Sep 18, 2025 | Cozy, Crime, Mystery |
USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws on her experiences in the crafts industry for both her characters and plots. Her most recent release is Seams Like the Perfect Crime, the fourteenth book in her Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series. Learn more about Lois and her books at www.loiswinston.com. Sign up for her newsletter to receive an Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mini-Mystery.
Seams Like the Perfect Crime: An Anastasia Pollack Crafting My
stery, Book 14
When staffing shortages continue to hamper the Union County homicide squad, Detective Sam Spader once again turns to his secret weapon, reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack. How can she refuse when the murder victim is her Revolutionary War reenactor neighbor?
When Spader zeroes in on the widow as his prime suspect, Anastasia has her doubts. There are other suspects, including the victim’s lover, several reenactors who were blackmailing the widow, and others. As Anastasia narrows down the suspects, will she risk jeopardizing her own life to uncover the truth?
Craft projects included.
Buy Links
Amazon: https://amzn.to/49KvjaG
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/seams-like-the-perfect-crime
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seams-like-the-perfect-crime-lois-winston/1146583329?ean=2940184679983
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/seams-like-the-perfect-crime/id6738502932
Books2Read Universal Link to Other Sites: https://books2read.com/u/3LXa1e
Crafting Back Cover Copy
Unless a reader is searching for a specific title or author, she’ll either stroll the aisles of a bookstore or scroll through an e-tailer site in search of her next read. Either way, the book’s cover is what will first catch her eye. In a bookstore, she then picks up the book, flips it over, and reads the back cover copy. On an Internet site, she scrolls to the book’s description.
Back cover copy acts as a tease. If the tease works, the reader flips to the first page or clicks on the sample to read a few paragraphs or pages. If she likes what she reads, she’ll buy the book. If those first few paragraphs or pages don’t grab her, she continues to stroll or scroll.
Back cover copy is a hook designed to pique the interest of a potential customer. It should consist of up to four short paragraphs that describe the book’s main plot and protagonist(s).
The back cover copy should include enough information to pique the reader’s curiosity by providing an indication of the story arc and the main character(s). Who are these people? Why should a reader care about them, their world, their relationships, and their problems?
Reducing all this information to a few short paragraphs is accomplished by relying on GMC—goal, motivation, and conflict. GMC is not just for plotting a good story and creating compelling characters. It’s essential to creating every other aspect of a novel—from the query to the synopsis to the novel to the back cover copy.
Step 1: Define Your Main Character: Use one to three adjectives and a noun to define your main character. Be specific. This gives you a framework from which to work.
In my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, my protagonist is a “reluctant amateur sleuth.” Since mysteries are plot-driven, I created back cover copy that speaks to the cataclysmic upheaval in Anastasia’s life, which propels her into solving each mystery.
In Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception, Emma is described as a “poor little rich girl.” The book is a heart-wrenching romantic suspense. Therefore, the back cover copy is crafted to evoke an emotional response in the reader.
Step 2: Define Your Main Character’s Internal and External Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts: Every book must have a balance of plot and characterization. External GMC speaks to plot. Internal GMC speaks to characterization.
For each of your main characters, answer the following questions:
- What does your character want?
- Why does he/she want it?
- What’s keeping him/her from getting it?
Do this for both the external (the plot) and the internal (the characterization) GMC. Keep each answer to one sentence. When you’re finished, you’ll have six sentences, three that speak to plot and three that speak to characterization.
Avoid unnecessary description. No one buys a book because the heroine is a redhead. Include setting, occupation, and other specifics only if they’re pertinent to the plot and main characters.
For example, in Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, the back cover copy doesn’t mention that the book takes place in New Jersey because it’s not relevant. However, it does mention that Anastasia is a magazine crafts editor because Anastasia discovers the murder victim sitting in her cubicle—glue gunned to her chair. If I didn’t mention Anastasia’s occupation, the circumstances of the victim’s death wouldn’t make any sense.
In Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception, Emma’s occupation isn’t relevant, but I do mention that the novel takes place in Philadelphia because the city plays an important role in the story.
