Sinful Rewards And Cliffhangers
As I’ve mentioned in the past (http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/06/27/should-writers-end-installments-of-a-serial-in-a-cliffhanger/ ), I prefer not to end installments of a serial in a cliffhanger.
What is a cliffhanger? According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffhanger ), a “cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction.”
Simply having an unanswered question (Will Bee fall in love with Nicolas or with Hawke?) doesn’t constitute a cliffhanger. Until a story is complete, there will be unanswered questions. Heck, when stories ARE complete, there will still be unanswered questions. Not everything is wrapped up in a neat bow. That’s unrealistic and a bit cheesy. Life is messy. The characters’ lives continue after the last page.
Sinful Rewards 4, however, DOES end on a true cliffhanger. Bee is expecting one hero to show up. Another hero arrives first. This is the only installment of Sinful Rewards that has one.
Why did I allow Sinful Rewards 4 to end in a cliffhanger?
First and foremost, the characters insisted on this ending. I rewrote that last chapter a dozen times and no matter how I tweaked it, the unexpected hero showed up.
But it also serves the story. That awkward anxious feeling that you get when reading that scene is exactly how Bee feels. You’re wondering what will happen next. She’s thinking the same thing. Will she lose BOTH of her men? One of them? Will one of the men confront the other?
The good news is Sinful Rewards 5 will be releasing on November 18th!
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Four years ago, Bee Carter left her tiny hometown, escaping her tormenters. She concealed her tarnished reputation under a good-girl persona, hiding her history from Nicolas, her strong and silent billionaire; Hawke, her tattooed bad-boy biker; and Cyndi, her man-crazy best friend.
Today, she’s returning home … and she’s not alone. Some of her deepest, darkest secrets will be revealed. Trust will be tested. Clothing and inhibitions will be discarded. Bee and her hometown will never be the same.
When her past and her present collide, will any of Bee’s relationships survive?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00I7V89N4
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards4-1645053-149.html
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-4-cynthia-sax/1119919839
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_4?id=PvxzAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-4/id814148698
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Sinful Rewards And Cliffhangers
Writing Erotic Romance – Surviving Chapter Four
This post has adult content. If you are under the age of eighteen years old and/or sensitive to adult language/situations, please do not read this post.
It’s day 6 of the annual writing craziness called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). If you’re on schedule (you lucky bitch – I am NOT, having been sideswiped with bone-deep edits on my beloved Sinful Rewards), you’ve written over 8,000 shitty words (Shitty is a given. This is the first draft. The first draft is always shit).
Are You A Hobbyist Or A Professional?
The new idea rush is over and you’re crashing hard. You’re beginning to dread sitting down at your computer every day. You have Pac-Man-like nightmares about the curser gobbling up your manuscript one letter at a time. You’re eating Nutella straight out of the jar.
No. Wait. Delete that last one. Nutella is supposed to be eaten straight out of the jar.
The writing is getting damn hard (and not in a hunky hero-type of way). What you do next defines the type of writer you are. If you’re a hobbyist, you’ll stop writing. If you’re a professional, you’ll continue.
Hobbyists
There’s nothing wrong with being a hobbyist, someone who writes whenever she feels like writing. If that’s what you wish to do, embrace it. Don’t pretend to be anyone else.
If you’re a hobbyist, however, you might wish to keep your opinions about writing whenever the muse visits you to your sweet self (especially during NaNoWriMo). Because odds are the professional you’re speaking to is hyped up on black coffee, jellybeans and no sleep, trying to meet her impossible and never ending deadlines. She’s in a dark place, unable to fully appreciate your goodness and light. Trust me. You don’t want to mess with her.
Professionals
Professionals continue writing. Some writers (like Nora Roberts) consider it to be a job (“Every time I hear writers talk about ‘the muse,’ I just want to bitch-slap them. It’s a job. Do your job.” – Nora Roberts). I consider writing to be a calling. This is what we’re meant to do. We write. This is our way of changing the world and changing the world isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes it’s dark and angry and twisted.
And sometimes this is when we do our best writing. Yes, we write a lot of drivel also, scenes we’ll have to revise a dozen times before being satisfied with them. But hidden in that drivel is often slices of pure magic. We’re too frustrated to fight our characters. We allow them to lead the way. They create scenes and phrases we never knew we were capable of.
Some writers rely on drugs and alcohol to bring out their creativity. Being tired and strung out on caffeine can accomplish the same thing AND it is completely legal.
