Slaughter, Lynn
WORK TITLE: It Should Have Been You
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 8-Dec
WEBSITE: https://lynnslaughter.com/
CITY: Louisville
STATE: KY
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
https://lynnslaughter.com/contact/; Literary Representation: Katie Shea Boutillier Donald Maass Literary Agency Tel. (212) 727-8383 ksboutillier@maassagency.com
RESEARCHER NOTES:
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| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/n97846983 |
| HEADING: | Slaughter, Lynn |
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| 100 | 10 |a Slaughter, Lynn |
| 667 | __ |a Writer. |
| 667 | __ |a Data contributed by the Dance Heritage Coalition for the New York Public Library Dance Collection. |
| 670 | __ |a Dance teacher now, v. 11, no. 6, July/Aug, p. 56. |
| 953 | __ |a xx00 |
| 985 | __ |a DHC |c BNA |e TCUB |
PERSONAL
Born December 8; married; children: two sons.
EDUCATION:Smith, B.A.; University of Michigan, M.A.; Seton Hill University, M.F.A.
ADDRESS
- Home - Louisville, KY.
- Agent - Katie Shea Boutillier Donald, Maass Literary Agency; ksboutillier@maassagency.com.
CAREER
Writer. Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, IN, part-time instructor. Worked formerly as a professional modern dancer, a dance educator, a dance teacher at Interlochen, at a performing arts high school, and counseling students attending the Governor’s School for the Arts in Kentucky.
AVOCATIONS:Sociology, music, dancing.
WRITINGS
- While I Danced (novel), Cambridge Books (New York, NY), 2013
- It Should Have Been You (novel), Page Street Kids (Salem, MA), 2018
Article contributor to numerous parenting magazines.
SIDELIGHTS
Lynn Slaughter is a writer and former professional dancer. She grew up in New York and Connecticut, where she began studying ballet at a young age. Slaughter was always interested in dance, but her father discouraged her from pursuing a career in the field. Slaughter’s mother, a pianist, was not present for much for Slaughter’s childhood due to mental illness, though Slaughter believes her mother would have encouraged her artistic pursuits.
Slaughter attended college at Smith College in Massachusetts, where she graduated with a degree in sociology. She then went on to earn a master’s degree in dance from the University of Michigan. Though Slaughter practiced ballet in her youth, in adulthood her focus shifted to modern dance. Following graduation she worked for professional companies in Michigan, Massachusetts, Arizona and Colorado for twenty years.
Slaughter has also taught dancing. In 1991 she moved to Louisville to accept a position with the Youth Performing Arts School. She has spent numerous summers teaching at Interlochen and taught at a performing arts high school. She spent eight summers counseling students attending the Governor’s School for the Arts in Kentucky. While dancing and teaching, Slaughter wrote parenting articles about raising adolescents. She has contributed around 200 articles to regional parenting magazines.
After a hip replacement surgery forced Slaughter to retire from dancing, she turned to fiction writing. She attended Seton Hill University and received a MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. Slaughter and her husband live in Louisville, Kentucky, where she teaches part-time at Indiana University Southeast. She has two sons and four grandchildren.
It Should Have Been You, Slaughter’s second novel, is a mystery aimed at a young adult audience. The story opens five months after the murder of Moura Seibert, a high school senior and piano prodigy. Moura’s twin sister, Clara, was the only one home at the time of the murder. The girls’ mother overheard the two sisters arguing on the day of the murder, and Clara immediately becomes the number one suspect.
A contributor to Publishers Weekly noted: “Clara’s voice and internal conflict feel authentic, and the contentious relationship between the sisters is equally believable.” From the outside, it appears that Clara has always lived in Moura’s shadow. While Moura had aspirations to attend college and pursue a life of fame and esteem as a pianist, Clara has no musical talent. She wants to attend college as well, but as the quieter and more reserved sister, she wants to pursue writing and journalism. Moura is viewed by schoolmates and family members alike as the successful sister, even in the eyes of the girls’ parents. It seems obvious to most that Clara lived in constant jealousy of her perfect sister, and everyone around her, including her own mother, is convinced that she committed the crime.
