My Monthly Update – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

Monthly Update – Is it February Already?

Published on February 1, 2016 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle12 Comments

New Logo – I’m in the process of rebranding Sydney Aaliyah Michelle and step one, a new logo. I love it. Thanks so much to Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs.

Quote of the Month: “As long as there’s light we got a chance.” -Poe (StarWars VII)

Movie’s Watched:

The Big Short – That whole real estate, financial debaucle, now I understand! And, some people made a lot of money off of it.

The Revenant – Is as brilliantly done as the hype. I loved it.

13 Hours: The Secret Soilders of Benghazi – Makes me want to dust off that military romance I’ve been working on for four years.

Concussion – They tried to balance it out, but it was scary but disconnected to what I know about the NFL.

StarWars: Episode VII Force Awakens – It was good, but not as good as Episode IV, V, VI. Oh, but I’m excited about the series continuing.

This post is my entry for the Lost & Found: Valentine’s Edition blog hop hosted by Guilie Castillo-Oriard, Alex J Cavanaugh, Denise Covey, Yolanda Renee, Elizabeth Seckman, and Arlee Bird. Be sure to visit all of the hosts for this event. To find the full list of participants visit the list on Tossing It Out or any of the host sites.

Lost & Found Love – I love these stories. My debut novel was a lost and found love story.

My lost and found love story would be about me finding my passion.

I had a good job. It paid well. I got to travel and meet interesting people.

BUT . . .

I wasn’t passionate about it. I didn’t love it. It didn’t inspire me. So I gave it all up and now am living the starving artist, working a part-time job and working 24/7.

I love every minute of it.

February News – It’s Release Day . . . tomorrow!

Candy and canines. Flowers and felines. Celebrate this Valentine’s Day with your sweethearts of the human and fuzzy varieties!

Nothing is more heart-warming than kisses from the pet who adores you and the man who loves you, so snuggle up with VALENTINE PETS & KISSES — an anthology of fourteen sweet romances from USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors — and strike the perfect mood for moonlit walks and candlelight dinners with your pet and sweetheart.

Goals for February 2016

Write:

Finish Genna’s Encore – 4,000 more words
Start New Project – So excited about this one. It’s going to be fun to write. Can’t tell you any more at the moment.

Edit:

Anxious Love
Genna’s Last Song
Genna’s Encore

What’s your Lost & Found story? What are your goals for February?

My Monthly Update: 2015 Goals – Professional and Personal

Published on January 1, 2015January 1, 2015 by Sydney Aaliyah MichelleLeave a comment

I am fond of a saying in my family, “I don’t want to be praying about the same thing this year that I prayed about last year.” Meaning, we are always going to have stuff to pray for, things we want, hopes, dreams, issues, problems, but as long as it’s not the same pray, the same things, hopes, dreams, issues & problems over and over again, then hopefully we are learning, moving forward & growing. I feel so blessed to have a whole new list of goals for 2015.

Professional

Publish:

Hope for Us (Hope Series Book #3)
The Hope Series Box Set
Ambushed by Love – Contemporary Romance – love triangle
A New Season – Dark Romance – sports
Inked: Three Permanent Love Stories
- Emilynn & Leo
- Tommy & Cameron
- Sabastian & Gracie

*All are written except for the last two in the Inked series.

Write:

Inked Series Book #2 & #3
Two other original MS

Marketing:

Create & Implement a blog post schedule
- Tattoo Tuesday – features & stories
- Teaser Tuesday – post excerpts from WIP
- Personal Post
- Feature other Authors & Books
- Insecure Writer’s Support Group Post
- My Monthly Update – Update on previous month & goals for the next month
Create & Implement a social media post schedule
- Facebook Page & Tsu – 4x per week – 2 promos, 1 interactive & 1 personal/funny (connect to Twitter)
Send out Newsletter once per month (monthly winner of Amazon Gift Card)

Production:

Learn how to format my own books
Learn how to create teasers in photoshop

Personal

Read 50 books (5 books on writing craft)
Watch 50 movies
Sweat 30 mins a day, 4 times a week
Track my food daily
Stick to my budget and save money
Do something to feed my spirit at least once per month
Say yes to more social situations and look at those as opportunities
Write 1,000 words per day
Write a personal blog post once per month
Do something new every month

What are your goals for 2015?

My Monthly Update – I can’t believe it!

Published on November 30, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle2 Comments

It’s already December 2014. I can’t believe it. This year flew by. I’ve been a published author for six months and it has been a world wind and I don’t see it slowing down. I have one month to finish some projects, and plan for more, but I’m super excited about 2015.

Events

December 8th, 2014 – Hope for Him (Hope Series Book #2) Release Day Blitz. If you want to help me promote my release, please sign up here.

Hope for Him (Hope Series Book #2) Release Day Blitz Sign Up

Each blog participating has the chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

December 13th, 2014 – Santa Facebook Hop – more details to come.

December 15th, 2014 – Love Addiction Anthology Release Day Blitz & Party.

Come hang out with us and celebrate 8 moving stories of love and lust to melt away the winter blues.

