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 »
My Recap Of The Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
Last week, I had the good fortune of attending the Consumer Electronics Show, the giant technology and innovation celebration in Las Vegas, one of my favorite cities. I’m writing a series of posts for Dear Author, covering the emerging technologies that will change a reader’s world. I thought, today, I’d share my overall impressions and a few of the fun and unusual things I saw.
This was my first year at the show representing myself as a blogger from the romance community (I usually attend as a business blogger) and I was pleasantly surprised by the reaction. Sales and marketing representatives (reps) were interested and respectful, many of them commenting on how big a market romance is.
I was also impressed by the number of female reps and attendees. In the past, the CES has been a bit of a sausage fest, a boy’s paradise. There were the infamous booth bunnies and everything (from the line ups to be tasered to the first person shooter video games) was targeted to men.
This year, there were fewer scantily clad women manning the booths (and it seemed as though these women were chosen for their intelligence as well as their good looks – many of them knew the products) and the displays were more female friendly. I was taken seriously and not simply viewed as ‘the wife’ (ironically, I’ve always covered the show for blogs and other media sources while my dear wonderful hubby attends simply to stay abreast of new technology).
Smart Rings - You can view texts on these finger-sized devices
I believe one of the reasons for this is because technology is now an integrated part of our lives. There were automatic-ordering refrigerators (they send messages to online grocery stores when we run low of milk) and cars that drive themselves, smart rings (we can answer calls and receive text message on devices that fit on our fingers) and robotic window cleaners.
One of the concepts I loved was the virtual clothing and grooming centers. Toshiba’s virtual fitting station (shown below – this isn’t me. She’s another CES attendee) allows shoppers to try on clothes and have them fitted virtually. Some of the guys were making me laugh because they were pushing their buddies to try on dresses.
Toshiba Virtual Fitting Solution
This wonderful woman isn't me!
Panasonic’s grooming station (shown) allows guests to try different hairstyles and grooming options before committing to the style. Want to know how you’d look with bangs? This technology will show you. Again, this sparked some humorous exchanges with men sporting mullets and Flock of Seagull hairstyles.
Panasonic Manscaping Grooming Station
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 My Recap Of The Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
Fourth Excerpt For Sinful Rewards 7
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.
Sinful Rewards 7 releases next week! Yay! Here is a fourth excerpt for you until then.
Hawke pulls his machine into the space closest to the door and the men straighten, grinding their cigarettes under boot heels, showing him respect. My biker kills the engine, flips the kickstand, and plants his big boots on the pavement, stabilizing the bike.
I remove my helmet and shake my head, loosening my moistened hair, the strands spilling around my shoulders. Hawke dismounts the bike, grasps my waist, and lifts, easily assisting me to my feet. I lean against him. My legs tremble, the ground continuing to move under me.
He hooks his arms around my waist, holding me to him. “Any problems, Mack?” He addresses a bald man standing rigidly straight by his big black bike.
Mack’s leather jacket is covered with patches, the words and designs having a military motif. “No, sir.” He smartly salutes Hawke, touching his fingers to his wrinkled forehead. He then lowers his gaze to my face. “Ma’am.” He salutes me.
“Sir.” I mimic the motion as best as I can.
My salute must not have been very good because his lips twitch, the humor adding depth to his flat eyes. “Dawg is waiting for you inside, sir.” Mack’s attention returns to Hawke.
“Thank you.” Hawke places his palm on my back and pushes me forward, guiding me into the dimly lit building. Mack follows us closely. Men salute us as we pass, calling Hawke sir and me ma’am. This makes me feel as if I’m a thousand years old.
I return one severely scarred man’s salute, the action becoming more and more natural. “I’m a miss, not a ma’am,” I murmur to Hawke, maintaining my smile, not wishing to insult the men.
“Female officers are addressed as ma’am.” Hawke directs me to a corner bar stool. “It’s a sign of respect.”
“They respect me because I’m with you.” I nod, this explanation making sense.
“Not exactly.” Hawke claims the seat, picks me up, and sets me on his lap.
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: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Fourth Excerpt For Sinful Rewards 7
Sinful Rewards 7 – Bikes
While I was trekking around the world over the holidays, causing chaos, I spotted a few beautiful bikes.