Clara’s family is torn by the murder, and her reputation at high school is in disrepair. The only remaining speck of normalcy Clara can turn to is her position as an advice columnist for her school newspaper. Yet even this source of comfort is jeopardized. Clara begins receiving emails to her advice columnist email address from an anonymous sender. The emails are threatening, and allude to Clara’s guilt in the murder of her sister. The sender suggests Clara’s life might be taken as retaliation for the deed. Fed up with the constant suspicion, and now scared for her own life, Clara decides to take matters into her own hands. The police investigators have found nothing in their search, so Clara begins an investigation of her own.
Clara is on the search to uncover two mysteries; who killed her sister, and who is currently after her. She begins by tracking down Moura’s friends, as well as her rivals. She interviews Alex Kwon, Moura’s rival and friend, and discovers that Moura manipulated many people on her quest to succeed. She speaks with the girl Moura was secretly dating, and the boy she pretended to date for the public eye. Clara finally seems to uncover a useful bit of information when her sights turn to Moura’s piano teacher. While looking through Moura’s things, Clara believes she has found evidence that Moura was having an affair with her piano teacher’s husband.
Clara thinks she has the mystery solved, but surprising new details lead her to question her whole investigation. She perseveres, putting herself in greater danger but ultimately uncovering both mysteries. Alongside the murder investigation is a subplot highlighting the dangers of teen dating violence. Jill Baetiong in School Library Journal wrote that “the whodunit’s logic flounders,” while also noting, “the writing style is very captivating and ideal for teens who like thrillers and mysteries.” Debbie Carton in Booklist Online wrote: “Slaughter creates a tidily constructed murder mystery,” adding, “the main drawback here is that the teen dialogue, actions, and even thought processes feel like those of an adult.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, October 30, 2017, review of It Should Have Been You, p. 82.
School Library Journal, December 2017, Jill Baetiong, review of It Should Have Been You, p. 113.
ONLINE
Booklist Review, https://www.booklistonline.com/ (January 1, 2018), Debbie Carton, review of It Should Have Been You.
Courier Journal, https://www.courier-journal.com/ (February 7, 2014), Kirsten Clark, review of While I Danced.
Hello Jenny Reviews, http://hellojennyreviews.blogspot.com/ (January 1, 2018), Jenn Christensen, review of It Should Have Been You.
Kirkus Reviews Online, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/ (September 18, 2017), review of It Should Have Been You.
- While I Danced - 2013 Cambridge Books , https://smile.amazon.com/While-I-Danced-Lynn-Slaughter/dp/1613862598/ref=sr_1_2_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1519790924&sr=8-2&keywords=Lynn+Slaughter
- Lynn Slaughter - https://lynnslaughter.com/biography/
Biography
I grew up in New York and Connecticut and graduated from Smith with a degree in Sociology. I loved my major and even went on to earn a master’s degree in the field. To this day, I am totally fascinated by people and their interactions.
But academic pursuits were not all I was drawn to. As far back as I can remember, music made me want to move, and I wanted so badly to dance. I’d like to think my mom, a gifted pianist, would have encouraged my interest in dance. But she was mentally ill and pretty much out of the picture during my childhood. My dad, on the other hand, was not eager for me to go into the field. I was not even allowed to take dance classes during my senior year of high school, let alone apply to a college with a dance major.
Despite the lack of parental support, I ended up with a long and rewarding career as a professional modern dancer and dance educator. Teenagers were always my favorite age group to work with. I spent several summers teaching at Interlochen, later taught at a performing arts high school, and then spent eight summers counseling students attending the Governor’s School for the Arts in Kentucky. For many years, I also wrote articles about the challenges of adolescence for parenting magazines.
When I retired from dance, I felt pretty lost. I’d always been an avid fiction reader, and long after I became an adult, I continued to love reading young adult novels. Despite all my writing experience having been in nonfiction, I decided to try writing a young adult novel and discovered a new passion. I returned to school and earned my MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and have continued to write—and write—and write.
