Read Green This St. Patrick’s Day
Don’t forget that we have our St. Patrick’s Day party happening on Facebook today
I’m half Irish so St. Patrick’s Day has always been a big deal in my family. My dear feisty Grandma (yes, the same Grandma who would throw empty buckets at us if we didn’t pick blueberries fast enough) would always insist that we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. She claimed it brought us luck for the upcoming year.
I figure if wearing green brings luck, then reading green must also bring luck. I plan to read some sexy erotic romances featuring green covers or green heroes (‘cause I do love SciFi erotic romance).
‘Course my Grandma would also blame lost items on ‘the wee folk’ so I’m not making any guarantees. (grins)
Nathan Lawford, Blaine Technologies’ chief financial officer, is known as the Iceman. He conducts his personal and business affairs without emotion, never allowing himself to become involved with anyone. When Nate sees something or someone he wants, he negotiates, paying a simple, set monetary price.
Now he wants Camille, the company’s green-haired intern.
Camille Joplin Trent never expected to be paid to pleasure the man of her dreams. She can’t quite figure out why this is a bad thing. Nate is intelligent, handsome, sophisticated, everything she’s ever wanted in a lover and never thought she could have. Their contract is for a month, thirty lust-filled days of making every sexual fantasy they’ve ever had come true. At the end of this month, the rules state their relationship will end.
Of course, Camille has never been good at following rules.
Pre-order Now At Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-All-Rules-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXY
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Read Green This St. Patrick’s Day
Interviewed By Barbara Donlon Bradley
Woot!
I’m being interviewed by Barbara Donlon Bradley today! I love interviews. They’re like Cosmo quizzes!
http://barbaradonlonbradley.blogspot.ca/2014/03/welcome-cynthia-sax.html
Here’s a snippet…
Do you have any special talents?
Cynthia Sax: I like to think I can write a little. (grins) I have a terrible memory which doesn’t seem like a talent yet it is. I don’t hold grudges. I’m never sad for long. I can’t remember what I’m supposed to be sad about.
(grins)
Yes, I don’t do serious interviews.
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 Interviewed By Barbara Donlon Bradley
Great New Review For Flashes Of Me
ELF at Night Owl Reviews shares
“I adore the complexity of Kat’s behavior as more and more is revealed even as I am in awe of her comfort with her own body (which she evidently does not hesitate to show to others!) and I will never again be able to look at cubicles in an office without chuckling. I am bemused by the idea of other uses for the underwire in one’s bra and am reminded of the need for compassion everywhere.”
Read the full review here
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/ELF-reviews-Flashes-Of-Me-by-Cynthia-Sax
This one of my favorite reviews because ELF mentions the compassion component, something that is really important to me (and I think to everyone in Romanceland).
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: Reviews | Comments Off on Great New Review For Flashes Of Me
How Do I Keep Sex Scenes Fresh?
Erotic romance writers often worry about keeping every sex scene fresh and new and exciting. There are only so many possible sexual positions. How can every sex scene be different?
Every sex scene is different because every character is different.
Occupation often defines people, especially heroes. It reflects the character’s personality. A fireman would approach sex differently than an accountant. His technique would likely be braver, more aggressive and wild. He’d use different words to describe the scene, the heroine and the feelings inside him (there’d be talk of hoses and lighting fires – grins).
Sexual experience makes a difference. If the heroine is a virgin, she might be more hesitant. She’d make mistakes, perhaps cause some damage. The hero would react to her inexperience. Maybe he would talk more, asking her if she’s okay, coach her or slow down the process. Or he might not. His reaction would depend on the situation and on his character.
Age makes a difference. A thirty year old approaches sex in a different way than a twenty year old. Ethnic background makes a difference. Where he or she grew up makes a difference. Income level makes a difference (billionaires can afford the expensive toys – grins). Parents make a difference. The list goes on.
But-but-but you say, there’s usually more than one sex scene in an erotic romance (usually – there are erotic romances with no sex scenes). How do we make the sex scenes different when the characters remain the same?
