Michelle Zink's Blog, page 24
May 2, 2012
Prophecy of the Sisters Ebook $2.99!
Just a heads up for those of you haven’t yet read the Prophecy of the Sisters Trilogy that the first book is currently on sale at Amazon for $2.99!
This is a great opportunity to give the series a try, tell (or gift it to) a friend with an ereader, or to add it to your digital library.
And I’ll have some very exciting Prophecy news for you within the next couple of days!
May 1, 2012
Let It Burn by Red
I’m SO LOVING this week’s song, Let It Burn by Red, recommended by long-time reader (and writer!), Nazarea. I chose this one because it’s a band I’ve never heard of with a sound I really love, and that’s what Song of the Week is all about.
That said, I got tons of awesome recommendations (my readers prove over and over that they have incredible taste in music), so I’ll pull from them for next week’s song, too!
April 28, 2012
A Week in the Life; Prison Breaks, Vegan Chocolate Chips, and Moody Skies
Welcome to my first A Week in the Life post, as suggested by Jana, one of my readers. I recently asked for things you’d like to see on my blog, and Jana’s suggestion of posting random photographs from my life each week received agreement from several other readers.
I’m usually shy posting about my real life, but I figure this will force me to use my camera AND open up a little more.
You ready for this?
This was my week in pictures…
The chandelier that cost me a day's work.
One of my favorite salads. I eat this for lunch more days than I care to admit.
A week of moody, beautiful skies.
A strange "prize" for winning a track race. O_o
Some of my haul from Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY.
Jessie the Dog after the prison break that earned me a citation from my town.
The lilac bush given to my by my mom before she moved away. It's blooming!
Still haven't resolved the debate over whether these chocolate chips are Vegan...
Not unusual to see this in the college town near the University Rebekah will be attending next year.
A rough week resulted in a decision to have two Fridays. We did Thai take-out to celebrate Friday #1.
April 27, 2012
Friday Poll; Social Anxiety
I have a confession to make; I’m terribly, awfully, horrifically anxious around unfamiliar people. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a small group or a big one, whether I’m meeting one person for lunch or giving a speech in front of a room full of people. The experience is agonizing, not just during the event or even immediately before it, but for days and sometimes weeks leading up to it.
I’ve gotten better. Yoga and meditation have helped me overcome a lot of my high-strung tendencies, and they have given me tools for managing my anxiety, too.
Like BREATHE. That’s a good one. And remember that no matter WHAT happens during this event/speech/meeting/lunch, it will pass, as all things do.
But still. It’s hard. And the funny thing is, when I tell people that I suffer from social anxiety, that I feel shy and embarrassed and self-conscious in front of people, they almost always look at me incredulously and say some variation of, “You?! Psh! Riiiight.”
I credit my years in sales and marketing for the ability to look someone in the eye, to shake their hand and smile, uttering all the socially expected niceties when I really want to puke and run. I’ve learned to put on a good show, but I’m still learning to really, truly enjoy these moments and events instead of dread them, because really, when they’re OVER, I almost always find that I’ve enjoyed myself.
With all of this, I was intrigued to read this article in the New York Times book review on a book titled; QUIET, THE POWER OF INTROVERTS IN A WORLD THAT WON’T STOP TALKING, written by a woman who considers herself to be an introvert of the highest order. I haven’t actually read the book yet, but now I’ve added it to my TBR list. It sounds like a book whose time has come, because I have this theory that more people are socially anxious than we realize. Like well-versed travelers in a foreign land, many of us have learned to do and say the right thing, but I’m always surprised at the number of people I speak to who admit feeling downright sick when forced to socialize with others.
Is it a product of our modern day society? Of the fact that we can and do keep our distance from our fellow man through a variety of electronic devices? Of that fact that we’re all SO DAMN BUSY that we don’t have time to socialize anymore? To visit our neighbors? To check on the elderly couple who lives next door or bring a cake to the new family on the block?
Are we losing our ability to truly connect with other human beings?
I don’t know, but I WANT to know. So for this week’s Friday Poll (yay! The Friday Poll is back!), I’m hoping you’ll share your thoughts on the matter. And feel free to comment, too!
View This Poll
Also, check back tomorrow for my first A Week in the Life post. As suggested by Jana, one of my favorite readers, I’ll be posting random pictures from my week with little or no explanation. Should be fun!
April 23, 2012
Welcome to My Blogging Identity Crisis
So… yeah. The good thing about a detailed blog post title is you can cut to the chase in the post, right?!
As you guys know, I’ve been doing regular features on this blog for some time. We’ve had Movie and Mystery Monday, Song of the Week, Thursday Night Write, and the Friday Poll. Having regular features has made it easier for me to post regularly, because I’m don’t always feel like I have to be uber witty and creative to generate a post when the truth is, sometimes I’m all creatived out from my real job; writing.
