Mastered 2 – Logan Ross Vs Christian Grey
As we’re waiting for both Fifty Shades Of Grey, the movie (February 14th) and the Mastered 2 boxed set (April 21st) to release, I thought I’d have some fun and compare the two heroes – Christian Grey and Logan Ross.
Christian Grey – The billionaire CEO and Founder of Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc., a publishing company
Logan Ross – A billionaire venture capitalist and partial owner of St. James Communications, a media company
Christian Grey – “He is not merely good looking – he is the epitome of male beauty, breathtaking.”
Logan Ross – Has a hard, angular face. Is more striking than handsome.
Christian Grey – Lives in a penthouse in Seattle
Logan Ross – Lives in a sprawling mansion in one of most private and exclusive neighborhoods in Toronto
Christian Grey – His tastes ‘are very singular.’ I.e. He’s into BDSM and is extremely dominant.
Logan Ross – “I’ll be the woman he defends and he’ll expect my total submission in return for his protection. He hasn’t been shy about his sexual preferences, sending me links to websites, murmuring his plans for us against my cheek. This won’t be a vanilla first taste of sex. He’ll restrain me, spank me, force me to service him.” Yep, he’s into BDSM also and is as dominant as Christian Grey.
Christian Grey – Is attracted to Anastasia Steele, a young innocent virgin
Logan Ross – Is attracted to Arianna St. James (oh dang, I didn’t realize until now that Anastasia and Arianna have the same initials), a youngish (older than Anastasia) not-so-innocent virgin
Christian Grey – Will stop at nothing to claim Anastasia.
Logan Ross – Feels as strongly about Arianna
“You’re mine, Arianna, and I will pursue you until I breathe my last breath.”
These two sexy billionaire Doms are similar in some ways and very different in others. Logan Ross is not Christian Grey but I do believe lovers of Fifty Shades Of Grey will enjoy my contribution to the Mastered 2 boxed set!
Mastered 2 features ten sizzling BDSM-themed erotic romances. (My story will also feature a billionaire – grins) It’s priced at a crazy low 99 cents and is available for pre-order now.
http://www.amazon.com/Mastered-Ten-Tales-Sensual-Surrender-ebook/dp/B00NUUO7G0
I’ll give you all more details as I receive them!
Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Mastered 2 – Logan Ross Vs Christian Grey
Writing Erotic Romance – Why Do You Write Erotic Romance?
In my humble opinion, this is THE most important question any writer can ask herself. The second most important question, which we’ll also cover in this post, is ‘Why do you want your stories published?’ These questions are very different and they might have different answers, yet they’ll craft your career, directing you toward YOUR personal definition of success.
Note: The answers to these questions will likely change over time. The reason I’m sending my stories to publishers today is not the same reason I sent my stories to be published two years ago.
Why Do You Write Erotic Romance?
There are many, MANY answers to this question. None of them are wrong or right, better or worse. Agents or publishers or fellow writers don’t need to know your answer. This is YOUR truth.
Here are merely a few of the possibilities
– writing helps you sort out your thoughts or emotions
– you need to see your fantasies in print to fully enjoy them
– it’s fun, an outlet for your creativity
– writing fictional stories reveals real life issues you might be grappling with
– you’re writing erotic romances you can’t find in Romanceland
– you read an erotic romance, didn’t like the ending, so you’re changing it
– you see writing as a possible career or a way to become wealthy
– writing gives you a task to complete while you’re home, caring for your kids
– you want to enter your bookstore and see your name on a book cover
– your mom thinks you should write a book
– you were dared by a buddy to write an erotic romance
– you’ve always written. It is part of you
– writing is a way to vent your emotions
– you love the craft of writing, the manipulation of words
– it’s a way to use the research you love collecting
– your hubby is stationed overseas and loves receiving hot stories from you
– you see writing as a way to become famous
For a long time, I didn’t write for anyone else. I wrote only for myself, simply for the joy of putting my fantasies on paper (I’m a visual person. I have to see something to fully enjoy it). I didn’t need to be published or edited or see my story in a bookstore to be happy… so I didn’t do these things.
