Here we have a very exciting post – an interview with up and coming author D.E.Night (@authordenight or @author.denight) whose novel The Crowns of Croswald will be released on July 21st (review to come and very special unboxing post is up).

To start, here is a little summary of Croswald, which I can confidently say, is RIGHT up the Maddie.TV alley. The writing and story is very Diana Wynne Jones (you guys know how much I love her work). It reminds me a lot of Charmed Life:

In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret…

For sixteen years Ivy Lovely has been hidden behind an enchanted boundary that separates the mundane from the magical. When Ivy crosses the border, her powers awaken. Curiosity leads her crashing through a series of adventures at the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald’s mysterious gems. When Ivy’s magic—and her life—is threatened by the Dark Queen, she scrambles to unearth her history and save Croswald before the truth is swept away forever.

Without any more delay – here is my interview with Ms. Night!

Was there a particular book/series/author that inspired you to start writing, or a moment that specifically inspired Croswald?

I’ve always loved animated movies. I’m a Disney fanatic. My draw toward fantasy and my creative drive sort of forced me to start writing. In 2013 I started having little snippets of characters and dialogue popping into my head, mostly about a headstrong girl who was to discover her own magic. I started writing everything down and here we are!

Do you draw inspiration from pop culture (TV Shows, Video Games, Movies, etc), and if so, which ones?

A lot of my inspiration is totally random. I also love inventing things that exist only in Croswald. As far as other pop culture I love, my favorite TV show is I Love Lucy. I know it’s so old but I love her and the slapstick! Some of that in Croswald for sure.

If you could live anywhere (any time era, and place), where would it be?

I would live in Disney World. It’s my absolute favorite place to be when I’m not writing.

If you had 24hrs to do ANYTHING you wanted, what would you do?

Swim with dolphins or play with puppies. When I was younger, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer. I LOVE animals (that comes across in Croswald, too).

You’re trapped on an island, but are allowed to bring one person, one food item, and one object. What are your choices?

I would bring my husband, pizza, and a glanagerie bottle. Glanagerie’s make being in one place much more fun! They allow you to travel to different worlds, only limited by your imagination!

What drew you to writing for a middle grade audience?

I think this came pretty naturally. I still enjoy my favorite animated movies and music. My poor husband, he’s such a good sport. Many Saturday nights have been spent watching Beauty and the Beast or Frozen. ☺

What drew you to the fantasy genre in general?

I love that with magic anything is possible. What captivates me most about the fantasy genre is that one can feel transported and completely forget about their day-to-day world, even if for only a moment. We all deal with tough stuff and fantasy is an important release valve.

Thank you so much to D.E.Night for the interview, as well as the ARC and surprise goodies that I will be sharing with you all soon! Check out The Crowns of Croswald on the 21st, and make sure to follow her for many more great adventures!