Christmas Drawing!

Since this is Christmas week, I wanted to have a giveaway! If you're interested in winning one of FIVE ecopies of The Rapture of Avery Maye, it's on my Facbook Author page! https://www.facebook.com/emavolfauthor

Also, several author friends of mine (including my amazing boss-lady, Cat Miller) had a special surprise for everyone! Check it out!

Tragedies

The big talk right now is about the tragedy at Sandy Hook in Newton, Connecticut. This is one of those things that we will probably remember for most of our lives. Unfortunately, the shooter is the one that will be remembered most. In situations like these, the killers usually are remembered for being monsters. Personally, these are the ones that I will be remembering, as I believe we should hold onto love instead of hate:

I've seen countless posts around the internet about this event. Gun control, mainly. Politics. I don't believe that these are what we should be focusing on right now. Sure, we should look at the political side (gun control, mental health, etc). But we need to wait until the smoke clears some. We need to focus on other things instead.

There are 27 innocent victims who will never take another breath. Their lives were cut far too short. These are the dead we need to put in our prayers and memories.

There are husbands, who waited for their wives to come home. Boyfriends, who had amazing dates planned. Those wives and girlfriends can never show up. There are sisters and brothers, who will never be able to hug their siblings again. There are parents who saved up for weeks and months for that all the toys that their little angels wanted for Christmas. Those kids won't ever come home to open them. There are friends and coworkers that lost people they care very deeply about. Just as tragic, but less frequently thought or cared about, there is a whole family that lost two of their family members. They now have to learn to cope with the fact that one of those family members killed the other before killing twenty VERY young children and six more adults, and the whole world is now looking on them (both their deceased family members and the family itself) with little but contempt and blame. All of these people now have funerals to plan and attend. These are the living that we should be focusing on.

On December 14, when this happened, I was sitting at my son's school. I was waiting for his teachers to get back from lunch, so we could discuss his test results and his IEP for the school year. It took every ounce of restraint I had to not go visit his classroom just to reassure myself that he was okay and give him a huge hug. I knew that a change in routine could throw off his whole day, and I needed time to calm down, anyways.

I saved that hug for the moment he stepped off the bus. Later that night, we had a talk about what happened. I believe he should be aware of what's going on in the world around him, good and bad. I think he should be aware of steps he could take, should (God forbid) this sort of thing happen at his own school. As much as I would love to shelter him from everything, I think he needs to be prepared for that day when I'm not there to shelter him anymore. Right now, I don't think he understands much more than the fact that there are little kids who won't see their mommies and daddies. But for a seven-year-old, that's still pretty good.

As he gets older and understands more the bigger picture of these tragedies, I want him to remember those lost. I want him to remember that those who took lives had families too, and those families deserve the same respect as the families of the victims. I want him to know that there is a time and place for everything, and not all politics need to be brought up immediately after the fact. It's okay to give people time to grieve.

It's that time of year again!

It's the time of year when we break out the pretty decorations! I have my own girly Christmas tree for my bedroom, and a large family tree in the living room.

Our whole family bought new ornaments last year. I chose purple. My husband chose blue. My son chose silver. The random odd-colored ornaments are personal ornaments. We have a tradition in the house where each member of the family picks out one new ornament a year. The black one in the center near the top with the white snowman is an ornament my son finger-painted in therapy last year.

My cat has assumed her usual position underneath it, where she will remain until whenever it is that we take it down. She will leave only to eat and use her box.

My son's Elf on the Shelf (oddly named Ps [pronounced "peas"]) has been moving around our living room. I'm pretty sure the little bugger feeds on souls (I mean seriously ... Just look at that face!), but my son seems to enjoy him. Although, I have to admit that he's pretty cute. I like old-looking dolls for some reason. They're almost always a bit creepy, but there's a certain lovable aspect to them that's hard to place. Perhaps it's because their design is so simple, when everything else seems to get more complicated as I age. *Shrugs*

Unexpected Writing Lessons

Sometimes, when you're stuck when writing in Word or similar program, you can pick up a good, old-fashioned pen and paper and have better results.

Breed of Love - A Prequel Novelette by Jason Ellis

So, I was given the opportunity to read Breed of Love by Jason Ellis. It's a prequel to And the Statue Cried with Sadness, which hasn't been released yet, but I'll make sure to let you know when it does..