I still write primarily for myself. Yes, writing is now my career but I know if I ever agree to write a story I’m not excited about, I’ll be unhappy. I would rather not be published than write a story I’m not thrilled about. Some writers would call that unprofessional and unrealistic. (shrugs) Maybe it is but it’s my truth. It is what I need to be happy.
Just because you’re a writer doesn’t mean you need to be published writer. Ever. Being a published writer doesn’t automatically increase every writer’s joy of writing. For example: If you write to sort out your thoughts or feelings, you might not want anyone else to read your stories. Showing these innermost thoughts to others could erase all of your joy of writing.
Why Do You Want Your Stories Published?
Before you self-publish your first story or send it to an agent or publisher, ask yourself WHY you’re doing this. Again, there are no right or wrong answers.
Here are some possible answers
– working with an editor will improve your writing skills
– you want to widen the diversity of erotic romances in Romanceland
– you need the possible income/it is a way to possibly become wealthy
– you want to enter your bookstore and see your name on a book cover
– your mom wants to show your book to her friends
– you have a message in your stories that you wish to share with the world
– you wish to give back to Romanceland, to contribute to the industry
– you want to introduce yourself as a published writer
– you’re curious as to whether or not your story is good and want a professional’s opinion
– you want to be famous
Your answer to this question changes your options. If you want to see your story in a bookstore, you would only submit your story to publishers that have presences in bookstores. If you need income ASAP, you might look at publishers with short publishing lead times or publishers offering advances. If you want to see your name on a cover of a book, you likely wouldn’t use a pen name. If you want to become famous, you might promote your books by attending conferences or hosting book signings.
Are there some possible answers that I haven’t listed? (I’m certain there are zillions I’ve missed)
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Bee Carter has been offered everything she has ever dreamed of—a caring, lasting relationship with a handsome, often charming billionaire; the permanent home she’s never had but has always craved; and wealth to buy the designer fashions she loves, support her hard-working mother, and ensure her acceptance by Chicago’s elite.
To obtain what she’s desired for so long, she has to do only two things: Walk away from her best friend, a woman who is destined to betray her … and end her passionate nightly encounters with a certain tattooed biker, a former Marine who can never give her what she needs.
Her answer should be clear, but the heart has a way of complicating even the most straightforward decisions.
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00JZOVYQG
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards7-1718231-237.html
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-7
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-7-cynthia-sax/1119919841
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_7?id=CGsOBAAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-7/id870582006
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Writing Erotic Romance – Why Do You Write Erotic Romance?
Writing Erotic Romance – Finding (and Keeping) The Perfect Critique Partner
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 doesn’t matter how many years you’ve been writing, how many stories you’ve published or how many awards you’ve won. Your story isn’t perfect.
(If someone says your story is perfect, she’s blowing smoke up your tight ass or is afraid of hurting you or, the opposite, doesn’t give a shit about you or perhaps all of the above. Thank her for her kind words and look for another critique partner or editor.)
Yet-to-be published writers have two choices.
We can send our rough stories out and hope the crazy busy editor/agent we’ve contacted recognizes these diamonds in the rough and works with us through multiple revisions
OR
we can send these rough stories to critique partners (or paid editors) and make them the best they can be first and THEN send out these polished diamonds.
I always make my stories the best they can be first. Unless asked, there’s no resubmitting the same story to agents/editors. (They track this shit so don’t bother being tricksy.) We only have one shot at this and I’d like my shot to be as good as I can make it.
Critique Partners Or Paid Editors
I’ve had very few critique partners in my writing life. Why? Because in a critique partner relationship, manuscripts are exchanged. I’ll read and critique your story. You’ll read and critique mine.
When I was writing professionally part time, I had very little time. I could earn more money working additional hours at my non-writing job than I would spend hiring a freelance editor or paying for a critique. So I opted to go that route. Freelance editor vs critique partner doesn’t make much of a difference to the process. IMHO it merely changes what is being exchanged.
How To Find Perspective Critique Partners (Happy Hour)
One of the best ways to find perspective critique partners is to attend a writing workshop (either in person or online). We know that everyone paying for this workshop is interested in a) improving as writers and b) whichever topic is being covered. I especially love workshops in my specific genre. Angela Knight’s How To Write Sex workshop is a goldmine for finding erotic romance writing critique partners, as are many of the workshops offered by Passionate Ink.
