Tick. Tock. Tick...

If you read that in the voice of the singer from REM like I intended you to, then you're awesome. If you can name the song it comes from, you're even MORE awesome.
OH CRAP, THE GIVEAWAY ENDS IN 59 MINUTES! But you still have time to enter! Unfortunately, you must be a member of some journal service to post comments apparently, so next time I will hold a giveaway through my facebook page, since most people are facebookers anyway!
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.

LAST DAY OF MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

Just a friendly reminder that, if you've been waiting till the last minute to enter my fabulous giveaway, it's arrived! You have less than 11 hours yet to enter. At 11:59 PM Central time, the giveaway closes. At around 12:30AM Central time, the giveaway winner will be chosen and announced here, on my personal facebook, and on my facebook page (http://facebook.com/emmalinewestlund). So you better click on this here link: http://emmalinewestlund.blogspot.com/2011/10/giveaway.html and go enter the giveaway! You can't win it if you're not in it.

Paper Dolls, Amazon Prime, and Jessica Musso

Good news, everyone! Paper Dolls has been flying off the virtual shelf today! That's because it's FREE for download on the kindle store this weekend. It's free because I have exciting and slightly sad news. I've enrolled Paper Dolls, my very first novella to ever hit the general public, in the KDP Select program. This means that I can get a slice of that lending library pie each month when my book is borrowed by Prime members. This also means that, unfortunately for people who use other platforms to read, Paper Dolls is ONLY available in ebook form from Amazon. But you can download a kindle app for just about every other device. For free. So it's not SO terrible, but I feel a bit bad removing it from so many other markets. I want to take a moment to thank the wonderful and talented Jessica Musso (author of "The Secret of Wolf River) for talking to me about the KDP Select program last night. Make sure you go give her some love. :) I'm still swamped with work on all my other random projects, so you just KNOW that something good is coming soon. I can't really set any release dates, but it will all be very soon, like, prior to May/June soon. Well, I'm gonna end this blog now so I can get back to work (both at my physical job and my writing job). Don't forget to go check out my giveaway, there's only a couple more days before the deadline. (Hint, it's the post entitled GIVEAWAY)

To Top it All Off: Internet Issues!

I want to start this blog by saying that if you're in the market for new Internet, DO NOT GET, I REPEAT, DO not GET CLEAR/CLEARWIRE. They SUCK. Their Internet goes down CONSTANTLY. I'm lucky if I can access facebook most days. It's entirely unreliable. Beyond that, I've been having a rather rough couple days, made worse by the fact that I don't have my Mom to talk to. Which really sucks because missing my Mom is why I need to talk to her. I don't have anyone to just sit and talk to anymore. It really sucks. I can't stay in this apartment anymore. I need out. Too bad nobody would want me as a roommate anyway.

Long Weekends

Usually a long weekend is a good resource for writing like a nutjob, but this weekend was less productive than most. Maybe it'll pick up tomorrow, but I've been so busy until about ten minutes ago. I'm working on editing some Erotica that one of my ladies sent in for publication. It may not be my chosen genre, but it does sell. A Sweet Mermaid is actually pretty good, for being something I normally wouldn't read. A synopsis: Naomi is under a terrible curse, and her father, King Neptune of the sea, will do anything to ensure a happy life for her, even if that means sending her to the surface, alone. Found by fishermen, will Naomi break the curse, or is she doomed to an androgynous life? A Sweet Mermaid by Chastity

Interactive bookstore what?

If that worked it should be my smashwords page! *double thumbs up!*

Posting a schedule at 1:30 in the morning because I can.

Just want to show what's going on right now as far as my various projects go:

Tuesday night: Illustrate first two pages of Mommy Tales

Wednesday night: Finish chapter 1 of Jessie

Thursday night: Formatting Paper Lanterns for paperback

That is all.

THE BUMP!

Well unless you've been skipping blog posts at random, you've probably seen me talking about "The Bump," which is a short story that starts on my cousin Jessie's blog, and continues with part two on my own blog. So far, that's all she wrote, so to speak. She being me, of course. But that's the farthest I've come with it... There may be a part 3 to just tie off the loose ends, but it won't be for a while. I've got other projects that I need to work on, projects that have the potential to pay and not just be a fun blog idea.
I ordered a bunch of iPad styluses last night (a bunch because I can forsee about thirty of the damn things getting lost right away) so I can draw the illustrations for "Mommy Tales: Maryam and Isa."
Paper Lanterns SHOULD be available in paperback soon... Assuming I can finish formatting it.
I called my Gramma today because she had called and left me a message... First thing she said was that she couldn't wait for the second book to be available, she was so engrossed in Paper Dolls that she read the whole thing in one day! Which isn't saying much for most people, because it's about 60 pages of rather large print, but my Gramma is a relatively slow reader and generally only reads a couple hours out of the day. But she was so engrossed that she took it to bed with her and finished reading it instead of watching tv like she normally does! I don't think I've ever been so proud of myself! I wrote something that people apparently like, though most people would never know it, what with the lack of reviews and whatnot.
Anyway, that's all I really wanted to say for now. Ta!

