August 2013 – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

Indie Block Party – Post 8 – Social Media & Networking Tips

Published on August 29, 2013August 28, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle15 Comments

Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely endeavor. Join us for the Indie Block Party to meet your writing “neighbors.”

Participants will have the opportunity to share a little about themselves and their writing, while getting to know the other like-minded crazies that make up the Indie Writing World. Week 1
Day 1: Introduce Yourself
Day 2: Introduce your WIP
Day 3: Interview one of your Characters
Day 4: Interview one of your Neighbors (not your real neighbor…the one who signed up on the linkey after you 😉 )

Week 2
Day 5: What are you reading?
Day 6: Top 5 books
Day 7: Share your most helpful writing tips
Day 8: Share your most helpful social media & networking tips

Full instructions are available at The Peasants Revolt or Dawna Raver’s blog.

I wanted to start by thanking Fel and Dawna for hosting a great Indie Block Party. I had fun sharing a little about myself and my work and meeting other indie writers.

The best social media tip I can offer anyone who wants to create an online platform is be consistent and watch how the greats do it.

By greats, I mean:

Alex J. Cavanaugh – Blogfest Master, he makes networking seem effortless.

Marcy Kennedy – Writing instructor and Twitter expert

Kristen Lamb – Social media guru and creator of Wana International

Felicia Wetzig – website therapist

The bloggers of NA Alley

The bloggers of Wise, Ink

These people are super supportive and are doing it right.

Share with me your favorite social media and networking tips.

Indie Block Party – Post 7 – Writing Tips

Published on August 28, 2013August 28, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle10 Comments

Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely endeavor. Join us for the Indie Block Party to meet your writing “neighbors.”

Participants will have the opportunity to share a little about themselves and their writing, while getting to know the other like-minded crazies that make up the Indie Writing World.

Week 1
Day 1: Introduce Yourself
Day 2: Introduce your WIP
Day 3: Interview one of your Characters
Day 4: Interview one of your Neighbors (not your real neighbor…the one who signed up on the linkey after you 😉 )

Week 2
Day 5: What are you reading?
Day 6: Top 5 books
Day 7: Share your most helpful writing tips
Day 8: Share your most helpful social media & networking tips

Full instructions are available at The Peasants Revolt or Dawna Raver’s blog.

Three must read books for writers and the best advice from each:

1. Save the Cat by Blake Snyder

“You must give it a twist.” – other wise why should the reader keep reading.

“The whiff of death.” – At some point near the last 1/4 of your novel you have to have a death scene. Something, anything has to die. It spurs the MC towards the climax.

2. Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success by K.M. Weiland

Create a scene list. – I’m a list person.

Interview you characters and know them inside and out. – It all starts with well rounded character and it’s the author’s job to create that character.

3. On Writing by Stephen King

“The real importance of reading is that it creates an ease and intimacy with the process of writing.” – When I write, I read stuff in my genre. It helps me get in the right mind set to write.

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” – I make time every day to read, now if I can make time every day to write, I’ll be good.

Share your most helpful writing tips.

Indie Block Party – Post 6 – Top 5 Books

Published on August 27, 2013August 27, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle10 Comments

Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely endeavor. Join us for the Indie Block Party to meet your writing “neighbors.”

Participants will have the opportunity to share a little about themselves and their writing, while getting to know the other like-minded crazies that make up the Indie Writing World.

Week 2
Day 5: What are you reading?
Day 6: Top 5 books
Day 7: Share your most helpful writing tips
Day 8: Share your most helpful social media & networking tips

Full instructions are available at The Peasants Revolt or Dawna Raver’s blog.

Here are my top 5 favorite books:

5. Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella – Chick lit at its best. Becky Bloomwood is so annoying, you have to love her.

4. Deception Point by Dan Brown – Highly underrated book. Yes, Dan Brown did write books before The DaVinci Codes.

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – It was the most amazingly descriptive book. I am sorry it took me so long to read it.

2. The Regulators and Desperation by Stephen King (tied) – If you’ve read these two books and loved them, you are a true Stephen King fan. The Regulators realism is disturbing even for King and Desperation’s religious undertones made me uncomfortable. I loved them both equally.

1. The Marriage of the Sun and the Moon by Andrew Weil – I read this book in college for my Drug, Alcohol and Crime class. It’s all about what people do in order to heighten their consciousness. Thank about how you feel, mentally, physically, and spiritual, after a good writing session. Hell, sometimes even a bad session gives me a high. Plus, this book inspired my first tattoo.

What’s in your top five book list?

