Author: Laurel Decher

LAUREL DECHER lives on the outskirts of a mid-sized city in Germany, between a medieval chapel on St. James' Way and a boundary marker tree complete with scary face. It's a little surprising, since she expected to live in Vermont for the rest of her life. You just never know when adventure will call! She writes stories about all things whimsical, vegetable, or musical. When she's not lost, she can be found on Twitter and on her blog, This Is An Overseas Post. TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS (Oct 2018) is her first book for young readers (ages 9-12) and the first Seven Kingdoms Fairy Tale. Photo: © Jan Decher.

LOST WITH LEEKS

This will be short and SWEET! 🙂

The second Seven Kingdoms Fairy Tale is almost ready!

Argh! Twelve-year-old Crown Prince Nero is lost again. That’s what he gets for trying to fly a hot air balloon. Thanks to his fairy godfather’s “gift,” every compass and map goes kerflooey as soon as Nero touches it.

Even worse, his royal mom has just kidnapped St. Nicholas. If Nero can’t find his true North in a hurry, he’ll never rescue him before St. Nicholas’s Day!


Why read Seven Kingdoms Fairy Tales?

Everyone knows the leaders of tomorrow will need lots of skills. Whether it’s speaking up at a feast, or reading a map in a strange kingdom, these Tales are all about finding more magic in your life.

For ages 9 to 12. Click HERE for more about the book, including where to order. Thank you!

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If you’d like to stay in touch, sign up for my Reader’s List. Once a month, I share a new book recommendation for readers ages 9 to 12, story-related freebies, and/or related blog posts. If it’s not your thing, you can unsubscribe at any time.

Thanks for the review copy! How do I redeem a promo code on Apple iBooks?

If you met me at a conference and got a CODE for a free review Apple iBooks copy of TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS, this post is for you. 🙂

(If you got a link instead of a promo code, you don’t need this post. Just type the link into your browser. Happy reading!)

Quick Version: How to use a promo code to get your review copy on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or iPod touch:

Click on the ebook image below to go to the iBooks Store:
ad for Kobo Canada sale showing Trouble with Parsnips on an ereader and the High Water Tower at Cochem that inspired the Palace Agricultural Library

If you need more detail:
1. find the “Redeem” menu in the iBooks Store: Scroll down below the “More Books Like This” section and look under “Manage”. Click on “Redeem”.

Scroll down below the "More Books Like This" section to find "Redeem". It's under the "Manage" list.

2. When you click “Redeem”, this window pops up. Ignore the part about “Use Camera”. Type your promo code in the box. Then click “Redeem”.

3. Hopefully, this success window pops up:Screenshot of "successfully redeemed your code"4. A smaller pop-up will tell you when the download is complete. Click OK and then the “DONE” button in the lower right-hand corner.

5. When The iBooks store loads, click on the “LIBRARY” button in the top Left-Hand corner to see the your new book in the library. Happy Reading!

If you enjoy it, your review will help other readers find it in your corner of the world. The people of the Seven Kingdoms thank you!!!!

 

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If you’d like to stay in touch, sign up for my Reader’s List. Once a month, I share a new book recommendation for readers ages 9 to 12, story-related freebies, and/or related blog posts. If it’s not your thing, you can unsubscribe at any time.

The Book Echoes podcast interviewed me about TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS

Something quite surprising happened!

Connie B. Dowell of the Book Echoes podcast interviewed me about TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS:

Book Echoes is a podcast about young adult and middle grade authors. You can see all of the interviews here. Enjoy!

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If you’d like to stay in touch, sign up for my Reader’s List. Once a month, I share a new book recommendation for readers ages 9 to 12, story-related freebies, and/or related blog posts. If it’s not your thing, you can unsubscribe at any time.

Reviews for TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS

TADA!!! The very first STUDENT review from an amazing student in Japan:

Review of Trouble With Parsnips framed with colorful parsnips
My very first review from a student!!! SO exciting!! I’m so touched and grateful that she took the time to read and think about and write about the book.
Recent reviews on GoodReads, Barnes & Noble, and other stores:

Thank YOU SO MUCH to all of the reviewers! After all my time in the “drafting cave” and the “revision cave,” it’s a treat to hear your reactions to the finished story.

