Coco and Tallulah at heart of Lia Louise McBride's new book

Lia Louise McBride said she found her “calling” in storytelling, inspired by her love for cats and life by the beach in Musselburgh, following a successful 16-year career as a tech marketing leader.

She explained that, after an encounter with a lost baby seagull, her imagination “ignited”, leading to the creation of her children’s book series, Coco & Tallulah’s Beach, starring the two titular adventurous Ragdoll cats.

Her “passion for creativity and entrepreneurship” extends beyond storytelling, and she is currently working on launching her own fashion brand, inspired by her work and life experience, and seeking balance through fashion and functionality.

Lia was born in Edinburgh in 1981 and lived opposite Musselburgh Racecourse in the early years of her life.

Lia Louise McBride

Her family then moved to Bruntsfield, with Lia attending George Watson’s College from the age of five to 18.

She said she spent almost every weekend in Prestonpans, where her grandparents lived, and “many a happy afternoon on Musselburgh beach over many years”.

She went on to study marketing in Glasgow in 2001 and had a 16-year career based in Chicago, London and San Francisco, working for some of the “most innovative” technology companies in the world, including Twitter/X.

Throughout her career, she lived away from Scotland and travelled extensively but returned to Musselburgh in 2020.

She relocated to Edinburgh Road with her two Ragdoll cats, Coco and Tallulah.

After being made redundant in 2022, she decided to follow her more creative passions and is now working on her fashion brand, launching this year, and as a children’s book author.

Lia Louise McBride with her Ragdoll Coco on the beach at Musselburgh which was the inspiration of her children's book

Her garden backs onto Musselburgh beach and, after moving in, the cats very quickly discovered the gate and the sand.

“They loved rolling in the sand, playing with the long grass and the shells! They soon were on the garden wall and the beach most days,” she said.

Lia started to document their beach adventures on Instagram (@CocoandTallulahsbeach) because the cats had really embraced it as an extension of the garden and she thought it was “quite unique”.

The book idea and inspiration came about a year into Lia living back in Musselburgh, when she realised that people were “genuinely fascinated” by the cats rolling in the sand on the beach.

She said: “People were also very interested in the breed of cat, as Ragdolls are rarely seen outside as they tend to be house cats.

“Anyone who was walking along the beach would come over and ask about the cats.

Lia Louise McBride is celebration the launch of her new children's book series Coco and Tallulah's Beach

“Both cats are very fluffy and friendly, and happy to be picked up and patted – which people love.”

Lia also took inspiration for the first story about a lost baby seagull from her experience last year of a seagull chick in her garden.

She explained: “The chick was born on the roof and somehow ended up in the garden unable to fly.

“The mother was distraught and circling overhead, squawking and swooping down every time someone went near the chick.

“Eventually I was able to open the garden gate and the chick made its way onto the beach, where the mother was able to land beside it.”

Her current book, Coco & Tallulah’s Beach: Lola, The Lost Baby Seagull, is available now on Amazon.

Lia is currently writing two more books in the Coco & Tallulah’s Beach series, which will be available later this year.

The books are aimed at children aged two to eight.

Lia partnered with a digital illustrator, and provided her with extensive photos of the cats, beach, garden and harbour, in order for her to bring the book to life and capture the key beach features.

Lia’s book is now available to buy, including on Amazon.