The sex scenes will be different because the relationship will be different. In the first sex scene, the two (or more) characters usually don’t care deeply about each other. In Breaking All The Rules, the first sex scene is all about Nate. He’s focused on his own fulfillment and doesn’t think about Camille’s happiness. He doesn’t even kiss her in this scene. In the last sex scene, he kisses her and ensures she’s taken care of first. This shows readers how the relationship has progressed, growing stronger.
Another way to vary sex scenes is to change the situation. Characters will have sex on a desk in an office differently than they’ll have sex in a bed at their private home. They likely won’t scream at the top of their lungs or tear clothing. They might get a thrill out of possibility of being caught. Characters might navigate under blankets while having sex in a freezing cabin. They might roll around buck naked while having sex on a tropical beach.
There are also clothing and toys and props. Maybe she keeps her high heels on. Maybe he uses the feather he found during a walk in the woods. Nate and Camille use the contract they’ve negotiated. The possibilities are endless.
How do you keep your sex scenes fresh and exciting?
Nathan Lawford, Blaine Technologies’ chief financial officer, is known as the Iceman. He conducts his personal and business affairs without emotion, never allowing himself to become involved with anyone. When Nate sees something or someone he wants, he negotiates, paying a simple, set monetary price.
Now he wants Camille, the company’s green-haired intern.
Camille Joplin Trent never expected to be paid to pleasure the man of her dreams. She can’t quite figure out why this is a bad thing. Nate is intelligent, handsome, sophisticated, everything she’s ever wanted in a lover and never thought she could have. Their contract is for a month, thirty lust-filled days of making every sexual fantasy they’ve ever had come true. At the end of this month, the rules state their relationship will end.
Of course, Camille has never been good at following rules.
Pre-order Now At Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-All-Rules-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXY
Topics: Coming Soon, Writing Tips | 1 Comment »
Second Excerpt From Breaking All The Rules
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.
Last week, I posted the first excerpt from Breaking All The Rules.
http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/03/05/first-excerpt-from-breaking-all-the-rules/
Reading buddies wanted to know what happened next so I decided to post the rest of the scene.
“You need to get laid, Nate,” I bluntly state, hoping to shock him into action, to snap his control as he’s snapping mine.
Nate leans closer, looming over me, tall and overpoweringly masculine. “Are you making me an offer, Miss Trent?” His body heat weaves seductively around my chest, over my stomach, between my thighs.
“Would you be interested if I was?” I tilt my chin defiantly upward, bringing my lips nearer to his. “I’m not one of your vanilla sex yes-women.” I skim his handkerchief over my black corset, polishing the leather with the cotton square. “Do you think you can handle me, big boy?”
My challenge is a bluff. I doubt I can handle him. I haven’t had sex in over two years, all of my excess time and energy spent on the charity website and app I’m designing.
“I can handle you.” Nate’s voice deepens even more, his husky tones curling my toes. He meets my gaze, holding it.
In his eyes I see the temptation of locked doors and the lure of deep dark secrets, both of these impossible for me to resist. I lean forward, balancing on my toes, and Nate lowers his grim mouth until his lips are a lick away from mine. As he breathes out I breathe in, every inch of me conscious of every inch of him.
“But I won’t accept your challenge, Miss Trent, tempting though it might be.” He pulls away from me and the passion between us dissipates, evaporating into the cool air. “I only deal with professionals. I give them cash. They give me sex. There are no disappointments, no unreasonable expectations, no promises of love or forever.”
This is the second time he’s mentioned love. “I didn’t ask you for love or forever, Romeo.” I know who I am. I’m the girl a college boy screws in a back alley after a rave. I’m not the woman any man brings home to his parents.
“You didn’t have to ask me for love.” Nate watches me warily, his spine rigidly straight and his shoulders squared. “You grew up on a hippie commune. Peace and love are what you believe in.”
I jerk my chin upward, surprised he knows where I grew up. My past isn’t something I talk about. “You forgot freedom,” I point out. “Peace, love, and freedom are what hippies believe in.” I didn’t follow my parents’ all-natural path, being too fascinated with technology and other modern conveniences, but I do believe in those three ideals.
