Tag Archive for: Lois Winston

The Fork in the Road

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The Fork in
the Road by Lois
Winston

In 2003 when my
agent suggested I try my hand at writing a cozy crafting mystery (she knew an
editor looking for one), little did I realize how that suggestion would change
my life. At the time I was writing humorous contemporary romance and gritty
romantic suspense. I don’t know if it was because I couldn’t make up my mind or
if I possessed somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde personality, but I found myself
straddling both light and dark worlds in my writing.

To be honest, I
hadn’t read any light mystery since I’d consumed every Cherry Ames novel I
could get my hands on back in elementary school. I didn’t even know there was
such a sub-genre as crafting cozies until one day when I was killing time and
decided to Google myself.

One of the hits
that popped up brought me to A Murderous Yarn by Monica Ferris. In the
book, a character walks into a needlework shop and asks the owner if she
carries any designs by Lois Winston. In my non-writing life, I had spent
decades designing needlework for needlecraft companies and publishers. I nearly
fell out of my chair! Was this merely coincidence? I know of a few other Lois
Winstons throughout the country, but it’s certainly not a common name. Lois
Lane aside, Lois was never really all that popular, and Winston is more common
as a given name than a surname.


I contacted
Monica through her website to find out. No, it wasn’t coincidence. Monica was
not only familiar with my designs but was a huge fan. She said she likes to
mention her favorite designers in her books. Pretty cool, huh?

Of course, a
few years later, having been asked to write a crafting cozy mystery, I needed
to immerse myself in the genre and started with Monica’s books. I quickly
learned that crafting cozies usually include at least one craft or some craft
tips. This posed limitations on the types of crafts I could choose, due to e-book
and printing constraints.

Once I had read
dozens of crafting cozies, I felt comfortable enough to start writing my own. I
created Anastasia Pollack, the crafts editor at a women’s magazine. With such a
career, I wouldn’t be limited to featuring only one craft in each book should
the series sell and continue for multiple books. I could also work around the physical
limitations of print and e-books when it came to featuring designs.

I’m glad I made
that decision because I’m now up to nine books in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. There are also three connecting
novellas. In Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in the series, I
featured several different crafts to give readers an indication that the series
would be a bit different from one-craft cozies. Subsequent books have featured
mop dolls, yo-yo crafts, decoupage, knitting and crochet, scrapbooking, glass
ball Christmas ornaments, and crafts made from recycled greeting cards. I chose
sewing crafts for A Sew Deadly Cruise, the newest book in the series.

Most of the
crafts in my series are designed for people with limited crafting experience.
Anastasia and I want our readers to feel confident they don’t have to be Martha
Stewart to create something they’ll be proud of.

Before I was
offered a contract for the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, I sold two
other books, a rom-com (from my light side) and a romantic suspense (from my
dark side). With cozy mystery, I’ve been able to incorporate both sides of my
writing personality into one genre and am now firmly planted in the world of the
cozy mystery. I guess you could say I took neither the left nor the right fork,
instead forging a new path in-between the two.

How do you
feel when your favorite author is no longer writing the books you love to read?
Do you give the new genre a chance, or do you move on to other authors?

A Sew Deadly Cruise

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 9

Life is looking
up for magazine crafts editor Anastasia Pollack. Newly engaged, she and
photojournalist fiancé Zack Barnes are on a winter cruise with her family,
compliments of a Christmas gift from her half-brother-in-law. Son Alex’s
girlfriend and her father have also joined them. Shortly after boarding the
ship, Anastasia is approached by a man with an unusual interest in her engagement
ring. When she tells Zack of her encounter, he suggests the man might be a
jewel thief scouting for his next mark. But before Anastasia can point the man
out to Zack, the would-be thief approaches him, revealing his true motivation.
Long-buried secrets now threaten the well-being of everyone Anastasia holds
dear. And that’s before the first dead body turns up.

Craft projects
included.

Buy Links

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fwHR7X

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-sew-deadly-cruise

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-sew-deadly-cruise-lois-winston/1137427499?ean=2940162697930

Apple iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-sew-deadly-cruise/id1526052822

 

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author
Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s
fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her own name and her
Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews
dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series,
“North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a
former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws
much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her
experiences in the crafts industry.

Website: www.loiswinston.com

Newsletter
sign-up: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z1z1u5

Killer Crafts
& Crafty Killers blog: www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/anasleuth

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/722763.Lois_Winston

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lois-winston

 

Anastasia Pollack visits The Stiletto Gang (or is it Lois Winston?)

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I’m delighted to introduce you to my friend, Anastasia Pollack, and her creator, Lois Winston. With the holidays coming, I can’t wait to read Lois’ 8th book starring Anastasia – Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide and I bet you’ll feel the same once you get to know her.


