I have a special treat for all cat lovers. Today I
am interviewing blogger and author, Vanessa Morgan, from the Traveling Cats
blog. If you love cats but don’t know this site, Happy Birthday...even if it’s
not your birthday. ;)
1. Hi, Vanessa! Tell us about your blog Traveling Cats. What made you want to share photos of cats from
around the world?
I was going through some of my old travel photos and it
struck me that at least half of them were cat pictures. I thought that it could
be fun to collect them all on a blog, and subdivide them per city and country.
Two weeks later, Traveling Cats was born.
2. What was your very first blog post?
My first ever post was a photo of a French cat: http://www.traveling-cats.com/2013/01/cat-from-gruissan-france.html.
In the beginning of Traveling Cats, I was just posting one picture a day. Now I
post entire photo series.
3. Is there a specific country that you feel has the most
beautiful cats?
All cats are beautiful, of course, but felines from
Northern Europe have a little extra.
4. Do you like dogs? :P
Actually, I was just thinking earlier today that I really
want to add a dog to the family someday.
5. What are the top 5 most-viewed posts on your blog?
6. You’ve published a book called “Avalon: A Heartwarming
True Cat Story.” Tell us about it!
The book is the true story about my cat, Avalon. He
wasn’t your ordinary cat. He acted in movies and music videos, appeared in my
books, spoke a few words of French (I swear this is true), and made a hobby out
of vomiting on the guinea pig. But what makes his story truly special is the
extraordinary bond we shared together.
7. Share your number one tip to bloggers just starting
out.
Use StumbleUpon. Seriously, nothing compares to
StumbleUpon in terms of the traffic the site sends me. It’s not unusual to get
over 7,000 views for one single blog post in a few days, coming from
StumbleUpon alone. Sometimes it’s a lot more.
Otherwise, interacting on social media is really
important, too. I share other people’s travel photos of cats daily and readers
often send me their own. I also make sure to reply to every single comment on
Twitter and Facebook, and I like a lot of blog posts from others. It really
helps.
Hyper Round:
1. Favorite time to post blogs? On holiday J
2. Blogger or Wordpress? Blogger
3. Do you host guests? Absolutely
4. Where are you when you’re blogging? At home or in a
coffee shop
BIO:
Vanessa Morgan is an author,
screenwriter, and blogger. Three of her stories – A Good Man, Next to Her, The
Strangers Outside – have been turned into films. When she’s not working on her
latest book, you can find her reading, watching horror movies, digging through
flea markets, or photographing felines for her blog Traveling Cats. She lives
in Belgium.
LINKS:
Thank you for talking to us about Avalon and Traveling
Cats, Vanessa!
Please leave a comment for Vanessa.
QUESTION: Are you a cat lover?
I know Vanessa from her other blog!
ReplyDeleteVomiting on the guinea pig? Well, everyone needs a hobby.
Poor guinea pig.
DeleteI am a dog love, but can always enjoy some great pics and learning new things about any critter.I cracked up laughing at the vomiting on the guinea pig! Great interview and I am on my way to check out her first post and...
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
A dog lover? Get outta here! HAHA Just kidding. I love you and all critters. :)
DeleteAs a lover of cats, with two of my own, I enjoyed this interview. Will visit Vanessa's blog and "meet" her cats.
ReplyDeleteI have four cats. :D
DeleteI love cats! I'll have to check out her blog!
ReplyDeleteI think I signed up for StumbleUpon but haven't really looked into it. It sounds like a useful tool.
I used StumbleUpon for a good year then got too busy to post my blog links there every time. But I sure did see a lot of traffic from there.
DeleteHi Vanessa, nice to meet you. I have written a MG book with a cat as the protagonist. I was scared that as I don't know much about cats I will get the body language wrong.
ReplyDeleteAs for StumbleUpon, I will have to check it out.
You should also check out Stephen Tremp's book Salem's Daughters. He writes the body language of cats very well.
DeleteWonderful interview Chrys, I love cats and this was right up my street. I used to have a tortiose shell cat and for the last four years of her life she was diabetic, I had to give her two insulin shots a day and take her out on a lead. She got used to both, once again thanks for a lovely post.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Aw! That would've been tough, but she was lucky to have you to take care of her.
DeleteAn interesting idea, blogging about cats. But that poor Guinea Pig...
