Sinful Rewards 9 – Cover Reveal
I LOVE looking at covers, mine and everyone else’s. I lose about a day of writing time whenever I receive a new cover.
Today will be no exception to this as the cover for Sinful Rewards 9 is slammin’. I love that Hawke is on the cover and Bee is wearing bad girl black. (grins).
Here are the previous 8 covers.
(You can click on the image to enlarge it.)
I think they are all awesome. My fave is still Sinful Rewards 4. I love Bee in black.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Bee Carter has spent a lifetime creating her good-girl persona. Three harsh words uttered in anger shred this carefully crafted façade, testing her relationships.
Nicolas, her handsome billionaire, is hiding a decades-old secret. Bee’s scandal will draw unwanted attention to his dark past, placing the real estate empire he’s built and the employees he manages in peril. Hawke, her tattooed bad-boy biker, protects the rich and famous. His high-profile clients won’t want their bodyguard to be linked to Chicago’s wild woman.
Both men desire her, craving her touch with a white-hot passion, but who will risk everything to stand by her side—her biker or her billionaire?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00J7Q61WO
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-6
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-6-cynthia-sax/1119919840
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_6?id=5zzRAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-6/id847609485
Topics: Cover Reveal | Comments Off on Sinful Rewards 9 – Cover Reveal
Third Excerpt For Sinful Rewards 6
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.
One week until Sinful Rewards 6 releases! Here is a final excerpt.
Hawke and I might have only this encounter. I slide down his body and kneel on the floor between his spread legs. He’s large, dominant, mine, and I will please him. I release Hawke’s belt and he inhales sharply, his words stopping midsentence.
“I’ll call you back,” he barks, switching to plain English. I rub my palms over the bulge in his jeans, relishing the length and width of him, the denim soft and worn. He’s large all over, more man than I know how to handle.
“You don’t have to do this.” Hawke lifts my chin, his finger rough against my skin, his grip light. “I don’t expect anything.” His eyes reflect his concern, my honorable military man always seeking to do the right thing. “I’ll protect you even if you never touch me again.”
“I know that.” I meet his gaze squarely, not hiding my passion and my respect. He safeguards me with no expectation of profit or gratitude, would kill for me if that was necessary. I lick my bottom lip and he tracks this movement, his gaze thrillingly intense.
“I want to do this.” I pop the buttons on his fly, one by one, the sound loud in the quiet condo, a signal of intent. Part of me knows once I do this, once I taste this intimate part of him, there will be no turning back. I don’t care, past the point of thinking, of caution.
“You’re so damn perfect for me.” Hawke brushes my hair away from my face, his huge body shaking. I reach between the denim and curl my fingers around his hard shaft. His veins pulse under my palms, as alive and virile as the man I’m holding.
“Belinda.” Beads of sweat rise on his forehead.
He won’t last long. I yank on his waistband, wanting to see all of him, and he raises his ass, helps me pull his jeans to his ankles. His cock juts from a base of brown hair. His balls hug his shaft. His thigh muscles flex, his muscles defined.
I run my fingertips over him, tracing him from tip to base, and he bobs, precum forming over his slit. “You should work, keep Cyndi safe.” I nuzzle against his balls, inhaling his musky scent, and he mumbles incoherent words.
“Hawke?” I lift one eyebrow, knowing damn well I’ve fried his brain.
“She’s safe.” He breathes hard, his chest rising and falling, his voice strained. “The situation is under control, love.”
That’s bullshit. I narrow my eyes as I pump him. Stalkers aren’t so easily dealt with, and I know from a lifetime of being the topic of gossip that the situation won’t ever be under control. Decades from now, there will be people who think I’m a whore.
“Everyone has secrets they don’t want exposed,” Hawke adds, reading my doubts as he always does. “Even your stalkers.”
“You’ll threaten them.” I nod, this explanation making more sense. My mom had nothing with which to threaten her verbal attackers. Hawke is paid to gather information on people, to uncover their secrets.