What is your full name?
Anastasia Pollack

What is your Profession?
I’m the crafts editor for American Woman, a monthly women’s magazine sold at supermarket checkout counters.

How did you come to wind up as the protagonist of a cozy mystery series?
I was a typical middle-class suburban working mom when author Lois Winston hijacked my life. Now I’m a penniless widow who’s constantly dealing with murder and mayhem. Why would she do that to me?

I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that, but how did she do it?
Lois had my husband permanently cash in his chips in Las Vegas. I thought he was at a sales meeting in Harrisburg, PA. Turns out that was the tip of Karl’s iceberg of lies. After his death, I learned of his well-hidden gambling addiction. He’d not only blown through our savings, he’d maxed out our credit cards, taken out a second mortgage on the house, borrowed against his life insurance, and entered into a one-sided relationship with a bookie.

But wait! There’s more.

Karl also stuck me with his curmudgeon of a mother, a diehard communist, as a permanent houseguest. Lucille now shares a bedroom with my self-proclaimed Russian princess mother whenever she’s between husbands. You can imagine the fireworks that occur from that! I also have my two teenage sons, Mama’s cat, Lucille’s dog, and a Shakespeare-quoting parrot all crammed into my tiny suburban rancher.

But wait! There’s still more.
.
Lois decided there wasn’t enough conflict and stress in my life. So she started dropping dead bodies

at my feet.

Why do you think that your life has ended up being in a book?
I don’t know, but I definitely lost the heroine lottery. Lois used to write romances. Why couldn’t she

have chosen me for a heroine in one of those novels? Eight books and three novellas into the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, and I’m still looking for my happily-ever-after.

Has she done anything nice for you?
Well, she did allow hunky photojournalist Zack Barnes to rent the apartment over my garage when

she could have rented to a couple of rowdy college kids. So I have to thank her for that since my relationship with Zack has progressed into much more than that of landlady and tenant. But being Lois, she couldn’t leave well enough alone. I seriously suspect the photography gig is cover for his real job—that of a government operative. He, of course, denies it, but how often do spies admit they’re spies?

Who should play you in the movie or TV show based on your books?
Tina Fey, hands down. In their starred review of Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in the series, Publishers Weekly said I was “as droll as Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon.” So I think it would be only fair for Tina to portray me. And I hope the movie would lead to a franchise or the TV show would go into syndication for years after a successful run. I could use the money to help dig myself out of the financial mess Lois created for me.

Is there any aspect of your author’s writing style you like?
I do like that she’s given me a sense of humor, which helps me survive everything she throws at me—at least so far. I suppose I should be thankful she didn’t decide to write a series of noir mysteries.
What makes you stand out from any other amateur sleuths in your genre?

For one thing, I’m a reluctant amateur sleuth. Most cozy mysteries feature busybody sleuths. Me? I hate that people are calling me Westfield’s very own Jessica Fletcher. I didn’t ask for any of this. Also, most cozies are set in small New England, Midwest, or Southern towns. I’m a Jersey girl who lives in a Manhattan commuter town.

Thanks for sitting down with us today, Anastasia.

Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide
An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 8

Two and a half weeks ago magazine crafts editor Anastasia Pollack arrived home to find Ira Pollack, her half-brother-in-law, had blinged out her home with enough Christmas lights to rival Rockefeller Center. Now he’s crammed her small yard with enormous cavorting inflatable characters. She and photojournalist boyfriend and possible spy Zack Barnes pack up the unwanted lawn decorations to return to Ira. They arrive to find his yard the scene of an over-the-top Christmas extravaganza. His neighbors are not happy with the animatronics, laser light show, and blaring music creating traffic jams on their normally quiet street. One of them expresses his displeasure with his fists before running off.

In the excitement, the deflated lawn ornaments are never returned to Ira. The next morning Anastasia once again heads to his house before work to drop them off. When she arrives, she discovers Ira’s attacker dead in Santa’s sleigh. Ira becomes the prime suspect in the man’s murder and begs Anastasia to help clear his name. But Anastasia has promised her sons she’ll keep her nose out of police business. What’s a reluctant amateur sleuth to do?

Buy Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VG2QZXV/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=Handmade+Ho-Ho+Homicide&qid=1563673299&s=gateway&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=loiswins-20&linkId=cbd92af3c45b1134cb5408cc8450e3b4&language=en_US
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/handmade-ho-ho-homicide
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/handmade-ho-ho-homicide-lois-winston/1132607263?ean=2940163093748
iTunes https://books.apple.com/us/book/handmade-ho-ho-homicide/id1473711082

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance,

romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry.