Currently, I live in Louisville, Kentucky with my husband and teach part-time at Indiana University Southeast. I’m the ridiculously proud mom of two grown sons and grandmother of four.
Title: It Should Have Been You
Published by: Page Street Kids
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Pages: 320
ISBN13: 978-1624145353Buy the Book:
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Last updated: 2/21/2018
Lynn Doreen Slaughter
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LynnSlaughter03@gmail.com
Professional Information
Louisville
Kentucky
40243 United States
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Genre: amateur sleuth, mixed genre, mystery, romantic suspense, whodunit
Member Category: Published Mystery Writer
Are You A Published Author?: Yes
Most Recent Title Published: IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU
Most Recent Publisher: Page Street
Pen Name: Lynn Slaughter
Blog Address: http://lynnslaughter.com/blog
Twitter Handle: http://@slaughter2International Member: no
Include on Author Map: yes
It Should Have Been You
Publishers Weekly.
264.44 (Oct. 30, 2017): p82. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
It Should Have Been You
Lynn Slaughter. Page Street, $16.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-62414-535-3
This solid mystery from Slaughter (While 1 Danced) opens with the murder of Clara Seibert's twin sister, Moura, a piano prodigy. Plenty of people think Clara did it--including the girls' mother--since the sisters were heard arguing before the murder, and Clara was the only one home at the time of the killing. As Clara's family falls apart and her reputation suffers, the only thing keeping the high school senior sane is her work as an advice columnist for her school newspaper. After Clara starts receiving anonymous threats at school from someone who thinks that she was responsible for Moura's murder, she reaches out to her sister's friends and music rivals, hoping that she can figure out who could have wanted the talented Moura dead--before they come for Clara, too. Clara's voice and internal conflict feel authentic, and the contentious relationship between the sisters is equally believable. Although the novel doesn't push the envelope much, Slaughter successfully highlights the dangers of abusive relationships; fans of the genre will find much to enjoy in this thriller. Ages 12-up. Agent: Katie Shea Boutillier, Donald Maass Literary. (Jan.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"It Should Have Been You." Publishers Weekly, 30 Oct. 2017, p. 82. Book Review Index Plus,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A514357845/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=53d1ea63. Accessed 27 Feb. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A514357845
1 of 2 2/27/18, 10:02 PM
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
SLAUGHTER, Lynn. It Should Have
Been You
Jill Baetiong
School Library Journal.
63.12 (Dec. 2017): p113. From Book Review Index Plus.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
SLAUGHTER, Lynn. It Should Have Been You. 320p. Page Street. Jan. 2018. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781624145353.
Gr 9 Up-Five months ago, Clara Seibert's twin sister, Moura, was murdered. The only thing that makes Clara's grief-filled life feel semi-normal is being an anonymous advice columnist for her school newspaper. That is, until someone starts sending threatening messages. The emails allude to her being the one who has killed her sister. Clara reaches her breaking point and decides to take the crime investigation into her own hands since the police have yielded nothing in their search. She begins interviewing people who were in Moura's life, including her piano teacher and another piano student. While looking through Moura's belongings, Clara believes she has uncovered an affair between Moura and her piano teacher's husband, Joel Rasher. Clara thinks she has caught the killer until other details emerge. The whodunit's logic flounders at this point of the narrative. The writing style is very captivating and ideal for teens who like thrillers and mysteries. Clara has a sweet romance that teen readers will enjoy. While there are parts of this book that drag, the spine-chilling climax and ending almost make up for the unnecessary parts. Slaughter makes most of the sensationalism of this book believable and keeps her readers turning the pages. VERDICT Purchase for teens who enjoy thrillers, mysteries, and romance.--Jill Baetiong, formerly of Morris Area Public Library, IL
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Baetiong, Jill. "SLAUGHTER, Lynn. It Should Have Been You." School Library Journal, Dec.
