Mundie Moms

Monday, October 18, 2010

Blog Tour with Anna Levine, author of Freefall

Today we're kicking off an exciting blog tour hosted by The Teen Book Scene, with Anna Levine, author of Freefall.

Here's a brief synopsis:

Aggie is eighteen and getting ready to do her service for the Israeli Army. She could get a cushy assignment-maybe pushing paper somewhere or she could just take her chances. Only, Aggie isn't like that. Despite her small size and the fact that she needs to be gain weight to even make the grade, and despite the total disbelief of her entire family (except her grandmother, who is an old freedom fighter and don't you forget it), Aggies is trying out for an elite combat unit.

Ben-Aggie's crush of the monty-isn't at all convinced that she's making the right choice. Shira, Aggie's best friend forever, is bewildered (and perhaps a bit too interested in Ben). Then there's Noah. And the serendipitous snow. And a good-bye kiss that turns into, well, a real kiss.

Luckily for Aggie, her backbreaking, sand in mouth, completely lost in the secret training produces an unlikely dividend: friends. The kind she never imagined she could have. The kind you'd go to war with-and for.

How would you describe Aggie and how do you relate to her?

Aggie is the kind of person who isn’t afraid to challenge herself. I really respect that in people. Aggie may not have a clear understanding of what is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ but she knows that she needs to discover that for herself. Some of Aggie’s characteristics I’ve taken from the way I think and feel about things, and in some ways we share certain fears and cope with them by facing them even when we don’t want to.

If you could take a favorite literally character and write her into Aggie's story, who would you pick and why?

I read a lot of 19th century fiction and poetry and this questioned stumped me. But then I thought, and I hope this isn’t cheating, that I think I’d like to invite Anne Frank (The Diary of Anne Frank). I think she would be amazed to see that Israel has become a safe homeland for the Jews and that the country is filled with girls like her, with attitude and determination.

I like that Freefall is set in Israel. What inspired you to use Israel?

Living here. I take my inspiration from the people, events, and characters around me. Both my sons are in paratrooper units and I’ve seen their friends jump from planes and I’ve listened to the girls talking about what units they want to be in when they are drafted. I find it amazing that in so many ways Israeli teens are thinking about the same things as American teens, listen to the same music and have family, friendship and love as their priorities, and yet, Israeli teens do all this while juggling the demands of living in a country with borders that have to be defended and army service that is obligatory.

Can you tell us a unique thing that you like about Israel?

The crazy cultural mix. Israel is full of people from all over the world and despite our different cultures there is a strong sense of unity which makes people care about each other. I’m never afraid of getting lost, having my car or my bicycle break down because in minutes there will be a swarm of people gathered around me telling me where to go, what to do and how to do it.

Do you have a must have when you're writing? If so, what is your must have?

Quiet, if I’m at home. But if I’m writing in a cafĂ© I like a lot of people around me and background noise and lots of coffee.

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Thank you Anna for stopping by and visiting with us today!

You can find out more about Freefall by visiting Anna's site here http://annalevine.org/

Thank you to Anna Levine and The Teen Book Scene, we have 1 copy of Freefall to givewaway!! This is open to our international followers.

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for the interview and the giveaway!
    Sounds like an awesome read.
    Please enter me in the contest.

    lucybeugelingramos@gmail.com

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  2. Such a great comment about Anne Frank. And wow, synopsis sounds interesting.

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  3. thank you. this book sounds quite interesting.

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  4. You are welcome!

    I'll be sharing my review next week for Anna's second stop at our blog.

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  5. I love this book!! I'm from Israel, and I have yet to read a book that expresses so well what it is like to live here. I agree with every word! I wish the world would read it... =)

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  6. Anonymous- I love reading a good book that expresses the country in which it's set in so well!! Thank you for comments!!

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  7. A good blog always comes-up with new and exciting information and while reading I have feel that this blog is really have all those quality that qualify a blog to be a good one.

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