Good Morning, Booklovers!
Thanks for taking a break from the holiday rush to stop for a chat with author Lois Winston and check out her featured cozy mystery, Drop Dead Ornaments.
Welcome, Lois! How do you take your coffee?
LW: Milk, no sugar.
Ally: That makes it easy for me. While I pour, please tell readers something about yourself.
Thanks for taking a break from the holiday rush to stop for a chat with author Lois Winston and check out her featured cozy mystery, Drop Dead Ornaments.
Welcome, Lois! How do you take your coffee?
LW: Milk, no sugar.
Ally: That makes it easy for me. While I pour, please tell readers something about yourself.
Bio:
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.
Something unique about you that isn’t in your regular bio: “I absolutely HATE peanut butter!”
Author Contacts:
Website: www.loiswinston.com
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
Newsletter sign-up: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z1z1u5
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lois-winston
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.
Something unique about you that isn’t in your regular bio: “I absolutely HATE peanut butter!”
Author Contacts:
Website: www.loiswinston.com
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
Newsletter sign-up: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z1z1u5
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lois-winston
INTERVIEW:
Ally: You have written in several genres. Which are your favorites? Do you anticipate expanding into even other areas?
LW: I started out writing romance and romantic suspense, which are the genres of the first two books I sold before I segued over to mystery. I’ve written a few short stories and several novellas, but I’m most comfortable writing full-length fiction because I love including subplots that involve my quirky cast of secondary characters.
I’ve also written one children’s chapter book, The Magic Paintbrush, and the nonfiction book Top Ten Reasons Your Novel is Rejected, which came about as a result of the knowledge I acquired during the decade I spent working for a literary agency.
I don’t know that I’ll ever venture into other genres beyond those I’ve written, but one thing I’ve learned? Never say never. So who knows? Maybe one day I’ll have an uncontrollable urge to write science fiction or paranormal romance.
Ally: Do the people in your real life show up in your writing?
LW: Yes, indeed! Most specifically, Lucille Pollack, my protagonist’s communist mother-in-law. She’s based nearly entirely on my own communist mother-in-law. My sons think Anastasia’s sons are based on them, which they are, to a degree, but not as closely as Lucille is based on their grandmother.
Ally: What's the best writing advice you’ve been given?
LW: Every scene and all dialogue must do one of two things—either advance the plot or tell the reader something she needs to know about the point of view character at that moment. If the scene/dialogue does neither, it’s filler and should be deleted.
Ally: Let’s talk about about your reading habits. Favorite genres. Books read per month, year? Print or ebooks? Any current favorites?
LW: I’m a very eclectic reader, but my favorite genres are mystery and women’s fiction. Lately I’ve been reading quite a bit of historical mystery. The number of books I read per month, or even per year, varies greatly depending on how much spare time I have and the length of the book. (I recently read Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. That book is 818 pages long!)
Some of my favorite authors are Ariana Franklin, Amy Stewart, and Janet Evanovich for mystery, Kristin Hannah for women’s fiction, and Shelley Noble for both mystery and women’s fiction.
I never thought I’d enjoy reading digital books, but as I’ve gotten older, I buy fewer and fewer paperbacks and hardcover books. Reading on my Kindle is easier on my eyes because I can enlarge the font size and adjust the backlighting, allowing me to read longer before my eyes tire.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
LW: I’m currently working on the eighth book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, which will be released autumn 2019.
Ally: It’s time for a few quick answer questions. Ready?
Ally: You have written in several genres. Which are your favorites? Do you anticipate expanding into even other areas?
LW: I started out writing romance and romantic suspense, which are the genres of the first two books I sold before I segued over to mystery. I’ve written a few short stories and several novellas, but I’m most comfortable writing full-length fiction because I love including subplots that involve my quirky cast of secondary characters.
I’ve also written one children’s chapter book, The Magic Paintbrush, and the nonfiction book Top Ten Reasons Your Novel is Rejected, which came about as a result of the knowledge I acquired during the decade I spent working for a literary agency.
I don’t know that I’ll ever venture into other genres beyond those I’ve written, but one thing I’ve learned? Never say never. So who knows? Maybe one day I’ll have an uncontrollable urge to write science fiction or paranormal romance.
Ally: Do the people in your real life show up in your writing?
LW: Yes, indeed! Most specifically, Lucille Pollack, my protagonist’s communist mother-in-law. She’s based nearly entirely on my own communist mother-in-law. My sons think Anastasia’s sons are based on them, which they are, to a degree, but not as closely as Lucille is based on their grandmother.
Ally: What's the best writing advice you’ve been given?
LW: Every scene and all dialogue must do one of two things—either advance the plot or tell the reader something she needs to know about the point of view character at that moment. If the scene/dialogue does neither, it’s filler and should be deleted.
Ally: Let’s talk about about your reading habits. Favorite genres. Books read per month, year? Print or ebooks? Any current favorites?
LW: I’m a very eclectic reader, but my favorite genres are mystery and women’s fiction. Lately I’ve been reading quite a bit of historical mystery. The number of books I read per month, or even per year, varies greatly depending on how much spare time I have and the length of the book. (I recently read Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. That book is 818 pages long!)
Some of my favorite authors are Ariana Franklin, Amy Stewart, and Janet Evanovich for mystery, Kristin Hannah for women’s fiction, and Shelley Noble for both mystery and women’s fiction.
I never thought I’d enjoy reading digital books, but as I’ve gotten older, I buy fewer and fewer paperbacks and hardcover books. Reading on my Kindle is easier on my eyes because I can enlarge the font size and adjust the backlighting, allowing me to read longer before my eyes tire.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
LW: I’m currently working on the eighth book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, which will be released autumn 2019.
Ally: It’s time for a few quick answer questions. Ready?
- a. book you're currently reading: Ask Me No Questions, a Lady Dunbridge Mystery by Shelley Noble
- b. favorite movie: That often depends on my mood. Today I’d say Shakespeare in Love, but tomorrow I might choose The Greatest Showman, Singing in the Rain, or Casablanca.
- c. favorite song: Rhapsody in Blue Does that count? There are no words, so technically I’m not sure it qualifies as a “song”, but it’s my favorite piece of music.
- d. last book that made you cry: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
- e. a fantasy being/person you'd like to be: Supergirl, because I’ve always wanted to fly.
Drop Dead Ornaments
(An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 7)
Genre: cozy mystery
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 https://amzn.to/2FG12PZ
Amazon https://amzn.to/2MBo1xS
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/drop-dead-ornaments
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/drop-dead-ornaments/id1431548050?mt=11
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drop-dead-ornaments-lois-winston/1129345148?ean=2940161937181
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