Inteview with Anna Carey, author of Eve, PLUS Giveaway

Photo credit: Kristin Hoebermann

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Please welcome author Anna Carey to GreenBeanTeenQueen! Anna is the author of the recently released novel, Eve, the first in a new dystopian trilogy. Be sure to stay posted on all the series news at The Eve Trilogy Website and stay in touch with Anna with her blog.

Eve has been optioned as a TV show from the producers of The Vampire Diaries, so you'll want to keep an eye on this series! Don't worry-I'll help you out! One lucky winner will recieve a signed copy of Eve!

Note: There are some spoilers in the interview, so if you want to be surprised with the book, you've been warned!!

Welcome Anna and thanks for answering some questions at GreenBeanTeenQueen!

As I started reading Eve, I was thinking that the dystopian stories that freak me out the most are stories that involve repopulation and girls who become "baby factories." That beginning scene in Eve is so intense! What inspiration didyou have for the dystopian world that Eve is set in?

I completely agree--those aspects of the book were some of the scariest to write. I'm in this new phase of my life where many friends are pregnant, have children, or are trying to have them.Female friends are talking about their biological clocks in complete seriousness. There's this unspoken pressure on women to have children "before it's too late". It can feel very restricting. Eve came from several different places, but that was probably one of them.

I'm in that same stage-everyone around me is having babies. Maybe that's why it freaked me out so much!

There's a romance storyline in Eve, but the book has so much more than romance. Was it important to have a romantic aspect in the book?

Definitely. At Eve's School all the girls are taught to fear men. They're told that men are dangerous, violent, and manipulative, and any romantic relationship will be their undoing. I alwaysknew the fastest way for Eve to break free of her past and all the lies she's been taught was to meet a boy who she develops feelings for. Caleb is everything the Teachers told her men are not--he's kind, empathetic, loving, and trustworthy. Her relationshipwith him helps her grow as a character.

What type of dystopian world do you think has the most chance of ever becoming real?

I'd argue dystopian societies are already real. We're lucky to live in a country where we can protest the government without fear of punishment, where woman can wear whatever they chose and we can "Like" the Occupy movement on facebook or disagree with our President on twitter. That's not the case in other places in the world.

So true. You're right, there are lots of socities that are out there that are very dystopian in nature and they are very real.

OK, let's ask some fun questions! If you were stranded on an island, what five books would you want with you?

Fat, dense books that would take months to get through and understand. All hardcovers, so that if I encountered any Lost-esque Others they could double as weapons. How about: Brothers Karamazov, Infinite Jest, Les Miserables, War and Peace, and Finnegan's Wake? I haven't read any of those, but they'd definitely keep me busy for awhile.

Good plan! Who is your literary crush?

Dave Eggers. Not in a Tiger Beat, hang a poster on my ceiling, he-gives-me-butterflies type way though. I discovered Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius in college, after a long bout ofdoing nothing but required reading. I was pretty tired of slugging through books on my syllabus. HWOSG reminded me why I love to read. Even more than that, I volunteered for years at 826NYC, part of a nationwide tutoring program he founded. Having free afterschool tutoring was this amazing resource for the Brooklyn neighborhood I lived in. (PS: My literary girl crush is JK Rowling.)

What do you think the appeal of dystopian fiction is for teens?

Overall I had a positive high school experience, but I remember feeling really trapped. You don’t have control over your life—who’s “popular” and who’s not, who’s being bullied and what’s being said. Even some teachers can be inappropriate (the minority, but still). Everything can feel kind of arbitrary. Like something you must be a part of though you’d never actively chose to be. Dystopian novels speak directly to those feelings. They show characters stepping outside of the roles the world has created for them. That’s inspiring.

I think you're right about that feeling of being trapped and wanting to do something. I think that's a big appeal point for readers. You've have a lot of interesting jobs in the past (face painter, nanny, sofa saleswoman). What made you decide you wanted to write for teens?

I grew up on The Babysitters Club--I had hundreds of those books. Out of all the teachers and authors who've I've read or been influenced by, I can honestly say I owe the most to Ann M. Martin.That series helped me think of myself as a reader, which in turn helped me realize I was a writer. The Babysitters Club was my gateway drug to the reading and writing life.

I loved The Babysitters Club too-what a good gateway drug!:) Thanks so much for the interview Anna!

Want to win a signed copy of Eve? Leave a comment below to enter (please include blog or e-mail so I can contact you!

-Must be 13+ older

-Must have US Shipping Address

-One Entry Per Person

-Contest Ends Friday, November 18 at midnight CT