Eden’s Escape by M. Tara Crowl | Q&A + GIVEAWAY!!! | -- Blogging Everything Beautiful --

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Random Fact of the Day: A person swallows approximately 295 times while eating dinner.

Hello sunshines! 🔆 Today I am here to share M. Tara Crowl & her second Middle-Grade book, Eden’s Escape! I know I have some Middle-Grade readers out there, so stay tuned until the end of the post to join the GIVEAWAY! 🙂

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

taramcrowl Tara Crowl grew up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She studied Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California, then received an MA in Creative Writing at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. She lives in New York City.

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Q&A WITH CROWL

ME: Hi, Tara! Tell us a little about yourself!

CROWL: Hi! Thank you so much for having me! I’m the author of two middle-grade novels: Eden’s Wish and Eden’s Escape. I grew up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, but I live in New York City now. I went to the University of Southern California for film school, and after graduating, I worked in Hollywood for two years. But I had wanted to write books when I was young, and I realized that dream had never left me. I knew I’d always regret it if I didn’t pursue it. So I enrolled in a Master’s program in Creative Writing at Macquarie University and moved to Sydney, Australia. A year later, I moved to New York, where I finished my book and submitted it to publishers. Disney-Hyperion released Eden’s Wish in 2015, and its sequel, Eden’s Escape, came out in September of this year.

ME: What inspired you to create your debut novel, Eden’s Wish?

CROWL: The idea came to me while I was listening to the audiobook of Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder. It mentions the prospect of meeting a genie and being able to make three wishes. I think that when the genie myth comes to mind, most of us do tend to see it from that perspective, and we dream about what we’d wish for. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s totally natural, and so much fun. But that day, I started to imagine what it would be like to be a genie. I thought that being trapped inside an oil lamp would be horrible! You’d have no friends, no fresh air, and no freedom. You could only go to Earth when someone rubbed the lamp, and your trip would be over as soon as you’d granted their wishes. You’d have no power whatsoever in your own life.

From there, I started to dream up the character of Eden. She’s a twelve-year-old genie who’s in love with the world, and she wants nothing more than to live there. But before she can do that, she has to complete her career as a genie. From there, I began to imagine Eden’s world, and the storyline of Eden’s Wish started to take shape.

ME: If there is one idea or theme that you would like your readers of Eden of the Lamp to recognize, what would it be and why?

CROWL: I would love for readers to gain a new appreciation for the beautiful world we live in. Eden has lived inside a lamp for her whole life, so she looks at the world with wonder. She’s in love with the sun, the ocean, all kinds of animals, and everything green and growing. As I wrote about Earth from her perspective, I found myself enchanted by those things too. I didn’t necessarily expect that when I started writing the book, which made it that much more impactful for me. I hope that comes across to readers.

ME: What are you working on at the moment?

CROWL: A new book that’s completely different from the Eden books. Stay tuned!

ME: And one last question just for fun! What is your absolute favorite childhood book?

CROWL: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I first read it when my first-grade teacher gave it to me, and it blew me away. I’ve read it countless times since then, but every single time it has that same effect on me.

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I had a wonderful time creating these questions and reading Tara’s responses! A Wrinkle in Time is definitely a favorite of a lot of readers 🙂 Can’t wait to see what else Tara has in store for us in the future! 📇

ABOUT THE BOOKS

Eden’s Wish (Eden of the Lamp #1)

By M. Tara Crowl

From Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: September 1, 2015

Ages 9-12

All twelve years of Eden’s life have been spent in an antique oil lamp. She lives like a princess inside her tiny, luxurious home; but to Eden, the lamp is nothing but a prison. She hates being a genie. All she wants, more than anything, is freedom.

When Eden finds a gateway to Earth within the lamp, she takes her chance and enters the world she loves. And this time, she won’t be sent back after three wishes.

Posing as the new kid at a California middle school, Eden revels in all of Earth’s pleasures–but quickly learns that this world isn’t as perfect as she always thought it was. Eden soon finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old conflict between powerful immortals. A ruthless organization run by a former genie will stop at nothing to acquire the lamp and its power–even hurt Tyler and Sasha, the new mortal friends who have given Eden a home. To save her friends and protect the lamp’s magic, Eden must decide once and for all where she belongs.

💰Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indiebound

Eden’s Escape (Eden of the Lamp #2)

By M. Tara Crowl

From Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: September 6, 2016

Ages 9-12

Eden’s new life on earth begins in New York City under the guidance of her new guardian: Pepper, a petite, bubbly genie alum who’s also a Broadway actress. Before she has a chance to settle in, though, Eden is whisked away for a granting–only to find herself trapped in a laboratory. David Brightly, owner of the world’s leading tech company, cares more about tapping into the lamp’s power than making a wish and starts performing tests on Eden. With Brightly’s plasma shield around the lamp, Eden has no way home. Left without a choice, she escapes the lab and goes on the run. After her daring exit, Eden finds herself on the streets of Paris–home to Electra’s headquarters. Left in a strange city with a price on her head (courtesy of scheming Brightly), Eden has to keep her wits about her. She dons a chic disguise and flits around Paris incognito, investigating Brightly Tech. Assisted by Pepper and her old adversary Bola, as well as some new friends, Eden embarks on a quest to retrieve the lamp and protect the secrets of the genie legacy.

💰Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indiebound

PRAISE

“Crowl’s imaginative storyline rings with both perception and humor.”

―Kirkus Reviews

“Middle grade readers will enjoy the children’s autonomy and Eden’s humorous difficulties in grasping how school works…Hand this to readers who like their magical fantasy combined with middle school drama.”

―School Library Journal

“An imaginative romp with a smart, snarky protagonist and a humorous interpretation of the world as we know it…[Eden] is also just plain entertaining, with a sassy attitude and a clever wit that saves her on more than one occasion.”

―BCCB

GIVEAWAY TIME!

M. Tara Crowl will be giving away one (1) signed copy of Eden’s Escape! ENTER BELOW for your chance to win! Starts November 21st, 2016 & Ends November 28th, 2016 PST. One [1] winner will be chosen & contacted shortly after in which they will have 48 HOURS to respond. Another winner will be chosen if not. Open to US/CA mailing addresses only.