That said, some of the blog features get more views than others. And let me clear; I don’t care all that much about views except where it tells me what YOU like to read. For me, this blog is about connecting and sharing information with my readers, not selling books.
But I can’t connect with you if you’re not here, right? And I want you to keep coming back, because, well, I LIKE you!
I really enjoy Song of the Week (in which you nominate songs for me to feature) and the Friday Poll (which allows me to have fun asking you guys questions both silly and serious questions in a poll format), though I suspect I’d be more consistent with the Friday Poll if I scheduled it a head of time (I don’t know abut you, but by Friday, the last thing I want is to be on my computer). Thursday Night Write is hit and miss for me. It started as a way for YOU to share your writing, but after awhile the regulars were too busy to post and I opted to a move to an Anything About Writing format for Thursday. The problem is that sometimes I have something to say about writing, and sometimes all I can think of is, “HALP!” I’ve also experimented with a Things I Love post where I’ve posted everything from gorgeous dresses to books to yoga.
Now, for some reason, I find myself having a little blogging identity crisis. I think I need at least a couple regular features to keep me blogging regularly, because the truth is, being a single mom to four teenagers and writing 3-4 books a year just doesn’t leave me a lot to work with in terms of time, creativity and enthusiasm.
But I also want to make sure you keep coming here to chat, check-in, or even just read and move along. So help me out here! What do YOU like about the blogs you frequent? What are the qualities in a blog that keep you coming back, make you check in every few days, make it part of your regular internet circuit?
Inquiring minds want to know. And if you have any ideas or suggestions for this blog, I’m all ears!
April 17, 2012
This Time Tomorrow
Before I get to this week’s song, I have a few orders of business!
First, a big thanks to MTV’s Hollywood Crush for the AH-mazing review of A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS. Hollywood Crush calls Temptation “a heavenly read” so please head over there, share the link on Facebook, tweet the link, and leave a comment to show them — and me! — some love!
I also received wonderful reviews from bloggers Well-read In YA, Lauren’s Crammed Bokshelf, and WTF Are You Reading (one of my favorites for it’s mention of “no wing molestation”). If you read and enjoyed A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS and reviewed it on your blog and I’ve missed you, please send an email to Rebekah at prophecypress@aol.com with a link and we’ll try to post it for you here. I truly appreciate all reviews, bloggers or otherwise.
On a related note, if you enjoyed the book and haven’t yet left a review on B&N, Amazon, etc., please do!
I spent the weekend and the Houston TeenBookCon and had SUCH A WONDERFUL time. I wish I had pictures for you guys, buy I’m an in-the-moment kind of person and rarely remember to take them. I had an amazing time, though, meeting hundreds of readers and bloggers and hanging with so many incredible authors. It was a reminder to me that while I tend to be introverted and covet my alone-time, it really is good for the soul to interact with others who share your passion, even if you have to force yourself out the door to do it. As a bonus, A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS was sold out by lunchtime, which was pretty awesome.
This week’s song was posted on my Facebook wall by my beloved Caroline when I left for Houston, It’s one of my favorites. Hope you enjoy it!
April 13, 2012
Win Free Copies of The Vespertine, The Springsweet & A Temptation of Angels!
“Do you know what I’ve missed since coming here? Books. I do miss reading novels, don’t you?”
-Zora, The Springsweet
Pretty much every writer started out as a reader; now that we’re writers, we can’t help but write about people who love books. Sometimes IN the books. It’s meta upon meta, but it makes perfect sense to us.
To celebrate books, Saundra Mitchell’s blog tour is all about sharing two great things that go great together: books + free. We’re working the historical connection today—there’s just something about corsets and magic that go great together.
Today, you can enter to win a copy A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS, and a signed set of Saundra’s THE VESPERTINE and THE SPRINGSWEET. All you have to do is comment in this entry, and leave an e-mail address where we can contact you. (US & Canadian residents only, please.)
And tell us about your favorite book, too. Growing a TBR pile is the best gardening there is!
THE SPRINGSWEET
A Companion to The Vespertine
by Saundra Mitchell
Hardcover & E-book
From Harcourt
“A lovely historical romance takes readers back to the 1890 Oklahoma territory. (T)he author conjures a convincing picture of life on the Oklahoma prairie, painting an absorbing portrait of the landscape and of the people there. A high-quality, absorbing drama.”
It’s a long way from Baltimore to Oklahoma Territory. But Zora Stewart will go any distance to put the tragic events of her sixteenth summer behind her. So this city girl heads to the tiny frontier town of West Glory to help her young widowed aunt keep her homestead going.
