Solomon's Kitten
‘This is a special kitten,’ said my angel. ‘She’s come to heal, like you Solomon.’ Leading on from Solomon’s Tale the new book, SOLOMON’S KITTEN, follows the life of the tabby kitten who narrates the story. It’s the life of a cat, but it mirrors a human life with all the strong emotions, the ups and downs, the tears and laughter.
Please tell us a little about Tallulah and TammyLee.
Tallulah is based on a cat I had as a child, a fluffy tabby and white, friendly cat with golden eyes. TammyLee is a teenager, and she is in the middle of a life-changing crisis when she first sees Tallulah running beside her in the moonlight and calls her ‘magic puss cat’. They form an unbreakable bond, but Tallulah must endure months of trauma and despair before she finds TammyLee again.
Why do you enjoy writing for children?
In this world of flashing lights and loud music, books have a silent, secret power to whisper directly into our souls. And the souls of children are thirsty for the kind of truths that books can impart. Even the simplest of books for children have messages of reassurance, love, loyalty, and hope that go beyond entertainment. SOLOMON’S KITTEN is a cross-over book, a rare treasure which can be read by adults and older children.
Can you tell us about your workshops?
I occasionally run writers workshops in Somerset, and I love helping other writers. There’s so much talent! I’m currently doing a series of four workshops on ‘Getting Started’, and ‘The Art of Storytelling’, and after Christmas I will be doing one on ‘The Secret Power of Language’ which is unique because it is based on ancient mystical aspects of language which can be used to empower our writing.
You have been writing since you were very young, so which writers were your favourites when you started to read?
My mother couldn’t find enough books to satisfy me, but one day she bought a scruffy old copy of Gene Stratton-Porter’s FRECKLES at a jumble sale. I disappeared into that book and I believe it influenced my whole life, leading to my FOREST OF DREAMS project which you can see on my website www.sheilajeffries.com. I loved THE WATER BABIES too, for its depth and spirituality, something you only find in the original, unabridged edition.
Why are pets such a great tool for story telling?
Pets have the same emotions and the same ups and downs in their lives as we do, but they handle it differently, so in a way they are teachers, and good ones too, for a good teacher teaches with love and patience.
Why did SOLOMON’S TALE break new ground in your writing career?
For the first time I was able to be up front about spirituality in a fiction book, and fiction is a marvellous vehicle for showcasing your most passionate convictions. I have always been deeply spiritual and able to see auras, dowse ley lines, and talk with angels. But for most of my life I had to keep it under wraps for professional reasons. Now a lucky black cat who came to my door one midsummer night has changed all that. So has my eagle-eyed agent and publisher who have given me an amazing opportunity
The fan mail about SOLOMON’S TALE has been full of appreciation for the spiritual aspect of the book as well as the emotion and the fun of the story. It has helped me to go on and write SOLOMON’S KITTEN and led me into the world of animal healing. Doing the research, I was so lucky to work with two highly attuned animal healers and a horse whisperer, and I hope to continue learning.
What is next for you?
The best is yet to come! This summer I’ve written a third cat story, THE SONS OF SOLOMON CAT. It again breaks new ground, involving research into something profoundly mystical, and I feel it’s the best of the three cat books. That will be published by Simon and Schuster UK in Nov 2015.
But what I’m really excited about is the first book of my saga, to be published in January 2015. It follows the gift of clairvoyance through three generations of a family. In the first book, THE BOY WITH NO BOOTS, this precious gift is regarded with suspicion, and robustly repressed by the boy’s family. But a spiritual gift will emerge from the years of darkness and denial, and it’s the struggle that makes it strong, like the butterfly breaking open a chrysalis and flying free with the sun on its wings.