Laurel Decher

Before Laurel Decher published her first book, she worked as a chronic disease epidemiologist in the Vermont Department of Health. She’s forgotten most of her old addresses, but not the libraries that issued her cards. “It’s the best credit card you can have,” she says, “because the grandest adventures begin at the library.”In 2011, she moved to Germany, where there are castles around every corner. Honest. Get a tour of those that inspired the fictional Seven Kingdoms when you visit “Fun Extras” on her website: https://laureldecher.com. Detailed book information is available on the “Library Love” page. Or download a catalog.As a child, vegetables were her enemy, until her beloved and devious mother taught her to garden, made her slice mushrooms, and employed other—now forgotten—tactics. It was the very beginning of finding more magic in life. Now, at critical moments, parsnips, leeks, and squash pop up in her stories.