Career
In fiction, she created the Gladdy Gold Mystery seven-book series (published by Bantam ), including Getting Old Is Murder, Getting Old Is The Best Revenge, and Getting Old Can Kill You. Lakin began writing regularly during the early 1960s for such television shows as The Doctors, Doctor Kildare and Peyton Place. In 1968, she began working as story editor and head writer of The Mod Squadron
In 1972, she created The Rookies.
In 1977, she served as executive producer of the Columbia Broadcasting System television adaptation of the 1954 film Executive Suite. She wrote numerous "Movies of the Week" including Women in Chains, and such miniseries as Strong Medicine and Voices of the Heart.
In 1981, she developed the television series adaptation and served as show-runner of Flamingo Road. In 1989, she co-created the medical drama Nightingales.
She also wrote or co-authored two original theatrical plays, Number Language But a Cry and Saturday Night at Grossinger"son