Sex and the City!!!!

Okay, seriously Sex and the City has everything a woman could need. Friends, men, great style, great jobs, designer shoes, designer bags, sex, did I mention men and great style? Not only are we so lucky to be counting down the days to Sex and the City 2 (in theaters May 27)....Candace Bushnell, creator and author, has just released another book pre Carrie and Big days, "The Carrie Diaries (available at www.amazon.com)

Check out this interview with Candace Bushnell on the new book courtesy of Cosmopolitan.com

Cosmo: Was it liberating to let go of all the people and events in Carrie’s future and come up with the prequel story?
Candace: I couldn't let go of her future completely, because we all know so much about where this character ends up. So I spent a lot of time thinking about the events that would happen early on in her life that would shape her into the Carrie that we know today.

Cosmo: And what were some of those events?
Candace: Something had to explain why she's so independent, and why she questions relationships. So I made the choice that her mother died, and she only had her father and two younger sisters. Her mother's death was that personal struggle that gave her the tools to overcome anything. It's also given her perspective: what's important to Carrie is becoming a writer, not being "in" with the popular crowd at her high school.

Cosmo: Carrie's family is never really mentioned on the show, and it's interesting to finally "meet" them in this book. Had you ever thought about what they would be like before writing this?
Candace: This was the first time I ever put a lot of thought into it. I think because when I moved to New York, I realized that it's a very New York thing for your friends to become your family. Even years ago, when I was writing about Carrie in my column (that inspired the show), I deliberately never mentioned anyone's family. It seemed like the people I knew from New York had just sprung from the head of Zeus!

Cosmo: Your column, which inspired the SATC series, was partially based on your real life. Now that Carrie has become this larger-than-life character, did this project give you the opportunity to inject a little bit of yourself into her?
Candace: There's nothing in the book that happens to Carrie that's happened to me. I really tried to just get myself into the character's head, make the book fun, and give a few winks at the future Carrie.

Cosmo: So what were some of the other things you considered when creating the teenage version of Carrie Bradshaw?
Candace: I feel like the Carrie we know now is an every-girl, and I felt strongly that she would have been the same way when she was younger. I wanted to keep that essence about her.

Cosmo: The story starts on the first day of Carrie's senior year, and she's instantly attracted to Sebastian, the new kid who also turns out to be a bad boy. Is Sebastian meant to be the teenage version of Mr. Big?
Candace: Yeah, he is. That is her very first encounter with the Mr. Big type.

Spoiler Alert: This question reveals a juicy tidbit from the book, so skip to the next one if you'd rather wait to find out what it is!

Cosmo: Because everyone knows Carrie so intimately through her friends, was it challenging to separate her from Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte and to create a whole new group of girlfriends for her?
Candace: I just tried to make it realistic. I came up with the idea that her best friend would betray her — and over a guy — because I feel like that happens to girls a lot when they're younger, and it's heartbreaking. I also thought that the betrayal would serve as another catalyst to remind Carrie that she can't rely on anyone but herself, and she's got to pursue her dream of moving to New York and becoming a writer.

Cosmo: Why did you decide to keep Carrie a virgin in this book?
Candace: It just made sense to me. When I was writing the character, it didn't seem like she was emotionally ready. Sex is a big deal, and for Carrie it needs to be something that's great. I saw her as someone who wouldn't give in to the pressure to have sex just because everyone else is doing it. She does her own thing, she's the master of her own person, and of her own destiny.

Cosmo: Without giving anything away, the ending introduces a character that will definitely leave the reader wanting more. Any plans to make The Carrie Diaries a series?
Candace: There is definitely going to be one more book, which will chronicle her first crazy year in New York. Then we'll just have to see what happens!

8 More Days to SATC2!!!!