Having critique partners with backgrounds in our genres is AWESOME. I don’t read or write inspirational romance. For me to give feedback on an inspirational romance is waste of everyone’s time. I don’t know the reader expectations. I wouldn’t know a good inspirational romance if it bit me on my ass.
However, I do know contemporary/SciFi/Paranormal erotic romance. Ask me to critique one of these stories and I can add value.
There are also often calls on RWA (Romance Writers of America) loops and other writer hangouts (forums, blogs, loops) for perspective critique partners.
Evaluating Perspective Critique Partners (Dating)
I say perspective critique partners because I’d never ask a complete stranger, someone I knew nothing about, to critique my manuscripts, trusting him or her with my hopes and dreams, with my writing career.
I like to virtually hang out with possible critique partners first, have a discussion, find out their personality types, their pet peeves, their strengths and weakness, hell, their genre.
Here are some questions to ask perspective critique partners…
1) Which genre do you write? Do you read in this genre? Do you LIKE this genre?
As I mentioned, every genre has expectations. Asking me, as an erotic romance writer, to evaluate an inspirational romance is useless. My critique will do more damage than good.
Does this mean that critique partners in different genres can’t work? Of course not. This is writing. I’ve seen every type of relationship work. Simply keep in mind that your genre might have different expectations.
2) What are your writing strengths? What are your writing weaknesses?
When I’m asked to critique a yet-to-be-published manuscript, I always ask what I’m critiquing. If the writer says ‘everything’, I decline because I’m not an expert in ‘everything.’ No writer is. We all have our strengths. If you don’t know your critique partner’s strength, you shouldn’t be asking them to critique your manuscript.
Preferably your critique partner’s strength should be your weakness. I’m terrible at grammar. One of my buddies is the grammar queen. I send critical manuscripts to her. In exchange, I look at her WTF (what the fuck) moments, her plot holes and emotion gaps.
3) How many stories a year do you write? How many words are these stories?
A critique partner relationship is an exchange. If I write 50,000 fresh words a month and you write 10,000 fresh words a month, you’ll spend much more time critiquing my work than I spend critiquing yours. If you’re okay with that, fine, but this is good to know at the beginning of the relationship.
4) How do you like to receive your critiques?
When I receive revisions, I read them, cry, get very, very angry, eat too much Nutella (just joking – there’s no such thing as too much Nutella), and then, the next day, I’ll incorporate them into my manuscripts. I could never receive a verbal critique. My reaction would scare the shit out of those critique partners (and editors). I need to receive critiques by email so I have time to move through this emotional process.
Some of my buddies are the opposite. They don’t learn from a critique until they hear it out loud. They need more of a back and forth on the critique that might be easier done in person or over the phone. Do whatever works for BOTH of you!
Note: Critiques are supposed to hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. If they don’t, either the critique isn’t thorough enough or you’ve developed the much-needed rhino skin or you’re on your third bottle of vodka and wouldn’t feel a transport truck if it ran over your feet.
5) What is your expected turnaround time on critiques?
If you have a family, a non-writing job, and other responsibilities, you might not be able to turnaround a critique in a day or two or three. Again, this is about setting and then meeting expectations. That’s the core of any solid relationship.
6) What do you expect from this relationship?
I usually don’t ask anyone for a critique unless I like her. However, I also don’t have a lot of extra time to chat so I tend to be mostly business. Some writers like chattier critique partners. They want to go for coffee, talk about their kids, etc. and that’s fine, as long as everyone is okay with this type of relationship.
Rejecting Potential Critique Partners (It’s Not You. It’s Me.)
If I get any strange vibes from potential critique partners, if they’re not a fit for me or if they’re unable to give me what I want from the relationship, I don’t waste anyone’s time. I walk away. Romanceland is very small so I’m polite. I simply say something like “I don’t think I’m the type of critique partner you need.”
Many (usually) newer writers are concerned about critique partners stealing premises or story ideas. A story is copyrighted as soon as it is written BUT lawsuit hassles can be avoided by teaming with critique partners we trust. There are plenty of writers looking for critique partners. Don’t team with anyone you don’t feel comfortable with.
