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Articles by Lois Winston
Whose Head Are You In? — Killer Nashville
I cut my writing chops in the romance industry, first publishing in 2006. During the years leading up to my first sale, I was a member of Romance Writers of America, an organization with both online and local chapters. RWA National and many of its chapters ran writing contests for unpublished authors, and I entered quite a few. The upside was that finalists in these contests were judged by agents and editors, which could lead to representation or a book deal.
Crafting Killer Back Cover Copy — Killer Nashville
How do most readers buy books when they’re not searching for a specific title or author? They either scroll through an e-tailer site or stroll around the aisles of a bookstore. Either way, the first thing that will catch their attention is a book’s cover. In a bookstore, the reader picks up a book, flip it over, and reads the back cover copy. On an Internet site, the reader scrolls to the book’s description. The primary goal of back cover copy is to act as a tease.
Never Make Your Critique Partner Cry! — Killer Nashville
We writers are not the best judges of our own work. Neither are most of our family and friends. They’ll either love everything we write because they don’t know any better, or they don’t want to hurt our feelings. Conversely, some will sic the green-eyed monster on us, telling us not to quit our day job. That’s why critique groups and/or partners are an invaluable tool in every author’s toolkit.
Three Rules for Creating Cozies that Stand Out in the Crowd — Killer Nashville
Life’s journeys are rarely along a straight path. The same can be said for our writing journeys. I began my career firmly entrenched in the world of romance. Then, one fateful day, I received a phone call that changed my life. My agent asked if I’d be interested in writing a humorous crafting-themed mystery series featuring an amateur sleuth. She knew an editor looking for one.
Romancing the Mystery
by Lois Winston I once read that Agatha Christie didn’t believe in mixing romance and mystery, even though (little known fact) she wrote a handful of romances along with her many mysteries. Much has changed in cozy and amateur sleuth mysteries since Dame Agatha’s day. Many authors now dip their characters’ toes into the dating pool. Some even plunge them headlong into romantic rapids. Still others even dare to leave the bedroom door open a crack.
The Difference Between Passive Voice and Passive Verbs — Killer Nashville
I began writing fiction nearly thirty years ago. Over the years, I’ve attended dozens of writing conferences, both in the romance genre and the mystery genre. Most of what I learned was invaluable toward advancing my writing career. However, occasionally I’d come across inaccurate information. Such is the case with passive voice and passive verbs.
Guest Post & #Giveaway - A Craft Collage of Crime by Lois Winston @Anasleuth #cozy #mystery
A Crafty Collage of Crime (An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery) Cozy Mystery 12th in Series Setting – New Jersey and Tennessee Independently Published (June 16, 2023) Print length : 258 pages Synopsis Amazon * Kobo * Barnes & Noble * Apple Books Guest Post Ever Hear of a Reluctant Amateur Sleuth? By Lois Winston When I was first asked to create a crafting themed cozy mystery series, I first embarked on some research.
Which Comes First, Craft or Crime?
by Lois Winston I’m often asked where I get my ideas. That’s an easy question for me to answer. I’m a news junkie, and most of my plots and subplots sprout from seeds of real-life events. I’ll see something on the news or read a newspaper account of either a crime or an event, and my imagination begins to play the “what if?” game. A more uncommon question to answer is when people ask how I begin writing a book. All I can answer to that is, it depends. There is no right or wrong way to start a novel.
A Mystery Wrapped in a Greater Mystery Wrapped in a Novel
by Lois Winston Do you recognize the man in the frame on the cover of Guilty as Framed? If you answered Rembrandt, give yourself a bubblegum cigar, a pat on the back, or two-thumbs up. But what, you might ask, is a portrait of seventeenth-century Dutch Master Rembrandt van Rijn doing on the cover of a humorous cozy mystery set in present-day New Jersey?
Reading Is My SuperPower
Please join me in welcoming Lois Winston, author of Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide, to the blog today to share a fun craft post with us that’s perfect for getting in the holiday spirit! HANDMADE HO-HO HOMICIDE SERIES: An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery #8 GENRE: Cozy Mystery RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2019 PAGES: 212 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...
Bake, Love, Write: : 105 Authors Share Dessert Recipes and Advice on Love and Writing
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Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours: “Drop Dead Ornaments” by Lois Winston Interview/Giveaway
Drop Dead Ornaments (An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery) Cozy Mystery 7th in Series Self Published Print Length: 209 pages ASIN: B07GMZ2H4B 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.
Moms in Black: A Mom Squad Caper by Lois Winston
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 … of whom have lost loved ones at the hands of terrorists.
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