Your Favorite Writer Ignored You – And Other Reasons To Be Happy
You’ve saved up your cash, paid for a once-of-a-lifetime trip to a Romanceland conference, specifically to meet that writer you’ve admired for decades. You see her walking toward you, call out her name…
…and she walks right by you, acting as though she hasn’t seen you.
You’re a writer’s number one fan. You bought her first book on its release day before anyone else knew she existed. You’ve promoted every release she’s ever had, followed her across genres, even bought that unicorn-shifter-in-space stepbrother-post apocalyptic serial that ended after book one.
You email her to ask her for a copy of her latest cover so you can promote it.
She replies with a blank email. Or worse, she doesn’t reply at all.
Clearly these writers are class A bitches, not worthy of your fandom, right?
That’s possible. There are class A bitches in every profession. There aren’t many in Romanceland but there ARE some.
OR
These writers could be working on what just might be the best book of their lives and they have serious book brain. They don’t know what they’re wearing or where they are or why it’s so fuckin’ noisy in the Regency bookstore they think they’re standing in. They’re currently living in their book, similar to how you will hopefully live in that book when you read it.
Writers don’t talk about this much because… well… we’re constantly seen by the rest of the world as being a bit crazy. Talking about book brain would prove that the rest of the world is right. We ARE a bit crazy.
But crazy in the best way, a way that often benefits readers. Book brain usually means the writer is so sucked into her story; she can’t leave it. Even when she’s not writing, the story continues in her mind. Her characters won’t shut up. They won’t take a break and allow her to rest. They have lives of their own and they’re not listening to her.
It is like trying to go through a regular work day with two or more people yelling in your face at the top of their lungs. You can’t ignore these people because they might not repeat themselves and their words might mean the difference between creative, financial, and professional success or failure.
It’s stressful but also exciting and magical. My best stories come with a serious case of book brain.
Not every writer gets book brain. Book brain tends to happen more to pantsers (writers who write not knowing what will happen next) than to plotters (writers who need to know the plot of the story before they start writing).
And not every writer gets book brain all the time.
My book brain is the worst when I’m writing the first draft of a story that requires detailed world building.
Once in the middle of writing Releasing Rage, my first cyborg story, I walked right past my Dear Wonderful Hubby, a man I’ve loved passionately for over 20 years. He bumped against me. I mumbled an apology and continued walking. He laughed his fool head off.
I didn’t see him. At all. I was in the battle station with Rage and Joan, surrounded by Humanoid Alliance baddies.
I’ve also called Dear Wonderful Hubby by my hero’s name. More than once. During sexy times. (sheepish grin) This has happened so often; the stinker usually asks me whom he’ll be playing that night (or morning or whatever).
When I write non-fiction, I don’t get book brain at all.
My loved ones, my close friends and family, have either learned to accept my book brain, some having fun with it as my Dear Wonderful Hubby does, or they mysteriously disappear during the periods of extreme book brain (my Dear Wonderful Hubby always warns my super sensitive middle sister – she gets upset when I call her by my characters’ names or when she finds the birthday card she’s lovingly chosen for me filed in my refrigerator by the Costco-sized container of mustard).
Readers, reviewers, bloggers often don’t understand. Writers who don’t get book brain often don’t understand. We tend to disappoint these much loved, much appreciated people and that feels horrible.
Ideally, we should communicate with the real world AFTER our book brain has gone away. That’s the safest strategy. However, in this social media, instant contact environment, many people expect quick replies. They associate quick replies with caring and every writer I know wants her readers to feel appreciated.
Realizing this, many of us will try to function through the book brain. This often has disastrous results. We’ll call a blogger by a character’s name. We’ll send unsuspecting reviewers rambling answers to questions they never asked. I once emailed a reader an unedited extremely gruesome battle scene from a cyborg story I was writing. All she wanted to know was when my next much lighter billionaire story was releasing. (winces) We’ll comment on Facebook posts from the point of view of the character we’re writing and unfortunately our not-yet-redeemed hero is a foul-mouthed, insensitive ass.
I’ve been lucky. My Dear Wonderful Hubby tends to monitor my internet usage during my periods of book brain, hinting that maybe I shouldn’t be on Facebook while I’m channeling a grief-stricken intergalactic bounty hunter. And almost everyone I associate with has a healthy sense of humor. But I know it is only a matter of time before I appear on a list of writers behaving badly.
If that happens, I will likely crawl under a rock and beg Death to take me. (winks) But you should celebrate. It means I have book brain. I’m so sucked into my own story; I’ve temporarily lost my grip on the real world.
THOSE are the stories that end up being special.
And please don’t take it personally if you’re the unfortunate buddy who has to deal with my book brain. Wait a week and ask me for an explanation. Delete the extremely gruesome battle scene. Ask if the wrong name I called you belongs to a character. Tease me mercilessly about my error until the end of time.
I love you. I appreciate you. Never question that.
Note: Book brain is a temporary affliction. It also isn’t a get-off-the-writers-behaving-badly-list-for-free card. If I’m ever an ass to you, book brain or not, I deserve to be on that list.