First Exchange (The Trial Marriage)
After you decide you’re potentially compatible, consider exchanging a scene or two to test the waters. Before this happens, I usually share with editors and critique partners how I learn. Theory doesn’t mean anything to me. I like it when critique partners give me examples of how they would rewrite sentences. Examples drive some other writers crazy. They prefer the theory.
A good critique partner or editor usually won’t give writers solutions. They’ll point out problems, and perhaps, as I mentioned, give an example or two of how we might fix it. It is the writers’ responsibility to derive the solutions that are right for OUR stories.
Do we have to address every ‘problem’ critique partners point out? No, of course not. No critique partner is perfect. We’re all juggling multiple responsibilities. But we should keep in mind that if one reader (and all writers are readers first) has a problem with the scene or character or whatever, other readers (including agents and editors) might also.
And we should be polite. Critique partners are taking valuable time out of their lives to try to help us. They are doing this because they sincerely want our manuscripts to be stronger.
Evolving Relationships (Marriage)
Relationships change. This is true for critique partnerships also. You might have to amend or possibly dissolve the relationship. Communicate. Be as honest as you can yet polite and professional. If it isn’t working for you, make suggestions for improvement. If there’s no hope of resolution, shake hands and go your separate ways.
Learn from dysfunctional relationships but never talk smack about critique partners, not now, not ever. This is a trusted relationship. They trust you with their hopes and dreams. You trust them with yours. Maintain this trust.
What are some of your tips for finding and keeping awesome critique partners?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Bee Carter has been offered everything she has ever dreamed of—a caring, lasting relationship with a handsome, often charming billionaire; the permanent home she’s never had but has always craved; and wealth to buy the designer fashions she loves, support her hard-working mother, and ensure her acceptance by Chicago’s elite.
To obtain what she’s desired for so long, she has to do only two things: Walk away from her best friend, a woman who is destined to betray her … and end her passionate nightly encounters with a certain tattooed biker, a former Marine who can never give her what she needs.
Her answer should be clear, but the heart has a way of complicating even the most straightforward decisions.
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00JZOVYQG
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-7
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-7-cynthia-sax/1119919841
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_7?id=CGsOBAAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-7/id870582006
Topics: Writing Tips | 1 Comment »
Free Scenes With Cyndi And Cole
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.
I’ve been writing Cyndi’s story on the Goodreads group ( https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/139616-a-year-of-sizzling-hot-sax-read-along ). These scenes are raw and uncensored, completely unedited.
“I thought you’d never ask, darling.” Cole’s slow southern accent adds syllables to each word. No man should look and sound as good as he does.
He cups my ass, lifting me off the ground. I like my family’s candy a little too much and I’m not a small woman. This feat alone impresses the hell out of me. I wrap my legs around him, supplementing his efforts.
Bracing me against the brick wall, my movie star nudges against my pussy lips with his cock head, searching for the right entrance. I hold onto his shoulders and shift my hips, assisting him.
Finally, we align and he lowers me, agonizingly slowly. “That’s it, baby,” I murmur encouragement. “You’ve got it.”
He’s got me. Completely. God, Cole has a nice cock, thick with a bit of kink to it. My eyes roll back in my head. His cock head is hitting all the right places, filling me up.
Finally my pussy lips press against his neatly trimmed private curls and my sextastic movie star ride temporarily comes to a halt. I meet his electric blue gaze, stunned that I have my Hollywood crush inside me. “You alright?” I ask, my voice husky. “Or do you need a stand in?”
He blinks once, twice, his eyelashes obscenely long, and then he throws back his head and laughs. “Stand in?” He withdraws half an inch and rocks back into me. “Fuck you,” he says this with a toe curling affection, giving me another shallow thrust.
I gasp, the sensation delectable. “That’s what I keep asking you to do.” I help him, pulling myself higher, because, unless the man is huge and the woman is tiny, fucking against a wall is a two person job. “Don’t hold back on my account,” I push him, breathless with passion. “I can take anything you give me.”
“I doubt that,” he huffs, driving into me harder, deeper, smacking my bare ass against the rough brick. I’ll feel this for days, weeks, his sexual autograph imprinted on my skin. “I’m a bad ass in the sack.”
Oh lordie. He is. I pant. “How…are…you…against…the…wall?” I force the words and my grin, my pussy already tightening around his shaft.
