Author Lynn Slaughter Receives International Recognition Through the NYC Big Book Award®!

LOUISVILLE, KY, UNITED STATES, September 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Excitement is rippling through the mystery community as author Lynn Slaughter’s thrilling novel, "Death in the End Zone," has been officially named a winner in the Mystery category at the prestigious 2026 NYC Big Book Award!

The NYC Big Book Award is globally recognized for celebrating literary excellence across the publishing industry. Judged by a distinguished panel of industry experts, including veteran publishers, accomplished writers, top-tier editors, book designers, booksellers, librarians, and professional copywriters, the awards honor books that showcase outstanding overall quality, storytelling, and craftsmanship. Out of a highly competitive field of international entries, "Death in the End Zone" captivated judges to take home the top honor in the Mystery category.

"Death in the End Zone" delivers an edge-of-your-seat reading experience that combines high-stakes suspense, gripping twists, and unforgettable character depth. Winning the NYC Big Book Award elevates Slaughter’s place as a premier voice in contemporary mystery fiction.

"To be recognized by a panel of esteemed industry professionals at the NYC Big Book Award is an absolute honor," said Lynn Slaughter. "I am thrilled that readers and judges alike have connected with Death in the End Zone."

Slaughter is not a stranger to the NYC Big Book Award. Indeed, Slaughter has previously won two other NYC Big Book Awards. In 2024, Slaughter took home the top prize for "Missed Cue," https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2024winners/9798886531534. The year before, her book "Deadly Setup" was also recognized as a winner in the NYC Big Book Award competition in 2023, https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2023winners/9798886530087

Come see the award-winning Slaughter at her upcoming Book Events:

September 26-27, 2026, A participating author at SCBWI’s Midwest Conference in Nashville, TN.

October 24, 2026, Slaughter will participate in a panel on Writing for Young Readers sponsored by the U of L Women’s Center in partnership with the Louisville Book Festival.

November 7, 2026, A participating author at the Bards & Friends Area Authors Book Sale, Hardin County Public Library, 10 AM- 2 PM.

November 14, 2026, A participating author at Autumn Among the Authors. Crume Haven Winery, Mt. Washington, KY, 12-3PM

NYC Big Book Award received book submissions worldwide. Attorneys, Doctors, Entrepreneurs, Film & Television writers, Historians, and Journalists, from well established authors to first time indie authors as well as small and large presses participated.

Entries this year were received from the United States as well as countries such as Australia, Canada, China, Dubai, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Cities represented among the entries were Auckland, Baltimore, Dallas, Frankfurt, Hollywood, Johannesburg, Manhattan Beach, New Orleans, NYC, Philadelphia, Sydney, and West Palm Beach.

Publishers included Melange Books, Beacon Press, Berrett-Koehler, Casemate, Edinburgh University Press, Forbes Books, Kiplinger Books, NYU Press, Palgrave Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Rizzoli, Routledge, The White House Historical Association, University of California Press, University of Nebraska Press, Weaving Influence Press, and Wiley.

We have an amazing list of authors from around the globe participating this year, said awards sponsor Gabby Olczak. I’m so excited to share these books with a worldwide readership!

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About the Author in Her Own Words
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 cat Lacy. I’m the ridiculously proud mom of two grown sons and grandmother of five.

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About the Award
NYC Big Book Award, https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/, is announced every fall. NYC Big Book Award is open to all authors, publishers, and illustrators, and includes submissions from the big five publishers. Join us for the Awards Dinner on April 10th, https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/awardsdinner, held at the BookCAMP event, April 9-10, 2027, https://www.ipabookcamp.com, where recipients walk on stage to receive their awards.

Gabby Olczak
Independent Press Award / NYC Big Book Award
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BookCAMP 2027