Today, Olivia from YA-Mag had a lovely chat with Emma Carlson Berne, author of NEVER LET YOU GO!

Megan never meant to hurt her best friend, Anna. She made a mistake, and she’s spent all year trying to regain Anna’s trust. So when Anna invites her to spend the summer on her uncle’s farm, Megan is excited…and relieved. The past is finally behind them.
On the farm, Anna quickly falls for Jordan, a rugged summer-hand. Megan and Jordan have their own spark, but Megan’s betrayed Anna once before and she’s not about to do it again.
Still, the more time that Megan and Jordan spend together, the harder it is to deny their chemistry. But Anna doesn’t like to be ignored—and she doesn’t forgive and forget. What started out as the perfect summer is about to take a very dark turn…. 

Olivia with YA-Mag: Emma, welcome to the Young Adult Magazine!  The tenuous friendship between the girls in NEVER LET YOU GO sounds like the perfect recipe for delicious disaster!  It’s one step away from a summer horror movie—I love it!

YA: Let’s talk about Megan vs. Anna.  What are these two girls like?  How long have they been friends?  And how did Megan grab the title of protagonist over Anna, who would definitely have her own story to tell in this tale!
Emma Carlson Berne: Anna and Megan have been best friends almost their whole lives. They really need each other, but not always in the healthiest ways. Anna especially likes to prey on Megan’s insecurities. I love the idea of the story from Anna’s perspective–perhaps a sequel?

YA: What sets Megan and Anna’s story apart from other thrillers, like Ten by Gretchen McNeil (also in a remote setting!)?  What will readers find in you and NEVER LET YOU GO that they can’t find anywhere else in YA books?
ECB: I love atmosphere–setting and painting a scene with details is my favorite part of writing. This is probably why I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder growing up–even though her books are very different from the ones I write!  She lingers over descriptions of the prairies or the smell behind saloons. I want my readers to feel like they’ve entered a small, round door into another world when they read these novels. Stephen King calls this “falling into the hole in the page,” which I love. 

YA:  Because none of us grew up in bubble, I know that every author has influences beyond the obvious!  What influences (films, television shows, music, plays, etc) helped spark this story or your writing career in general?
ECB: Far, far too many to count. I was that girl walking home from school while reading at the same time. I basically spent my entire childhood and adolescence reading everything I could get my hands on, from the trash to high literature–and I loved it all. Reading has been the number one influence on my writing now–and that’s what I often tell students who want to be writers: read everything, everything!

YA: When you were a teen, what was your favorite book (YA or otherwise)?
ECB: You mean I have to choose one book? Impossible. If my life is on the line, I’d say my favorite book of all time, then and now, is Jane Eyre. I find it insanely romantic, creepy, and dark: all the best elements of a Gothic romance.

YA: I’m fascinated with how authors decide on a book’s title.  Sometimes a title sticks from rough draft to published novel; sometime the author works with their agent or editor to find the perfect title.  What is NEVER LET YOU GO’s story?  It just screams ‘obsession’! ECB: It’s a sad truth of my writing life that I’m terrible at thinking up titles. My agent suggested the title of my first book, Still Waters, and this one was suggested by my editor. I’m always so grateful, too, because my titles are just wincingly bad. YA: Do you have any secret pet projects you’d like to try out sometime soon? ECB: I love writing about food. And clothes. I’m dying to do a whole memoir about all the things we used to eat and wear when I was growing up in my ultra-liberal, hippie family.  YA: All right, last one!  With New Year’s Eve just around the corner, if you were spending it on the farm with Megan, Anna, and Jordan, how would you all celebrate? ECB: Can I run and hide somewhere? Anna is just way too freaky to hang out with for a whole night. Watch your back, Megan. . . YA: Thank you very much, Emma!  And again, from YA Mag, congratulations on your latest work!  We look forward to hearing a lot more from you in years to come!

 

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Readers, be sure to check out Emma Carlson at her website www.EmmaCarlsonBerne.com. Or follow her on Twitter @EmmaCBerne.
NEVER LET YOU GO, published with Simon Pulse, is now available at your favorite retailers and local independent bookstores!

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When not investigating the latest in the Young Adult world for us here, Olivia Hennis is part of the Papercuts Podcast team! For more info, follow her on Twitter or at her blog, Olivia’s Secret Reading Room.

 

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(Twitter link: https://twitter.com/#!/OliviaHennis)

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