featuring guest authors; crafting tips and projects; recipes from food editor and sleuthing sidekick Cloris McWerther; and decorating, travel, fashion, health, beauty, and finance tips from the rest of the American Woman editors.

Note: This site uses Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY -- GUEST AUTHOR LOIS WINSTON, PART 1



In celebration of the release of ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN (which is officially January 8th, but the book is already available at Amazon and elsewhere), the book about me, I’ve invited Lois Winston, the author who has undertaken the task of telling my story, to join us today and next Friday.  -- AP

Thanks, Anastasia. Personally, I have a feeling I was invited to fill these two slots because today is Christmas Eve, and next week is New Year’s Eve. How many people are out there reading blogs today? Or will be next week?


Busted!


No matter. I’m happy to tell you all about ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN, the first book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. Here’s where I get to spill some of Anastasia’s secrets.


Don’t say anything we might regret!


Not to worry. We both want everyone to buy the book, so I won’t be spilling the beans, merely dropping a few appetizers to whet everyone’s appetite.


What’s with all the food metaphors? I think you’ve been spending too much time with Cloris.


It’s the muffins. Meanwhile, back to the book. For those of you who don’t know what ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN is about:


When Anastasia Pollack's husband permanently cashes in his chips at a roulette table in Las Vegas, her comfortable middle-class life craps out. Suddenly, she’s juggling two teenage sons, a mountain of debt, a communist mother-in-law, AND her dead husband’s loan shark. And that’s before she becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a coworker she discovers hot glued to her office chair.


Thanks for reminding me. I’ve been trying to get that image out of my head ever since you wrote it.


Sorry about that. How about if we introduce your readers to your mother-in-law?


Good idea! You sure did create a lot of family conflict with that one. Besides, I need all the sympathy I can get.



Excerpt from Chapter One of ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN:
I hate whiners. Always have. So I was doing my damnedest not to become one in spite of the lollapalooza of a quadruple whammy that had broadsided me last week. Not an easy task, given that one of those lollapalooza whammies had barged into my bedroom and was presently hammering her cane against my bathroom door.

“Damn it, Anastasia! Hot water doesn’t grow on trees, you know!”

Some people can’t start the day without a cigarette. Lucille Pollack, Monster-in-Law from the Stygian Swamp, can’t start hers without a sludge load of complaints. As much as I detest cigarettes, I’d much prefer a nicotine-puffing mother- in-law, as long as she came with an occasional kind word and a semi-pleasant disposition. Unfortunately, marriage is a package deal. Husbands come with family. And mine came with a doozie to end all doozies.

My mother-in-law is a card-carrying, circa nineteen-thirties communist. When she met me, it was hate at first sight. I bear the name of a dead Russian princess, thanks to my mother’s unsubstantiated Romanov link -- a great- grandmother with the maiden name of Romanoff. With Mama, the connection is more like sixty, not six, degrees of separation, and the links are coated with a thick layer of rust. But that’s never stopped Mama from bragging about our royal ancestry, and it set the tone for my relationship -- or lack of it -- with my mother-in-law from Day One.

I suppose I didn’t help the situation by naming one of my sons Nicholas and the other Alexander, even if they were named after my grandfathers -- Alexander Periwinkle and Nicholas Sudberry. 

(end of excerpt -- Read more at my website.)

Why don’t you tell everyone about the blog tour you’ve set up to promote me and the book about me?

Great idea!

I do have them occasionally.

In celebration of the release of ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN, I’ll be doing a blog tour beginning next week and running throughout January. You can find the schedule on my website, http://www.loiswinston.com, and here on the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers sidebar. Everyone who posts a comment to any of the blogs over the course of the month will be entered into a drawing to receive one of 5 copies of ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN. (If your email isn’t included in your comment, email me privately at lois@loiswinston.com to let me know you’ve entered.)

In addition, I’m also giving away a collection of crafts books at several of the blogs. So look for those as well. 



And to any of the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers readers I'm also giving away an assortment of crafts books to one person who posts a comment this week. So let's hear from you, and be sure to check back on Sunday to see if you're the winner.

Thanks for having me here today, Anastasia. And Merry Christmas, everyone!

23 comments:

MiaMarlowe said...

