Featured Author - Eden Unger Bowditch! - Part 2

1. MLM: One of the greatest things about the Internet is that we can connect with writers of all kinds from all over the globe so we want to know:

a.) What area of the country/world are you from?

EDEN: Since we’re living here, let’s say Cairo, Egypt.

b.) What are the average temperatures of your area?

EDEN: You’d be surprised. Cairo is much more temperate, more Mediterranean, than the desert land you’d imagine. Most of the year, it is in the 20s C (in the mid-70s F). It gets warmer starting later May through late September, and can get really hot—like 40ish C and up to 90-100 F. Winters can be chilly, as low as 4-6 C (in the high 40s to low 50s F). When we moved here in August 2006, there was a heave in Baltimore. It was really, REALLY hard to get our heads around packing fleece, moving to Egypt.

c.) What type of clothing would most residents be wearing today?

EDEN: It’s a mix. Lots of people wear Western clothes, or a simulation—scarves and layers that are not Western over jeans and T-shirts—and traditional clothes like galabayas, the robes we attribute to this region. Funny, though, if it is just a bit chilly, people wear ski jackets and wooly hats.

d.) What tips do you have for people to “survive” the weather where you are?

EDEN: Dress in layers. It can be cold in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Very warm! And dress is more conservative here. In some areas, modesty is the best way to go—no miniskirts or tank tops or shorts.

e.) What would you say is the neatest thing about where you live?

EDEN: The people are amazing. As the world has seen from the revolution, there is a kind of generosity and kindness that is unique to here. Peace may come easier to Egypt than elsewhere. And the history! Besides the obvious (pyramids and mummies and ancient temples), there are petrified forests and desert camping like nowhere else in the world.

As this is tax time for us, we want to know:

2. MLM: Are your taxes done yet, or do you procrastinate until the last day?

EDEN: I am such a turn-it-in-early person!!! I cannot stand waiting until the last minute for anything.

3. MLM: Do you do your taxes yourself or do you have someone do them for you?

EDEN: Since we live abroad, it is complicated. We cannot do them ourselves.

4. MLM: What would you say is the hardest part of your taxes?

EDEN: Sending the papers to the U.S. The post is very complicated.

5. MLM: In recent years, there has been a push to bring back the family dinner. What are your views on family dinners? Do you find them beneficial? Why or why not?

EDEN: Our family is very close. We have dinner together almost every night. Since I’m in grad school and Nate, my husband, is a professor, we are all on the same schedule. Early work days, holidays together. My kids are age 7 to 16! I hear people say that their kids are unresponsive (How was your day? Fine. What did you do? Nothing). With us, there is LOTS of talk.

6. MLM: With families having such busy schedules, many take time out to schedule a “game” night. Is this something that you do, have done or might do in the future? Why or why not?

EDEN: We have busy schedules, but we spend A LOT of time together. We don’t have TV (but we do watch DVDs on the computer), so we have more time than most folks. And we still read as a family. Nate can do AMAZING voices and is the main family aloud reader.

7. MLM: Say you’re at a cabin in the mountains, it’s not exactly warm out and you had the option of where you wanted your hot tub to be. Would you have the hot tub inside or outside the cabin? Why? What is it that you like specifically about it being inside or outside the best?

EDEN: Well, probably right in the middle of the living room.

8. MLM: If you could go anywhere in the world for the perfect date, where would you choose to go? Why this destination over others? What’s its connection to you? What would that perfect date entail? When during the year would you take this perfect date? Who would your date be?

EDEN: Funny you ask. When the kids are in school and Nate and I don’t have to be on campus, we have romantic afternoons at home. On my birthday, Nate asked what I wanted to do. I said that I wanted one of our regular days together!

MLM: Thank you for joining us today! Please be sure and check back for Part 3 of our feature with Eden Unger Bowditch!

For those of you who don't know this,
Eden sure can jam!

She's currently with The Fuuls!
Visit their facebook page!

Featured Author - Eden Unger Bowditch! - Part 1

I was born in Chicago, then moved to Paris at age twelve for a year. I moved back to the United States, but continued with a French education. I’ve lived in California, north and south, through high school and university. Playing in bands and writing filled my time. My husband and I lived in London for a semester, and returned to the United States, played in an alternative rock band together, made records, and toured North America with our first child, who was three months old when we hit the road. We moved to Baltimore, where my husband went to graduate school and we had two more children. In 2006, we moved to Cairo, Egypt, and remain there now.

As far as writing, I have always loved to write. - I’ve always been an avid reader. Sharing books with my children and reading as a family has always been a part of life in our house. YA literature is some of the very best writing out there. It is fun and exciting and an amazing challenge to write. Kids don’t care if it’s popular. They will only read what is good. It’s an exciting time to read and write in the YA genre. Readers are excited and there are such amazing books out there to read.

This is too true, and we've [YA Cove] had some great YA authors here, and Eden is our newest addition to that list!