Welcome, Lois. I’m so happy to have you on my blog today. I love your titles and covers. So clever and colorful!! Readers, let’s get to know Lois.

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and non-fiction under her name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” Also, Lois is an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Visit Lois/Emma at www.loiswinston.com and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog, http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com. Sign up for her newsletter at https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z1z1u5

Now, the five questions Lois chose to answer for Five on Friday.

 If you could snap your fingers and make one thing happen, what would it be and why?

How about a world where everyone gets along? Wouldn’t that be nice? As for why? I think that’s pretty obvious. 😉

Ann: That would be nice…if only we lived in a perfect world!

 If you could change one thing about yourself, physical, mental, emotional, what would it be and why?

I wish I were taller. I’d kill for an additional four or five inches to make me average height. When you’re short, you’re often overlooked—or worse yet, not taken seriously. Everyone looks down on you—literally—and sometimes even figuratively. You have to crane your neck to make eye contact with people, and you often feel invisible. It’s also a real drawback at the theater or a concert. You spend megabucks for a ticket, and instead of watching the show, you sit for two hours staring at the head of the person seated in front of you. Same for parades. All you ever see are other people’s backs. Take it from me; it’s no fun being the runt of the litter.

Ann: I so identify with this! I’m the shortest in my family. Two brothers 6’4″ and 6’5″, a sister who is 5’9″, Mom 5’10”, Dad 6’2″. I’m not super short, but at 5’3″, I’m certainly short compared to the rest of my clan! I tell everyone, I grew out and they grew up!

 If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I’m a city girl stuck in the suburbs. I’d love to live in Manhattan. If only I had a few million dollars for a decent apartment…<sigh!> I don’t even want to think about how many books I’d have to sell to make that dream come true! Every so often I get desperate and buy a lottery ticket when the jackpot reaches an obscene amount, but the most I’ve ever won was a measly seven dollars. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not a gambling addict like Anastasia’s recently deceased husband.\

Ann: I’m a country bumpkin, but I do love to visit the city!

 What is one strong memory that has stuck with you since childhood…and why?

My grandfather was captain of the Essex County Police Department, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. Outside the old courthouse where he worked was Gutzon Borglum’s statue of Abraham Lincoln seated on a bench (see photo.) You may recognize Borglum as the sculptor who created Mount Rushmore. My grandmother and I would often take the bus downtown to go shopping. We’d meet my grandfather in front of the courthouse at the end of the day and drive home with him. I have a vivid memory of being three or four years old and scared to death of that sculpture because in my mind when that poor man sat on the bench, he turned into a statue. You better believe I kept my distance from that bench!

Ann: I can totally understand that fear. Kind of like a child thinking they might go down the drain when we let the water out of the tub.

 If you were going to commit the perfect murder, how would you go about it?

Come on! If I were going to commit the perfect murder, do you really think I’d describe in this interview how I’d do it? Wouldn’t that kind of defeat the purpose? (Not to mention put me at the top of the Stupid Criminals list!) However, if someone wanted to kill me, all it would take is a room filled with lilacs and eucalyptus. My airway would close up, and I’d immediately suffocate. (Don’t get any ideas!)

Ann: That sounds like a super plot for a book. I’ve not read all of yours, so you may have written that allergy in on of them! If not, you should consider it. Thank you for being on my blog today and sharing your books!

The Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries
Anastasia Pollack’s comfortable middle-class life comes crashing down around her when her husband, Karl Marx Pollack, dies suddenly, and she discovers his well-hidden gambling addiction. Karl leaves her with two teenage sons, no savings, enormous debt, and Lucille, the communist mother-in-law from Hell. As she attempts to dig her way out of debt, Anastasia finds herself stumbling across one dead body after another, forcing her to become a reluctant amateur sleuth.

Books in the series include:
Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun http://amzn.to/2oamyiQ
Death By Killer Mop Doll http://amzn.to/2n9YoDv
Revenge of the Crafty Corpse http://amzn.to/2nFqsm0
Decoupage Can Be Deadly http://amzn.to/2o3fqYR
A Stitch To Die For http://amzn.to/2oapTi6
Crafty Crimes (Three Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mini-Mysteries) http://amzn.to/2nZaVOG

 The Empty Nest Mysteries
When her career is outsourced to Asia, fledgling romance author and empty-nester Gracie Elliott seeks a job that will allow her time to write. However, she soon discovers no one wants to hire her. Undaunted, she starts her own business, only to discover her path to success littered with dead bodies. The Empty Nest Mysteries pays homage to Nick and Nora Charles of the classic Thin Man movies but with a modern twist.

Books in the series include:
Definitely Dead http://amzn.to/2o3iQuD
Literally Dead http://amzn.to/2ntvJfW

your social links, and buy links (next to each title)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth
Pinterest:http://www.pinterest.com/anasleuth