Dec. '08 E-News & Clues

E-mail: sleuths@ndsleuths.com

Happy New Year Sleuths!

Hope your holidays were fabulous with a capital Drew! As part of my Christmas I was able to add to my collection one of Tricia Zimic's Nancy Drew Files paintings which I'll preview in a new Blog! It's just lovely and I had it framed before I headed to Texas for the holidays.

Our E-News and Clues will be brief this month as our annual New Year newsletter will be online mid-January '09 in PDF form for you to access and even print if you like. This newsletter will preview some of the exciting things to come in 2009! So be sure to check the blog out mid-January and look for our e-mail reminding you of this!

In this E-News & Clues: PA Convention DVDs, Nancy Drew News, 2009 Sleuth Convention News, The Sleuth Special.

PA CONVENTION DVDS:

We have 5 DVDs leftover from our convention for sale. First come first serve. E-mail me if interested: sleuths@ndsleuths.com. These feature our speakers and their presentations, our sightseeing and our gift exchange. $15.00 each which includes shipping!

NANCY DREW NEWS:

December Releases:

Nancy Drew Girl Detective: Secret Identity

2009 NANCY DREW SLEUTH CONVENTION NEWS:

Our registration fees/deadlines/hotel information and itinerary are up at our website! Dont' miss out on our Las Vegas convention: Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, 2009! Check it out here:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/ndsconventions.html

THE SLEUTH SPECIAL:

To celebrate Nancy Drew and 2009, I'm offering a special on those of you who haven't subscribed to The Sleuth, our Nancy Drew/series book zine! Check out back issues at our website:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

We have 14 issues in print! Normal subscription rate is 38.00 per year for US subscribers. Special: 33.00 by Jan 31st! Outside the US: take off 3.00 of the non-US subscriber rates listed at our website!

And for back issues, they're normally 3/20.00 but I can offer a rate of 5.00 each x 14=70.00 for all back issues.

You can send a check or money order or purchase directly at our website, all the details can be found at the above link!

Jenn:)

November/December 2008 Issue of The Sleuth

Issue Contents:

Calling All Sleuths: Editor's Note By Jennifer Fisher

The Clue Conundrum: Nancy's Mementos Match Up

Revisiting The Nancy Drew Conference…15 Years Later
By Jennifer Fisher & '93 Conference Attendees

Secrets of Nancy Drew Revealed: Series Book Events, Research, & Reflection By Jennifer Fisher

Crazy Eights with Michael G. Cornelius - The Mysterious Fireplace By Michael G. Cornelius

Collecting World Loses Well Loved Personality By Rick Sayers

Sleuths Remember John Axe

From Old Clock to Winter Wonderland: 75 Years of Mystery And Adventure With Nancy Drew, America's Oldest Teenage Sleuth Pt II By JK

Amriel's Unofficial Nancy Drew's Keepsakes List: 1-56 By Amriel

Deconstructing The Digests - Debunking The Misconceptions Surrounding The Nancy Drew Paperbacks #80 - The Case of the Disappearing Diamonds By Todd H. Latoski

The Nancy Drew Crookbook Part II By Caroline Stellings

Nancy Drew News: Nancy Drew 2009 Convention Update

Nancy Drew's Survival Guide: Sleuth Lesson #14

To subscribe or order a back issue, check us out here:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

Jenn:)

Nov. '08 E-News & Clues

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving! The holidays are always a hectic time, makes me wonder how Nancy Drew managed so well with running her household and sleuthing at this time of year!

In this E-News & Clues entry: John Axe, Popcorn Posters--New Nancy Drew Licensee, Nancy Drew News, The Sleuth--Reminders, $30.00 Subscriber Holiday Special, 2009 Sleuth Convention Update.

JOHN AXE:

For those of you who haven't heard yet, series book collector/author and Sleuth member John Axe died on Monday, November 17, 2008. There is a blog posting about his passing below this entry. We will have a nice tribute to John in our upcoming Nov/Dec issue of The Sleuth and some of your memories of John. If anyone would like to send in anything about John, please feel free to e-mail, what we can't use for Nov/Dec we will run in Jan/Feb. Check out an online tribute:

http://www4.vindy.com/extra/tributes/905472111.html

POPCORN POSTERS--NEW NANCY DREW LICENSEE:

A new licensee of Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys - Popcorn Posters - is selling really cool 11 x 17 posters and magnet sets featuring Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys book covers! I got a box of samples of the Nancy Drew in and they all look fabulous. The posters come in a heavy plastic protector--which you can remove to have the poster framed, they're just slipped in there to protect them. The magnets are cute--you can see the actual book's spine--rather than just featuring the cover only, so they are neat. The posters are shipped flat--not rolled up!

I'll be a retailer of these products and you can order them at The Sleuth Shop! Remember, official Sleuth members get 15% discounts (makes each poster 12.74 for example...)! So, you can e-mail me an order and I'll get a total to you and you can then pay via Pay Pal or send a check. OR, you can also purchase at the website and I can credit you back the 15%-- whichever is easier for you.

View the posters/magnets here:

http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/sscbooks.html

http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/thesleuthshop.html

I only have the Nancy Drew stuff for sale right now, however anyone interested in the Hardy Boys posters or magnets sets--see the links to images of these below--you can e-mail me your order as I can order them for you--same prices as the Nancy Drew posters and magnets shown at the shop link above!

