I'm thrilled to be the next stop on Harper Teen's blog tour for Anna Carey's ONCE. Today author Anna Carey has stopped by the blog today to talk about her newest release, ONCE which was released on July 3rd, 2012 from Harper Teen. I seriously LOVED this book (you can read my 5 star review here), and I highly recommend picking up this sequel. My interview questions for Anna were asked prior to my reading the book. All I can say is if you loved EVE, wait till you read ONCE!
For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.
But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.
Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.
In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar-quoted from Goodreads
I really enjoyed Eve, and I'm looking forward to reading about her adventures in Once. Did she surprise you with any of the choices she makes in Once?
The sequel is filled with twists and turns, and there are several moments that took me off guard. It’s hard to say anything without revealing something, but I was most surprised by the final chapters of the book. The series turns in an unexpected direction.
Eve was a fabulous debut. Do you feel it's harder to write a first book in a series or the sequel?
For me, writing the sequel was a more challenging process. When you have a trilogy, there’s always the fear that you will paint yourself into a corner with the second book. I really felt the end of Eve’s story while writing Once, and that was scary. Did I really want to push her towards this place? Was I certain this was how the story should unfold? I struggled with those questions as I moved forward, and it took more time for me to just let go and write.
What's something you've learned about yourself while writing Eve's story?
My definition of courage has evolved as I’ve gotten older. It’s tempting to mythologize bravery, to see it as some inherent trait you are either born with or you lack. It’s easy to dig your heels in and say ‘I am this way, I am not that way’, ‘I could never be that brave, that strong, that [insert adjective here]’. The truth is just living and breathing in this world requires courage. I’ve grown appreciative of the little acts of strength that occur everyday and are so specific to each individual’s experience. Maybe it’s the woman who breaks off a relationship that is functional but dispassionate, maybe it’s the boy who comes out to his parents. Maybe it’s something small but in its own way courageous—stepping in and telling that guy who’s cursing out the Panera cashier to back off. Writing Eve’s evolution has shown me that more than anything else, courage is something people learn. Strength isn’t something you have or don’t have—it’s something that grows from experience.
You incorporate a lot of great elements in your series with the adventure, suspense, romance, and an incredibly detailed world. What's been your favorite element to create/write about?
When I wrote Eve I wasn’t as interested in creating a completely new world as I was in showing our world in the wake of an unfathomable disaster. Would we stay true to the values our country was founded on or follow the first leader with a clear vision? Would we use the opportunity—this second chance—to right the mistakes of our history or repeat them? Maybe the earth wouldn’t just survive without us, maybe it would thrive. What would that look like? Considering these questions was essential in creating the series, and helped expand my own understanding of the world and everyone in it.
If you could include one of your favorite fictional characters into Eve's world, who would that be and why?
Eve and Caleb could use a few friends with supernatural powers. Hermoine Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter would all be great support. Avada Kedavra would’ve come into good use at certain points in this series.
What's been one of the best compliments you've received as an author?
Whenever someone tells me they cried reading my book (which happens often), I know I’ve succeeded. I hear “I was affected by your book” or “your book made me feel something”, which is exactly what any good art—book, movie, or song—should do.
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Thank you Anna for stopping by Mundie Moms today!
You can purchase your copy of Once from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
About the author:
Anna Carey is the author of EVE, which is now available wherever books are sold. The sequel, ONCE, hits shelves July 3rd, 2012. She grew up on Long Island, the daughter of a special education teacher and an astronomer. Early on she talked of being a painter, district attorney, flutist, physical therapist, or graphic designer, but eventually pursued writing—the one thing that allowed her to be all of the above. She studied Literature and Creative Writing at NYU, and took part in her fair share of snowball fights in Washington Square Park. After college, she worked as an editor in children’s publishing before getting a Masters in Fiction from Brooklyn College. She now lives in Los Angeles, where the apartments are bigger and the weather is sunnier, but she still misses New York.
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You can follow the entire blog tour by visiting these blogs here:
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