Interview with Anna Carey & Signed Eve Giveaway!

Today I'm super excited to welcome Anna Carey, author of Eve, to Stories & Sweeties! She's here to give us the scoop on writing Eve, some words of wisdom for those taking on NaNoWriMo, and of course, her cupcakes of choice. :) Welcome, Anna!!

What kind of research went into building the world of Eve?

I wasn't as interested in building a completely new world as I was in reimagining our world in the wake of an unfathomable tragedy. As grisly as it sounds, when I was writing the first Eve book I found myself watching old youtube videos of natural disasters. I read a lot of survival stories of people alone in the wildness, as well as stories about the bubonic plague. Eve's world is our world without us in it, so I was constantly looking up random information. How long does canned food last? Are there wild boar in the Northwest? How long does it take to walk from Oakland to Marin County?

Tell us a little about your ideal writing space.

I usually write at a cafe about ten minutes from my place in Los Angeles. They have delicious curry chicken sandwiches, a "quiet study" where people aren't allowed to talk, an outdoor patio and electrical outlets next to every table. It's a writer's heaven.

Who are your favorite authors? What are you reading right now?

There are probably too many to name here. I read a lot of adult fiction, and have always loved Toni Morrison, Dave Eggers, Aimee Bender, Amanda Davis, Lorrie Moore, Michael Cunningham and Jonathan Safran Foer. In terms of young adult fiction, I love Gayle Forman and Suzanne Collins (though I'm waiting to read Catching Fire and Mockingjay until I finish the final Eve book). I'm currently reading Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

What kind of books did you like to read as a teenager?

I mostly read what was required for class (if I had some of the YA books that are out now, I'm sure things would've been different). I loved Song of Solomon, Frankenstein and Jane Eyre. My favorite book was Lord of the Flies though. I still scream "I've got the conch!" if people aren't listening to me.

Best advice for those tackling NaNoWriMo this year?

When you're trying to write a first draft in a month, I don't think you should be too hard on yourself. Don't obsess over every line. It's just a first draft. And sometimes first drafts are really the preliminary musings on a book you've yet to write. When I was in grad school I spent a lot of time working on a book about a girl who was living in a walled in compound. Her sister escapes, and slowly she learns that she's part of a government experiment. The book was all kinds of messed up, but it was invaluable when I wrote Eve. I kept thinking: I was never supposed to write that book. It was just the training I needed to write this one.

And everyone who visits Stories & Sweeties answers this one: Do you like cupcakes? :) Frosting or Cake better?

I'm a huge fan of lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, red velvet and the classic vanilla/vanilla combo. It depends on the cupcake, but I usually like the cake part better. Sidenote: are there people who don't like cupcakes?!?! Bring them to me, I will talk some sense into them.

Thanks for the interview, Anna!

Find out more about Anna Carey & Eve:

• Official Eve website: www.theevetrilogy.com
  
• Like Eve on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheEveTrilogy
• Follow @AnnaCareyBooks on Twitter: http://twitter.com/annacareybooks
• Visit Anna Carey’s blog: www.annacareybooks.com

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And now...who wants to win a lovely signed copy of Eve!?

To enter, just comment below and answer this question: Do you have anything in common with Anna Carey?

• Include your email so I can contact the winner!
• Open to US only, must be 13 years or older.
  
• Entries welcome until November 25th, 2011
  

Good luck, everyone!