Interview with mystery author Lois Winston

Today's guest is a return visitor, but this time she's using her real name, Lois Winston and her new book is called, Elementary, My Dear Gertie. 

You can read the Emma Carlyle interview about Someone to Watch Over Me.

Bio: 

Award-winning author Lois Winston writes the critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series featuring magazine crafts editor and reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack. Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, a January 2011 release, is the first book in the series and received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Kirkus Reviews dubbed it, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum” Death By Killer Mop Doll, the second book in the series, was released this past January. Revenge of the Crafty Corpse will be a January 2013 release.

Lois is also published in women’s fiction, romantic suspense, and non-fiction under her own name and as Emma Carlyle. In addition, she’s an award-winning crafts and needlework designer and an agent with the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. You can visit Lois or Emma, or Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers character blog for more about each of their stories.

Lois, welcome back to Reviews and Interviews.

Please tell us about your newest release, Elementary, My Dear Gertie.

In this novella, sequel to the award-winning Talk Gertie To Me, two years have passed since the happily-ever-after that isn’t doing so well. Nori Stedworth has moved in with the love of her life, Mackenzie Randolph, much to her parents’ displeasure. They’re coping as best as parents from Ten Commandments, Iowa can. They want Mac to make an honest woman of their daughter, and that means nothing short of marriage. Mac is all for exchanging I do’s. He’s even bought the ring, but before he can pop the question, an explosion hurls him and Nori right into the middle of a murder investigation, and yet another scandal envelopes the not-so-pious residents of Ten Commandments.

What inspired you to write this book?

For years I’ve had people asking me if there would ever be a sequel to Talk Gertie To Me. Because I had left my publisher and turned to writing mysteries, I never considered a sequel. However, Gertie doesn’t take no for an answer and kept nagging me the way she always nagged Nori. She also has this annoying habit of always being right. I eventually capitulated and sat down to write a sequel.

However, writing mystery had taken over my life, and as I started to work on the book, all sorts of mystery plots bombarding me. So I decided to write a sequel that combined the humorous women’s fiction of Talk Gertie To Me with the humorous amateur sleuth style of mysteries I’m now writing. The result was Elementary, My Dear Gertie, a novella sequel.

What’s the next writing project?

I'm currently working on Death By Decoupage, the fourth book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series.

What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)

Because I'm writing an ongoing series, my biggest challenge is finding new adventures for Anastasia that both progress her story and keep the readers wanting more of her. There's a story arc that runs throughout the series, but I can't have any major resolutions of her main problems or the series will be over. So I keep dangling the carrot in front of her, giving her little nibbles, but always yanking it out of her reach in the end.

If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?

Because I'm writing an amateur sleuth series that features a protagonist who works at a job I'm familiar with, I don't need to do much research. Occasionally I'll need to verify something and place a call to an expert. For instance, in Revenge of the Crafty Corpse, which will be out in January, I needed to learn the sequence of events after someone dies in a nursing home. I placed a call to the owner of a local funeral home. Most people are thrilled to be able to help an author with research.

What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.

I have a dedicated office that I use for both my writing and crafts. There's a wrap-around desk and four large bookcases. My husband erected shelves in the double closet, and that's filled with all my craft supplies.

What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?

I'm a very eclectic reader. When I want to laugh, I pick up the latest Stephanie Plum book by Janet Evanovich. A few years ago I fell in love with Ariana Franklin's historical mysteries. Both her Mistress of the Art of Death series and the stand-alone City of Shadows were phenomenal. For romance, no one beats Susan Elizabeth Phillips. For women's fiction, I turn to Kristin Hannah.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?

I hope readers will check out my website, Emma's website, and Anastasia's blog. And drop me a line. I love to hear from readers. Also, I've offered to make a $500 donation to breast cancer research for every 1,000 Emma Carlyle books that are sold through the end of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There's still a few days left in October for people to help me make a difference. For less than the price of a latte, you can help save the girls!

Thank you for coming back to Reviews and Interviews!

Thanks for having me, Lisa!

You're very welcome. Keep the words flowing!

Interview with romance author Emma Carlyle

Today's guest has a split identity and we're focused on the romance novelist side, which is Emma Carlyle. She's talking about her newest book, Someone To Watch Over Me.

Bio:

Once upon a time there was an author who began writing romance. She won awards for her unpublished manuscripts and eventually sold two romances, both of which also won awards. Life was all hearts and flowers and hunky heroes until one day she was attacked by a glue gun wielding amateur sleuth who forced the romance author to write her story. 

