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.”
“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.
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