Let's Talk with Lois Winston
February 5, 2026
Juggling Research, Writing, and Promo
Some authors juggle writing one or more books at the same time. I’m not one of them. Likewise, some jump into the next manuscript the moment they finish the previous one. I’m not one of those authors, either. Maybe it’s due to advancing years, but I find that I need to give my brain a rest between projects. That’s when I try to whittle down my ever-growing TBR (to-be-read to the uninitiated) pile. You can check out what I thought of some of my recent reads here.
Not that my writing brain cells are ever completely at rest. In truth, the writing never really stops. Once I finish a book, I need to hop onto the promotional bandwagon. My brain segues from creating a new book to answering interview questions and writing guest posts about the new release. For instance, beginning February 11th, I’ll be on a two-week Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour which required I write both author and character posts for various blogs. Follow the tour for a chance to win one of several copies of Embroidered Lies and Alibis, Book 15 in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, releasing February 10th.
However, in-between all the promotional minutia, in the back of my mind, I’m mulling over ideas for the next book. With the release of Embroidered Lies and Alibis, along with the three connecting novellas, that’s eighteen plots so far in one series. It’s now time to come up with a new one. No reader wants to read a recycled story where only the victim, suspects, and method of murder change from book to book. A compelling mystery needs more to keep readers coming back to a series.
All my books have been inspired by actual crimes, events, human interest stories, or people (often notorious) that I’ve come across in the news or in real life. Sometimes, even a Thanksgiving dinner becomes the spark that ignites the flame of creativity. For the idea I’m currently mulling for Book Sixteen, the setting was inspired by the antebellum Airbnb my son rented for his family when they flew in from California for Thanksgiving. The moment I stepped across the threshold, I knew the house was the perfect setting for a mystery. Now I just have to develop a plot to fit within that setting.
For Embroidered Lies and Alibis, the spark was a NY Times article about a carjacking that occurred in August of 2024. This wasn’t a run-of-the-mill carjacking, though. As I read, my brain cells shifted into overdrive with “what ifs” popping up as fast as the critters in a game of Wack-a-Mole. All those “what ifs” eventually became Embroidered Lies and Alibis.
Embroidered Lies and Alibis
A Stitch in Time Could Save a Life…
When Anastasia’s mother Flora is offered a free spa vacation from Jeremy Dugan, a man connected to her distant past, Anastasia and husband Zack suspect ulterior motives. After all, too-good-to-be-true often spells trouble. Their suspicions are confirmed when the FBI swoops in to apprehend Dugan. However, Dugan isn’t who he claimed to be, and his arrest raises more questions than answers.
The Feds link Dugan to a string of cons targeting elderly single women across the country, but his seemingly airtight alibi leaves investigators stumped. Then, shortly after his release on bail, he’s kidnapped. A certain segment of New Jersey’s population is known for delivering deadly messages, and the FBI believes Dugan received one of them.
Meanwhile, bodies begin showing up in the newly created public garden across the street from Anastasia and Zack’s home. With two baffling crimes, no clear suspects, scant evidence, and every possible motive unraveling, both the FBI and local law enforcement are once again picking Anastasia’s brain. This time, though, her involvement is far from reluctant. Will she stitch together enough clues before she or someone she loves becomes the killer’s next victim?
Craft project included.
Buy Links
Whether you’re a writer or not, do you need a break between projects? Or are you more like the energizer bunny, moving rapidly from one project to the next? Post a comment for a chance to win a promo code for a free audiobook download of any of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries or the first book of my Empty Nest Mysteries.
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While you’re here, check out our Amazing Anniversary Giveaway! Our very own Lois Winston designed this graphic for a super cool tote bag for our winner. The entry period is Feb 1-22. Enter now at this LINK.
Want to know more about author Lois Winston? Check out her WEBSITE.
Posted in Let's Talk, with Lois Winston • Tags: Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour, Juggling research writing and promo, Let's Talk, Lois Winston | 25 Comments
I like breaks between projects.
I move from project to project and often have more than one going on at once.
JanaLee, I used to be that way. Not so much anymore. Thanks for stopping by.
It’s like a mini work vacation sometimes, isn’t it Dru?
We’re two of a kind, Dru! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Congratulations on your latest release, Lois! I enjoyed reading about both your process and your new novel! I especially liked learning about what sparks your imagination.
Have a wonderful virtual book 📕 tour! Bon Voyage to the new launch!
Thanks so much, Nannette!
Hi Lois, I need a break between novels so I usually play around with short stories or promotional posts.
Cheryl, it’s been years since I’ve written a short story, not since my romance writing days. Maybe someday I’ll write a mystery short story, but it would probably evolve into at least a novella. 😉
I get distracted through projects and sometimes start another one before I even finish the first.
Anita, I find that sometimes happens when I get bored with a project. Forcing myself to continue becomes counterproductive because the result always feels forced. If I can’t get excited about a writing project, how can I expect my readers to get excited reading it?
If I am feeling passionate about the types of projects I’m working on, I love to jump right in to the next one 😁 If not, then I much prefer a break so I can mentally prepare myself. 😛
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Maria.
Like you, when I finish a big project (a book versus a short story), I take an entire month to do read as a reader rather than a writer. I handle day-to-day promo, etc, and ideas may percolate for something short, but the majority of my time is spent enjoying other people’s books.
Sounds like we have a lot in common, Debra. Must be a Jersey thing. 😉
I find that any time I have multiple projects I want to get accomplished I have to have a break in between the projects.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Cherie.
Often when I write, random thoughts about other stories pop into my head, which is both distracting and enlightening at the same time. IWhen I find myself thinking more about the “what if” of a new story than the one I’m working on., the only way to stop it is to make notes for the future and plow on with the current road I’m traveling.
Gay, I find that when I’m deep into a project, I’m laser focused on that and rarely think about anything else. The one exception is when I come across something in the news that I know has potential for the next project. When that happens, I copy the link or print out the item for future reference.
I love to do many types of projects. For making crafts, I don’t need a break, unless I’ve been mass producing something. But for writing, I do need to cleanse my mental palette. For many years I had a rule that I couldn’t read “new” books while I was writing a book. So, when I finished the first draft, I started binge-reading all the stuff I missed out on for months. I made the rule early on in my career, so that my writing style didn’t shift to be like the books I was reading. But after a good many years at the craft of writing, I find that my style is pretty set, and I allow myself to read as much as I want when writing. Though I usually try to keep new stuff to the weekend when I’m not working on writing or editing as much. If I’m doing another book in a series, I don’t need as long a break. If I’m branching out to a new series, I will take several weeks to research elements of my new story.
I work on several project as a time, so I also need rest to recharge my batteries.
From the comments coming in, it looks like we’re about evenly split between Camp Break and Camp Energizer Rabbit! Thanks for stopping by, Kathleen!
Maggie, when I started writing, I stopped reading the genre I was writing in for fear of subconsciously copying another author. Like you, though, as my writing grew and I discovered my own voice and style, I no longer feared being influenced by other writers.
Between projects, I definitely need a break. That’s when I catch up on email, read newsletters, plan my next promotional campaign, and do general management stuff like cleaning out files, updating metadata, and other admin tasks. At some point, I’ll have to force myself to write the next book.
LOL, Nancy! If I left all that stuff for the between books times, I’d be buried under all that virtual paperwork and never dig my way out of it!