Taming My Judgmental Tendencies

As any writer who traditionally publishes can tell you, the hardest thing to do is to wait… and wait… and wait some more for news about whether any of the publishers or agents you’ve queried accepts your submission. Recently I had a particularly frustrating experience with the founder and chief acquisition editor of a small…

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Swimming In the Dark

I was on a panel about mystery writing at a conference last summer when one of my fellow authors announced, “The only way to make money writing mysteries is to write a series.” I laughed and said, “Now I know what the problem is with my bank account!” I write “standalone” novels and create new…

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More Confessions by An Anxious Writer

I can’t decide which makes me feel more anxious—receiving accolades for my work, or heavy doses of rejection and harsh criticism. I was reminded of my ability to make myself miserable either way this past week. In the accolades department, I learned that my novel, DEADLY SETUP, received  the NYC Book Big Award in the…

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Typing “The End” of a First Draft

Late Thursday afternoon, I typed “The End” on my first draft of my work-in-progress, tentatively called Missing Mom. To tell you a little about what has preoccupied me all these months, the novel centers around Noelle, a rising high school senior and aspiring ballet dancer whose mom suddenly vanishes. While the circumstantial evidence points to…

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Writing With My Students Inspires Me

During the years I taught English composition at a local university, I frequently gave my students writing prompts. The prompts were never about grades or finished products. They were all about getting creative juices going and developing the habit of writing. Wanting to model the value of writing practice, I always worked on the prompts…

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Valerie Jarrett Was Right

Valerie Jarrett, a close confidante and senior advisor to President Obama, once said in a commencement address, “You can have it all, but not all at once.” Recently, those words resonated with me when the director of the public speaking program at a local university where I’d taught part-time reached out to me. Would I…

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MISSED CUE, The Book I Hadn’t Intended to Write

This morning, pre-orders became available for the e-book of my forthcoming  mystery, MISSED CUE, with the official release happening on August 8th. I’m excited and thrilled that Melange Books took a chance on my fifth novel, my first written for adults. I’m also a bit stunned that this is happening because this is a book…

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It’s One Year Old! Thinking About DEADLY SETUP

Recently, Shey Saints interviewed me for an author feature on HubPages  (https://hubpages.com/literature/interview-with-author-lynn-slaughter). One of her questions was, “Which of your books do you relate to the most?” I talked about both While I Danced and Leisha’s Song because the protagonists’ struggles with parents who opposed their interest in pursuing careers in the performing arts mirrored…

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Readers Make It All Worthwhile

I’m not sure whether it’s because I’m a writer or just generally a nosy person, but I read the acknowledgements that typically appear at the ends of books. I’m always curious about the folks who helped other authors on their journeys to publication. I spent yesterday reading a riveting debut thriller, A Flicker in the…

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