If you’ve posted a review, please let me know here. I’d love to see it!

Reviews give stories wings–they really do!

*They also keep them books going invisible.*

Thanks to the trouble you took to write and post your reviews, TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS is on its way to find readers who are looking for just this kind of story.

The people of the Seven Kingdoms curtsy and bow to you!! Hip, Hip, Hooray! (Except Queen Ash, but then, she never thanks anybody.)

May you always have a good book, a snack, and time to enjoy them both!

5 star review from Amazon.co.uk
From Amazon.co.uk

Just found out from Twitter that PARSNIPS got its very first review on Toppsta, a beautiful UK site that curates children’s books.

screenshot of Tweet from reviewer in response to my post asking for a review: "Done! Can't wait for the rest in the series to add to my classroom bookshelf."

screenshot of Toppsta review of TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS

An inventive story about a spunky princess. A great deal of magical details and a lot of humour. A really fun an inventive read. ( )
1 vote KatiaGuzzardi | Jan 29, 2019
 
 
TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS got its first review on Kobo!
screenshot of first review for PARSNIPS on Kobo

A deliciously long review for Trouble With Parsnips showed up!

It is always a good sign when I finish a book in one night. I did it with Harry Potters 4/5/6 & 7; Garth Nix’s Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen; Philip Pullman’s novels were regularly devoured into the small hours; Terry Pratchett had me laughing while my eyes were held open with matchsticks* and now I can add this hilarious and hugely entertaining novel, Trouble with Parsnips to the list. Read J.G. Jones’ complete review here on GoodReads

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If you’d like to stay in touch, sign up for my Reader’s List. Once a month, I share a new book recommendation for readers ages 9 to 12, story-related freebies, and/or related blog posts. If it’s not your thing, you can unsubscribe at any time.

A Generous Giveaway with “All the Feels” from the authors of The Emotion Thesaurus, 2nd ed.!

 Authors Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s have a brand new edition of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression!

This second edition has 55 new entries and twice as much teaching material. Since I use their thesauruses (thesauri?) as a kind of shopping mall for whatever scene I’m writing, more is definitely better.

I’m looking forward to getting a copy as soon as it is available. If you’re wondering how I use a book like this, check out my earlier posts here:

The Reverse Backstory Tool Brings Your Characters to Life

Write Believable Heroes, Villains, and Emotions with The Positive/Negative Trait Thesauri and The Emotion Thesaurus

A Mini-M.F.A. in the Psychology of Character

Are you feeling it? Emotional Connection in Fiction Part 1

Tools: Emotional Connection in Fiction Part 2

Anyway, if you want to look into it further, you can read some of the reviews on Goodreads or find more information here. 

Also, one more thing to share…a MEGA-OPPORTUNITY to win something amazing!

GIVEAWAY ALERT:

To celebrate the new book & its dedicated readers, Angela and Becca have an unbelievable giveaway on right now: one person will win a free writing retreat, conference, workshop, or professional membership to a writing organization, winner’s choice (up to $500 US, with some other conditions which are listed on the WHW site).

What conference would you attend if the fee was already paid for…or would you choose a retreat? Something else? Decisions, decisions! This giveaway ends on February 26th, so hurry over and enter!

 

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If you’d like to stay in touch, sign up for my Reader’s List. Once a month, I share a new book recommendation for readers ages 9 to 12, story-related freebies, and/or related blog posts. If it’s not your thing, you can unsubscribe at any time.

Coming to a library near you? The Joy of Holds + Recommendations for eBooks

The very first library to get a copy of TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS. Thank you Florham Park Public Library!

Today–all my friends who love libraries–I’m going to tell you a secret that will make you very happy.

HOLDS

If you are a library regular, you probably know you can put a “hold” on an exciting new book. You can do the same thing with ebooks.

After the ebook you requested is returned, it can be automatically be checked out to you. (Unless you have too many books checked out–then you have to return something first. So if you normally have too many books checked out, don’t take the automatic check out option.)

