Eme Strife's Blog, page 7

Don't worry, my soul hasn't been reaped.

Hi, guys.

I've been missing practically the entire fucking month! But I promise, I'm still alive :). I'm so sorry I haven't blogged more; I've been so engrossed in working on the books and other aspects of life that I really did lose track of time. I still can't believe I haven't posted anything in almost three weeks. That said, I definitely wanted to make it a point to post something--anything--before the month was over and done with. So, here I am :).

I know I had said that my author website was going to be up and running on the 15th of this month, but I'm afraid that hasn't happened yet. I apologize for the delay, but there are certain things I need to get in stellar condition (e.g. the blurbs, playlists, gallery, etc) before I'll be comfortable enough to let you guys have your go at it. It will definitely be accessible sometime next month, though I don't want to put a date down right now because I'd hate to break another promise.

Okay, on to other things.
So my friends and I really want to see Iron Man 3 this Friday for one of my friends' birthday--yeah, this quarter life crisis just keeps getting worse and worse, lol--but the problem is, ever since the Colorado shootings, we've been scared shitless of going to highly-anticipated movies on opening day or even the day after. The Boston Marathon bombings doesn't help my paranoia, either. It really blows to have to think about shit like that when you really just want to go see hot guys kick ass on a big screen. Is it really too much to ask to go to a movie or event without worrying about some crazy dip-shit blowing or shooting your face off? Smdh. I realized I just used the word 'shit' in every sentence.
Anyways, I guess we'll figure it out. The birthday girl will most likely chicken out and not go and wait until next week or the week after to see it.
But yeah. That's all I have for right now, folks. I'll talk to you guys soon.
Until next time...

Much love,

Eme <3

Mouth to Mouth

Hi, Scribblers!

I've been M.I.A. for a bit, and the reason is that the last week and a half has been absolute HELL! Lol. I've been constantly racking my brain doing re-writes and edits. I think the only that's kept me semi-sane through this whole thing is my excitement of getting the books out there in June, and a lot of episodes of Family Guy. Hahaha. But I digress. Moving on to the actual post for today, if you're on the update/freebie list, you already know that the big launch day is Thursday, June 20th, 2013, and that the pre-launch party is the day before that; Wednesday, June 19th. The party will be hosted on both my author website and on here, where there will be a twenty-four hour count-down to the releases. I'll also be announcing the event on Goodreads, so if you're a Goodreads member or if you stalk the site every now and then like I do, be on the lookout for that.

I have to say, so many of you have been simply incredible during this whole process. I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate all your support and encouragement these last couple of months. Dare I say, I love you all a shit ton. Lol. Two readers recently contacted me and told me how eagerly they're awaiting the books, and that a lot of people they've referred my stories to are impatiently awaiting the releases as well. I really love involving fans and readers in my whole writing process, so aside from offering freebies, I was thinking of ways I could expand our involvement with each other and increase our interaction. So I decided on a sort of contest! It's not going to be anything crazy, but I think a bit of competition can be motivational every now and then. So this is what's going to happen. Since it seems a lot of you guys are telling your peers and friends about the upcoming books already, those who tell fifty people get to have a character named after them (or a name they really like) in upcoming novels. Those who tell seventy-five people about the books get to have a MAIN character named after them, and get to pick his/her back story.  Those who tell one hundred or more people about the books get to pretty much have a story they want to read written by me.  In order for me to know you've referred people, those you've told will have to respond to this post in the comment section with your first name and last name initial as their referral (e.g: Emily H. referred me, or Danny K. referred me).

So let me break it down once more:

1) Fifty referrals - Get a character named after you.

2) Seventy-five referrals - Get a MAIN character named after you and choose their back story.

3) A hundred or more referrals - Get your very own story/fantasy written with whatever characters and details of your choice.

Of course, the winning (or Charlie-Sheening) referrers will get copies of the resulting books for free. I hope this encourages those of you who are already spreading the word to keep doing so, and inspires those of you who haven't yet to get talking :).

Once more, these are the books coming in on June 20th. The blurbs, excerpts, and synopses will be available on my new author website on Monday, April 15th.





















So what are you waiting for? Get talking, people!
I hope you guys all have a great weekend.
Until next time...

Much love,

Eme <3

Pilgrimagez and Book Launch Update

Well, helloooo my lovely Scribblers!

I hope your weeks started out fabulously. Let me start out by apologizing that this post is coming in much later than it should have.  I've been unbelievably busy since my last post, not only with the books, but with another project of mine that's been in the works for almost a year now. This other project is actually an image-based social networking website called Pilgrimagez. I'm very diversity-oriented, and I believe that we broaden our minds, creativity, and horizons by gaining knowledge, and I believe that the two best ways to gain knowledge are by reading and by traveling. You guys already know I love writing, and I try to promote the reading aspect through my fiction. The traveling aspect comes in through Pilgrimagez. My vision for Pilgrimagez is to encourage people to physically travel while enabling them to virtually travel to different places in the world as well, all the while sharing those travel experiences with others through digital photos.