Website: www.loiswinston.com
Newsletter sign-up: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z1z1u5
Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog: www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/anasleuth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/722763.Lois_Winston
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lois-winston

Listening to the Sound of Words and the Voice of Characters

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Listening to the Sound of Words and the Voice of Characters
by Debra H. Goldstein

I like to talk to myself.  Not quietly in my mind, but out loud. My children cringe and fear the worst when they hear me. Joel ignores my occasional mutterings grateful they aren’t honey do directives.  I have no idea what someone watching a security camera filming an elevator or hallway thinks – especially when the words relate to murder or another heinous crime.  The fact is that as a writer, I need to hear the sound of words.

Testing dialogue or narrative works best for me if I can listen to the words.  Giving them vocal life allows me to feel the pace of a scene and the true voice of each character.  Often I realize that what is blocking the flow of the piece is that in trying to push the story, I overwrote it with words the characters never would have chosen to utter when expressing themselves.  The story only works when I respond to the awkwardness of my crafted sentences.

Many writers don’t have to talk aloud.  Instead, they hear voices in their heads. One of my first guest bloggers on my personal blog, “It’s Not Always a Mystery,” Lois Winston, author of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, described the phenomenon of “Those Voices in My Head” in February 2012. (http://debrahgoldstein.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/guest-blog-those-voices-in-my-head-by-lois-winston/ )  Lois explained that the voices belong to her characters. Her voices are not content to sit back and let her write their stories.  Instead, they argue plot lines, characterization, voice, and pace with her.  They often refuse to let the story proceed until she accedes to their demands. Time has taught her that the way the voices in her head want a book to be written is always correct.  Her newest book, Decoupage can be Deadly, is a perfect example of  combining polished writing skills with listening to the voices in her head to produce a delightful final product.

Linda Rodriguez, author of Every Last Secret, Every Broken Trust and Every Hidden Fear, has a similar involvement with her characters.  She recently blogged about how they speak to her and insist on having lives of their own, but she implied that what the characters say are extensions of her subconscious experiences and reading that she had failed to consciously pull together.  The impact of these subliminal messages barging into her consciousness is what works to makes half-Cherokee Marquitta “Skeet” Bannion and the other characters in Linda’s books so real. (https://www.thestilettogang.com/ – December 6, 2013) The result is that when one reads any of the books that feature “Skeet” Bannion, one immediately feels a kinship with “Skeet,” her family, friends and enemies. 
 
A third group of writers don’t talk out loud or hear voices.  Their story stumbling blocks are resolved while sleeping.  The loose ends of their stories come together in action sequences during their dreams.

Whether words are spoken aloud, voices are heard, or acted out during rem sleep, it is immaterial how subconscious story truth is reached.  The key is for a writer to recognize and accept the message. No matter how skilled a writer is, continually trying to push a round-pegged story into a square hole never produces a quality work product.  Being open to the sound of words and the thoughts characters speak can make the difference between writing that ends up in the drawer versus a book or story that is successful.  As a writer, what method do you use to find the true path a project is meant to take?
                                                                           ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Decoupage Can Be Deadly is the fourth book in Lois Winston’s Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series.  In Decoupage Can Be Deadly, Anastasia and her fellow American Woman editors are steaming mad when minutes before the opening of a consumer show, they discover half their booth usurped by Bling!, their publisher’s newest magazine. CEO Alfred Gruenwald is sporting new arm candy—rapper-turned-entrepreneur and Bling! executive editor, the first-name-only Philomena. During the consumer show, Gruenwald’s wife serves Philomena with an alienation of affection lawsuit, but Philomena doesn’t live long enough to make an appearance in court. She’s found dead days later, stuffed in the shipping case that held Anastasia’s decoupage crafts. When Gruenwald makes cash-strapped Anastasia an offer she can’t refuse, she wonders, does he really want to find Philomena’s killer or is he harboring a hidden agenda?
                                                                             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In Every Broken Trust by Linda Rodriguez, life has settled into routine for half-Cherokee Marquitta “Skeet” Bannion now that she’s gained custody of fifteen-year-old Brian Jameson and shares care for her stroke-impaired father with her ex-husband—until the past reaches out to destroy everything she holds dear.

A party to celebrate the arrival in Brewster, Missouri, of George Melvin, a Kansas City politician accompanied by his troubled teenage daughter, wealthy wife, even wealthier backer, and mysterious employee, rapidly turns into disaster when Skeet’s best friend, Karen Wise, stumbles on a body in Chouteau University’s storage caves and is attacked herself.  Not knowing who she can trust as she finds friends and neighbors in Brewster keeping secrets from her, Skeet struggles against the clock to solve a series of linked murders stretching into the past before she loses Brian forever and her best friend winds up in jail—or dead.