The inspiration behind the Dani P. Mystery series

I was recently asked by a reader what went into my writing process in regards to the Dani P. Mystery series? I thought that was an interesting question, so I decided to answer his thoughtful inquiry in detail.

First off, lots of Dr. Pepper! Okay, I say that in jest, but it is true. When writing I will always have a can--or several--close by.

The first series I have produced for publication is the Dani P. Mystery series. I have always known it would be, although it is not the first thing I have written. It has also been one of the hardest to write. 

I can be quite wordy and I am used to writing young adult novels. Tailoring an early chapter book was quite a challenge! I can't tell you how many times I have red-lined each manuscript, deleting text and simplifying dialog. When you are a writer, you have to be objective and not be afraid at drawing that red-line, even if it is like cutting a piece of yourself off the written page. Each book goes through a hundred re-writes, at least! It is a lot of hard work and dedication; endless hours of writing and re-writing and sleepless nights as your mind refuses to rest. 

You might wonder why I bothered with a children's series if I found this type of writing so challenging. For me, it is much more difficult than writing a YA novel. I could say it's because I like a challenge. However, the honest answer is that it is a gift of love. 

The series is written for, and dedicated to, someone very dear to me: my daughter. The first Dani P. story was written when my daughter was 7 years old. She loved mysteries and spooky tales of things that went bump in the night. She was an avid fan of Scooby Doo. I can't tell you how many countless hours we spent curled up watching them together. So, I wrote her a story that would interest her. She became the heroine. Yes, it is fictional. But, this is her story. She was the cute, little honey-brown hair girl that wore her baseball cap backwards and loved her overalls. She always had her beaded necklaces and bracelets. She was sweet and goofy. A spirited girl always ready to make you smile.

When I began writing the series, I thought of the many adventures she would have loved to have experienced. It was with her and my husband's encouragement that I decided to publish it. It is also a journey we have taken together as I am very blessed to have her as my personal editor. It has made this project even more special getting to work with her as an adult. How lucky am I that she majored in English? She is now a young woman making her own way in the world. It was the right time for the story of Dani to come out.

I hope that you will enjoy reading, Dani and the Haunted House, Vol. #1, and the upcoming books in the series. They have been a joy to write (and re-write) and I hope that you and/or child enjoy reading these tales together while making your own memories.

Happy reading,

~ K. Lamb
www.danipmystery.com
www.facebook.com/danipmystery
www.twitter.com/danipmystery

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Dani-Haunted-Ho...

Kindle edition: http://www.amazon.com/Dani-Haunted-Ho...