“Yes, freedom. You believe everything should be free,” Nate says. “Including information that should remain private.” His voice is edged with disapproval. “You don’t have any desire for money.”
He’s correct. I don’t have any desire for money. I do, however, desire him. Too much. If he asked me, I’d drop to my knees, unzip his black dress pants, and suck him dry right here, right now, in the corporate elevator, uncaring of the security cameras, of our coworkers, of my rules.
“Put your blazer back on, Miss Trent.” Nate slams the brakes on my sexual fantasy. “I’m not interested.” His gaze flicks to my breasts.
“Bullshit.” I ball up the handkerchief and whip it at him. Nate catches the fabric and nonchalantly stuffs the handkerchief into the right pocket of his pants, his control infuriating me.
“You’re very interested.” I thrust my arms into the sleeves of the blazer and yank the garment closed. “Right now you’re wondering if my breasts are as full, as soft as they appear.” His eyes flash a warning I can’t and won’t heed, my pride smarting from his rejection. “You’re asking yourself how I taste, if I’m wet, hot, tight.”
The elevator doors open and I don’t move. I stare at Nate, huffing with indignation and sexual frustration. I want him and I know he wants me. Why won’t he touch me?
“This is your floor, Miss Trent.” Nate’s voice drips ice. His response should cool me down. It doesn’t. It heats me up, pushing me to the point of combustion.
“The answer is yes. I am wet, hot, tight.” I grab my backpack. “I’m all of that and more.” I stomp out of the elevator. “And Nate?” I glance over my shoulder and meet his glacier gaze. “I taste delicious.” The doors close between us.
He’ll be thinking about me all day. I strut down the hallway, my head held high, a jaunty bounce to my walk.
Nathan Lawford, Blaine Technologies’ chief financial officer, is known as the Iceman. He conducts his personal and business affairs without emotion, never allowing himself to become involved with anyone. When Nate sees something or someone he wants, he negotiates, paying a simple, set monetary price.
Now he wants Camille, the company’s green-haired intern.
Camille Joplin Trent never expected to be paid to pleasure the man of her dreams. She can’t quite figure out why this is a bad thing. Nate is intelligent, handsome, sophisticated, everything she’s ever wanted in a lover and never thought she could have. Their contract is for a month, thirty lust-filled days of making every sexual fantasy they’ve ever had come true. At the end of this month, the rules state their relationship will end.
Of course, Camille has never been good at following rules.
Pre-order Now At Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-All-Rules-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXY
Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Second Excerpt From Breaking All The Rules
St. Patrick’s Day Party
I’m throwing a wild and crazy St. Patrick’s Day Party on Facebook!
Drop by during the day (we’ll party as long as the green virtual Nutella lasts) for games, prizes, VERY bad puns, and a whole lot of fun!
Nathan Lawford, Blaine Technologies’ chief financial officer, is known as the Iceman. He conducts his personal and business affairs without emotion, never allowing himself to become involved with anyone. When Nate sees something or someone he wants, he negotiates, paying a simple, set monetary price.
Now he wants Camille, the company’s green-haired intern.
Camille Joplin Trent never expected to be paid to pleasure the man of her dreams. She can’t quite figure out why this is a bad thing. Nate is intelligent, handsome, sophisticated, everything she’s ever wanted in a lover and never thought she could have. Their contract is for a month, thirty lust-filled days of making every sexual fantasy they’ve ever had come true. At the end of this month, the rules state their relationship will end.
Of course, Camille has never been good at following rules.
Pre-order Now At Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-All-Rules-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXY
Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on St. Patrick’s Day Party
Interviewed At Turning The Pages
I’ve been interviewed at Turning The Pages
http://turningthepagesbooks.blogspot.ca/2014/03/march-madness-presents-cynthia-sax-and.html
Here’s a snippet…
What would you say is one of your more interesting writing quirks?