Step 3: Define Other Essential Characters: Back cover copy will often mention two or three characters who are essential to the story. This varies depending on the genre and plot. Sometimes only one character is mentioned. A romance novel typically features the hero and heroine. A romantic suspense novel typically includes an antagonist. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to define the GMC of these secondary characters. You probably won’t use all the information about these characters in crafting the back cover copy, but writing the information out will help you decide what’s important to include and what you can omit.
Step 4: Voice: Voice is the final component of back cover copy. Describe your book in a voice that matches the voice of your novel. If you haven’t incorporated the voice from your book in your answers to the GMC questions, go back and tweak the sentences.
It’s essential for the reader to be able to distinguish between your book’s genre, such as whether it’s a romantic comedy, a romantic suspense, or a cozy mystery, versus a police procedural. You want to meet reader’s expectations from the very beginning. Readers like surprise plot twists, but they don’t want to be tricked into buying a book that purports to be one genre, only to find it’s a completely different genre.
Step 5: Putting it All Together: Study the sentences you’ve created. Depending on the genre, you may or may not use all the sentences you’ve written to develop your back cover copy. Some back cover copy works well as one short paragraph. Most require two to four paragraphs. Choose the sentences that best convey your story. String them together to create your back cover copy, fleshing the paragraphs out with any other pertinent information you believe is essential to hook the reader.
Your paragraphs should be tight, concise, and free of unimportant details. Your goal is to make the reader want to flip to the first page of your book to read the opening paragraphs, then head to the cash register or click the Buy Link.
Website: http://www.loiswinston.com
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Aug 14, 2025 | Cozy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller |
Thonie Hevron [thoniehevron dot com] is a retired 911 dispatcher. She has written five award-winning mysteries set primarily in Sonoma County, published by Rough Edges Press/Wolfpack Press. She authored a cozy series under a pen name for CKN Christian Publishing (an imprint of Wolfpack Press). She worked on a ghost-written mystery/adventure in the Young Adult genre and is currently developing a new mystery that she hopes to expand into a series. She lives in Petaluma with her husband, two rescue puppies, and a princess kitty. She enjoys riding her friend’s horse as often as she can.
I wonder how I would’ve ever gotten where I am today without mentors. This includes the mom down the street who took me under her wing when my mother struggled with her own demons. Early in my law enforcement career (as a Meter Maid), there was a motor officer who introduced me to the concept, “badge-heavy” and changed my adversarial attitude with the public while I issued tickets–I didn’t have to be a jerk. Later, Fred, a patrolman, was another crucial association. He invited me to testify to the county grand jury as part of an investigation of our police administration. Standing up for the integrity of the job was a beautiful burden. These people were life mentors who taught me valuable lessons that continue to influence my life today.
But let’s talk about mentors for writers.
Pat Tyler – In most other industries, colleagues often view newbies as competition. While I’ve found that writing teachers aren’t necessarily mentors, I can say I have never seen professional acrimony toward another. My first true writing mentor, Pat Tyler, encouraged me with provocative prompts during her Jumpstart Writing class. She provided a safe, non-judgmental place to read and hone my stories. Then, she pointed me toward Redwood Writers (a branch of California Writers Club), where I found much more to learn. The motto of the club is “writers helping writers.” It made a significant impact on my writing career. Sadly, Pat passed away some years ago.
Marilyn Meredith – My second mentor is Marilyn Meredith. She is a founding member and former board member of the Public Safety Writers Association (PSWA), whom I met in 2014 at the club’s annual conference. Marilyn is an experienced author who helped me navigate the world of small press publishing and writing ethics. She’s a prolific author of over 40 books who gets up in the middle of the night (4 AM) to accomplish her myriad goals. Even with huge family demands, she writes and promotes almost every day. A lady in the most refined sense, she’s also a model of Christianity—not the clichéd version—the true-blue follower of Christ. She’s unpretentious, accepts people the way they are, and believes in sharing her gifts—as she has with me. I’ll bet she never even considered herself a mentor. But she is. She continually inspires me to be better.