First, I would like to say that this is very, VERY different for Jason Ellis. Generally, his books are lighter and happier. This one is pretty dark.

Next, I'd like to say that it's definitely not a bad thing. I think I like this darker side of his. Though I'd be afraid to wade around in it too long ...

In this short novelette, we're given a fascinating take on what happens after death, that really catches your attention. It's different and refreshing ... and a bit terrifying ... It certainly makes you wonder what's really hiding in the shadows ...

This is a fantastic prequel that has me wishing the next book were out already. I can already tell it's going to be fantastic, and I need to see more.

Coming Unglued: A Mother's Journey into Hell

Norma Budden contacted me just a few minutes ago to let me know that her book, Coming Unglued: A Mother's Journey into Hell has finally been released on Amazon (Kindle) and Smashwords. I'm told the print will likely be coming soon. I know she and I have discussed this book previously, and it's one I've been looking forward to. It deals with a very, VERY tough subject: abuse.

I haven't read it yet, but I picked it up. I will definitely be taking a look. Naturally, I'll let you guys know what I think when I'm finished. In the meantime, you guys should take a look.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AF5EHHM
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260179

So last night's disaster was mildly averted. My awesome, amazing, spectacular husband managed to fix the drive that Blood of Eirny was on. I did lose a few files, but nothing that can't be replaced. Most importantly, the Blood of Eirny file was restored, as was a non-Avery story that I've been working on. I was up very late last night backing everything up to three different places, so this mess doesn't happen again.

On the positive side, my risk for heart attack is very, VERY low. If there were a way to jump-start one, that whole mess would have done it.

Today's mail contained the copyright certificate for The Rapture of Avery Maye! It was a very exciting moment for me! I want to frame it!

In other news, I have a song stuck in my head.

Short Letter to Avery

Dear Avery,

I'm writing you to tell you that I am extremely sorry. My USB drive died, and I lost at LEAST 4 of the chapters to Blood of Eirny, because I haven't backed them up yet. I will reread what I have to find out where I am and what you want me to tell people about your life. I will also make another copy and save it somewhere safe. This I promise. In the meantime, I think I'm going to have myself a little cry.

Sincerely,

Ema Volf

Your Beloved Author Friend

Here we go!

I have two pieces of big news!

The first piece: I am starting a new story! I'm not sure if it's a new series or just a separate book. I might even eventually tie it into Avery's world somehow. I haven't fully decided. Either way, it's going to be fun and I'm excited about it! It will be dealing more with demons than angels. It's still in the planning stages, but it won't take long for me to get started!

The second piece: I will be going to UtopYA next year! I won't have a booth or anything. I will be going as a fan. But I'm SO excited! I bought my ticket as soon as they became available tonight! I hope to see some of you there!

Melancholia: Inspiration for a difficult post.

I know I don't generally do reviews of movies. But this isn't quite a review, so you should read anyways. ;-)

I've watched Melancholia several times over the last few days. In fact, it's on as I write this. If you haven't heard about this movie, it's definitely worth a watch. It's definitely not the kind of movie that we see very often. Well, I don't anyways.

Despite what I'm going to tell you after this paragraph, I want to say that I really do love this movie. It's very different (as I said before), and it's fascinating. It mainly focuses on two sisters and their life just before (and during) a world-ending event. Literally. A rogue planet passing by and then eventually looping around and hitting Earth. It's obviously not a happy movie, but it's a beautiful and well-done movie. It has a fantastic cast (Helloooo Alexander Skarsgard ♥), and despite chunks of general inactivity, the story was great.

Now for the harder stuff.

This movie was extremely difficult for me to watch. Some movies are really uncomfortable at times, but this one really got to me and made me squirm in my chair.

The first reason for this is that I've had nightmares that involved me watching some planet/giant asteroid/etc smashing into Earth. Sometimes, that's where I woke up. Others, I couldn't wake up. Those were the most horrifying to be trapped in.

The second? This movie is one of the most honest portrayals of what heavy depression is like. One sister is "normal." The other has extreme melancholic depression.

Do you what it's like to have heavy depression? I'm not meaning there are days/weeks that you're just abnormally sad. I'm meaning full-blown debilitating depression. I have struggled with depression for most of my memorable life. Sometimes it's not so bad and I feel like I can handle it. Others ... Well ...