“I killed for my country.” He drifts his fingertips over my cheeks, his touch light, his skin rough. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Bee Carter has spent a lifetime creating her good-girl persona. Three harsh words uttered in anger shred this carefully crafted façade, testing her relationships.
Nicolas, her handsome billionaire, is hiding a decades-old secret. Bee’s scandal will draw unwanted attention to his dark past, placing the real estate empire he’s built and the employees he manages in peril. Hawke, her tattooed bad-boy biker, protects the rich and famous. His high-profile clients won’t want their bodyguard to be linked to Chicago’s wild woman.
Both men desire her, craving her touch with a white-hot passion, but who will risk everything to stand by her side—her biker or her billionaire?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00J7Q61WO
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-6
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-6-cynthia-sax/1119919840
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_6?id=5zzRAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-6/id847609485
Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Third Excerpt For Sinful Rewards 6
What Is Love?
I’m visiting Manga Maniac Cafe, discussing what love truly is.
Here is a snippet…
Before I fell in love at first sight with the dear wonderful (now) hubby, I didn’t know what romantic love was. I didn’t truly believe in it and I certainly didn’t believe in love at first sight.
People would ask me if I’d ever been in love and I couldn’t answer because I didn’t know what love was. Was it friendship with a sprinkle of lust? Was it excitement? Was it comfort? Had I already fallen in love and didn’t know it?
Then I experienced the phenomena and I knew I’d never been in love.
Read the full post here…
http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/?p=11699
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Bee Carter has spent a lifetime creating her good-girl persona. Three harsh words uttered in anger shred this carefully crafted façade, testing her relationships.
Nicolas, her handsome billionaire, is hiding a decades-old secret. Bee’s scandal will draw unwanted attention to his dark past, placing the real estate empire he’s built and the employees he manages in peril. Hawke, her tattooed bad-boy biker, protects the rich and famous. His high-profile clients won’t want their bodyguard to be linked to Chicago’s wild woman.
Both men desire her, craving her touch with a white-hot passion, but who will risk everything to stand by her side—her biker or her billionaire?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00J7Q61WO
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-6
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-6-cynthia-sax/1119919840
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_6?id=5zzRAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-6/id847609485
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on What Is Love?
Sinful Rewards 6-10 out of 10
We have another review for Sinful Rewards 6!
Brit Nanny Reads shares
“As normal Cynthia Sax’s writing is superb, no plot holes and so very, very smooth…a complete delight to read. So, after all is said and done, I give Sinful Rewards 6 10 out of 10.”
Read the full review here
http://britnannyreads.blogspot.ca/2014/12/sinful-rewards-6-by-cynthia-sax-review.html
Yay!
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Bee Carter has spent a lifetime creating her good-girl persona. Three harsh words uttered in anger shred this carefully crafted façade, testing her relationships.
Nicolas, her handsome billionaire, is hiding a decades-old secret. Bee’s scandal will draw unwanted attention to his dark past, placing the real estate empire he’s built and the employees he manages in peril. Hawke, her tattooed bad-boy biker, protects the rich and famous. His high-profile clients won’t want their bodyguard to be linked to Chicago’s wild woman.
Both men desire her, craving her touch with a white-hot passion, but who will risk everything to stand by her side—her biker or her billionaire?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00J7Q61WO
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-6
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-6-cynthia-sax/1119919840
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_6?id=5zzRAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-6/id847609485
Topics: Reviews | Comments Off on Sinful Rewards 6-10 out of 10
Sinful Rewards 6 – Too Amazing To Pass Up
We have another review for Sinful Rewards 6!
Defying Tradition shares
“If you have not read this series you need to start. These books are too amazing to pass up and Cynthia’s writing shows us the ups and downs of real life woven into her fictional characters.”
Read the full review here
http://traditionallydefiant.blogspot.ca/2014/12/erotica-sinful-rewards-6-by-cynthia-sax.html?spref=fb
Yay!