“God.” Cole burrows his face in the curve where my neck meets my shoulder. “Not as good as you.” He ruts into me with everything he has, shaking my body, making my pussy lips hum.
I meet him halfway, giving as good as I get, digging my heels into his clenched ass cheeks, riding him like the stud he is. Our sex noises are concealed by the roar of unseen bikes.
We work together for our release. I angle my hips so he hits the right spots. He smacks his cotton-covered chest against my breasts, stimulating my super sensitive nipples.
I’ve been with a lot of men but none of them felt like this, right, perfect, destined. His musk and heat engulfs me, giving the illusion of safety, of caring.
He pistons in and out of me and I moan. Neither of us will last long, not with this first, perhaps only fuck. We both have healthy sex drives and we’ve been teasing each other all night, eyefucking the hell out of each other.
“Come for me, darling,” Cole coaxes, ramming into me like the humping machine he is. He’s forgotten my name but that’s okay. He feels so good. I have to forgive him. “Come.”
“After you.” I grit my teeth, my arms and legs trembling.
“Come,” he growls, thrusting harder, the gentleman in him insisting ladies come first.
I’m no lady. “After you,” I repeat, squeezing his shaft with inner muscles, a move that never fails to make men shoot their wad.
“Fuck,” Cole roars, no exception. Except my movie star doesn’t forget about me, not even when consumed by a mind-splitting orgasm. He drives forward and swivels his hips, grinding against my clit, breaking my hold on reality.
I scream, bucking against him, twisting and writhing, trapped between hard man and a brick wall. Cole pins my ass in place, securing me as my world spins, streams of light flowing around me, waves of bliss rising and falling.
Gradually my surroundings become still, my breathing levels and rational thought returns. “Holy shit.” I dip my head and rest my chin on his shoulder. “You’re good.”
“You’re better.” Cole lowers me until my heels touch the pavement and we gaze at each other, two great lays acknowledging the skills of the other.
“There’s only so much I can do against the wall.” I pull my corset higher, concealing my breasts. “Blow jobs are where I truly shine.”
I fix my panties and skirt, trying to act as casual as possible, while my heart is cracking in two. He’ll leave me now, move on to the next fangirl, and it shouldn’t make me sad because that’s what we do. We fuck with no commitments, never getting involved, never looking back.
“I’m great at oral also.” Cole takes care of the condom, pulls up his jeans. Regret chills me. I didn’t even get to see him without his shirt. “I bet you taste good.” His gaze slides to my face.
“I do taste good.” I tilt my chin upward.
“Ever been eaten out on a bike?” He holds out his hand.
I slide my palm against his, hope filling my chest. “Nope.” Does he want more? “But you don’t have a bike.”
Cole gives me one of his million dollar smiles. “I don’t have a bike in Chicago. I have one in LA.”
“I know a great place for breakfast in LA.” I beam at him.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Bee Carter has been offered everything she has ever dreamed of—a caring, lasting relationship with a handsome, often charming billionaire; the permanent home she’s never had but has always craved; and wealth to buy the designer fashions she loves, support her hard-working mother, and ensure her acceptance by Chicago’s elite.
To obtain what she’s desired for so long, she has to do only two things: Walk away from her best friend, a woman who is destined to betray her … and end her passionate nightly encounters with a certain tattooed biker, a former Marine who can never give her what she needs.
Her answer should be clear, but the heart has a way of complicating even the most straightforward decisions.
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00JZOVYQG
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-7
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-7-cynthia-sax/1119919841
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_7?id=CGsOBAAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-7/id870582006
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Free Scenes With Cyndi And Cole
Writing Erotic Romance – Pacing
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.
All of the installments of Sinful Rewards are roughly the same number of words. Why then do some readers and reviewers claim the installments are becoming shorter?
The answer is one word—pacing.
Pacing is the speed of reading or comprehension. Pacing in writing is very similar to the tempo in music. This is why many writers write to music. They match the tempo. One scene might be a slow song, the sentences long and luxurious, the action leisurely. Another scene might have a dance beat, the sentences short, the action rushed. These two scenes might have the same number of words but the arrangement is very different, tricking the brain into reading faster or slower, as the writer intends.