December Goals

Complete Publication schedule for 2015.

Complete marketing/publishing budget for 2015.

7,129 words on Hope for Us

11,432 words on A New Season

Sydney Quotes the Movies

I wasn’t sure if it was because of Chris Nolan or Matthew McConaughey or because it was a movie about outer space, but I thought it was all around brilliant. Plus, it had a lot of great quotes and it made me think. I love that in a movie.

“We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt.”

“Mankind was born on Earth. It was never meant to die here.”

“Murphy’s law doesn’t mean that something bad will happen. It means that whatever can happen, will happen.”

“Love is the one thing we’re capable of perceiving that transcends time and space.”

“I have a cue light I can use to show you when I’m joking, if you like.”

Movie watching List for December:

The Hobbit – Third and final. What am I going to do next year with no Hobbits?

American Sniper – True story and Bradley Copper.

Exodus – It’s Ridley Scott and epic movie making. The sea parting scene is reason enough to go see it.

What are your big plans for 2015? Have you seen Interstellar? What do you want for Christmas?

Have a great December, everyone!

My Monthly Update – It’s NaNoWriMo Time!

Published on November 1, 2014October 31, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle1 Comment

News

Hope for Him (Hope Series Book #2) is on Goodreads

ebook Book Blurb:

What do you hope for, now?

Carrington Olivia Butler’s last relationship ended in tragedy, but she remains hopeful in love. Her return to school sparks the beginning of her plan to pursue happiness and to win the man of her dreams… The man who saved her life. But, she soon finds he has moved on.

Jackson Latre Mitchell wanted Carrington from the moment he laid eyes on her. Hiding his feelings after his best friend showed interest, it took him a long time to get over her. He didn’t want to sit idly by and wait for something that may never happen.

Finally, Carrington and Jackson find their way back to each other. But, will the past continue to tear them apart?

Events

November 2014 – NaNoWriMo starts today! I am writing a Contemporary Romance Novel titled – A New Season. If you’re doing NaNoWriMo, add me as your buddy. I am signed up as Sydliyah.

I will also be taking a blog break for the month of November to concentrate on NaNo, but you can find my daily updates under the Sydney Writes Tab.

November 16th, 2014 – Literary Fall Ball w/Sydney Aaliyah.

I’m throwing a ball, a Facebook Party Ball. I have a lot of cool authors doing take overs and we will be giving away lost of awesome stuff. Check out the details, here.

Goals

Complete first draft of A New Season – 70,000 words.

Finish final edits on Hope for Him ( Hope Series Book #2)

Movie Update

The trailer for Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is out and it is soooooo gooooood!!!!

Have you added Hope for Him to your TBR list? What are you writing for NaNoWriMo? Would you like to come to my Literary Fall Ball?

My Monthly Update – Better Late … and SQM

Published on October 6, 2014October 5, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle1 Comment

Release Month

Hope for Her (Hope Series Book #1) was released on October 1st and it had a great release day, and 5 days later, it is still in the top 100 in African American Romance. I also received some great feed back from readers. Here are a couple of my favorites:

“Speechless, Mouth open, shaking my head, laughing, crying, smiling.”

“This book touched my heart, made it ached, and ripped it right out.”

One reader even declared Hope for Her, her favorite book this year. Considering it’s October, I thought that was pretty cool. haha.

Hope for Her will be .99 cents for another 10 days!

Events

October 6, 2014 (Tonight) from 4:00 – 8:00 pm CST, I will be taking over at the United Indie Book Blog on Facebook. Lots of great giveaways and I will share some exclusive excerpts from Hope for Him (Hope Series Book #2). Come and join me.

October 9th, 2014 from 4:00 – 8:00 pm CST – The New Adult Street will be taking over at the Twin Sisters Rockin’ Book Reviews on Facebook.

October 30, 2014 from 10:00 am – 10:00 pm CST – Trick me or Treat me? Romance Book Lovers Halloween Party. Join The New Adult Street Team for great giveaways and fun halloween activities. Costumes optional.

October Goals

Edits for Hope for Him (Hope Series Book #2) are due to my editor no later then October 15th.

The final 30,000 words on Hope for Us (Hope Series Book #3) due on November 1st.

Prep for NaNoWriMo – I am thinking about the first book in a two book series. The tentative titles – A New Season (Season Series Book #1) & Off Season (Season Series Book #2)

Guess what, the book is about a girl and a football player. Big surprise.

Sydney Quotes the Movies

Classic Denzel Washington and another good director outing for Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, anyone!!)

Some of my favorite lines perfectly delivered by Mr. Washington:

“Change your world.” His advice to a troubled young lady.

“Old man got to be the old man. Fish got to be a fish.” His take on the classic novel, The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway.

“Hit it on something stupid.” As to why he had cuts and bruises on his knuckles.

“When you pray for the rain, you have to deal with the mud, too.” Great advice to anyone.

“Progress, Not Perfection.” Advice to his coworker.

Loved this movie.

Have you seen the The Equalizer? What was your favorite part? Are you participating in NaNoWriMo next month?

Have a great October, everyone!