Taste of Cyn

Summer Lovin’ Blog Hop

By Cynthia Sax on June 20, 2014

I’m participating in www.hopswithheart.blogspot.com ‘s Summer Lovin’ Blog Hop. There are some great grand prizes and I’ll be giving away a copy of any one eBook from my backlist (excluding collections) to one lucky commenter.

Since the theme is summer, I thought I’d offer a summery snippet from Sinful Rewards 1 (available for pre-orders at a crazy low 99 cents US).

I won’t strip. Not in public. Standing naked on your own balcony is allowable. Streaking in a common area will result in eviction or jail time, and neither of these interests me.

I follow the winding sidewalk, strolling toward the park. Birds chirp happily as they flutter from branch to branch, safe and free, semiconcealed in the thick hedges. I unclip the passcard from the waistband of my skirt and wave it in front of the fence’s sensor. The locks buzz, releasing. I swing the heavy wrought iron gate open and slip into the park.

The lawn is lush, watered every morning. The hedges block the view of the surrounding buildings and dampen the sound. Bright pink perennials line the patio stones, the blooms bowing in the morning breeze. The flowers will be gone next month, unlike the giant maple tree dominating the center of the park. It will remain, tall and steadfast, its trunk too thick for me to wrap my arms around.

I sigh, contented. This park is a serene sliver of green in a big, noisy city. I understand why Nicolas spends every morning here.

Few of the residents have the same appreciation for nature. The space is devoid of human life. I hurry toward the bench. This doesn’t mean someone hasn’t entered the park and then left, taking the phone.

I spot the edge of the metal case and exhale a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

It’s still there.

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Sinful Rewards 1

Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.

Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.

But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.

Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11

Topics: Guest Post | 17 Comments »

Blogging For Erotic Romance Writers

By Cynthia Sax on June 19, 2014

I was blogging long before I wrote erotic romances. I’ve posted on one of my business blogs (under a different pen name) every day for over a decade. Blogging is near and dear to my heart and I truly believe that every writer, especially every erotic romance writer should have a blog.

Why?

Because if, for some reason, your website isn’t working (maybe hackers accessed it or the morality police had it shut down due to its adult content or your web designer messed up), you can redirect that traffic to your blog. Your blog is a backup for your website.

(grins) You thought I’d say a blog is a great promotional vehicle, didn’t you? And it can be but I think, for an erotic romance writer, having a backup for your website is even more important.

And that’s what I’ll talk about today—some of the unique issues erotic romance writers face. There are great articles about general blogging (see http://www.problogger.net/ ) and on using blogs for book promo in general. There’s not a lot of talk about our special needs.

We write adult content. As much as we can try to keep our blogs PG rated, the naughty words, situations, or covers will slip through. And quite frankly, our readers want them to slip through. One of the reasons they’re reading our writing is because it’s steamy. Why not celebrate this steaminess on our blogs?

But this means taking complete control of our blogs. Every writer should own her own blog domain. The person who owns the domain name controls the readers.

If your domain name is .blogspot.com or .wordpress.com, Blogger or WordPress owns your domain name. These huge companies can legally send all of your traffic to their own sites. They can also shut you down if they don’t agree with your content (a couple of complaints will do this).

Spending $8 U.S. or less a year ($16 in total as you’ll need a domain name for your website also) on a domain name will allow you to point your readers wherever you want. Blogger even makes it easy to use your own domain name ( https://support.google.com/blogger/troubleshooter/1233381?hl=en ). Using your own domain name makes your links prettier and appear more professional also.

Eventually you’ll want to host your own blog. I use WordPress.org (NOT WordPress.com – there is a difference between the two) and the free templates for my blogs. This makes it even more difficult for the morality police to shut my sites down.

Especially since I put a “By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.” warning at the top of my blog.