Thus, author Lois Winston turned her attentions from romance to mystery, writing the critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. However, Lois found she had more romance stories to tell. So she decided to split her personality, remaining Lois Winston for mystery, becoming Emma Carlyle for romance, and diving into the digital publishing revolution. Read more about Emma and Lois at their websites: http://www.emmacarlyle.com and http://www.loiswinston.com.

Welcome Lois (as Emma), please tell us about your current release.

My latest release is Someone To Watch Over Me, a romantic suspense. Here's a blurb:

Dori Johnson’s life is built on lies and deceit. Six years ago she committed a series of felonies in order to flee Philadelphia and save herself and her siblings from a ruthless Russian crime boss. They’ve lived under the radar ever since. But now Dori’s been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that her siblings insist she take. Within days her carefully constructed world begins toppling around her, and when her life is threatened, the one man who can help her is the one man she doesn’t dare trust.

What inspired you to write this book?

Most people are probably familiar with the Mafia's long history in Philadelphia, especially in South Philly. There have certainly been enough books and movies on the subject. However, what most people don't realize is that there was a large influx of Russian immigrants into Philadelphia the last two decades of the twentieth century, first from defections and later after the Iron Curtain fell. Many settled in the northeast section of Philadelphia. And along with these immigrants came the Russian Mafia. I lived in Philadelphia during this period and met some of these people. Others, I read about in the newspaper. All became fodder for Someone To Watch Over Me.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Since I'm both indie and traditionally published, next up for me is finishing the fourth book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series which has an early 2013 deadline. I took a break from writing it recently to launch Emma's indie career, but now I have to turn my attention back to Anastasia. She doesn't take rejection well after what her dead louse of a spouse put her through.

Thanks for that teaser!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I finished my first book. Of course, it was totally unpublishable, which I learned pretty quickly, but I wasn't daunted by the rejections. I'd written a 50,000 word story! That was a huge sense of accomplishment, and it made me realize I wanted to keep writing. So I set about learning how to write right, and ten years (almost to the day) that I began writing that first story, I sold my first book.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I'm actually juggling three full time careers. Along with writing, I'm a designer in the consumer crafts industry (I'm the person who creates the needlework kits you see in craft stores and the projects in crafts and women's magazines.) I'm also an associate of the literary agency that reps me.

I'm able to do all this because my kids are grown, and all three of my careers are done from my home. I know women writers who work 40 hours a week outside the home AND have young kids. I don't know how they do it. I have huge admiration for those women. I couldn't do what they do.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

When I'm writing, I employ what I refer to as "method" writing, similar to method acting where the actor becomes the role she's playing. I sit back, close my eyes, and envision the scene as a movie with me as the point of view character. I "become" my character so that I experience her feelings and understand her reasons for acting the way she does in a given situation. I find this method also works well for those times when writer's block threatens. If I'm experiencing what my heroine is experiencing, I don't have time for writer's block.

I also like to observe people. Anyone can wind up in one of my books. I have a T-shirt that says, "Careful, or you'll end up in my novel," and I mean it. You really need to watch what you say and do around me.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was ten years old, I decided I wanted to be an astronaut, the first female astronaut. Unfortunately, I learned that NASA isn't interested in astronauts who suffer from motion sickness. Scratch that career path. I gave up the heavens and turned to my other love, Broadway theater. Again, I was confronted with a major problem. Actually two major problems. I have a tin ear and two left feet. Broadway isn't interested in singers who can't sing and dancers who can't dance. Good thing my third choice was something I could actually do. I wound up going to art school where I majored in graphic design and illustration. For several years after college I worked as a layout artist for John Wanamaker.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

One of my summer goals was to launch my Emma Carlyle pen name and release five ebook titles under that name. To celebrate having accomplished this before the end of July, and inspired by the incredible generosity of fellow author and good friend CJ Lyons, I decided to contribute part of the sales of my Emma Carlyle books to charity. 

From August through October, I'm making a donation of $500 to breast cancer research for every 1,000 Emma Carlyle books sold. Along with Someone To Watch Over Me, there's another romantic suspense, Lost in Manhattan. Hooking Mr. Right is a romantic comedy. Finding Hope is a romance, and Four Uncles and a Wedding is chick lit. Blurbs, excerpts, and buy links can be found at http://www.emmacarlyle.com. Just think, for less than the price of a latte, you can help save the tatas!

That's great! Thanks, Lois/Emma.