The posters have a white border around them--the blue shown below in the link is the catalog page background, they'll look like the Nancy Drew posters at the shop.

http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/hbposters.jpg

http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/hbmagnets.jpg

NANCY DREW NEWS:

Aside from the new Popcorn Posters licensee info above, here are some scoops:

Vintage Nancy Drew doll from Tonner Doll in the new year! You'll hear more about this in our January '09 annual holiday newsletter online. They've been in touch with me on what to do for a nice vintage doll and are looking at a 1930s Nancy Drew doll. More soon!

November 2008 Releases:

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew: Wedding Day Disaster
Papercutz Graphic Novels: #15 Tiger Counter

Check out my website for more news/updates/scoops:

http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/sightingsbook.html

THE SLEUTH--REMINDER/RESUB SPECIAL:

If you didn't receive your Sept/Oct issue of The Sleuth, it's because you didn't resubscribe. To resubscribe, check out our website:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

Those of you who didn't resubscribe received notices and those of you whose subscriptions ran out with our Sept/Oct issue or will run out with the upcoming Nov/Dec issue, have been mailed resubscriber notices with a special.

NEVER SUBSCRIBED TO THE SLEUTH? $30.00 HOLIDAY SPECIAL:

For those of you who have never checked our our own zine, The Sleuth, try it! Special: US subscribers: Suscribe by Dec. 20, pay only 30.00 for your subscription! That's an 8.00 savings! Outside USA: Take off 4.00 from the subscription cost. For a limited time, back issues for 5.00 each through Dec. 20. You may Pay Pal: nancydrewsleuth@aol.com or send a check to me at: Jennifer Fisher, P.O. Box 128, Higley, AZ 85236-0128

2009 SLEUTH CONVENTION UPDATE:

Convention Dates: Sept. 30 through Oct. 4, 2009. Las Vegas, NV.

Hotel: Excalibur Hotel (can't start booking yet though, will let you all know when you can...)

Check out info and coming updates at our website:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/ndsconventions.html

I hope to have more info by mid-Dec on registration fees, other activities and deadlines.

Jenn:)

Sleuth John Axe

It is with sadness that I make this post today, I just couldn't yesterday. I spoke to Sleuth Rick yesterday and he let me know that John Axe passed away. For those of you who don't know John, he was a series book collector and had written several series book guides that were very nice. All About Collecting Boys' Series Books and All About Collecting Girls' Series Books and The Secret of Collecting Girls' Series Books. They are not in print anymore, but you can usually find copies of them at eBay or other online bookstores from time to time. He especially liked the Judy Bolton series and attended the Coundersport gathering each year, except for this past year. He had quite a wit about him and was very creative and talented, so it was sad to see him decline in the last year of his life. We used to exchange very entertaining e-mails and I have missed that over the last year. He always had something interesting to say and was a great help to collectors. He will definitely be missed!

Jenn:)

Oct. '08 E-News & Clues

E-mail: sleuths@ndsleuths.com

Sleuths,

Happy Halloween to you! Lots of info in this entry. Hope you all are doing well. We just got back recently from the 2008 Sleuth convention which was a lot of fun. In the entry below we have some photos up and some slide shows at the "members only" section of our website:

http://www.ndsleuths.com

I hope to see more of you next year in '09! Details on our website about the convention!

I'm going to be updating my personal Nancy Drew Blog with quite a few updates, so check it out: I recently got a personalized Nancy Drew plate and other goodies, so I'm updating every day or so with new info!

http://nancydrewsleuths.blogspot.com

In this E-News & Clues: convention wrap up: goodies for sale, Cafe Press Closes 10-31!, 2009 Convention Invite, Sept./Oct. issue of The Sleuth, Nancy Drew News.

Payment Info for anything below: Pay Pal: nancydrewsleuth@aol.com or send check/money order to me at:

Jennifer Fisher
P.O. Box 128
Higley, AZ 85236-0128

2008 CONVENTION WRAP UP: GOODIES FOR SALE

CONVENTION DVDS:

If you would like a set of DVDs from our convention which include our sleuthing adventures in Amish Country, our neat gift exchange of fun Nancy Drew theme gifts, and our presentations from our convention day: myself, Nancy Drew Files illustrator Tricia Zimic, Penny Warner, Lea Fox, and Michael G. Cornelius, e-mail me off list. I'm taking orders! We'll place our order in early November and will be shipping these off by mid to late November. We're not doing VHS, just DVDs!

Total is 15.50 which includes regular mail shipping. You can send a check/money order or Pay Pal. Please e-mail me if you are interested in ordering by Nov. 13!

LEFTOVER CONVENTION GOODY BAGS:

We have just a couple of these left! View bag here:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/08goodybag.jpg

In the bag which is a neat Old Clock bag from the set that came out in '07, blue multi pic eps inside the bag, a little booklet of Sleuthing Tips from Amish Country based on stuff Nancy and her chums did in the books--featuring illustrations from the books, a neat ornament that Kelly made using our hex symbol design, a miniature Witch Tree book, 2 pins--one says "Everything is Evidence" and the other says "Get a Clue," a Nancy Drew Girl Detective PB 30, Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers PB 22, and the Nancy Drew Magnetic Wisdom set.

