#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--PAPER BAG SNOWFLAKE AND A CHRISTMAS NOVELLA FROM AUTHOR BETHANY MAINES

Bethany Maines is the award-winning author of action-adventure and fantasy tales that focus on women who know when to apply lipstick and when to apply a foot to someone’s hind end. She can usually be found chasing after her daughter or glued to the computer, working on her next novel or screenplay. Learn more about Bethany and her books at her website where you’ll also find links to other social media accounts.

Holiday Cheer

This month as I geared up for the release of my Christmas mystery novella, Winter Wonderland, I found myself moving straight past Thanksgiving at the speed of Santa’s sleigh. I am more than ready for some holiday cheer, and I’m relieved that the calendar is about to hit December and I can officially fly the holiday flag AKA don my Nakatomi Towers Christmas Party shirt. I’m not always so Yule inclined but this year, like my heroine Larissa Frost, I want ALL the Christmas. I want cookies, crafts, and enough candy canes to build a fence. Unfortunately, my family are more in the category of my hero, Marcus Winters, and have forbidden decorating until December first.

 

I have lured my daughter onto my side with crafts, but my husband is unswayed by glitter. He knows that decorating means that at some point there will be the struggle to have an upright Christmas tree and sees no reason to rush into such things.

 

I can’t blame him. Verticality is both the hallmark and bane of a Christmas tree. If we wanted them to remain upright, we really should stop chopping them down. In the past, we've had two trees that decided to lodge complaints with management and went for a more recumbent position. They have a right to protest, of course, but it seemed unfair to take the lights and ornaments with them. 

 

I also understand the hesitation to launch into the extra work that the holidays take. Some years I don’t have the energy to invest in the full holiday extravaganza. (See pandemic years 2019-2021.) But this year I feel like I've got a few extra bars of battery life and I could manage a gingerbread house and an extra batch or six of cookies. 

 

If all you're up for is a soothing re-watch of Die Hard and White Christmas, then I salute you and wish you a warm couch, a good beverage, and a toasty dog for your feet. However, if you are also ready for some holiday cheer and would like a quick and easy craft, see below for instructions on how to turn paper sandwich bags into an oversized snowflake. This one is fun and good for kids who are of glue gun handling age. Younger kiddos can participate by pre-decorating the bags and letting their big people handle the gluing. 

 

Note from Anastasia: Using a low-temp glue gun or tacky glue will allow full participation by the young ones. Just make sure to allow the tacky glue to dry completely before cutting out the shapes.

Paper Snowflake

Materials: 9 paper lunch sacks with flaps, hot glue, scissors, twine, hole punch. (optional ruler, pencil, Xacto knife)

 

1. Glue the bags together, one on top of another, with the bottom fold flap side facing down. Make a T-Shape with the glue across the bottom fold and then 3/4 of the way up the seam toward the top of the bag.

 

2. After all the bags are glued together, cut out simple geometric shapes along each long side above the folded bottom portion of the bags the way you would have when creating snowflakes out of folded paper. You can first draw the shapes before cutting if you choose. 

 

3. Unfold and glue the final edges together. Sometimes it helps to stick your hands all the way into the bag, but be careful. Hot glue is…hot!

 

4. Use a hole punch to make a hole. Thread with twine or ribbon and knot ends together for hanging.

 

Additional ideas: Add glitter or spray paint or have the kids color on the bags ahead of time.

 

Winter Wonderland

A Rom-Com Mystery

 

Marcus "Bag Humbug" Winters is hiding from Christmas, and the rest of his life, when he gets an offer he can't refuse—the chance to photograph a top model with the enormous 70-karat Hartford Diamond. The Hartford Diamond shoot is also an answered prayer for set designer Larissa "I Love Christmas" Frost. But while she needs the job to pay for her brother's unexpected hospital bills, she does not need the headache of a demanding photographer who keeps calling her Larry. But when they finally meet on set, Larissa is unprepared for Marcus to be a hunk, for him to apologize profusely, or for the Hartford Diamond to be stolen. Now Marcus may be the only one who can keep Larissa from going to jail for a crime she didn't commit. For Larissa and Marcus, this Christmas is anything but a Winter Wonderland.