And the writer should intend. Pacing is one of the most powerful tools in our toolbox. It decides whether or not readers finish our stories, what they grasp, what they overlook. It is how I can hide clues in my stories without readers perceiving them as obvious. For erotic romances, it is the difference between a fast and furious against the wall quickie and a Sunday morning sexual exploration.
The Natural Flow Of A Story
A story usually starts slower, speeds up in the middle, and then slows down at the end. The reason for this is because action and dialogue is faster to read than narrative and description.
At the beginning of a story, we normally describe the characters and the setting and weave in back story. All of these have a slower pace.
At the end of the story, the characters often think back on what they’ve learned, how they’ve grown. The action is winding down and the characters are absorbing what this means for them, giving readers a glimpse into the future.
The middle of the story is normally dialogue and action heavy. Both of these are fast to read. As Sinful Rewards is a serial, one continuous story, the installments in the middle naturally have a fast pace.
The Reader Breathes As Our Characters Breathe
To draw readers into our stories, we want to eliminate as much separation between them and our point of view character as possible. One method to have the reading pace reflect our point of view character’s pace. If our character is in a life or death car chase, her adrenaline pumping, her breath ragged, our reader should be reading as fast as she can. If our character is lying on the beach, relaxing, our reader should be relaxing also, leisurely turning pages.
A faster pace isn’t always better, especially for erotic romances. If the entire story is go-go-go, the reader won’t be able to breathe, won’t reflect on events, might become tired. A fast paced sex scene can be an exciting fast fuck but it isn’t romantic or lovey dovey. Having one pace for the entire story also reduces the power of this tool.
Pacing Problems
When I’m told by an editor, an agent, or a critique partner, that I have pacing problems, my first temptation is to change what happens in the scene, to crank up (or down) the action, if it is a battle scene, to increase (or decrease) the body count.
That is often not necessary. I can write the same scene with a fast pace or with a slow pace merely by changing my choice of words or my sentence structure.
Size Matters
The size of words and the length of sentences influence pacing. Readers read two short sentences faster than they read one long sentence. They read two one syllable words faster than they read one two syllable word.
Short simple sentences are easier for our brains to understand. If I really want a reader to note a point in my story, I use a short simple sentence. “I love you” is one example. This sentence is three words long. The words are one syllable each.
However, a short simple sentence is also read quickly. As “I love you” is usually a critical declaration, I will often frame it with long, complex sentences to slow down the moment, to allow the reader to savor it.
“I love you,” he declared. And he did, madly, truly, intensely, feeling an endless depth of emotion he never thought possible.
This second, run-on sentence serves the first, encouraging the reader to linger over the words, the sentiment.
Not So Fast, Mister
Forget what your English teacher taught you. In erotic romances, run-one sentences are our friends. They slow down sex scenes, increasing the emotion, bringing the reader along for the sizzling hot ride.
Using description in a sex scene is an easy way to slow pacing. The heroine doesn’t simply press her lips to the hero’s shoulder. She notes the salty taste of his skin, his musky scent, the way his muscles flex under her. She’s intensely aware of him, of everything about the man she’s fucking.
Sneaking in some introspective will also slow down the scene. The hero is rocking into her, moving in and out, in and out, and she’s thinking how easy it would be to fall in love with him, to crave a lifetime of this loving. But, oh noes, she knows they’re not meant to be. They only have this one sextastic moment and she’ll make every second count. (See how we inserted some delicious conflict? Grins. Yes, we’re tricksy that way.)
We don’t want to have a slow pace for the entire sex scene. The pace of the scene should reflect the pace of the act, starting slow, increasing faster and faster, until oh my God, the pacing climaxes when the characters come. Then the pace gradually slows as rational thought returns.
Pacing is a powerful tool, one that I am always working to perfect, taking courses, dissecting well written or best selling stories.
How do you control pacing?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Bee Carter has been offered everything she has ever dreamed of—a caring, lasting relationship with a handsome, often charming billionaire; the permanent home she’s never had but has always craved; and wealth to buy the designer fashions she loves, support her hard-working mother, and ensure her acceptance by Chicago’s elite.
To obtain what she’s desired for so long, she has to do only two things: Walk away from her best friend, a woman who is destined to betray her … and end her passionate nightly encounters with a certain tattooed biker, a former Marine who can never give her what she needs.