Yes, being honest about hosting adult content reduces some traffic. Some readers can’t access my blog or website from their places of employment. But I’d rather that happen than inadvertently offend someone or face a lawsuit (though legally we might or might not need a disclaimer – http://www.blogherald.com/2011/09/09/adult-content-your-site-and-the-law/ ).

What issues have you faced as an erotic romance blogger? What other considerations should we mention?

BTW… the very friendly performers pictured are two of the many reasons why I love Vegas. (grins) You can click on the photos to make them larger.

Sinful Rewards 1

Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.

Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.

But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.

Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11

Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Blogging For Erotic Romance Writers

Shopping With Bee From Sinful Rewards

By Cynthia Sax on June 18, 2014

Bee, the heroine of Sinful Rewards, is a fashionista without a budget. I thought it would be fun to virtually stroll with her as she walks down the Magnificent Mile.

The building where I work is located two blocks north, and these two blocks are home to the most esteemed retailers in Chicago. I look around me, and a fierce joy fills my soul. This is where I feel the happiest, among the exclusive shops and gorgeous fashions on the Magnificent Mile, the city’s style Mecca.

I walk with a bounce in my step and a genuine smile on my face, my heart light. Employees sweep in front of their stores, arrange objects in the windows, take inventory in the back of the spaces. I wish everyone I meet a boisterous good morning, my small-town roots showing.

My brisk pace slows as I pass Cartier. A diamond necklace sparkles in the lit window, the elaborate design fit for a queen. I touch my collar, imagining how I’d look draped in jewels. Everyone would know I was important, that I belonged. I’d walk into these stores and be waited on, pandered to.

I wander farther along the famed street, lusting after the items in the window displays, dreaming of a life I can’t afford. The scarves are so sheer, so delicate, the designs resemble images seen through a luxurious waterfall. The suits are exquisite, the buttons a work of art. The shoes are divine, too beautiful to touch the ground.

None of these treasures compare to the Salvatore Ferragamo purse. I stop in front of the window, the highlight of my morning walk. Trends will come and go. This purse, with its handcrafted red leather, dual top handles, and zippers made of real gold, will remain timeless, elegant, classic.

I move closer to the glass, my yearning to own the limited-edition purse painfully intense. It’s clearly a heritage piece, designed to be passed from mother to daughter, and when it first appeared in the store ten days ago, I fell instantly and hopelessly in love.

I’m destined to have my heart broken. The price of the purse is more than the annual rent on my mom’s one-bedroom apartment. My fingertips hover near the window. I can’t spend that much money on myself, not now, maybe not ever.

It tortures me that some woman in Chicago can. That soon, perhaps tomorrow, I’ll pass the window and the purse will be gone, sold, never to be seen again. I sigh, my breath fogging up the window.

As though mocking me, the phone in my scuffed knockoff purse starts to hum. I could trade the phone for the Salvatore Ferragamo purse. Some media outlet would pay that much. No one would know.

Sinful Rewards 1

Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.

Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.

But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.

Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Shopping With Bee From Sinful Rewards

27 Dresses

By Cynthia Sax on June 17, 2014

Recently, I rewatched 27 Dresses starring Katherine Heigl as Jane and James Marsden as Kevin. The reason I find this movie interesting is the exact same reason it doesn’t work for me as a romance (or romantic comedy).

Everyone portrayed in this movie lies. Jane lies to all of her friends and family, pretending she isn’t in love with her boss. Tess, her sister, lies to Jane’s boss, making him believe she’s his dream woman. Kevin lies to Jane, trying to get his story. None of the characters are true to themselves or to others. They pretend to be people they’re not.

Liars make interesting characters. Will they be found out? What will happen when they are outed? Will the revelation force the characters to change, to become better people? There’s a lot of room for delicious tension and for growth.

Liars make terrible spouses however. Jane falls in love with the man Kevin pretends to be. She values the traits his feigned persona has, not the traits he truly has. The man she kissed, slept with, cared for didn’t exist. Their entire relationship was built on nothing.