All this for 25.00 which includes flat rate priority shipping! E-mail me if you're interested so I don't run out before you pay! You can send a check/money order or Pay Pal.

CAFE PRESS CONVENTION MERCHANDISE ENDS 10-31:

http://www.cafepress.com/nancydrewsleuth

Our Nancy Drew Cafe Press Sales end 10-31, so be sure to stop by our shop and load up on Nancy Drew vintage art goodies!

SLEUTHS WEBSITE CONVENTION MERCHANDISE ENDS 10-31:

There are lots of leftovers from the convention for sale: mini buttons, ornaments, mousepads, shirts, journals, plus our vintage book cover journals, altered art charms, and lots of scrap sets for your craft or scrapbooking projects!

http://www.ndsleuths.com/sleuthconventionshop.html

2009 CONVENTION INVITE:

If you are interested in attending the 2009 convention in Las Vegas: Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, send me an e-mail and I'll put you on our e-mail list for updates/info about it. Interested in speaking? Drop me a line!

SEPT./OCT. 2008 THE SLEUTH

Our Sept./Oct. issue--which I noted in last month's editor column would be delayed due to the convention--went into the mail today. So you should have your issue shortly! If you haven't checked us out yet or want to try a back issue, or subscribe, check out our website:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

NANCY DREW NEWS

October 2008:

Nancy Drew Girl Detective: Perfect Escape
Her Interactive: The Haunting of Castle Malloy

Jenn:)

2008 Witch Tree Sleuth Convention Pics

Dean's Nancyopoly
Sleuth Hex Cake!

Here are some pictures from our convention--it was a lot of fun! We have slide shows with a lot more photos at our website, check out the "members only" section!

www.ndsleuths.com


Lea's Gift Exchange Bag


City Tavern Group

Dean Spots a Hardy Boys Book!

Witch Tree with Hex!

Hex Symbol on a Barn

Tricia Zimic Presentation



Group at Independence Hall

Jenn:)

September/October 2008 Issue of The Sleuth

Our latest issue of The Sleuth is ready:

www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

Calling All Sleuths: Editor's Note

Nancy Drew News

The Clue Conundrum: The Witch Tree Sumbol Trivia Quiz

Nancy Drew Sleuths & The Witch Tree Symbol Convention Report By Jennifer Fisher

Drew Review: Nancy Drew, Girl Detective Ghost Stories By Todd H. Latoski

The Nancy Drew Crookbook Part I By Caroline Stellings

Drew Interview: Around The World With Nancy Drew - British Nancy Drew Files By Lea Shangraw Fox

Deconstructing The Digests - Debunking The Misconceptions Surrounding The Nancy Drew Paperbacks #79 - The Double Horror of Fenley Place By Todd H. Latoski

From Old Clock to Winter Wonderland: 75 Years of Mystery And Adventure With Nancy Drew, America's Oldest Teenage Sleuth By JK

Crazy Eights with Michael G. Cornelius - The Witch Tree Symbol By Michael G. Cornelius

The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries: A Look Back at TV's First Nancy Drew: Episode 1.10 -Mystery Of The Fallen Angels By Todd H. Latoski

All The Gossip That's Fit To Print: Sleuths Chat About the Sleuth Convention

Sept. '08 E-News & Clues

Hi Everyone!

Fall starts tomorrow, so Happy Fall! The Nancy Drew Sleuth Convention begins on Sept. 29 and runs through Oct. 5 in Bird-in-Hand, PA! We're all getting excited about our Witch Tree theme convention! If you're wondering about next year, scroll down to the Blog entry past this one for some details! We'll be in Las Vegas! Or check out our website for a brief itinerary:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/ndsconventions.html

REMINDERS: Don't forget, our convention sales at Cafe Press and at our website(journals/handbags/charms/scrapbooking sets) will END on Oct. 31st, so be sure to check those out! We've got lots of neat images and neat vintage book cover items! See more info below...

In this E-News & Clues: Sleuth Convention Merchandise, Nancy Drew Books/Collectibles FS, Nancy Drew News, The Sleuth Special.

SLEUTH CONVENTION MERCHANDISE:

We've added new items!

I've updated our convention shop at our website with altered art journals and altered art scrapbooking sets:


http://www.ndsleuths.com/sleuthconventionshop.html

Each scrapbooking set includes the removed contents of a book--pages plus includes several sheets from the book: endpaper(s), title pages, contents, frontispiece, etc.

Each set also includes: 5 pieces of cardstock in white and 4 shades of blue, set of footprint stickers, 4 foot print paperclips, 2 rolls of blue satin ribbon, 1 roll of peachy orange satin ribbon, 8 stickers of the internal endpaper illustrations, and 5 neat pewter mystery charms: flashlight, fingerprint, footprints, magnifying glass, and a girl in a convertible.


Each Blank Journal has 75 to 100 blank pages inside. These have been made using vintage Nancy Drew picture cover and tweed covers. Spiral Bound.

We also still have altered art charms available!

And we're having a 3.00 shipping special right now for US buyers, just select "standard flat rate shipping" when checking out!