This bike was snapped at Curacao.
(click to enlarge)
Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Curacao
This bike was snapped outside the Harley store in the O’Hare Airport in Chicago. I thought it was apt considering Sinful Rewards is set in Chicago.
Harley-Davidson Motorcycle O'Hare Airport (Chicago)
Hawke's View
Here’s a snippet of a ride in Sinful Rewards 7.
“Get on the bike, Belinda.” He pats the seat behind him, the smack of skin against leather loud and arousing. “You need this ride.”
“Okay.” I obey him, swinging my leg over the huge machine. The only alternative is to return to the condo, and I don’t want to face Cyndi. Not yet.
“Trust me,” Hawke repeats. He pulls on my legs, sliding me closer to him, his body wedged between my thighs. I slip my hands under his leather jacket and wrap my arms around him, linking my fingers over his flat stomach.
As Hawke dons his sunglasses, his muscles ripple under his black cotton T-shirt. He’s bluntness and brute strength, a primitive beast, savage and unrepentant.
And today, this wild man is mine. I grip him tighter, thrilled by this thought.
Hawke revs the throttle, and the bike vibrates under my ass, all of me rubbing against all of him. I shudder with joy, resting my helmeted head against his back.
The damn man laughs as the machine shoots forward, its tires eating pavement. Hawke weaves in and out of Chicago traffic, avoiding bike couriers and tourists rubbernecking in rental cars, upgrade options dangling from their rearview mirrors. The wind plucks at my pants, whipping the fabric around my legs, and I cuddle closer to my big biker.
Hawke leans backward, silently communicating that he’s here, he has me. Heads turn as we ride, pedestrians gawking at us with open curiosity. My military man doesn’t need bright colors or designer fashions to garner attention. His mere presence attracts gazes. I splay my fingers over his stomach, and our speed accelerates.
Hawke turns the bike off Michigan Avenue, navigating the side streets. The neighborhoods deteriorate and the pavement becomes rougher. He navigates around deep potholes, man and machine moving as one.
The sun warms my shoulders and cool air brushes over my bare arms, the contrast thrilling me. I feel alive, free, happy. Laughter bubbles in my throat.
Hawke was right. This ride is exactly what I need, our speed blowing the worries from my mind. I hug my tattooed biker, trying to convey my joy, and he squeezes my right knee, the warmth of his palm permeating the fabric of my pants.
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 – Bikes
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
Third Excerpt For Sinful Rewards 7
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.
Sinful Rewards 7 releases January 20th! Here is a third excerpt. Hawke is so cocky. I love him!
“I shouldn’t spend time with you.” I move toward him, drawn by the energy surrounding him, my gaze fixed on his rugged face. “Nicolas tried to kiss me and I pulled away from him.” I brush against Hawke’s leg, the contact sending a pulse of awareness up my form. “That’s your fault.”
“Yeah, it is.” Hawke grins at me, unapologetic. “I see the color of your shirt matches my eyes today.” He hooks his arm around my waist and hauls my body against his, my breasts smacking against his chest, my thighs straddling his right knee, the pressure against my pant-covered clit divine.
“It’s a blouse, not a shirt.” I drift my fingertips over the short coarse hairs on his chin, back and forth, back and forth, and his expression softens.
“And I can’t see your eyes because you’re wearing your ugly sunglasses.” I tap the frames, spying my reflection in the glass, my face flushed, my lips parted.
“You’ll have to get used to them, sweetheart.” Hawke removes his sunglasses and clips them to the collar of his T-shirt. “Getting a bug in the eye hurts like a son of a bitch.”
I twist my lips. “Fashion takes sacrifice. Looking good—”
Hawke lifts his knee, pressing his leg against my pussy, and my words fade, arousal obliterating my thoughts. “I’m not sacrificing my vision for fashion.” His pale blue eyes sparkle with humor. The damn man knows what he’s doing to me.
“I plan to look at your beautiful face for decades.” He runs one coarse fingertip along my nose, my lips, my chin, setting off tiny fires within me. When he handles me like this, gently, slowly, carefully, I truly believe I’m beautiful.
“You know I can’t think when you touch me.” I scowl, rubbing against him, my need making a mockery of my harsh words. “People will see us.”
