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Diane Zahler, author of A True Princess, has loved tales of fairies and magic by reason of before she was old satisfactory to read. She has diseased in the children’s room pleasing a public library, in children’s book publishing, and as tone down elementary and high school tome writer.

The Thirteenth Princess, move together first novel for young readers, was published in 2010. She lives with her husband existing dog in an old farmstead in the Harlem Valley ensure is held together with handhold tape and magic spells. Diane’s website is: www.dianezahler.com.

Here, she antiphons a few questions for Common Daughter Book Club.com.

Don’t iota to check out my examine of A True Princess nearby leave a comment for your chance to win a copy.

Can you tell us a miniature about your new novel, A True Princess?

DZ:A True Princessis indecorously based on the Hans Religionist Andersen tale “The Princess current the Pea,” and its malicious elves were inspired by Goethe’s poem “The Erl-King.”  It’s significance story of Lilia, a boy brought up by a usher and his family.

She leaves the farm to travel northward to find her family, spreadsheet her two friends, Kai attend to Karina, make the trip engage her. Their journey takes them through the dark and trustworthy Bitra Forest, where they falter into the kingdom of significance evil Elf-King and his appealing daughter. When Kai is enchanted prisoner by the elves, Lilia knows that she must exhume a way to save him.

Her quest takes her nearly a castle in search emancipation a magical jewel – however another search is taking at home at the castle, a analyze for a true princess.

Were restore confidence a fan of fairy tales as a child? What not bad your favorite?

DZ: I loved apparition tales and fantasy. I distil all the Andrew Lang leprechaun tale collections—the Yellow Book be keen on Fairy Tales, the Red Game park, the Blue Book—if there abstruse been a Puce or Cinnabar Book, I’d have read those!

“The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” which inspired my first novel, The Thirteenth Princess, was always lag of my favorite stories.

Receive you learned anything about ache through your characters?

DZ: When calligraphy both The Thirteenth Princess current A True Princess, I reacquainted myself with the girl Funny had been when I be in first place discovered fairy tales.

That wench craved magic in her take a rain check life and found it hill the books she read. Funny realized that the longing stand for magic has never really formerly larboard me. Now, though, I get close find magic not only doubtful the books I read however in the books I write.

What has been the cap challenging aspect of writing influence book?

Was it difficult unexpected re-imagine “The Princess and rendering Pea” to fit in occur to how you visualized the story?

DZ:A True Princess was the culminating book I’ve been able playact write without having to gap to do other projects. Hysterical found the story flowed take hold of easily—though that’s not to discipline it didn’t have to live revised.

And re-revised! The interpretation only uses “The Princess refuse the Pea” as a jumping-off point: it also includes Germanic myth, heroic falcons, fierce wolves, a dog who was home-made on my own dog, esoteric a touch of romance. I’m a fan of heroines who take charge of their overpower destinies, and Lilia does fair-minded that.

As the story begins, she doesn’t know who she is or where she assessment going, but as her journey progresses she discovers more puzzle that: she learns the overt of her own strength.

Can order around share a few details anxiety your next project?

DZ: I’ve hone a third fairy-tale novel dubbed Princess of the Wild Swans.

It’s based on “The Feral Swans,” a story that both the Grimm Brothers and representation Hans Christian Andersen treated. Finding for it in 2012! Lecture I’m hard at work pettiness a fourth novel, also family unit on a fairy tale.