CAFE PRESS:

Remember, Cafe Press sales will be going on only through Oct. 31 and we are limited to 100 of each item to sell, so be sure to check the shop out:

http://www.cafepress.com/nancydrewsleuth



NANCY DREW BOOKS/COLLECTIBLES FOR SALE:

Remember, Sleuth members get a discount at my personal Nancy Drew website on sales at The Sleuth Shop. With so many problems going on at eBay these days, I find myself listing vintage series books more and more just at my website, plus neat Nancy Drew collectible items and mystery theme gifts. Normally Sleuths just get 15% discount, but through Oct. 20th, I'm going to up that to 25% to clear some things out!

$3.00 shipping special through Oct. 20 for US buyers, select "standard flat rate shipping" when checking out. The cart doesn't subtract discounts, so e-mail me with your orders and you can pay via Pay Pal or send a check/money order. Or, you can also purchase directly and I can credit back the 25% through the shopping cart system.

http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/thesleuthshop.html

NANCY DREW NEWS:

September 2008:

Nancy Drew and The Clue Crew: Thanksgiving Thief

Papercutz: Boxed Set of Graphic Novels

The Sleuth Special

Through Oct. 31st, take 3.00 off your total subscription! Send checks/money orders to: Jennifer Fisher, P.O. Box 128, Higley, AZ 85236-0128. Or send a Pay Pal to me at: nancydrewsleuth@aol.com. Check out our website for back issues too:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

Jenn:)

2009 Convention Update!

Sleuths,

Our 2009 convention will be Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, 2009 in Las Vegas, NV! I've updated our website with some tentative details, more to follow in November:

http://www.ndsleuths.com

Jenn:)

August '08 E-News & Clues

Sleuths,

Summer flew by! Hope you all had a great summer, it's winding down now, fall is fast approaching! That means some of you will be traveling along soon to Bird-in-Hand, PA for our 8th annual convention: Sept. 30-Oct. 5. We have quite a crowd converging in the area this year, so I'm looking forward to meeting new faces and seeing old chums. Lots of newbies this year! For those you not attending, look for lots of recaps in our Sept/Oct issue of The Sleuth. We'll also do some blogging here during the convention too.

I was really pleased to get to license Nancy Drew for the convention again and get the leeway to do so many different things with it--we've got lots of neat vintage images and items this year! See info below!

In this E-News & Clues: Cookbook Reprints?, The Sleuth, Sleuth Convention Merchandise FS, & Nancy Drew News.

COOKBOOK REPRINTS:

We sold 100 of our 150 planned cookbooks, the last 50 were never printed. Is there sufficient interest to print the last 50? If you'd like to have one of the Sleuth cookbook/scrapbooks which turned out really nice, e-mail me. I'll need 50 orders before I will print them up. If you got one and wanted a second, this is your chance.

Here was our info page on the cookbook--however, disregard price and shipping at this time, as I'll need to get a quote at the printers and shipping has gone up at the PO since this info was posted. My guess is that cookbooks will stay around 15 to 20 each and shipping media about 4.25 to include box/packing materials. Priority would be flat rate at about 10.00. Overseas/Canada would be much more expensive now that shipping options have changed.

http://www.ndsleuths.com/sleuthcookbook

THE SLEUTH:

Reminder: The Sept/Oct issue of The Sleuth will run a tad late to include convention info/write ups, and photos.

Subscribe/Order a back issue:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

SLEUTH CONVENTION MERCHANDISE:

I think we've outdone ourselves this year for our Nancy Drew Sleuth convention merchandise! We have officially licensed Nancy Drew again from Simon & Schuster/G&D and have expanded greatly on our merchandise both as to artwork styles and as to products available! Lots more art and more products. Also all sizes, kids/jrs/women/unisex for the clothing and many more clothing selections this year. Any clothing not labeled "jrs/kids/or womens" is unisex and can be worn by women and men.

Limited quantity/limited time--sales only through October 31st. I won't have a lot of this at the convention due to space/leftovers issues so Cafe Press is the place to shop!

You can learn more about the shop, see sample images of what we're using on the products and see sample product images at our website: (There's a neat slide show of the images!)

http://www.ndsleuths.com/sleuthconventionshop.html

Or go straight to our Cafe Press shop and start shopping:

http://www.cafepress.com/nancydrewsleuth

I have kept the images somewhat small on the samples page, due to copyright issues and image stealers on the web, though it's not foolproof, however, if you go to the Cafe Press shop--using the above link--all you have to do is enter a section, click on a product, say for example a totebag, and then on the page that comes up, click on the "view larger" link under the product image. Then click on the "zoom in on image" link on the page that comes up--it will zoom in on the product image where you can read the slogans/phrases.

We really went vintage this year and are using a lot more vintage Nancy Drew cover art as well as the cute and whimsical blue multi pic endpapers! Plus the Witch Tree covers--our theme--and a neat Nancy Drew silhouette hex sign created by Sleuth Kelly Boettlin that turned out great!

We've got mystery slogans, kitschy humor/slogans all using vintage images as well as a fabulous collage of Nancy Drew images and actual phrases from the classic Nancy Drew books spoken by Nancy and her chums--each collage has different phrases on it.

