Interview with author Anna Carey!

1. Did you know what route you were going to take with ONCE? Or did it just come to you as you were writing?

I always knew Once would focus on The City of Sand, the King, and Eve’s fate inside the City walls. That world is so detailed, and there are so many different characters who become important, I needed a full book to explore it. I write detailed outlines before I begin the first chapter, so the plot—with all its twists and turns—was planned out in advance. Big portions of the book changed during revisions, but the overall story essentially stayed the same.

2. How different would you say Eve is in ONCE than she was in book one (Eve)?

Eve is always changing and growing—that’s one of my favorite things about her. The first book was really about her struggle to reconcile her past with her present situation, and relearn her life. There’s so much information she has to process: the fate of the girls at the School, her introduction to Caleb and the other boys in the dugout, her connection to the King. In the second book she’s more rooted in herself. She’s learned a lot—from life in the wild and her time in Califia. She’s more concerned with trying to make the most of what she’s been given. Is it possible to be happy inside the City walls? How can she protect the people she loves?

3. Looking back now at the complete book, are there any scenes that were removed that you wish, now, had remained?

Though it’s sometimes painful in the moment, I rarely regret cutting scenes. My editor’s perspective is essential, and I know if she says something should be cut…it needs to be cut. I’ve had the instinct to make little changes to the books—I want to keep playing with words, trying out different phrases. But scene byscene, I’m usually happy with the overall story.

4. Here on GCReading we're huge fans of Caleb. How much of him do we get in ONCE?

Out of all three novels, Caleb plays the biggest role in Once. It’s hard to say anything without giving away something, but the story focuses on Eve and Caleb’s relationship, and their struggle to stay together despite all that’s pushing them apart.

5. Share with us the best part about writing your character Eve, and the hardest part.

Eve grows tremendously over the course of the series. She evolves from a sheltered, book smart girl to a strong, empowered woman. I’ve loved writing that transformation. Though it felt organic, writing Eve’s character in the beginning of the series was tricky. She has very limited experience—all she knows is life inside the compound walls. Its always a risk to put the reader in a position where they know more than the main character, so the first book was a bit of a tightrope walk.

6. How will you be celebrating the release of ONCE?

I’ll actually be in Europe for the release. Hopefully I’ll be tweeting from a beach in Croatia!


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About ONCE...

When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

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.