Moving Forward
How do we push past the new idea crash? When I wrote the 12 novellas for Sinful Rewards in less than 5 months (yes, I did NaNoWriMo for five months straight), I used almost every incentive in the writer’s handbook.
Success Is A Team Sport
I shared my daily word count goals with four writing buddies and they kept me honest, asking me for updates during the day, booting me off social media, cheering me on. J.K. Coi must have sent me a ‘Go! Go! Go!’ email every freaking day. Some days, I hated those emails but they worked. I didn’t want to disappoint my peeps so I wrote until my fingers were bloody stubs. Just kidding! (No, not really.)
Many writers put a call out for word sprints on Facebook or Twitter. They’ll challenge each other to write as many words as they can in a certain length of time.
There’s also Write-Or-Die (http://writeordie.com/ ), a sadistic program that forces you to write at a set speed or the curser (as in the Pac-Man nightmare) will start erasing your precious words.
Sinful Rewards
Like Bee, my heroine in Sinful Rewards, I enjoy receiving rewards. I’ll set a word count goal and, when I meet it, I reward myself. It could be a walk around the block. It could be a half hour of pleasure reading. It could be hot steamy sex with the dear wonderful hubby (he LOVES it when I have deadlines – grins). Naps are great. So is staring at the ceiling. Often I’ll bake banana chocolate chip muffins.
The best rewards are those that refill our creative wells, allowing us to return to the computer and add even more words to our hoard (or whore – however you think of your manuscript).
Just 100 More Words
When I was writing the Sinful Rewards serial, I had a Monday to Friday word count goal of 5,000 fresh words a day. There were times when I hit the wall, smacking into that baby face first. I was certain I couldn’t make my goal.
I told myself I’d only write 100 more words. When those words were written, I told myself I’d write 100 more. Logically, this shouldn’t work, just as logically receiving an email with three words (Go! Go! Go!) shouldn’t work, but this did… at least for me.
How do you ‘trick’ yourself into writing more words?
Note: Some blog readers have asked, “If writing is so tough, why do you do it?” Since many writers think of their stories as their babies, I’ll use the baby analogy.
Babies are a shitload of work (both literally and figuratively – they’re pooping machines). They cry. They wake up at all hours of the night. You worry about them constantly. They cause chaos in previously organized lives.
Some days, you might wonder if you’ve made a mistake, if you’re capable of raising your screaming red-faced bundle of joy. Then she wraps her little fingers around your thumb, looks up at you with those big trusting eyes, gives you a (gas-prompted) smile and you know all of the work, all of the heartache was worth this one moment.
THAT is writing.
If you liked this post, you might like
Writing Erotic Romance – Balancing Sex And Plot
or
Writing Erotic Romance – Making Every Sex Scene Different
or
Writing Erotic Romance – Making Sex Sexy
or
Writing Erotic Romance – The Basics Of A Sex Scene
or
Writing Erotic Romance – Word Choice
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Four years ago, Bee Carter left her tiny hometown, escaping her tormenters. She concealed her tarnished reputation under a good-girl persona, hiding her history from Nicolas, her strong and silent billionaire; Hawke, her tattooed bad-boy biker; and Cyndi, her man-crazy best friend.
Today, she’s returning home … and she’s not alone. Some of her deepest, darkest secrets will be revealed. Trust will be tested. Clothing and inhibitions will be discarded. Bee and her hometown will never be the same.
When her past and her present collide, will any of Bee’s relationships survive?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00I7V89N4
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards4-1645053-149.html
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-4-cynthia-sax/1119919839
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_4?id=PvxzAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-4/id814148698
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Writing Erotic Romance – Surviving Chapter Four
Third Excerpt For Sinful Rewards 5
This post has adult content. If you are under the age of eighteen years old and/or sensitive to adult language/situations, please do not read this post.
Here’s a steamier excerpt for Sinful Rewards 5 with Hawke, our bad boy biker.
“If one lunch can destroy their relationship, Jacques doesn’t deserve her.” The echoing stops and my body hums with excitement. “Anything worth having is worth fighting for.”
My former marine would fight for the woman he loves. I hear this in his voice, know this in my soul. I open the door, tilt my head back, and gaze upward at Hawke. His chest rises and falls. His scent engulfs me. There’s a gleam of intent in his pale blue eyes.