And how could she possibly trust anything that comes out of his mouth? He lied to get what he wanted. She had no clue that he’s selling her a load of bull. When he lies in the future (and I suspect he will – why wouldn’t he? Lying in the past is how he got what he desired.), she’ll, once again, be clueless.

This is why the romance part doesn’t work. There’s no indication (except the word of a liar) that Kevin truly has changed. Jane can’t keep him honest. She has no ability to read him.

I’ve had liars as heroines or heroes. Bee from Sinful Rewards isn’t completely honest. But their love interests always call them on their bullsh*t. Both Nicolas and Hawke are skilled at separating truth from lies. Bee might lie but she knows she’s not fooling either of them.

A relationship CAN be built on lies if both parties know they’re lies.

Sinful Rewards 1

Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.

Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.

But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.

Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on 27 Dresses

Sinful Rewards 1 – First Excerpt

By Cynthia Sax on June 16, 2014

This post has adult content. If you are under the age of eighteen years old or sensitive to adult language/situations, please do not read this post.

While we’re waiting for Sinful Rewards 1 to release (July 15th – You can pre-order it now!), I figured I’d shared the first scene.

Forever can’t be purchased from a fast-talking street vendor outside Grant Park. Knowing this, I shouldn’t feel betrayed or even disappointed by my designer-knockoff purse’s deplorable state. I plunk the fake on the kitchen’s bright red countertop. Quality lasts. Everything else, including poorly crafted copies, is temporary.

When I purchased the small black messenger bag, only the most gifted fashionista could have distinguished it from the Ralph Lauren original. Months later, I’m not fooling anyone. The logo has fallen off and been glued back on twice. The faux leather is worn around the edges of the purse, exposing the white interior. The strap clings to one of the metal loops by six fragile threads.

I can’t do anything about the strap. When it finally snaps, my relationship with my purse will be over. I’ll have to throw the fashion essential away and buy a replacement. The faux leather is fixed with a black marker. I carefully trace the piping, thankful that Cyndi, my extremely wealthy roommate and hyperactive best friend, isn’t here to witness my purse doctoring.

She hasn’t yet returned from her Tuesday night drunkfest. Her bedroom door remains open, her lights are turned off, and the place is tidy. There are no high heels kicked haphazardly over the gleaming hardwood floor, no cute little designer jackets tossed on the breakfast nook’s custom-crafted bar stools, or candy-coated chocolate pieces skittered into every hard-to-reach corner of the room.

I long for these messes, for my best friend’s presence, the silence in the space echoing the strain in our relationship, the widening gap caused by our very different financial situations. As Cyndi’s token middle-class buddy, unable to pay for much more than the utilities on this luxurious condo, I’m often left home alone, excluded from shopping trips and fancy nights out.

Unless something changes, I’ll face a fate similar to my purse. I’ll be replaced and discarded.

I won’t allow that to happen. Not again.

I place the cap on the marker, return the dollar-store purchase to the painstakingly organized junk drawer, and move toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. Our third-floor condo overlooks a tiny park wedged between three high-rise buildings. Neither the wrought iron fence nor the thick green hedge surrounding the green space impedes my view.

It’s a view any Chicago socialite would trade her string of Tiffany pearls to enjoy. Nicolas Rainer, the condominium complex’s enigmatic owner, sits on the wooden bench positioned closest to our condo, his traditional black wingtips planted solidly on the ground, his finely groomed head bent over one of his tablets.

Papers and electronic devices radiate from the left and right of his long, lean body. These are carefully arranged in the same pattern every morning, smallest to largest devices, lowest to highest stacks of paper. Today is Wednesday, which means one of the stacks consists of invoices, printed on thin yellow paper. Tomorrow is Thursday. There’s an additional stack of papers on Thursdays, widening the orbit around him.