When another Baltimorean shows up in West Glory, Zora couldn’t be more surprised. Theo de la Croix made the long trip out west hoping to court Zora, whom he has long admired from afar.
But Zora has developed an attraction to a rather less respectable fellow: Emerson Birch, a rough-mannered young “sooner” whose fertile land is coveted.
As Zora begins to suspect that there may be more than luck behind Emerson’s good land, she discovers an extraordinary, astonishing power of her own: the ability to sense water under the parched earth. When her aunt hires her out as a “springsweet” to advise other settlers where to dig their wells, Zora feels the burden of holding the key to something so essential to survival in this unforgiving land.
Even more, she finds herself longing for love the way the prairie thirsts for water. Maybe, in the wildness of the territories, Zora can finally move beyond simply surviving and start living.
THE SPRINGSWEET
is available at Indiebound |Amazon| Barnes & Noble
Saundra Mitchell has been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture-deliverer and a layout waxer. She’s dodged trains, endured basic training, and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She teaches herself languages, raises children, and makes paper for fun. She’s the author of Shadowed Summer, The Vespertine, The Springsweet, and the forthcoming The Elementals and Mistwalker. She’s also the editor of the forthcoming YA anthology Defy the Dark. She always picks truth; dares are too easy.
April 11, 2012
A Temptation of Angels Playlist Song #10 – Be Mine
This is Griffin and Helen's song from the A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS contemporary playlist. It's tres romantique!
We only have two more songs to complete the playlist and then we'll be back to our regular blog features, including Movie/Mystery Monday, Song of the Week, and the Friday Poll. If there are other features you guys would like to see, speak up! Bog features are a work in progress. It's all for YOU, so if there's something you want, I'm happy to comply.
On another note, I'll be Rocking the Drop tomorrow by leaving copies of A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS, PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS, and some other surprise books in and around my hometown. Hope you will all join me in celebration of Teen Lit Week!
Also want to remind you all that I'll be in Houston this week for the TeenBookCon, so if you're within driving distance, please stop by to say hello and get one of my infamous hugs (just say you follow me online and the hug is YOURS).
April 9, 2012
A Temptation of Angels Playlist Song #8 – Firestarter
I can't tell you how much I love this song. It's a kind of anthem for me, and it's also perfect for Helen and Raum. Embedding has been disabled on this one, but I want to give it to you anyway.
Firestarter by Jimmy Eat World
I hate putting up a link instead of an actual video, so I'll give you Song #9 as well. Sowing Season by Brand New was chosen as the theme song for Raum's redemption. This also happens to be one of my favorite Brand New songs.
I also want to remind you all that I'll be at the Houston TeenBookCon next Saturday, and I'd love to see you all there. A ton of amazing authors are attending. There will be panel discussions and signings and all kinds of awesomeness.
I'll also be at Oblong Books for an event with author Jacquelyn Delorme on Sunday April 22nd at 4pm. Oblong is a fantastic Indie in historic Rhinebeck, New York, and I love these kinds of signings because they usually provide more opportunity to really talk and hang out with the audience. Plus, there will be snacks! And free books!
April 7, 2012
And the Ipad Contest Winners Are…
I know you're all waiting anxiously to hear the winners of the Ipad giveaway, so without further ado…
The Grand Prize winner of a new Ipad and $50 Itunes gift card is Tiffany Mahaffy.
First Place Prize Pack; Jessirae Lloyd
Second Place Prize Pack; Aurora Momcilovich
Third Place Prize Pack; Crystal Martinez
Congratulations to all the winners and A HUGE THANK YOU for helping me spread the word about the release of A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS. Please send an email to prophecypress@aol.com to claim your prize. All winners were chosen my Random Number Generator, but with over 6,000 total entries, I don't think it's a surprise that these four peeps had the most entries. They all worked tirelessly — some in very inventive ways — to get the word out. At the same time, there were tons of people who helped out and aren't on this list, and I want you all to know how very much I appreciate you.
As always it means so much to me to have your support. If you enjoyed A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS, please continue to spread the word by recommending the book to your friends and posting a review on Amazon or B&N online. For the time being, I'm going to continue offering free bookplates to anyone who purchases a copy of TEMPTATION. If you have a reading friend or family member and would like to purchase a copy for them, just send an email to prophecypress@aol.com and we'll send you out a bookplate as long as they last (or until I get tired of buying them!).
I also want to announce that I will be hosting monthly giveaways until my next book comes out next year. Sometimes the prize packs will feature books signed by other authors, sometimes other goodies of my choosing.
But you all know I give good swag, so stay tuned.
Congrats again to our winners!