If you answered "no" to the above question, let me tell you what it's like, from my experience. Naturally, every case is different. But these are what I know for sure.

On good days, you're seemingly normal. On the outside. On the inside, you want to scream. You might have an excellent day, where you feel perfect and awesome. Those days are pretty few and far-between.

On bad days, you want to scream even louder. You might try to hide, but you do your best to pretend to be normal. Usually, you fail.

On the worst days ... Well, those are intense. These are days where you go through periods where you are unable to function. You can't eat, sleep, talk, get out of bed, or bathe yourself.

You go through days where it seems that no one understands what's going on. And most of them don't. "Cheer up emo kid." "It's not that bad." "You shouldn't let yourself get so upset." "There's nothing for you to cry about." "You're just making things harder on yourself." Any of these sound familiar? You will hear them constantly on your bad days. They make you want to go even further into hiding before you lash out. People think they're trying to help by saying these. Unfortunately, you won't see it that way. They really unintentionally make things worse on you. You'll either be angry at their words or you'll feel like a failure of a human being. Both of which are counter-productive feelings.

You try to find something that'll cheer you up. Usually, the more simplistic things help. Reading a book. Writing. Building things with Legos. Playing with modeling clay. Climbing a tree. Hanging out with a trusted friend. Spending time with your kids.

These don't always work. Some days are beyond the help of those.

Some days, it's hard to even function. Some days it's difficult or impossible to eat, sleep, talk, get out of bed, or even bathe.

Some days, everything is too intense for you to handle. Others, you feel so numb, you're not sure if you're still even alive. This is why some people start cutting. The bite of the blade feels less painful than your inner pain. And if you're bleeding then surely, you're still living. At least that's how you'll see it.

Socially ...

Well, some days it's hard to talk to anyone. You learn early on how to pick the friends who will stand by you even on the worst days. It's extremely important if you don't want to become completely anti-social, which might just make your depression worse.

Most days, things will be fine with your friends. But when you argue with them (as friends eventually do), you will take it worse than you otherwise would. Or you will drop them completely, because it's easier on you. But that inevitably makes your small circle that much smaller.

That's just what you think of other people. Would you like to hear what people think of you?

Usually they think you're bitchy and self-centered. They think you're lazy and unreliable. Most think you're weird, and very few think of "weird" as a complimentary term. Sometimes you're told that you're irritating and hated. A few of your own family members think you're on drugs. Even when you're not and have never used any in your life.

Some things will make you cry so easily. Some things will upset you to no end, but you won't be able to shed a single tear. People don't like either response. They think you're childish or uncaring.

You might seem extremely quiet and reserved. Everyone around you will think you just know everything, sometimes before it happens. You don't. You're just extremely observant. You watch everything around you so often that everything develops a pattern. People think it's weird for you to notice.

How do you think of yourself?

Well, that varies from person to person and day to day. You might contemplate suicide. You might not. You might have to fight with yourself to avoid committing homicide. You might not. As I said, it varies from person to person and day to day.

Generally speaking, you don't fear death. You might wish for it. You might just see it as a part of life and something that can't be avoided. You will cry at very few funerals, increasing that outside view of you being self-centered and heartless.

There will be times where you think that the moment you're in, if that were your last, it would be okay. They might be happy moments. They might be intense or painful moments.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. This is the type of depression portrayed in Melancholia.

So why am I telling you guys all about this? Awareness, really. Depression in its many forms is frighteningly common. Sometimes it's temporary. Sometimes, like mine, it's a lifelong struggle.

The likelihood that you can tell just by looking at someone? Pretty slim. Unless you know them extremely well. Even then, only that person knows how severe it is for them. It's different for everyone. Perhaps you shouldn't be so quick to judge.


A few links for both the movie and melancholic depression:

http://www.melancholiathemovie.com/ 

http://www.magpictures.com/melancholia 

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200308/the-different-faces-depression

http://www.livestrong.com/article/94893-melancholic-depression-symptoms/

A few small updates and things

So I've been busy with life lately, and haven't done nearly the updating that I had hoped. Sorry. :-(

I have also been doing some thinking on Blood of Eirny, book 2 in the Chronicles of Eirny. I will be adding another chapter when I go through my edits soon. I'm almost done with the first draft of the book! It's really exciting for me!

