Q&A Thursday - Interview with Lois Winston

Today's interview is with Award-Winning Author Lois Winston.

Thanks for joining us today, Lois!

Enjoy & Comment

What is the worst thing you’ve written, how did you learn or know it was bad, and what did you learn from it?

The worst thing I’ve ever written was my first book -- a 50,000 word romance that spanned 35 years. Do I really need to say more? I learned how bad it really was when I joined RWA. No wonder I was receiving all those rejection letters! I learned two things from that experience, though. First, I learned that I enjoyed writing and wanted to keep writing. Second, I learned I had a lot to learn. Fast-forward through a decade of perseverance, education, and more revisions than I can remember, and that first book became the second book I sold.

Do you write in more than one genre? Which ones and which do you like the best?

I’m published in three genres. My first published book, TALK GERTIE TO ME, was a humorous women’s fiction about a mother, a daughter, and the tied-too-tightly apron strings that bind them together. My second book, LOVE, LIES AND A DOUBLE SHOT OF DECEPTION, was a romantic suspense.

I’m now writing a humorous amateur sleuth mystery series. ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN is the first book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries and came out in January 2011. There will be at least 2 additional books in the series (January 2012 and 2013) and possibly more.

Do you read other author’s books when you’re writing? If so, do you read the same genre or something different?

I’m a very eclectic reader. I not only read in my own genre but in various other genres as well as some literary fiction. I try to read throughout the year, even when I’m writing, but deadlines often cut into my reading time.

What is the most difficult part of the entire writing process for you? Queries, pitches, editing..etc.

The middle of the book. When I begin a new manuscript, I know exactly how I want the book to start, and I know exactly how I want the book to end. It’s getting from that starting place to typing THE END that’s the killer.

If you could have the same type of career as any author currently publishing who would it be and why?

J.K. Rowling definitely comes to mind. Janet Evanovich comes in a close second.

Author's Biography: Lois Winston is an award-winning author and designer as well as an agent with the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. Her latest book, ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN (January 2011), the first book in her Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series, received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist.  Visit Lois at http://www.loiswinston.com and Anastasia at http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com.