Tag Archive for: Lois Winston

Neighbors and Critique Partners

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By: Donnell Ann Bell

Hello! I am the newest member of the Stiletto Gang, and as a mystery writer and a woman who loves shoes, I will do my best to fit in. I
wrote an article for Stiletto Gang way back in the day https://donnellannbell.com/characters/
 Call me biased, but I still think it’s relevant.

Much has changed since that article, however. I’ve
written more books, I’ve relocated from Colorado Springs, Colorado to Las
Cruces, New Mexico, and with the exception of COVID-19, so far so good. This
city, thirty minutes from El Paso, Texas, has an amazing culture and some of
the kindest people I’ve ever met. Imagine (pre-COVID by the way), walking into
the grocery store when somebody sneezes, and from every surrounding aisle,
people shout, “God bless you.” Also, while I may miss Colorado’s green, you
can’t beat New Mexico’s sunsets.

Land of Enchantment’s Sunset 

One of the hardest things about leaving Colorado after
thirty-plus years was saying goodbye to lifetime friendships. Las Cruces has a
way to go to compete, but my next-door neighbor is working hard at making the
list. She arrived on my doorstep with cookies (my downfall), and our friendship
quickly became reciprocal. Like me, she has a creative side. Where I write, she
paints.  

Tuscany Village by Carol Oxford 

One of the things I love about my new home is my front courtyard. But it was kind of sparse, so I went to work decorating. I found this adorable chihuahua and put him just out my front door. Wouldn’t you know it, though, my artistic neighbor pointed out something was missing.

Every chihuahua needs …
… a friend

One person I didn’t have to say goodbye to although we live
1,882 miles apart is my critique partner, Lois Winston, who I’d met online,
then in person on a transport van that delivered us to a conference. We’ve
exchanged chapters and brainstormed for years. We walk while we talk (because
we’re notorious multitaskers), and I can’t tell you how many “aha” moments we’ve
had via our treks.

I’m also close to Stiletto Gang member Cathy Perkins. She’s
a great conference roommate, by the way (Portland as I recall), and she and her
husband have visited Las Cruces. She’s a major talent, and one day I hope to
see her gorgeous home in the Pacific Northwest. 

Donnell, Cathy & spouses

That’s basically my introductory blog in a multi-cracked
nutshell. Looking forward to sharing thoughts, ideas and hopefully a little
laughter.

 Do you have a
neighbor you love and/or a valued critique partner? In my opinion, they make
the world a whole lot brighter.

About  Donnell’s latest book: A cold case
heats up when a 9-1-1 call puts police at a Denver murder scene pointing
investigators to the abduction of a Colorado teenager fourteen years before.
The connection? A calling card—a single black pearl—is found on the newest victim. Is the murder
a copycat? Or has a twisted serial killer, thought dead or in prison, returned
to kill again?

The hunt for a multi-state killer is
on and brings together an unexpected team: a Denver Major Crimes police
lieutenant; an FBI special agent who investigated the previous murders, a
rookie FBI agent with a specialty in psychology; and the only living victim of
the Black Pearl Killer is now a cop.

For Special
Agent Brian DiPietro, the case is an opportunity to find answers. For Officer Allison
Shannon, the case will force her to face down the town that blamed her for
surviving when another did not. And for both DiPietro and Shannon, it’s a
chance to find closure to questions that have tormented them both for years.


Bio: Donnell Ann Bell gave up her nonfiction career in
newspapers and magazines because she was obsessed with the idea she could write
a mystery or thriller. An award-winning author, including the 2020 Colorado
Book Award finalist for her latest release Black Pearl, A Cold Case Suspense,
Donnell’s other books have included Buried Agendas, Betrayed, Deadly Recall and
The Past Came Hunting, all of which have been Amazon bestsellers. Currently
she’s writing Book Two of her Cold Case series. For further information or buy information, please go to www.donnellannbell.com
 

 

 

 

First Sunday! New Releases by the Stiletto Gang Members

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New Releases by the Stiletto Gang Members!

Join us in celebrating the latest books written by our blog mates! 


A MURDER OF PRINCIPAL – A million stories beyond the flagpole…

A MURDER OF PRINCIPAL starts when a maverick principal
comes in with a student-centered agenda, and there’s no more business as usual
at Lincoln High School. Killing the principal is just the beginning…

Someone sets fire to Lincoln High and kills its new principal.
Chaos threatens to overtake the urban school. Assistant Principal Sally Pearce,
hired by the deceased principal to help him revamp and change the culture, vows
to carry on the mission. In doing so, she gets caught up in gang threats,
racial tensions, grievances, sexual harassment complaints, and the murder
investigation, as well.

