If you crave mystery, suspense, horror, tragedy and beautifully written prose, then Michelle Zink’s Prophecy of the Sisters is the perfect book for all fans of Gothic literature.

At the heart of this story are twins Lia and Alice Milthorpe, who find themselves on opposing sides of a prophecy that predicts the potential end of mankind and the reign of darkness.  Ultimately, Lia, the Gate,  must choose whether to allow the dark Souls to pass into the world or destroy the darkness altogether, while Alice, the Guardian, must fight to keep the evil at bay.  However, when Lia makes her choice, her twin sister Alice chooses the opposing side, vowing to work against her, which results in a dark, edge-of-your-seat thriller that pits sister against sister, blood against blood.

Filled with dark hallways, haunted rooms, and whispering voices, the setting, mood, and tone Zink creates is reminiscent of Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher.” One the other hand, the apocalyptic, otherworldly elements tend to remind me of Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle Trilogy, another one of my favorite series. However, regardless of what other tales Prophecy of the Sisters brings to mind, Zinc’s beautifully crafted prose, three-dimensional characters and tension-building conflict are most certainly all her own. …» more

It’s been nearly two months since I decided to rewrite my novel, The Seers: Dark Inheritance, and I have to say it’s been an eye-opening experience. In fact, now that I’m almost finished with the new version, I look back on the original and completely understand where I went wrong. The story was too long, and while the characters were well-developed, the hook lacked much to be desired, and the action lulled and dragged on far too often. In other words, I was as long-winded as a southern Baptist preacher.

You see, East Tennessee is not exactly the Mecca of the literary or publishing world, and while no one really cares to hear excuses, I really must plead complete ignorance. Basically, living in a rural area, I am isolated from a lot of resources that many writers have at their fingertips. In fact, the closest large cities are Johnson City and Knoxville, and they aren’t exactly known for their many agents, writing workshops, or publishing companies. So from the start, I’ve been on my own, relying only on what I learned in college and what I had read on the Internet. So I kept sending query after query, and even though I had some interest, I continued to get rejection after rejection. …» more

I have had several people email about the progress of my novel, The Seers: Dark Inheritance.  Several agents have expressed interest, and I have had two manuscript requests, one of which was rejected. However, I have decided to put the query process on hold. Most of the rejections I have received have been based solely on my query letter and are usually generic form letters. However, as strange as it sounds, the rejection I recently received of my manuscript was the best rejection I could have gotten.  

Being new at this and having never dealt with the publishing industry (other than my time as a reporter), I had some concerns with my story but no one to ask.  All I knew was that friends, family and students who had read my ms said they enjoyed it. As a writer, I felt like it was ready, but it wasn’t. Everything I had worried about before–the length, the complicated plot line, the hook, and the beginning–were listed as criticisms in the rejection.  I won’t deny that the rejection was painful, as I am sure they always are, but I have never been a quitter, and I have always tried to be open and receptive to criticism.  The best part is that the agent complimented my writing skills and deemed that my story has merit. At least I know that I can write, so it’s not my skills that are lacking. I just need to tweak what I wrote (which is a huge understatement). Therefore, I plan to take the agent’s advice and make drastic revisions to my manuscript. …» more

I may be completely out of my mind, but I just entered Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award contest, the grand prize being a $25,000 book deal.  The panel is accepting up to 10,000 entries and will narrow it to 500 by mid-March, based on the pitch submission. I would be honored just to make it past the first round–and if nothing happens, at least I went for it, right?  I almost didn’t enter due to that irritating little voice in the back of my mind that said, “What’s the point? You’ll just be wasting your time.”  But then I got to thinking about it, and I decided I might as well give it a shot.  I have everything required to enter–a completed novel, a brief biography, a pitch, and a synopsis. What I don’t have is an agent, an editor, a publisher, or a book deal–all of which can be achieved through this contest. When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose. I’ll keep you posted on my rise to publication or my current status of walking stereotype. After all, “those who can’t do teach.” Ha ha.

It’s the second day of the new year, and so far, I can’t complain. Yesterday, we (meaning my husband and me) sold the house we’ve had on the market since May in a time of economic crisis, not to mention the dead of winter. And not to get ahead of myself, but as an aspiring author working my fingers to the bone to get an agent, I’d like to think of the fortunate beginning to 2009 as a good omen for things to come.

I am currently in the middle of writing a book proposal for my novel, and to say the least, the task is daunting and fraught with all kinds of peril–like market research. Blech! I have a basic rough draft right now, and I’ve survived thus far, which makes me rather proud. I only hurled the how-to book across the room twice, so all in all, I would say it’s not that bad. We’ll see what tune I’m whistling after I return to work on Monday and have less time to devote to my project.