 

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MURDER, MAYHEM & CHRISTMAS CRAFTS GALORE!

It’s December. Have you started your Christmas crafting? Need some quick and easy projects to decorate your home and give as gifts? Drop Dead Ornamentsand Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide, books 7 and 8 in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, offer projects even the most novice and cash-strapped crafter can create with professional looking results. 

In Drop Dead Ornaments you’ll find ideas for creating pricey glass ball ornaments for pennies. The crafts in Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide utilize all those Christmas cards you’ve kept stashed away in a box for years because they’re too pretty to toss in the recycling bucket.

And in-between crafting, shopping, and baking Christmas cookies, you can grab a cup of coffee or tea, settle into your favorite reading chair, and see what sorts of trouble author Lois Winston has gotten me into in the two latest books about me. 

Plus, as a holiday gift to our readers, for a limited time the ebook edition of Drop Dead Ornaments is on sale for only .99 cents!

Drop Dead Ornaments

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 7

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.

At the fair Anastasia meets Sophie’s father, Shane Lambert, who strikes her as a man with secrets. She also notices a woman eavesdropping on their conversation. Later that evening when the woman turns up dead, Sophie’s father is arrested for her murder.

Alex and Sophie beg Anastasia to find the real killer, but Anastasia has had her fill of dead bodies. She’s also not convinced of Shane’s innocence. Besides, she’s promised younger son Nick she’ll stop risking her life. But how can she say no to Alex?

Buy Links
Paperback

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iTunes
Nook 

Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 8

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 rival Rockefeller Center. Now he’s crammed her small yard with enormous cavorting inflatable characters. She and photojournalist boyfriend and possible spy Zack Barnes pack up the unwanted lawn decorations to return to Ira. They arrive to find his yard the scene of an over-the-top Christmas extravaganza. His neighbors are not happy with the animatronics, laser light show, and blaring music creating traffic jams on their normally quiet street. One of them expresses his displeasure with his fists before running off.

In the excitement, the deflated lawn ornaments are never returned to Ira. The next morning Anastasia once again heads to his house before work to drop them off. When she arrives, she discovers Ira’s attacker dead in Santa’s sleigh. Ira becomes the prime suspect in the man’s murder and begs Anastasia to help clear his name. But Anastasia has promised her sons she’ll keep her nose out of police business. What’s a reluctant amateur sleuth to do?

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RELEASE DAY FOR HANDMADE HO-HO HOMICIDE

No recipe today. I’m giving Cloris the day off and taking over her usual Tuesday spot because, as I mentioned yesterday, today is release day for Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide, the eighth book in the cozy mystery series that’s about yours truly, reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack.

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog know that author Lois Winston upended my extremely comfortable middle class suburban life back in 2011 with the release of Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series. She hasn’t stopped messing with my life since, not even giving me a respite for the Christmas holidays, as you will see in my latest adventure.

Suspense Magazine called Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide“a laugh-out-loud, well plotted mystery from a real pro! A ho-ho hoot!” 

And from Dru’s Book Musings: “Once again, the author knows how to tell a story that immediately grabbed my attention and I couldn’t put this book down until the last page was read….This was one of the best books in this delightfully lovable series and I can’t wait to see what exciting adventures await Anastasia and her friends.”

I hope all of you will pick up a copy and take pleasure in the way Lois torments me. If so, as a Christmas present, maybe she’ll split the royalties with me so I can dig my way out of the financial mess she created for me. 

Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?

Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 8

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 rival Rockefeller Center. Now he’s crammed her small yard with enormous cavorting inflatable characters. She and photojournalist boyfriend and possible spy Zack Barnes pack up the unwanted lawn decorations to return to Ira. They arrive to find his yard the scene of an over-the-top Christmas extravaganza. His neighbors are not happy with the animatronics, laser light show, and blaring music creating traffic jams on their normally quiet street. One of them expresses his displeasure with his fists before running off.

