Today, I’d like to welcome back Lois Winston, author of the Anastasia Pollack mysteries. It’s been more years than either of us would like to admit (although Lois does) since she’s done a post here. Lois’ eighth book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series is now out, just in time for holiday season. But, I’m going to let her, and Anastasia, tell you about it. Thank you, Lois (and Anastasia).
Turnaround is Fair Play
By Lois Winston
Back in 2011 and 2012 when the first two books of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries were released, Lesa invited me to interview Anastasia, my reluctant amateur sleuth. In the years that have followed, Anastasia has starred in six additional novels and three novellas. So I thought it only fair with this return visit to allow Anastasia to interview me.
Anastasia: I suppose the question uppermost in my mind is why do you keep picking on me?
Lois: Because I love you?
Anastasia: You have a funny way of showing it. Who puts loved ones in mortal danger book after book after book?
Lois: Well, that’s just it. I hate to break it to you, but you’re not real. You’re a character in a book, a figment of my imagination. No permanent harm will ever come to you as long as I keep writing about you.
Anastasia: Hmm…I never thought of it in that way. Still, it would have been nice to have been written as a heroine in one of your romances.
Lois: Some of those heroines have faced down bad actors and lived to tell about it.
Anastasia: Only in your romantic suspense books. I’m talking about the romantic comedies. Nothing bad ever happens to those protagonists.
Lois: They’ve had their share of emotional hurt. Maybe we should move on?
Anastasia: Fine. I suppose after all these years Lesa has new readers who don’t know who we are. Maybe you should tell them a little bit about my eponymous series.
Lois: Excellent idea. The Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries begin with your husband permanently cashing in his chips in Las Vegas. Only then do you learn of his gambling addiction and that he’s left you in debt equal to the GNP of Uzbekistan.
Anastasia: By the way, my sons and I thank you for that—not! We also could have done without the Mafia loan shark and Lucille, the communist mother-in-law from Hades. But that wasn’t enough. You then began dumping dead bodies at my feet, forcing me to become a reluctant amateur sleuth.
Lois: Hey, it’s a mystery series, remember?
Anastasia: How could I forget? All of a sudden you have me juggling a career as a crafts editor at a women’s magazine while playing Jessica Fletcher. And what about that mother-in-law? Word has it, you were exorcising some of your own demons when you created her. Is it true your mother-in-law was a commie?
Lois: Yes, Lucille is very much patterned after my own mother-in-law.
Anastasia: Sadist! But that wasn’t bad enough. You had to make my mother think she descends from Russian nobility, and you force her to share a room in your house with the commie. You couldn’t write one more bedroom into the book?
Lois: Wouldn’t be as much fun.
Anastasia: For whom?
Lois: Our readers. But I did give you Ralph, the Shakespeare-quoting parrot.
Anastasia: I’ll admit, Ralph does provide quite a bit of comic relief.
Lois: And what about Zack? Didn’t I create a hunky new love interest for you?
Anastasia: Except I think he’s a spy. Come clean. Is he?
Lois: You know I can’t answer that.
Anastasia: You’re as bad as he is. I can’t get a straight answer out of either of you. And then there’s Ira. On top of all my problems you had to introduce an emotionally needy half-brother-in-law and his three obnoxious kids to the mix?
Lois: I did. And speaking of Ira, maybe this is a good time to tell everyone about the newest book in the series.
Anastasia: Excellent idea. Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide is the eighth book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series. Here’s the back cover blurb:
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
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/handmade-ho-ho-homicide-lois-winston/1132607263?ean=2940163093748
Bio:
USA Todaybestselling 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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Lesa, thank you for allowing me to interview my author, even if I couldn't convince her to let up on me.
Oh, Anastasia. Thank you for putting up with her, and everything she puts you through.