-- Purchasing Information
| Paperback | Hardback |
| Publication Date: | 25 April 2016 | 1 July 2011 |
ISBN:
ISBN 13: | 1-785384-90-2
978-1-785384-90-5 | 1-907792-97-X
978-1-907792-97-7 |
| Page Extent: | 178 | 168 |
| Book Size: | 210x148mm | 216x138mm |
| Price: | £9.99 | £9.99 |
| P & P (UK): | | |
| P & P (Europe): | | |
| P & P (World): | | |
UK: | | |
| Purchase from Amazon: |  | |
Purchase from Waterstone's
(or check stock at a branch near you): | |  |
| Purchase from Play.com: |  | |
| Purchase from WH Smith: |  | |
| Purchase from ASDA: | |  |
| Purchase from Tesco: |  | |
USA: | | |
| Price (USD): | $12.99 | $15.95 |
| Purchase from Amazon: |  | |
| Purchase from Borders: |  | |
| Purchase from Barnes & Noble: |  | |
| Purchase from Powell's Books: |  | |
Downloads: | | |
| Publication Date: | 25 April 2016 |
| Digital eBook ISBN 13: | 978-1-907792-95-3 |
| Digital pdf ISBN 13: | 978-1-908382-99-3 |
| eBook Price (UK): | £5.99 |
| eBook Price (USA): | $9.63 |
| Based on Amazon's Kindle Store |
| Kindle UK: |  |
| Kindle USA: | |
| |
-- Reviews by the Famous and well Known
Ever since Truffles wandered into my life via an early manuscript I have from time to time thought: “I wonder what that cat is up to? When will we get the next story?” And now here it is and it appears that Truffles and I have been doing much the same thing – enjoying life on the waves. For anybody who loves both the sea and cats this book is a dream.
As usual the younger reader will learn as Truffles experiences everything from lifeboat drill to distinguishing between the various decks to climbing the mast to the noise of the engine. Grown ups will smile over the burial at sea of a sack of potatoes and everyone will enjoy the port adventures.
Next time I go on a cruise it will feel as if something is missing – a quiet, observant bundle of fur! – while those who have never cruised may now be inspired to follow in Truffles’ elegant pawsteps.
So, get out your deck chair, pour a drink and let your imagination take you to sea with Truffles.
Ann Widdecombe, Former Politician - Written the Foreword
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-- Newspaper and Website Reviews
All At Sea With Truffles is an unusual book. It is the story of a cat who goes to sea. Of course, there have been cats at sea as long as there have been ships but their nautical role has traditionally been mouse-control. The cat in this book simply goes on a cruise.
Truffles is a tabby cat who presides over a home in Cornwall in England. When not otherwise engaged in typical cat pursuits, she writes books in diary form about her adventures and observations on life.
Ghost-writing for Truffles is Ms. Shelia Collins. Inspired to start writing by the humorous antics she observed of her various pets including five cats, two dogs and a macaw named Geronimo, Ms. Collins has now written four books in the Truffles series as well as several other books.
The Truffles diaries have attracted a following, particularly in the United Kingdom. In fact, former British Member of Parliament, novelist and television presenter, Ann Widdecombe was so taken with the first volume that she has written the forwards for each of the subsequent volumes.
Ms. Collins is also a veteran cruiser with more than 45 cruises to her credit. She has cruised with several cruise lines including P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Costa Cruises but her favorites are Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. Although she prefers to cruise out of Southampton, England, she has also sailed from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, San Francisco, Barcelona, San Juan, Venice and other ports. In short, Ms. Collins knows something about cruising.
Consequently, it is not surprising that Ms. Collins decided to take her successful Truffles character to sea. The result was this the fourth volume in the Truffles series.
The story takes place during a Mediterranean cruise from Southampton. It is a typical cruise, no pirate attacks or encounters with icebergs or rogue waves. The fictional ship - - a composite clearly drawn from Celebrity Eclipse and Independence of the Seas - - merely departs Southampton, goes to sea, visits a few ports and returns home as usual.
What takes this cruise out of the ordinary is the presence of Truffles onboard. Except for service dogs, animals are not usually permitted on cruise ships. Guests may bring pets onto Queen Mary 2 but even there the pets stay in the kennels and do not mix with the passengers.
In this book, however, the fictional cruise line has given special permission for Truffles to come aboard and mix with the guests. Although not explicitly stated, the reason for this special dispensation appears to be that Truffles is a noted author.
Because cruising is not something that cats normally do, we get to see the cruise from a different perspective. Ms. Collins has imaginatively thought through what it would be like for a cat to encounter the typical events that occur during a cruise from packing for the cruise to check-in and on through to disembarkation.
