I base all the illustrations in my picture books upon animals and people that I know. My handsome tabby cat, Samson, is the main character in my Sailor Sam stories. I drafted in friends and family to play the ship's crew and other human characters. Many of my friends and neighbours will recognise their cats too. I like this personal aspect and because I care about the animals and people that I am illustrating, I believe that I put much more into my work.
After a bad experience with a vanity-press, I decided to be completely self-published. I love having full control over how my books l more...