Screen shot of "Place a Hold" button next to Megan Whalen Turner's THE THIEF in Overdrive.
6 months wait time for Megan Whalen Turner’s THE THIEF. It’s worth it. (Not middle grade.)

In the days of paper lists, a dear friend always asked to be added to the list for whatever book everyone was waiting for. Now that’s using your library!

BTW, don’t you LOVE getting those library emails that a book is waiting for you? A major holiday!

But wait, there’s more. . . .TA DA!!!!!

RECOMMENDATIONS

You can recommend ebooks the library doesn’t own yet. This is perfect for that wonderful book on Twitter that you’ll forget the title before you can buy a copy.

How to recommend an ebook from your computer:
1. Brute force method: Login to your local libary online. Find Overdrive. Type the title into Overdrive’s search box. If the library doesn’t own it, you can click on the red or orange “Recommend”. (See below for an example ;)) Your favorite authors will thank you forever!!

2. Elegant-if-it-works method: Click on the image below to go to the Overdrive site. “Find your Library” and if they don’t have the book, you can click on “show me books my library doesn’t own”. Then Overdrive should offer you the book with a “Recommend” button.

screenshot of Trouble With Parsnips bookcover and Recommend button and Read a Sample button
If your local library doesn’t have my book, you can recommend it on Overdrive with one click. Thanks for the boost! Of course this works for Megan Whalen Turner’s newest too. 🙂

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If you’d like to stay in touch, sign up for my Reader’s List. Once a month, I share a new book recommendation for readers ages 9 to 12, story-related freebies, and/or related blog posts. If it’s not your thing, you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want more emotion in your fiction and less drama pinning down the draft?

If you are a fiction writer and haven’t ever used Angela Ackerman’s and Becca Puglisi’s writing thesauri, you might be really missing out.

You know that feeling of holding two things in your head at the same time? These books are serious headache prevention. (Trust me, I’m an epidemiologist. 🙂

I’ve written about the thesauri before:

The Reverse Backstory Tool Brings Your Characters to Life

Write Believable Heroes, Villains, and Emotions with The Positive/Negative Trait Thesauri and The Emotion Thesaurus

A Mini-M.F.A. in the Psychology of Character

Are you feeling it? Emotional Connection in Fiction Part 1

Tools: Emotional Connection in Fiction Part 2

And now there’s a new edition of the book that started them all!

(YES! Just in time for drafting my next book! Hoorah!!!!)

It might seem strange to not tell one’s readers what book you’re planning to release…unless you happen to write books on Show, Don’t Tell like Angela and Becca do! They couldn’t resist the opportunity to show, not tell, by waiting for the cover reveal. They even created a *REDACTED* cover for it, which you might have seen floating around.

We’re revealing the cover at long last!

*drum roll*

book cover for the second edition of The Emotion Thesaurus
The new and improved edition of The Emotion Thesaurus is coming in February 2019!

The next book in the descriptive thesaurus series is The Emotion Thesaurus Second Edition!

It’s been 7 years since the original Emotion Thesaurus hit the shelves. Many writers have credited this unusual book  with transforming their writing. This guide is packed with helpful lists of body language, thoughts, and visceral sensations for 75 different emotions, which makes it easier for writers to convey what characters feel.

Since 2012, many have asked the authors if they would add more emotions, so that’s what Angela & Becca have done. This new edition has added 55 more emotions, bringing the total to 130.

There are other new additions to the book and in fact, it’s almost doubled in size! I recommend checking out the full list of emotions (and some sample entries) HERE.

And more good news: this book is available for preorder! You can find it on Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, and IndieBound.

One last thing: go grab some free education!

Angela & Becca are giving away a free webinar recording of one of their popular workshops on Emotion, so head over if this is an area of struggle for you. It might really help!

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If you’d like to stay in touch, sign up for my Reader’s List. Once a month, I share a new book recommendation for readers ages 9 to 12, story-related freebies, and/or related blog posts. If it’s not your thing, you can unsubscribe at any time.