The billionaire bachelor’s routine is the same every week, rigid, unbending, reassuringly consistent. It was Nicolas’s predictability that first snagged my attention, piquing my interest. In a world battered by broken promises and casual encounters, he’s a man a woman can depend on, can trust not to change.

Then I watched an old interview Cyndi found online, and I was lost. While my roommate mocked Nicolas’s curt, blunt responses, mimicking his voice and mannerisms, I saw the loneliness reflecting in his eyes, the hole in his soul. Having seen the same expression in my mirror, too many times, I knew we were meant for each other.

He’s mine. He simply doesn’t know it yet. I gaze at him with a warmth in my heart. The sun’s rays shine on Nicolas’s wavy black hair. Streams of gold dance over his fashion-model good looks, his high cheekbones, his deep even tan. His navy blue suit is formfitting, his white shirt immaculate, the design on his tie subtle. Light reflects off his metallic cuff links, adding a touch of shine, a hint of sparkle.

Nicolas frowns at the tablet, lines of concentration etched between his dark eyebrows. He’s likely working on another one of his projects. His net worth is mind-boggling, his financial success a source of legend. When he finally realizes I’m perfect for him and we marry, I won’t have to choose between helping my cash-strapped mom or indulging my love of fashion. I can do both, guilt-free.

And Nicolas will marry, maybe not tomorrow, but some day. His company develops properties, maintaining ownership of these prime locations forever. He’s lived in the condominium complex since it opened, worked with the same management team since he founded his company.

His personal relationships won’t be any less stable. I’m not in a rush to wed—I have my own career to establish—but I won’t waste my time on someone who is afraid of commitment. I won’t make my mom’s mistakes. It is forever or nothing for me.

I suspect Nicolas thinks the same way. There’s only one obstacle standing in our way—he doesn’t know I exist.

Sinful Rewards 1

Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.

Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.

But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.

Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11

Topics: Coming Soon | 2 Comments »

Fathers (Dads) In Romance

By Cynthia Sax on June 13, 2014

Sunday is Father’s Day in North America so I thought it would be a great excuse to talk about the dads making an appearance in my stories.

If I could only recommend one of my stories to read this Father’s Day, it would be Flashes Of Me. This is a romance first and foremost but the secondary storyline is the relationship between Kat and her beloved father. (If you don’t appreciate your dad now, you will appreciate him after this story.)

Kat idealizes her father. He’s her mentor, her anchor, and she quotes his wisdom often, using his insights to guide her decisions. This exchange between Kat and the hero Henley (‘the stranger’) is telling.

“I left the experience section of the application blank.” I chew on the inside of my cheek. “I helped my father, but I didn’t know if that counted as experience and I didn’t want to lie.” I lied about my last name. I didn’t want to lie about anything else. “My father always tells me business deals are built on trust and trust is built on truth.”

My stranger turns his head and meets my gaze, his forehead furrowed with thought lines. “Your father always tells you that?”

I nod.

There’s a long pause in our conversation, as though he’s giving my father’s words deep consideration. “He’s right,” my mystery man finally concedes, his voice gruff.

I beam at him, liking him even more for agreeing with my father.

I don’t know if Kat would have trusted Henley as much as she does if he had disagreed with her father. This is how strong the connection between Kat and her father is.

In Alien Tryst, Kane’s view of relationships and what a man should be is formed by his father. In this scene, we seen how close his parents are and how his father immediately volunteers to go first, protecting both his wife and his son.

“If your experiment works, Kane, our son.” His mother looked at his father. “Our only child will live.” His parents hugged each other close. Kane couldn’t remember them ever spending more than a day apart.

“I’ll be your next trial,” his father volunteered.

Kane follows his father’s example, putting himself at risk to save Eshe, the alien woman he loves. He also assumes that wherever she goes, he’ll go (or vice versa). He doesn’t expect to be a lone wolf. For him, a relationship means being together.

