atozchallenge – Page 5 – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

D – Darci Albritton

Published on April 4, 2014April 4, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle32 Comments

Darci Albritton is my main character’s roommate. She is a true southern and makes it her duty to help my main character find love and navigate dating in the south. At the same time, she proceeds to hook up with every guy who smiles at her. She is described as intrusive, but in a charming and glitter manner. She is close to her parents and 11 siblings, and everyone loves her, but don’t let her charm fool you. She has one goal, to find a husband before graduation.

Darci’s stats:

18 years old
Long, wavy blond hair
Blue eyes
From Magnolia, Arkansas
Looking for a man with money
Her perfect guy: 6’4″ (Darci is only 5’4”), dark hair, dark eyes and big hands.

**Interesting Character Name note: I had two roommates my second year at Florida State, Darci Bryan and Mindy Albritton. They were from a small county (notice I said county and not town) in central Florida. When I was thinking of names for the roommate, Darci Albritton seemed perfect. Although neither are blonde and both are smart, accomplished women.

I love Darci. Do you fall in love with your secondary characters? How do you come up with character names?

Please add Another New Life to your Goodreads list.

C – College and College Football

Published on April 3, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle16 Comments

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.

B – By the Numbers and IWSG

Published on April 2, 2014April 1, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle40 Comments

Another New Life – By the Numbers

70,021 words – you’ll read it in one sitting.
2 first kisses – interesting twist.
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.

A – Another New Life

Published on April 1, 2014April 1, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle48 Comments

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.

Sign Me Up for The Next One

Published on May 7, 2012May 7, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle18 Comments

AOL 4881 — This is how I felt after completing the challenge.

I really enjoyed the A to Z Challenge. It was the first writing challenge of any kind that I participated in and it taught me a lot about myself and how I write.

Top 5 things I learned from doing the challenge:

I learned that I must have some sort of emotional reaction to what I am writing about in order to write it well. I can love it or hate it. Something. Anything. When I take the emotion out of it, it just isn’t as good. Probably why I hated writing term papers in school. My theme was on Australia. I adhered to this theme for the most part. I had a couple of deviations because I wasn’t feeling the topic I previously picked and a couple that were a bit of a stretch from the theme, but for the most part, I adhered to the theme throughout.
I learned how to use the features of WordPress better. The schedule a post feature was a big help. I was able to schedule a couple of posts ahead of time when I knew I would be busy or when I was traveling.
I learned that there was I lot I could learn from other bloggers. I visited about 500 different sites during the challenge and was able to see what I liked on others people’s blogs and what I didn’t like. From how a blog looked, to what the post looked like and how the photos were used, I paid attention on what blogs made me want to stay or come back and which ones made me click the next button. I go a lot of great examples of what I liked and few examples of what I didn’t like.
I learned that I enjoy being a part of the A to Z challenge group. Writing can be a pretty isolating endeavor. It is nice to be a part of like-minded individuals with a single goal in mind. Not like a cult, more like a play group.
I learned that finishing the challenge was a motivation for me. Finishing anything motivates me. I have much more confidence about my writing now and I actually am pretty funny;)

I am excited about the next challenge and will definitely participate in the A to Z challenge again next time.

See my other A to Z Challenge posts, here.