Please Welcome Michelle Zink to Julies Book Review!!

Lets welcome Michelle Zink to Julie's Book Review. Michelle is giving away 3 books  1 of each of the Temptation series, so don't forget to check out the rafflecopter to the right of the pg.

 Can you tell me a little about yourself?

That's a loaded question! ;) I'm a single mother to four teenagers (well, one of them is twenty now). I love music, movies, and yoga. A multi-published author of four YA books, I've recently published two romantic novellas, TEMPTATION'S HEAT and TEMPTATION'S KISS, with Swoon Romance. 

What kind of books do you write? Newest release?

Until recently, my published work was all Young Adult. My first three books were in the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy (Little Brown) and A Temptation of Angels (Penguin/Dial) came out this last March. My next YA book, This Game of Voodoo, will be out next fall. My newest releases are Temptation's Heat and Temptation's Kiss, the first two books in a trilogy of romance novellas for adults. 

What should we expect in your book? Action. Adventure? Sex?

All of the above? ;)

How do you come up with your stories for your books?

I get ideas all over the place! Sometimes they come from tv shows or movies, sometimes it's a story on the news. And every now and then, a secondary character in one of my novels clamors for their own book.

Is anything in your stories based on real experiences?

Not overtly, but I think everything in a writer's psyche ends up as fodder for our stories one way or another. I never pattern characters after people I know in real life, but I do think my writing is a mechanism for dealing with life's many mysteries. I especially like to explore the gray areas -- in life and in people. Because the truth is, none of it is as simple as it seems. 


Toughest criticism? Best compliment?

The toughest criticism came early on from my agent when he informed me the characters in my books couldn't "just talk all the time." But it was also one of the most important things I learned as a writer. It's just not interesting to read about people talking. They have to MOVE. They have to do stuff and make discoveries and solve problems in an active way. The best compliments I receive are ones that compliment who I am as a human being, because while I'm grateful for the gift of my writing, being a decent human being is the most important thing of all. And it's not always as easy as it sounds. 


Any advice for aspiring authors?

Finish something. If you want to write short stories, finish a whole one. Ditto if you want to write novels. Writers likeshiny new ideas, but you will learn more about the craft of writing by forcing yourself to see something through then you will from any other single thing you can do. 


How about some fun stuff?

Dancing around the house? Singing on the porch after too many glasses of wine? Midnight scavenger hunt? 


Dogs or cats?

I love them both but I'm becoming more of a cat person as I get older (cue jokes about crazy cat ladies). 


1 Fav book? why?

White Oleander by Janet Fitch. Because it stays with you forever and the writing is so good, you will weep from the sheer beauty of it. 


Favorite place to travel?

I've lived in eight states, but I still don't feel like I've been enough places to answer this question! I hope I get the chance to go EVERYWHERE. My most recent dream is to make the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. 


1 fav author? Why?

Janet Fitch. Because I happily wait ten years for each of her books. 

Is this your full time job? if yes, anything else you want to do? if no what else do you do?

Right now, I'm lucky enough to call it my full time job. And honestly? There's nothing else I'd rather do. 

Where can we find you and your books? 

My YA books are available everywhere books are sold. My adult novellas, Temptation's Heat and Temptation's Kiss, are currently digital exclusives on Amazon. 

http://www.amazon.com/Temptations-Kiss-Shadowguard-Series-ebook/dp/B00AHZ2560/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1355763083&sr=8-13&keywords=temptation+kiss


http://www.amazon.com/Temptations-Heat-Shadowguard-Series-ebook/dp/B00AI3A79S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355764243&sr=1-1&keywords=temptation+heat

Thank you for coming on Julie's Book Review. I wish you lots of success and hope you and your families all have a Great New Year.
Julie Ramsey
juliesbookreview.blogspot.com