Michelle Zink's Blog, page 43

Song of the Week – Far Behind

This week's song is Far Behind by Candle Box and was nominated by Morgan.

I've always loved this song, but I'd kind of forgotten about it until now.

If you have a song recommendation for Song of the Week, email it to prophecypress@aol.com with "Song of the Week" in the Subject line.

Enjoy!

The Timid Girl in the Corner, Teaching, and Moving Through the Difficulties

[image error]This week I have an announcement to make about the Anonymous Teen Reader feature. I've received several emails asking for me to expand the interviews to include non-teen readers. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Prophecy readers aren't all teenagers. In fact, I'd say the split is more like 50/50 between teens and adults.

So I'm going to open the interviews up to non-teens. From here on out, the feature will be called Anonymous Prophecy Reader and will be open to readers of all ages. If you'd like to be featured, send an email to prophecypress@aol.com with "Anonymous Prophecy Reader" in the subject line. My assistant will email you the questions and instructions.

This week's Anonymous Prophecy Reader is Abugcutie! I know you'll enjoy her interview as much as I did!

JUST THE FACTS

Interview Code Name (you choose!); Abugcutie

Current country of residence; United states of America/ State:Colorado

Male or female? Female

Age; 20

ABOUT THE BOOKS

How many books, on average, do you read a month? 4-5 depending on how long they are.

Favorite kind of book and why: I like a lot of different genres but right now I'm into fantasy

Name the single most important factor in your decision to purchase a book; price

What makes you feel like you're reading or have read a truly amazing book? When I can place myself into the story and become part of the story is when I truly have felt like I have read and amazing book.

How important is a friend's recommendation in your decision to purchase a book? A friends recommendation does not necessarily make or break my decision to read a book but a recommendation will definitely make me take a closer look at it.

Thing you'd like to see more or less of in the YA genre; being raise in a predominately white family but also having black in me I like to read about the black culture but I generally cant find fantasy books with predominately black characters in them so I would like to see more of that.

What's your biggest pet peeve in a book? To be continued endings

Paperback or hardcover? Doesn't matter a book is a book

Series or stand-alone? I love book series but stand alones are good too

ALL ABOUT YOU

If you had a life philosophy or motto, what would it be? When someone tells you who they are as a person don't try to change them cause you can only change you. (SO TRUE!)

Are your parents divorced? Yes but they still live together (kinda weird but it works)

Do you feel that being a teenager is difficult? If so, why? Yes being a teen is hard but life in general is hard and we just gotta learn to move through the difficultness and learn from it. And I think being a teen is hard because if anything was easy there wouldn't be a point in doing or being it everything takes work. So ya

List some of your hobbies. baking, reading, swimming, learning, traveling

Why do you think teenagers feel the need to label one another? to make themselves better

Favorite color? Blue and Purple

Is there anything in your past that makes you sad or angry? If so, are you willing to share it here? No not really

What is your passion? teaching

Do you feel the need to pretend to be someone you're not? If so, why? Sometimes and its cause I want to fit in and not be the timid girl in the corner.

What kinds of things do you think about when you're all alone? I think about god, guys and whether or not there is a Mr. Right for me, sex and whether or not I made the right choice to wait till marriage before doing it….

How do you keep your bed? Covered in pillows? Made perfect every morning? A mess of tangled sheets? I like pillows but I try to make it perfect every morning.

Do you ever feel the need to be invisible? If so, why? I am invisible most of the time so I guess I don't feel the need to be invisible I feel the need to be seen.

Do you believe that you will ever find the type of love in books and movies? My dream is to find a love like the loves I read about and watch in the movies but its hard to believe in that kind of love when you don't ever actually see it in real life

Do you like school? Why or why not? I do not like school only because I am not a quick learner and I have always struggled to keep up and to understand.

Do you believe that education is important? Yes education is super important

Are the cliques you read about or see on TV present in your school? Yes the cliques are there but in my school they weren't as bad as the dramatized versions you see on TV

Do you ever feel awkward and uncomfortable? Only when I say something stupid or when people start talking about their significant others.

Favorite animal? Rhinos and hippos

Have you ever been mean to someone? If so, why? How did it make you feel afterward? Yes I have been mean to a lot of people not purposely always but I always felt terrible after saying or doing something mean and it was generally done in anger.

Do you regret any of the choices you've made? If so, are you willing to share them here? I regret not trying harder to make friends and to be social

Do you wonder or worry about what other people think about you? Be honest! I am always worried about what people think of me.

 

I Love The Songs of Distant Earth Blog

I ADORE this blog.

Granted, I only found out about it because they linked to me for my Sucker Punch post (which I appreciate!). BUT STILL.

A whole blog dedicated to female musicians and female characters in film, including music videos, film production updates, etc!!!! What could be more awesome?

So today, I love Tsode.com!!!!

Go take a look!

Friday Poll – Favorite Homemade Cookie

[image error]This is probably going to be harder than it sounds;

What's your favorite homemade cookie? You can only pick ONE!

