Spring-Summer 2007

"Because a memory a day keeps the blues far away."

Table of Contents

1. We get letters...
2. Announcing our winners...
3. Journaling Technique-My Journey
4. Page Idea-The Age of Aquarius
5. Do a Good Deed for a Good Egg...
6. "Books" Paper Download
7. Three New Contests
8. Blogging My Way Through Life
9. From Our Correspondent... "Monday Morning" by Sharon Knopic
10. Stuff you might need to know...

We get letters...

"Thank you for sending The Best of British Scrapbooking and Cardmaking. On another note, I have received and started reading Emilie Richards' book Let There Be Suspects. I've only read a few chapters, but the characters are great and already it appears to be a great book. Thank you for introducing me to another author...." -- Lisa Clark

Announcing our winners...

The winner of our Cozy Library contest is...Evelyn Hooper! Congratulations Evelyn! To get the latest on cozies (mysteries like Agatha Christie wrote) join the Cozy Library e-mailing list at www.cozylibrary.com

The winner of Deb Baker's All Dolled Up for Murder was Sonja Akins. Way to go, Sonja!

Journaling Technique-My Journey

All of us start new projects, new courses of action, and look back to see how far we've come-or NOT! I recently started slow weightlifting. Let me tell you, it's not fun. But the test on my bone density showed I was a little light for my age, so I needed to take action fast. Muscle pulling on bone encourages the bone to grow stronger. Weight-bearing exercise includes any weight lifting and any exercise where you strike the ground. Unfortunately, spinning and biking doesn't qualify.

So, I go to 20 Minutes to Fitness. My trainer keeps track of the weights I lift and the length of time I lift. The goal is to lift to fatigue. That's when your muscles turn to jelly, and you can't handle it any longer.

But exercise is just one journey we make. My friend Deb Baker decided to lose weight. She journaled about her weight loss on our blog killerhobbies.blogspot.com

All of us choose to learn new things. We start out small, feeling inadequate, and work to greater heights. Journaling about your journey can help you see how far you've come.

Key questions:

• Why did you start this journey?
• What obstacles have you faced?
• Who has encouraged you?
• When did you begin to feel you were making progress?
• What changes have you seen? What can you do now that you couldn't do before?

For more great ideas on journaling, see one of my books. They are available through my website

My next class on How to Get Started Journaling Quickly begins July 26. Go to Writers Online Workshops to learn more.

Page Idea-The Age of Aquarius

I saw an ad with a Volkswagen bus in it-and instantly I was transported back in time. I "translated" the bus in the photo into an image I could use on my page. For background, I swirled watercolors onto flannel paper and added a few pertinent words. You can download the paper and the bus.

Click to enlarge

After seeing how skinny I was thirty years ago, I vow to never eat again! (Okay, that lasted, oh, two hours.)

Do a Good Deed for a Good Egg...

Former St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist and my mentor Elaine Viets suffered a stroke approximately 8 weeks ago. The first thing she did after awakening from a medically-induced coma was worry about the launch of her hardback book Murder with Reservations. Before the stroke, Elaine had plans to do the promotion so necessary to selling any book-but particularly a hardback edition. This promotion is what sustains an author's career.

Click to enlarge

So, a group of us authors all around the country volunteered to hold book "signings" for Elaine. And Elaine's doctor assigned her the task of signing her name to bookplates, labels that can be affixed to books, as part of her therapy. Here's a picture of Elaine.

Click to enlarge

Here's where YOU come in. If you've ever been a fan of Elaine's OR if you just feel like doing a good deed OR if you want a fun summertime read OR if you'd like to get a jump on your Christmas shopping...now's the time to buy a copy of Murder with Reservations.

I'll be "signing" books for Elaine on Saturday, May 26, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Main Street Books in St. Charles. If you can't be there, but you'd like a book, they are $23.57 ($21.95 plus $1.62 tax) plus postage. I'll "sign" the book and you can request a bookplate from Elaine. Contact me for your copy at savetales@aol.com Put Elaine Viets in the subject line, please, and we'll work out the payment details.

Read more about Elaine's progress at www.elaineviets.com

"Books" Paper Download

Last issue's downloadable paper was so popular, it even got mentioned "on the other side of the pond." Yes, a contributor to the UK's premiere scrapbooking magazine ScrapBookInspirations mentioned it on their website, saying, "It's lovely and doodley so have a look! " (Remember, you can always go back to our Archives at www.scrapbookstorytelling.com and pull up anything in our ezine.)

So I promised Rosie Waddicor, I'd try my hand at creating yet another such paper. I decided to choose BOOKS as my theme. (Seems appropriate to this issue of the ezine, doesn't it?) I hope you enjoy it! Get the paper download.

Three NEW Contests-

Contest #1-The Best of British Scrapbooking

If you're in the UK, don't miss out on your chance to enter The Best of British Scrapbooking. Read about it at: www.scrapbookinspirationsmagazine.co.uk

Sorry, but you must be a resident of the UK to enter. Check the website above for deadline and details.

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Contest #2-Books for the Beach (or Pool) Contest

For all of you any where on the planet, here's my first annual Books for the Beach Contest. It's not summer unless you have a lovely pile of TBR (To Be Read) books to dive into. Here's what you can win-yes, you get all three of these:

• Night of the Living Deb - Susan McBride's latest in her Debutante Dropout Mystery series. When renegade rich girl Andy Kendrick's straight arrow boyfriend disappears after a bachelor party, Andy can't believe he's run out on her. Then a body is found in the trunk of his car. Now Andy's on the trail of a murderer and her guy-and she might wind up with a lot more broken than her heart. Get a look at the terrific cover at Amazon.
• June Bug - The second in Jess Lourey's Murder-by-Month series has Mira James fishing for the story behind a local legend of a diamond necklace lost a century ago in a nearby lake. But diving in only gets Mira into a terrifying tango with a waterlogged corpse. Buoyed by frozen Nut Goodies and spurred on by her nursing home chums, Mira dodges attempts at her own life as she tries to recover the lost jewel. Read my review at Amazon.
• Jury of One - Laura Bradford's debut novel finds young reporter Elise Jenkins plunged into a series of murders at a seaside town. All clues lead to a boardwalk fortune teller and her ominous predictions-but will Elise and Police Detective Mitch Burns solve the puzzle before the seer forecasts murder in their future? Take a peak at Amazon.