I was told (Yes, you read that correctly. LOL!) that I'm going to Utopya next year! I can't wait! Expect LOTS of pictures and things from there.

Blog updates ...

I added a few pages to the bar above. One of which contains the short story that I wrote for R&M's blog. I'm pretty proud of it and I want to show it off. :-)

I also have been trying REALLY hard to keep the progress meter on the right side of this page up to date. If you wonder where I'm at or what I'm working on writing, that would be a good place to check.

In other news ...

Jay Ellis is still running this contest! Also all the Amelia Maylock and Holly Silverstone books are currently 99 cents for Kindle! Make sure to check those out! He also just finished a novella called Breed of Love! It's on my to-read list for tomorrow, but expect a review soon!

Also, in tragedy of tragedies, Hostess is going out of business. And because my brain is incredibly messed up sometimes, this is the first thing I thought of. But I'm pleased to know that I'm not the only one.

I also got to mark "Buy a homeless guy a snack" off my bucket list the other day. He cried. I will be doing this again in the near future. It felt good to know that he had something to eat that day. I got nothing in return other than that knowledge. And I didn't care. Sometimes it's the little things that we take for granted that could really make someone else's day. There's a lot of hate going around after the elections. Lately, I wonder what it would be like if we spread random acts of kindness instead. Just a thought.

Waffles & Pancakes by Cindy Springsteen

I would like to post about two books by Cindy Springsteen today! They're both ADORABLE books with fantastic stories for children! My son and I both loved them!

Waffles & Pancakes

This is a fantastic story about two boys and their hamsters! The illustrations are adorable and the story is cute! And it's a lesson about what friendship really means!

Waffles & Pancakes: A Lesson in Bullying

The adventures with the boys and their hamsters continues! It's a fantastic lesson about bullies for kids! The illustrations are just as adorable as the previous book, and the story is great!

R&M Guest Post!

Today, several of my characters and me took over R&M's blog! I hope you enjoy it! I had way more fun with it than I probably should have!

http://rmfabbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/11/ema-volfs-guest-post-interview-of.html

Humbling Moments & Relief

Today was a HUGE day for the United States on so many levels. Today, President Obama was reelected for a second term. Colorado and Washington were the first states ever to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. Also, Maine and Maryland voted to allow and recognize gay marriage. Whether or not you agree with them or support them, you have to admit that they are HUGE.

Election Days are important to me.

Today, I waited almost 2 hours in line at my precinct. When it was my turn to head into the booth, one of the men helping explain the touch screens told me that I am awfully young, and he was surprised to see me there. His statement caught me a bit off-guard. I'm not sure he meant to sound this way, but it made me feel as if he questioned whether I really should be there.

First off, I'm getting far too close to 30 for comfort. I might look young, but I am old enough to be able to vote. It's not my fault that women in my family tend to look 10-20 years younger than they really are.

Second, it bothered me that it sounded as if he believed I should want be home (or anywhere else) doing other things, instead of waiting in line to voice my political opinion.

I told this man that countless men and women not only fought, but DIED, so that I could stand in that booth to make sure that my voice is heard in Washington. I feel like I owe it to them to be there. I want to make sure that their efforts were not wasted.

I told him that the 2 hours I spent in line, I spoke to the people around me. We didn't discuss the candidates, but we DID discuss the reasons we were there. The woman behind me was elderly. She could have been my grandmother. Her mother was part of the women's suffrage movement. Her mother made a stand in an attempt to change the country so that her daughter would be able to vote. The man in front of me was originally from India. He came over here as a small boy. He believes that as a US citizen, it is his duty to participate, and he felt privileged to be able to do it.

The man didn't say anything further.

But can you imagine being in the shoes of that man who stood in front of me or that woman who stood behind me? Or even that woman's mother? What a humbling moment for me! Hours in line, feet aching, boredom setting in ... It didn't seem to matter anymore. Just thinking about the people on either side of me and their stories really put it into perspective why I was there. It's also something that I'll be remembering from now on, especially every Election Day.

However, I have to admit that I am incredibly relieved that elections are over. I am ready to have non-political posts on my Facebook news feed. I am ready for my friends in opposing parties to stop bickering over important and not-so-important things. I am ready for plain old boring life.

I have to say, though, that the most important thing I've done today and this year is this:

Would you like a Kindle for your child's school?