Sally never dreamed, when she stepped up to lead this culturally
diverse school, that she would be faced with solving a mystery and returning
the school to order. When a second murder happens on school grounds, Sally
realizes she is trapped in a cycle of violence that must be stopped.

Universal book link:  https://books2read.com/u/3yz0nl

Learn more at Saralyn Richard’s website:  http://saralynrichard.com 


MALBEC MAYHEM – Mix
a Spanish chef with an Italian winemaker and create some mayhem…Malbec
Mayhem!

Successful
restaurateur Alex Montoya’s charmed life has hit a snag. His trusted business
partner turned out to be not exactly trustworthy, and Alex could be facing jail
time over some of his partner’s shady financial deals. As if that weren’t bad
enough, creditors are calling in loans he didn’t know he had and he’s desperate
to prove his innocence before all his businesses are repossessed. 

After a
career-building stint in Napa Valley, Sofia Pincelli has returned home to
eastern Washington to take over the family’s winery. Running the family
business, however, means dealing with her ailing father’s constant
micro-management—and his disapproval of Alex. Her father’s condemnation of
Alex’s rumored involvement in his business partner’s schemes runs so deep, it
threatens Alex and Sofia’s blossoming romance…along with the Pincelli family’s
signature red wine. Sofia needs Alex’s crop of Malbec grapes to show her father
she has what it takes to make award-winning wine—and save the reputation and
finances of the Pincelli winery.

When the Malbec
grapes go missing, Alex and Sofia must join forces to find the fruit before it
spoils—or risk destroying both of their businesses and their hearts.

Universal book link: https://books2read.com/u/3n8xjP

Learn more at Cathy Perkins website: https://cperkinswrites.com  


MOMS IN BLACK – A Mom Squad
Caper

When Cassandra
Davenport applies for a job at www.savingtheworld.us, she expects to find a
‘green’ charity. Instead, she becomes the newest member of a covert
organization run by ex-government officials. Dubbed the Mom Squad, the
organization is the brainchild of three former college roommates—attorney
general Anthony Granville, ex-FBI agent Gavin Demarco, and tech billionaire
Liam Hatch—all of whom have lost loved ones at the hands of terrorists.
Financed by Hatch, they work in the shadows and without the constraints of
congressional oversight, reporting directly to Granville.

Demarco heads
up one of the six groups that comprise the new operation. He hires Cassandra as
the newest member of his New Jersey based team. In the course of monitoring
possible terrorist threats, the Mom Squad discovers a link to Cassandra’s
ex-husband. Before she’s fully trained, Cassandra is thrust into a world where
her ex may be involved with radicalized terrorists bent on killing as many Americans
as possible.

Universal book link:  https://books2read.com/u/3n8RQR  

Learn more at Lois Winston’s website: www.loiswinston.com

And Now for Something Completely Different…

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By Lois Winston 

With only a few breaks, my life since late 2009 has been consumed by Anastasia Pollack, the reluctant amateur sleuth of my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. That’s when I signed a contract for the first three books in the series, the first of which debuted in 2011. In 2013, the publisher and I couldn’t come to mutually acceptable terms for more Anastasia books and a second series, The Empty Nest Mysteries. I turned down both contracts and decided to indie publish. Ever since, it’s been all-Anastasia, all the time, with one exception.

 

In 2015 I was invited to take part in a new venture from Amazon. Kindle Worlds was a foray into fan fiction where anyone could write novellas that tied into handpicked existing series. To get the project up and running, Amazon invited additional authors, many recommended by the series authors, to create the first novellas. 

 

There were few rules we had to follow in creating these companion novellas. Authors could use as little or as much of the existing series world as they wanted. We could even change the tone of the original books in the series.

 

I was asked to write a novella based on author CJ Lyons’ Shadow Ops Series. CJ writes what she calls “Thrillers with Heart.” I write humorous amateur sleuth/cozy mysteries. No problem. Mom Squad reimagined her domestic thriller series as a humorous caper.

 

The Kindle Worlds program disbanded a few years later. The novella authors were allowed to republish their work as long as they received permission from the series author and all references to the original series were removed or changed.

 

I’m not the fastest writer, and Anastasia tends to keep me busy. I finally got around to updating my novella a few months ago after the release of A Sew Deadly Cruise, the ninth and latest Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery. However, I held off publishing the novella so it wouldn’t compete with the release of that book. 

 

Mom Squad was expanded and rebranded as Moms in Black, a Mom Squad Caper. The book is more tongue-in-cheek humorous romantic suspense than cozy mystery. If the novella does well, I plan to write two more Mom Squad Caper novellas for a 3-novella series.

