Michelle Zink's Blog, page 46

I Love Coffee! And April's Reader of the Month!

[image error]I once attended a writer's conference where somehow, some way, the organizers had forgotten to have coffee available.

You should have heard the collective gasp. Word rippled through the crowd, creating an audible buzz.

"WHAT?! They don't have COFFEE?!"

"No COFFEE?!"

And my favorite; "Who invites writers someplace without COFFEE?!"

That's because coffee is commonly referred to as The Elixir of the Gods among writers. Sure, I know some who prefer tea, but 98% of the writers I know would be completely useless without coffee, their prose and dialogue turning into nothing but senseless babble.

So this week, I declare my love for coffee! I

And now the weekly round up;

April's Reader of the Month is ChocolateLover123! She'll receive a $25 gift card to the bookstore of her choice plus a True Blue Spa set from Bath and Body Works and a DVD of Music and Lyrics, one of my favorite romantic comedies. Please send your mailing address and the name of the bookstore of your choice to prophecypress@aol.com with "Reader of the Month Winner" in the Subject line. We had three potential winners this month – winners are chosen at random from the most active members of the Forum. You must be a registered member of the Forum to win.

The Massive Prophecy Fanart Contest closed. Entries are being formatted for delivery to the judges and three winners – a Grand Prize winner and two runners up – will be announced soon!

Monday we met Anonymous Teen Reader, Rosie the Writer.

The Song of the Week was Have You Forgotten by Red House Painters, nominated by Rhonda Stapleton.

Wednesday, we met Fanart judge C. Lee McKenzie, author of Sliding on the Edge and The Princess of Las Pulgas.

Thursday Night Write was an Open Mic with many wonderful entries. You can still post your writing for comment until Midnight EST Sunday.

I asked you to share your idea of a dream summer vacay in yesterday's Friday Poll!

Friday Poll – Favorite Summer Vacation

[image error]So… do you notice anything different?

No, it's not my hair. And I doubt I've lost weight, either.

But my SITE is a different story! It's new and improved, including the addition of the Circle of Fire cover on the Home page.

Isn't that new cover pretty?! *pets cover*

I owe my site – both the original and the updated version – to Anna at Eat.Sleep.Design. She's done an amazing job! So if you're an author out there who's looking for a new website or even just an update/upgrade, I highly recommend her work.

And now it's time to begin the annual Zink Summer Vacation Debate. Although to be very honest, after our last vacation in Maine, I don't think there's much of a contest for us. We're already dying to go back. Two years earlier, we went to Disneyland (I was in LA for SCBWI and since we're form LA, we took the opportunity to go home for a visit), and while we loved every minute of it, the Maine vacation was more our speed.

A simple cottage, a secluded cove, and nothing to do for two weeks but read, sleep, watch movies, and kayak.

Okay. I might have worked A LITTLE.

But it was awesome.The only thing I'd rather do more at this point is take a trip to Europe, and that's not happening this summer. So Maine it is!

How about you? What's your dream summer vacation made of? Weigh in with the Friday Poll!

View Poll

Prophecy of the Sisters



Guardian of the Gate

 

Thursday Night Write – Open Mic 3/31/2011

[image error]Time for another edition of Thursday Night Write! And this one's an Open Mic.

Same rules as always; post your original poem, short story, song or novel excerpt of 300 words or less for comment. And don't forget to leave a comment for at least one other post if you post your own work. Writers of all ages and experience are welcome to play!

Also, this is the LAST day to submit art for the Prophecy Fanart Contest. Grand Prize; Photoshop CS5 Extended, so hurryyyyy!

 

Fanart Judge C. Lee McKenzie PLUS Contest Winners!

I'm very pleased to introduce our last Fanart judge, C. Lee MacKenzie.

But first, I have some very important business to attend to. Namely, the winners of my joint giveaway with photographer Heather Gardner for one of the prints from the Circle of Fire trailer shoot, signed copies of Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate, and a postcard with a personal message from moi.

We had over 700 entries in this contest. It was HUGE! But the winners were chosen by my assistant from all entries received on both Heather's site and this one using the Random Number Generator.

And the winners are….

Amy Polen and Akasha Hale!

Congrats to both of you! Please send your mailing addresses to prophecypress@aol.com. Don't forget to let us know which trailer photo you'd like!

And now, I'm super excited to introduce Lee McKenzie, author of Sliding on the Edge and The Princess of Las Pulgas.

[image error]Lee is one of those people that I just immediately connected with. She radiates serenity and goodness, both in person and online, and is an example of how to conduct oneself with integrity and dignity in this increasingly crazy, pressure-filled business.