Cynthia Sax: I’m a pantser, a writer who writes without a plot, so I’m always excited about what happens in my own stories. The dear wonderful hubby will return home and I’ll be bouncing around the kitchen, saying “You’ll never guess what my heroine did today!” It is a constant surprise to me.
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 Interviewed At Turning The Pages
Interview With Tina Donahue
I sat down (virtually) with Tina Donahue for a short interview. Tina Donahue writes hot, hot, HOT erotic romances and her latest release is Stolen Desire, book four in the Outlawed Realm series.
Cynthia Sax: What makes Zekin, your hero, so dang sexy?
Tina Donahue: Zekin’s commanding but also tender when it comes to Paige. I’m all for Alpha heroes, but not the kind we used to see in romances. Brooding. Snarling. Always in a freaking bad mood. Makes you want to smack them upside the head and yell, “Chill out!”
I like a man with integrity, honor, and a soul. A great sense of humor is also good. Although Zekin comes from a world that doesn’t allow emotion, he gets playful with Paige. In other words, he’s fun to be with even outside of bed.
To me, the sexiest thing a man can do is listen to a woman and understand where she’s coming from. It’s not always about sex. Zekin makes that very clear in how he responds to Paige throughout the story. J
Cynthia Sax: What excites you about Stolen Desire?
Tina Donahue: I loved creating another world. Generally speaking, I’m not into sci-fi, but I did love Avatar. I’ve seen it numerous times and still marvel at the world the artists and writer created.
I wanted to do the same with Stolen Desire. To provide a sense of wonder and danger which bonds Zekin and Paige in their struggle to survive. Exciting and romantic stuff.
Cynthia Sax: Where did you get the idea for Stolen Desire?
Tina Donahue: Stolen Desire is book four of my Outlawed Realm series. Each book begins the story of new characters with the others from earlier books making ‘guest’ appearances. The series involves the five dimensions on earth – realms that are all inhabited, but the people don’t see each other because of time differentials.
E1 is earth as we know it. E2 is beneath it where the people are so advanced there isn’t illness any longer, nor is there desire. It’s been outlawed. E3 is the land of the dead. E4 is a dimension of jungles and twilight where the rulers of E2 have built a pleasure palace where they house pleasure slaves for their carnal use. E5 is the land of ice and fire. Ice because it’s the furthest dimension from the sun. Fire, because it’s also the closest to the earth’s core.
In Stolen Desire, I wanted to explore E5. What happens when a young woman from Seattle is abducted and brought there by a guard from E2 for his use as a pleasure slave. It all started rolling from there.
Cynthia Sax: What causes problems between Paige and Zekin?
Tina Donahue: First, they’re from different realms. Paige comes from Seattle, earth as we know it. Zekin is from E2 where feelings have been outlawed. Everything’s uniform, the men all resemble each other. There’s no difference between the women’s appearances, they’re all the same. The rulers have manipulated DNA to create perfect specimens. To eliminate risk, hunger, war. A flawless and stifling society. Paige is a wonder to Zekin. Her inner fire thrills him.
However, he feels they have no future. He can’t live in her dimension and she can’t very well stay with him on E5, a prison colony built by the rulers on E2. His goal is to bring her home. Her goal is to see that they remain together. That, coupled with the threat of guards and E2’s rulers keeps things hopping.
Thank you, Tina Donahue, for joining us today!
Tina Donahue’s Website: http://www.tinadonahue.com/
*****************************************************************************
Her freedom depends on one man. A criminal to his realm…
Outlawed Realm, Book 4
One minute, Paige Ross is outside a Seattle bar, grieving a failed engagement. The next, she jerks awake in a weird, candlelit room with velvet walls, black silk sheets, and a man who motions for silence.
Paige has little choice but to trust the powerful stranger who promises a way out of what looks like Satan’s brothel. And pray his promise to keep her safe is as real as the heat burning in his eyes.
Banished from E2’s ruling elite for supposed crimes against the realm, Zekin risks everything to rescue those brought to E5 for the guards’ carnal pleasure. Paige will be leaving this inhospitable realm of fire and ice—if he can somehow forget the way her trembling body melts in his arms.