Truffles' observations can be broadly divided into two categories. First, we have feline-oriented observations. For example, since cat's do not care to be in water, Truffles is skeptical of being surrounded by the sea. On the other hand, she views the ship's rock climbing wall as great fun. When crew members clean the cabin window by spraying a hose on it, it sends Truffles racing up the curtain. But the room steward with a shrimp gets his ankles rubbed.
The second category is her observations as to the behavior of the humans aboard the ship. She is somewhat perplexed by the noisy casino and by her human caretaker's addiction to shopping for handbags. Similarly, she does not understand the human's need for so many outfits when one fur coat is all she needs. While she finds such things odd, she simply tolerates them as part of an enjoyable way of life.
What makes this latter category of observations particularly interesting is what they say about human nature. If written from the perspective of one human looking at another, they might seem critical. However, written from a cat's perspective, you just nod “yes, there is some truth in that” and smile.
All At Sea With Truffles is written in a charming style. This is the type of book that enchants. You can put it down and return to it later and quickly become wrapped up in its spell once more.
You do not need to be a cat lover to enjoy this book. Indeed, I would have to confess to being much more partial to dogs. Nonetheless, I found Truffles to be a delightful companion.
Along the same lines, you do not have to be a veteran cruiser to like this book. After all, the premise of the book is that this is Truffles' first cruise. However, even experienced cruisers will benefit from Truffles' insights.
All At Sea With Truffles is published by Apex Publishing Ltd. It is available directly from them or through the major online book retailers.
www.beyondships2.com
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ALL AT SEA WITH TRUFFLES
World of Cruising Magazine
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ALL AT SEA WITH TRUFFLES
The Brit (Madeira Newspaper)
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ALL AT SEA WITH TRUFFLES
Sidmouth Herald
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ALL AT SEA WITH TRUFFLES
Farnham Herald
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ALL AT SEA WITH TRUFFLES
Your Cat Magazine
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ALL AT SEA WITH TRUFFLES
The Weekly News
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ANN SWAPS TALES OF CATS AND BOOKS
FORMER Minister Ann Wiidecombe swapped tales about cats and charity work at a book signing.
Ms Widdecombe visited Waterstones at Drake Circus, alongside author Sheila Collins, who penned All at Sea with Truffles: The Fat Tabby Cat Goes Cruising.
The Strictly Come Dancing star wrote the foreword to Ms Collins' sequel to Truffles' Diaries as a keen animal supporter.
Ann Widdecombe, who has four fictional novels under her belt, is a patron of Animals in Distress, a rescue centre near Newton Abbott.
Martin Wright, assistant manager at Drake Circus, said that more than 100 people came to see the two authors.
In fact they were so popular with their crowd that they decided to stay for an extra hour at the book store.
SIGNING: Sheila Collins and Ann Widdecombe at Waterstone's.
Plymouth Herald
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BOOK REVIEW: ALL AT SEA WITH TRUFFLES BY SHEILA COLLINS
By Pam Norfolk
A cat at sea is surely like a fish out of water ... so why is celebrity tabby Truffles taking a holiday on the ocean wave?
Well, for a start, Truffles is no ordinary cat – in fact she would claim that she is very special indeed – and who could argue with that when she has so often been moved to put pen to paper.
Her observations of the world around her having been winning the hearts of cat lovers for many years and now she and her dedicated owner Sheila Collins are cruising back into our lives with a sparkling adventure on the high seas of the Med.
Cat lover Collins (and provider of Truffles’ every possible need) is also a dedicated cat-watcher and her charming and quirky diaries featuring a superior and sophisticated feline have her adoring readers smiling like Cheshire cats.
In her turn, Truffles’ many years of observing human behaviour, often mystifying and comical, have equipped her with all the wisdom and cunning necessary to use the human environment and its two-legged inhabitants to her best advantage.
Here she embarks on a very different voyage of discovery, finding her sea paws as she sets sail on a luxury ship with cruise aficionado Sheila.
New sights, sounds, smells, tastes and experiences face Truffles at every turn, from the tiresome car journey and undignified customs procedures to the strange and sometimes frightening onboard facilities and activities.
Allowed to leave her cabin, where there is more room to swing a cat than she had originally feared, she tours all the non-eating areas – on a lead with matching collar, of course, and wearing a purrfectly preened catsuit.
Truffles is soon revelling in being the centre of attention, maintaining an outward air of decorum at all times, even when her nine lives are severely tested.