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Bee Carter has spent a lifetime creating her good-girl persona. Three harsh words uttered in anger shred this carefully crafted façade, testing her relationships.
Nicolas, her handsome billionaire, is hiding a decades-old secret. Bee’s scandal will draw unwanted attention to his dark past, placing the real estate empire he’s built and the employees he manages in peril. Hawke, her tattooed bad-boy biker, protects the rich and famous. His high-profile clients won’t want their bodyguard to be linked to Chicago’s wild woman.
Both men desire her, craving her touch with a white-hot passion, but who will risk everything to stand by her side—her biker or her billionaire?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00J7Q61WO
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-6
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-6-cynthia-sax/1119919840
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_6?id=5zzRAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-6/id847609485
Topics: Reviews | Comments Off on Sinful Rewards 6 – Too Amazing To Pass Up
Interview With Dani Wade
I sat down (virtually) with Dani Wade for a short interview. Dani Wade’s latest release is Beneath the Surface, Small Town Secrets Book 1, a Sexy Romantic Suspense.
Cynthia Sax: What is one thing you absolutely love about Beneath the Surface?
Dani Wade: Beneath the Surface originated from my own life experience, and is one of the things that excites me most about this story!
At the core of the suspense in Beneath the Surface is Emma’s search for her twin sister, to whom she is psychically linked. The twins have always been able to feel each other’s emotions, but only in extreme circumstances. Now imprisoned by a man she thought she could trust with her body, Amy is reaching out to Emma in the only way she knows how…through her dreams.
Growing up as an identical twin gave me a lot of insight into Amy and Emma’s relationship. Everyone thinks that being a twin is completely cool…it is, but the dynamics of a twin relationship are much more complicated than that. It’s having that person who has been with you from before birth, knows more about you than you probably want them to know, can hit every irritation button you possess, and yet is someone you can’t imagine your life without.
Putting that on the page was a wonderful experience for me.
Cynthia Sax: Where is Beneath the Surface set?
Dani Wade: This entire series is set in the fictional town of Cadence, TN. Though I live in the suburbs now, I grew up on a farm in rural Tennessee. This type of small town—where there are enough people to create classes within the society, but few enough people that everybody knows everyone else’s business—has always fascinated me. These towns have secrets that the people don’t want spread, and they run risks to keep them quiet, creating a fine tension that becomes the fuse to a potential bomb. Fun to play with as a writer, and be swept up in as a reader.
Cynthia Sax: What causes problems between Emma and Colin?
Dani Wade: A lot of characters have conflict because they are so different from each other. I found it intriguing that Emma and Colin’s conflict is instead rooted in the same goal: the responsibility they each feel to take care of their families. But in doing so, they put the other person’s family at risk. The search for Emma’s sister might uncover a lot of Colin’s secrets—unwanted secrets he has spent his adulthood protecting his grandmother and sisters from.
Cynthia Sax: Is Beneath the Surface part of a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?
Dani Wade: This story is part of a loosely connected series all set in the same town of Cadence in rural Tennessee. The Small Town Secrets series already has this book and a novella, Snow Bound. Book 2 is already in the works for release next year, along with a planned Book 3. Each book features a different couple and mystery, but revisiting all the characters in this town is a must. I simply can’t let go of them!
Thank you, Dani Wade, for joining us today!
Dani Wade’s Website: http://www.daniwade.wordpress.com
*****************************************************************************
Too many secrets…
Hidden in a quiet town along the Tennessee border, a secret gathering exists where the privileged fulfill their darkest desires. One of their members initiates a desperate act designed to bring home his lifelong obsession: Emma Hartwell.
A past not forgotten…
Drawn back to her hometown by the psychic connection with her twin sister, Emma must fight the stubborn silence of those around her in her quest to find her missing sister. Colin McIntyre hopes to make up for his past mistakes with Emma by helping her, but his own ties to the Gathering might be exposed along the way.
