The inspiration for the Seven Kingdoms Fairy Tales (for ages 9 to 12) comes from the Mosel and Rhine Valleys of Germany. Cochem and Beilstein are two lovely villages worth visiting. But the world of the Seven Kingdoms isn’t a photocopy of historic villages and castles.
The fictional Seven Kingdoms is a less violent place than the times of knights and villains. (True, the Blackfly Queen isn’t a softie.) But the nameless princess of Cochem still needs lots of courage to face “Speech or Die!” *shudder*
Forgot about those towers. . .
Whenever I re-visit a place, I’m surprised. There’s always a new gift and something I have to work around.
You would think that nothing would surprise us anymore because we can Google and see everyone else’s YouTube and Instagram and Blog posts about the place we are visiting. We see what we expect to see.
But when I go there myself, it’s always a little bit different than I expect. Imagination and memory work in the same parts of our brains, I guess.
From my last visit, I remembered Cochem covered in cherry blossoms, but this was hot, dry and baby grapes and tiny hard red peaches were on the trees. Climbing up and down was a lot more strenuous than strolling along the promenade. Cochem castle has buckets of towers that don’t appear in my story.
Is it a lie if you leave some things out?
I bought a children’s graphic novel/comic book about the history of Cochem castle showing three tragic exciting stories of the castle’s past. It reminded me that a castle is a weapon in the real world, not a palace for a fairy tale. But none of the historical tragedies or triumphs of the castle dwellers show up in the Seven Kingdoms Fairy Tales.
We took a boat cruise in the warm evening and discovered a jewel of a village that is so adorable that I couldn’t capture the charm of in a photo.
Some battles aren't won with a sword . . .
Someday, the atmosphere of this place will show up in another story. I know the feeling. That’s how the Seven Kingdoms Fairy Tales series started. The first book is set in Cochem (ahem–see too many towers above) and it’s perfect for readers who know about the terrors of public speaking!
Not afraid? Just wait until you try “Speech or Die!”
Trouble With Parsnips is about courage and adventure of a different kind.