Michael A. Black – Then there’s Michael A. Black. Mike is a friend, an award-winning author, and a colleague from the PSWA who also heads up the annual conference. A retired police officer, Mike has reinvented himself as a career writer. He’s written an amazing tally of over 50 books in the sci-fi, western, horror, and sports genres. He also authors articles in law enforcement professional online and print magazines. A few years ago, Mike’s publisher asked if he would be interested in writing a cozy series. Mike checked it out and said, “Thanks, but no can do.” He steered the publisher to me. We cut a deal, and although I had never read or written the cozy genre, I was pleased with the result. The job pushed my boundaries, and I found something wonderful—cozy mysteries.
Even if you don’t believe you have something to offer a burgeoning author, I want to make a few suggestions on why you should consider being a mentor. Advice isn’t always welcome, so choose your mentee carefully. Consider a young (in age or experience) author who’s looking to grow. A good combination can benefit you both.
Why?
- It could change someone’s life—really. Think about words of encouragement you heard that motivated you. Be that person.
- It will take you out of your world—we create them in our heads, don’t we? Sharing your process with another person attaches words to abstract thoughts. Sharing can enlarge thoughts if you listen for each other.
- You’ll be building a writers’ community based on the positive aspects we’re talking about here.
- The life you change may be your own. Sometimes, verbalizing the process gives us a clearer picture of our own progressions. Sharing and giving aren’t unique to humans, but we’ve refined them through evolution.
There are plenty of online resources to use: How to Find and Choose a Writing Mentor Masterclass 2025, How to Be a Writing Mentor and be the Best Mentee by the Young Writer, as well as a plethora of how-to volumes on Amazon.
Let’s continue to work together to help one another.
Thonie Hevron website
Meredith Ryan Mystery series
By Force or Fear
Intent to Hold
With Malice Aforethought
Felony Murder Rule
Without Due Caution
Aug 7, 2025 | Cozy, Mystery, Thriller |
An avid reader, Sally Handley has been a mystery lover since she read her first Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Cherry Ames books as a young girl. Sally is the author of the Holly & Ivy classic cozy mystery series and the stand-alone suspense novel, Stop the Threat. A member of Sisters in Crime and Past President of the Upstate SC Chapter, Sally hosts a monthly online Mystery Book Club and a Meet the Authors Series on her YouTube Channel. For more info, visit: www.sallyhandley.com.
The Blooming Book Club Murder (published April 2025) –
When Holly arrives in South Carolina to help her sister Ivy move into her new condo, the Donnelly sisters, once again, are drawn into a murder investigation after they take time off from unpacking to attend a meeting of the local garden club’s Blooming Book Club. Retired nurse, Ivy, is asked to help when Garden Club President Georgia Amity is found unconscious in the restroom. Unfortunately, Ivy immediately realizes Georgia is beyond help. Did she die from natural causes or was it murder? And if so, did one of the Garden Club Members murder the president? Or was it her cheating husband? The stakes are especially high when the police arrest the unlikeliest suspect of all, Ivy Donnelly!
INFLUENCERS – The last weekend in April, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Malice Domestic conference in Bethesda, MD, a yearly event that I look forward to each Spring. Malice is a cozy/traditional mystery lover’s Nirvana. Attendees include both writers and readers, a fabulous opportunity for authors to meet their fans and learn from their fellow writers.
On the first morning of the conference, I attended a session entitled “Influencers in the Cozy Community” not because the topic really interested me, but because one of my favorite people, award-winning author Judge Debra H. Goldstein, was the moderator.
To be honest, before the panel discussion, I had a rather disdainful attitude toward “Influencers” in general. I confess that, at the ripe old age of 74, I look askance at 20 and 30-something media darlings’ telling us what to eat, what to wear, and the hottest places to be seen. I actually consulted my Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus for a definition of “influencer”. Guess what? Published in 2007, my trusted resource didn’t even include the word in its definition of influence and its many forms. Oh, you could be an influence on others, but not an influencer. That made me laugh.
So imagine my chagrin when I attended the Malice Influencer session and learned about each of the panelists and their genuine desire to help writers of cozy and traditional mysteries connect with readers. Yes, my smug attitude toward influencers took a hit, as well it deserved.
The panelists included Tiffany Guillion-Kreig, Heather Harrison, Dru Ann Love, and Joanna Campbell Slan. These folks are not critics whose judgment we need to fear. They’re fans of the genre whose goal is to promote authors and introduce readers to a world of new books they might otherwise not know about.
