Sakura Skye's Blog, page 5

More Free Stuff? Oh My!

Dear Valued Reader,

I am so excited to tell you that Discovered, the follow-up to Desired, is almost complete and due to be released by the end of the month. Thanks in no small part to NaNoWriMo, I am extra productive this month and a little ambitious.

If you liked Desired then I would like to give you the chance to read a free advanced copy of Discovered in exchange for an honest review. If you are interested, please subscribe to my Mailing List. All new subscribers will updates when new books are released and opportunities to read exclusive content.

Thank you so much for your help and your support.

Sincerely,

Sakura Skye

Get Your FREE Copy

Hello Reader,

I am letting you know right now that Fairy Passions is FREE, and available on Nook, iBooks, and Kobo.

Amazon has yet to catch up (encourage them please) but the Nook app is free and easy to use and iPhone users have automatic access to the iBook stores, so don’t let it get you down.

This short erotic romance was fun to write and I can’t wait for you to read it. That is why I am offering it for FREE. It’s my gift to all of you who have shown me so much love so far. (Can you tell I just got a royalty check?) Please take the time to rate and review it when you are done.

Be on the lookout later this month for Discovered and Tokyo Heat which I am working on for NaNoWriMo this year. If you want to receive an email whenever I have a new release please subscribe to my list HERE. Follow me on GoodReads or Twitter to get regular updates on what I’m working on and who I am reading.

Thank you so much for your support. Writers can’t write unless they have an audience, and my readers have been so kind to me. Enjoy Fairy Passions and happy reading.

Sakura Skye

Top 5 Reasos Why I Won’t Get A Job

Entrepreneurship is not for everybody. It is not for the lazy or the faint of heart. That doesn’t mean that those of us who are in the thick of it don’t need to be reminded why we chose to go it alone and be our own boss. Disappointing sales, difficult clients, writer’s block, unsuccessful collaborations, and fatigue will eventually strike us all. For those of you who wonder why I, or anybody else for that matter, would bypass a cushy job with a corner office, a salary, and retirement fund, this list is for you.

I am a Millenial. We are inherently distrustful of the corporate world. We watched the banks, the auto industry, and the real-estate market go boom. We have seen the cyber bubble burst, several times, and watched big money wittle away at our political process. While some of us have been enticed by the lure of money and power, most of us have realised that the game is rigged. Only a select few will ever be able to get access to those positions, regardless of talent or hard work. For the rest of us the cost to achieve the kind of financial freedom we are seeking is entirely too high. We want to work AND play. We have redefined freedom and success so that it has less to do with dollar signs and more to do with the quality of our lives. Ruined marriages and kids you never see don’t look like success to us. Not willing to spend life in a cubicle, we have decided to come up with a way to make a living that enhances our life, not just our bank account.
I have a family. More importantly, I want to see my family. Everyday. I don’t want to rely on a patchwork of educators, caregivers, and cable TV to guide my children. I don’t want to be informed about all of the precious moments that happen during the course of the day. I don’t want to stop having dinner with my family every night. Unfortunately, Wall Street doesn’t offer a family friendly career option, so I opted out.
I am a terrible employee. No really, like a HORRIBLE employee. I don’t like being told when, where and how to complete tasks. I don’t want to feel forced to comply with a corporate culture that I don’t agree with. I resent being forced to do things that are redundant, illogical, ineffective or tedious. I have very little respect for authority, hierarchies, or antiquated motivational policies (see point 1). I like being in control of my schedule. Start work at 11 AM? Sure, why not. Ninety-minute lunch break? Great. I do what WORKS for me. And when it stops working or I find something better I can make changes. I don’t have to clear it with the boss, or try to make my life fit into a corporate structured work week. Maybe I don’t work on Tuesday? Maybe I need to take a walk and clear my head before tackling a task. I couldn’t do that if I was punching a clock or on somebody else’s dime. And you know what? I do my best work when I work my way.
I’ve got a big ego. I look at the world and say, “I could do that”. I see other people living their dreams, traveling, launching cool start-ups, going green, and I say “me too”. I can do something cool too. I can live my dreams as well. Okay, maybe I’m not Beyonce or even Michelle, but being Sakura is pretty awesome as well. There is nothing that they have (except millions of dollars) that I don’t have. My generation is full of women who started with little or nothing and have carved out their place in the world as Vloggers, Bloggers, Web Series Developers, writers, singers, web developers, designers, etc. If they can do it, why can’t I?
The Internet. The internet made everything I need accessible. I barely have to leave my house. I am writing this right now in my underwear. Business meetings happen via skype. Clients chat with me whenever they have a concern. Banking, shopping, education, filing legal documents, even tutorials on how to write engaging content are all available online. Since the barrier to entry has been lowered, the risks associated with starting a business have become more manageable. I don’t need a small business loan (although a credit card is useful). I don’t need a business degree. I don’t have an accountant (hello H&R Block). And guess what? I don’t need one! I can learn the skills I need, access the agencies I need, and hire the help I need all from the comfort of my own bathtub.