Sometimes a dad doesn’t have to make an appearance to influence a character. Bee’s dad in Sinful Rewards left her mom when he found out she was pregnant. This abandonment changes their lives forever, purging them into poverty, making her mom a pariah in her small town, and affecting Bee’s view of her self-worth.

Who are your favorite dads in romance?

Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly using his network of cameras and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, his scarred hands and huge size have resulted in him being feared by everyone… almost everyone.

Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss’s wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses, and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken.

Kat likes to be watched. Henley can’t look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-Novella-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-flashesofme-1411711-149.html

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flashes-of-me-cynthia-sax/1117322925

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Fathers (Dads) In Romance

Interview With Adera Orfanelli

By Cynthia Sax on June 12, 2014

I sat down (virtually) with Adera Orfanelli for a short interview. Adera Orfanelli’s latest release is Gunn’s Kiss, a sexy SciFi.

Cynthia Sax: What excites you about Gunn’s Kiss?

Adera Orfanelli: I love the combination of science fiction and life on a space station along with vampires. Though this installment in the series doesn’t have vampires as a main character, they are there along with their politics. I find it fascinating to play with some of my favorite things in fiction, and as a political junkie, it’s fun to create a world not too different from our own where those in power move behind the scenes.

Cynthia Sax: How does Gunn’s Kiss start?

Adera Orfanelli: Gunn has appeared in the earlier installments (though each book stands alone) and I wanted him to finally meet a character who gets under his skin. The story begins with their meeting because of the heroine’s species. She’s so different from his other clients that it immediately sets him on edge. He’s “creeped out” by her, and yet attracted all at the same time.

Cynthia Sax: Is Gunn’s Kiss a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?

Adera Orfanelli: Yes, the Politics Bite series will continue. This is book three, though each book can and does stand on its own. However characters make reappearances in the other books, so it is fun to see and catch up with characters from the earlier stories. There are two more planned books. Blood Music, the book following this one, will close out a few loose ends that are left in this book and then there is a final volume. I am thinking that there may be additional related series.

Cynthia Sax: What one piece of advice would you give new writers?

Adera Orfanelli: Write the stories that excite you. Have fun with it. Even if you have a story that is offbeat or something you think a publisher wouldn’t pick up, there are always publishers out there like Changeling who invite their authors to use imagination.

Thank you, Adera Orfanelli, for joining us today!

Adera Orfanelli’s Website: http://www.aderaorfanelli.net

*****************************************************************************

Security Expert Gunn Kierney takes each assignment in stride, until he’s assigned to a mysterious visitor to Nochte-Theta. He finds this telepathic alien, one of the few of her species, to be more than an assignment, and when he discovers a member of the council wants her dead, the passion, as well as danger, heats up around them.

Buy Now From Changeling:

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2249

Topics: Author Interviews | Comments Off on Interview With Adera Orfanelli

Moving From LA To Chicago

By Cynthia Sax on June 11, 2014

The Blaine Technologies series (He Watches Me, He Touches Me, He Claims Me, Flashes Of Me, and Breaking All The Rules) is set in sunny LA. Anna felt this was the perfect city to hide in. Being a plain, slender brunette, she assumed she wouldn’t be noticed if she was surrounded by gorgeous (often blonde and busty) movie stars.

Blaine chose LA for his technology company’s headquarters because he also wished to hide. A reclusive publicity-shy billionaire living in the shadow of attention seeking flamboyant Hollywood types won’t garner much media attention. He can move around without being observed, yet still travel in his limousines and enjoy his luxurious lifestyle.

I can’t imagine setting these stories anywhere other than LA. The city is an integral part of the story. I love LA and I would happily base every story there. I couldn’t do this, however, because Chicago is as important to Sinful Rewards as LA is to the Blaine Technologies series.

First and foremost, I love Chicago. I love the city. I love its colorful past, its food (deep dish pizza – yum), its people, its unique culture. If I had to move to anywhere in the world, I would move to Chicago. It’s a vibrant, very livable city.