Merry Christmas, Lois! I love your title. A few years ago, my mom got into crafting big time. When I tried to join her one day, all I managed to do was really burn my fingers on the glue gun. Obviously not my creative medium! LOL.

Mary said...

Merry Christmas. I really like the title of your book Lois. I just love using my glue gun, burned fingers and all.

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Merry Christmas, Mia and Mary! Thanks for stopping by. Mia, you should try the low-temp version of the glue gun. You won't burn your fingers.

Jill McCullough said...

Merry Christmas, Anastasia! My gifts are wrapped and I'm waiting for my MIL to come banging on my door later today, although she doesn't have a cane. :-)

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Jill, I hope your MIL doesn't have a demon dog, either! Merry Christmas!

J Hali Steele said...

Reading this was so much fun! I know the book will be just as wonderful...I like Anastasia!! :)

Deborah Blake said...

Merry Christmas Lois and Anastasia!
My creativity takes the form of writing and jewelry making, neither of which requires a hot glue gun, thankfully. Although I did almost superglue my fingers to a vase I was trying to mend the other day :-)

I can't wait to read Anastasia's story...even if that means I have to meet her MIL.

Kathy said...

I have more battle scars from hot glue than I care to think about. Maybe Anastasia should try hot gluing her mother-in-law's door shut when she's in her room. Can't wait to read how Anastasia get's out of the mess she's in.

DJ said...

I love the excerpt from you book and I wish you the best of luck with your blog tour! Merry Christmas! *Hugs* DJ

Christie Craig said...

Merry Christmas, Lois. The book sounds wonderful.

CC

Anne W. said...

I can hardly wait to read the glue gun story. I own a glue gun but am afraid to use it. Maybe after Christmas I'll get my courage together and repair the decorations that I drop while undecorating. Hope your holidays are lovely and full of joy.

jeff7salter said...

Doesn't look like your blog will be so lonely today after all --- already nearly a dozen correspondents.
I have very little glue gun experience -- that being the topic most of the posters seized on. But I was fiddling with my wife's apparatus one day last summer gluing stupid things to a helmet liner in order to make an entry for the family reunion's "ugly hat" contest. I burned the cr*p out of a finger and figured I'd better leave glue-gunning to the pros.
Anyhow, please enter me in the drawing, which I believe you announced in the email.
Merry Christmas.
Jeff

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Joann, Deborah, Kathy, DJ, Christie, Anne, and Jeff--thank you all for stopping by and keeping a lonely author and her amateur sleuth company today. I hope you'll all stop by again next Friday for Part 2 of our conversation on New Year's Eve. Good luck to all of you in the drawing. Don't forget to check back on Sunday to see who wins. And Merry Christmas to all!

Anne Carrole said...

Can't wait to read this Lois. Sounds like a fun mystery--just the right way to start the New Year!

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Thanks, Anne! BTW, for those of you interested, if you click on the book cover on the sidebar, it will take you to the Amazon page where they're offering ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN at a 32% discount, and they're already shipping.

Patg said...

Lois, I got the Christmas Eve assignment over on Working Stiffs, but I just posted pictures from my Christmas boat party. And yes, I stressed all week before as the cancellations came in. So only expecting 5 or 6 people I started, slowly making my hundreds of meatballs. WELL, when people started arriving, it was like an avalanche. My floating home 'rocked' and a good friend took the pictures. I have to tell you, felt good after a not-so-hot year.

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Great pictures, Pat! Reminds me of the water lights parade at Disneyworld. If anyone wants to take a look at Pat's pictures, you can find them at http://workingstiffs.blogspot.com/

Jeanne S. said...

I have pre-ordered the Kindle version and I can't wait to read it.

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Thanks, Jeanne! Hope you enjoy it!

Kari Wainwright said...

Loved the opening excerpt and can't wait to find out what you do with a glue gun. My last memory of using one was to make angel ornaments using lace. Lace doesn't provide a lot of protection against hot glue and can lead to the use of some un-angelic language.

If I'm lucky enough to win anything, you can let me know at gkw9000 [at] gmail.com.

Merry Christmas!

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

I'd definitely suggest using fabric glue instead of a glue gun with lace, Kari! Thanks for stopping by.

Pat, The Dizzy Crafter said...

Have a Merry Christmas! Loved your excerpt and can't wait to read it!

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Thanks, P! Glad you enjoyed the excerpt. Merry Christmas to you.