Good Morning, Booklovers!
You’re invited to join this week’s Coffee Chat with guest author Lynn Slaughter who brought along her YA romantic mystery, Leisha’s Song.
Welcome, Lynn! How do you take your coffee?
LS: Black and strong!
Ally: Then all I need to do is pour. While I do, please introduce yourself to readers.
Good Morning, Booklovers!
You’re invited to join this week’s Coffee Chat with guest author Lynn Slaughter who brought along her YA romantic mystery, Leisha’s Song.
Welcome, Lynn! How do you take your coffee?
LS: Black and strong!
Ally: Then all I need to do is pour. While I do, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio:
After a long career as a professional dancer and dance educator, Lynn Slaughter earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Section Hill University. She writes coming of age romantic mysteries and is the author of the newly released Leisha’s Song; While I Danced, an EPIC finalist; It Should Have Been You, a Silver Falchion finalist; and Deadly Setup (forthcoming from Fire and Ice, 2022).
She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where she’s at work on her next novel and serves as the President of Derby Rotten Scoundrels, the Ohio River Valley chapter of Sisters in Crime.
Something unusual not in my regular bio: “In my sixties, I sang vocals for a rock band.”
Author contact links:
Website: https://lynnslaughter.com/
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/lynnslaughterWriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@lslaughter2
After a long career as a professional dancer and dance educator, Lynn Slaughter earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Section Hill University. She writes coming of age romantic mysteries and is the author of the newly released Leisha’s Song; While I Danced, an EPIC finalist; It Should Have Been You, a Silver Falchion finalist; and Deadly Setup (forthcoming from Fire and Ice, 2022).
She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where she’s at work on her next novel and serves as the President of Derby Rotten Scoundrels, the Ohio River Valley chapter of Sisters in Crime.
Something unusual not in my regular bio: “In my sixties, I sang vocals for a rock band.”
Author contact links:
Website: https://lynnslaughter.com/
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/lynnslaughterWriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@lslaughter2
INTERVIEW:
Ally: Who or what inspired you to write your featured book?
LS: I want my grandchildren and young people everywhere to have the opportunity to see themselves as central characters in books, rather than being relegated to the perennial role of “sidekick.” This issue became especially personal to me with the arrival of my beloved grandchildren.
In addition, I’ve spent my life working with teens and adults who are passionate about the arts, and I’ve seen the way the arts connect people who come from startlingly different backgrounds. I’ve also seen how painful and difficult it is for young people when their parents do not approve of their pursuing careers in the arts.
The character of Leisha, an aspiring classical singer, was somewhat modeled after a Howard University opera student. We lived together one summer when we were doing volunteer work in an African American community in Atlanta. Every night, Cynthia would go down to the basement of the house we were living in to practice. She had a voice from God! One of the highlights of that summer was getting to perform “The Lord’s Prayer” in Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. I danced, while my friend Cynthia sang.
Ally: What is the hardest part of writing?
LS: I’m always anxious just before I start writing. Once I start, I’m good to go.
Ally: What is the best writing advice you’ve received that you’d like to pass on to other writers?
LS: Two things: “You can’t fix a blank page” and to be a productive writer, you have to spend regular “butt-in-chair” time writing.
Ally: What is your next writing project?
LS: Fire and Ice will publish my fourth YA novel, Deadly Setup, in June 2023. The daughter of a New England heiress fights to prove her innocence when she goes on trial for the murder of her mother’s fiancée.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose to answer?
Ally: Who or what inspired you to write your featured book?
LS: I want my grandchildren and young people everywhere to have the opportunity to see themselves as central characters in books, rather than being relegated to the perennial role of “sidekick.” This issue became especially personal to me with the arrival of my beloved grandchildren.
In addition, I’ve spent my life working with teens and adults who are passionate about the arts, and I’ve seen the way the arts connect people who come from startlingly different backgrounds. I’ve also seen how painful and difficult it is for young people when their parents do not approve of their pursuing careers in the arts.
The character of Leisha, an aspiring classical singer, was somewhat modeled after a Howard University opera student. We lived together one summer when we were doing volunteer work in an African American community in Atlanta. Every night, Cynthia would go down to the basement of the house we were living in to practice. She had a voice from God! One of the highlights of that summer was getting to perform “The Lord’s Prayer” in Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. I danced, while my friend Cynthia sang.
Ally: What is the hardest part of writing?
LS: I’m always anxious just before I start writing. Once I start, I’m good to go.
Ally: What is the best writing advice you’ve received that you’d like to pass on to other writers?
LS: Two things: “You can’t fix a blank page” and to be a productive writer, you have to spend regular “butt-in-chair” time writing.
Ally: What is your next writing project?
LS: Fire and Ice will publish my fourth YA novel, Deadly Setup, in June 2023. The daughter of a New England heiress fights to prove her innocence when she goes on trial for the murder of her mother’s fiancée.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose to answer?
- Ebook or print? I’m old school. I love holding a print book in my hands while I’m reading.
- Favorite comfort food: Anything pasta!
- Favorite type of music: The American Songbook. Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald are two of my all-time favorite vocalists.
- Best thing a book fan has ever said to you: that she almost missed her subway stop because she was so engrossed in reading Leisha’s Song.
- Pets: We adopted a tuxedo cat named Lucy from the Humane Society. She loves to snuggle.
Ally: Thanks for visiting with us this week. As we finish for today, please tell us about your featured book, Leisha’s Song.
Leisha’s Song
Genre: YA romantic mystery
PG-13
On scholarship at a prestigious New England boarding school, Leisha never intended to fall in love with classical singing or get involved with Cody Harrington—let alone risk her life trying to find her missing teacher.
Leisha knows something’s wrong. Her beloved vocal coach at boarding school would never have resigned and disappeared like this in the midst of preparing her prize students for a major vocal competition. Leisha’s determined to find her, make sure she’s okay.
Cody, a sensitive cellist, insists on helping her. Sparks fly, clues multiply, and romance blossoms, despite the disapproval of their families.
Leisha’s desire to be with Cody and pursue music rather than medicine puts her on a direct collision course with her African American grandfather, the only parent she’s ever known. But an even more immediate threat looms—because as Leisha draws closer to the truth about her teacher’s disappearance, she puts her own life in grave danger.
Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Leishas-Song-Lynn-Slaughter/dp/1953735347
Genre: YA romantic mystery
PG-13
On scholarship at a prestigious New England boarding school, Leisha never intended to fall in love with classical singing or get involved with Cody Harrington—let alone risk her life trying to find her missing teacher.
Leisha knows something’s wrong. Her beloved vocal coach at boarding school would never have resigned and disappeared like this in the midst of preparing her prize students for a major vocal competition. Leisha’s determined to find her, make sure she’s okay.
Cody, a sensitive cellist, insists on helping her. Sparks fly, clues multiply, and romance blossoms, despite the disapproval of their families.
Leisha’s desire to be with Cody and pursue music rather than medicine puts her on a direct collision course with her African American grandfather, the only parent she’s ever known. But an even more immediate threat looms—because as Leisha draws closer to the truth about her teacher’s disappearance, she puts her own life in grave danger.
Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Leishas-Song-Lynn-Slaughter/dp/1953735347