ReplyDeleteI wish I had thought of it. ;)
DeleteSo cute with the thought of blogging about cats :) Haven't owned a cat, but who knows down the road :) Great interview; now own to check out StumbleUpon since I've never heard of it :)
ReplyDeletebetty
StumbleUpon is a great site. And I'm sure you'll find a lot of neat articles and sites based on your interests.
DeleteGreat interview, awesome web site. I love cats but can't have one. This blog is the next best thing.
ReplyDeleteSince Avalon is such a celebrity, would it be beneath him to appear in your blog? LOL
Chrys - Thanks for the introduction.
I'm sure Avalon would love to make appearances. Even on a blog. :)
DeleteI love both cats and dogs, but dogs have a verrrrry special place in my heart.
ReplyDeleteI love cats and dogs too but for me cats have a special place in my heart. :D
DeleteI've never had a cat but I have a dog now for the first time in my life.
ReplyDeleteAw. Your dog is lucky to have you for a mom. :)
DeleteYay! I've been checking the Traveling Cats for a while now. Great to hear more of your story!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Tara!
DeleteI'm a HUGE cat lover and my travel photos are also full of cats! Has Vanessa been to Greece? Greek cats are quite the phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the introduction, Chrys...think I've just met a kindred spirit.
She has! Her Greece photos are my favorite! :D
DeleteEnjoyed the interview. I am a lover of cats.
ReplyDeleteShalom,
Patricia
Glad you enjoyed the interview, Pat! *meow*
DeleteNow, that's an interesting niche. And considering how popular cats are on the internet...
ReplyDeleteYes, I do enjoy cats.
She was indeed smart when she came up with Traveling Cats.
DeleteAlways great to see cats out and about indeed. Adding a pup to the family is a fine addition too.
ReplyDeleteCats are awesome. :)
DeleteHorror movies and cats, yay! Good combination.
ReplyDeleteHa! The best. ;)
DeleteThe cat would vomit on the guinea pig? That's hilarious.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check out StumbleUpon
I laughed at that too.
DeleteVanessa, I think cats are the new black. Kudos to you!
ReplyDeleteNice job, Chrys!
The new black. I love that!
DeleteI love this blog - I am a cat lover for sure, and I also am involved in kitty cat rescue here in Australia.
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you're helping to rescue cats. Good job!
DeleteI'm more of a dog person but I've always been intrigued by cats. They're so mysterious and aloof.
ReplyDeleteThey sure are.
DeleteHi Chrys and Vanessa - we had cats as kids, then I got a dog when I was married, but now I have nothing - as I'm out and about a lot .. I probably will get a cat and a dog at some stage. They are such good companions .. cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteThey are good companions. :)
DeleteHello, Great post and interview. I have to admit I am more of a dog person. But, the kitties are cute too. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteDog person or cat person. It's great to be either one. :)
DeleteAh, cats. My very first love<3 Would dearly love to have a handful of felines around again, but like Jeffrey, I look forward to relying on Traveling Cats for the time being. Thanks so much for sharing, Chrys! Happy Caturday to you both :-)
ReplyDeleteCats are my very first love too. Happy Caturday!
DeleteI love Traveling Cats! One of my favorite blogs to visit. And Vanessa is a great writer too. Thanks for the interview!
ReplyDeleteHer blog is simply terrific.
DeleteInteresting interview! Now I have a new blog to go visit. :) Love the cat in Hobbiton.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Lori. You'll enjoy her blog.
DeleteAvalon is a really good book. I like Vanessa's blog. I haven't visited in a while, I'll have to stop by and check out her new pictures.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read it yet but I want to.
DeleteI just checked out the 4 popular posts and What a great blog! I am a dog lover but, more importantly, I am an animal lover. My hubby and I have 5 cats and one dog-they are all rescues and all have unique personalities. Love the cat and the fox-what a great friendship they have.
ReplyDeleteI'm thrilled you checked her most popular posts. You have one more rescued cat than I do. :)
DeleteGreat interview. I'm a major cat lover and read and enjoyed Avalon. It's great seeing Vanessa here.
ReplyDeleteI need to read Avalon soon.
DeleteI'm more of a dog person.
ReplyDeleteAvalon is a celebrity!
There are millions of cat lovers, so Travelling Cats should be popular.
Vanessa has a huge following.
DeleteI love cats and dogs and guinea pigs. Shame on you, Alex. Give the guinea pig a bath now. And be nice. And Chrys, thanks, for interviewing Vanessa.
ReplyDeleteLOL. I'd love to see Mini Alex giving a guinea pig a bath. :p
Delete