Cochem and Beilstein
inspired a zany, fairy tale series for ages 9 to 12 Cochem castle in the Mosel valley. ©Laurel Decher, 2018. 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 […]
A new place to find more book recommendations for 10 year olds
Planning a long voyage? Don’t forget the books! Does anything make a family trip smoother than having the right books along? I can face all kinds of travel complications when I have something to read. Want to find books your kids will love to read? There’s a new website called Shepherd you might enjoy. (It’s […]
A Harvest of Fairy Tales for You
A fall harvest of fairy tales Note: The late fall sun makes the book look light green, but it’s actually purple. #writer #notaphotographer An unusual year . . . can also bear fruit This was the year I thought I’d get monster “beefsteak” tomatoes in three colors. I started plants in January. They were trees, […]
How is a story is like a crossword puzzle?
A fairy tale village on the Mosel River in Germany, complete with half-timbered houses and ruined castle. ©LaurelDecher, 2021 While you wait for me to solve my puzzle, here’s a crossword for you A crossword puzzle isn’t something you solve by working your way from top to bottom. Sometimes it works to “solve” a story […]
Tour Cochem Kingdom: the real home of TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS
Trouble With Parsnips For your reading pleasure, a shiny new edition is in the works! The nameless inventor princess of Cochem is headed to Kickstarter to build something new! Follow along! Steep vineyards going up to Reichsburg Cochem Reichsburg Cochem, the inspiration for the Cochem Kingdom in the Seven Kingdom Fairy Tales series: There were […]
The Book Echoes podcast interviewed me about TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS
Connie B. Dowell of the Authoring Onward podcast (formerly called BookEchoes) interviewed me about Trouble With Parsnips It’s about a quiet inventor princess and is the first book in the Seven Kingdoms Fairy Tale series for ages 9 to 12. For more about this zany fairy tale and our heroine’s public speaking problems, listen to […]
Reviews for TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS
TADA!!! The very first STUDENT review for Trouble With Parsnips From an amazing student in Japan! 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. Thank YOU SO MUCH to all of the reviewers! After […]
Veggie of the Week Challenge: The Colors of Italy Pizza
Red pepper, zucchini pizza. © Jan Decher, 2018. The summer the first Seven Kingdoms Fairy tale came out, my brand-new middle grade book, TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS, took up the vegetable portion of my brain (I heard that) so dinner was often shoot-your-own-sandwich. We interrupt our veggie challenge for a moment to bring you a word […]
Veggie of the Week: Tendersweet Cabbage + Sausage Stir Fry
Germany is the land of cabbage! Here’s a half-way healthy stir fry to warm up the cold, rainy evenings. © Jan Decher. The Veggie of the Week Challenge In short, cooking went on the back, back burner, while I published my first book, TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS, so dinner was unimaginative for a few months. By […]
The Veggie of the Week Challenge is Back: Ruby Chard
***************************************************** The Veggie of the Week Challenge ***************************************************** And we’re back! In case you missed last week, this’ll catch you up: My family endured, uh, . . . minimalist cooking during the publishing of my first book, TROUBLE WITH PARSNIPS. But they need vitamins and writers can’t run on chocolate forever. Hence the Challenge: —No […]
Want to read a brand-new children’s book? Spoiler: It’s mine. :)
My first children’s book is coming out today in paperback!!! And ebook!! and Kindle!! YAY! *dances from living room to kitchen and back* WARNING: There are root vegetables involved. And princesses. And a dessert sluice with cream puffs. But the nameless princess of Cochem has it, um, under control. Because I’m shy and retiring, you […]
Why people can’t hear you OR how to write wicked dialogue
1. Fancy words hide your message Marie Forleo’s video, 5 Reasons People Don’t Take You Seriously, shows how we get in the way of our message, and what to do about it. My writer-mind couldn’t help thinking how to use these tips in reverse. Inside a novel, conflict built on miscommunication is quite fun. Here […]