And so that brings me to the real reason I’m writing this post. To thank and bid a fond farewell to one of the best ‘influencers’ I know, George Cramer. Anyone who has written a blog, or even just hosted guest bloggers, knows exactly how much work it takes to do what George has done for all of us who benefited by exposure to a wider reader audience when we posted on his blog.
Of course, by farewell, I don’t mean we can forget about George, the writer. I’ve already read Robbers and Cops and New Liberty, and I just bought The Mona Lisa Sisters—just my way of saying, “Thanks, George.” I look forward to the next in your Hector Miguel Navarro series, too. I encourage everyone to read George’s books and write a review.
Once again, thank you, George, for your efforts on behalf of your fellow writers. Wishing you lots of time to work on your next book and lots of book sales when you publish. Love you, George!
How to buy my books / follow/contact me:
• E-mail: sally@sallyhandley.com
• Website: www.sallyhandley.com
• Amazon Author Page:
Social Media Links:
• Facebook:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handley.sally/
• Linked-in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyhandleyinc/
• You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/@sallyhandley1430
• Goodreads:
• BookBub:
Jul 10, 2025 | Cozy, Crime |
Beth Irish’s first short stories were published in 2025. “The Centerpiece” appeared in Gone Fishin’: Crime Takes a Holiday, The Eighth Guppy Anthology. “Friendship Never Dies” was released June 18th in Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense (A Superior Shores Anthology Book 5). She’s about to start querying her first full-length cozy mystery, Ready Set Die (A Maple Bay Mystery
What brought you to writing? While I always thought it would be fun to branch out into mystery writing, two seemingly unrelated events convinced me to take the plunge finally. The first domino fell when I attended Murderous March, a daylong author/reader conference sponsored by our local Sisters in Crime (SinC) Chapter, the Mavens of Mayhem. I signed up because Vicki Delaney was the keynote speaker, but every single session that day was inspiring. The presenters’ enthusiasm was contagious. Then, six months later, at a library conference in Watkins Glen, the idea of a cozy mystery set in a small, upstate NY village began to take shape as I walked along the hotel shoreline. My Maple Bay Mystery series was born that day.
What is the most challenging part of your writing process? Finding moments to write. As I still work full-time, it can be tricky. Just when I think I’ve found an ideal writing schedule, life foils my plan. Right now, I’m an evening/weekend writer.
Our Westie wearing a Daydream Believer bandana in honor of my latest short story.
Do you outline, or are you a pantser? I start with a flexible, rather sparse outline, so I’m not truly a plotter or a pantser. Instead, I like to say I’m a “muller”. I mull over ideas before committing them to paper. I mull hiking while driving, and when it clicks, then I commit. To those not familiar with my style, it looks as if I’m writing quickly, especially when it comes to short stories. Sorry to burst that bubble.
We hear of strong-willed characters. Do yours behave or run wild? They definitely have minds of their own. The Maple Bay series characters often go rogue on me. Fred, in particular, surprised me by showing off his hidden charm. He became quite a favorite of my beta readers. Who knew he wasn’t annoying? Aside from him, I mean.
Cory and Victoria, the characters in my short stories, tend to be more behaved, but they even stray from the script from time to time. In no uncertain terms, they’ve let me know their golden years are going to be anything but quiet. They’re already plotting new adventures, even though that wasn’t my initial intent.
Needless to say, I’m learning not to lock myself into preconceived notions.
Has an association membership helped you with your writing? Association memberships have been invaluable. When I joined SinC, I also signed up for the Mavens and the Guppy Chapter. Best decision I’ve ever made. Then, when I started writing short stories, I discovered the Short Mystery Fiction Society (SMFS). Each has played a role in my journey. My first short story was published in the latest Guppy Anthology. The contributors bonded during the promotion phase; it was exciting to meet each other at Malice Domestic. Speaking of short stories, I saw the call for Midnight Schemers and Daydream Believers on the SMFS Facebook page.