I am sure you could come up with your own list of reasons why you won’t be submitting resumes or filling out on-line applications any time soon (other than that you just hate doing it). And if you can’t, here, use mine. Whether you are freelancing, self-publishing, working from home, or starting a small business, never forget why you decided to skip the cubicle and take the road less travelled.

I Know I’m Beautiful

Full disclosure. This sister is not me but is so representative of what I want to say. After this week’s painful reminder of the violence against black and brown bodies, particularly female bodies, I wanted to send a special message of love and self-acceptance to all of my sisters out there. You are so wonderfully and joyfully beautiful. Treat yourself beautifully every day in everything that you do.

Dear Romance Publishers; You Suck at Diversity!!

Dear Romance Publishers;

Perhaps you didn’t notice as you were pounding away furiously at your laptop, but the world is not mostly white. White people or people who happen to be “mixed” (read white and some “other”) are not the only ones who fall in love, have explosive sex, or qualify as beautiful.

I know it may be hard to tell since the fashion industry seems to think white models in feathers and cornrows appropriately represent an “African inspired” collection. I know that the lack of Asian leads in movies that don’t have anything to do with Kung Fu or science may throw you. I know that  there are precious few gay romances out there that are about RELATIONSHIPS and not sex. But trust me, non-white, non-straight people would love it if you would start publishing our stories with all of the passion and fervor that you pour into making yet another white woman feel like queen of her whitewashed world.

In recent years, and with the advent of independent publishing, more diverse voices are out there. Non-white protagonists are popping up everywhere, mostly from the efforts of people like myself, who are just done with the same tired lines. Black vampires? Bring them on. Arab action heroes? Yes, please. Asian alpha males? Hell yeah!

And guess what? We don’t just fall in love with white partners. We fall in love with each other. Native people fall in love with people of African descent. Hawaiians people fall in love with Korean- Americans. Latinos fall in love with non-white, non-straight partners as well. Get creative. Be proactive. Stop punting all of our love stories off into the “urban fiction” section and embrace the love. Young readers are ACTIVELY SEEKING these kinds of stories.

And most importantly,  we buy them! We read them, write them, trade them, recommend and reblog them. You are missing a huge part of the market by continuing to focus so much energy on what made middle aged white women melt 30 years ago.

In conclusion, I would like to encourage any romance readers who happen to see this to vote with your wallet. There are scores of, mostly self-published, authors who are working hard to write amazing sci-fi, YA, new adult, paranormal, romance, erotica, etc.,  featuring non-white, non-straight, non-binary characters. Support them. Recommend them. Share the link here and I will reblog your favorites.

Sincerely,

Sakura Skye

AMBW Romance

Excerpt from my next release: Tokyo Heat

“Ah, Yuya, ah, Yuya!”

Tranice’s voice echoed around the room as she cried his name. She had come to give herself over to the ecstasy of his touch. It wasn’t love, it was release. After five months in Japan, and nearly a year since her last breakup, she decided she deserved this. Some of her colleagues suggested frequenting host clubs to alleviate some of her tension. Tranice passed. She didn’t like to drink, and the idea of spending hours flirting with a man knowing it would lead nowhere was unappealing.

That is why Yuya was a godsend. He dressed like a playboy, his English was passable, and he made it clear, what he wanted, what they both needed, was this. She didn’t care what he did for a living or how old he was, she didn’t ask. Neither did he; a rarity in Japan’s strict hierarchical culture. He thought she was beautiful and he wanted her. That was enough for her. After a lifetime of playing it safe, of “making love” and saying no to casual sex, she was ready to be taken by a man who wanted her just because he thought she was beautiful.

Yuya watched her close her eyes and bite her bottom lip as he dove into her body again and again. God, she was beautiful. She was beautiful all the time, but like this, she was spectacular. Like this, all of her pretenses and posturing were stripped away and all that was left was a woman on fire. She coiled her fingers through his hair, gently at first, but now she clutched the locks so tight that his scalp hurt. He wouldn’t complain, the pain helped to distract him from the bliss of sinking into her warm, waiting body, again and again.

The truth was, she was safe. He could hide his heart in her and satisfy his body as well. She didn’t ask for anything. No whispers of love, no promises, no probing insights into his background and personality. She just allowed him to be, to give and receive affection without a price tag. For Yuya, that was priceless.

Look for it on iBooks, Nook, Kobo and Amazon. Cover Reveal next week.