But the very first thing that drew me to Lee was her writing. I was fortunate enough to read Sliding on the Edge in ARC form before it was published, and I was completely bowled over. It was different from anything I'd ever read, and I proceeded to shout from the rooftops about it at every opportunity, even putting it on my Under the Radar books list because I SO wanted people to read it. It deals with self-mutilation (cutting) in an honest, heartbreaking way, and it's a story that's stayed with me ever since.

More recently, I was honored to blurb the Princess of Las Pulgas, a timely story about an affluent girl whose family loses everything and is forced to move to a less desirable part of town after the death of her father, I was once again blown away by Lee's simple but moving prose and characters that felt like they could be be anyone and everyone I'd ever known.

Lee is a phenomenally gifted writer and a lovely, lovely human being. I hope you'll all support her work by giving her books, Sliding on the Edge and The Princess of Las Pulgas a try. You can learn more about Lee and her work at http://www.cleemckenziebooks.com/.

[image error]After her father's slow death from cancer, Carlie thought things couldn't get worse. But now, she is forced to confront the fact that her family in dire financial straits. To stay afloat, her mom has had to sell their cherished oceanfront home and move Carlie and her younger brother Keith to the other side of the tracks to dreaded Las Pulgas, or "the fleas" in Spanish. They must now attend a tough urban high school instead of their former elite school, and on Carlie's first day of school, she runs afoul of edgy K.T., the Latina tattoo girl who's always ready for a fight, even on crutches. Carlie fends off the attention of Latino and African American teen boys, and one, a handsome seventeen-year-old named Juan, nicknames her Princess when he detects her aloof attitude towards her new classmates. What they don't know is that Carlie isn't really aloof; she's just in mourning for her father and almost everything else that mattered to her. Mr. Smith, the revered English teacher who engages all his students, suggests she'll like her new classmates if she just gives them a chance; he cajoles her into taking over the role of Desdemona in the junior class production of Othello, opposite Juan, after K.T. gets sidelined. Keith, who becomes angrier and more sullen by the day, spray paints insults all over the gym as he acts out his anger over the family's situation and reduced circumstances. Even their cat Quicken goes missing, sending Carlie and Keith on a search into the orchard next to their seedy garden apartment complex. They're met by a cowboy toting a rifle who ejects them at gunpoint from his property. But when Carlie finds him amiably having coffee with their mom the next day — when he's returned her cat — she begins to realize that nothing is what it seems in Las Pulgas.

Fanart entries are still coming in and you have two more days to enter. The grand prize, Photoshop CS5 Extended, is a big one, so hurry and get your entries in by midnight EST on March 31st. There are also two runner upprize packs that have some awesome art-related goodies, making this all in all a very worthwhile contest, plus you get the opportunity to showcase some of you art.

So get on it. You got this!

Song of the Week – Have You Forgotten

Love this week's song, Have You Forgotten by Red House Painters. It was nominated by author and friend, Rhonda Stapleton. Simple, beautiful, and mellow with some lovely lyrics.

Thanks, Rhonda!

YA Spec-Fic, Existential Crisis, and Control

This week's Anonymous Teen Reader is Rosie the Writer! She's an amazing young woman with a very, very good head on her shoulders, proving once again that Prophecy readers RULE.

:D

Enjoy! And if you'd like to be featured on Anonymous Teen Reader, just send an email to prophecypress@aol.com with "Anonymous Teen Reader" in the subject line.

JUST THE FACTS

Interview Code Name (you choose!); Rosie the Writer

Current country of residence; USA

Male or female? Female

Age; 18

 

ABOUT THE BOOKS

How many books, on average, do you read a month?

Used to read about 7 or 8, since starting college, 3

Favorite kind of book and why;

YA Speculative (sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian, horror). I love speculative fiction because I read to escape, and reading about ordinary life isn't enough of an escape for me. I love YA because I think the protagonists are at just the right age when they're teens—old enough to make life decisions, young enough to still be stupid about them. They're also old enough to be able to fight to save their world, but young enough that they can still have a life when that's over with.

Name the single most important factor in your decision to purchase a book; Interest. If either the book, genre, or author doesn't interest me, I won't even give it a second glance.

What makes you feel like you're reading or have read a truly amazing book?

If I yell at the book, or if I cry, or if I feel like throwing the book aside because I'm mad, that's an amazing book. Also, if I read the book in one sitting. Basically, if the book evokes such a strong emotional reaction from me that I show it in some visible way, it's an amazing book.