Time is running out…
Exposure could be dangerous for his family, along with himself and Emma. Can they fight the secrets and lies to rescue Emma’s sister… and their own chance at life-long love?
Buy Now: http://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Surface-Small-Town-Secrets-ebook/dp/B00Q9QUXGA
Topics: Author Interviews | 2 Comments »
Sinful Rewards 6 – The Heat Factor Goes Way Up
Yay!
We have a first review for Sinful Rewards 6!
Monique at Fresh Fiction shares
“SINFUL REWARDS 6 is all about truth: true friends, true love, remaining true to who you are, not keeping secrets, not trying to be something you’re not.”
Read the full review here
http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=49133
OMG… Monique SO gets this serial.
I LOVE it!
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Bee Carter has spent a lifetime creating her good-girl persona. Three harsh words uttered in anger shred this carefully crafted façade, testing her relationships.
Nicolas, her handsome billionaire, is hiding a decades-old secret. Bee’s scandal will draw unwanted attention to his dark past, placing the real estate empire he’s built and the employees he manages in peril. Hawke, her tattooed bad-boy biker, protects the rich and famous. His high-profile clients won’t want their bodyguard to be linked to Chicago’s wild woman.
Both men desire her, craving her touch with a white-hot passion, but who will risk everything to stand by her side—her biker or her billionaire?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00J7Q61WO
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-6
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-6-cynthia-sax/1119919840
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_6?id=5zzRAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-6/id847609485
Topics: Reviews | Comments Off on Sinful Rewards 6 – The Heat Factor Goes Way Up
Which Toys Did Your Characters Play With?
One of my joys during the holiday season is buying toys for our local toy drive. The dear wonderful hubby and I weren’t blessed with children but we were both children once. Shopping for toys brings back memories of our own childhoods.
My characters also had childhoods and favorite toys. Some of them you might expect. Some of them might surprise you.
Belinda from Sinful Rewards
Belinda’s favorite childhood toy won’t be a surprise to any Sinful Rewards reader. This fashionista was (and still is) a Barbie lover. Her hard working single mom scoured yard sales for second hand Barbies and clothing, especially keeping an eye out for designer fashions (one of her finest finds was this Badgley Mischka Bride Barbie Doll – the dress was a little smudged but Bee was able to clean it).
Nicolas from Sinful Rewards
Nicolas’s favorite childhood toy is also not a surprise. This real estate billionaire played Monopoly every chance he could, learning skills he’d eventually use to build his empire. He preferred to be the banker and he considered the rules to be guidelines. He spent a bit of time in jail and he didn’t like it. He also didn’t understand why a low rent property had to stay low rent, especially if he owned all of the properties around it.
Hawke from Sinful Rewards
I expected Hawke, our former Marine, to be a G.I. Joe type of kid. Bee actually calls him G.I. Joe during one of their arguments.
But nope, Hawke spent his childhood outside, trekking around the orchard with his best friend Rock. He was an active boy and a bit of a terror. His favorite gift was a slingshot. He would use rotten apples as targets, challenging Rock to best him.
Writing buddies, which toys did your characters play with? Reading buddies, which toys did you play with when you were a child?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
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
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards5-1663924-237.html
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 | Comments Off on Which Toys Did Your Characters Play With?
Writing Erotic Romance – Query Letters, Synopses and Partials, Oh My
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.
This is a bit out of order (we covered second drafts last week and there’s quite a bit of work to do between a second draft and shopping a manuscript around to agents or publishers) but I addressed this topic four times last week so I thought I’d answer it in more detail here.
You’ve honed your manuscript. Your story is the best you can make it. And now you’re ready to shop it around. Your writing buddies mention drafting a query letter, writing a synopsis, and submitting a partial. What the fuck are they talking about?
I could write a dozen posts on each one of these topics. They’re that important. This post is only meant to ground you in what they are.
The Query Letter
A query letter is exactly that – a letter to an agent or an editor asking her or him to consider our manuscript. I don’t know any writer who likes to write these so if you want to poke your eyeballs out when you’re drafting it, you’re likely doing it correctly. (grins) The good news is that many agents/publishers know we’re terrible at query letters. Their expectations are low.