Words of Wisdom for Writers – Thanks to Pixar

Originally posted on Sara Toole Miller - Fiction & Non-Fiction Writer:

Pixar didn’t get to be Pixar, the biggest name in animated movies today, by stocking up on schlocky storytellers.  Take heed, my friends. The people behind that cute hopping lamp know what they are talking about:

Numbers 13 and 22 are my favorites.  Which Pixar rule do you try to live by?

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Free Stuff

DESIRED: Book One of the Black Creek Pack series is FREE until OCTOBER 11!!! So if you haven’t already, go and get your copy of my short, gay, erotic, romance. Also, available for pre-order is DISCOVERED: Book Two of the series. I promise it will be much longer and full of some pretty juicy family drama…and sex. Lots of sex. 

The Creative Process

My mother, a former dancer, has a special fascination with my creative process. I disappear with my laptop regularly and have been known to tap out a few thousand words on my cell phone during log car rides. But, the process, from concept to completion, remains a mystery to her. Her most recent question, “How much do you write in a day?” got me thinking about what my personal writing habits are.

Let me say that three books by Steven Pressfield have been monumental in helping me get over my fear of success/failure and kick my chronic procrastination in the butt. Below are three “Philosopher’s Notes” that basically sum up the Pressfield philosophy on creating art.

So, for my mom, and anybody  else who cares, here are some of the steps of my creative process. I hope that you benefit from it.

Fuck the haters. All creative types are plagued by a fear that they are not good enough. If you don’t have this fear I am here to tell you that you AREN’T good enough. But for the rest of us, we are afraid that our blog, films, stories, paintings, etc. are just pretentious shit. We are helped along in our neurosis by haters, who laugh at our mistakes and mock our efforts. Ignore them. Learn the lesson from your failures and move on. Take note of what you could have done better, and then do that. Don’t let the haters get into your head. It’s already crammed enough with all of those characters running around up there.
Size matters. My personal daily word count is 5,000. I cannot do more than 5,000 words in a day. I work hard at hitting that number, but I often miss it by a few hundred or even a few thousand. But, that remains my goal. A minimum of 2,000 and a max of 5,000. Why? Somewhere in that number is a good start on a new story, a blog post, and an article that is due, etc. And if I am going to do them well, meaning that my rough draft comes out semi-coherent, then I have to give my brain time to breath. So, I have trained myself to stop after about 5K words and let my mind generate new ideas, experience new things, and learn new things that will inevitably make me a better writer and a quasi-normal human being.
The method. I write in 25-minute bursts. That’s the actual writing, not the planning and plotting that come before it. I sit set a timer for 25 minutes and then write without distraction during that time. Then I take a break. Sometimes it’s a short 5-minute break and other times I go and fold laundry or scrub my toilet. The point is that I know in 25 minutes I can write approximately 500 words. The work becomes manageable that way, and I can better schedule my writing hours for the day. The trick is no phubbing during this time. No Snapchat,  Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or YouTube (I am so addicted to YouTube) just writing. Sound hard? It was at first, but I got over it after about a week.
I am always writing. I am not waiting around for the muse to strike. Whenever I have an idea, I write it down. I may look back on it and decide it’s garbage, but I always write it down. I use an app called Evernote, which is great because it syncs between your PC and your phone. It also clips and saves articles I find online, so that when I sit down to write, regardless of where I am, its all in one place. Then when I sit down to write, I am not stuck or fishing for ideas. I can pick them up and run with them because I have done the legwork ahead of time.

I hope this helps you as you construct your creative habit. What had helped me the most along the way is realizing that creativity is really a habit. Your creative mind is a muscle, if you train it to produce it will do so on demand. Do you have any trade secrets? Feel free to share them in the comments below.

Also, Fairy Passions is out now and available in iBooks, Nook, and Kobo.

Sakura Skye

Covers, Pre-Orders, and Launch Dates, OH MY!

It has finally happened.

For all of you erotic romance fans, or just fellow indie authors, I am putting out my second offering. I am putting the finishing touches on Fairy Passions and have a definite release date. It will be available on Amazon on September 30. It will be available on iBooks, Nook, and Kobo on October 7. It’s a quick (under 20K words, less than 100 pages), cheap read ($0.99) that was surprisingly hard to write. Please, show me some love; PRE-ORDER and rate/review when it comes out.

Look for Discovered, book 2 in the Black Creek Pack series to drop in late October, just before NaNoWriMo.

Happy reading!!!

Sakura Skye

War makes strange bed-fellows and in this short erotic romance, four fae-folk discover that reconciling love and duty can be the sweetest taboo. Princess Yuli’s marriage to Prince Nogai will cement the peace between their two Kingdoms. It will also take her far from the only fae she has ever loved, Tristyn. On her wedding night, Princess Yuli will discover that Prince Nogai also has secret passions that he wants to protect. When the two fairy royals decide to put away their hatred and come together for the ones they love, the results are explosive. 

This stand-alone fairy themed erotic romance shows us why love, lust, and duty don’t have to be enemies.