How important is a friend's recommendation in your decision to purchase a book?

A friend's recommendation doesn't do much for purchasing a book, but it does impact my decision to read a book, particularly because my To-Read list is very long.

Thing you'd like to see more or less of in the YA genre;

Less vampires, more faeries! Also, more novels-in-verse. It's my favorite format, and one that I believe is under-used and under-appreciated.

What's your biggest pet peeve in a book?

Alienating narrators. Now, this doesn't mean that I have to have gone through what the narrator is going through, but if their emotions and reactions are so alienating that I can't even begin to feel the experience for myself, I can't finish the book.

Paperback or hardcover?

Paperback.

Series or stand-alone?

Series, or at the very least, companion novels :)

 

ALL ABOUT YOU

If you had a life philosophy or motto, what would it be?

Carpe Diem. This is a little odd, because I tend to be a chronic worrier, but I'm trying this new thing where I don't worry about things that have already happened, and it's taken such a load off my shoulders. I feel like this is the next logical step :) (nice!)

Are your parents divorced?

No.

Do you feel that being a teenager is difficult? If so, why?

Yes. There's the obvious difficulty of PUBERTY *dundundun* There's also the fact that teenagers can be very petty and vindictive. I know we like to think that we're the one exception, but we all have our moments.

List some of your hobbies.

Reading and writing are the main two. :) I also love watching Disney movies, learning languages, and playing video games. I play tin whistle, too.

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

It makes everything easier if people fit into little boxes. Teens want to control their lives, and if they label people and base their judgments on those labels, it adds an aspect of control.

Favorite color?

Blue

Is there anything in your past that makes you sad or angry? If so, are you willing to share it here?

Yes, but I'm trying not to worry (aka over-analyze everything I do and say) about stuff that has already happened.

What is your passion?

Writing, particularly writing poetry.

Do you feel the need to pretend to be someone you're not? If so, why?

No.

What kinds of things do you think about when you're all alone?

Who am I? I've been going through weekly existential crises. I also think about story ideas and things that will never be.

How do you keep your bed? Covered in pillows? Made perfect every morning? a mess of tangled sheets?

When I get up in the morning, I convert my bed into a couch by moving my pillows and folding back my blankets. Thus, there are a lot of pillows on my bed. I also have a backrest pillow. I'm kind of picky when I sleep, so I have to have my blankets tucked into the end of my bed so that my feet can't poke out. I know a lot of teenagers don't really care, but it really bothers me.

Do you ever feel the need to be invisible? If so, why?

I don't really feel the need, but it would certainly be interesting.

Do you believe that you will ever find the type of love in books and movies?

I hope so; I'm a hopeless romantic.

Do you like school? Why or why not?

Yes. I love learning. I'm kind of a nerd like that. I also love being in an atmosphere with people who also love learning so we can talk about things we learn. Ok, I'm a major nerd. But I'm proud to be a nerd. :D (me, TOO!)

Do you believe that education is important?

Absolutely. Education is what makes the future. Not just the future for the individual, but for society as a whole.

Are the cliques you read about or see on TV present in your school?

To a certain extent. I think they'll exist anywhere to a certain extent, because people of like interests band together. It's more a matter of how exclusive those people make their groups.

Do you ever feel awkward and uncomfortable?

Doesn't everyone??

Favorite animal?

Wolf.

Have you ever been mean to someone? If so, why? How did it make you feel afterward?

Definitely to my sister, and I always felt terrible afterwards. Probably inadvertently to others. Probably even on purpose, but I can't remember anything specific now. I'm very nonconfrontational.

Do you regret any of the choices you've made? If so, are you willing to share them here?

Yes, but as before, I'm trying not to think about them. :)

Do they wonder or worry about what other people think about you? Be honest!

I do, sometimes. But once I'm truly comfortable with a group of people, I tend to let that go. It's more with strangers, honestly. Like when my friends sing at the lunch table, I don't want the people I don't know to think I'm weird. Because people judge. No matter what they say, people judge. People have to make snap decisions and judgments about who they think people are. If we didn't, we would either talk to no one or talk to everyone. And either way, it would be a pretty extreme life. (You are very wise, hon.)

I Love Sucker Punch

[image error]This week I love Sucker Punch, and here's why;

First of all, let me be honest. I wasn't really thrilled when I saw the trailer. It looked like a bunch of T&A thinly disguised as a movie, but whatever. I figured I'd go, keep an open mind, and leave myself open to be inspired as often happens to me in movies.

So basically, I was prepared to really NOT like it.

