blogfest – Page 2 – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

The Whip It Good Blogfest

Published on May 30, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle34 Comments

I loved the idea behind this blogfest and thanks so much to DL Hammons and Elise Fallson for creating this opportunity for us to share and connect.

WIP Title: Another New Life

Word Count (projected): 70,000

Genre: New Adult Romance

How long have you been working on it?: Mentally, I have been working on it for 2 years, I finally put a scene list together two weeks ago and have been tweaking it daily in preparation for JuNoWriMo (June 1).

Elevator Pitch (if you came across an agent in an elevator ride, what couple of lines would you use to summarize your book): Can a girl separate the good from the bad parts of her traumatic childhood, especially 8 years later when the good shows up on her college campus?

Brief Synopsis (250 words or less): A traumatic event from Miranda’s childhood causes her parents to move to a new town in hopes that their daughter can start a new life. The move meant that Miranda would never get to see Troy, her best friends since preschool. He is the only positive memory she has from that time in her life, but her parents refused to let her communicate with him.

In high school, those negative memories caused Miranda to make self destructive choices especially when it came to dealing with the opposite sex.

As Miranda prepares for college, she has made a promise to herself to not let her past dictate her future, anymore. She goes to a college where no one knows her, to start another new life. This time on her own terms and her plan works great . . . until the first day of class when Troy, looking gorgeous and all grown up, walks into her calculus class and sits down next to her.

Miranda and Troy picked up where they left off and their relationship quickly turns into more then just friends. Miranda is happier then she’s ever been, but its only a matter of time before the truth about her childhood comes out and causes Troy to leave her and ruins her life, again.

Are you looking for a Critique Partner?: Yes, I would love to find a CP who writes, New Adult, Women’s Fiction or Chick Lit.

Are you looking for a Beta Reader?: Not at this time, but I am open to read other people’s work. I read everything, but fantasy and paranormal.

Visit the other participants of the Whip It Blogfest and see the talented and creative stories you may see on your Kindle in the future.

Get Healthy Bloghop – How do you stay fit?

Published on May 29, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle42 Comments

Stephen Tremp, Alex J. Cavanaugh, Michael Di Gesu, and L. Diane Wolfe have teamed up for a Blog Hop that focuses on health.

It is so nice of them to worry about our health. And, what better time of year then May-June to get refocused on our health goals.

Bloggers will be sharing their get healthy tips, so click on the lovely apple to find the list of participants and give them a visit for some get healthy tips.

My get healthy tip is simple, but it helps me stay accountable. I set goals for myself and share them with people close to me. I make a list of 5-10 goals that allow me to focus on what I hope to accomplish on a daily basis when I need to pay more attention to my health and fitness.

This month, I’ll share my June 2013 health and fitness goals with all of you:

Four hours of cardio per week.
One visit to the golf driving range per week.
One long walk outside/get in touch with nature.
Try a new fitness class at the gym.
No eating after 7:00 pm on weekdays.
Drink more tea then coffee.

I don’t always reach my goals, but I always take a moment to celebrate the good things and see what I need to focus on for the next month. Wish me luck!

As a writer, do you find it difficult to stay in shape? What tip do you have to get healthy and stay in shape?

My Weekly Update – Happy Memorial Day

Published on May 26, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle6 Comments

I saw this on Google’s banner and loved it. I have seen this scene played out at airports a few times and I cry like a baby every time. My prayers go out to those families who didn’t get to experience this happy ending.

3Ups Blog Hop

Created by Randi Lee, this is a pay it forward blog hop. I had the pleasure of sharing three items about Michelle from Writer-In-Transit.co.za. We appear to have a lot in common. I did my research and seems like we have attended several of the same virtual parties, but haven’t officially meet.

She loves the Bloghop/Blogfest – In the last three months she has participated in Overcome Adversity Blogfest, Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Celebrate the Small Things, Top Ten Movie Blogfest, The Big Reveal and A to Z Blog Challenge.
She loves Flash Fiction – A true creative can compose a story out of five sentences and she hits on several different genres, which is cool.
She loves the blog community – She is a blogger, a writer, a contributor, a cheerleader to other bloggers and that makes her super cool in my book.