In the excitement, the deflated lawn ornaments are never returned to Ira. The next morning Anastasia once again heads to his house before work to drop them off. When she arrives, she discovers Ira’s attacker dead in Santa’s sleigh. Ira becomes the prime suspect in the man’s murder and begs Anastasia to help clear his name. But Anastasia has promised her sons she’ll keep her nose out of police business. What’s a reluctant amateur sleuth to do?

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iTunes 

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--CROSS STITCHED POINSETTIA ORNAMENT

Do you know what today is? It's Release Eve, the day before the official release of Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide, the eighth book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, the eponymous cozy mystery series where author Lois Winston continues to taunt me, her reluctant amateur sleuth, with dead bodies.

To mark the occasion and since it’s never too early to begin your Christmas crafting, here’s an easy (no backstitch or fractional stitches!) poinsettia cross stitch design that can be fashioned into an ornament after it’s stitched.

The design measures approximately 2-3/4” x 2-3/4” when worked on 14-ct. fabric.

You'll find more Christmas crafts in Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide.

Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 8

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 rival Rockefeller Center. Now he’s crammed her small yard with enormous cavorting inflatable characters. She and photojournalist boyfriend and possible spy Zack Barnes pack up the unwanted lawn decorations to return to Ira. They arrive to find his yard the scene of an over-the-top Christmas extravaganza. His neighbors are not happy with the animatronics, laser light show, and blaring music creating traffic jams on their normally quiet street. One of them expresses his displeasure with his fists before running off.

In the excitement, the deflated lawn ornaments are never returned to Ira. The next morning Anastasia once again heads to his house before work to drop them off. When she arrives, she discovers Ira’s attacker dead in Santa’s sleigh. Ira becomes the prime suspect in the man’s murder and begs Anastasia to help clear his name. But Anastasia has promised her sons she’ll keep her nose out of police business. What’s a reluctant amateur sleuth to do?

Buy Links
Paperback

Amazon

Kobo 

Barnes & Noble 

iTunes 

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--CROSS STITCHED APPLE WREATH ORNAMENT

With September nearly upon us, those of us who enjoy crafting for the holidays, both for decorating and gift giving, are looking ahead to Christmas. Here’s an apple wreath design you can stitch in an evening and finish as an ornament.

Stitch on 25-ct. white linen with two strands floss worked over two threads.

Backstitch with 1 strand black floss.

Stitching Area: 41w x 39h

Size: 3-1/4” x 3-1/8”

Find more Christmas crafts in Drop Dead Ornaments and Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide, Books 7 and 8 in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series by Lois Winston.

Drop Dead Ornaments

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 7

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.

At the fair Anastasia meets Sophie’s father, Shane Lambert, who strikes her as a man with secrets. She also notices a woman eavesdropping on their conversation. Later that evening when the woman turns up dead, Sophie’s father is arrested for her murder.

Alex and Sophie beg Anastasia to find the real killer, but Anastasia has had her fill of dead bodies. She’s also not convinced of Shane’s innocence. Besides, she’s promised younger son Nick she’ll stop risking her life. But how can she say no to Alex?

Buy Links

Print 

Amazon 

Kobo 

iTunes

Nook 

Handmade Ho-Ho Homicide (Pre-order ebook now; print available 10/1)

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 8

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 rival Rockefeller Center. Now he’s crammed her small yard with enormous cavorting inflatable characters. She and photojournalist boyfriend (and possible spy) Zack Barnes pack up the unwanted lawn decorations to return to Ira. They arrive to find his yard the scene of an over-the-top Christmas extravaganza. His neighbors are not happy with the animatronics, laser light show, and blaring music creating traffic jams on their normally quiet street. One of them expresses his displeasure with his fists before running off.

In the excitement, the deflated lawn ornaments are never returned to Ira. The next morning Anastasia once again heads to his house before work to drop them off. When she arrives, she discovers Ira’s attacker dead in Santa’s sleigh. Ira becomes the prime suspect in the man’s murder and begs Anastasia to help clear his name. But Anastasia has promised her sons she’ll keep her nose out of police business. What’s a reluctant amateur sleuth to do?

