SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! - Another New Life - A Cover Reveal #Books #ComingSoon #Giveaway

Today, I (briefly) interrupt our regularly scheduled 2014 A-to-Z Challenge program about Why We Make Movies for a cover reveal of "ANOTHER NEW LIFE," the debut novel by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle. To celebrate the upcoming release of this new adult contemporary romance novel, here's an early peek at what readers can expect, along with a giveaway from an author who loves flicks like "THE AVENGERS." Check it out! Also stay tuned for my latest #atozchallenge post - for Letter I, which will be live in a few hours.

Title: Another New Life

Author: Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

Publication Date: June 2, 2014

New Adult Contemporary Romance

**This book contains adult subject matter. Not intended for young readers.**

Cover Design by: (C) Arijana Karčić, Cover It! Designs

Miranda Preston is a walking contradiction. Beautiful on the outside, but, 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 scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin, 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?

GIVEAWAY:

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About The Author

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Sydney Aaliyah Michelle is a New Adult Contemporary Romance writer, a voracious reader and movie fanatic who 

Sydney has been blogging at sydneyaaliyah.com for three years, where she interviews people about their tattoos, discusses her favorite movie quotes, reviews books (New Adult & only the ones she loves) and journals about her writing and editing process.hailsfrom Texas. After surviving 5 1/2 years living in China, she had the courage to finally pursue her passion and become a writer.

Sydney’s self-published debut New Adult Novel Another New Life will be available June 2014. An active tweeter, she is also a JuNoWriMo (2x) and NaNoWriMo (2x) winners who notes the sci-fi action flick “The Matrix” as the best representation of her life in the past. She is blessed to be awake now and doing what she loves.

Heaven Help the Hollywood Hopefuls! #atozchallenge #IndieFilm

l-r: Skyy John with models Raychel Gregg, Keziah Okonkwo and Kristina from the YouTube show 'Tipsy Bartender.'After meeting various actors, directors, film students and producers over the years, I get the impression that some people who make movies are not so much trying to create motion pictures as much as they are reaching for a place in Hollywood -- and all its trimmings – to call their own. By this, I am not exactly referring to fame, but rather, one’s attempts at being associated with the scene.

It’s also common to find someone in the independent film community who wants those perks without him or her actually doing anything substantial that warrants such an entry pass into all that glitters. “That’s unlikely to happen,” says Skyy John, an actor based in Los Angeles who hosts a widely popular webseries called TIPSY BARTENDER on YouTube.

Having appeared in films and Emmy-winning CBS shows including “COLD CASE” and “THE YOUNG and THE RESTLESS,” Skyy John’s advice for filmmakers who dream of sipping martinis by the pool with George Clooney and hobnobbing with the Olsen Twins, offers a healthy dose of reality for such a pursuit. ”That’s unlikely to happen. It’s possible but that’s not the way most filmmakers live,” he says and continues “Being good at what you do usually requires a lot of work, so stars that are talented ain’t sittin’ by the pool – they’re working!"

l-r: Rapper/Comedian Timothy DeLaGhetto and model BOBBi Dean with Skyy John on the set of 'Tipsy Bartender.'Have you ever spotted a filmmaker who constantly longs to hang out with superstars like Brad Pitt, indulge in orgies with Charlie Sheen, have personal assistants at their beck and call, and party all night with Lindsay Lohan? Although there’s nothing wrong with these interests, if they’re the main reason why someone would make a film, then there’s no point in even bothering with all the obstacles popping up during development all the way through the distribution stages of projects.

Folks who are chasing after Hollywood use films as a pawn to get an in to all of the (seemingly) cool spots and crowds, providing them with a pass to feel proud of being affiliated with the good life. I don't know about anyone else, but the mere thought of having to keep that up is exhausting!

Unfortunately for us, many producers fall into the category of Hollywood hopefuls, as do groupies, fanboys (and fangirls) who just want to be in a position where they can say "me too" to be granted an invitation to the party. Oh, and let’s not forget the money-hungry leeches who like to claim that they contributed more to a project than they actually did. Hollywood is not the problem. Making movies for the purpose of living out one's false perceptions of making it – whatever that looks like -- is a cause for concern. It also seems like a hell of a lot to go through just for a home in the hills. 

If YOU were given 24 hours to sip martinis by the pool with any Hollywood star (actor or director) of your choosing, who would it be and what would you drink with him or her?

SkyyJohn’s new book Tipsy Bartender "I'm having a girl over" is available now!

Also, be sure to read yesterday's post about the Gratification of a Few Good Men, in case you missed it!

What’s Your Story? - A Monday Movie Meme Sequel

Today, we have a special guest topic for the Monday Movie Meme. It comes courtesy of Marta Szemik, who is a frequent reader of my writings over at the A to Z blog.

Marta’s chosen topic is “books made into movies,” which reminds me of the week that Dale at Smurfin’ the Web had us discussing films that feature books in them. So, I’m recycling the Smurfdok’s title for this week’s Monday Movie Meme theme: What’s Your Story 2?

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movie adaptations of books. The movie does not have to feature books in it but does have to be based on a book. Here are my selections for this week’s What’s Your Story 2 theme.

Watch Out
Steve Balderson’s film about a guy who is obsessed with himself has got to be one of the most bizarre movies I’ve watched in a long time. It contains an interesting mix of comedy, horror, drama and porn. Balderson does the material justice and Matt Riddlehover gives an engaging performance in this movie. It’s based on a novel written by Joseph Suglia.

Desert Flower
Backed by National Geographic, this drama film is the adaptation of an autobiography of the same name. It tells the account of fashion model named Waris Dirie, who escaped from Somalia after being circumcised as a young girl. I haven’t watched the film but I do have the book.

American Splendor
Comic books count as a “book,” right? Although I never had much interest in watching this movie about the comic book author Harvey Pekar, it stands out as a print-to-screen adaptation worth mentioning because, well, I like the cover art!

A Scanner Darkly
I feel like I might as well have watched this film, after all of the magazine interviews and online features that I read about it and director Richard Linklater. The Sci-Fi flick is based on Philip K. Dick’s novel about an undercover cop who gets way in over his head while trying to save the world from a dangerous drug. Yep, you guessed it -- I haven’t read the book either, but I DO adore the cover art and conceptual art in this movie!

What movie adaptations can YOU think of?