He wants me and I want him. If I allow him inside, we’ll kiss, touch, do things we shouldn’t. Nicolas deserves my loyalty. I should tell Hawke to go away. I should—
Hawke captures my lips with his, the force of his embrace driving me backward. I reach for him, clasp his broad shoulders. He hooks his arms around me, securing me to him, as he kicks the door shut. Our tongues tangle and twist, dancing to the rhythm of our hearts, his stubble teasing my chin, leaving a sensual trail on my skin.
He tastes of black coffee and man. His body radiates heat, a thin layer of moisture covering his big form. Everything about him, even his no-name T-shirt and seen-better-days jeans, appeals to me. I cling to him, losing myself in his kiss.
Hawke ravishes my mouth with fierce, hard strokes, cupping my ass with his massive hands, lifting me off the floor, pressing me into his muscular form. My feet dangle, my lips throb, and my heart pounds, my world narrowing to the two of us. This is how it always is with us, his touch eroding my reason, my control.
I rub against the hard ridge in his jeans, tormenting us both with more sweet sensation. He feels so good, so right. My pussy moistens and my nipples tighten, my arousal spiraling upward.
Hawke groans into my throat and his grip on my ass intensifies, his reaction thrilling me, making me crazed. I tug on his T-shirt, seeking his bare skin, needing to feel, to taste, to explore all of my huge man.
“Not now, love.” Hawke lowers me, sliding my curves against him until my feet touch the hardwood floor. “You have the lunch to prepare for.” He pushes a strand of my brown hair away from my face, his fingers rough yet gentle, his eyes a brilliant blue. “I vowed not to distract you.”
“To hell with your vow.” My bottom lip curls. “You being here distracts me.”
The damn man laughs. “Show me the clothes.”
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Nicolas Rainer, Chicago’s most sought-after billionaire bachelor, has finally decided what he wants, and that’s Bee Carter in his arms, forever. He shows up unannounced on her doorstep and kisses her until her toes curl and her body burns.
Nicolas wasn’t the sexy man Bee expected to see this morning. Hawke Masters, her tattooed former marine, is riding his customized chopper toward the condo building, anticipating an equally mind-meltingly erotic encounter.
Both men want her with a thrilling intensity. Neither her billionaire nor her biker wishes to share her affections. Is today the day Bee is forced to choose?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00IMHU7FG
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-5
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-5-cynthia-sax/1119919838
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_5?id=nFaYAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-5/id828414457
Topics: Guest Post | 1 Comment »
Interview With Tina Donahue
I sat down (virtually) with Tina Donahue for a short interview. Tina Donahue’s latest release is Intimate Details, a hot contemporary menage.
Cynthia Sax: What excites you about Intimate Details?
Tina Donahue: Not only is Intimate Details a moving and hot romance between Shana, Mike and Cody, it delves into the power the one percent have over the rest of us. You know, outsourcing, layoffs, the financial meltdown, the recession. All of the stuff the ninety-nine percent have had to deal with while CEOs and the one percent are getting bonuses. The story explores how those in power abused it and ruined lives. The subplot about Shana’s past and what she has to hide provides the story with tension and mystery. It’s also what drives Mike and Cody to learn everything they can about her.
Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from Intimate Details?
Tina Donahue: My favorite line I can’t divulge – it would give too much away. My next favorite line is in chapter one when Shana shows up unexpectedly with Mike and Cody wondering what in the hell is going on. When Mike asks Shana who she is, she thinks – Time for the truth. Sort of. I love that. It speaks to the mystery of the story, what she tries to keep from them and everyone else.
Cynthia Sax: How does Intimate Details start?
Tina Donahue: Shana, a world-class computer hacker, has just arrived at Mike Russo and Cody Latham’s intelligence gathering firm, RLI. They aren’t expecting her because she hacked into their system to make her appointment. She’s one curvy lady, dressed to thrill and has them totally stumped as she waltzes into the conference room ready to take their breath away and change their lives forever. I started there because I wanted to begin the story with a bang.
Cynthia Sax: Where is Intimate Details set?
Tina Donahue: Manhattan, where the rich and powerful live and play. One of the scenes with Shana, Mike and Cody takes place in an opulent New York hotel – the penthouse to be exact. What they do in the hot tub…wow.
Thank you, Tina Donahue, for joining us today!
Tina Donahue’s Website: http://www.tinadonahue.com/
*****************************************************************************
As a computer hacker, she demands justice.
As a woman, she craves two powerful and commanding men.
Shana’s been hacking one of Manhattan’s most corrupt executives, making him pay for what he’s done to his victims. Using her skills, she convinces Mike and Cody to hire her at their intelligence-gathering firm, where intimate details help their clients.
