LAUREL DECHER

“Life in the Seven Kingdoms is never dull . . .” –Jen McConnel, School Library Journal

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Author: Laurel Decher

What must be said: hardware, broccoli, and love

Drilling a hole in the wall with an electric drill.

Last night I learned a dear friend died. She and her husband helped us when our first child was born and were both friends and second parents to us. That’s when she inscribed a copy of THE ENCHANTED BROCCOLI FOREST cookbook: “In our hearts, you’ll always be our neighbors.” The news reminded me about grief, […]

Earning a Microphone: What 6th grade band taught me about audience

Band playing in a cupola. Conductor wears a jacket that says "ZOLL" which means Customs.

Customs officials play in a band performance in Aachen. Music informs my work as a writer and gives me a whole new perspective on customs officials. ©Laurel Decher, 2015. A Musical Mix-Up In the sixth grade, my elementary school offered the chance to learn a band instrument.  There had to have been a school assembly […]

Exploring the Imagination: Fictional Characters From Art Museums

See the trailer for the exhibit here: https://youtu.be/tTFOSzpqaPI/ The stunning poster drew me in for the latest exhibit in Düsseldorf’s Museum Kunstpalast. It was called “Zurbarán: Meister der Details” [Master of Details] and features 16th-century full-size portraits by the Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664). My first reaction to the poster was: “There she is!” […]

What’s it like to visit historical sites for a story world you’ve only imagined?

Men in medieval dress, shield and spear and long, blue, and red and orange tunics parade through an Arezzo street as part of the jousting festival.

The Middle Ages come to life in Arezzo, Italy. ©Jan Decher, 2002 The itinerary included the most important and accessible places in the story: Bologna (nearest airport and unexpectedly beautiful) Casa Cares near Tuscany (a family visit to this retreat center brought me to Arezzo and the story) Camaldolì monastery (an 11th century monastery and […]

A Novel Way for Young Readers to Relate to Faith?

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Last week, my husband and I visited Marburg, the town where we first met. In 2017, Marburg joined many cities in Germany in a celebration of Martin Luther and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Belief, politics, power all mixed together to shape Europe’s history. Events were planned all over Germany. The Playmobil company even […]

5 New Publishing Tools from the 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair

The International Self-Publishing and Author Programme at the Frankfurt Book Fair was on Saturday, October 17th. Here are five new tools I discovered: (1) BookTrack is a tool that lets you add a soundtrack to your story or novel. Here’s a YouTube overview of how it works and a brief sample of what it feels […]

Collateral damage: What if there’s no one to vouch for you?

Ruins of the Castle of Are (Ahr) built by Theodorich of Are around 1100 A.D.

Collateral damage: Ruins of the Castle of Are (Ahr) built by Theodorich of Are around 1100 A.D. What would you do if you lost your identity? Or had no way to prove you were one of the “good guys”? A reputation is a thing you don’t think about until it’s lost. There are so many […]

What’s in a reversal? Exploring Leigh Bardugo’s RUIN AND RISING.

Ruins of the Castle of Are (Ahr) built by Theodorich of Are around 1100 A.D.

What bubbles to the surface? Geothermal activity at Maria Laach caldera in Germany. ©Laurel Decher, 2015. Just finished reading Leigh Bardugo’s RUIN AND RISING, the 3rd book of her Grisha trilogy. If you haven’t read it, go read. (Note: This is a YA, not a middle grade title.) SPOILER ALERT. Last night, I stopped reading […]

Dark and Light: Defense Against the Dark Hot Cocoa

Light leaves in a dark forest. Kottenforst, Germany. ©Laurel Decher, 2015. Defense Against the Dark Hot Cocoa This morning the day felt heavy for the first time this summer. The clouds are low and gray and the day looks dim. But I went for a walk in the forest just now. There the light is […]