I have some exciting news for you guys! Jason Ellis is an amazing author of books for teens and children! He is also having a drawing for one lucky US school's library to receive a kindle and one lucky kid to receive some awesome book goodies! If you would like to help your children enter, check the information below! I also have a flyer, if you would like to print one! Contact me (emavolfauthor@gmail.com or message my Facebook author page) or any of Jason's pages if you want the flyer or if you have any questions!

~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~   ~*~

WIN A KINDLE FOR YOUR

SCHOOL LIBRARY!

( ... and some book goodies for yourself, as well! )

Hi, I'm Jason Ellis, an author from the UK. I write the Amelia Maylock & Holly Silverstone books.

I am going to gift 1 school library a KINDLE!! :)

Visit either of these pages; www.facebook.com/ameliamaylockbooks ... www.facebook.com/hollysilverstonebooks, or www.facebook.com/jayellisauthor & message the admin team with the name of your school. IT'S THAT EASY :D (you  might need to ask an adult for help/supervision).

The closing date for nominations is the 14th of December, 2012. The winning school will be randomly drawn and notified on the 11th of January, 2013. I'll also announce the name of the lucky winner who will receive some of my books, signed, as well as some surprise gifts as well :)

GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND YOUR SCHOOL!! :D

**US schools only** The UK/European version of this giveaway/competition are being planned for 2013.

Last day!

Tomorrow is the last day that The Rapture of Avery Maye will be on sale for 99¢! Grab it at the super low sales price while you can!

Orphaned at thirteen, Avery Maye spent most of her life keeping her head down and blending into the shadows, trying to survive in a world bent on self-destruction through warfare and a never-ending quest for power. Unable to trust any but herself, her only friend was an apparition named Alec.

Ten years later, she fell asleep in the home she’d always known, only to wake in a new world, galaxies away. She soon discovered that her imaginary friend, Alec, was not an apparition at all, but very much real, as were the creatures from her best dreams and the monsters from her worst nightmares.

Overnight, she gains everything she ever wanted and more: a new home, new friends, and powers beyond her imagination. On a new path to self-discovery, while learning lessons in love and loss, Avery is finally given the opportunity to do more than simply survive. She can finally start living.

But in every paradise lurks a snake. Her newfound peace is rattled by the arrival of a pair of mysterious visitors from the world she has been fighting to forget. Will they bring the fate of Earth down on her new refuge?

• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rapture-Avery-Maye-Ema-Volf/dp/1479197823/ref=la_B0099YEK5Y_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351412699&sr=1-1
• Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/229217

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone! I hope you're all safe and having a great time!

Final Day!

Today is the final day of R&M's Spooktacular event! Make sure you stop by! Today's author is JH Glaze! I can't think of a more perfect way to end this event!

I generally do not enjoy horror. Most authors who write horror think that horror only needs to consist of gore. I would rather have a serious mind trip. JH Glaze pulls that off PERFECTLY! Seriously, for me to tell you that I love this man's work speaks VOLUMES! Go check him out!

http://rmfabbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/10/spotlight-feature-on-jh-glaze-special.html

Go away, Sandy!

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by Hurricane Sandy. I am nowhere near her, but I have several dear friends who are. All those in her path, stay safe and know that we are all thinking of you.

Book sales!

There are TWO sales that I would like to share with you guys tonight!

First, my book, The Rapture of Avery Maye, is on sale for 99¢ until November 2nd on both Smashwords and Amazon!

Orphaned at thirteen, Avery Maye spent most of her life keeping her head down and blending into the shadows, trying to survive in a world bent on self-destruction through warfare and a never-ending quest for power. Unable to trust any but herself, her only friend was an apparition named Alec.

Ten years later, she fell asleep in the home she’d always known, only to wake in a new world, galaxies away. She soon discovered that her imaginary friend, Alec, was not an apparition at all, but very much real, as were the creatures from her best dreams and the monsters from her worst nightmares.

Overnight, she gains everything she ever wanted and more: a new home, new friends, and powers beyond her imagination. On a new path to self-discovery, while learning lessons in love and loss, Avery is finally given the opportunity to do more than simply survive. She can finally start living.

But in every paradise lurks a snake. Her newfound peace is rattled by the arrival of a pair of mysterious visitors from the world she has been fighting to forget. Will they bring the fate of Earth down on her new refuge?

• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rapture-Avery-Maye-Ema-Volf/dp/1479197823/ref=la_B0099YEK5Y_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351412699&sr=1-1
• Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/229217

The second sale I would like to share with you is from my good friend, Jason Ellis! I mentioned him in my last post, and I'll probably mention him quite frequently, because he's amazing and he deserves it! His book, Shadows & Voices is also on sale for 99¢ today! Shadows & Voices is the first book in the Holly Silverstone series!

Meet young Holly Silverstone, the girl who sees daisies turn to butterflies ... who dreams of places that she has never been to ... who is invited to study at the elusive and enchanting Highlands Academy of truth and excellence.

The voices will come, one-thousand and one, the voices will come. Fear is the key, fear to see. The voices will come, one-thousand and one, the voices will come.

As Holly took a sip of her tea and held the piece of paper between her fingers, veins of ink slowly crept across the paper. She wanted to drop it and scream … yet a more powerful part of her made the fingers on her hands grasp the letter even tighter and her eyes open wider.The ink seeped and whirled around, forming words;

We have a question for you, Holly.Do you want to know how the daisies turned to butterflies?

• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-voices-Silverstone-adventure-ebook/dp/B007INO0VC/ref=la_B0034PLAIY_1_2_title_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1351413035&sr=1-2

Of course.

I have been busy writing away, but a few plot holes have been nagging at me. I've been wanting to wait until I actually finish, but they're nagging so loudly that it's distracting. So, I'll be reading through what I have and patching those holes.

In other news, a good friend of mine is SO CLOSE to reaching 100 likes on Facebook! You should check him out, if you haven't already! If you liked Harry Potter, you'll LOVE his books.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jayellisauthor
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jason-Ellis/e/B0034PLAIY

Cybils Awards

I don't have much as far as updates go, but I did get an exciting pair of emails today! The Rapture of Avery Maye has been nominated for the Cybils Awards in the Fantasy & Science Fiction category! I added a button on this blog over to the left if you feel like stalking around on their web page! :-) Also you can click the graphic below!

Late night ramblings

This song has been stuck in my head for days. Fortunately, it's a good one. :-)

I've been house-sitting for my mom over the last couple of weeks, so I haven't had much time to work on writing or reading, but I have already picked it back up now that she's back home. I'm hoping I'll have something for you guys soon.

I did, however, get to spend some time with a good friend of mine the other day! I missed her so much! I really do have some awesome friends! Here's a pic of us with a weird-looking pink snail! LOL! <3 you Sarah!

These snails were all over the city square earlier this year. They're apparently made from recycled plastic.

http://www.arktimes.com/EyeCandy/archives/2012/05/23/pink-snails-in-bentonville

According to Cracking Art founder Renzo Nucara, the snail was chosen because it "carries its shelter on its back, thus addressing where and how we live; the snail moves slowly through the world, reminding us to slow down, to pause and reflect; the spiral of the snail shell resembles an ear, which may, “remind people to listen;” and the spiral design recalls the @ symbol associated with email (in Italy, the @ symbol is called a snail), referencing digital communication."

It's also one of my favorite times of the year! Autumn! I REALLY love Autumn and Spring! It's all about the colors and in-between weather! I dislike extremely hot and extremely cold! Autumn and Spring are PERFECT! And Autumn in Arkansas is absolutely stunning! The picture below was taken on the way to my mom's earlier this week. Next week there will be even MORE colors. :-)

Grab My Hand

https://www.facebook.com/SparringStepsisters?ref=ts&fref=ts

I am very much against bullying. I have seen and lived firsthand what it can do to a person.

My beloved boss-lady, Cat Miller, said it best when she said, "Authors know the power of words. They can hurt. I would like to encourage everyone to use them wisely."

Spooktacular Day!

Today is my day in R&M's Spooktacular event! I hope you guys check it out!

http://rmfabbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/10/spotlight-of-ema-volf.html

But I am le tired!

I'm trying really hard to be a good girl and work on writing and things, but this is a busy, busy week. I know I'll have two hours tomorrow to work on it, but it's going to be tough. Life happens. Schedules sometimes change. Empty time slots sometimes fill until you aren't sure you have time to breathe anymore. That's been my week so far.