Agents and editors are looking for manuscripts their customers are interested in buying (An agent’s customer is a publisher. An editor’s customer is a reader.). The query letter is one of the ways we writers relay how these sales will happen.
Many editors use these letters to pitch to the rest of their team (sales, marketing, the art department, etc). We want to give them as much ammunition as possible.
Show them how to sell our manuscripts. Which customers would love our manuscript (groups of readers or types of publishers)? Where would our manuscript be shelved in the bookstore or online? Which key words would we use to sell it? Which best selling books are similar to our manuscript? How is our manuscript different?
This one page (yes, ONE page – anything more than that is pretentious) letter is addressed to the agent or the editor by name, usually shares a one line hook, the back cover copy (the 150 words or less found on the back of a book, appealing to readers), the title, word count (Only readers talk about page counts. Writers and other publishing professionals talk about word counts.), genre (contemporary erotic romance or paranormal Male-Male traditional romance or…), and a small bio with relevant to this manuscript information (if the story is set in Italy and you’ve lived there, mention that).
The closing line is usually the next action we want the agent or editor to take. If we’re sending the query letter alone, we ask if we can send them the partial. If we’re sending the partial with the query letter, we ask if we can send them the full. If we’re sending the full with the query letter, we ask if they’d like to call or email to discuss the manuscript.
A good resource is
http://queryshark.blogspot.ca/
The Synopsis
A synopsis is a short summary of the ENTIRE manuscript. If the agent or publisher states how many pages a synopsis should be, follow their guidelines. This is a test to see if you can work with others (and publishing is very much a group sport). If nothing is stated, I usually send a 3 to 5 page single spaced synopsis.
Again, editors and agents know distilling a 100,000 word novel into 5 single spaced pages is the literary equivalent of getting a root canal, but synopses are needed. An experienced editor can read a synopsis and determine problem areas. She can look at our different arcs and know if they work, which is why outlining the story from start to finish is important.
Since we’re writing erotic romance, the three arcs are especially key—character, relationship and sexual. Spend some words on these. Don’t simply write ‘and then they had sex.’ That won’t sell your manuscript.
The Partial
A partial is a synopsis and the first three chapters in your manuscript. I also send a query letter with the partial. The first three chapters include any prologue. That first line, paragraph, page is key. If that appears in the prologue, you must include it. Do you then send only two chapters with the prologue? That’s your choice. Which sells your manuscript better—the end of your second chapter or the end of your third chapter?
Do you have any tips for compiling a query letter, synopsis or partial?
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/
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
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards5-1663924-237.html
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: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Writing Erotic Romance – Query Letters, Synopses and Partials, Oh My
My Top 10 Free or Low Cost Gifts For Aspiring Writers
The holidays are fast approaching and you’re looking for a gift for that aspiring writer in your family or social circle. There are plenty of sites pimping the latest electronics or espresso machines or fancy gadgets for writers. I’m a bit more frugal and I believe that it is truly the thought that counts. I thought we could talk about free or low cost gifts today. These are in no particular order.
1. Inspirational Writing Quote Of The Day/Week/Month – Cost: Free
This is exactly what it sounds like. Once a day or week or month, you send the aspiring writer a writing quote (simply Google writing quotes and you’ll find a zillion). If you have an email provider or social media that allows you to schedule emails or direct/private messages, you can set this up once and forget about it. One of my writing buddies sends eCards with encouraging messages from a free online provider.
One of the biggest issues aspiring writers have is feeling alone. This easy and free gift shows them you support them.
2. Notebook With Encouraging Messages Or Inspirational Writing Quotes – Cost: $1
One of my sisters did this for me. She bought an inexpensive notebook from the Dollar Store and wrote encouraging messages like ‘You can do it!’ , ‘I believe in you!’, ‘You can write one more page!’ and ‘I’m proud of you!’ at the top of some of the pages. You could decorate it with inspirational writing quotes instead. Hey, if your writer likes erotic romance, you could glue photos of hot naked men and call it her inspiration notebook! Have some fun with it!
