Cut, Crop & Die (37 page)

But a second look told me I had nothing to fear.

It was Brenda Detweiler. She was as rangy as I recalled, and she wore a baseball cap, a golf shirt and jeans, and a clunky pair of Reeboks. Her gait, her awkward walk, was more like that of an adolescent boy than a grown woman.

“We need to talk,” she said, crossing her arms over her flat chest.

I hesitated.

The back door of the store swung open. Dodie appeared there, with a trash bag in hand. She saw us and stopped.

I sighed and tried to step around Detweiler’s wife. “Not today.” “You don’t know the whole story,” she stepped closer, using her body to intimidate me. I noticed her hands were balled into tight fists. Her T-shirt bore a softball league logo, and her jeans were worn and faded. She spoke more loudly. “I said we need to talk.”

“Please … not now.” I wasn’t up to a quarrel.

Dodie took one look at my expression, Gracie’s wary demeanor, and yelled to me, “Kiki? You need help?”

Brenda passed me, letting her shoulder bump me hard as she moved on. A referee would have called foul, personal contact. “There’s more to this than you know. I’m telling you—” she hissed, “he misses you.”

I walked away.

I missed him, too.

ON SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2009, a man opened fire in a church in Maryland, Illinois. He had been fighting mental illness caused by the bite of a tick infected with Lyme disease. According to the news media, the shooter had taken a variety of medications for the problem, and had developed brain lesions.

The idea for the Scrapbook Stars is based loosely on many scrapbook contests, but the one closest to my heart is “The Best of British Scrapbooking Contest.” I founded it in 2004, and it is now administered by Rosie Waddicor and the terrific folks at
ScrapBook inspirations Magazine
. Visit them at [http://www.scrapbookinspirationsmagazine.co.uk] http://www.scrapbookinspirationsmagazine.co.uk .

Kiki and I invite you to bring your family to St. Louis, the gateway to great times and memorable moments. We have so much to offer! Check it out at [http://www.explorestlouis.com] http://www.explorestlouis.com. The Missouri Botanical Garden is more magnificent than I described in this book. Learn more at [http://www.mobot.org] http://www.mobot.org. The Science Center is a terrific free attraction that will amaze you and your kids—and in the summer they do hold camps. Visit them at [http://www.slsc.org] http://www.slsc.org. Opera Theatre of St. Louis continues to create “magic on the Mississippi.” Their website is [http://www.operastl.org] http://www.operastl.org. And no trip to St. Louis would be complete without stopping at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard ( [http://www.teddrewes.com] www.teddrewes.com).

The whole Archivers’ ScrapFest 2008 Team gets big hugs for their help and enthusiasm in launching
Paper, Scissors, Death
, the first book in the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series. If you haven’t been to ScrapFest, you’re missing a massive party (go to [http://archiversonline.com] archiversonline.com). Tina Hui of Snapfish, Lara Starr of Mrs. Grossman’s Stickers, Katey Franceschini of ANW Crestwood, and Doug Dvorak of the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission have been incredibly generous with their support of this series. Mary Anne Walters and Fi Whittington at UK Scrappers ( [http://ukscrappers.co.uk] ukscrappers.co.uk) put together a super all-mystery virtual crop weekend to tell my UK friends about Kiki Lowenstein.

Jenn Malzone helps me with contests and email lists. Her dad Gerry Malzone is my graphics go-to guy. Karen DiGasbarro kindly proofed galleys. Pat Sonnett is my queen. Hugs to my best pal, the incomparable Shirley Damsgaard, author of the Ophelia and Abby series, for being on speed-dial. “Casey Daniels” (author of the Pepper Martin series) contributed stories about her dog Oscar, who became Guy in this book.

Scott Creech from Critter Control has been killing moles in our yard for years. He was very generous with his information, and he’s the guy who caught eight hundred moles in one year! And yes, there really is a donkey in St. Louis named Monroe.

Kari Murphy was kind enough to loan me her beautiful harlequin Great Dane, Orion, as my stand in for Gracie. Robert George of Robert George Studio and his colleague Martin Schweig were very patient with Orion and me. Okay, Orion was a super-model and I was…a problem.

Congratulations to Merry Morrison, Raquel V. Reyes, and Mardi Hamilton who won character naming contests. Stacy Czech won the Scrapbooker’s Dream Weekend in St. Louis and brought her pal Marla Lenzen.

Special thanks to my sisters Jane Campbell and Margaret Campbell-Hutts for looking after me when I needed help last summer.

As always, I am grateful for the support of my wonderful husband, David Slan, a guy whose logical mind is the perfect complement to my more “out there” thinking.

Want more Kiki? I know you do! To see samples of her projects, visit my website: [http://www.joannaslan.com] www.joannaslan.com. Sign up there to receive the free quarterly online magazine I share with Kiki. In the magazine we offer contests, freebies, and lots of terrific craft ideas. You’ll find recipes such as Hoosier Daddy Kidney Bean Salad and Snickerdoodles on my website, as well as book club and trivia questions.

I love hearing from you, so email me at [email protected]. Please put “I read your book” in the subject line so I know you aren’t scamming me (I’m just as gullible as Kiki). And finally, if you want to keep up with all things Kiki and receive journaling prompts to help you keep a record of your life, follow me on twitter. Go to [http://www.twitter.com/joannaslan] www.twitter.com/joannaslan.

Thank you for sharing Kiki and Company with your friends!

Joanna Campbell Slan is the author of
Paper, Scissors, Death
, the first book in the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series, and an Agatha nominee for Best First Novel. An internationally recognized celebrity in the world of scrapbooking, she’s the founder of “The Best of British Scrapbooking Contest” as well as the author of seven technique books on the subject. Joanna is a frequent contributor to the
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Series, and her work appears in a variety of other anthologies. With their son off to college, Joanna and her husband David share their home with two dogs: Victoria, a bichon, and Rafferty, a rescued bichon-poodle mix. Visit her website [http://www.joannaslan.com] www.joannaslan.com for more information on writing and scrapbooking, as well as book club and trivia questions about Kiki Lowenstein and her friends. Follow Joanna on Twitter at [http://www.twitter.com/joannaslan] www.twitter.com/joannaslan and at her blog [http://joannaslan.blogspot.com] http://joannaslan.blogspot.com.

A Two-night stay at
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ Resort
($328 value) next to Six Flags in Eureka, Missouri.

Enjoy a relaxing stay in a cozy two bedroom resort cottage featuring a fully equipped kitchen, bath, sitting area, and covered dining porch with picnic table. Plus, there’s a grill and fire ring for evenings together around the campfire. Your stay also includes full use of the resort amenities which include a pool, mini-golf, train rides, video arcade, themed events, and more.
(Valid through September 27, 2009
)

This prize includes attendance to our weekend crop ($75 value) with
Joanna Campbell Slan
on August 28th, 29th and 30th that will feature several vendors showing new product and techniques for over 100 croppers. Plus a basket from
A Rhyne Design
with custom gift items and scrapbook from St. Louis ($250 value).

Visit
[http://www.eurekajellystone.com] www.eurekajellystone.com
or
[http://www.arhynedesign.com] www.arhynedesign.com
for more information or to register for August’s scrapbooking event with Joanna.

To be entered in the
Cut, Crop & Die
contest, please fill out and mail the form on the next page. Entries must be recieved before July 4, 2009. Winners will be selected in a random drawing on July 10, 2009. Please include your e-mail address, postal address and phone number so that we can notify you!

Please Photocopy Form and Send to the Address Below:

Winners will be selected at random. Enter as often as you like. All entries must be received before July 4, 2009.