Excerpt: Life Without You (Part 2 of the Mortality Trilogy)

When someone dies, those whose lives have been touched by that person mourn. They don't mourn the death, per se, they mourn the moments that are lost. All of the things that are about to happen that the deceased would have loved. The moments they would have shared.
It is a strange thing, to have lost someone so dear to you. It's as though your soul has ripped in two. No sob can ever be loud enough, no murmur soft enough. Tears could fill the ocean and it still won't fill the hole left by their departure.
My name is John Lawrence, and I am currently experiencing such pain.

Jessie Back Cover Info Possibilities

Senior Year. Most kids look forward to it their whole lives. Some are excited to start their own lives as adults, others look forward to college. Jessie Edgecome just wants to survive until graduation. But when she's approached by the cheerleaders and asked to join the squad, will she finally begin to make friends, or is it all a diabolical scheme on the part of the super populars? 

~~

Jessie Edgecome has a secret. For almost 18 years she's managed to keep it hidden, but now the ever-popular cheerleaders have jeopardized everything. Can Jessie tell a real friend from a fake, or will she fall before the awesome power of the populars?

~~

Dra-ma! Jessie Edgecome, the unabashed biggest loser on the face of the planet, has somehow caught the eye of Natasha Daniels, the captain of the cheer squad. With a little luck and a major makeover, Jessie might just become invaluable to the team! If, that is, she can be the girl they need her to be.

~~

Jessie has never really liked the populars. When you're ridiculed on a daily basis by a group of people, your first instinct isn't exactly to love them. But when the cheer squad needs someone with gymnastic skills, Jessie might just have to suck it up and learn to be popular. 

The Bump, part 2 (Read part one over at I'm A Wife and Mama Now!)

"Hailey, come ON," Shannon whined, shoving me forcefully into the house. I stumbled and snagged the welcome mat with the heel of one of the insane shoes I had

put back on. Once inside, the door was shut and locked. A bookshelf was propped up in front of the door, too.
"Hailey?" someone asked. I turned in the direction of the voice. "Come with me," they said, and someone grabbed my arm.
"Uh, Shannon-" I called.
"Don't worry. She's got a different Mom."
"What?" The person, whom I had idenfitied as a Senior girl named Bethany, pulled me down into the basement. We passed small groups of people, some huddled

together sobbing, others laughing hysterically, and one group trying to have sex while still fully clothed.
We squeezed past crowds of people who seemed to be standing around just for the sake of standing around, and found our way to a large walk-in closet. Bethany

got me inside and shut the door.
"First time at a Greg party?" she asked, turning her attention to me. A single light bulb hung from a cord, dangling in the center of the room, casting a dim,

shadowy light on the closet. I couldn't quite read her face in the dim light.
"Um, yeah... I don't know why I'm here..." I stammered. She stared at me.
"Honestly, I don't know what you're doing here, either. But Greg's said that you get special treatment, so I'm your personal Mom for the night. I have to stay

sober to make your trip isn't shitty."
"What?"
Despite the crappy lighting, I could see her rolling her eyes. She reached up to the top shelf and pulled something down.
"Smoke this," she said idly, a statement to the air, as she tossed something at me. It was a baggy with a pack of matches and a very fat blunt.
"I don't smoke," I protested, tossing it back at her.
"Well that's too damn bad. Smoke, or you can go back out there and tell Shannon she can't be here."
I sighed and opened the baggie. I couldn't do that to Shannon, much as I wanted to get out of there. It took a few matches, but I finally got the thing lit, and

Bethany forced me to sit in the corner, facing a shoe rack. She held the blunt to my mouth and plugged my nose, forcing me to take a hit. I took in too much and

coughed for what seemed like hours.
"You take good deep hits of that, or Greg'll make you smoke another."
"I changed my mind, I want to go home."
"You can't go now, doll, you've already started smoking. Your parents would find out."
She had me there.
"Now smoke."
And I did, until there wasn't enough left for me to hold on to.
"Eat this," Bethany said, just as I turned to let her know I'd smoked the whole thing. She shoved something in my mouth. It wasn't exactly a pleasant taste, but

I chewed and swallowed.
"Now, in a little while you're gonna be completely fucked up, come on out of the closet when that happens. I will be just on the other side of the door."
"Don't leave me, Bethany-" I begged. For some reason I couldn't explain, I was sobbing.
I had never had such a reaction to weed, and I'd eaten my fair share of special brownies and I'd smoked a couple times before, and while similar, this wasn't

the same as those times. Was it laced? I couldn't know for sure.
Bethany closed the door behind her, and I immediately began clawing at it. I didn't want to be alone. I couldn't stand the idea of it. Not in the dim light of

that closet, that was for certain. It seemed like I was trapped there for ages.
I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't see anything.
Was I dead?
"What are you doin' here, girl?" one of the dresses that was hanging up on the far side of the closet asked me. I didn't think to question the fact that a dress