Never has Mike met a woman as delicious as Shana. Smart as hell, curvy and assured, she’d be a delightful challenge in bed. Cody’s carnal hunger is equally intense. He and Mike want to know everything about her.
She won’t divulge the secrets of her past. All she can offer is unquenchable desire and her heart.
During weeks of shameless lust and pleasure, Mike and Cody peel away the layers of Shana’s life. The stunning truth changes everything. They’ll do all that they can to keep her safe…and in their arms.
Buy Now: http://www.bookstrand.com/intimate-details
Topics: Author Interviews | 1 Comment »
Sinful Rewards 6 Blog Tour
Are you a book blogger or reviewer?
Do you love smut?
Sign up for Sinful Rewards 6’s blog tour!
http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/11/sinful-rewards-billionaires-and-bikers.html
If you’re new to Sinful Rewards, don’t worry.
I’ll supply copies of Sinful Rewards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5!
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Four years ago, Bee Carter left her tiny hometown, escaping her tormenters. She concealed her tarnished reputation under a good-girl persona, hiding her history from Nicolas, her strong and silent billionaire; Hawke, her tattooed bad-boy biker; and Cyndi, her man-crazy best friend.
Today, she’s returning home … and she’s not alone. Some of her deepest, darkest secrets will be revealed. Trust will be tested. Clothing and inhibitions will be discarded. Bee and her hometown will never be the same.
When her past and her present collide, will any of Bee’s relationships survive?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00I7V89N4
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards4-1645053-149.html
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-4-cynthia-sax/1119919839
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_4?id=PvxzAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-4/id814148698
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Sinful Rewards 6 Blog Tour
Why Every Romance Writer Should Be Watching Showtime’s The Affair
The dear wonderful hubby and I are watching Showtime’s The Affair, a TV show following an affair between a New York City schoolteacher/novelist and a young waitress. What makes this show unique (and writer gold) is that the story is told from both Noah’s point of view (the hero’s) and Alison’s point of view (the heroine’s). The same period of time is shown twice.
This is a terrific exercise for romance writers as many romances are told from both the heroine’s and the hero’s points of view. We often have a good handle on how the character we most closely relate to sees the world (I’m female so I’m more likely to know how a female character/the heroine might think). Seeing the world from the other character’s point of view can be more challenging.
I Wore WHAT?
I love spotting the differences in clothing on The Affair. The story is told in the past with the hero and the heroine remembering the details. The hero almost always remembers the heroine as being dressed in a seductive way. In last week’s episode, he remembered her wearing a very short, flirty skirt. The heroine, when she tells the same story, remembers that she wore jeans and a conservative top. The colors are different. The hero might remember a blue shirt. The heroine remembers a particular shade of blue.
Talk This Way
The differences in dialogue are enlightening. The hero remembers grittier, to-the-point, cruder dialogue. He’s a man. Rrrr… He’s also super slick. Boyfriend says all of the right words, wooing the heroine. The heroine remembers more emotional dialogue. The hero isn’t perfect. He bungles a bit. They talk about feelings. Some of the poetry flowing out of the hero’s mouth a man is unlikely to say (and haven’t we all read romance novels in which the heroes didn’t sound like men?).
Shit Gets Done
The hero’s memories are often clustered around actions. He’s getting shit done. He’s not lying in bed having long chats with his (oblivious) wife. He’s researching his book, going to a town hall meeting, attending a party.
The heroine’s memories involve talking, so MUCH talking. She’s sitting beside the hero in the library (while he remembered them meeting in the stacks, both of them standing). She’s sitting beside her neighbors at the town hall meeting (while he remembers not sitting).
Have you been watching The Affair? What differences have you spotted?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Four years ago, Bee Carter left her tiny hometown, escaping her tormenters. She concealed her tarnished reputation under a good-girl persona, hiding her history from Nicolas, her strong and silent billionaire; Hawke, her tattooed bad-boy biker; and Cyndi, her man-crazy best friend.
Today, she’s returning home … and she’s not alone. Some of her deepest, darkest secrets will be revealed. Trust will be tested. Clothing and inhibitions will be discarded. Bee and her hometown will never be the same.
When her past and her present collide, will any of Bee’s relationships survive?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00I7V89N4
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards4-1645053-149.html
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-4-cynthia-sax/1119919839
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_4?id=PvxzAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-4/id814148698
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Why Every Romance Writer Should Be Watching Showtime’s The Affair
