Big Blog Tour Day 5 - and one other

First of all a great big thank you to everyone who sent me messages of sympathy and understanding yesterday both on my blog and in private - they meant such a lot to me.. They reached out like a big warm hug and helped me through a  difficult day of loss.  I know that over the years Sid has touched a lot of people  when he has appeared on this blog - and there are plenty of you who have him to thank for your prizes in the past too. He was a force and will be so much missed.   But as so many of you said, he had a wonderful cat life from the minute he walked through our door - and we had a wonderful life with him.  A very special creature.

And  I found the perfect way to mark his memory - just as I had posted yesterday, a message came into my inbox from Born Free - a charity I've supported for a long time. They need emergency funds to rescue two adult black-maned lions  Major and General.  Kept near an army parade ground in Ethiopia, the brothers have not set foot out of their cramped 10m cage for ten long years. They each deserve a place of sanctuary, a refuge.  So  I  added up the cost of the food that I would no longer need to feed Sid for the next couple of years and sent that donation to the cause in his name. He would appreciate that. He was a lion of a cat himself.

So today there are two blogs for you to go and visit. 

I had forgotten that last week Amy from I heart Presents blog had asked me to write a post about the New Voices Workshop that I had done in Ashby on August 31st. I haven't yet got to writing about Haworth  and the workshop I did at the weekend - but as they say this was one I made earlier!  There are a a few writing tips too if you'd like them.

And today, as the next stage of the Big Blog  Tour, I'm heading South (my words are anyway) to join lovely and talented Talli Roland on her blog  for today.  I'm blogging about book covers - past and present - which of course gives me the opportunity to  have another look at - and post up again - THAT  cover!   (but also some not so good ones!)
There will also be another giveaway  - so I hope you'll join me there.