1. What drew you to YA fantasy writing?
Basically, I write the kinds of books I like to read. I’ve always loved horror, fantasy, and sci-fi, and I feel like I’m perpetually nineteen years old, so writing YA fantasy was a natural fit. In many ways, I feel like it chose me!
2. Besides Circle of Fire, are there any other books coming out in YA fantasy that you’re particularly excited to read?
To be very honest, I don’t read a lot of YA. Not because I don’t love it. I do! But because as the YA market has gotten bigger and more diverse, I’ve become terrified of accidentally picking up on someone else’s ideas or having someone else’s voice work its way into my own work. For this reason alone, I read mostly adult fiction. I will admit, though, to loving EVERYTHING written by Ellen Hopkins (really looking forward to PERFECT, though it doesn’t come out until September 13, 2011) and Tamora Pierce (SO excited for Mastiff which comes out October 25th, 2011!) and to being extremely psyched for Becca Fitzpatricks’s SILENCE (October 4, 2011).
3. Both your blog and website are filled with songs. Is music a big part of your writing process?
It’s HUGE. My nineteen-year-old son, Kenneth, is an aspiring film composer. He writes scores for each of my books (the themese are usually used in the book trailers), so we work very closely. I also listen to film scores while I write. Lyrics distract me, but I usually need to put headphones on to block out the sounds of my house. Film scores are the perfect answer! They provide instant atmosphere for whatever I’m writing. In my “off” time, I love to attend concerts with my teenagers. There’s just nothing like live music. Song of the Week (a feature on my blog) was created because I thought it would be a great way to hear about new music. And it has!
4. What inspired the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy?
Prophecy of the Sisters was inspired by my love of horror, as well as a biblical legend about a legion of angels called the Watchers who were sent to watch over mankind and banished from heaven when they fell in love with mortal women.
5. How would you describe Alice Milthorpe?
Alice is a sad, complicated character. I really wanted to create in her an atypical villain – one who demonstrated the complexity that lives in us all, light and dark, good and bad. Even though she’s the antagonist of the Prophecy of the Sisters Trilogy, I get more mail about her than any other character. Surprisingly, much of it is sympathetic!
6. How would you describe Lia Milthorpe?
Lia has lived in the shadow of her twin sister all her life. The prophecy forces her to step out of that shadow and tap tremendous inner strength to fight for who she is, who she wants to be, and to keep her sister from ushering in the Lost Souls. She’s good and loving, but she has a dark side, too, something you’ll see more of in Circle of Fire. As with Alice, I wanted Lia to be a multi-dimensional character, not a Mary Sue. In Circle of Fire, you’ll see Lia struggle with her own darkness, her own character flaws.
7. Can you give us a sneak peek into Circle of Fire?
Circle of Fire follows Lia as she hurries to find the missing pieces to the prophecy’s puzzle before it’s too late to close the gate forever. You’ll be introduced to two more real-life sacred sites, see the girls navigate a threat to their friendship, and watch Lia’s relationship with Dimitri deepen even as Lia comes face to face with the past – including Alice and James.
8. Do you have any book signings/tours planned?
I keep my schedule updated here: http://michellezink.com/appearances
9. Where is the best place for your fans to find you on the internet? Are you active on facebook/twitter?
The best place is here: http://michellezink.com/blog
10. What advice would you offer someone interested in writing YA fantasy?
Read and write as much as you can! And whatever you’re working on, try to finish it. Whether it’s a poem, short story, or novel, you’ll learn more from forcing yourself through the tough parts than you will through anything else you can read or do. That process of seeing something through from beginning to end will teach you SO much, regardless of how the finished product turns out. Most importantly, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. Debut writers sell books every day. If they can do it, so can you.
Michelle Zink lives in New York and has always been fascinated with ancient myths and legends. Never satisfied with simply reading them, she usually ends up asking, “What if?” Sometimes asking only leads to more questions, but every now and then, when everything falls into place just right, a story is born. Prophecy of the Sisters is one of those stories.