☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ with M.C.V. EGAN: The Corpse Wore Stilettos by MJ O’Neill

Character Guest Post : Scrapbooking with Grand

Greetings to all you fellow scrapbook enthusiast out there. I’m Emma Waters, but everyone calls me Grand. I like to think it’s a reflection on my personality, but it’s more likely that my family likes to humor an old broad.

I’m honored to have been asked to share some of my tips and tricks on creating scrapbooks that can turn heads or, in my case, spring someone from the slammer.

I started my scrapbook out of necessitiy. Those nincompoops, I mean distinguished law enforcement officers, who unjustifiably put my poor boy, Clark, behind bars have it all wrong. The PI for Dummies manual I consulted emphasized the need for evidence collection in convincing the local law to take me seriously. So began my journey scrapbooking. What better way to showcase the evidence of my Clark’s obvious innocence than between beautiful pages of gingham and paisley?

Scrapbooking for Beginners

Whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks never met a mother on a mission. Prior to putting together my Clark’s Slammer Jammer, I had never dabbled in the arts. Our decorator always said I had a good eye, which I think has helped, but I was starting from scratch. Here are some tips that helped get me on the road to book beauty:

- Trash the plans – Both my granddaughter and daughter need to join planners anonymous. If I’d listened to them, I’d never gotten this book off the ground. Scrapbooking, like life, is full of transitions. Didn’t match your color pallet right from the start? No problem. Slap in a new transition section that mixes your new found color love and bam! You’re in business.

- Sections are your friend – We collected so much information to help free my Clark, it was almost overwhelming. Our first task was to sort it out into natural sections – Clark’s Character, Mafia Misdirection, Reprehensible Reporting, Alternative Assailants

- Keep Hammering – A scrapbook that tells a good story builds like a dance. A flashy opening and closing are must have’s, but the middle should be composed of solid steps that reinforce the overall theme. We use the middle pages of the book to remind the police that mafia has a reputation for using unsuspecting, upstanding people like my Clark.

- Know your audience – Those dense copers need everything spelled out for them. But we’re honored by the support we’ve received from the public as well who have come to Stand With Grand. The Slammer Jammer plays to both these audiences, making sure to spell out the details while always presenting in an eye catching, sympathetic way for our public

Tips for those scrapbooking on a budget

The incarceration of my son has led to a temporary shift in our available resources. I wasn’t about to let that keep me from producing a top quality evidence book. If you’re stretching your resources like I am, you might find the following helpful:

- Hit up the local elementary school. I volunteer reading time at the Hopewell Christian Day school in exchange for all their “scraps” on art day. Those little buggers don’t know a goldmine when they see it

- Your kid outgrow their old clothes? Don’t send it to the Goodwill until you’ve popped off all the buttons, laces and trim. They make for excellent borders and accessories

- Samples! – One thing all us old ladies know is that in this world, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Not only will some online sites send you free samples if you ask, some of the local stores donated whole kits to my Clark’s cause in exchange for showing off my book at their meetups.

- Kid’s party rooms are a treasure trove. Chuckie Cheese is happy for my help with party room cleanup in exchange for all the left over wrapping paper. Gift wrap makes for great backgrounds.

Whether you’re on a mission like me to free someone you love or celebrating a great occasion like my granddaughter’s pig Maybelle’s birthday, a scrapbook can be the perfect medium for preserving memories.

Scrap to it!

About the Book

The Corpse Wore Stilettos
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series

SHE WORE A DONNA KARAN MARKED FOR REPOSSESSION

Since Kat Waters’s father took a trip to the slammer on what she’s sure are trumped-up racketeering charges, life’s been tough. All their assets are frozen, and she’s down to the last few pairs of Jimmy Choos she can swap for rent. To keep her family out of the homeless shelter, the former socialite took a job at the local morgue—a job she’s about to lose when the body of a murder victim goes missing on her watch.

HE WORE A CAPTIVATING SMILE

While Kat’s processing the latest victim in the prostitute serial killings, ex-Special Forces soldier Burns McPhee strolls in with an air of confidence, expecting access to the Jane Doe. While Burns tries to flirt his way into examining the latest victim, whom he thinks is connected to the death of his best friend, someone else steals the body right out from under them.

THE CORPSE WORE STILETTOS

Dodging questions from the cops and kidnapping attempts from a body-snatching psycho, Kat and Burns forge a deal. He’ll clear her name and keep her safe if she gets him information on her peculiar coworkers, one of whom he’s certain is involved with the body heist. But digging up secrets can lead to a lower life expectancy. The unlikely team will need all their talents not to end up as the morgue’s next clients while they hunt for a murderer, the missing corpse, and a pair of diamond-studded stilettos.

About the Author

As the owner of a boutique chocolate factory in Atlanta, MJ O’Neill loves to write lighthearted, romantic

mysteries with a sweet twist. She has a degree in business communications from North Carolina State University. When she’s not spinning a sweet yarn or creating delicious confections, she spends time with her husband, their kids, a hyperactive cocker spaniel named Devo (after the band), a princess tabby cat named Twilight (before the book stole her name) and a collection of stray fish. The whole gang can be found tooling around the back roads of the South in their RV where MJ uses the downtime to hatch her next sweet plot.