Lynn Slaughter Novelist
Blogger
Creative Writing Instructor

I’m thrilled to share that my first middle grade novel, an identity-swapping tale called THE BIG SWITCH: VARNEY AND CEDRIC, has its official publication date today, March 26!

As most of you know, Varney and Cedric is a departure from the contemporary realistic young adult and adult romantic mysteries I write. It was such fun to explore writing a fantasy with boy protagonists for a whole different age group.

To tell you a bit about the story, it’s a warm, funny, and heartfelt tale about longing to belong and finding a place where you genuinely fit. Varney is a kid vampire who hates the taste of blood. He suffers from an acute case of V.A.D., Vampire Adjustment Disorder, and fervently wishes he could be a human boy. Cedric, on the other hand, is all too human, an unhappy middle school bully with a miserable human life who admires vampires. When a friendly witch gives the boys a chance to trade places on a trial basis, the two readily agree. The catch? They can’t tell anyone about the switch, or it will immediately end. They have just 30 days to decide whether to make the switch permanent. As you can guess, lots of complications ensue.

When readers ask me where I get my ideas for my novels, I often say they’re from something I’ve experienced, witnessed, or someone has shared with me. In this case, I have no idea where Varney and Cedric’s story came from. These characters popped into my mind and wouldn’t leave!

I’m especially grateful to my grandson Milo who read the story and loved it so much that he actually made a video to thank me for writing it. His encouragement made me very determined to find a publisher, and I’m  grateful to Nightingale Books for giving me the opportunity to share Varney and Cedric’s story with others.

So far, I’ve been excited about the response. Reader’s Favorite gave THE BIG SWITCH: VARNEY AND CEDRIC a 5-Star Rating and called it a “fantasy that takes a playful idea and turns it into something surprisingly thoughtful…Very highly recommended.”

If by any chance you have children or grandchildren who are middle grade readers in your life, I’d love for you to take a look at Varney and Cedric’s story. It might even engage you as an adult. My hope is that readers of all ages will enjoy THE BIG SWITCH as much as I enjoyed writing it!