloud. Small things that can be easy to miss are more easily caught that way.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I get distracted easily and like to write in a quiet environment.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I debated trying to get published traditionally. But when I researched and found that you still have to do most of the promoting yourself, I decided to self-publish and avoid having to send out multiple manuscripts and wait for responses.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

I made it myself.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I have a marketing plan. I have been working with bloggers to get reviews. I have sent press releases to the media. I am also running some ads.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Don’t let money be your main motivation. Write a book that you love. If you love it, others will also. Then your book will have a better chance of being discovered. If you’re serious about being a successful author, don’t give up. Success rarely comes overnight. Keep doing what you love, and hopefully someday, it will pay off!

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the Midwest. I still have fond memories of my time there. I’ll always be a bit of a Kansas girl at heart.

Where do you live now?

I live in Tucson, Arizona now.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m a retired teacher and an animal lover. I love nature, watching movies and reading books, of course! I love God and am thankful that I was gifted with the ability to tell fun stories. Also, I avoid using profanity in my books.

What are you working on now?

I have two unfinished series that I am working on – my dystopian series and my vampire hunter series. As usual, however, I got distracted with an idea for a cool story. This time, it’s a science fiction one. I’m not sure if it will be a story, a novella or a novel yet. It’s too early to tell, but I’m hoping I can get the rough draft done quickly so I can get back to the third book in my vampire hunter series!

End of Interview:

For more from Sallie Cochren visit her website and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Get your copy of Let the Purring Begin from Amazon US or Amazon UK.