2017, p. 113. Book Review Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A516634134 /GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS&xid=3004c19c. Accessed 27 Feb. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A516634134
2 of 2 2/27/18, 10:02 PM
- Courier Journal
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/middletown/2014/02/07/-novel-approach/5280033/
Word count: 876Former YPAS dance teacher Lynn Slaughter writes novel for young adults
By Kirsten Clark;, The Courier-Journal; Published 11:48 a.m. ET Feb. 7, 2014
SLAUGHTER02_SAM.jpgBuy Photo(Photo: Sam Upshaw Jr./The Courier-Journal)
F
or Lynn Slaughter, a longtime professional modern dancer and former dance teacher at the Youth Performing Arts School, writing was a way to cope after hip replacement surgery forced her to retire from her career in dance.“It’s like, you had been doing this thing for 30 years or more, and this is your identity,” said Slaughter, 66, of Middletown. “I really felt like I needed to invent some new dreams for myself.”
Ten years after Slaughter began writing her debut novel, the book — a fictional young-adult story set in the dance world — is finally finished.
Her book, “While I Danced,” was published by Cambridge Books and is available in bookstores and online.
It follows a 15-year-old aspiring ballet dancer as she participates in a competitive summer dance program while dealing with turbulent circumstances in her life outside the studio.
“Somehow, this character came alive to me in my mind to write about her and her issues,” Slaughter said. “I drew on a lot of my own struggles and the struggles of my friends and my students. Life is full of material.”
During her five years at the Youth Performing Arts School, where she was head of the dance department, and eight seasons as a counselor at The Kentucky Center Governor’s School for the Arts, an annual three-week intensive summer session, she worked with high school students who often came to her for help with issues ranging from drugs, relationships and family problems to feelings of inadequacy as an artist.
Prior to writing fiction, Slaughter — who has a master’s degree in sociology and is a mother of two grown children — did research and published roughly 200 articles for regional parenting magazines about parenting adolescents. In doing so, she said, she developed “quite a solid knowledge base” of the challenges of adolescence.
“Adolescence is a really amazing time,” she said. “They’re at the cusp of a lot of things in their lives.”
She said teaching allowed her to coach students not only in dance but also to help them navigate through what she called “an intense time.”
Many of her students from her days at the Youth Performing Arts School have gone on to have successful careers, dancing professionally with different companies, touring in Broadway shows or moving to Los Angeles to pursue careers in the entertainment industry.
Although Slaughter received ballet training at an early age in Connecticut, the majority of her training is in modern dance. She got an undergraduate degree in sociology at Smith College in Massachusetts, where she continued to take dance classes, and then got a master’s degree in dance from the University of Michigan.
She spent about 20 years dancing with professional companies in Michigan, Massachusetts, Arizona and Colorado before moving to Louisville in 1991 after she accepted the position with the Youth Performing Arts School.
In 1996, she and her husband, Alan Lommasson, who’s also a former professional modern dancer, helped found Art! Art! Barking Dog Dance Company in Clifton, which disbanded in 2006.
Despite fundamental differences between ballet and modern dance — ballet stresses technique while modern dance emphasizes creative movement — Slaughter said the lines between the two styles are “blurring and fading,” and much of her experience as a modern dancer helped her write from the perspective of a young ballet dancer.
During the decade or so she worked on the book, she also worked for four years as director of Sacred Heart School for the Arts in Crescent Hill.
She said she hesitated to give herself permission to pursue the novel full time until her husband encouraged her to do so.
“Lynn is an incredibly well-rounded person — a renaissance woman,” said Lommasson, 59, who is a physical therapist at the VA Medical Center. “She has many interests. She has many talents. (Writing) is one of them, and I said, ‘Well, if you want to do it, go for it.’ ”
She is already at work on her second book — a mystery novel for young adults — and sees writing as a way to take time for herself, grow creatively and take risks.
“I think writing’s a lot like dancing,” she said. “You’re revealing a lot about yourself in your work. Who you are sort of comes out whether you’re dancing or you’re writing.”