was talking.
"Well, Shannon needed me to come to this thing," I replied.
"Damn, girl, you know this isn't you. Get upstairs and get out of here while you still can. Who knows what they just gave you. Go!"
So, paranoid and hallucinating, I scrambled to my feet and pushed my way out the door. It was easier than expected, but I suppose that Bethany probably waited

until I stopped fighting and then went off to party on her own. I made my way through the now darkened basement, the only light coming from a strobe light near

the stairs.
I found myself staring at random things in the flickering light, stopping to admire the beauty of creepy shadows.
"There you are!" Shannon exclaimed, slamming into me. I lost my balance and we collapsed onto a couch. "What'd they give you?"
I opened my mouth, only to realize I didn't remember how to speak. Shannon gave me a look that could have meant anything and leaned down so her mouth was right

next to my ear. "They made me take shots of rum and some shrooms. I heard there's also dust, X, and lucy around, and everyone's best friends with MJ tonight."
I shook my head, pushing her away. It drove me nuts when she spoke in "code."
She laughed, slapping me in the shoulder. She was hitting me hard, and I'm sure it would have hurt under any other circumstances. "You're fucked up. I can't

believe it. You're more fucked up than me for once! Congrats, bitch!"
Her voice was growing smaller and smaller, and some music began playing. It took me forever to realize that the music was actually playing and wasn't just in my

brain.
"Shhhhh" I finally managed to say, pressing my finger to my lips. I looked around the room, my head throbbing from the strobe light, trying to figure out where

the music was coming from. That was when I saw Greg standing across the room, staring at me. I tried hard to glare at him, but I couldn't find it in me to be

against him. I couldn't find it in me to be against anything. Our eyes met and he came over. He helped me up and held me steady as I tried to find my balance.
"Hailey, I'm glad you came. I've got a special surprise for you. Can you climb the stairs?"
I looked at the stairs, they seemed to stretch on and on forever. I shook my head, trying not to let it loll about like I was drunk. Greg chuckled, and it

sounded almost evil. I didn't care though, and he swept me off my feet, carrying me up the stairs. I wrapped my arms around his neck, giggling.
"Damn girl, how light are you?" he asked, adjusting how he held me once we got to the top of the stairs.
"A- A lady never tells," I replied. I was beginning to find it difficult to keep my eyes open. I barely noticed that he carried me up a second flight of stairs.

I was coherent enough to protest as I realized he brought me into his bedroom, but I was so exhausted. I don't know for sure what happened next, but I woke up

to Shannon shaking me, screaming about being late for school.
We somehow made it to school on time, and apparently made it to all our classes, but I don't remember anything until almost seven that night, when I crawled

from my bed (which I had crawled into immediately upon reaching home) and took up residence in the bathroom, hugging the cold porcelain of the toilet. I vomited

off an on for about three hours before climbing into the shower and letting myself get soaked in my clothes. I slept like that until morning, when I woke,

freezing my ass off. I told my parents I was too sick to go to school, and stayed home.
It was odd, almost as though I was re-entering my body. I was freezing for the first half of the day, so I remained in bed, but whatever I had been on, it was

trippy to come down from. The closet was attacking my desk, parts of my room were melting, and I was sure that I was floating. Once that stopped, I began

wandering the house, trying to forget that the party had ever happened.

It was two weeks before I noticed that something was wrong. I was late. I had never been late, my period had come every 30 days since it began, faltering only

once when it came about 6 hours late.
This time, however, I was much more than 6 hours late. I was going on a week and a half. And on top of that, Shannon had been avoiding me since the party.
"Shannon!" I hollered as I approached our locker. She was still unpacking her bag, and pretended not to hear me. "Shannon, I really need to talk to you."
"If you need to talk to someone so bad why don't you go talk to Greg?" she snapped.
"What?"
"You shouldn't have lied to me, Hailey," she slammed the locker shut, "You knew I liked him! And you still fucking slept with him! Well you can have him, I hope

it was worth it!"

I Proudly Present: Fatima Sarraf and "Bump" announcement

I have decided on something, and therefore am proud to announce a series of books I will be releasing in the near future under a pseudonym.  Mommy Tales by Fatima Sarraf. So far, I have planned 5 picture books and a couple of young reader chapter books. They will all be about Muslim values and the stories of the Prophets.
Fatima Sarraf. Some of you might recognize that as the name of the main character in "Fatima." Well, irrelevant to the Cedarcrest Chronicles is what the girls (and boys) grow up to do. That's not interesting for young adults. But after graduating with honors at Cedarcrest, Fatima Sarraf goes on to get a teaching degree and a master's in Islamic studies, marries a Shayk (Sheik? Sp?), and has three children: Adam, Maryam, and Ibrahim. Her children are full of questions. Mommy Tales is full of answers. (Note, official title of the series may change, nothing is publishable yet.)

The Bump. That elusive part two. When will I post it? Why do I suck so much?

TONIGHT.

THE BUMP

PART TWO:

THE PARTY

DEADLINE FOR GIVEAWAY #1

Well, since people don't seem so interested for some reason, I'm going to pick a winner one way or the other at the end of January. Sorry to the only person who's entered so far for taking so long, but one entry is kinda sad.