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MYSTERY AUTHOR ELLEN BYRON'S BOOK COVER #CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

Award-winning playwright and author Ellen Byron writes the Cajun Country Mystery series. She’s also written for various TV shows, include Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents and has had more than 200 articles published in national magazines. In addition, Ellen has also worked as a cater-waiter for the legendary Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. Learn more about her and her books at her website.

From Book Cover to Ornament

I have a passion for Christmas ornaments that I’ve nurtured since childhood. When I was in middle school, my mother announced we’d no longer have a Christmas tree. It was a rough year and she didn’t feel much like celebrating anything. But the thought of not having a beautiful tree so horrified me that I volunteered to take over tree trimming and de-trimming duties. Mom signed off on this, so I became the Keeper of the Ornaments. When I married, I incorporated some of my husband’s family ornaments into the tradition. In total years, our decorations span almost a hundred years, with the oldest ornament dating back to 1928.

But not only do I love collecting ornaments, I love making them, too. I can’t let a year go by without making something for our tree. I have over a dozen gorgeous needlepoint and cross-stitch ornaments, but those get expense to make and finish. I’m madly in love with my book covers, so I debated an affordable way to turn them into ornaments and landed on an old hobby of mine – decoupage.

I always have stickers of my book covers made by Moo as either a giveaway or a way to decorate notepads for swag. With the artwork handled, translating the covers into ornaments was easy. I bought plain round ornaments from Michael’s Crafts, painted them, added a coating of Mod Podge to each, affixed the stickers, then added another coating of Mod Podge. Once the ornaments dried, I decorated each with an assortment of bling. Cute, huh?

I haven’t turned my most recent book, Mardi Gras Murder, into an ornament yet, but this post has inspired me. I’ll definitely use the iconic Mardi Gras color palette of purple, green, and gold. I’ll also add as much shimmer and shine as the ornament can support. Because, yes, the ornament will decorate a Christmas tree. But it also celebrates a second holiday. As the tongue-in-cheek New Orleans saying goes, “Happy Almost Mardi Gras!”

Mardi Gras Murder

A Cajun Country Mystery, Book 4

The resilient citizens of Pelican aren’t about to let some hundred-year flood ruin their Mardi Gras festivities, which include Courirs de Mardi Gras – Mardi Gras Runs – a gumbo cook-off, and the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant contest.  But when a body of a stranger washes up in the bayou behind Crozat Plantation B&B, and a pageant judge is shot, Maggie Crozat is convinced that the deaths are connected. Does someone want the pageant queen crown bad enough to kill for it? Or are the deaths somehow related to the Orphan Train, which delivered its last charges to Cajun Country in 1929?

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ebook 

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--POMPOM ORNAMENT

Drop Dead Ornaments, the 7^th Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, is now available. In celebration, here’s another no-talent-required glass ornament, simple enough for even little kids to make (but substitute clear plastic ball ornaments for the glass ones.)

That clock is also counting down to Christmas. There are only 43 days (if I've done my math right) until Santa slides down the chimney. Time to start making that list and checking it twice. Anastasia’s ornament crafts from Drop Dead Ornaments are so incredibly easy to make that even if you’ve never picked up a glue gun or a paintbrush in your life, you can create beautiful gifts in next to no time at all. And none of these ornaments require a glue gun or a paintbrush—or any other specialized tools!

Pompom Ornament

Materials:

clear glass ball ornament (use plastic ball ornaments for young children)

red, white, and green pompoms in various small sizes*

9”-12” of 1/4”-1/2” wide red, green, white, or gold satin or grosgrain ribbon*

Carefully remove the metal cap from the glass ball.

Fill the ornament with the pompoms.

Reattach the metal cap. Tie ribbon through the loop for hanging.

* You can also choose your own color combinations and substitute yarn, twine, thin braid, or a thin strip of fabric for the ribbon used for the hanging loop.

Drop Dead Ornaments

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 7

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.

At the fair Anastasia meets Sophie’s father, Shane Lambert, who strikes her as a man with secrets. She also notices a woman eavesdropping on their conversation. Later that evening when the woman turns up dead, Sophie’s father is arrested for her murder.