Reporter Kirsten Clark can be reached at (502) 582-4144 or on Twitter by following @kirstenlmclark.
“While I Danced”
Lynn Slaughter’s debut novel, “While I Danced,” published by Cambridge Books, can be purchased at A Reader’s Corner on Frankfort Ave. and both locations of Carmichael’s Bookstore, as well as online at Amazon and barnesandnoble.com.
From The USA TODAY NETWORK
These sites are part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Their content is produced independently from our newsrooms. - Kirkus
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lynn-slaughter/it-should-have-been-you/
Word count: 285KIRKUS REVIEW
Five months ago, high school senior Clara Seibert’s twin sister, Moura, was murdered in their home.
The killer hasn’t been caught, but many people remain convinced Clara murdered her sister in a fit of jealousy. After all, the nonmusical Clara lived in her famed pianist sister’s shadow, even when it came to their parents’ attention. When Clara begins receiving threatening emails from someone blaming her for Moura’s death, she sets out to uncover her sister’s killer before the mystery emailer follows through on their promise to kill Clara. The white teen discovers many possible suspects: Moura’s rival and friend, a pianist named Alex Kwon; Moura’s secret girlfriend or the boy she publicly dated as a beard; or perhaps one of the many people Moura reportedly manipulated on her way to the top. The deeper Clara digs, the more danger she puts herself in, but all that matters is getting to the truth of what happened to her sister. A subplot in which columnist Clara interviews teen dating violence victims for the school newspaper sometimes comes across as a public service announcement, but it is honestly raw in its intensity. Aside from Alex, the primary cast is an almost all-white one. Clara is a rather bland character, but her determination will endear her to readers, who will find her attempt to connect emotionally with her parents to be especially touching.
A solid whodunit for genre fans. (Mystery. 14-18)
Pub Date: Jan. 30th, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-62414-535-3
Page count: 320pp
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18th, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1st, 2017 - Hello Jenny Reviews
http://hellojennyreviews.blogspot.com/2018/01/author-spotlight-it-should-have-been.html
Word count: 1054Author Spotlight: It Should Have Been You by Lynn Slaughter + Interview - 4.5 stars
Posted by Jenn Christensen at 9:00 AMLynn Slaughter has a passion for dance and music―from Frank Sinatra to Chopin―and her first book, While I Danced, was a finalist in the 2015 EPIC competition in the Young Readers category.
Title: It Should Have Been You
Genre: YA Murder Mystery
Author: Lynn Slaughter
Publisher: Page Street
Publication: January 30th 2018
Cover Rating: 3/5
Reading format: Physical ARC
Goodreads | AmazonIt Should Have Been You by Lynn Slaughter is the story of twin sisters Moura and Clara. One is dead and one is accused of being the killer. Moura was a piano prodigy and had a huge following and everyone thought Clara resented and was jealous of her sisters fame so Clara was the first person everyone blamed.
Clara and Moura were as different as twins could be. Moura is a piano prodigy that had plans of going to college early and making a life of fame for herself. Clara was more reserved and wanted a normal life as a writer/journalist. The people who fawned over Moura always thought Clara resented her fame when that couldn't have been further from the truth. Even her own mother thought Clara was jealous. So, with her sisters death and with people thinking she killed her, Clara goes out and tries to solve the crime that the cops are having a problem solving.
This book has two mysteries as opposed to most books only having one real plot. We have the mystery behind who killed Moura and then we have a sub-mystery where someone is cyber-stalking and threatening Clara because they think she killed her sister so they want her to pay for the crime. That made this book very unique. I think I have read maybe 2 or 3 other books that had sub-mysteries involved. I think it is a very good idea if it's done right.
And no mystery novel is complete without some weird romance thrown in at the worst time possible. The romance itself was cute and fairly innocent but also fairly insta-lovey. But it also isn't a mystery book without some big problem with the relationship and the problem in this relationship was HUGE. Even I didn't see that coming.