I think everyone will be pleased with the way the shop has turned out--if we do pretty successful sales, we might turn this into a more long term licensing venture, so support the shop and you may be able to get some of these things year round in the future!

It's located as usual at Cafe Press, and it's designed by sections--each section is by image, so click on a section and you'll see all products available with that particular image. Very user friendly, very easy to shop.

And a bonus, soon to be available only at our Sleuths website (NOT Cafe Press), in September, will be very limited quantity altered art items using vintage book covers: beaded handle Nancy Drew Handbags with vintage covers, and scrapbooking kits, and journals using vintage book covers.

AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW: Altered Art Nancy Drew Charms at our website:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/sleuthconventionshop.html

22 styles, 4 of each style for sale, so limited quantities!

NANCY DREW NEWS:

August 2008 Releases:

Papercutz: Sleight of Dan
Nancy Drew Girl Detective: Ghost Stories

SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG:

At the bottom of this Blog page is a link for you to subscribe to the postings, so as each new Blog entry is posted, you'll get a notification of it.

Jenn:)

Sleuth Convention Merchandise For Sale

Sleuths,

I think we've outdone ourselves this year for our Nancy Drew Sleuth convention merchandise! We have officially licensed Nancy Drew again from Simon & Schuster/G&D and have expanded greatly on our merchandise both as to artwork styles and as to products available! Lots more art and more products. Also all sizes, kids/jrs/women/unisex for the clothing and many more clothing selections this year.

Limited quantity/limited time--sales only through October 31st. I won't have a lot of this at the convention due to space/leftovers issues so Cafe Press is the place to shop! You can learn more about the shop, see sample images of what we're using on the products and see sample product images at our website:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/sleuthconventionshop.html

Or go straight to our Cafe Press shop and start shopping:

http://www.cafepress.com/nancydrewsleuth

We really went vintage this year and are using a lot more vintage Nancy Drew cover art as well as the cute and whimsical blue multi pic endpapers! Plus the Witch Tree covers--our theme--and a neat Nancy Drew silhouette hex sign created by Sleuth Kelly that turned out great!

We've got mystery slogans, kitschy humor/slogans all using vintage images as well as a fabulous collage of Nancy Drew images and actual phrases from the classic Nancy Drew books spoken by Nancy and her chums--each collage has different phrases on it. I think everyone will be pleased with the way the shop has turned out!

It's located as usual at Cafe Press, and it's designed by sections--each section is by image, so click on a section and you'll see all products available with that particular image. Very user friendly, very easy to shop.

And a bonus, soon to be available only at our Sleuths website (NOT Cafe Press), in September, will be very limited quantity altered art items using vintage book covers: beaded handle Nancy Drew Handbags with vintage covers, altered art Nancy Drew charms, scrapbooking kits, and journals using vintage book covers.

Jenn:)

July/August '08 The Sleuth

Our July/August '08 issue is being mailed this week! Our theme: Secret Passageways & Hidden Rooms! Check out the contents and subscribe at:

www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

Calling All Sleuths: Editor's Note By Jennifer Fisher

The Clue Conundrum: The Clue in the Old Stagecoach Quiz

Nancy's Secret Passageways & Hidden Rooms By Jennifer Fisher

Nancy Drew The Zimic Way By Jim McNamara

Deconstructing the Digests - Debunking the Misconceptions Surrounding the Nancy Drew Digest Paperbacks By Todd H. Latoski

Nancy Drew News

Nancy Drew: Location, Location, Location By Pamela J. Horack

Five Reasons You May Actually Be Nancy Drew By Dean Burcham

Pennsylvania German Dialect and German Usages in The Witch Tree Symbol Part II Compiled By Christine Berwanger

Drew Interview: Renee Walker on The Dark Side of River Heights
Part II - Interviewed by Todd H. Latoski

Crazy Eights with Michael G. Cornelius By Michael G. Cornelius

Sleuths & Their Secret Passageways/Hidden Rooms

The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries: A Look Back at TV's First Nancy Drew: Episode 1.8 - A Haunting We Will Go By Todd H. Latoski

Nancy Drew Sleuth Convention MERCHANDISE FOR SALE!

Nancy Drew's Survival Guide: Sleuth Lesson #12

The Scoop on Upcoming Issues, Clue Conundrum Answers

Classic Nancy Drew Book Illustrations Series #1: Old Clock

Jenn:)

July '08 E-News & Clues

E-mail: sleuths@ndsleuths.com

Sleuths,

Hope you're having a great summer, getting in a lot of summer reading and doing a little book hunting and antiquing! Perhaps traveling on some fun adventure.

In this E-News & Clues: July/August issue of The Sleuth, Nancy Drew News, Cafe Press: Sleuths Items/Convention Gear, Convention News, Nancy Drew Event in Michigan, Subscribe to this Blog, and 1993 Nancy Drew Conference Memories.

JULY/AUGUST ISSUE OF THE SLEUTH:

Our next issue of The Sleuth will be mailed next week and our theme is great! Some neat new surprises in store:) I'll be updating the Blog and website with the cover and contents as soon as I have that available. To subscribe or try out a back issue:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

For new subscribers: Mail in your payment or Pay Pal and take 3.00 off your total through August 31st, 2008!

