Why do you write the genre that you write?
The world needs both more laughter and more happy endings these days. I may not have the power to mete out justice in real life, but I can do it in my fiction. The bad guys need to pay for their evil misdeeds; the good guys need to win, but I don’t want my readers constantly checking the locks on their doors and keeping the lights on at night. I’d much rather give them an escape from reality and a good laugh. That’s why I write humorous amateur sleuth mysteries.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Unlike most amateur sleuths, who seem to thrive on sticking their noses where they don’t belong, Anastasia Pollack, of the eponymous Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, is a reluctant amateur sleuth. She’d like nothing better than to rid herself of her Jessica Fletcher/Miss Marple/Nancy Drew persona and go back to a normal life, but ever since her husband permanently cashed in his chips at a Las Vegas casino, not only has her normal life deserted her, but she constantly finds herself knee-deep in murder and mayhem.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I was on a business trip years ago when I had an extremely vivid dream, which is odd for me because I rarely remember my dreams. Not only did I remember this one, but it was about people I didn’t know, and every night it continued to unfold like chapters in a book. I finally decided to write it down. When I was finished, I had written a 50,000-word romance that spanned thirty-five years. I had no idea how unpublishable such a book was, but the writing bug had infected me, and I set out to learn how to write a publishable novel. Ten years and many rewrites later, that first attempt became Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception, a ninety-thousand-word romantic suspense that spanned a few months and was the second book I sold.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I started out as a layout artist for John Wanamaker in Philadelphia. When my first son was born, I began freelancing and eventually carved out a career as a designer and editor in the consumer crafts industry, working for magazines, book publishers, and manufacturers. I retired from that career a few years ago. However, after my first book sold, the owner of the agency that represented me asked me to join as an associate agent. I wound up working for the agency for twelve years. During that time, I was juggling three careers: crafts designer/editor, literary agent, and author. Now I write full-time.

Where do you write?
I have a dedicated office in my home.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Coffee, coffee, and more coffee with a chocolate chaser. The more caffeine, the better!

What is next for you?
I’ll be participating in Killer Nashville, August 18-21, where along with Maggie Toussaint, I’ll be conducting a pitch session for writers and will also be on several panels. Guilty as Framed, the latest book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, releases on Sept. 6th. I’ll be doing a virtual blog tour throughout September and October for that. While all this is going on, I’ll be thinking up new ways to create havoc in Anastasia’s life. Once I have that figured out, I’ll begin writing the next book in the series.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading A Red Herring Without Mustard. It’s the third book in Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce Mystery Series set in England in the 1950s. The amateur sleuth is an eleven-year-old girl who’s a chemistry genius with an overly keen interest in poisons.

Where can we find you?
At my website loiswinston.com and my Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog anastasiapollack.blogspot.com. At both, you can find links to my other social media and sign up for my newsletter.

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
Chocolate for everything except ice cream. I prefer vanilla ice cream,
but I like it with fudge sauce and/or chocolate chips.

Ice cream or cake
How about an ice cream cake? Is that cheating?

Broccoli or squash
Broccoli but I also enjoy zucchini (especially when it’s in muffins or bread!)

Pizza, burgers, or pasta
Hard one. It would really depend on my mood. Right now, I’m craving
a thin crust with extra cheese, mushrooms, onions, and spinach.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Dinner, especially if I don’t have to cook it!

Mountain or beach
Beach

City or country
City girl all the way. Unfortunately, I’m stuck in the suburbs.

Introvert or extrovert
Definitely an introvert.

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
A fully staffed luxury spa with working amenities, including AC and wi-fi. It can
be staffed with artificial intelligence. A deserted island just means no other
people, right? I’d also need my laptop and my husband for tech support,
especially if some of that AI goes on the fritz.

My bio:
USA Today and Amazon bestselling author Lois Winston began her award-winning writing career in 2006 with Talk Gertie to Me, a humorous novel about a small-town girl in Manhattan and the mother bent on bringing her home. That was followed by the romantic suspense Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception. Lois wrote her first mystery thanks to a conversation between her agent and an editor looking for a crafting-themed cozy series. Thus, was born the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, which Kirkus Reviews dubbed, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” The series now includes eleven novels and three novellas. To date Lois has published twenty novels, five novellas, several short stories, one children’s chapter book, and one nonfiction book on writing, inspired by the twelve years she worked as an associate at a literary agency. Learn more about Lois and her books at loiswinston.com.