The time it was about A Whole New World

I was really excited about the idea of an Aladdin retelling, so I couldn’t sign up fast enough to be part of the blog tour for A Whole New World by Liz Braswell.

Before we get to Liz’s interview, let’s check out the book!

Welcome to a new YA series that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. Each book asks the question: What if one key moment from a familiar Disney film was changed? This dark and daring version of Aladdin twists the original story with the question: What if Jafar was the first one to summon the Genie?

When Jafar steals the Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed Princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.

What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.

Sounds good, right?

Where did the idea for A Whole New World come from?

Jasmine needed to do something really great. Something befitting a future Sultana who has a tiger for a best friend. And Agrabah is a fascinating place…it needed to be explored properly and have its own arc. Plus, if you’re looking for an unexpected twist, Jafar getting the Genie is pretty good!

How are your Aladdin and Jasmine different from the Aladdin and Jasmine we’re familiar with?

It’s not a question of them being different; it’s more that in a book you can get inside their heads and see how their thought processes lead to the actions or dialogue they eventually pursue. And because we get to spend more leisurely time with them, we get to see them grow as people. By the end of the book Aladdin is still charming, nimble, and optimistic…but he’s also wiser, a little more serious, and learning how to rely on people other than just himself and Abu.

What makes a good villain and how did you incorporate that into the story?

That’s like asking what makes good art. Everyone has a different answer: being prone to unspeakable acts of violence, having a sense of humor, possessing unexpected depths, flaunting devilishly good looks… Jafar made a pretty great, villain in the movie—he certainly dressed the part. I just made him a bit more psychotic.

Where there any scenes that had to be cut that you wish could have stayed?

The one where Jasmine and Aladdin manage to solve all of the crises in the Middle East. That was a real shame; I feel like someone should have read it… Ah, well. Deleted forever.

Describe A Whole New World in 5 words.

Fun! Luscious! Exotic! Also nostalgic!

Speed [ish] round:

You get the call/email/letter that says you’re being published for the first time. Describe the next 5 minutes.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
(continue for five minutes)

What three things would you take to a desert island?

Water purifier/desalination rig

Tinder kit

Magic lamp

You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What is it?

Grimm’s Fairy Tales! So many! So large! Win!

Who are your favorite swoony boys/girls?

Mr. Rochester.

Coster-Waldau. I’m more Jaime Lannister than Jon Snow.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Wait, is that weird?

My husband! Mainly ‘cause I’m totally gonna diss him in the next question.

What is the one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

You know what? I wish the opposite. I’m married to a publisher and I wish he would just shut up about all the publishing things. Sometimes I wish I married a farmer. Really, an author doesn’t need to hear day in and day out about good deals, bad deals, pricing issues, marketing ideas, marketing debacles, the fine art of calculating returns, the hoary ends of remainders, and how annoying authors can be.

Also? Do NOT get into an ART vs MONEY philosophical debate with a publisher, especially one you have to get up next to in the morning. It will only make everyone cranky.

You wake up and discover you are Bella in Twilight. You know how it plays out. What do you do differently? {Huge thanks to Bookish Broads for letting me use this question}

First, I immediately go down to the local True Value and buy every last hardwood stake they have. Then…

I kid! Sort of.

What I would do differently is HAVE SAFE SEX. Seriously. No unprotected sex. All right, weird note to end on. But it’s the truth.

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Full time author, under the name Tracy Lynn. And Celia Thomson. And J. B. Stephens. And E.J. Braswell. But mainly Tracy Lynn.

Her series “The Nine Lives of Chloe King” has been adapted into a TV show by ABC Family.

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Huge thanks to the ladies at Rockstar Book tours for the invite and to Liz for taking the time. Make sure you’re checking out her website, following her on Twitter, liking her Facebook page, and adding all of her books to your Goodreads TBR shelf.

Definitely check out the rest of the tour for more goodies and keep scrolling for an awesome giveaway!

**Good Luck!!**

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