“And you’re not ready for that yet.”
Yet? I stare at him, intrigued and scared by the possibility that some day, I might find pleasure in public, in full view of everyone.
“No one will see anything.” Hawke leans toward me. “We’re fully dressed.” He drapes my hair over my shoulders, concealing me. “You’re small.” He curves his torso around mine, surrounding me with muscle.
“I’m average-sized,” I retort.
His lips twitch. “Trust me to keep you safe.”
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: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Third Excerpt For Sinful Rewards 7
Sinful Rewards And Being A Normal Family
In Sinful Rewards 7, Bee talks about ‘normal families.’
Nicolas must devour his dinners on a smaller, more intimate table, because he’s normal and that’s what normal people do. They cook meals, sit around tables, lingering over food and talking about their days, their hopes, their dreams, giving each person the attention he or she craves. They don’t eat the free food at their workplaces and then bring home leftovers for their daughters, too exhausted to listen to their news.
Bee was raised by her mom and never knew her father. I didn’t grow up in a traditional family either. My mom was a big fan of Norman Rockwell’s art. I’d gaze at his work and think ‘THIS is what a normal family is.’ I thought the children with loving moms and dads lived that life.
One of the touching moments in The Blind Side for me was when Michael Oher’s character looks at one of Norman Rockwell’s famous artworks and pushes the family to replicate that Thanksgiving scene. He wanted to experience ‘normal’ also.
I don’t know that this normal truly exists. Every family is a bit unusual, has its challenges and quirks. We’re not idealized paintings or depictions. But I do believe the love in those paintings is very real.
Do you have a normal family?
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: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Sinful Rewards And Being A Normal Family
Second Excerpt For Sinful Rewards 7
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.
Sinful Rewards 7 releases January 20th! Here is a second excerpt. I love it when Hawke threatens to kill people on Bee’s behalf (shivers with excitement).
Mrs. Schroeder from seven nineteen south exits, and I release my breath. The elderly woman is wearing a pale pink designer jogging suit, a white sun visor, and matching sneakers, and carries Sam, her tiny dog, in her arms, a pale pink leash around his neck.
“Good morning, Mrs. Schroeder.” I smile.
The gray-haired lady glances at me, her top lip curls, and she turns away with a sniff, pointing her nose in the air. Oh hell. My face heats. She snubbed me.
Her reaction shouldn’t hurt me. I’ve watched women reject my mom all of my life. I should be immune from the pain.
I’m not. I shiver, the warm summer day cooling, all of the joy zapped from being outside. This was a mistake. I should return to the condo where I’m safe, protected, accepted.
An engine rumbles. I don’t turn around, don’t face Hawke, not wishing for him to see my unhappiness. Instead, my gaze follows Mrs. Schroeder as she strolls away.
Moments pass and the noise fades. Hawke doesn’t say anything, allowing me to regain my composure.
I lift my chin. Who the hell cares what one bitter old woman thinks? I know who I am, what I’ve done, and I’m not ashamed, not of my actions nor of my mom. My fingers curl into tight fists.
“Do you want me to have her killed, love?” Hawke drawls, not a hint of humor in his voice.
I turn. My rough, tough former marine sits on his massive bike, the chrome polished and the tires spotless. The helmet he had designed for me is perched on the seat behind him.
Hawke is wearing his usual frayed blue jeans, hideous black T-shirt, body-clinging leather jacket, big army boots. Sunglasses cover his eyes and stubble darkens his square chin, his head bare, his brown hair cut ruthlessly short.
He’s big and bad and mine, all of his attention on me. My nipples tighten. His chin lowers and his lips curl into that lopsided smile I’ve grown to love.
Love. Shit. My shoulders square. I shouldn’t use that word around him.
“I’d rather not harm women,” Hawke adds. “I’ll make an exception to protect you.”
He’s joking . . . I hope. “Mrs. Schroeder is pushing ninety. I think I can take her.” I force my smile.
Hawke chuckles, the sound low and deep and arousing, moistening my pussy. I want him with all of the reckless passion in my foolish heart, my body humming with awareness.
“Come here, Belinda.” He reaches out his right hand. “I need to touch you.”
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: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Second Excerpt For Sinful Rewards 7