George, two years ago, you answered a question I posed to the Guppy discussion list. In the course of our emails, you advised me to become involved in a local SinC chapter. You probably didn’t mean to run for President. Seriously, by serving on the Mavens Executive Committee, I’ve lost count of the number of authors I’ve come to know, not just as writing acquaintances but as dear friends. I’ve learned from them and been encouraged by them, and I hope that, in some small way, I’ve made a difference, too. Active versus passive involvement makes such a difference.
Do you have any advice for new writers? I’ve learned not to be afraid to ask questions. Feel free to lurk on discussion lists first to get comfortable. You’ll soon discover that mystery writers are part of a tight-knit, welcoming community. I know that sounds contradictory. Writers may form tight bonds, but there’s always room for one more.
Be open to editorial feedback. Over the past twelve months, I’ve been fortunate to work with Jim Jackson (Wolf’s Echo Press) and Judy Penz Sheluk (Superior Shores Press). I’ve walked away not only with two published short stories but with a richer understanding of the nuances of the genre. Whenever Judy or Jim suggested an edit, they explained their reasoning and patiently answered my questions. They invested their time not just in Cory and Victoria’s journey but also in mine.
Looking to the future, what’s in store for you? While I wasn’t planning on writing short stories, I have at least two more ideas for Cory and Victoria. They may be interested in full-length cozy, too. Who knows? “Friendship Never Dies” isn’t just a story title for them.
In the meantime, I’ve also started looking for a publisher for my first Maple Bay cozy Ready, Set, Die. I’m already mulling the second installment.
Excerpt from “Friendship Never Dies” in Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense (A Superior Shores Anthology Book 5).
“How did I end up in this dilapidated joint? I’ve always wanted to say dilapidated joint,
but I’d never been in one until now. The Rustic Shed certainly qualified. It put the ‘rust’ in rustic. From the size of the building, it might have even started as a shed. I shuddered, imagining what public health violations lurked behind the dark-stained walls and dim lighting.
Maybe coming here was a mistake. My curiosity clearly outmaneuvered my common sense. Since it was too late to turn back now, I texted Victoria.”
George, thank you so much for inviting me as a guest poster.
Beth can be reached at irishelizabeth@gmail.com
Midnight Schemers and Daydream Believers is available from www.books2read.com/midnight-schemers
Mar 20, 2025 | Cozy, Crime, Uncategorized |
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.
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.
Playing with the Space/Time Continuum – By Lois Winston
I recently celebrated my birthday, and with each passing year, I wonder how I ever got so old. In my mind, I’m still forty. I don’t know if it’s because I’m living in denial, or because I spend so much time in the head of my protagonist. In the fourteen years, fourteen novels, and three novellas since the publication of Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, Anastasia has only aged little more than a year and a half. If I can play with the space/time continuum when it comes to my characters, why can’t I do so with myself?
To be honest, I never gave much thought to my characters’ ages when I began writing the series. I wasn’t thinking long-term, and that was a big mistake. I’d given Anastasia two teenage sons. It wasn’t until the first book was in production and the second book close to being finished that I realized I had a problem. I should have made Anastasia’s sons younger at the start of the series. However, changing their ages during the page proof stage wasn’t an option because it would have entailed a major rewrite of the story.
All my previous books had been standalones that spanned a few weeks or months. I’d never had to consider aging any of my characters beyond a single book. That changed after I was offered a three-book contract for the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun takes place during a few weeks in the winter. Death by Killer Mop Doll, the second book in the series, takes place in May and June.
Since my plan was to write the series for as long as I enjoyed writing it and readers enjoyed reading it, I needed to figure out how I was going to keep Anastasia’s kids from growing up too soon. Family dynamics play a huge role in my series, and I didn’t want Anastasia’s older son going off to college any time soon.
Some series authors advance their timelines by a season or a year with each consecutive book. Some keep their characters frozen in time with the main characters never aging. That’s much easier to do if all the characters are adults. Not so easy when kids are involved.
I realized I needed to start compressing my timeline. I ended Death by Killer Mop Doll in a way that set up the plot of Revenge of the Crafty Corpse, the third book in the series. Revenge of the Crafty Corpse opens days after Death by Killer Mop Doll ends.