In the end, I REALLY enjoy this book. The double mystery was so fun! I actually forgot that there was another mystery to be solved and then it was like BAM so that was definitely a nice surprise. I love when mystery books sneak up on you. I DID guess who both of the "bad guys" were, though. But that doesn't say much because I can always guess. It is very rare that I cannot figure out who the bad guy is within the first 100 pages of the book.
Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.
1) What was the inspiration behind IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU?
The initial idea came from an adult student I’d had many years ago. She shared with me that when she was a teenager, her identical twin had been murdered, and the crime had never been solved. In fact, fearing that she might be the next victim, the FBI kept her under surveillance.
Her story stuck with me, and I began to play the “What If?” game. What if the murdered twin had been the center of attention in her family and a superstar in the community, and the twins hadn’t gotten along? And what if rumors swirled that the surviving twin had killed her sister, and then she started receiving threats?2) If you could pick one book to reread for the rest of your life what would it be?
I love so many books! But right now, I want to mention WONDER by R.J. Palacio. I love Auggie’s voice and character and really identify with his longing to be accepted for who he is on the inside, a wonderfully “normal” kid.
3) What was your favorite part to write in IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU?
I’m a sucker for romance, so I’d have to say I especially loved writing the scenes between Clara and Ben, her love interest.
4) Tell us five random facts about you:
I was a huge Nancy Drew fan growing up, so when our family’s apartment was broken into, I offered several theories about the crime to the police investigators. They told my mom they thought I must have been the burglar, based on my “suggestions” about how the crime could have beencommitted. Fortunately, she thought this was very funny!
I can still recite all the words to the intro of the old Superman TV show.
My husband and I met in a dance company.
I’ve sung vocals in a rock band.
I’m totally spoiled: My husband loves to cook and does all the cooking.
5) Are you currently working on any new books?
Yes! Thanks for asking. I have two young adult novels I’m actively working on. .
Gone centers around Leisha, a musically and academically gifted African-American teen on scholarship at an exclusive New England boarding school. When her music teacher and mentor goes missing just before a major vocal competition, Leisha suspects foul play and undertakes her own investigation. Meantime, she tries to rebuff the romantic overtures of Cody, a cellist who’s appointed himself as her sidekick. She’s sure that the grandfather who raised her would disown her if she took up with a white boy, and Cody’s wealthy conservative family wouldn’t be thrilled about her either.
Whereas Leisha comes from a poor background, Samantha (Sam), the protagonist of Killing Mr. Holloway, is the daughter of a widowed heiress who impulsively announces she’s marrying Adam Holloway, a much younger man. Sam is sure he’s after her mother’s money, and she both distrusts and detests him. When he gets murdered, the evidence points to Sam as the killer, and she must prove her innocence. - Booklist Online
https://www.booklistonline.com/It-Should-Have-Been-You/pid=9108754
Word count: 209It Should Have Been You.
Slaughter, Lynn (author).
Jan. 2018. 320p. Page Street, hardcover, $16.99 (9781624145353). Grades 8-11.
REVIEW.
First published October 11, 2017 (Booklist Online).Clara Seibert’s identical twin sister, Moura, was murdered five months ago, and Clara is still a suspect in the unsolved crime. While the twins were not close (Moura was a piano prodigy about to leave for Juilliard, while Clara has no musical aptitude but a considerable talent for journalism), Clara and her family are still reeling. Then Clara, who runs the school newspaper’s advice column, starts getting threatening e-mails (such as the book’s title) and finds herself needing to take an active role in the murder investigation. Slaughter creates a tidily constructed murder mystery, adds a conventional romance, and offers glimpses into the pressure-cooker environment of elite classical music. The adherence to mystery formulas provides a comfortable, often predictable rhythm, but the main drawback here is that the teen dialogue, actions, and even thought processes feel like those of an adult. Clara is far more grounded and organized than most teens, which might work if other teen characters were more convincingly adolescent. Still, teen classical musicians will enjoy seeing themselves portrayed in a positive light.— Debbie Carton