Photo, Snap, Shot (29 page)

Author’s Notes

Don’t go looking for a book showing a photo of Ella Latreau Walden protesting and holding hands with her African-American boyfriend. This is a work of fiction.

However, the Veiled Prophet is real. You can read more about this colorful and spectacular St. Louis organization at my website (www.JoannaSlan.com) in the resource section. Just follow the links. You’ll find information about the V.P.’s history as well as photos and videos. There’s also a list of the resources I used to research this book. My intent was to do justice to an organization that has changed with the times. Who knows? Maybe this year I’ll get one of their coveted invitations in the mail.

Congratulations to Claudia Skwiot, who won character-naming privileges for her granddaughter, Addison Kobe, by making a donation to the Guardian Angel Settlement Association in St. Louis. The organization provides many social services to families, senior citizens, those with disabilities, and young people in the inner city. Olivia Kormeier facilitated my opportunity to help this worthy group raise money. Thank you, Olivia, for always looking on the bright side and for being such a dear, dear pal to me.

Congratulations to Joyce Casaldi, who won character naming privileges for herself and her daughter Ashlynn through a contest at www.SpottedCanary.com, a website sponsored by EK Success.

I want to thank Mike Spahn, Gus Castellanos, and Jane Campbell for their help with medical questions. Karen DiGasbarro helped with proofreading an early version and a later galley; I can’t thank her enough.

I extend my appreciation to the St. Louis County Library and their reference librarians, especially Paul Steensland. The United States Holocaust Museum helped me nail down the fact that George Lincoln Rockwell was, indeed, the nephew of Norman Rockwell.

Kiki has a lot of friends. Special thanks to Jessica Martin, Andrea Silva, and Joy Macdonell at EK Success; Angela Daniels at Fiskars; Katie Franceschini of ANW Crestwood; Tina Hui of Snapfish; the kind folks at Bazzill Basics; the dynamic sisters Angela Rhyne and Diana McMahon; the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League and Joan Schramm; the entire ScrapFest 2009 team from Archiver’s, who make me feel so welcome every year! Extra big hugs to all my Barnes & Noble Bookseller friends, including Jolene Carter, Christina Pohl, and the wonderful Lynn Oris. My deep appreciation goes to Lori Jane Perdew at Borders, Nikki Furrer from Pudd’nhead Books, and Danielle Borsch at Left Bank Books. Many thanks to Kathy Jones and all the wonderful people at Jellystone Park Resort at Eureka. Send a round of applause to Cassidy Renick, and everyone at the St. Louis County Police Department.

My gratitude goes to Connie Hill, senior editor at Llewellyn. Her thoughtful discussions have helped me shape my characters. Thanks to my publisher Bill Krause for his faith in me and the coffee he buys me whenever I’m in town. (Bill, if you think this was your favorite Kiki book, wait until you read the next one!)

Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my readers. I have been blessed with the best fans in the world. Thank you for telling your friends about Kiki Lowenstein. I am truly gratified by the multitude of ways you’ve spread the word. Whether it’s buying a book, giving a copy to a friend, making a blog post, sharing on an online forum, or writing a review, you honor me with your enthusiasm. I hope that someday I’ll get the chance to thank each of you in person—

Joanna

PS. Visit my website, www.JoannaSlan.com, for book club questions, newsletter subscription form, recipes, resources, and trivia questions based on the Kiki Lowenstein Mysteries. There’s even the script for a Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Dinner Theatre play. You are welcome to use it at your next crop or event. (Thanks to Debbie Chabot at ScrapbooksPlus! in Chantilly, VA, for hosting the premiere.)

About the Author

Internationally recognized scrapbooking expert Joanna Campbell Slan is the award-winning author of fourteen books, including the mystery series featuring Kiki Lowenstein. The first book in the series—Paper, Scissors, Death—was an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. Joanna and her husband David live outside of Washington DC with their two dogs.

You’ll find book club questions, newsletter subscription form, recipes, resources, trivia questions based on the books, and a script for a dinner theatre play at her, website www.JoannaSlan.com