And when she’s not climbing the flagpole and lapping up the sunshine, she’s being turned into a scaredy-cat by two giant birds and listening to fur-raising tales about the potential pitfalls of humans being buried at sea.
But with ship’s steward Eduardo at her beck and call, and plenty of time for rest and relaxation, this cruising lark turns out to be the cat’s whiskers for Truffles...
Collins has a real talent and imagination for seeing human life through ‘cats’ eyes’ and All At Sea with Truffles is the ideal gift for cat lovers and a tantalising taster for those tempted to test out their sea legs on a cruise.
(Apex, hardback, £9.99)
Lancashire Evening Post
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ALL AT SEA WITH TRUFFLES
Ipswich 24 Magazine
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-- Readers Comments
I have finished reading Truffles' book. It is charming. Also, there were numerous, very accurate insights about cruising and human behaviour woven in.
Richard Wagner
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I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thought it was very exciting, funny and lighthearted. Certainly worth a read!
Margaret Beavan
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My husband and I read the Truffles books this year and would recommend them to anybody. They are funny and a good read - different as it's Truffles' adventures through a cat's eyes! I would give them 4 stars out of 5.
Valerie Gibbon
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A most amusing story and extremely well written. Anyone who has been on a cruise ship could not fail to enjoy it.
Mary Dann
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Sheila Collins guarantees all cat lovers a spendid read as we follow the adventures of Truffles. Her latest book recounting Truffles' exploits at sea is hilarious and not to be missed!
Vee Saint
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This is a highly amusing book for 'cat' lovers. Truffles becomes a real person! For those who are considering cruising, this book gives one a valuable insight into the minute of a holiday aboard a 'cruise liner'.
Nadine Curtis
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What a lovley read! I couldn’t wait to turn the page and see what she got up to next! A ‘must read’ for all cat lovers.
Fiona Rawlings
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If you are a lover of Cats and Cruising you will love this book, and if you have never taken a cruise you will want to after reading All at Sea with Truffles. The author has made it a funny and loving read, so curl up in the sun on your cruise or at home and enjoy.
June Bowyer
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I have just discovered the Truffles series of books written by Sheila Collins. I think they are fabulous, funny and great for holiday reading.
Rosemary Burn
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This book is a must read for any animal lover!
Petra Cohen
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How can a pet go on a luxury cruise? So meticulously has the author treated every obstacle that T.S. Eliot’s line “Macavity’s NOT there” kept running through my head as I turned the pages of this delightful book.
We’ve all at some stage (I hope) believed in Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Mompty and Peckham, so why not seafaring Truffles?
New, smart cat basket, anyone?
Jennifer Elliott
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Loved the book, I could picture myself on the ship with Truffles; it is so beautifully written. David and I are so excited to think we are in a book. We certainly remember the "Golightly's", I expect there'll be some on our next cruise! My friend, who I gave the book to as a present, also thought it was great and found it such relaxing reading.
Dianne Martin
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I think the book is brilliant, so descriptive. I was there and you just want to read on and on. I felt as though Truffles was a real person. In my head I could almost hear her talking!
Heather Lewis
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-- Book Signings and Events
23 July 2011 - Sheila Collins signed copies of her book 'All at Sea with Truffles' at Waterstone's, Truro.
Waterstone's, Truro
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6 August 2011 - Sheila Collins signed copies of her books 'All at Sea with Truffles' and 'Truffles' Diaries' at Waterstone's, Drake Circus, Plymouth. Sheila was joined by Ann Widdecombe.
Waterstone's, Drake Circus, Plymouth
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6 August 2011 - Sheila Collins signed copies of her books 'All at Sea with Truffles' and 'Truffles' Diaries' at Waterstone's, Drake Circus, Plymouth. Sheila was joined by Ann Widdecombe.
Waterstone's, Drake Circus, Plymouth
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6 August 2011 - Sheila Collins signed copies of her books 'All at Sea with Truffles' and 'Truffles' Diaries' at Waterstone's, Drake Circus, Plymouth. Sheila was joined by Ann Widdecombe.
Waterstone's, Drake Circus, Plymouth
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6 August 2011 - Sheila Collins signed copies of her books 'All at Sea with Truffles' and 'Truffles' Diaries' at Waterstone's, Drake Circus, Plymouth. Sheila was joined by Ann Widdecombe.
Waterstone's, Drake Circus, Plymouth
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19 November 2011 - Sheila Collins signed copies of her books 'All at Sea with Truffles', 'Truffles' Diaries' and 'Celebrities' Favourite Pets' at Supreme Cat Show, Birmingham.
Supreme Cat Show, Birmingham
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-- Libraries that stock this book
The British Library, Boston Spa
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