About Me
Nancy Creighton is an author, consultant, and publications specialist, who is self-employed. Her specialty is book design and layout. She is also enrolled for her certification in proofreading. Her work has taken her throughout the country working for both profit and non-profit businesses.
Known for her ability to disappear into her work, she lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her brother, Richard, and three handsome cats: Mama, Gloria, and Veronica.
Sweetieface
From Sweetieface to McGuillicuddy:
Communication — a Deaf Woman,
Her 17 Cats, & More
For cat lovers of every stripe
Discover tales of life with feline and canine companions in this collection that explores the art of communication between humans and animals. Author Nancy Creighton, a talented book designer who is Deaf, has transformed the stories she has shared with friends into a beautifully illustrated book. As you read through these entertaining anecdotes, accompanied by Nancy's photographs, you'll be inspired to deepen your own connection with your beloved pet.
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No, not all 17 at the same time! That was one of the first questions I got when I showed my friends a draft. This is a book about my life’s journey understanding my cats and other animals. I didn’t start out knowing how to communicate well with cats and dogs. Like everything else in life, it’s a learning process, and for me, a long one.
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This is an accidental book, I didn’t set out to write a “cat book.” Here’s how it happened. I was always telling my brother and friends stories about my cats. About five or six years ago, I decided to start writing them down. I didn’t have any plan to use these stories, I was just journaling them for myself. I’m primarily a freelance book designer and layout artist these days.
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As I re-read my little stories, I started to see a thread running through them, one that, at heart, was about communication. Not just me training them, or figuring out what they mean by their body language; but a real communication between different species, mostly cat, human, and dog.
174 pages, English
Paperback: $37.71 • Hardcover: $45.27
Amazon Author Page:
Questions & Answers
Is this book only for deaf people?
No, not at all! I wrote this book for cat lovers, like me — no matter how you hear. If you live with cats, you'll recognize a lot of the behavior I write about, and enjoy the ones that may not be part of your experience; such as when Gandalf moved his purr.
The cats are the stars of this book. Being deaf influences our interactions, so from these stories you may learn a bit about deaf people, and about me.
Is this site only about the book?
At the moment, yes. I haven't worked on websites for years, so it will take some time to learn site design again.
What else are you working on?
Along with learning how to market this book, I'm working towards a certification in proofreading through Grammarist, and I'm the editorial assistant for the quarterly "New Horizons" newsletter of the Deaf Seniors of America (https://www.deafseniors.us/).
I'm also getting back into a book I've been working on for a while. It's about Spectrum, Focus on Deaf Artists — a group of deaf visual artists, actors, and other creative people that existed in the late 1970s in Austin, Texas.
Will you create an ebook?
No, I'm not planning to do an ebook. I love them, I buy them, but they are best for text-based books such as novels. As a print designer, I think in spreads, the two pages you see when you open a book. Ebooks work best for continuous scroll pages.
If you need a PDF file for a serious reason, such as being deaf-blind, contact me at sweetieface@nancycreighton.com and we will discuss how I can work with you to meet your needs.
Why is your book so expensive?
The cost for just printing the book is determined by book size, number of pages, paper and cover type, and ink type. This is, in part, an art book with illustrations on almost every spread. That's why it's printed with premium color ink. Then Amazon tacks on a 60% fee for themselves.
How can I get a signed copy?
I'll be happy to mail you a signed copy! I'm honored. Please email me at sweetieface@nancycreighton.com with your name, the address you want me to send the book(s), and who you want it signed to (yourself, or a friend or relative's name if it's a gift). I'll get back to you with payment details and when you can expect to receive your copy.
What is Purple Swirl Arts?
Purple Swirl Arts, or PSarts, is an identity I created years ago for the art and publications work of both Betty G. Miller (aka Bettigee) and myself. I still use it, especially since people in my community know that name. In my head, though, it's for work that Betty and/or I did before she died. This book, "From Sweetieface to McGuillicuddy" was created by the me after Betty. You can see my WordPress blog at https://purpleswirlarts.wordpress.com/.
Nancy Creighton, a designer and author, brings images from her stories to her Esty shop. The shop features a unique collection of print-on-demand items inspired by her book, Sweetieface. Each piece is printed individually by Printify and offers fans a tangible connection to her cat-world.
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Plans for the future include recreating items from her old Cafepress and Zazzle shops, which featured not only Nancy's unique designs, but also the work of Deaf artist Betty G. Miller, aka Bettigee.
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