 

Moms in Black

A Mom Squad Caper

 

When Cassandra Davenport applies for a job at www.savingtheworld.us, she expects to find a ‘green’ charity. Instead, she becomes the newest member of a covert organization run by ex-government officials. Dubbed the Mom Squad, the organization is the brainchild of three former college roommates—attorney general Anthony Granville, ex-FBI agent Gavin Demarco, and tech billionaire Liam Hatch—all of whom have lost loved ones at the hands of terrorists. Financed by Hatch, they work in the shadows and without the constraints of congressional oversight, reporting directly to Granville.

 

Demarco heads up one of the six groups that comprise the new operation. He hires Cassandra as the newest member of his New Jersey based team. In the course of monitoring possible terrorist threats, the Mom Squad discovers a link to Cassandra’s ex-husband. Before she’s fully trained, Cassandra is thrust into a world where her ex may be involved with radicalized terrorists bent on killing as many Americans as possible.


And while they’re saving the world from an imminent attack, what in the world will Cassandra do about all that sexual tension simmering between her and her new boss?


Click here to read an excerpt.

 

Buy Links (pre-order now; available 2/8/21)

Kindle 

Kobo 

Nook 

Apple Books 

Paperback (coming soon)


USA Today and Amazon 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.

A Christmas Like No Other

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A Christmas Like No Other

By Lois Winston

When I was a child, we didn’t have much in the way of holiday celebrations. Without going into lurid details, let’s just say my parents never should have had one child, let alone four. However, the one thing I did learn from them was how not to be a parent. As a result, I’ve always made sure holidays were a big deal in my family — decorating, tree trimming, cookie baking, listening to holiday music, and watching holiday movies are some of our favorite activities. I even enjoy shopping for those perfect gifts for everyone. And always topping my holiday list is gathering with family and friends. 

Of course, Covid-19 has forced us to pare that down severely this year, but instead of moping, I’ve decided to focus on next year’s holidays when—hopefully—this awful pandemic will finally be behind us. First up on my to-do list will be booking a flight to California to visit our son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren we haven’t seen for what seems like forever, except on FaceTime.

 

For much of my adult life I juggled three careers at once. I’m now retired from two of them and concentrating full-time on my writing. I’m used to spending my days working from home. That’s the one part of my life that hasn’t been impacted by the pandemic. Escaping into the world of Anastasia Pollack, my reluctant amateur sleuth, has been a way for me to block out all the horrible things that have occurred during 2020. 

 

She, of course, would have it otherwise, but I get it. She didn’t ask to go from a normal life as a middle-class working wife and mother to a debt-ridden single-parent who constantly stumbles across dead bodies. Then again, conflict is the name of the game when writing, and cozy mysteries do need their fair share of dead bodies. Readers kind of expect that. Besides, otherwise, what would an amateur sleuth do for 300 pages?

 

So far, I’ve written nine novels and three novellas in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, but the action has taken place over little more than a year at this point. When the series arc brought me to December, I knew I was going to have fun writing a Christmas mystery. As a matter of fact, I had so much fun writing Drop Dead Ornaments, Book 7 in the series, that I decided to write a second Christmas mystery. Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide, Book 8, picks up days after Drop Dead Ornaments ends.

 

Hey, there’s nothing like a little murder with your eggnog and gingerbread cookies, right?

 

As a holiday gift to my readers, the ebook edition of Drop Dead Ornaments is currently on sale through the end of December for only .99 cents.

 

Happy holidays, everyone!

 

Drop Dead Ornaments

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 7

 

Anastasia Pollack’s son Alex is dating Sophie Lambert, the new kid in town. For their community service project, the high school seniors have chosen to raise money for the county food bank. Anastasia taps her craft industry contacts to donate materials for the students to make Christmas ornaments they’ll sell at the town’s annual Holiday Crafts Fair.

 

At the fair Anastasia meets Sophie’s father, Shane Lambert, who strikes her as a man with secrets. She also notices a woman eavesdropping on their conversation. Later that evening when the woman turns up dead, Sophie’s father is arrested for her murder.

 

Alex and Sophie beg Anastasia to find the real killer, but Anastasia has had her fill of dead bodies. She’s also not convinced of Shane’s innocence. Besides, she’s promised younger son Nick she’ll stop risking her life. But how can she say no to Alex?

 

Buy Links
Paperback

Amazon 

Kobo 

Apple Books
Nook 

 

USA Today and Amazon 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.

 

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A Thanksgiving Like No Other

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By Lois Winston

In Little Women Louisa May Alcott opens with Jo March grumbling, “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents.” This year, for many of us, Thanksgiving won’t be Thanksgiving without family gathering around the dinner table. Such is life in the time of Covid. 

 

In past years, the day before a normal Thanksgiving would find me in the kitchen, either my own or one of my son’s kitchens, baking apple and pumpkin pies and prepping for the next day’s marathon of cooking. However, this Thanksgiving will be unlike any previous Thanksgiving. We won’t be hosting a houseful of relatives or traveling out of state to spend the holiday with either of our sons and their families. 