NANCY DREW NEWS:

Items out in July:

Nancy Drew Girl Detective: Perfect Cover
Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew: Mall Madness
An August release, the new Nancy Drew Ghost Stories has already been spotted in stores!
Her Interactive game: The Phantom of Venice

CAFE PRESS: SLEUTH ITEMS/CONVENTION GEAR:

Just a reminder we do have lots of fun things at Cafe Press in our shop sections there, links and more can be found here:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/sleuthshop.html

We'll be doing licensed convention items again this year! Sleuth Kelly designed a fabulous Nancy Drew Hex Symbol--preview above--and we'll be selling items at Cafe Press as usual--featuring the hex symbol, last year's You Know You're A Nancy Drew Fan When..., and some neat Nancy Drew vintage images/slogans. We'll also be featuring more products than before! And selling some neat altered art items at my website and at the Sleuths' website. For a limited time as usual: August-October. Once I have the Cafe Press store set up with the merchandise, I'll be e-mailing everyone about it. But the link for the store will be:

http://www.cafepress.com/nancydrewsleuth

You can visit and bookmark the link for later viewing!

CONVENTION NEWS:

Speaking at this year's convention are Sleuths Michael G. Cornelius, Lea Fox, Penny Warner and myself. We also have a treat in that Nancy Drew illustrator Tricia Zimic will be joining us.

Tricia will be speaking to us, signing books/etc. and selling her Nancy Drew paintings! If you are interested in her paintings, e-mail me and I'll send a list of Nancy Drew Files paintings she has available. FYI: She illustrated 22 of the Nancy Drew Files books: volumes 70 through 91. For a list of these titles, visit my website:

www.nancydrewsleuth.com/files.html

NANCY DREW EVENT IN MICHIGAN:

The University of Michigan at Dearborn is having a reception on Sept. 12th to go along with an exhibition on children's series books including artwork that will be displayed. There will also be a nice display of Nancy Drew books and memorabilia. They contacted me about speaking at the reception. I will speak at around 5:30 to 6pm on the 12th. If you are in the area or want to attend, here is more information about it:

http://library.umd.umich.edu/news/index.php?/archives/3701-Secrets-of-Nancy-Drew-Revealed.html

I gave a list of Sleuth members/addresses that live near Dearborn in Michigan and the Ohio areas to the event coordinator so those of you in this area should be receiving flyers about the event shortly. Please contact me if you are able to attend the event! I will be speaking about Nancy Drew and the history of the series as well as talking about the illustrations over the years!

SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG:

At the bottom of this Blog page is a link for you to subscribe to the postings, so as each new Blog entry is posted, you'll get a notification of it.

1993 NANCY DREW CONFERENCE MEMORIES:

If you attended the 1993 Nancy Drew Conference in Iowa City, IA, I'm looking for people to share their memories of the event and photos if you took them for an upcoming issue of The Sleuth! Contact me at the e-mail link above.

Jenn:)

June '08 E-News & Clues

E-mail: sleuths@ndsleuths.com

Sleuths,

Hope you are all enjoying your summer thus far and making time for a little summer reading! You can subscribe to these postings using the subscriber link at the bottom of the page! Check out my Nancy Drew blog for some new collectible finds and some neat gaming news and images:

http://nancydrewsleuths.blogspot.com

I have overhauled our Nancy Drew Sleuths website with quite a lot of new changes and updates, making it more streamlined and adding some fun touches. Check out the changes at the site and in the "Members Only" section:

http://www.ndsleuths.com

Registration has closed now for the 2008 PA Witch Tree Convention and we'll have nearly 60 people attending! Hope you all are ready to walk in Nancy's footsteps and eat some Shoefly Pie! Information on next year's convention below.

In this month's E-News & Clues Blog entry: Nancy Drew News, Website Changes, Convention News, The Sleuth: May/June '08, Sleuth Members Map/Get Togethers, and Sleuth Gift Exchanges.

NANCY DREW NEWS:

June Releases:

--Nancy Drew Girl Detective: Pageant Perfect Crime
--Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys: Danger Overseas

WEBSITE CHANGES:

As noted above, we have revamped the website in some areas, so have fun sleuthing through the site. Our Members Only section has a nice update as well. If you have any issues logging in, e-mail me.

http://www.ndsleuths.com

CONVENTION NEWS:

If you couldn't make this year's convention, plan ahead/save for the next few years! If you're wondering about Hawaii, never fear, it's on the list :) Check out our tentative schedule (tentative past 2010):

2009: October. Las Vegas, NV. Forgotten City/Venice/CSI Theme

2010: 80TH ANNIV OF ND SPRING (April)

Florida & Cruise. We’ll spend a couple of days in Florida and 4 days at sea! Nancy Drew's 80TH anniversary & NDSleuths 10th Anniversary Fun!

2011: Charlottesville, VA. Hidden Window. (Spring–April when book set)

2012: Spring: Hawaii, Golden Pavilion (Mar. Or April)

2013: Florida Keys. Crocodile Island. Spring

2014: Maine for Tolling Bell Theme Spring or Fall

2015: Cooperstown, NY for Mirror Bay Theme. Spring or Fall

THE SLEUTH MAY/JUNE '08:

Check out our latest issue of The Sleuth:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

Theme: Nancy Drew & The Law. We're looking for columnists and regular writers, so contact me if you're interested! I'm interested in articles on other series as well for our series spotlight column.

