THE HUNGER GAMES meets THE HANDMAID’S TALE in EVE, the powerful first novel in an exciting new trilogy by Anna Carey. Sixteen years ago a deadly virus wiped-out most of the earth’s population. Wildlife has grown over once recognizable landmarks, and the New America is ruled by a controlling King who will stop at nothing to rebuild the nation.
Eighteen-year-old Eve has grown up isolated from boys, and has been taught to fear them. It isn’t until the night before the graduation from her all-girls school that she discovers what really happens to new graduates. To avoid the terrifying fate that awaits her, Eve flees the only home she’s ever known, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rebellious young man living in the wild. Eve knows she shouldn’t trust him, but Caleb slowly wins her confidence and heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between life and love.
So now that you know a little bit more about Eve, it's time to meet the author!
Anna Carey was a face painter, nanny, horrific cocktail waitress, gift wrapper, sofa saleswoman, and children’s book editor before becoming an author—the one thing that allows her to be all of the above. She graduated from NYU and has an MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College. She developed THE EVE TRILOGY, a post-apocalyptic story of love and survival, with Alloy Entertainment. While she’s authored middle grade novels, EVE is her first series for young adults.
1. How was the process of writing Eve different from your middle grade Sloane Sisters series?
The actual process stays the same no matter what book I write (I make a detailed outline first, write the first draft fairly quickly and spend most of the time in revisions). The experience changes drastically though. Sloane Sisters is about girls dealing with the drama of middle school. Their parents are getting married and they're figuring out how to be sisters and how to be friends. Eve's world is chaotic, scary, and most of the drama she faces is life-threatening.
The stakes are much higher. The writing experience was a lot more intense. I think writing from Eve's perspective compounded that. It was also more emotional--its harder to spend time with characters, day after day, who have such sad histories.
2. What emotions did you experience while writing Eve? How did those emotions propel you through tough spots in the writing process?
The book is really sad in parts, and I definitely felt that sadness as I was writing it. I specifically remember tearing up while writing the scene where Eve leaves the dugout. There's a saying: no tears for the writer, no tears for the reader, no surprises for the writer, no surprises for the reader. So I took those moments as encouragement.
3. Is Eve anything like you?
Eve's main struggle in this book (and the series) is to let go of all she's been taught at School. The Teachers have told her men are dangerous and manipulative and any relationship with the opposite sex will end in heartbreak. At a certain point while I was writing Eve, I realized that that's one of the reasons she was so accessible as a character. That may sound dramatic, but let me explain. I think anyone who has lived has experienced heartache in some form--an unrequited crush, a failed relationship, maybe even someone cheating on them.
Sometimes life can teach you to fear making yourself vulnerable to someone else, to letting someone in. Though I studied drawing and painting in high school (like Eve), and can be a little proud at times (like Eve) that's what I relate to most about her--that desire to overcome everything she's been taught.
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Photo credit: Kristin Hoeberma
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I finally read If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I loved it. I haven't read anything that moving in a long time.
5. Now that you're out in California, which is a decidedly different environment from your home state, have you taken up any new hobbies or California habits?
Thankfully I haven't dyed my hair blonde or gotten any plastic surgery yet (yes, I'm perpetuating Los Angeles stereotypes!). But I have been influenced by the softer side of this coast. I hike now and do yoga, and go to farmer's markets more frequently than I did in New York.
There's so much natural beauty out west and I love taking it all in.
6. What stories and books from your own reading experience influenced Eve?
I read The Road years ago now, but it remains pretty vivid in my head. I think there's slight echoes of that story in Eve, specifically when she's traveling to Califia.
Thank you so much Anna for stopping by! I know I'm one of many excited to read Eve. If you want to connect more with Anna Carey and get insider tidbits about the Eve trilogy, be sure to follow the Eve Trilogy on Facebook. If you have any burning questions for Anna yourself, you can connect with her on Twitter or her blog. Eve is out now from HarperTeen! Also, did I mention it's been optioned for a TV SHOW??
So I bet you're probably thinking, I can't WAIT to read this book! Well here's your chance! This is my first time ever giving away a signed-copy of a book so I'm really, really excited for this contest. All you have to do to enter is fill out the form below. Contest ends Sunday, November 20, 2011 at 10 PM central time and is open to US residents only.
