A Sweethaven Homecoming! Book giveaway from Courtney Walsh!

After reading A Sweethaven Summer by Courtney Walsh we have been waiting (and not so patiently!) for the next installment of this fabulous three part series!  We are so excited to have Courtney with us today to not only share it with you but share why she wrote this series.  Read on to see the surprise at the end...

"Years ago, I decided it was time to take a little break from scrapbooking. I’d worked for about five years in the industry by that time, on design teams, as a contributing editor for a magazine, I even got to write two scrapbooking books. But let me tell you, I was burned out. I didn’t care if I ever saw another glue stick or paper flower again. So I took about four years off. And guess what I did in that time? Wrote books. about scrapbooking.
I know you’ll understand when I say, scrapbooking is the kind of hobby that gets in your blood. It’s not just about paper and glue. It’s not even just a creative outlet. It’s so much more than that… and that’s what I wanted to celebrate in my novels.

My first book, A Sweethaven Summer was released in February and just last week, I got to welcome the next in the series, A Sweethaven Homecoming! The frenzy of launching a book is wonderful and exciting, but in the quiet moments, I sit back and remember what it is I wanted to capture in the first place…
The way a scrapbook can transport you straight back in time.
The way the hobby can bring together the very best of friends.
The way it feels to look back and read the very thoughts you were thinking at any given moment.
The power of forgiveness…
To say scrapbooking has woven its way into the fabric of my being would be something of an understatement. As I created this fictitious cottage town on Lake Michigan, where five women come together because of an old scrapbook, I imagined their lives, full of conflict and stories they’d want told. I imagined the things that drove them apart and allowed friendship and forgiveness to be the driving force.
And it was all because of scrapbooking I was able to see those relationships so clearly.
Everyone may not understand why it is you choose to spend time pulling pictures onto cardstock and layering patterned papers and embellishments, but we scrapbookers, like the women in Sweethaven…we get it. We’re kindred spirits that way.
More than anyone, you’ll understand the heart and soul of these books…which is why I want to give away signed copies of both A Sweethaven Summer and A Sweethaven Homecoming and my new e-book, Step Up Your Supplies, from Ella Publishing to one lucky Scrapbook & Cards reader.

 
All you have to do is tell me…why do you scrapbook? And you’ll be entered to win! 

I’d love for you to check out my books on Amazon or Barnes and Noble and come over to my blog (www.courtneywalsh.typepad.com) this week for tons of inspiration, a big Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge & lots of prizes!

And you know I’d love to become friends, so feel free to head over to my Facebook Author page and say hi today!"  ~ Courtney

Congratulations again Courtney on the launch of your second book!  Ok, SCT readers, why do you scrapbook? 

Comments

[Jude]

The feel of the paper - the different textures, the embelishments that add zing to the final product & the photos that deliver a story,emotion or event.
I also love the excuse to get together with friends to work on our projects. It can be a needed break away from family &/or work... to help ground me to what is important in my life & leave my worries/troubles behind for a bit, eh?

[Amanda K]

What a great giveaway - I love to read! But why do I scrapbook? It started because I wanted to do something with the wallet sized photos my friends and family were giving me of their kids. Then it was to record a special vacation. From there it morphed into a record of my life with my husband and daughters. Every picture has a story to tell and I love journalling on my pages to help tell the story. I hope that my scrapbooks will be interesting to my daughters and their families long after I'm gone.

[Deanna Koontz]

I scrap because like you said.. it gets in your blood. Can't help myself and I love documenting all the little every day moments that would be forgotten otherwise.

[Deborah WIsmer]

I scrapbook because it takes me to a happy place. I find it so relaxing an fun trying to figure out what the page I want to look like. It's my zen.

[Tracey McNeely]

I scrapbook to preserve the memories that are so vivid today. I have saved and collected all of my life and I want to be able to pass on scrapbooks to my children one day so they get to relive these previous moments of their lives. I also scrapbook because of its therapeutic benefits. It calms me and relaxes me and it is doing something creative. I have always been creative but MS has slowed me down to the point that I have lost so much strength is my right handed side that I am limited. Scrapbooking and cardmaking allow me to create. Thank you for the chance to read your books.

[Tara W]

I've always had some type of scrapbook with all my momentos and newspaper articles and about 10 years ago I had picked up a magazine with a card idea in it for my sister's wedding and in it was some scrapbooking layouts.....I was hooked on this idea and away I went. My first full album was my sister's christmas present that year using pictures from her showers and wedding. In my creative family of cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, etc.....I finally found MY thing.

[Jeannine H.]

I used to scrapbook to record and display beautiful photos or special events but now, I also want to record the everyady moments and those not necessarily so great photos. I am even thinking of making some no photo pages because I want to tell the stories.

[Renee J.]

I, too, scrapbook for many reasons. I really enjoy it and want to treasure those special times!!

[Sylvie Simard]

I scrapbook to get my photos out of boxes and off the computer in a fun and creative way that i can look through anytime i want! I also scrapbook as a way to be creative and crafty and it's a hobby that I do with my sister, it's our time! And also because it is fun, i enjoy it, and its a way for me to escape everyday stress for awhile!! Thanks for the chance to win!

[Beverly Jordan]

First, I scrapbooked to remember the good things, and then to remember special relationships, and then I scrapbooked for my children to remember special things and relationships. Now I scrapbook to remind myself that God has truely blessed my life and it really puts it into perspective for me and others.

[Louella Turvey]

I scrapbook because the first time I took over a small album of pictures over to my family's house, everyone went crazy looking at the pictures and had a great time talking about this time and that time. And so I decided to be the keeper of memories, Now every get together there is, everyone asks me to be SURE and bring all the new scrapbooks and/or pictures I have, that is not the only reason though, I absolutely love to make art and love designing the pages, so I get a thrill out of everything about scrapbooking, I love all the embellishments, and I love taking pictures of my family, well, I could go on and on, but I think you get the gist of it all! Thanks, Louella

[mother of the]

Wow! At last I got a webpage from where I be able to actually get valuable data concerning my study and knowledge.