Chicago was a no-brainer as a setting because Sinful Rewards is a story about secrets, about how perception is not always reality, about contrasts. Many people, when they think about Chicago, picture Al Capone and the violence (or glamour) surrounding the mobster. Or they might associate the city with the Chicago White Sox 1919 World Series scandal. Or with the Great Fire. Although Chicago is a wonderful city, it struggles to overcome its dark past as do ALL of the main characters in Sinful Rewards.

These characters also have additional reasons for being drawn to Chicago.

Bee is a (low budget) fashionista so we might assume she’d live in New York, one of the world’s fashion meccas. During the story, she considers moving there. But Bee grew up in a very small town and she’s extremely cautious. Moving from this small town to New York is too big of a leap for her.

And Chicago has the fashions she adores. The Magnificent Mile is Bee’s idea of heaven, her window shopping sanctuary.

In addition to this, she understands the people, the sayings, the local references as her small town is situated less than an hour away. Fitting in is very important to Bee. Anna, from He Watches Me, wanted to disappear, to avoid other people. Bee wishes to belong. She likes to know all of the rules, to understand the jokes, to be part of the group.

Nicolas, one of our possible heroes in Sinful Rewards, chose Chicago because the city has historically been forgiving of individuals with less than saintly pasts. He’s done some bad things, things he can’t forgive himself for. If these secrets are exposed, he hopes Chicago society will continue to embrace him.

Hawke, another possible hero in Sinful Rewards, chose Chicago because of its proximity to New York (where many of the Organization’s clients live) and because of its motorcycle helmet laws… or rather, lack of laws. He’s a bit of a bad ass and hangs with a group of fellow rebel bikers. They wish to make their own decisions about their personal safety.

Sinful Rewards can only have been set in Chicago. The Blaine Technologies series could have only been set in LA. Which city would you like to see a story set in?

Sinful Rewards 1

Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.

Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.

But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.

Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Moving From LA To Chicago

Ever After

By Cynthia Sax on June 10, 2014

With all of the buzz around Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent, I decided to watch Ever After again. This is one of my favorite fairy tale movies, and, although it is framed as a ‘historical recounting’, this is a fairy tale, a completely fictional piece of fun.

One of the things I love most about this movie is how the ‘evil’ stepmother is portrayed. She behaves horribly but I understand why she isn’t nice to Danielle (played by Drew Barrymore ). She earns my sympathy.

The Baroness, played wonderfully by Anjelica Huston, is an ambitious, proud lady. She values titles and wealth, and seeks to be close to the French court.

So why does she marry Gustave, a wealthy yet untitled rural landowner?

Because she loves him. She gives up her ambitions, her dreams, everything for him. Then she finds out that she is alone in this all consuming love, that Gustave will always put Danielle first. As he tellingly says to Danielle, “I may be a husband now but I’m a father first and forever.”

When Gustave leaves the manor, Danielle claims that they must wait for him to wave, that this will give them good luck. In a fit of jealousy, the Baroness refuses to wait, entering the building.

Gustave then suffers from a heart attack and falls from his horse. The Baroness runs to him, her guilt and worry painfully obvious. Did she cause this bad luck? Danielle arrives at his side first, adding to the Baroness’ guilt. She should have reached him first. She clutches him, crazed with worry.

Gustave turns away from his new wife, rejecting her, and tells his daughter, Danielle, he loves her. He dies with the Baroness heart wrenchingly wailing “You cannot leave me here.” She has given up everything for love and has been left with nothing.

The Baroness can’t blame the man she loved so she transfers all of her anger to Danielle, the daughter. Does she act like a bitch? Yes. Do I understand why she acts this way? Absolutely.

THAT, in my opinion, is how one crafts a great villain.

Sinful Rewards 1

Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.

Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.

But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.

Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Ever After

Introducing Hawke From Sinful Rewards

By Cynthia Sax on June 9, 2014

This post has adult content. If you are under the age of eighteen years old or sensitive to adult language/situations, please do not read this post.

Sinful Rewards is a love triangle between Bee, a recent grad, Nicolas, a billionaire with a dark past, and Hawke, a tattooed biker and former Marine. The first story in this twelve story serial releases on July 15th and is available for pre-order now!

Last week, I gave you a glimpse of Nicolas, our sexy billionaire. Today, I thought I’d tease you with Hawke, our bad, BAD boy. Again this excerpt is unedited (I haven’t given my wonderful editor a heart attack yet – grins) so please forgive any errors.

“Do you want me to have him killed?” a man rumbles.

I squeak, startled, and I pivot on my high heels. A man in a black leather jacket and faded blue jeans sits on the shiniest, prettiest motorcycle I’ve ever seen. Silver talons grab the metal axles. Finely drawn birds decorate the blue gas tank.

“Sorry. I didn’t see you there,” I mumble, embarrassed. Although his tattoos are covered, I recognize his square chin, the stubble on his tanned cheeks, the broadness of his shoulders, the strength in his powerful body. It’s the tattooed man from three eleven north, the hunk I saw naked this morning.

“I’m surprised you didn’t see me, sweetheart. I’m easy to spot.” He flashes me an adorably lopsided smile and my heart skips a beat. Up close, he appears even bigger than he was this morning, the man built solid, like the side of a mountain.

A fit, sexy mountain. I allow my gaze to linger on his impressive physique. The body parts I can’t see, my mind remembers, my pussy moistening and my knees weakening. I want him. Desperately. I clutch my purse, holding on to my self-control with everything I have.

The strap snaps. The purse drops to the sidewalk, the contents spilling. I watch, mortified, as a gold tube of lipstick rolls toward the tattooed hunk. He nudges the sidestand into place, stretches out his right leg and stops the lipstick’s escape with one big black boot.

“You’re a hot mess, aren’t you?” He bends over and retrieves the wayward tube.

“I’m not normally a mess.” I stuff my brush, wallet, passcard, and, oh my God, my emergency tampon back into my purse. My hands tremble. “The strap broke and–”

“You have black ink all over your pretty white shirt.” He skims the unopened tube of lipstick down my cotton-covered side, leaving a trail of sweet sensation. My nipples tighten and my spine arches, my body instinctually responding to his touch.

“Give me that.” I snatch the lipstick from him, unnerved by my reaction, and I glance down at my blouse. “Oh God.” Black ink is smudged over the fabric. “You’re right.” My heart sinks. Has it been there all day? Since I doctored my purse this morning? Nicolas, my boss, everyone must have seen it, and no one said anything, no one except my bad ass biker. “I am a mess.” My voice wobbles.

“You’re a hot mess,” he corrects. “There’s a big difference between the two.” His eyes are a faded blue, matching his jeans. “Let me see your purse.” He holds out one large hand. Calluses and scars mar his skin.

I eye his palm with suspicion. “Why do you want to see it?”

“I need to use your brush,” he jokes. “Why do you think?” I think he’s full of shit. His brown hair is buzzed close to his head. There’s nothing for him to brush. “I’ll fix the strap for you. There’ll be less of it.” His gaze drifts down my body, his perusal more stimulating than any touch. “But then there’s less of you.”

“There’s the perfect amount of me.” I put my free hand on my hip. “I’m average height.”

“You are average height…for a munchkin.” The tattooed stranger stares unabashed at my chest. My taut nipples press against the cotton, begging for his attention. “A shapely, sexy—”

“You’re one wrong word away from a slap across the face.” I glare at him.

“You’re feisty. I like that.” He grins. “Give me your purse. I’ll repair it for you and then we can play.”

Sinful Rewards 1

Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.

Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.

But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.

Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11

Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Introducing Hawke From Sinful Rewards