As far as updates go, the second book in the Chronicles of Eirny is nearly complete. It is titled Blood of Eirny, and it will likely be out early next year. I don't want to spoil the surprise and tell you too many details, but I will tell you that you might just need tissues for this one. I know I did when I wrote parts of it.

I hope you guys are enjoying the first book. If you've read it, let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you! The responses I've received so far are incredible!

Anyways, I'm going to head off here. Early mornings and all that. I hope you all have a great day!

Nerdy Randomness

Generally unknown(ish) fact about me: I am a nerd! And I'm extremely proud of it! I'm not even kidding!

I love generally considered terrible music. I love comic books. I love stupid cartoons. I love anime. I develop obsessions over these. I try to keep it hidden, but sometimes it just shows right on through.

One of my favorites is Bleach. I was iffy about starting it at first, but maybe two episodes in, and I was hooked! I would also marry Byakuya Kuchiki or Yasutora Sado (Chad), if they weren't fictional cartoon characters. Yes. I am that bad.

BTW, in case you don't know who the heck I'm talking about ...

Byakuya Kuchiki

Yasutora Sado (Chad)

Anyways, this video popped up on my Facebook feed today! It's my absolute favorite Bleach opening song! Naturally, I reposted it on Facebook, and now I'm going to repost it here! Enjoy!

 

R&M Spooktacular!

In 3 more days, I will be featured on this blog event! I am BEYOND honored to have been asked to be a part of it! Ruthi and MaryAnn are both amazing, and I have to admit that I had a bit of a fangirl moment once I saw the authors that are in this event with me!
Make sure to check this event and the blog every single day this month! There are TONS of prizes from amazing authors all month long! Also, enter the Rafflecopters! Who doesn't love free books? Click on the graphic below for the blog!
BTW, if anyone can tell me where I can find the music on this video, I'll love you forever. Just saying.

FACEBOOK EVENT:
https://www.facebook.com/events/427828087254484/439856579384968/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity
RAFFLECOPTERS:
http://rmfabbookreviews.blogspot.com/p/halloween-1-4.html
BLOG:

Vlog?

I've been considering a vlog for a while, at the request of a friend of mine. If I did one, what would you all like to see? I can do random questions from you guys or promotions for other authors. Anything really. Or I can just poke at the camera and say hi. ;-)

Anyways, leave a comment if you have any suggestions!

A few shameless promotions before bed

I just wanted to give a shoutout to some awesome authors before I  head off here for the night! And what better way to kick off a new blog, yes? If you haven't read their books yet, you definitely should pick them up! These are in no particular order:

Jay Ellis is amazing and writes the Amelia Maylock books and the Holly Silverstone books! These are both great for young adults and kids!

Cat Miller writes the Forbidden Bond series! If you love vampires with a twist (and you're over 18 years old), these are definitely for you! She also happens to be my boss-lady and I ♥ her!

KB Miller writes the Moon Coven series! KB Miller's book Haunted Moon is always free!

Jennifer Malone Wright writes The Vampire Hunter's Daughter serial novel and The Birth of Jaiden. She also wrote a guide for self-published authors! Jennifer Malone Wright's book The Vampire Hunter's Daughter Part 1 is always free!

LA Freed writes the Charleston Vampire Chronicles! I absolutely adore her and her stories! These are not your average vampire books!

Stacey Rourke writes the Gryphon Series! Her books are amazing and great for teen readers! She also scores bonus points for making me laugh almost daily!

Bonnie Bernard writes the Midnight Hunter Trilogy! I can't say enough great things about it! I couldn't put these down!

JH Glaze is one of the very few authors who can get me to read horror! I usually don't like it, but I LOVE his stuff!

JB Stilwell writes vampire romance! A chunk of the proceeds from her book, The Source, go to help her young niece dealing with childhood leukemia.

Willow Cross writes Oceans of Red and the Dark Gifts series! Oceans of Red Volume One is free every time I see it, and Afterlife is free at the moment! Make sure to grab them both!

This is my new blog!

So, I have decided that I will be switching my blog over here. I've tried WordPress, and while I didn't have many problems with it, I just like this better. I will be moving things over slowly, but it might take me a while. If you'd like to view anything from my other blog, here's the link:

http://emavolfauthor.wordpress.com/

So, this is my official blog from now on!