I continued using a shortened timeline as the series has progressed. Some of the books take place a few weeks after the preceding one, but sometimes the next book in the series opens as little as the day after the previous book ends. Fourteen years have now come and gone since the release of the first book in the series, but in Anastasia’s world the calendar has only advanced twenty months.
In Seams Like the Perfect Crime, the fourteenth and newest book in the series, Anastasia’s oldest son is finally off to college. In real-life years, he’d now be thirty, and Anastasia would be in her mid-fifties and probably a grandmother. Luckily, fiction isn’t real life, and as an author, I can manipulate time any way I want. That said, I’ve also convinced myself I really am only forty.
Seams Like the Perfect Crime
An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 14
When staffing shortages continue to hamper the Union County homicide squad, Detective Sam Spader once again turns to his secret weapon, reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack. How can she and husband Zack Barnes refuse when the victim is their new neighbor?
Revolutionary War reenactor Barry Sumner had the odd habit of spending hours mowing a small patch of packed dirt and weeds until his mower ran out of gas. He’d then guzzle beer on his front porch until he passed out. That’s where Anastasia’s son Nick discovers his body three days after the victim and his family moved into the newly built mini-McMansion across the street.
After a melee breaks out at the viewing, Spader zeroes in on the widow as his prime suspect. However, Anastasia has her doubts. There are other possible suspects, including a woman who’d had an affair with the victim, his ex-wife, the man overseeing the widow’s trust fund, a drug dealer, and the reenactors who were blackmailing the widow and victim.
When another reenactor is murdered, Spader suspects they’re dealing with a serial killer, but Anastasia wonders if the killer is attempting to misdirect the investigation. As she narrows down the suspects, will she jeopardize her own life to learn the truth?
Craft projects included.
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Jan 9, 2025 | Action & Adventure, Cozy, Crime, Police Procedural / Crime |
Armed with a handgun and a word processor, Immigration Officer Cindy Goyette spent her time on the night shift, creating fictional friends to help her pass the lonely hours between border crossers. A portable black-and-white TV canceled the unexplained noises coming from the ancient jail cells in the creepy basement. The resulting book will stay in the closet where it belongs, but the seed was planted, and she’s been writing ever since.
Cindy spent her ensuing years as a probation officer, dealing with hardened criminals with hard-luck stories that sometimes kept her up at night. Every day was an adventure. She survived by finding humor where she could. She often joked about writing a book and then did just that.
The Probation Case Files series was born. The books follow the wild and crazy life of Probation Officer Casey Carson, who has a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Book one, OBEY ALL LAWS, follows Casey as she rushes to find her missing cousin while a one-eyed, badass, angry gangster tries to stop her. In book two, EARLY TERMINATION, the gang continues to haunt her while she tries to figure out why her clients are dropping like flies, thus earning them an early termination from probation.
Tell us about your new release: In EARLY TERMINATION, there are two ways to get
off probation early. The first is to be a model citizen and complete all requirements imposed by the court. The second is to die. In Early Termination, Phoenix probation officer Casey Carson’s clients aren’t civic-minded, but they are dropping like flies.
She’s on a gang’s hit list and a detective’s suspect list and is torn while two very hot men are vying for her heart. As more clients die and a probationer accuses her of brutality, she becomes the focus of the investigation. Casey risks losing everything in her race to find the actual killer, but doing so will put the target squarely on her back. She will need to find the person responsible for lightening her workload before she’s the one terminated.
Tell us about your path to publication: It’s been a long road. I started writing about Casey in the mid-1990s. I neglected the book for years, but I occasionally revised and refined it. By 2015, I had a version much like the published story. Querying isn’t for sissies. After countless rejections, I met my first agent at a conference. She tried to sell OBEY ALL LAWS for years before she gave up and talked me into writing a cozy mystery. We amicably parted ways around then. She’d given up on the book, but I didn’t. Having given the book one final overhaul, I sent it to Level Best Books. And to my surprise, they offered me a three-book deal. I also sold them the cozy: book one, DIAMOND IN THE RUFF, A Wiggle Butt Manor Mystery, is scheduled to be released in May 2025.
In June, I signed with my current agent, who is trying to find a home for my standalone suspense. Working with her has been a dream come true, as she really believes in my story and is an editing ninja. I’ve learned so much from her.