Thanks so much to Tyrean for the kinds words she said about me in the 3Up! Blog Hop

Post to Ponder

How to Write a Great Twitter Pitch by Ava at Writability – There is a Twitter Pitch party coming up on May 28th. Details available here.

Happy Memorial Day! My Depressing Yet Hysterical Military Career by Kristian Lamb – This story is hilarious and so unbelievable it has to be true.

What to do When You’ve Written the Worst Book Every by Amanda Fanger – It happens to all of us. So, read on for tips to handle it.

Stress and the Creative Process by Ali Cross – How do your emotions effect your writing?

There is Nothing Wrong with You by Randi Lee – I am tired of explaining myself to those who just don’t understand or don’t get it.

Coolest Things

Saw The Great Gatsby and it was a beautifully shot movie. Baz did a great job. I enjoyed the movie immensely, but there was much more tension created in the book then in the movie. Amazing thing to be able to create tension in the written word.

Saw Star Trek Into Darkness and I absolutely loved it. Spock was so perfectly frustratingly Spockish and I love him. I hate to admit it but James T. Kirk is growing on me. Khan is so gorgeous and not just in the bad boy kind of way.

New Followers

Jordan Latour

Next Weeks Schedule

Wednesday – Get Healthy Bloghop

Friday – The WHIP IT Good Blogfest

Saturday – Prince’s and Hero’s Bloghop

For someone who did not have the opportunities to enjoy three day weekends for the last 6 years, I am appreciating the pleasure of free time.

My Weekly Update – Proud

Published on March 17, 2013March 16, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle6 Comments

Proud

Yesterday, I attend the funeral of a close family friend. A beautiful celebration which culminated his sons speaking eloquently about what their father meant to them. So, touching. I am proud to have known him and his family.

I was also proud to be with my family during the ceremony. We are so blessed to be able to spend time together.

RIP Uncle Milton.

Favorite Find

I found this vlog, KelsNotChelsNotLive, the other day on Google+. I love this girl. She is so funny and so on point when it comes to writers and writing.

This was my favorite, but she has a whole series, check them out on YouTube.

Have you thought about doing a Video Blog? What’s stopping you?

New Followers

Valeriu Dg Barbu

Katya Moonstone

Cheryl at CK Poisoned Rose’s Writings

Opinionated Man

Live Life Love Bacon

Adam P Bellotto at Eat, Sleep, Television

Next Week’s Schedule

Monday – Ninja Captain Alex Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest

Tuesday – Anniversary Guest Post – Vikki Thompson

Wednesday – Progressive Book Club Post – Save the Cat

Thursday – The Big Reveal Bloghop

Friday – Anniversary Guest Post – D.C. McMillen

Sunday – My Weekly Update

Got Green Blogfest 2.0 – I’m Irish, I Swear.

Published on March 14, 2013March 14, 2013 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle19 Comments

I would like to think Mark Koopmans for making me relive this most painful memory. I will be brave for the sake of the blogfest.

When I was a little African American girl, I found this photo of a women sitting on her porch with the Irish flag framed and hung on the wall behind her. On the back of the photos was written the words Emma Pearl Pierce 1945. The women in the photo looked old and it was a grainy black and and white photos, but there was no mistaking it. Here was proof. I had an Irish great grand mother. How cool is that?

I took the photo to school for show and tell and told everyone about my great grand mother Emma. I had created this elaborate story (big surprise) about how she was born in Ireland and because of the potato famine* her family fled Ireland and settled in Virginia and then 60 some odd years later, I was born. I was so proud. *I might have had the dates a little confused considering the Potato Famine occurred in 1845.

Now, there were some disbelievers (again, big surprise), especially Kathleen Flanagan, my best friend. She had red hair and freckles and she was not ready to welcome me into her proud Irish clan.

I remember she called me a fibber (bad word, we were 7) and pulled my hair, which was certainly not red.

But, I, as a proud Irish women stood up for myself and my nationality and declared over and over again, I AM BLACK IRISH!

It turns out I am not Black Irish. The photos was of my great grandmother, but because of the quality of the photos, it made her look lighter. And the flag in the back, wasn’t an Irish flag. It was a french flag my great grandfather brought back from France.

Tag: blogfest