Weigh in with the Friday poll!

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Thursday Night Write – 5/12/2011

This is a prompt week for Thursday Night Write, but instead of giving you all a picture, I've decided to try a verbal prompt.

This one comes from a nifty little thing called The Writer's Toolbox by Jamie Cat Callan that I bought for Caroline for Christmas. It has all kinds of nifty things for writers. I highly recommend it as a fun way to prompt new ideas and get the words flowing.

So here's the deal; Give yourself no more than 30 minutes to write anything that comes to mind when reading the following prompt:

"There I was, just standing there, when what I wanted to do was forbidden."

Then, post no more than 300 words of your piece for comment, remembering to comment at least one other entry.

That's it! It's a great way have fun writing with absolutely NO RULES, plus get a little feedback. Writers of all ages and experience are welcome to play. You can post your piece any time between now and Midnight EST on Sunday.

On another note, can you believe we have less than three months to the release of Circle of Fire?! SO bittersweet, but I can't wait to share it with you guys!

Song of the Week – Sweet Dreams with Emily Browning

I'm sure by now you all about my love affair with the music from Sucker Punch. But I didn't nominate this song, I swear!

Although it WAS nominated by Caroline. What can I say? She has good taste in music.

;)

I ADORE this cover of Sweet Dreams featuring the very talented Emily Browning (who also starred in the movie). I love the original version by the Eurythmics and the cover by Marilyn Manson. But this one's definitely a contender for my favorite. The accompanying video is actually the movie opener, and I have to say that it's one of the most intense, powerful introductions to any movie, ever. Hope you enjoy it!

And keep those song recs coming by nominating YOUR favorite music at prophecypress@aol.com. Believe it or not, today I went all the way back to November to see if there were any older recommendations I was feeling, so I DO keep them all on hand for future Songs of the Week!

 

 

Anonymous Teen Reader & Misc. Updates

You guys!!! I need some more Anonymous Teen Readers! I didn't realize until last week that I was completely out. This is probably because for about a year-and-a-half now, I've always had a backlog of about four months worth of interviews. Then, all of a sudden, POOF! I'd gone through them all.

So if you're a teen and would like to be featured on Anonymous Teen Reader, just send an email to prophecypress@aol.com with "Anonymous Teen Reader" in the Subject line. My assistant will email you the questions. That's all there is to it!

We've received about forty emails from the winners of the Prophecy Superfan Giveaway, which means there are a few people out there who haven't replied with a mailing address. Emails were sent to all the winners, but if you didn't receive yours and KNOW you were in the top 50, please email prophecypress@aol.com with "Prophecy Superfan Winner" in the subject line. Winners who don't send an email by Wednesday 5/11 at Midnight EST will be disqualified. After that date, we'll start choosing winners from those who were a bit late to make the top 50.

Superfan Packs are ready to go to those of you have responded and will be mailed tomorrow (along with the VERY late prizes to my Fanart winners – SO SORRY!).

The Circle of Fire Pre-Order Giveaway is still going on, so don't forget to email a copy of your pre-order receipt to prophecypress@aol.com for your signed bookplate and Circle of Fire wristband.

I also want to remind everyone that I'll be at the Teen Author Carnival in NYC on May 23, 2011. I ADORE the Teen Author Carnival for it's laid-back, lively atmosphere. It's one of the few events where I actually have time to chat with readers, and I always make a point to attend. This year, because I won't have ARCs of Circle of Fire, I'll be giving out some other related goodies. Hope to see you all there!

Lastly, I'll have Circle of Fire Tour news for you VERY soon. And I'll say this; it's not what you're probably expecting!

 

Friday Poll – College Debt

[image error]It's that time of year again. Time for graduating Seniors to start packing – and preparing to pay for – college.

Most of the teens I know are taking on some kind of student loan to pay for at least part of their higher education. Some more than others.

And with the state of the economy and fragile job market, there's been a lot of speculation recently about whether it's really wise for young people to rack up a ton of debt at the beginning of their lives in the hope that they will have a the trouble-free, secure future that seems more and more elusive to us all – college degree or not.

I've heard horror stories of kids taking on $250,000 in debt to attend an Ivy, only to be unemployed a year after graduation, struggling to pay off the loans that were supposed to guarantee them lucrative employment.The truth is, it's just not the guarantee it once was.

My oldest son is attending a local community college for the first two years. It's an old, established school, and he'll get the same basic education that he would get at a four-year-university those first two years.

It's also cheap. Which is a good thing. He'll transfer to a four-year university later, but right now I have to say, the community college plan's looking pretty good!

Rebekah, on the other hand, wants to study abroad in Italy for her first year of college, a decidedly more expensive option. We're still figuring out how to make it work. I tend to be against taking on debt for college (or at least taking on a lot of debt), but is it worth it for a once-in-a-lifetime experience like studying abroad? I'm still trying to answer that question for myself. The traveler in me wants to scream, "YES!" without thinking. The Mom-Who-Has-To-Send-Four-Kids-To-College is still thinking it over.