Her answer should be clear, but the heart has a way of complicating even the most straightforward decisions.
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00JZOVYQG
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-7
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-7-cynthia-sax/1119919841
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_7?id=CGsOBAAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-7/id870582006
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Writing Erotic Romance – Pacing
Sinful Rewards 7 – Where You Belong
Have you ever walked into a place or situation and known in your gut that you were meant to be there? You might not have been able to explain why. Perhaps all signs indicated the opposite. But you knew you were exactly where you were supposed to be.
When I was sixteen, I fundraised my way into a class trip to France (that, in itself, was a miracle – I think I sold a handmade crepe to everyone in our small town). A couple of days into the trip, I was feeling homesick. My French was rough. I’d never been out of Canada. We were in Paris. Our hotel had more people than my home town. It was scary and confusing and I missed my big, noisy family.
Then I walked into Sacre Coeur and I instantly knew this was where I was meant to be. I didn’t know why. The church situated in the artsy section of Paris didn’t reflect my religious background. I couldn’t understand half of the things spoken or written on the walls. I didn’t appreciate the architecture. It was dark and a bit gloomy.
I walked to a wall of lit candles, not understanding the reason for the display or for the feeling of rightness inside me. An elderly woman hobbled to the spot beside me, paid her francs for a candle and lit it. She explained in small words, slowly spoken, that she lights a candle every year on this day, the day of her husband’s death. She’d been doing this for over two decades. He was and will always be the love of her life.
After that day, a part of me always judged the guys I dated by that standard—would I light a candle for him decades after he died? When I met my dear wonderful hubby, the answer was ‘yes.’ Is that the reason I was meant to be at Sacre Coeur at that time? I don’t know.
Bee, the heroine in Sinful Rewards, my sizzling hot contemporary erotic romance serial, walks into The Road Gator and knows she belongs. She shouldn’t fit in. She’s a fashionista, with no military or biker experience. The men and women at The Road Gator all served their country and they ride. They wear leather and sport tattoos. She prefers designer dresses and would never consider anything as permanent as ink. They’re hard drinkers. She’s under the table after two shots.
But their core values—loyalty, protecting others—are the same. They understand and don’t judge each other. Bee feels safe there. She fits in, is accepted as one of them. Will she continue to be accepted? We don’t yet know.
Have you ever walked into a place and knew you belonged? Please share your experience!
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Bee Carter has been offered everything she has ever dreamed of—a caring, lasting relationship with a handsome, often charming billionaire; the permanent home she’s never had but has always craved; and wealth to buy the designer fashions she loves, support her hard-working mother, and ensure her acceptance by Chicago’s elite.
To obtain what she’s desired for so long, she has to do only two things: Walk away from her best friend, a woman who is destined to betray her … and end her passionate nightly encounters with a certain tattooed biker, a former Marine who can never give her what she needs.
Her answer should be clear, but the heart has a way of complicating even the most straightforward decisions.
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00JZOVYQG
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-7
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-7-cynthia-sax/1119919841
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_7?id=CGsOBAAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-7/id870582006
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Sinful Rewards 7 – Where You Belong
Happy New Year!
Sunrise Over Venice, Italy
My dear wonderful hubby and I would like to wish you a very happy new year and a terrific 2015! (big hugs)
This will definitely be a great year for me. I already have 7 releases scheduled for the year. From January to June, the remaining 6 Sinful Rewards stories will be released. I love the second half of the story even more than I love the first. Sinful Rewards 7 will likely shift your entire thinking about some of the characters.
In April, the Mastered 2 box set will be releasing. It’s priced at a crazy low 99 cents and is available for pre-order now.
http://www.amazon.com/Mastered-Ten-Tales-Sensual-Surrender-ebook/dp/B00NUUO7G0
I LOVE my story in Mastered 2. Yes, it has a billionaire hero and he is absolutely yummy. I’m super excited to see your reaction to it!
I’m working on other projects for 2015. I’m 100 pages or 25,000 words into a delicious 400 page/100,000 word contemporary erotic romance with, yes, a billionaire hero. This will release sometime after Sinful Rewards (after June).
I hope you have a great day and an even better year!