Just know that my ass-ness is about ME, not you. You ROCK. Don’t ever believe otherwise.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Defying Death
He’ll risk it all for one moment of happiness.
Cyborgs don’t show emotion. Death learned that lesson early in his long lifespan. To survive, he hides his fierce passions behind a stoic wall. He calls no warrior friend. He never admits to caring for any being.
Even the human female he’s destined to love.
Tifara is Death’s obsession, his sole opportunity for happiness, to express the all-consuming passion burning brightly inside him. He’ll do anything to obtain the curvaceous medic: defy a direct order, abduct Tifara from her battle station, and wage war on his fellow cyborgs.
To earn her love, he’ll have to risk much, much more.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Defying-Death-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B01D6OUQS2/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Defying-Death-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B01D6OUQS2/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-defyingdeath-2001671-147.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/defying-death-cynthia-sax/1123562659
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/defying-death-2
Topics: Writing Tips | 2 Comments »
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
Billionaires And Bikers – Should We Write In A Trendy Theme Or Genre?
When I first started writing erotic romances, I listened to the published writers who advised “Write the book of your heart and you’ll find a market for it.” I wrote contemporaries featuring billionaire heroes.
And I received rejections…from everyone. Erotic romance publisher wanted sexy paranormals. They weren’t interested in publishing contemporary erotic romances. This type of story wasn’t selling.
I looked at my long list of story ideas and found an idea for a paranormal erotic romance. It was a unique story, a story I was passionate about. The hero was a dragon shifter, not a wolf shifter. It wasn’t set in today’s world. It was set in a medieval fantasy world.
The first publisher I approached (Changeling Press) accepted Dragon Lord’s Mate. It required many rounds of revisions and even more editing but we all knew, with paranormals being hot, the story would sell well enough to warrant this hard work.
Five years later, I likely wouldn’t be able to sell Dragon Lord’s Mate. Very few publishers are looking for paranormal writers. They already have many successful paranormal writers writing for them.
I CAN, however, sell my beloved contemporary erotic romances. I can sell the stories I’ve written about billionaires and bikers and other delicious contemporary heroes. I’m happily writing more stories about my delicious billionaires while the market is hungry for them. As my farming granddad used to say, “You gotta make hay while the sun shines.”
The irony is that Blaine, the hero in He Watches Me, could have very easily been a vampire. If I had made that tweak, this story would have been sold years ago. I’m glad I didn’t. I like Blaine the way he is. But it was a possibility.
Should you write what is selling well right now?
Are you passionate about your idea?
If you have a list of ideas (I recommend keeping a list of your top 100 story ideas), is there an idea on this list that is selling well right now? Do you love this idea?
Because passion ALWAYS shows. There are thousands of erotic romances published every month. If you aren’t passionate about your idea, readers won’t be passionate either. They’ll give your story a pass and read something else.
Is this idea a unique twist on the theme?
Unless your story is already written and ready to be pitched to a publisher, a me-too, clone story of a popular release is unlikely to sell. If the publisher wants this, they’ll approach the original writer OR one of their existing writers and request it. Give the publisher a unique twist on the idea. When I pitched He Watches Me to Avon Impulse, I called it Fifty Shades Of Grey with exhibitionism, rather than BDSM.
This twist also keeps the theme fresh and interesting. I hear from readers with billionaire fatigue because every hero seems to be Christian Grey. There’s no need for that. Simply placing your billionaire at the top of a different industry (or giving him a different kink or a different dark secret or…) will make him unique.
Do you know WHY this theme is selling well?
When wolf shifters were hot, some writers wrote sensitive sophisticated wolf shifters. Yeah, a kinder gentler hero isn’t what wolf shifter readers want. They want the beast. The primitive animal male only the heroine can tame.
Know your theme. Know why readers are reading this theme. Ideally, your unique twist will make these readers happy. For example: Hawke, my hero in Sinful Rewards, doesn’t ride the expected Harley. He rides a chopper. BUT he does this because he’s a rebel, the rebel hero fans of biker stories want. He might be even MORE bad a$$ because of his different choice in bikes.
Can you write this idea quickly?
If it takes you ten years to write a story, you’re not catching any trends (and that’s okay, write what you want to write). What is selling well right now is only important to you if you can sell a story right now. The last installment in Sinful Rewards, my billionaires and bikers serial, is releasing a year from now. Bikers might not be hot in a year.
Are you willing to sell your story to a digital first publisher?
The big five print publishers have a long lead time (though this lead time is shrinking). It will likely take years for your story to be published. Some trends last (vampires lasted for years). Some trends don’t.
Publishing with a digital first publisher (like Avon Impulse) or self publishing eliminates most of this lead time and lessens this concern. Some writers had Fifty Shades Of Grey types of stories published days after this story broke out.
The longer the lead time, the higher the risk that the trend will have ended or the market will become so flooded with stories, your story might be lost.
What other considerations should writers think about when deciding whether or not to follow a trend?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Sinful Rewards 1
Cynthia Sax
Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.
Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.
But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.
Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards1-1560586-237.html
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Billionaires And Bikers – Should We Write In A Trendy Theme Or Genre?
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 »
