Friday, June 17, 2011

MYSTERY AUTHOR RESPONSIBLE FOR NEW CANADIAN CRIME WAVE!



In my youth I engaged in behavior that I now wonder, what in the world was I thinking? Hitchhiking and hopping a ride with a semi trucker? Someone upstairs was obviously watching out for me that day. Likewise the night I fell asleep on the last bus out of the Port Authority in NY and woke up miles from home at 2 a.m. My only option was walking those miles alone in the dark. And then there was the time I allowed a stranger in Rome to buy me dinner. Naïve me didn’t realize he expected payment -- and not in liras!


I’m firmly convinced that the common sense part of our brains doesn’t fully develop until well past our college years and often not until we become parents ourselves.

My youth is well behind me, though. I now think before I act. Most of the time. So it came as quite a shock to me a couple of weeks ago when I discovered that I’m responsible for a new crime wave.

As an author, I have Google Alerts set up for both my name and the titles of my books. These alerts are in quotes so that I don’t receive emails from Google for everything about every Lois or every Winston
or every assault in cyberspace. But Google isn't infallible, and the other day I was sent an alert that contained the words “assault” and “glue gun.”

For those of you who don’t know, I’m the author of
Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun, a humorous amateur sleuth mystery. Although I don’t advocate assaults of any kind, in my book a glue gun plays a role in the demise of the dead body my protagonist discovers. And much to her chagrin, it’s her glue gun. Guess who becomes the prime suspect?

I have to wonder if my book is giving people ideas. Bad ideas. Up in St. John’s, Canada the police are expected to file charges against one man for assaulting another man with -- are you ready for this? A GLUE GUN!

You can read the actual news article here.


Our neighbors to the north think this is hilarious, sending CBC News
 emails containing such gems as:

“Stick em up!”

“It could have turned into a sticky situation.”
“Of course if this glue gun had been properly registered, then this never would have happened.”
“Obviously a case of male bonding!”
“Scrap-book him, Danno.”
As for me, I’m just hoping The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary doesn’t think I had anything to do with inciting this particular incident or giving other Canadians ideas. If they do, I’m hoping we don’t have an extradition treaty with Canada. Last winter was cold and snowy enough in New Jersey. Doing time in Canada is not an appealing thought.
LoisWinston is keeping a low profile and staying away from our northern border while she finishes up the third book in her Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series. The first book, Assault With A Deadly Glue Gun, was a January 2011 release and received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Death by Killer Mop Doll will be a January 2012 release. Visit Lois at her website and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog.

15 comments:

Keith Raffel said...

I dunno, Lois. I've always wanted to visit Newfoundland. You ever read The Shipping News?

Robin Allen said...

One of an author's greatest desires is to be influential. Congrats on this stellar achievement, Lois!

Now, what I want to know is what a glue gun was doing at a beer distributor. And why was it so handy?

Caridad Pineiro said...

LOL! That's too funny. Do you suppose the incident might have escalated if glitter had also been involved? All the best on the new release.

Alan Orloff said...

Congrats on a very creative publicity stunt, Lois!

Lois Winston said...

Keith, I've been to Halifax and St. John. Not sure they'd let me back in now, though. Haven't read The Shipping News. Too many books, not enough hours in the day.

Robin, I wondered that myself, Not sure I really want to know, but I'm glad I've never cultivated a taste for beer!

Caridad, guys and glitter? Hmm...

Alan, do you think our great publicity people at MI were really behind this?

Kathleen Ernst said...

The power of words. The power of a glue gun. It was inevitable.

Lois Winston said...

LOL! Perhaps you're right, Kathleen.

Darrell James said...

Hilarious, Lois. I hope it drives a ton of sales!

Alice Loweecey said...

Lois, you can't buy this kind of publicity!

Lois Winston said...

Darrell and Alice, the only thing better would have been if the cops had found a copy of my book sitting around the place.

Donna Fletcher Crow said...

This is fabulous, Lois! Can't decide which I like best--the actual news report or your puns.

Lois Winston said...

Thanks, Donna!

Deborah Sharp said...

Yep, Lois ... like funnyman Dave Barry always says: You can't make this stuff up!

Jackie King said...

Fun stuff!
Jackie

Unknown said...

Ah, so YOU'RE the one? Nice going!