About Cathy
While raising her own three children, Cathy enjoyed being a licensed daycare provider for six children (infant - age 3).
It was truly the best job she ever had! Where else can you get paid for making forts, visiting the library, getting messy with glue and paints and savoring the love and affection of amazing children?
With all the children Cathy has been blessed to know and love, there has always been an abundance of silly, entertaining and funny situations that fed her imagination. She still loves to draw on them for her manuscripts.
Writing has been an important part of Cathy’s life from as far back as she can remember. As a young girl, she loved grabbing her pencil and slowly, deliberately shaping each letter onto the paper to tell the stories that filled her head and then eagerly running, paper in hand, to anyone who would listen.
To be honest...
Things haven’t changed much at all!
One of the highlights of Cathy’s career was working with her daughter Erica Leigh, (a professional illustrator/designer-@ericaleighart) to publish her picture book “Forever Home.” What a thrill it was to be such an intimate part of its development, and to see her text come to life with her beautiful illustrations. She and Erica Leigh have been enjoying school visits where they can share their process of writing, illustration and joy of books with children, and promote adopting family pets from local shelters.
Along with picture books and children’s poetry, Cathy enjoys writing memoir pieces and has begun to play with verse poetry. She is fascinated to listen to people’s personal stories and writing essays about them. She continues to expand her knowledge by attending webinars and joining in writing challenges such as Vivian Kirkfield's #50PreciousWords Contest and Tara Lazar's Storystorm each year.
Writing Awards
2023 Writers Digest Self-Published Book Awards
Honorable Mention - FOREVER HOME
The story grips the reader, giving us the weight of empathy and the lift of hope. We want the kittens to stay together and to be with this family. The author has done a great job of giving us the perfect amount of story and sensory details to pull us into the storyline. Very nice rhythm in the storytelling, exemplary in its voice and writing style. There's wonderful softness to the writer's voice, and the gentle rhythm of the story is perfect for bedtime, a happy ending filling the heart of the loving child reader.
- WRITERS DIGEST JUDGES
2022 IPNE -Independent Publisher of New England Book Award
Best Children's Book - FOREVER HOME
The rhyme is nicely done; the story arc is strong and satisfyingly resolved; the perspective is fresh, unique and engaging.
- IPNE Judges
Celebrating Independent Book Store Day with Paul and Peter H. Reynolds and my granddaughter
at the Blue Bunny.
2020
Boston Author's Club
Discovery Award Honoree- 2nd Place
for her picture book manuscript, I Wish I Were.
The contest was open to 'participants who live within 100 miles of Boston and who have not had a picture book traditionally published.' This was the first year the BAC honored picture books. They were looking for "well-crafted stories with distinct voices."
Cathy was honored to be recognized by this prestigious group, who have had as its members, an amazing history of authors and Illustrators such as - Willa Cather,
Julia Ward Howe, Mark Twain and and Robert Louis Stevenson.
"Lovely and charming! ... the structure is perfect, and it was lots of fun to read aloud to my son... I can see why they chose you - you are a magical wordsmith. : )"
- Peter H. Reynolds - Author Illustrator
Professional Groups
Julie Hedlund's 12x 12 Challenge
Hudson, Mass.
Children's Book Insider