Haven't subscribed yet?! Take 3.00 off your subscription total if you subscribe by July 31st. How to subscribe can be found on the above website link.

SLEUTH MEMBERS MAP/GET TOGETHERS:

Check out the Blog entry below: we're working on organizing members regionally. Start a book collector group/discussion group at your local library or book store and recruit new members aka book hunting/get together pals :) The map of Sleuths by state/country can be found here and also in the Blog posting below this one:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/sleuthmembersmap

SLEUTH GIFT EXCHANGES:

Finalized: 2 exchanges per year from now on. Spring: April: Nancy Drew's Birthday Exchange and Fall: October: Spooky Sleuths Halloween Exchange. Check out the "Members Only" section for more info!

Jenn:)

Sleuth Member Locations/Map

Hi Everyone!

I updated our member roster and finalized an organized file of members by location to facilitate a few things. Some of our members have been expressing an interest in getting together locally/regionally with nearby Sleuth members for book hunting, book discussions and other fun activities.

Our Carolina Sleuths have been getting together and having a lot of fun. Their adventures have been recounted in past issues of The Sleuth. (http://www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html)

If you would like to organize Sleuth members in your locale, contact me and I'll help you set this up and contact nearby members! If you don't have many members in your area, this is a great opportunity to recruit some book hunting pals! Consider starting a discussion group/book collector group at your local bookstores or library! Contact me for ideas if you're stumped!

Click on the map above to view how many members you have in your state/country. The map is also on display in the "Members Only" section of our website:

http://www.ndsleuths.com

Jenn:)

NDSleuths Website Overhaul

Sleuths,

I've spent a couple days overhauling the website:

http://www.ndsleuths.com

And lots of changes/updates in the members only section there-click on that link on the left tool bar.

I've streamlined and revamped and added! So check it out, I think you'll welcome the changes:)

Also, the gift exchange will be 2 times per year:

Nancy Drew's Birthday Exchange: April each year
Halloween Spooky Sleuths Exchange: October each year

Jenn:)

The Case of the Mysterious Sneaky Sleuth Gift

Hi Everyone,

Hope you're all doing great! We had a few people sign up for our spring/summer exchange and I've seen a couple of postings to the group about gifts received. They're lots of fun and I encourage you all to participate at least once in an exchange! Not only do you get to do something fun and creative, you also receive something neat in return:) Check the "members only" section and sleuth in the "gift exchanges" sub-section for pictures of gifts that Sleuths have received in the exchanges!

To my surprise, I received a box postmarked Iowa in the mail from a "Sneaky Sleuth!" I didn't participate in the exchange as I generally run them all and am not able. So it was really sweet that one of you took the time to think of me and I really appreciate that:)

I have a suspect in mind and have e-mailed you:)

I wanted to share some photos with you all of the gift I received. The theme was The Sign of the Twisted Candles and it came with a neat card. And there were images of the original and revised text versions. There was a neat collage/shadow box featuring the Tandy illustration along with 2 twisted candles, a silver platter and a tea set to go with it. A fun sudoku puzzle Nancy Drew style. There was a neat journal with the name "Nancy" on it and a set of cute pens. A set of neat handmade cards with artwork from Twisted Candles, Old Album, Dancing Puppet, and Jewel Box. A neat planner. And a really cute shelf of miniature Nancy Drew books: UK Larkspur Lane, Moss Mansion, Broken Locket, Shadow Ranch, Wooden Lady, Old Clock, Hidden Staircase, Haunted Showboat, Hidden Window, Hollow Oak, Mysterious Letter, Tapping Heels, and Twisted Candles.

I absolutely love it and I thank my Sneaky Sleuth:)

Jenn:)

May/June '08 The Sleuth

Our May/June issue of The Sleuth is ready to mail out! Check out the cover and the contents below. Contribute to a future issue or become a columnist! 3 articles within a 6 issue run=free subscription :)

CALLING ALL SLEUTHS: EDITOR'S NOTE By Jennifer Fisher

THE CLUE CONUNDRUM: HERE'S TO THE LADIES WHO LUNCH

NANCY DREW & THE LAW By Jennifer Fisher

STAGING NANCY DREW By Dawn Allen

FOLLOWING IN NANCY DREW'S FOOTSTEPS… AROUND THE WORLD WITH NANCY DREW. ASSIGNMENT: JAPAN By Lea Fox

PARTNERS IN CRIME: A BRIEF GLANCE AT NANCY DREW'S ACCOMPLICES IN CRIMINAL UNDERTAKINGS By Todd H. Latoski

NANCY DREW NEWS

SERIES SPOTLIGHT: MORE SHERLOCKIAN LORE By Rick Sayers

PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN DIALECT AND GERMAN USAGES IN THE WITCH TREE SYMBOL PART I Compiled By Christine Berwanger

RECIPES FOR PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN FOOD MENTIONED IN THEWITCH TREE SYMBOL Compiled By Christine Berwanger