Indie Block Party – Post 5 – What I’m Currently Reading

Published on August 26, 2013August 25, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle10 Comments

Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely endeavor. Join us for the Indie Block Party to meet your writing “neighbors.”

Participants will have the opportunity to share a little about themselves and their writing, while getting to know the other like-minded crazies that make up the Indie Writing World.

Week 2
Day 5: What are you reading?
Day 6: Top 5 books
Day 7: Share your most helpful writing tips
Day 8: Share your most helpful social media & networking tips

Full instructions are available at The Peasants Revolt or Dawna Raver’s blog.

Kayla Marlowe is slowly vanishing…

Last year, Kayla’s world imploded. Her beloved father died, leaving her alone with a narcissistic mother who is quick to criticize her daughter’s appearance. During her winter break from college, Kayla’s dangerous obsession with losing weight begins.

Kayla feels like her world changes for the better overnight. Being skinny seems to be the key to the happiness she has desperately been seeking. Her mother and friends shower her with compliments, telling her how fantastic she looks. Kayla is starving, but no one knows it.

Cameron Bennett explodes into Kayla’s life. He’s sexy and kind—he has every quality she has been looking for in a guy. As Cameron grows closer to Kayla and learns of how far she’s willing to go to stay thin, he becomes desperate to save her.

Kayla’s struggles with anorexia and bulimia reach a breaking point and she is forced to confront her body image issues in order to survive. She wonders if Cameron could be the one to help heal her from the pain of her past.

I applaud Heather for writing about such a difficult topic. Some of it was hard to read and it’s a testament to her talent as a writer. I loved the book.

I’ve been reading a lot of NA romance novels lately. This is a perfect example of why I love the genre so much. The challenges of the individual are just as important as the challenges of the romance.

From this book, I learned a little more about how to write about difficult topics and not loose site of the story.

Do you have difficulties writing about sensitive topics in your work?

Indie Block Party – Post 4 – Interview my Neighbor

Published on August 22, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle11 Comments

Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely endeavor. Join us for the Indie Block Party to meet your writing “neighbors.”

Participants will have the opportunity to share a little about themselves and their writing, while getting to know the other like-minded crazies that make up the Indie Writing World.

Week 1
Day 1: Introduce Yourself
Day 2: Introduce your WIP
Day 3: Interview one of your Characters
Day 4: Interview one of your Neighbors (not your real neighbor…the one who signed up on the linkey after you 😉 )

Week 2
Day 5: What are you reading?
Day 6: Top 5 books
Day 7: Share your most helpful writing tips
Day 8: Share your most helpful social media & networking tips

Full instructions are available at The Peasants Revolt or Dawna Raver’s blog.

Give me a brief synopsis of the first story you ever wrote (in school, published or just for yourself)?Reporter Merah Slavings is stalking Business Tycoon Nicolas Masters. She wants to know all his dirty little secrets and not just because he is the man of her dreams. Merah doesn’t stumble into his deep dark past but into his arms… mortally wounded. To save her life Nicolas, a vampire, turns Merah and wants her to be his loving companion for all eternity. Merah’s life has turned upside down and eternity is a long time.

Nicholas has many secrets one is that he has been watching Merah Slavings for quite some time. He is hoping she is the one that he can trust with his deepest darkest secret, but first he is going to intrigue and romance her to sweep her off her feet. He has learned that taking your time to get what you want is part of the fun. Time he has plenty of. Fate intervenes and he runs out of time to woo her having to decide to turn her or let her die. Has Nicolas bitten off more than he can chew?

What books have most influenced your writing? Kim Harrisons the Hollows series, and Laurel K Hamilton’s Anita Blake and Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson. I’d love to roll all three up into my work!

What is the best writing advice you were given? Above all else write.

What are your top five favorite movies? That’s a tough one. Best friend’s Wedding, Sweet home Alabama, Van Helzing, Avatar and any western! I have a thing for cowboys.

Do movies influence your writing? No not really.

What is your favorite romantic moment in a film or a book? Gosh there’s too many to mention. I’m such a mushy romantic at heart. I loved when Jack Nicholas told Helen hunt you make me want to be a better man in as Good as it Gets.

Any tattoos? Nope

Pick one of your published works and give me a list of the steps involved in that project from idea to publication? I don’t have one completely polished yet. I just sent my first rounds of edits back to my editor on Love Bites. It has been quite a learning experience. I sure hope it’s polished soon!

For more information on Cathy Brockman, visit her blog cathybrockmanromances.wordpress.com.