What do you think? Does college still offer enough of a guarantee that it's worht going into a lot of debt to attend the one of your choice? Or are we saddling our young people with a burden many of them won't be able to repay at a time when they're just getting on their feet in a very unstable economy?

Weigh in with the Friday Poll!

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Thursday Night Write – Open Mic 5/5/2011

[image error]Welcome to another edition of Thursday Night Write! Rules will follow, but first I want to remind everyone that the Circle of Fire Pre-Order Giveaway started yesterday and will run for two weeks. Anyone who submits a pre-order receipt during that time will receive a signed Limited Edition bookplate for your book and a Circle of Fire wristband.

I also want to remind you that I'll be at the Hudson Children's Book Festival this weekend in Hudson, NY and would LOVE to see you all there. One of the things I love best about this festival is that it's really laid back. It gives me more time to visit with readers, so please stop by and say hello! It's a great way to spend the day.

For those of you who don't know, Open Mic is your chance to post an original poem, song, short story, or novel excerpt for comment. Post no more than 300 words in the Comments section of this post and make sure to comment at least one other entry if you participate. Writers of all ages and experience are welcome to play. If you're shy, just use a fake name! No one will ever know, and there's something really empowering about putting your work out into the world.

Happy writing!

 

A Few Things – Including a Surprise Giveaway!

It's Wednesday, which is usually my day to do my own thing on the blog or to do nothing at all.

This week, I have a couple of announcements, plus a small surprise giveaway.

First things first! I'll be at the Hudson Children's Book Festival in Hudson, NY this Saturday from 10am – 5pm. This will be my second year at Hudson, and I'm super happy to be attending again because it is truly an awesome festival. There are panels, writing-related discussion, activities for kids of all ages, and tons of amazing authors standing by to sign your books. If any of you are in NY, CT, MA, or NJ, you should definitely think about coming up and saying hello. The drive along the Hudson River this time of year is GORGEOUS, and the train runs from NYC right into the little town of Hudson. Hudson is a great walking town, full of great restaurants and antique shops. It's a perfect day trip and a wonderful way to break free of the looong winter that kept us imprisoned inside for so many months.

Hope to see you there!

We've been a little bit behind around here lately, mostly because Rebekah (my daughter and assistant) is ramping up to finals at school and has been very busy. As a mom, school always comes first – even before Prophecy stuff. But I promise we're slowly and surely catching up. If we owe you anything (emails, prizes, etc.), you should see them within the next 7-10 days.

On that note, the Superfan emails have gone out to the first 50 respondents in the Prophecy Superfan Giveaway. If you KNOW you were among the first 50 and haven't received an email, please check your Spam folder and then email my assistant at prophecypress@aol.com with the name you used when you left your comment. If you're not sure you were in the first 50, hang tight for a few more days. If all 50 winners don't respond, we'll start sending emails to those who came in after the cutoff.

I also need to announce May's Reader of the Month as Queenravensclaw. She is VERY active in the Forums (and everywhere else). I appreciate her support so much, and to say thank you, I'll be sending her a $25 book store gift card to the store of her choice as well as some other select goodies. QRC, Please email your mailing address and choice of store to prophecypress@aol.com with "Reader of the Month Winner" in the Subject line. Remember, you must be an active, registered member of the Forums to win Reader of the Month, so if you're not, get thee to the Forum!

Lastly, we are only THREE MONTHS AWAY from the release of Circle of Fire. That means in only three more months, you will ALL know which sister makes it out of the prophecy alive – or if anyone makes it out alive at all.

To celebrate, today begins the Pre-Order Giveaway for Circle of Fire. It works like this;

Email your pre-order receipt (or a copy of it) to prophecypress@aol.com (please include your mailing address) and you'll receive a signed Limited Edition bookplate for Circle of Fire and a purple Circle of Fire wristband. This is the ONLY place the Circle of Fire wristbands will be awarded. The Prophecy and Guardian wristbands are part of the Superfan packs, but the Circle of Fire bands will only be given out in conjunction with the pre-order giveaway. You will receive a bookplate and wristband with each copy you pre-order, so this is a great time to plan ahead and purchase for gifts. I will sign the bookplate to whomever you like – just list the name(s) in your email. They stick right in the book, so it's like having your very own autographed copy!

The giveaway is valid for ALL Circle of Fire pre-orders (even those purchased prior to the giveaway) providing you have the receipt. We will honor receipts emailed to us by Midnight EST on May 18th from any and all stores that offer preorders (some links are below). Unfortunately, this giveaway is only for the US and Canada (it will just be too cumbersome to deal with receipt translations and such for so many people). But you know I love my Intl. readers and try to include you whenever I can! I'll be doing tons of contests and giveaways in the next three months, and I promise that most of them WILL be open internationally.

Preorder Circle of Fire from B&N.com

Preorder Circle of Fire from Amazon.com

Preorder Circle of Fire from Indiebound

Preorder Circle of Fire from Borders.com