My story takes place at the University of Texas at Austin, the Longhorns. Most of my close high school friends went to UT, so I was familiar enough with the campus to write about it.
Every teenager who grows up in Texas, at some point has to make the decision whether they are a UT or A&M fan. My brother went to Texas A&M, the home of the Aggies and I spent a lot of time in College Station. Enough time that I knew I didn’t want to go to school there.
When it was time for me to pick a school, of course, begin the wander that I am, I picked a place out of state, but if I did stay, I would be a Longhorn.
UT Austin had this laid back, artistic, cool vibe. That’s so me.
I wasn’t really into college football until I went to college at Florida State University. If you’ve ever been to a college football game and seen 70,000 people: alumni and students, 100% caught up in the emotion of everything happening on the field, then you know what I’m talking about.
UT Austin Facts:
Number of Students: 51,000
Mascot: Bevo, the Longhorns
Colors: Burnt orange and white
Established: 1883
Rally Cry: Hook’em Horns
Famous UT Alumni: Laura Bush, Janis Joplin, Matthew McConaughey, John Hamm, Marcia Gay Harden, Owen Wilson, Renee Zellweger, Tom Landry
Over the course of the book, my main character learns what college football is all about in the south. How a city lives and dies by their team. The players are treated like super stars and the results of a game can determine how the rest of the week will go. You can run through the gambit of emotions while watching a college football game.
Do you follow college football? Who is your favorite college football team?
Please add Another New Life to your Goodreads list.
35 chapters – It sounds like a lot when you say it like that.
5 sex scenes – very tasteful, I promise.
18, the age of the main female character – She’s a mature 18.
3, the number of movies referenced in ANL – They work there way in there, I can’t help it.
5, number of football plays described in the game – I’m a football fan, but the scenes are relevant to the story.
30, the number of days it took to writer the first draft – Huge shout out to the greatness that is JuNoWriMo – Sign Up for 2014 is open.
12, the number of guys the roommate hooks – you will meet her on Thursday.
?, number of times you will laugh and cry – You tell me after you read it.
In a few weeks, the sales numbers will be the only numbers I will be consumed with concerned about. 🙂
Are you obsessed concerned with numbers: # of followers, # of comments, # of book sales?
I have tons of insecurities especially with putting the final touches on Another New Life, but I wanted to take this month’s post to thank everyone of you who have supported me during this process. Your support means more to me then you will ever know.
What are your insecurities this month? If you’re not a member of IWSG, you are missing out. They are a great support group for writers at all stages of a writer’s life.
Have a great month and make sure you visit some or all of the other bloggers on the A to Z Challenge.
One more thing, ok actual three more things, this indie author needs your help:
If you want to sign up for my cover reveal on April 10th, please sign up, here!
If you want an ARC in exchange for an honest review, please sign up, here!
Please add Another New Life to your Goodreads list.
Welcome to the 2014 Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My name is Sydney Aaliyah Michelle and my theme for A to Z is Another New Life by me. It is my debut novel scheduled for release in May 2014. I can’t wait to tell you all about it.
You may be sick of it by the end of the challenge, but my hope, after 26 posts, you’ll want to read it.
I want to take a moment to thank and congratulate Mr. Arlee Bird on hosting another A to Z Challenge, the best blog hop of the year.
Special thinks to my Minion Leader, Ms. Nicole Ayers This is my second time on Nicole’s Mighty Minion Bureau and I couldn’t be more proud. Also, a quick shout out to my fellow minions, Dale, Andrea, Sheri, Deniz and Melody-Ann. Make sure you visit their blogs and show them some love.
For the A post, I thought I’d tell you a little about my novel, but I have a request, read my blurb and tell me what you think. Be honest, I can take it.
Book Blurb:
Miranda Preston is a walking contradiction. Talented, smart and beautiful on the outside and insecure, haunted and damaged on the inside. Despite these contradictions, she’s ready to start Another New Life.
When her talent wins her a piano performance scholarship to the University of Texas, Miranda arrives on campus determined to experience everything college has to offer and to keep her secrets in the past where they belong.
An easy task, until the first guy who catches her eye happens to be someone, she’s known all her life.
Eight years have passed since the last time Miranda and Troy saw each other. He reminds her of the best and worst times of her life, but she can’t think about one without dwelling on the other. As they grow closer, every day their attraction reminds them they are no longer kids.
The epic romantic love story that is Miranda and Troy seems to be destined for a happy ending, but Miranda knows it’s only a matter of time before her secret is discovered. A secret that will not only destroy their relationship, it will destroy Troy, too.
Can Miranda focus on her future with Troy while preventing her past from tearing them apart all over again?
So, what do you think? Does it make you want to read the book? Suggestions are welcome.
And, as if I hadn’t asked enough, here is one more request.
Please add Another New Life to your Goodreads list.
It is going to be a busy month. Here I what I am getting into this month:
The NCAA Final Four is at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. It is on my mother’s bucket list, so we are going.
Nascar is at Texas Motor Speedway and I’ve never been. Given how great Dale, Jr. is doing this season, I have to go.
My Cover Reveal for Another New Life is schedule for April 10th. You want to participate, please sign up here.
Oh, yeah, and there is a little thing called the A to Z Blogging Challenge. 26 posts in 30 days. Click on the badge to the left if you haven’t signed up, yet.