Safe—temporarily—in an underwater world populated by strange creatures, Paige’s sexual awakening explodes into an unquenchable need that consumes them both. But the guards will be looking for her. And Zekin’s plan to send her home is a dangerous journey she cannot—will not—take without him.
Product Warnings
Scorching-hot sex and loads of aching tenderness between a drool-worthy hunk who’s determined to do the right thing and a woman who’s not about to give him up.
Buy Now From Samhain: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/stolen-desire-p-73254.html
Buy Now From Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Desire-Outlawed-Realm-Donahue-ebook/dp/B00GN98BW6
Buy Now From B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stolen-desire-tina-donahue/1117398265
Topics: Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
Interview With Sam Cheever
I sat down (virtually) with Sam Cheever for a short interview. Sam Cheever writes hot erotic romances and her latest release is Tall, Dark & Apocalyptic, a sexy Post-Apocalyptic Paranormal romance.
Cynthia Sax: How does Tall, Dark & Apocalyptic start?
Sam Cheever: Tall, Dark & Apocalyptic, as the title implies, is a post-apocalyptic romance. This story is actually based in the world of a previous story, which I hope to re-release under my own imprint in 2014. The twist of the first story was two mage hunters trying to find and stop a dark witch who was dabbling in powerful death magic to create a new kind of zombie…a near perfect human specimen. These zombies, called reborns in the book, are beautiful, smart, and dangerous because they allow the dark witch access to places a traditional zombie can’t go.
I carried that premise to a new level with TD&A. What if one of the zombies and one of the hunters fell in love? The idea has a set of built-in conflicts (see below) and the forbidden love aspect is a powerful aphrodisiac.
In the opening scene of the book, Yeira is badly injured and trying to escape as Audie hunts her. Here’s a little taste:
Yeira clawed her way across the floor, her limbs locking and clamping as horrific pain wracked her slim frame. A fresh blade of agony speared through her as she struggled to crawl just another sliver of space. The pain jolted her to a stop as she sucked in a breath, sending her into a coughing spasm. Blood sprayed the floor as she crawled. Her dazed, blue gaze stared down at the bright droplets arrayed before her over the oily rock and she knew a stark moment of pure fear.
What if she didn’t make it in time?
Beyond the thick, concrete walls of her hideaway, the sound of explosions and chaos were a constant drone, an unrelenting impetus pushing her ever forward.
With a monumental effort of will, Yeira gritted her teeth and dug her fingers into the gritty surface beneath them, dragging herself another inch.
She barely noticed the spark of pain as her soft, exposed belly was ripped open by shards of debris on the battle-ravaged floor. Her goal was a mere five inches away.
She thought she could make it.
She had to.
Yeira closed her eyes as agony washed through her again and lunged another inch. Her fingertips stretched…strained…mere inches from the leather strap.
The world beyond the door exploded and Yeira’s head snapped around. The blast had sounded close. Too close. Panic made her heart pound. “No!” Tears filled her eyes as something heavy hit the door. He’d found her.
With a cry of desperation, Yeira dug her toes into the concrete and shoved. The pain erupted in a burst that made her vision gray. She screamed as agony gripped her gut with icy needles, tearing and dislodging the ordered cells of her flesh.
Yeira fell onto her back, her fingers clenching against the torment. Warm, thick blood drenched her lips, dripping down her chin.
The door blasted inward, sending smoke and shrapnel through the room and driving the razor-sharp projectiles into her flesh.
On some level, Yeira felt the pain of the tiny missiles piercing her skin. But she was in the grip of a misery so complete that her mind could barely form a thought. All she could do was scream, her fingers closing convulsively around the thin strap of leather she’d been fighting to reach.
Yeira’s gaze slid to the large shape framed in the door. He was nothing more than a gray haze behind the smoke. A vision of massive male, whose form all but filled the ragged hole that had once been the door.
A fine vision.
