Inspiration

Someone asked me recently what inspired me to begin writing a children’s book. The answer could be as simple as, my seven-year-old granddaughter, or as complex as the need to enrich children’s lives through literature. After giving myself time to reflect upon the question I realized my inspiration for the Hailie Dee Mystery Series has been my grand dog, Luke.

Luke is an absolutely adorable puppy. He will be a year old in April of 2019. He is a lively dachshund and chihuahua mix. He is a strong little man but delicate too. He lives to play and chew. His greatest joy comes each day when Hailie returns home from school.

I started out wanting to write a story that would show Hailie how much Luke adores her, and how she needs to be gentle with him. After writing, what I thought would be my one and only draft, I shared the story with Hailie. It turns out she had some suggestions for improvement but encouraged me to keep going. So, I did.

Today the story has been through hundreds of edits and revisions. Everytime I read it I find some part I think could be better. I know that soon I will need to believe that I have honed the story to the best of my ability and send it into the universe. Just for today, I want to keep it close and continue to nurture it.