Tell us about your writing process: I consider myself a panster, meaning I write without planning; I start writing and see where it goes. But being under contract means I have to produce two books a year. Since book one took about twenty years, I had to become more disciplined. It helps that I recently retired and can devote more time to writing, but I’ve also had to do some planning. I have somewhat of a road map, but the characters still surprise me. I’m working on book three in the probation series now and I didn’t see the ending coming until I wrote that last chapter. For me, that’s the best part of being a storyteller, telling it to myself!
Who are your favorite authors? There are so many. I was immersed in Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum Series when I started writing Obey All Laws. The greatest compliment I’ve received is when people compare my book to hers. Not that I’m worthy, but it gives me a thrill each time I hear it. Jodi Picoult and Alice Hoffman don’t write in the same genre as me, but I buy and devour all of their books. Right now, I’m reading The Deadening by Kerry Peresta and looking forward to losing myself in the rest of the series.
Where do you place your settings—real or fictional locations? The probation series takes place in Phoenix, where I lived and worked as a PO for most of my career. I now live in Washington, but I visit the Valley of the Sun once a year and do my research to keep the ever-changing Maricopa County locals current. I took poetic license with the probation office where Casey works. It’s a mixture of the different buildings I have worked in. I made up the Pacific Northwest island village of Orca Cove for the cozy, but it’s loosely based on Astoria, Oregon, and Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. It was fun to create my own town.
Do you have any advice for new writers? Don’t give up. Had I known it would take me so long to be published, would I have kept writing? Absolutely. I write because I have to. The process is cathartic, even if I’m the only one reading it. These stories are inside of me, and I don’t feel good if I don’t put them down on paper. But I have to say, talking to readers and attending book clubs is the greatest high. When people talk about my characters like they know them, I know I’ve served them well.
How do our readers contact you?
Website: https://www.ccgoyette.com
X: @cindy_ccgoyette
Facebook: Cindy Goyette Author
Instagram: cindy.goyette
Bluesky: @cindygoyetteauthor.bsky.social.
Memberships:
Sisters in Crime
Public Safety Writer’s Association
Buy link:
OBEY ALL LAWS,
EARLY TERMINATION
LOST & LOADED, A Gun’s Tale,
HI Lois,
Forgive me for being late to the party, but thank you for the insight, I’m intrigued by your lesson and am looking forward to putting it to the test. And by piquing my interest in that you have, of course, got me to looking at your books. Thank you, very interesting. I will be exploring . . . always a good time.
Best,
Dave
Thanks for a great blog on an important topic. I think many of us struggle with our blurbs.
Appreciate the HOW TO because back cover blurbs give me so much grief!
Great timing for this informative blog post, Lois and George (my own two blog heroes, forever). I’m working on a teaser blurb for my second manuscript today. Thanks for the road map ( ;
I always learn something new from you, Lois! Thanks…and thanks again, George!
Thanks so much, Peg. Glad you found the post useful.
Excellent advice as always. Thanks, Lois and George!
Thanks for stopping by, Donnell!
Glad you enjoyed it, Saralyn!
Wow! Time to take a look at my back covers. Thanks so much for such an informative post.
You’re welcome, Maggie!
Useful advice. Thanks for sharing on this elusive topic.
Thanks- this is excellent advice!
You’re welcome, GP.
Lois, I was just about to write the copy for my next book. Perfect timing and excellent advice. Thanks!
Ana
Timing is everything, Ana! 😉 Hope it helps you write some great back cover copy.
Great advice! Especially the piece on voice!
Thanks, Marie! Voice is so important because it’s one of those things that hooks a reader right from the beginning.
Excellent advice on how to craft a back book cover, Lois. This was a much appreciated lesson from the master. Good luck.
Thank you, Michael! I’m not sure I’m a “master,” but I’m always happy to pass along lessons learned. 😉
Great advice, Lois. I especially enjoyed your information on the main character’s internal and external goals, motivations, and conflicts.
Thanks, Kathleen!
This was quite informative and on point. I must admit I have struggled with most of my book with back cover blurbs.
This outline makes it much easier.
thank you
You’re very welcome, Patt! I’m glad you found it helpful.