Yeira shook her head, offended by the thought even in her tortured state. No! The man was there to kill her. She couldn’t lose sight…
The enormous figure shimmered and she realized he was moving closer. On some level Yeira knew she needed to move. But the pain had finally receded as her body gave out. It felt good not to be wracked with it. For just a moment she longed to lie there, enjoying the numbness, and let her life slip away.
Death. Her fingers moved along the leather strip in her hand. Oblivion would be bliss.
The sound of his footsteps across the littered floor was like a series of canon blasts, and she blinked under every one. His massive arms arched from his sides as he walked, the huge hands open, fingers gently curved. He held a long knife in one hand. Thick, muscular legs stuck out from underneath a bloody and tattered kilt, the burgundy and black pattern barely visible under the filth of an extended battle.
Yeira noted the blade in his hand, knowing it was meant for her.
He stopped a foot away, his intense, dark-blue gaze sweeping over her. “My god, woman. You look like hell.”
Yeira’s lips opened and something gurgled in her throat. She thought it might be a death rattle, but it emerged as a laugh. She licked her lips as he cocked his head. “Bite me, Sorceri.”
Amazingly his wide mouth turned upward in a smile. “I don’t swing that way, zombie.”
A dense cold crept up her legs, slipped along her spine. In another minute she would be completely numb. She wouldn’t even feel the knife he held down at his side as it sliced her head from her body. But though she was a breath away from dying, Yeira couldn’t help tweaking him one last time. “You haven’t got what it takes anyway, Kord.”
His smile slipped. The sexy gaze darkened. Yeira realized the smoke was clearing and she could see him in all his glory…a dark avenging angel sent to rip her from the living world. He inclined his dark head, the silky strands of black hair framing a square chin, dark with shadow even when cleanly shorn. “You could be right, woman. But…” He seemed to swallow. “There was a time I would have wished for a different outcome.”
Her eyes widened. A different kind of pain ripped her chest apart. She swore, her fingers closing over the slick, oblong object she sought.
So it was to be a death of a thousand cuts—the first cut deeply severing her heart?
She licked her dry lips. “I never wish, Sorceri. Wishing is for children and fools.” Holding his gaze with her own, she clutched the ancient bluestone in her fist and envisioned her lair. The air above her thinned, turning glossy, and her nemesis started to blur.
As his sexy gaze widened in realization, Yeira was brutally ripped from the battered castle. Her lips opened in a silent scream as the ascension tore her apart at a cellular level and sent her plummeting through the void between time.
But all was good Because the last thing she heard as her earthly form disintegrated, was the rage-filled roar of the deadly sexy Sorceri warrior as he realized she’d escaped him again.
Cynthia Sax: What creates trouble for Audie and Yeira?
Sam Cheever: As stated above, my characters are natural enemies. The hero, Audie, believes all reborn are evil and must be destroyed. In fact, as a Sorceri Bounty Hunter, destroying the heroine is his mission. But he doesn’t really understand the reborns in general, and he certainly particularly doesn’t understand the heroine, Yeira. She’s different from the other reborns, and she knows that the hunters have the wrong idea about her species, based on a jaundiced view of their creation. In TD&A, Yeira and Audie have to get beyond their instinctive distrust of each other and work together to take down the source of the death magic. They have the same goal, but totally different viewpoints about the outcome. And to make things even more complicated, Yeira and Audie struggle against an almost overwhelming passion for each other that they see as taboo. But as they work together to take down the dark witch, their feelings will become harder and harder to ignore.
Cynthia Sax: Does someone in Tall, Dark & Apocalyptic have a secret?
Sam Cheever: Reborn Yeira has a secret. She’s different from the other reborns but she doesn’t think the difference makes her better. She sees herself as a monster despite the fact that she’s risking everything to try to clear the world of the death magic and its tragic effects. The Sorceri hunters have shown a singular and remorseless hatred for all of the dark witch’s creations, and Yeira fears that Audie views her just like all the other reborns. Despite that fear, she doesn’t want him to know her secret because she thinks he’d hate her even more if he knew. This perception, fed by the fact that Audie himself is confused about his feelings toward her, creates a nearly impenetrable wedge between the two lovers.
