COUNTDOWN TO ANASTASIA'S BOOK BIRTHDAY!

 

Another Book, Another Murder…or Two…or More? 

Tuesday, September 6th marks the official release of Guilty as Framed, the eleventh full-length novel in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, the series in which author Lois Winston continues to torment me by dropping dead bodies into my life. Is this a cause for celebration? Lois seems to think so. And I suppose she’s right. After all, many people claim to have an idea for a book in them, but few persevere enough to transform their idea into an actual book.

 

Lois once told me that early in our partnership she gave a talk at a library. A gentleman in the audience approached her afterwards. He said he had a great idea for a bestselling book, and if she wrote it for him, he’d split the royalties with her. She politely declined but offered him some suggestions for learning how to write the book himself, such as joining writing groups and books to read on how to write a novel.

 

This guy wasn’t willing to put in the work, though. He wanted instant gratification without doing any work beyond sharing his idea. He began to stalk my author, pestering her with constant emails. She found herself looking over her shoulder whenever she left the house. Finally, after repeated polite attempts to get this guy to leave her alone, she finally threatened to call the police. Thankfully, she never heard from him again.

 

And people think being an author is all fame and fortune! They have no idea. For every author who joins the illustrious ranks of James Patterson and J.K. Rowling, there are thousands who never will. Most authors, even those who win awards and make it onto bestseller lists, can’t afford to quit their day jobs. My author juggled two careers in addition to her writing until she retired a few years ago.

 

But I digress…The point is that writing is blood, sweat, and tears hard work. I’ve seen it firsthand as I’ve watched my author click away at her computer. And I really am excited about this book, even given the murder and mayhem I deal with in this latest adventure. Lois definitely makes it up to me in the end, but you won’t get any spoilers out of me.

 

Lois has always looked to actual crimes and human-interest stories as plot fodder. She’s even incorporated some of her own experiences into her books. The stalker sparked the idea for Crewel Intentions, one of the Anastasia Pollack Mini-Mysteries. However, this time around, Lois has me involved in a real-life cold case, the 1990 burglary at the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Art Museum in Boston. 

 

Still, I do wish she’d have written me as a romance heroine instead of making me deal with all these constant dead bodies!

 

Guilty as Framed

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 11

 

When an elderly man shows up at the home of reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack, she’s drawn into the unsolved mystery of the greatest art heist in history. 

 

Boston mob boss Cormac Murphy has recently been released from prison. He doesn’t believe Anastasia’s assertion that the man he’s looking for doesn’t live at her address and attempts to muscle his way into her home. His efforts are thwarted by Anastasia’s fiancé Zack Barnes. 

 

A week later, a stolen SUV containing a dead body appears in Anastasia’s driveway. Anastasia believes Murphy is sending her a message. It’s only the first in a series of alarming incidents, including a mugging, a break-in, another murder, and the discovery of a cache of jewelry and an etching from the largest museum burglary in history.

 

But will Anastasia solve the mystery behind these shocking events before she falls victim to a couple of desperate thugs who will stop at nothing to get what they want?

 

Buy Links

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P.S.: Mark your calendars for September 12th, the kickoff for the Guilty as Framed Great Escapes Blog Tour. Enter the Rafflecopter at each stop in the tour. There will be prizes!