I actually just launched its campaign on Indiegogo, and you can view it here. I really believe in this project and its purpose, and I really encourage you guys to check it out, tell your friends about it, and support it however you can. By all means, feel free to ask me any questions you may have regarding Pilgrimagez, and I'll be happy to answer them. For those on the book update list, expect to have the first major update email on Friday. Alright, my loves, I shall talk to y'all later!
Until next time...

Much love,

Eme <3

It's Finally Here! The Cover of The Basilisk's Creed

Hi, Scribbies!

Okay, first off, I just want to say how amazed I am at the email responses I've gotten over the last two weeks. A LOT (and I mean a LOT) of you have emailed me asking to be added to the update-slash-freebie list, and I couldn't be happier or more flattered with your enthusiasm. It's gonna be a bangin' summer, guys! That said, if you haven't already emailed me (emestrife@gmail.com) or subscribed to the blog (Follow by Em[e]ail) to be added to the list, then you have until Sunday, March 31st to do so. Please try your best to let me know or subscribe before then, as I would hate to leave anyone out who wants to be included after the deadline.

Alrighty, then. Moving on to our second topic, I finally have here with me what we've all been waiting for; the cover of The Basilisk's Creed! Yay!!! And here it is!




I worked with Cheryl Ramirez of CCR Book Cover Design for this cover and that of 'Uncensored', and I have to say, Cheryl is da bizness dot com. She's an awesome graphic designer and a delight to work with, and I think I will most likely work with her again in the near future. If you're a writer and need a cover for your book, check her out at ccrbookcoverdesign.com and she'll hook you up. Alright, doll faces. That's all I have for you guys this week. Again, email me if you haven't already, and for those on the list, expect to receive the first summer book launch update during the first week of April. Enjoy the rest of your week, and of course, your weekend!
Unitl next time...

Much love,

Eme <3

Email List for Summer Book Launch

          Image from www.wosowoso.com

Hi, guys!

I hope you're all are excited for the impending weekend and some Spring Break fun! I just wanted to pop in really quickly to tell you guys that since summer is fast approaching, and therefore (dun dun dunnnn) we are getting that much closer to the book launches, I'm compiling an email list of all those who want updates surrounding the book releases (of The Basilisk's Creed, Uncensored, Kinked, and Sync) as well as freebies and extras for when that time comes. A good number of you guys have already emailed me to be added to the list, but if you haven't and would like to, it's imperative that you email me (emestrife@gmail.com) with your preferred email address or subscribe to the blog's newsletter (under Follow by Em[e]ail) as soon as possible. I'm trying to have the list compiled by the end of next week, so if you're interested please let me know one way or the other at your earliest convenience. The cover for The Basilisk's Creed is going through some finishing touches and I'll be posting it on here pretty soon, so be on the lookout for that! Well, that's all I have for now, folks. Have a fucking awesome Spring Break and St. Patrick's Day! Enjoy your weekends and be safe, whatever you decide to do (or whoever you decide to screw). Lol.
Until next time...
Much love,

Eme <3

Book cover for "Sync"!

Hey, Scribbies!

I'm super excited to share another book cover with you guys! I've finally gotten the book cover for "Sync" complete, which leaves the cover for "The Basilisk's Creed", which I will be sharing with you guys as soon as it's complete as well. Hope you guys like this, and are excited to read it once it comes out this summer!

 Until next time...
Much love,

Eme <3

Uncensored (Teaser)

Happy Friday, my lovely Scribblers! 
I just wanted to give you guys a little teaser of one of my upcoming books, "Uncensored". It's a contemporary erotic romance novel centered around the relationship between college senior, Rosalind "Reaux" Myers; a passionate and highly-opinionated redhead majoring in Environmental Studies and Geology, and her would-be nemesis, Wayne Calvin; a charming, wealthy, and highly influential socialite and big-timer in the petroleum and natural gas industry, who behind closed doors is a highly sexual dominant with an especially intense fetish for the color red. 
Eme <3





