The Course of True Love Isn’t The Only Thing That Doesn’t Run Smooth

By Lynn Slaughter / January 29, 2020 /

Last week, I was thrilled to sign a contract for my third novel, a coming of age romantic mystery. Leisha’s Song is scheduled for publication early next year. Leisha’s story is a project close to my heart, and I wish I could say that the process of finding a publishing home for it was a…

One of Those “A-Ha” Moments

By Lynn Slaughter / January 18, 2020 /

I don ‘t often speak publicly about my faith journey. But recently, my Unitarian Church began including a new component in our Sunday services called “Sharing Our Stories” where we speak about how we found our way to Unitarianism and what it’s meant to us. Recently, it was my turn to speak. The comments below…

A Writer’s Least Favorite Part of the Job

By Lynn Slaughter / January 11, 2020 /

My son went back to work this past week at the inner city high school where he teaches. When he handed in the requested form indicating that he planned to return the following year, his principal was effusive. “He got really excited, Mom,” my son told me. “It feels good to be wanted.”   It…

Choices

By Lynn Slaughter / January 1, 2020 /

There’s definitely something about losing the remaining senior generation of your family. In the last five months, my husband and I lost his mother, his grandmother, and my mother. Coping with a trifecta of grief and loss has been tough, but it’s also made me do a lot of reflecting. With the time I have…

Grieving During the Holidays

By Lynn Slaughter / December 22, 2019 /

Gargou and I No sooner had I penned my cheerful blog on “Why I Love the Holidays” than my mother died. Overnight I became one of the myriad of folks experiencing acute grief during the holidays. Suddenly, all that “fa-la-la-la-la” Christmas music was grating instead of delightful. I know I should have been relieved at…

No Bah Humbug for Me! Why I Love the Holidays

By Lynn Slaughter / December 5, 2019 /

I often hear less than enthusiastic comments about this time of year: “I can’t wait for the holidays to be over!” “This is so stressful.” “There’s always so much to do and not enough time.” Well, yeah. The to-do list I made this morning has a mere 24 items on it. But I love the…

The Power of a Phone Call

By Lynn Slaughter / November 28, 2019 /

As I write this, my dear husband is preparing another one of his delicious Thanksgiving dinners. He truly loves to cook, and I am regularly banished from the kitchen. I admit it—I’m incredibly spoiled. He is unquestionably my culinary hero. He’s also my telephone hero. In an age when so many, myself included, email and…

Book Shopping for the Teens On Your Holiday List

By Lynn Slaughter / November 22, 2019 /

    Did you know that more than 30,000 books for young adults are published annually? I sure didn’t, and I write for this age group! There are so many good novels out there in every possible genre and combination of genres: contemporary realistic, fantasy and adventure, historical fiction, science fiction, sports novels, mystery and…

Why Writing for Young Adults Matters

By Lynn Slaughter / November 12, 2019 /

This past week, I presented a talk about young adult literature to the Literature Committee of my city’s Woman’s Club. Due to a scheduling snafu, my audience consisted of five women instead of the anticipated 20 or so, and two of the attendees had to leave early because they were greeters at the club’s expo…

Finding Your Tribe Helps In Surviving the Ups and Downs of the Writing Life

By Lynn Slaughter / October 18, 2019 /

Monday morning did not start out well for me. I opened my email to discover a publisher’s rejection of a writing project close to my heart. As rejections go, it was a very nice one. The acquisitions editor pointed out some strengths of my manuscript and encouraged me to submit more work in the future.…

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