But I have to say, I found it phenomenal from the intense and riveting intro all the way through the very last lines, which are still kind of echoing through my head.

Yes, there are scantily clad girls and an intermingled house for the mentally insane/bordello-type nightclub. But I saw it as a metaphorical comparison between physical imprisonment and the kind of imprisonment that happens not only literally to women (as with sexual slavery) but figuratively when they are objectified or "imprisoned" by the roles into which they are cast by others.

In the end, I found it to be an empowering message (during times of helplessness, the main character escapes into an imaginary world in which she is empowered to change things) about taking control of your own life with a lot of subtle social commentary about apathy (most of the girls would rather stay imprisoned than risk their lives for the possibility of something better) and some other heavy stuff.

And added bonus are incredible visual brought to you by Zach Snyder, the guy who did 300, and a totally kick-ass soundtrack.

Highly recommend it!

"You have all the weapons you need. So, fight."

 

And here's the roundup for this week;

Our Anonymous Teen Reader was Sellyvester!

The Song of the Week was Radioactive by Kings of Leon.

We met Fanart judge Lisa Mantchev, author of the Theatre Illuminata Series and all-around awesome person!

Thursday Night Write was a spooky, foggy prompt.

I asked you guys via the Friday Poll if anyone was really still using tanning beds.

And in case you missed it, the cover was released for, Circle of Fire,  the third and final book in the Prophecy of the Sisters Trilogy!

Lastly, you have just a few more days to submit any kind of visual art for the Massive Prophecy Fanart Contest. Grand Prize; Photoshop CS5 Extended, plus two runner up art prize packs.

You can also still qualify for next month's Reader of the Month. Just remember you have to be an active, registered member of the Forums.

 

Happy Saturday, guys!

 

Friday Poll – Tanning Beds

[image error]I'll keep this one short and sweet and resist the urge to lecture.

Tanning beds. Are we still doing this, people?!

View Poll

 

Prophecy of the Sisters

Guardian of the Gate

Meet Fanart Judge Lisa Mantchev

[image error]This week's featured Fanart judge is Lisa Mantchev, author of the uberly creative Theatre Illuminata Series.

Lisa was one of my very first writing friends after I sold Prophecy to Little Brown. I felt an immediate connection to her, probably because A) she's WAY funnier and more creative than I am (if I ever need help naming something or coming up with something creative, I ask Lisa), B) we share a love of ice cream and all sweet treats, and C) Lisa's one of the very few people I don't feel the need to apologize to when I'm at my worst. So basically, whenever I feel like throwing a tantrum or being a baby or being unprofessional or complaining, whining, or displaying other unflattering behaviors, I call or email Lisa.

Lucky her!

:D

But none of this TOUCHES her talent, because Lisa's books are some of the most brilliant, well-written, unique YA books available today. I constantly stand in awe of her command of the craft, and I recommend her books to anyone who will listen (plus they have GORGEOUS cover art, see below). And hello! Shakespeare, cupcakes, and bawdy fairies? What's not to love?!

Eyes Like Stars is the first book in the Theatre Illuminata Trilogy, followed by Perchance to Dream. The final book, So Silver Bright, will be out September 13th. Take my advice and start reading this series NOW so you'll be primed for the finale!

[image error]Beatrice Shakespeare Smith's search for her stolen companion has brought her traveling company far from the stage of the Théâtre Illuminata. With the power of her words, Bertie can reshape reality, but the magic is wild and defies her attempts to control it. The Pirate's time is running out and Sea Goddess will not give up her prize willingly. Learn more about Lisa's work at www.theatre-illuminata.com.

Thursday Night Write 3.23.2011

[image error]Welp, we got another snow day today, and even though I don't think it was worthwhile (it hasn't really snowed much yet), I figured I'd use the grayness of the day as a prompt for this week's Thursday Night Write. Prompts are a great way to flex your writing brain. Sometimes, you even get a great idea you can use in another story later on. There's just something about letting go of your inner editor and just WRITING.

You know the rules; give yourself no more than 30 minutes to write anything that comes to mind when you look at this photo. Then, post no more than 500 words for comment. Don't forget to comment at least one other entry if you post one of your own.Writers of all ages and experience are welcome.

And in case you missed the Circle of Fire cover reveal (unlikely, I know, since it was EVERYWHERE today), you can find it here. I love, love, LOVE it. I especially like how the covers reflect Lia's progression from baby-faced innocence in the first book to increasingly strong to very powerful and fierce on the final cover.

Definitely representative of her evolution as woman.

Can't wait to share it with you guys!

Prophecy of the Sisters

Guardian of the Gate