Cynthia Sax: What do you love about writing Post-apocalyptic paranormals?
Sam Cheever: Paranormal is fun because there are no rules. It’s pure escapism. Anything goes in a fantasy/paranormal story as long as you can sell it to your reader. If it’s well written and presented realistically, your story can have green worm people with white goatees and cities built on the clouds with cars that run on strawberry Kool-Aid. It’s also a fairly passive genre. It’s fun and easy to just sit back and let the story unfold around you, infusing you with its unique flavor. For readers who like to get lost in a world that has no resemblance to their own, paranormal is definitely the ticket.
Post-apocalyptic paranormal is especially fun because everything is larger than life. Every moment, each task is a struggle, making human interactions particularly deep and powerful. In addition, the darker aspect of this type of paranormal lends a certain live for today because tomorrow you might be dead feeling that, if done well, draws readers in and holds them in thrall.
Thank you, Sam Cheever, for joining us today!
Sam Cheever’s Website: http://www.samcheever.com/
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A grand passion in an apocalyptic world. A love beyond reason and without boundaries.
He’s a warrior, a bounty hunter in a world turned upside down. She’s a target, a creature of dark magic. His job is simple. Kill the target. Her goal is more complex. She must stay alive until she finds and destroys the source of death magic staining the twenty worlds. But the passion burning within them may be their undoing. It’s going to take an apocalyptic will to overcome the distraction their bodies are creating…and not lose themselves in the process.
Buy Now: http://www.samcheever.com/talldark&alphaboxset.html
Topics: Author Interviews | Comments Off on Interview With Sam Cheever
The Magic Number Of Sex Scenes In An Erotic Romance
Note: This post uses adult language. If you are under the age of eighteen years old or are sensitive to erotic language, please do not read this post.
How many sex scenes should an erotic romance have?
Newer writers ask me this question all the time. “My story is 25,000 words (100 pages) and has 3 sex scenes. Is it an erotic romance?”
Ummm… maybe?
Determining whether or not a story is an erotic romance isn’t as easy as counting the sex scenes. I’ve read some over-the-top sexy erotic romances with NO sex scenes in them. The hero doesn’t even undo his pants. I’ve read some stories with 20 sex scenes that weren’t erotic at all. They were as steamy as the sex entry in Wikipedia.
IMHO (and other writers/readers/reviewers have different opinions), writing erotic is all about tone, word choice, and character arc.
Tone
A great erotic writer can take a simple glance across the room and make it the steamiest, hottest encounter a reader could wish for. Many newer writers think the action makes the scene erotic. Nope. It isn’t the reaction of the other character either. Though both of these components are necessary. It is the emotional reaction that turns a scene from okay to erotic (the always fabulous Christine d’Abo taught me this early in my career – hugs Christine). The character has to feel for readers to feel.
A random example would be
“Nate glances upward, our gazes lock and hold, and I forget to breathe, to think, to move.”
There’s action – Nate glances upward
There’s reaction – Our gazes lock and hold
And there’s emotional reaction – I forget to breathe, to think, to move
Without the last part, the scene is flat, non-erotic.
Erotic romances have this highly sensual tone throughout most of the story. The writing is very touchy feely with the emphasis on feely.
Word Choice
Highly sensual tone in romance has existed for years. What divided erotic romance from other romances is word choice. We call body parts by their street names. There are no purple helmeted warriors. Our heroes have cocks. There are no blossoming flowers. Our heroines have pussies. Our characters don’t have sex. They fuck. The bedroom door is wide open and the words used there are uncensored.
Character Arc
You have a scene using everyday words with a highly sensual tone. What else do you need?
Need is the key word. The scene should be needed.
Characters in erotic romances must grow and change through their sexual experiences. If a writer can remove a sex scene and the characters don’t change, the sex scene shouldn’t be there. Adding sex scenes to increase word count or for titillation irritates readers and gives erotic romance a bad name. Erotic romance isn’t about the sex. It is about great storytelling.
What makes a story erotic to you?
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, Writing Tips | 1 Comment »
