Savannah’s story was inspired by a high school friend who became involved with an extremely controlling, possessive boyfriend and ultimately married him. All the red flags were there that he was a potential abuser, but in our inexperience and naivety, we actually thought his behavior was romantic. 

Lynn Slaughter – 14 January 2025

The Back Flap

Devastated by her mom’s sudden disappearance and the evidence pointing to suicide, seventeen-year-old Noelle, an aspiring ballet dancer, doesn’t believe her mom would ever have taken her own life. She undertakes her own investigation to find out what really happened to her mother.

Meantime, Noelle is dealing with growing romantic feelings for Ravi, her best friend and fellow dancer. And she’s worried about her little sister, Whitney, who won’t talk about why she doesn’t want to visit their dad.

Threaded throughout the novel is also the story of Savannah, a young woman whose escape from an abusive marriage nearly two decades earlier turns out to be connected to Noelle’s investigation.

About the book

When did you start writing the book?

2023

How long did it take you to write it?

About a year

Where did you get the idea from?

I’ve always been fascinated by missing persons cases, especially from the point of view of loved ones left behind.  Savannah’s story was inspired by a high school friend who became involved with an extremely controlling, possessive boyfriend and ultimately married him. All the red flags were there that he was a potential abuser, but in our inexperience and naivety, we actually thought his behavior was romantic. Tragically, his behavior escalated to severe emotional and physical abuse. In retrospect, I think that’s one of the reasons I became a comprehensive sexuality educator. It’s so important for teens to understand the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Most of my struggles take place right before I start writing. I’m an anxious writer, and I’ve had to develop a lot of writing rituals to quiet those voices of self-doubt.

What came easily?

I’ve always enjoyed writing dialogue.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

My characters are fictitious, but I’ve certainly borrowed ideas from things I’ve personally experienced, witnessed, or that people have shared with me.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I’m a huge admirer of the contemporary realistic young adult novels of Judy Blume, Chris Crutcher, Sarah Dessen, Gayle Forman, and Angie Thomas. They’ve been unafraid to dig deeply into characters and their challenges and haven’t shied away from tough issues. In terms of adult mystery writing, I especially love the Jesse Stone character created by the late Robert B. Parker. Jesse is a deeply flawed but caring detective that readers can’t help but cheer for. For me, character development is so important, and these authors all create characters I really care about.

Do you have a target reader?

I think my young adult novels are geared toward 14–17-year-olds, as well as to adults who enjoy reading young adult novels. Interestingly, studies have shown that more than half of young adult novels are purchased by adults, and close to 80 percent of adult buyers are purchasing these books for themselves.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I get a wisp of an idea for a novel, usually from something I’ve personally experienced, witnessed, or that folks have shared with me. For example, many years ago, an adult dance student told me that when she was in high school, her identical twin was murdered, and the case was never solved. For years, the authorities worried that she might be next. Her experience morphed into the premise of my novel, It Should Have Been You, in which a surviving twin is being threatened by an online stalker and undertakes her own investigation of her sister’s murder before she becomes the killer’s next victim.

After I have a premise for my work, I then pay lots of attention to character development, and out of all that pre-writing work on character come many ideas for plotting. I owe this insight to Elizabeth George’s craft book, Write Away.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I do not. I have a pretty clear idea of where I’m eventually headed, and of course, as a mystery writer, I have an idea of several potential suspects, but in the course of writing, many things occur to me that I hadn’t anticipated!

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I do both. I usually start the day’s writing by doing some light editing on the previous day’s pages. Then of course, once I have a draft, I do more editing.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I often write with music playing, whether it’s Rubenstein playing Chopin or standards from the American Songbook.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No. I had published novels previously with Melange Books and their YA imprint, Fire & Ice, so it was natural for me to submit to them again.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Several years ago, I had an agent. She refused to submit one of my novels, Leisha’s Song, because I was an author writing outside of my identity group. Having lived and worked in an African American community and having an African American teenage grandson I was close to, I felt I was able to write responsibly and respectfully about my protagonist. The agent and I amicably separated. I then began querying small presses and ended up signing with Melange Books/Fire & Ice, where I’ve been ever since.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

My publisher does my covers but does solicit my feedback in the design process.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I’m the world’s worst marketer! For my last several novels, I’ve worked with Simone Jung, a publicist from Books Forward, who has been so helpful in getting the word out about my books.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

I think that every author has to assess their strengths and interests in making a decision about what path to publication they want to pursue. In my experience, self-published authors tend to be entrepreneurial. They enjoy being in full charge of every aspect of publishing and marketing their own work. Several of my writing friends are very successful self-published authors whom I greatly admire.

A small press made sense to me for my personality. I like the idea that my work has been vetted, and a publishing house feels my work is worthy of their investment. I would rather spend the bulk of my time writing.

About You

Where did you grow up?

New York and Connecticut

Where do you live now?

I live in Louisville, Kentucky

What would you like readers to know about you?

I hope I can inspire older aspiring writers to know that it’s never too late to launch their writing careers. After decades as a professional dancer and dance educator, I began writing fiction and published my first novel at age 65. That project got me hooked on writing fiction, and I returned to school to earn my MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. I’ve just kept going ever since. Missing Mom is my sixth published novel.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a sequel to my debut adult mystery, Missed Cue. This one is tentatively called Death in the End Zone.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Missing Mom from Amazon US or Amazon UK.