 

Turkey dinner for two? Hardly seems worth the effort or the expense. Besides, turkey leftovers are great the next day, but even with the smallest bird, we’d wind up with way too much leftover turkey. In the past I’ve tried freezing leftover turkey, but I’ve found it doesn’t freeze well. It always becomes too dry, no matter how much gravy I soak it in. So I’ve placed an order for two turkey dinners to be delivered from one of our local restaurants.

 

As for those pies, If I bake them, we’ll eat them, and neither my husband nor I need all those extra calories. I’ve discovered Covid Weight is worse than the Freshman Fifteen! Or maybe it’s that I’m older, and my metabolism has slowed down. Either way, with only one person with whom to split the calories, I’m nixing the pies.

 

As much as I’ll miss spending time with my family this Thanksgiving, Anastasia Pollack, the reluctant amateur sleuth of my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, is thrilled to be ditching some of hers. She’s sailing off on a cruise in A Sew Deadly Cruise, the ninth and newest book in the series. She certainly deserves a relaxing vacation after all the murder and mayhem I’ve dumped on her in the eight previous books and three novellas.

 

There’s just one problem: I write a mystery series. You can’t have a mystery series without mysteries, and in Anastasia’s life, that usually means at least one dead body—often more. Being the devious author that I am, since I gave her a respite from her most annoying relatives, I dumped more than one mystery and several dead bodies onto the cruise ship. 

 

Of course, Anastasia is not happy with me, but what else is new? We’ve always had a tension-filled relationship. After all, before I dragged her into a starring role in my series, she was a happily married, middle-class wife, mother, and crafts editor at a women’s magazine. With a few strokes of my keyboard, I killed off her duplicitous husband, plummeted her into debt greater than many Third World nations, and permanently stuck her with the communist mother-in-law from Hades. I have to admit, her anger is justified.

 

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

Paperback

Amazon 

Kobo

Nook

Apple

 

USA Today and Amazon 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.


Find more about Lois and her books at her website where you can sign up for her newsletter. You can also find her at her Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers blog, Bookbub, Pinterest, Twitter, and Goodreads.

 

Introducing Lois Winston!

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by Bethany Maines

Bethany Maines

  

Lois Winston

As many of you know, I’m a mom with a full time job as well as an author. And while all of that is challenging enough, the pandemic has brought many fresh and special new problems. To free up some of my time I’m relinquishing one of my Stiletto Gang posting days to the fantastic Lois Winston. Lois is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author who 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. Lois will be posting on the second Wednesday of the month and I thought I’d sit down and find out a little more about her as she comes on board.

Q: What do you write?
I started out writing romance and romantic suspense and was first published in chick lit with Talk Gertie to Me in 2006. However, back in 2003, while waiting for that first sale, my agent suggested I try writing a crafting mystery. She knew an editor looking for one. With my background as a crafts designer, my agent thought I’d be the perfect person to write such a series, even though I’d never written a mystery. I gave it a try, and in the process discovered my true literary calling. My Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series sold in 2009. Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in the series, came out in 2011. I’ve since published nine books and three novellas in the series, plus two books in my Empty Nest Mystery Series.

Q: What got you excited and
started you on your writing journey?

I’m not someone who always knew she wanted to be an author. In the mid-90’s I was going through an extremely stressful period, taking on as much freelance design work as I could because my husband was out of work for an extended period of time. One night I fell into an exhaustive sleep and had a very strange dream—strange for me because I usually don’t remember my dreams. Also, the people in the dream were all strangers. Weirdly, the dream kept unfolding night after night like chapters in a book. Finally, I decided to write it down. When I finished, I had a 50,000 word romance that spanned thirty-five years!

The writing bug had bitten me. Long story short, I joined some writing organizations, learned what I was doing wrong, honed my craft, and signed with an agent. After many years of rewrites, that totally unpublishable romance transformed into a 90,000 word romantic suspense and became Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception, the second book I sold.

Q: Do you solve the
mysteries in novels & movies or do you sit back and enjoy the ride?

I should have had an inkling that I’d eventually wind up writing mysteries because I have an uncanny knack for figuring out whodunit early into most books, movies, or TV episodes. I love when I’m wrong and fall for a red herring, but it doesn’t happen often. My grandfather was the captain of a large county police force and responsible for the apprehension of many gangsters and other bad actors back in the day. I figure I inherited a large dose of his detecting DNA.

Q: And of course, I would
be remiss if I didn’t ask… what are your favorite shoes?

At this point, any that are comfortable! I’m afraid my sexy heels days are over, thanks to foot surgery a few years ago after an injury and arthritis that developed in that foot as a result. So now my shoe closet contains mostly Sketchers with cushioning inner soles.

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.