Description
12 Steps to Writing a Cozy/Amateur Sleuth Mystery Series
DATE: September 13, 2025 at 9:00am CST via Zoom
Instructor: Lois Winston
Workshop Blurb/Description:
Writing a mystery series is quite different from writing a stand-alone mystery—and much more challenging. For that reason, planning is everything. No author wants to cut a series short when sales are brisk and readers are clamoring for more books, but if you don’t plan well, you may find your characters and/or your basic concept have a finite life. Lois Winston, author of the critically acclaimed and bestselling Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, currently at
fourteen novels and three novellas, will offer twelve steps to follow to create an ongoing mystery series that will continue for as many years as you want to keep writing it.
fourteen novels and three novellas, will offer twelve steps to follow to create an ongoing mystery series that will continue for as many years as you want to keep writing it.
Instructor’s Bio:
USA Today and Amazon bestselling author Lois Winston began her award-winning writing career with Talk Gertie to Me, a humorous fish-out-of-water novel about a small-town girl going off to the big city and the mother determined to bring her home to marry the boy next door. That was followed by the romantic suspense Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception. Then Lois’s writing segued unexpectedly into the world of humorous amateur sleuth mysteries, thanks to a conversation her agent had with an editor looking for craft-themed mysteries. In her day job, Lois was an award-winning craft and needlework designer, and although she’d never written a mystery—or had even thought about writing a mystery—her agent decided she was the perfect person to pen a series for this editor.
Thus, was born the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, which Kirkus Reviews dubbed “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” The series now includes fourteen novels and
three novellas. Lois also writes the Empty Nest Mysteries and has written several standalone mystery novellas. Other publishing credits include romance, chick lit, and romantic suspense novels, a series of romance short stories, a children’s chapter book, and a nonfiction book on writing, inspired by her twelve years working as an associate at a literary agency.
three novellas. Lois also writes the Empty Nest Mysteries and has written several standalone mystery novellas. Other publishing credits include romance, chick lit, and romantic suspense novels, a series of romance short stories, a children’s chapter book, and a nonfiction book on writing, inspired by her twelve years working as an associate at a literary agency.
Learn more about Lois and her books at www.loiswinston.com where you can find links for her other social media sites and sign up for her newsletter to receive a free download of an Anastasia Pollack Mini-Mystery.
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