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
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards6-1689695-237.html
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 Happy New Year!
Mastered 2 Box Set
I will be contributing a spicy standalone novella to the Mastered 2 boxed set releasing in April. This boxed set will feature ten (or more – writers are being added every week) sizzling stories featuring BDSM. (My story will also feature a billionaire – grins) It’s priced at a crazy low 99 cents and is available for pre-order now.
http://www.amazon.com/Mastered-Ten-Tales-Sensual-Surrender-ebook/dp/B00NUUO7G0
I’ll give you all more details as I receive them!
Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Mastered 2 Box Set
Are Billionaire Heroes Cliché?
I write about billionaire heroes in my contemporary erotic romances and I’m often asked if billionaires are becoming cliché. Are you tiring of them?
In my humble opinion, billionaire heroes will become cliché when writers write clichéd billionaires. I view billionaire as being a short form for successful, a man at the top of his game, the alpha of the business world. I doubt we’ll ever tire of these types of heroes. We want our heroes to be successful.
My billionaires (or multimillionaires in the cases of Henley from Flashes Of Me and Nate from Breaking All The Rules) aren’t Christian Grey. E. L. James has fully explored her intriguing Fifty Shades Of Grey hero. There’s no reason for me to write about a similar billionaire. Heck, I doubt E.L. James would want to write about a similar billionaire!
My billionaire heroes are all different, with different issues, different problems, different likes and dislikes. They hold different jobs, see their roles in the world very differently.
A billionaire financier is nothing like a billionaire hacker or a billionaire security professional. A billionaire raised by a single mom isn’t the same man as a billionaire orphaned at a young age. A billionaire who has gone to prison will have a different view on the world than a billionaire who has never been in trouble with the law.
These billionaires are as unique as you and I are.
This means I can’t predict how you will react to my heroes, if you’ll like Nate as much as Henley, Henley as much as Blaine. I’m chewing my fingernails to the nubs wondering if you’ll like Nicolas, the billionaire real estate developer in Sinful Rewards (Test reading buddies love him but what if these test reading buddies are the only ones? Yes, writers are a wee bit nuts. We worry about everything.).
But this is the risk writers take when we write any new character, even a sexy billionaire. In order to bring you fresh characters, characters who aren’t clichés, we risk bringing you a hero you might not love as much.
What type of billionaire hero would you like to see? A biker billionaire? An artist billionaire? A lottery billionaire?
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.
Buy Now At Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-All-Rules-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXY
Buy Now At ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-breakingalltherules-1453084-149.html
Topics: Guest Post | 2 Comments »
Wayback Wednesday-He Watches Me
Many readers have been asking me about follow up stories to The Seen Trilogy. YES, there will be follow up stories but these stories will have different heroines and heroes. Flashes Of Me is the romance between Henley (we meet this scarred huge man in He Claims Me) and Kat Volkov (we meet her uncle in The Seen Trilogy also). The yet-to-be titled Camille’s story has also been written (Camille aka Goth girl appears in every story in The Seen Trilogy). No, she does not fall in love with Michael and you’ll find out why in her story. Anna and Blaine appear in both of these stories. Both of these new stories will be releasing in February. Each story is approximately 200 pages long (the length of He Watches Me and He Claims Me combined).
By Cynthia Sax
Buy Now From Avon Impulse
She desires to be seen. He wants to watch.
Anna Sampson has a naughty secret. Every night, she slips into her neighbor’s yard and swims naked in his pool. She fantasizes that the dynamic young billionaire watches her nightly nude aquatics, his brilliant green eyes gleaming with lust.
She discovers this isn’t pure fantasy. Gabriel Blaine has been watching her via his security cameras, and now that he has returned to L.A., he doesn’t plan to stop. That’s all he wants—to watch. Anna knows she shouldn’t allow him and she certainly shouldn’t want more, but she craves Blaine’s attention, needing his gaze fixed on her body.
Part One of The Seen Trilogy
Buy He Watches Me On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/He-Watches-Me-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00CD36FS8
Buy He Touches Me On Amazon (Book 2): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CD36FVA
Buy He Claims Me On Amazon (Book 3): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CD36FTW
Topics: Wayback Wednesday | Comments Off on Wayback Wednesday-He Watches Me