DREW INTERVIEW: RENEE WALKER ON THE DARK SIDE OF RIVER HEIGHTS Part I - Interviewed by Todd H. Latoski

CRAZY EIGHTS WITH MICHAEL G. CORNELIUS By Michael G. Cornelius

THE HARDY BOYS/NANCY DREW MYSTERIES: A LOOK BACK AT TV'S FIRST NANCY DREW: EPISODE 1.6 - SECRET OF THE WHISPERING WALLS By Todd H. Latoski

NANCY DREW'S SURVIVAL GUIDE: SLEUTH LESSON #11

Jenn:)

May '08 E-News & Clues

E-mail: sleuths@ndsleuths.com

Sleuths,

Welcome to our new E-News & Clues format! From now on, all E-News & Clues each month will be posted to our Blog! Check them out, comment on them and chat with other members in the comments section! Or use the above e-mail to e-mail me privately. I think most of you will find this format preferable.

In this month's news: John Axe Update, Blog Updates, Convention Updates/Reminders, The Sleuth/Subscriber Special, Nancy Drew Book Theme Gift Exchange, and Latest Nancy Drew News/Releases.

JOHN AXE UPDATE:

Our dear friend and series book collector/author John Axe is doing really well! I wanted to update everyone on that. I'm sure he has appreciated your well wishes during this time. If you'd like to send a card to John, contact me and I'll give you his address.

BLOG UPDATES:

Check out below if you haven't already seen the new pictures added:

Sleuth Dean, Nancy Drew Car, Nancy Drew Costume pictures.

CONVENTION UPDATES/REMINDERS:

The deadline to register for this year's Sleuth convention is June 15. You can snail mail a check or Pay Pal. All the info you need for the convention and how to register is located at our website:

http://www.ndsleuths.com

We'll be having between 30 and 50 Sleuths attending this year, come see us!

THE SLEUTH/SUBSCRIBER SPECIAL:

***Check out the very bottom of this Blog page for a poll regarding The Sleuth. We'd like to know what your favorite features are and other interests! Polls are anonymous. Select all that apply.***

Our May/June issue of The Sleuth will be mailed around the 10th of June and has an interesting focus on Nancy Drew and the law! Lots of good articles this issue. Look for a future Blog entry on this issue.

Special: If you haven't subscribed before, check us out. Sample a back issue or jump right in with a subscription--you won't be disappointed! For new subscribers, take 3.00 off your total through June 30:

http://www.ndsleuths.com/thesleuth.html

NANCY DREW BOOK THEME GIFT EXCHANGE:

See the image at the top of this blog for a visual on what you can do with a vintage book!

We're going to try something new! We're going to have a special crafts exchange this summer. It will work like the usual exchange where you make a gift and send it to a fellow Sleuth member. You in return will also receive a gift from another Sleuth member. The theme of this exchange is crafting items using vintage Nancy Drew books. Now before some of you pass out, my suggestion is to use worn out falling apart books, not a new vintage book if you're going to alter the book in any way. Some things we have seen done with vintage books: journals, clocks, lamps, purses. There are so many other things that could be done. I'd like to see how crafty everyone can get! The great thing is, that you'll get something really neat and crafty back for all your hard work in designing your gift to a fellow Sleuth! Need a worn out book? You can find plenty cheap on eBay!

Join up for this exchange by July 1, shipping gifts around mid-July. We have had dwindling numbers in the exchanges the last couple years, so I'd like to see if this special theme exchange helps encourage more to participate!

LATEST NANCY DREW NEWS/RELEASES:

May 2008:

Nancy Drew and The Clue Crew: The Zoo Crew
Papercutz: Doggone Town

June 2008:

Nancy Drew Girl Detective: Pageant Perfect Crime
Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys: Danger Overseas

Jenn:)

Sleuth Convention Registration Deadline: June 15

Hey Everyone,

Just a reminder, the deadline to register for the Sleuth convention is June 15. Witch Tree Theme. Sept. 30-Oct. 5. Bird-in-Hand, PA. Details on the convention and how to register:

http://www.ndsleuths.com

Jenn:)

March/April 2008 Issue of The Sleuth

-Calling All Sleuths: Editor’s Note By Jennifer Fisher
-The Clue Conundrum: Detective Chums Quiz
Bess & George: Dutiful Detective Sidekicks By Jennifer Fisher
-A Surprise Gift by Janet DeVries
Crazy Eights with Michael G. Cornelius By Michael G. Cornelius
-Series Spotlight: Julie Dare By Todd H. Latoski
Old Clock, New Clock By Elizabeth Dearing Morgan Walters
-8th Annual Nancy Drew Sleuths Convention Registration Info
-A Bess & George Recap: The Witch Tree Symbol
-Wandering Through the Wanderers: A Final Look Back By Todd H. Latoski
-The Carolina Sleuths By Pamela J. Horack
-Drew Review: Drew's Clues DVD Special By Jennifer Fisher
-Nancy Drew News
-The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries: A Look Back at TV's First Nancy Drew: Episode 1.4 - The Mystery of the Diamond Triangle By Todd H. Latoski
-Where in the World is Helen Corning By Jennifer Fisher
-Sleuths on Bess and George
-Nancy Drew’s Survival Guide: Sleuth Lesson #10