Movies Coming out in April
Captain America 2 – already rented the first movie and will watch it and the Avengers again the night before opening day.
Rio 2 – I loved the first one and Bruno Mars is in this one.
Draft Day – So excited for this one. Love any movie that shows behind the scenes of professional sports.
Transcendence – It’s Johnny Depp. Enough said.
Goals for April
Finish proofreaders notes on Another New Life
Finalize cover for Another New Life
Continue prep for the May release
Edit About You & Me (Book #1) – Prepare to pitch during RT Conference in May and RWA in July.
Awards
I received an award in March and although I don’t follow the award rules, I have to acknowledge the amazing blogger and one of my beta readers for recognizing me.
Thanks so much Tianna for the Being a Light in the World Award. The award was created to celebrate those wonderful people in our world who spread light, love, hope and peace in the name of humanity. – What a beautiful thought.
What’s on your April to do list? What movies are you looking forward to seeing in April? What are your writing goals for April?
AJ is probably still out celebrating her new release, If Only, which came out yesterday. I am honored to have her visit Tattoo Tuesday. AJ, your five questions start now:
1. How old were you when you got your first tattoo? I was 24.
2. How many tattoos do you have? If only one, do you want more? I have two. I just got my second one, and YES, I want more! I can understand people saying tattoos are addicting. Yes it hurts, but it’s also a ton of fun. Is it weird that I enjoy getting inked? 🙂
3. What inspired you to get your first tattoo or favorite tattoo? Tell me your tattoo story. My first tattoo was just because I wanted one. Not a huge story. But my recent one is all about story. My debut novel, IF ONLY, a New Adult contemporary romance, just released yesterday. Yay! I promised myself I’d celebrate writing milestones with more ink, and I wanted there to be meaning attached to this one. My favorite poem by Emily Dickinson poem that, since her poems aren’t titled, starts with the line, “Hope is the thing with feathers–“, and for me it’s this idea of hope being this selfless entity that is always there, silent and unquestioning. When it comes to writing and publishing, it’s really easy to get discouraged. Not losing hope is so vital to keeping at the writing game. While I was querying my first book, I was writing IF ONLY. When the first book didn’t get the response I hoped for (see…I hoped), I got IF ONLY ready and started querying and entering it in contests…and it won one, an Editor in the Alley pitch contest on the NA Alley Blog. Fast forward a year later, and my book is with a fabulous publisher, Entangled, and my story is out there. The idea of hope, and the poem I love, those are the reasons for the feather tattoo on my arm. Putting that first book out there, letting it go and become something that doesn’t belong only to me anymore, that’s the reason for the bird breaking off from the feather.
4. Tattoos on a significant other, like or dislike? Explain why? I like tattoos on anyone. They are hot. ‘Nuff said.
5. Do the character’s in your books have tattoos? If so, pick a character and tell me his or her tattoo story? Why was this story incorporated in the book? Both my hero and heroine get tattoos. My main character, Jordan, gets the Hebrew word, Ahava, tattooed on her wrist (in the Hebrew characters). She’s studying abroad in Scotland, and while visiting family in London over the holidays, her cousin takes her to a tattoo shop as a surprise. Ahava means love, and it has multiple connections to the story–to Jordan’s relationship with her best friend as well as Jordan’s own self discovery. And of course, the book is a romance, so the tattoo ties in there as well. Like I said, the hero gets a tattoo as well, but I can’t reveal his without revealing too much about the book. You’ll just have to read. I included the tattoo story line simply because I love ink and the idea of permanence in this type of expression…as long as you choose art you know you’ll want forever!
About AJ Pine:
AJ writes stories to break readers’ hearts, but don’t worry—she’ll mend those hearts with a happily ever after…maybe. The first book she wrote was YA, but now she’s two-timing her first love with NA. She’s always in the middle of reading two to three books, adores online shopping (everything from groceries to shoes), and she still loves vampires, whether it’s Eric Northman or the Salvatore brothers. When she’s not writing, AJ is sneaking off to her day job as a high school English teacher or hanging with her husband and kids in the Chicago burbs.
Available for .99 cents.
Sometimes it takes crossing an ocean to figure out where you belong.
It’s been two years since twenty-year-old Jordan had a boyfriend–which means it’s been forever since she, well, you know. But now she’s off to spend her junior year in Aberdeen, Scotland, the perfect place to stop waiting for Mr. Right and just enjoy Mr. Right Now.
Sexy, sweet (and possible player) Griffin may be her perfect, no-strings-attached match. He’s fun, gorgeous, and makes her laugh. So why can’t she stop thinking about Noah who, minutes after being trapped together outside the train’s loo, kisses Jordan like she’s never been kissed before? Never mind his impossible blue eyes, his weathered, annotated copy of The Great Gatsby (total English-major porn)…oh, and his girlfriend.
Jordan knows everything this year has an expiration date. Aberdeen is supposed to be about fun rather than waiting for life to happen. But E.M. Forster, Shakespeare, and mistletoe on Valentine’s Day make her reconsider what love is and how far she’s willing to go for the right guy.
If you have a book coming out or just want to tell your tattoo story and want to be featured on Tattoo Tuesday, let me know by leaving me a message in the comments.
Sydney Aaliyah Michelle 