And of course, they're all autographed!

The prize - An autographed copy of EACH of these books: Night of the Living Deb, June Bug, and Jury of One.

How to enter - This is sooooo EASY. Send your name and your postal address (house or apartment number, street, city, state or province, country and postal code) to me at savetales@aol.com

You gotta - Put Books for the Beach Contest in the subject line.

By when? - June 15, 2007

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Contest #3-Secure Letter Storage for One Year

Once a year, I write a letter to my loved ones. I started this when Michael was small and I traveled several times a month. The big question was: Would anyone know where to look for my last letter?

Now there's a unique solution: Secure Letter Storage from mylifeletters.com Check it out at www.mylifeletters.com

Carefully selected underground vaults and storage in Hutchinson, Kansas, are located in a 400' thick solid formation left over from a salt sea. During the height of the Cold War, this location was considered ideal because it is dry, cool and stable. Now it's used by the US Government, the film industry-and you?

Yes, you can have your private designated and locked container. Your letters will be shipped in this very same container based upon the written release instructions you provide.

The bottom line is-no matter what happens-your letters will not be overlooked or forgotten. They will make it to their intended recipient.

Of course, you can also store photos and other documents in your vault.

The prize - One year's secure storage in the My Life Letters vault.

How to enter - This is sooooo EASY. Send your name and your postal address (house or apartment number, street, city, state or province, country and postal code) to me at savetales@aol.com.

You gotta - Put My Life Letters in the subject line.

By when? - June 15, 2007

Blogging My Way Through Life

Whew! I went from no blogs to three in that many months. Let me tell you about them:

1. Sisters in Crime's Forensic University of St. Louis - I'm co-chair with my pal Michelle Becker. This will be the first all forensic conference in the United States. Part of our goal is to raise money for the Crime Lab Project Foundation. Contrary to what you see on TV, a lot of crime labs in our country are dramatically underfunded. Our goal is to support them. Check it out at www.forustl.blogspot.com
2. InkSpot is the blog I share with 20 + other talented authors. We all write for Midnight Ink. This is the largest author blog out there, and the only one to date that has authors all with one house. I love the diversity! Check it out at www.midnightwriters.blogspot.com
3. Killer Hobbies - Another blog with authors, but this one is solely devoted to hobbies. We've got Monica Ferris writing about needlework, Rett MacPherson about genealogy, Camille Machino on miniatures, Linda O. Johnston about pet-sitting, Deb Baker on dolls, and me on scrapbooking. We also have guest bloggers. Go to www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com In the coming months we'll be adding fun contests, so you'll want to sign up for our blog mailing list to keep you informed!

From Our Correspondent...

My pal Sharon Knopic sent me this character sketch of a recent customer. I think you'll love it-I sure did! By the way, have you had a similar experience with a scrapbooker? Please let me know. Send it to me at savetales@aol.com and then you can become a correspondent, too. Who knows what that means? I'll have to think up something cool especially for all of you! (I'm open to suggestions...)

Monday Morning
By Sharon Knopic

     This little old man came to my register yesterday, and says "Can I get some help with scrapbook stuff?" and I said I had no customers, I'd help him.
     So I signed off and asked him what he needed.
     He said he had bought the "basketball album" we had on sale for $4, and he was holding all this basketball paper -- all alike. He said he had clipped all the newspaper articles from all the papers of his granddaughter playing basketball during her HS years and now she's graduating. He thought he could put an article on each page, and he could "write" a little somewhere about the game in his words. But he didn't know how to do it.
     We worked together doing this stuff -- he got a Jolee's basketball, and some basketball quotes, and I showed him how to use cardstock behind stuff. Then for the final page, I told him to write her a letter. And he said "Can I put the big basketball on the letter?" and I told him it was his book, and he could do what he wanted.
     He said he didn't tell anyone about it because if it doesn't turn out "right" he wouldn't give it to her.
     I told him he had to. No matter what. It would be her most favorite graduation gift, one she'll have of him for the rest of her life. And he said he's been "reading" scrapbook stuff on the Internet, and he did get a can of the stuff to keep the newspaper from fading. So he was on his way. I asked him if he had time before he gave it to her, would he please bring it in for me to see? He smiled -- he said again "If it's good enough."
     I said it would be, just because it was from her grandpa! I was in tears talking to him, he was at least 80 years old.

Isn't that seriously cool? Have a great spring and early summer!

-- Joanna

Stuff You Might Need to Know

Like the ideas here? You'll love our books. Click on my store to see the complete line of our books.

Comments? Contact Joanna at savetales@aol.com. We love to hear what you think and what you'd like to read more about. We like questions, too, but give us a while to answer them, okay?

Have a product you'd like for us to try? Send us samples at Scrapbook Storytelling, 7 Ailanthus Court, Chesterfield, MO, 63005. Phone 636-519-1327.

About the author...Journaling goddess Joanna Campbell Slan is the author of Scrapbook Storytelling which has sold 80,000 copies in addition to seven other books on scrapbooking, one textbook on storytelling, two inspirational books and a mystery series coming from Midnight Ink in Fall 2008. Contact Joanna at savetales@aol.com