3. Flower Pens – Cost: $4 for 12
Speaking of sisters, one of my sisters always makes me flower pens. She buys a pack of inexpensive Bic pens, some green florist tape and some fabric flowers from The Dollar Store. She then extracts one of the flowers, and tapes its stem to the pen, covering the entire barrel. I have a vase on my writing desk with this bouquet of flowers. I never have to look for a pen and whenever I use one, I think of my sister.
Pens are great gifts for writers. Many of us hoard them.
4. Fine Tip Markers – $3
I love my fine tip markers. They help me with writer’s block. Studies show that colors stimulate different parts of the brain. I’ll switch colors until the words start to flow. Different colored fine tip markers are also great for editing, for making notes, for organizing types of writing issues (maybe plot issues are red, emotion issues are green). Some of my writing buddies use them at book signings.
5. Email From Her Favorite Writer – Free If Unframed
Many writers (myself included) would happily write a few words of encouragement to an inspiring writer. Consider emailing your loved one’s favorite writer (preferably a writer who is still alive – grins). Writers normally have contact forms or email addresses on their websites. Share with this writer what you wish to do, asking her for a tip or a word of inspiration. If the writer agrees (and many writers have crazy deadlines so this might not be doable for them), forward this email to your loved one. Better yet, print the email on card stock and frame it.
6. Dive Underwater Writing Slate – Cost: $10
Inspiration strikes in the craziest of places. One of the most common places is in the shower. Underwater writing slates or whiteboards (http://www.amazon.com/Compass-Scuba-Underwater-Writing-Slate/dp/B000L3T0AW/ ), originally designed for divers, are perfect for a writer’s shower stall (they’re also great for exchanging sexy, funny messages with the hubby – grins).
7. Colored Paperclips or Binder Clips – Cost: $1
I LOVE colored paperclips or binder clips! They make me happy. I deal with a lot of paper. I always print out a copy of my manuscripts to do a final read-through (because seeing the words on paper fools my brain into thinking it is a brand new manuscript). I have research notes and clippings. I receive contracts, have to track expenses. One of my sisters (yes, I have quite a few sisters) buys these for me from The Dollar Store as a holiday present every year.
8. The Gift Of Time – Cost: Your Time
There is one thing ALL writers need—whether we’re just starting out or we’ve had our 100th story published—and that is time. Does your aspiring writer have kids? Why not offer to babysit them for an evening a month, allowing her time to write? If she doesn’t have kids, offer to clean her place or complete some other task. If you enjoy doing this task, that’s even better!
9. Fingerless Or Knitters Gloves – Cost: $5
If your aspiring writer lives in a cold climate, consider buying her fingerless or knitters gloves. My dear hubby gave me a pair of fingerless gloves years ago and I LOVE them (since then, I’ve seen them for $1 in The Dollar Store). They keep my hands warm while I’m typing. They’re now one of my essentials.
10. Writing Craft Books From The Library – Cost: Free
My dear wonderful hubby does this for me all the time. He’ll borrow a stack of writing craft books from the library. I’ll skim through these books during the holidays, gleaming some tips. One or two might become reference books. My hubby will buy these books for me during the next special occasion.
If you don’t live close to your aspiring writer, you could email or print some tips from online sources. Maybe your aspiring writer is struggling with evaluating ideas. Comb the internet for advice from different writers on how to do this and compile the information for her.
The big book I’m writing for 2015 is based in an exotic country. My dear hubby borrowed travel books for this country from the library. He sends me photos of the setting, tips on little things I might not know that will add flavor to my story, AND, best of all, he has arranged interviews with his friends who have lived in this setting.
Writers, what are some low or no cost gifts you’d love to receive? Gift givers, what are your suggestions?
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