Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a writer, mother, and wife living in Houston, Texas. I’m best known as the seeing-eye-person for my little blind dog named Cricket. I self-publish under my business, Twenty-Eight Creative, and I launched my first children’s picture book, “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” in November 2015. After taking a few years off to raise four children, I started freelance writing again in 2012 when I was hired by the Institute for Spirituality and Health to research the history of this Houston non-profit organization. “Uniting Faith, Medicine and Healthcare: A 60-Year History of the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center” was published in 2015. The book is used as a marketing and communications tool, and all financial proceeds benefit the Institute (not me). Now I’m spending my days marketing and publicizing my children’s book about art cars! I graduated from Baylor University with a BA in Journalism in 1985; I earned a Master of Arts from Louisiana State University-Shreveport in 2013.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a children’s book called “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” which is available on Amazon and also through my Author’s Website (www.catheynickell.com). I’m inspired by experiences that have happened in my life. For instance, when I moved to Houston 18 years ago, I had never seen an art car. I started seeing them around town, and I began to enjoy snapping photos of them around Houston. One day while carpooling my son to school, I thought of the idea for “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car.” I couldn’t waste a minute, and I rushed home to write that story. Over the next few months I explored my options and chose to self-publish. That took me on a two-year journey that, when I hold my beautiful book in hand, I don’t regret. The cool thing about this project is that I’ve written and published the FIRST children’s book that explains art cars! People in Houston know what they are, but in other cities, they are not very common. I think it’s fun that I’ve produced a book that discussed this creative style of artistic expression. Houston is home to first and largest Art Car Parade, which attracts more than 250,000 people each year, and we also boast the country’s first Art Car Museum.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
For the most part, I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer. That being said, I often have a very brief outline to follow. This might be just a few phrases jotted down in my journal that I keep with me at all times. I like to think about a character before I start to write. ie, what’s his or her favorite color, what do they want to be when they grow up, (or if an older character, what was he/she before retirement?), who is their best friend, what’s their favorite food, do they get along with their parents, etc. … things like that. I think it’s critical to know those things before you begin to write. When I write, the story is created in Microsoft Word on my Mac Air laptop. I take it with me and find a quiet place to write. Sometimes that means sitting in a big fluffy chair of my home, but I’ve even been known to sit in my car and write, simply because I have a calm moment to myself. I think writing is very personal, and I don’t think you can “teach” someone how to find time to write. If you want to write, you just do it. There’s really no stopping a writer – it’s a part of how they live and breathe.
I talk to myself in my car (or in the shower) all the time! I frequently pull into a parking lot so that I can stop and text myself a phrase or character trait that I might want to add to my story. I try to keep my journal with me, so I often write the idea there. Ideas just pop in my head, and if I don’t write them down immediately, I’m apt to forget. I get extremely attached to my characters, and I “feel” for them as I write. I have a soft spot in my heart for them, and I often want the best for them. My characters tend to end up with happiness in their lives. Perhaps that will change if I switch to a different genre, but for now, I’m writing children’s books and I like wholesome characters.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I recently read Stephen King’s book, “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft,” and it was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I’m also reading Liz Gilbert’s “Big Magic” right now, and I love it. Memoirs are some of my favorites, such as: Jeannette Walls’ “The Glass Castle,” and Carole Radziwill’s “What Remains.” I’m a sucker for a great page-turner novel such as those by Gillian Flynn, Maria Semple, Paula Hawkins, Kathryn Stockett, etc. I’m also a huge Young Adult fan! I have read every book that John Green has written (“Looking For Alaska” is a favorite); I recently discovered Robyn Schneider (“The Beginning of Everything” and “Extraordinary Means”); and Rainbow Rowell (“Carry On”) was a fun read as well. Finally, you cannot replace the beautiful classics by Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Louisa May Alcott, L.M. Montgomery, and all those amazing writers, and I re-read those books over and over. The books I do not read are self-help and poetry — I just cannot get into those genres and probably never will.
What are you working on now?
An important life experience for me occurred when I broke my femur (thigh bone) at the age of nine! Ouch! That experience influenced my current project, which is a middle-grade chapter book. I wrote the first draft of “At Last, A Cast!” which is about a girl who wishes for a cast. Does she get what she wished for? Was it even a good wish to have from the start? I hope to self-publish “At Last, A Cast” next. Right now, that book is in major re-write mode! I am working on the dialogue and need to add a few chapters to increase the length. It’s been a lot of fun, and — in many ways — I think I like the middle-grade genre even better than picture books!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook quite a bit. I also like Amazon and Goodreads. Book Goodies is a site I recently came across, and I appreciate that they allowed me to fill out an “Author’s Interview.” I also write a weekly blog on my own Author’s Website which is www.catheynickell.com.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’ve learned that I cannot stop writing. It’s how I express myself creatively, and I can’t help myself. Interestingly, I don’t feel afraid to show people my work. Some people tell me they write, but then they never show me anything they’ve written. That’s not me — I show trusted individuals and invite critique and feedback. I think that’s important, so take the risk and show someone what you have written. I think that Stephen King, in his memoir, referred to this “Ideal Reader” or “Trusted Reader” … Collaboration is important! Get feedback. You’ll be amazed at what someone else — your trusted reader — picks up on that slipped right past you. I’ve loved integrated other people’s suggestions into my work. It’s still my own voice, but with an added zing.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
First: Write the best book you can write.
Next: Collaborate with others.
Finally: Don’t be afraid to put your work out there for the world to see. Don’t worry about their reaction. Just go for it!
What are you reading now?
Reading: “Big Magic” by Liz Gilbert.
Reading: “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan.
Just finished: “Black Eyed Susans: A Novel of Suspense” by Julia Heaberlin.
Also just finished: “The Grownup” by Gillian Flynn.
Would love to read: Anything new that John Green puts out, but I’ve already read all his books.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to continue to grow as a writer, and get better and better at my craft. I have a long, varied career background in publications work. I started off as a journalist/reporter, but then moved into Public Relations work. In that field, I worked with printing companies for many years to produce newsletters, brochures, etc. That gave me the confidence to self-publish my own book(s). I have also self-published a book for a non-profit organization that hired me to write their history; I also helped an acquaintance self-publish her book of poetry, and those books are for sale on Amazon, which makes me proud. My own book, “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” has sold 490 copies in the first two month, so I don’t regret my decision to self-publish. I think I made the right choice. Next for me as a writer is: (1) to continue marketing and selling my children’s book “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” and (2) to finish the re-write on “At Last, A Cast,” my middle grade chapter book.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. My own book, “Arthur Zarr’s Amazing Art Car,” because, after all the hard work I put into that book, I’d like to salvage at least one copy of it.
2. Stephen King’s, “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” simply because I think I could read it 100 times and still get new things out of it.
3. Probably a book on survival strategies for living on a deserted island. I’ll need to know how to hunt for food, make fire, etc. So that book would be pretty important.
4. The Bible … not because I’m super religious, but because if I were deserted and all alone, it might be a good time to research the Bible and read it from cover-to-cover.
Author Websites and Profiles
Cathey Nickell Website
Cathey Nickell Amazon Profile
Cathey Nickell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account