        (Part of) Chapter One

We all have those moments in life where we let hindsight get the better of us. Whether it's foraging through the depths of our souls to look for reasons why we left a lover, or searching our minds to try and understand how we could have possibly passed up an opportunity, we are creatures of constant second-guessing.
So, it's only natural that I would be sitting here now, wondering what my life might have been like if I had just turned down the assignment that I was offered. What if the company that I was interning for had given me another job instead of that one? And where would I be today if I had listened to that little whisper of a voice inside my head just this once-telling me to leave Calvin Gas and Oil the minute I walked through the big, cold steel doors? Then again, it's a slippery slope when you try to analyze every choice you've ever made, because you don't quite know how many regrets are going to be there waiting for you at the bottom of that hill.
****
I was just about to begin my last semester of college when I was accepted into the internship program at BioDiverse, which was no small feat, I can assure you. There were around one hundred students who wanted the coveted spot at the prestigious environmental consulting firm. It was common knowledge that they turned us lowly interns into people who could pick whichever high paying job they wanted after graduating. There was even a rumor floating around about the last intern, who apparently was offered a position with not one, but twelve of the Fortune 500 companies.
Of course, I accepted their offer right away. It wasn't because I wanted the money that the experience would eventually earn, nor the boasting rights that I could now toss in the face of my family—who were all very vocal about the fact that switching from pre-med was the biggest mistake of my young life. No, it was none of those things, really. As pathetic as it sounds, the main reason why I jumped at the chance to work for BioDiverse, the “holy grail” of environmental consultant internships, was because I genuinely wanted to save the world.
While most people my age were doing their best to party as much as humanly possible before the real world began breathing down their necks, sleep with as many people as they could, and come up with new and inventive ways to beat the common hangover, I was trying to figure out how I would be able to stop the melting of the polar ice caps or organizing a rally against offshore drilling. As a result, I was the one in class who always had the opinions, rarelydrank anything stronger than a cup of coffee, and had never had sex.
It wasn't that I hadn't had the opportunity to make love before. In fact, there were a few times throughout school that I probably could have finally lost my virginity to some random guy who I'd met on campus. That wasn't who I was though. I wasn't the girl who slipped into bed with the first boy who came along. It's not that I was waiting for marriage, despite the fact that my father—who was as Catholic as they come—had made it very clear that he would disown me if I “let myself be compromised” before walking down the aisle at our church.
The simple truth was that it had just never happened for me. There hadn't been any lusty encounters in dark alleys or a gentle hand brushing in the halls that escalated into a full- blown steamy sex scene, like I'd read about in my roommate's stash of romance novels. Nothing particularly sensual had ever entered into the equation, even though there were times when I would have loved to have felt a firm grasp or a warm tongue. But when these thoughts lingered, the shame of them would send me further into my studies, and I would tuck the deep, mingling desires into the back of my mind. A girl who was raised in a strict Catholic home like I was shouldn't be dreaming about thrusting hips or quivering lips. Or so I thought.

Two of My Book Covers!

Hey, guys!

Okay, I know I've been posting more frequently this week, but I've been making lots of progress with my upcoming books in the last two weeks. Today, I wanted to give you guys the very first sneak-peek of two of my new books, "Uncensored" and "Kinked". I will be sharing the covers of "The Basilisk's Creed" and my other book "Sync" once they're completed. Hope you guys like these covers. I know I do :)

Title sequence: Help me decide!

Hi, guys!

So in addition to scribbling all over the place like a madwoman on ecstasy, I've been brainstorming on the best  looks for the book covers of my up and coming titles. #drinksbeerinexcitement!
While my internal organs are marinating in light alcohol and creative juice, I figured it would be a great idea to get some of you guys' input. After all, you are Scribblers (^_^). So I need you guys to help me choose between the two color sequences of the title below. Tell me which one you think is better.



Don't be alarmed, the cover will look nothing like this, lol. I just wanted to get an idea of what the colors in the title would look like next to each other on the layout. So, let me hear you thoughts, guys; the top sequence or the bottom one? Comment, comment, comment! (^_^)
Until next time...

Much love,

Eme <3

Oscar Mania: Seth MacFarlane, Quentin Tarantino, and Double Cs

Picture from Google Images

Hey, Scribblers!

Turns out I'm having yet another snow day, and hence, more marathon writing (Sighs).
For all those who watched the Oscars yesterday, you know how awesome the performances--and my future husband, Seth MacFarlane--were during the show. I think Seth outdid himself and I never really realized just how amazing his voice is. Gosh, he can sing to me any day...or night (^_^).
And I was absolutely ecstatic when Quentin Tarantino won his award for best original screenplay. I absolutely loved 'Django Unchained'. Props to maestro Tarantino. He is an amazing writer and creator!

But anyway, I just wanted to come in real quick to talk about two other happenings from last night's most popular Hollywood award show. And they both begin with the letter 'C'.

First 'C' word : Christoph Waltz.
I was like, #HellYeahFuckinRight!!! when he won Best Supporting Actor. I really wanted him to and I think he is a splendid performer. Congrats to him. He certainly deserved it. Kudos to you, Christoph :)

Second 'C' word: The 'C' word.

As we all know, some bobble-head genius from the Onion decided it was a great idea to call a nine year old a c**t and share that thought with the rest of the fucking world while he was at it.
I have to say, while I am a cynic and can appreciate satire and sarcasm, I feel this person's tweet--which I assume was an attempt at satirical humor--was done pretty darn poorly and was distasteful to say the least. I'm all for obscene language, but not when it's directed at a kid in this manner. A tweet like this and a book like 'Go the fuck to sleep' (which I think is hilarious) are two different things entirely.Then again, I have a little sister--and she's not even as young as Quvenzhane Willis--so I might just be biased, and if anyone ever called her anything even remotely close to the 'C' word, I'd probably rip their fucking vocal cords out. #justsayin'.
Anyways, that was my rant for the day.
Until next time...

Much love,

Eme <3