Alex and Sophie beg Anastasia to find the real killer, but Anastasia has had her fill of dead bodies. She’s also not convinced of Shane’s innocence. Besides, she’s promised younger son Nick she’ll stop risking her life. But how can she say no to Alex?

Buy Links
Paperback

Amazon 

Kobo 

iTunes

Nook 

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--SEQUIN & GLITTER ORNAMENT

Here’s another ornament featured in the Drop Dead Ornaments, the newest Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery. This one is just as easy as the others, but it might take several days for the glue to dry. So plan accordingly.

Sequin & Glitter Ornament

Materials:

clear glass ball ornament

decoupage medium (you can also use either liquid floor wax or thinned tacky glue)

disposable plastic cup

assorted sequins

glitter

Carefully remove the metal cap from the glass ball.

Pour decoupage medium or thinned tacky glue into the glass ornament. Rotate the ornament to swirl the glue around the interior to coat the entire ornament.

Turn the ornament upside-down and set over the disposable plastic cup to drain excess glue.

Add sequins, rotating to distribute around inside of ornament.

Pour glitter into ornament. (You can make a funnel from a piece of rolled paper for easier pouring.) Place your finger over the opening and shake the ornament to distribute the glitter. Pour out excess.

Allow glue to dry with cap off until glue turns clear. This may take up to several days, depending on temperature, humidity, and the type of glue used.

Reattach the metal cap. Tie ribbon through the loop for hanging.

Drop Dead Ornaments

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 7

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.

At the fair Anastasia meets Sophie’s father, Shane Lambert, who strikes her as a man with secrets. She also notices a woman eavesdropping on their conversation. Later that evening when the woman turns up dead, Sophie’s father is arrested for her murder.

Alex and Sophie beg Anastasia to find the real killer, but Anastasia has had her fill of dead bodies. She’s also not convinced of Shane’s innocence. Besides, she’s promised younger son Nick she’ll stop risking her life. But how can she say no to Alex?

Buy Links

Paperback 

Amazon 

Kobo 

iTunes 

Nook 

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MELTED CRAYON ORNAMENT

The stores are filled with pumpkin-flavored everything lately, as well as candy corn and costumes, but Christmas is not that far away. Have you begun your Christmas crafting yet? Today we’re featuring another ornament from Drop DeadOrnaments, the newest Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, now available for pre-order. This is a perfect craft for using up your kids’ broken crayons instead of tossing them in the trash. And as with all the other ornaments featured in the book, absolutely no special crafting talent is required.

Melted Crayon Ornament

Materials:

clear glass ball ornament

2-3 crayons in the same color family or opposites (examples: pinks and red, yellows and orange, blues and yellow, blues and pink, etc.)

crayon sharpener or craft knife

hair dryer

9”-12” of 1/4”-1/2” wide satin or grosgrain ribbon in complementary color*

Use the crayon sharpener or craft knife to shave pieces from the crayons.

Carefully remove the metal cap from the glass ball.

Working with one color at a time, place a small amount of the shavings into the glass ball. Hold the hair dryer close to the area of the ornament where the shavings are and heat the ornament to melt the crayons. Be careful you don’t touch the ornament with the hair dryer.

If the ornament becomes too hot as you’re working, take a break to allow it to cool. You may also want to use an oven mitt or glove to protect your hand from the heat. As the crayon shavings begin to melt, rotate the ornament to spread the color.

Alternate colors, continuing until the desired look is achieved.

Reattach the metal cap. Tie ribbon through the loop for hanging.

* You can also substitute yarn, twine, thin braid, or a thin strip of fabric for the ribbon used for the hanging loop.

Drop Dead Ornaments

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 7

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.

At the fair Anastasia meets Sophie’s father, Shane Lambert, who strikes her as a man with secrets. She also notices a woman eavesdropping on their conversation. Later that evening when the woman turns up dead, Sophie’s father is arrested for her murder.

Alex and Sophie beg Anastasia to find the real killer, but Anastasia has had her fill of dead bodies. She’s also not convinced of Shane’s innocence. Besides, she’s promised younger son Nick she’ll stop risking her life. But how can she say no to Alex?

Buy Links

Amazon 

Kobo 

iTunes 

Nook