Cynthia Sax's Blog, page 234

Writing A Serial

I receive quite a few questions on writing serials.

Jane Leopold Quinn kindly offered to host my comments.

http://janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.ca/2014/07/welcome-to-cynthia-sax-and-her-article.html

This is a discussion. If you have questions or an alternate view on writing serials, please chime in!

Here’s a snippet…

“The easiest definition of a serial is that it is a larger story sliced into parts. But this definition always makes me cringe. That’s like saying a TV show is a movie sliced into parts. A great serial is written as a serial. It usually can only be written in this format because the pause between the installments serves an important purpose.”

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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

First Excerpt For Sinful Rewards 2

This post has adult content. If you are under the age of eighteen years old or sensitive to adult language/situations, please do not read this post.

I hope you enjoyed Sinful Rewards 1! Here is a teaser for Sinful Rewards 2!

***

“Belinda,” Hawke murmurs, his deep voice pulling at me.

Unable to resist his unspoken order, I gaze upward. This is a mistake. His eyes have darkened to a brilliant blue, his arousal meeting, meshing with mine, and I know in this moment, I’m lost. He has me.

“Hawke.” I part my lips, offering him everything. He’s rough and tough, a big strong military man, a tattooed biker. I expect him to plunder, conquer, take.

Instead, Hawke carefully frames my face with his large hands, his calloused fingertips gentle yet firm, and he dips his head slowly, his gaze holding mine. My heart races faster and faster, my body trembles as though this first kiss is my very first kiss.

He skims his lips over mine, his touch as light as the sheerest silk, his breath wafting on my cheeks. My eyelashes flutter, the sensation sweet yet sensual, innocent yet decadent, completely unexpected and special.

“Priceless,” he murmurs, and this is how I feel, priceless, designer, unique.

He dips his head again, follows the curve of my lips a second time, pressing harder, lingering longer. I open to him, inviting him in, needing more, and when he pulls away, I pursue him, prodding him with my tongue.

Hawke groans, the sound rumbling up his chest, through mine, and he surges forward, his grip on my face tightening. My body hums with approval as he pushes his tongue into my mouth. He tastes of rich dark coffee, and I shamelessly suck on him, tugging on his flesh, clinging to him.

A shudder shakes Hawke’s shoulders, his reaction thrilling me. I cause him to respond this way. I shred his control.

He cups my ass, drawing me even closer, coaxing me to move, to undulate against him. I rock as he strokes into me, his tongue sliding along mine, tumbling, tangling, dancing to a rhythm only we share. Never have I been kissed like this, a man’s being permeating mine, our bodies becoming one.

I’m on fire, burning from the inside, the flames fueled by tongues, lips, hands, hips. Striving to soothe me, Hawke ravishes my mouth again and again, kneading my curves with his fingertips. My lips pulse and my soul aches.

It’s not enough. I tug on his T-shirt, pull the cotton away from his honed torso, and slide my fingers underneath the garment, touching hot bare skin. A tremor rolls over him, his muscles flexing under my palms.

Hawke wrenches his lips from mine. “No.”

***

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Belinda “Bee” Carter isn’t quite sure what she’s gotten herself into. She’s been receiving mysterious messages from a secret admirer who is sending her more and more erotic dares. Each time she fulfills his desires, she gets rewarded. She’s convinced that her mystery texter is one of two super-hot men—Nicolas, the handsome billionaire, or Hawke, the sexy biker—but she can’t tell which one it is. And she’s coming to realize that beneath her peaches-and-cream exterior beats a heart that longs to play out all of her most secret fantasies.

As the stakes are raised again, will Bee succumb to the sensual allure of this latest dare?

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00I7V89HA

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-2-cynthia-sax/1119919836

Google: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9780062354129

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-2/id814153762

Interview With Lisa Carlisle

I sat down (virtually) with Lisa Carlisle for a short interview. Lisa Carlisle’s latest release is Dark Velvet, a sexy paranormal erotic romance.

Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from Dark Velvet?

Lisa Carlisle: “I never planned on you finding out what I am.”

This is said by the sculptor Antoine. He’s attracted to the young poet Savannah and plans to seduce her while she’s at the chateau, but his plans become derailed when his feelings grow more complicated—and she discovers his dark secret.

Cynthia Sax: Where does Dark Velvet take place?

Lisa Carlisle: I envisioned a castle set on a remote New England island that was set up to be an art colony. Residents could apply to work on their art for a period of time, away from all the stress of everyday life. Who wouldn’t want to visit? Once I worked on one story, I knew I’d return to the island to create more.

The setting itself was inspired by my travels. I love to visit castles, explore the ancient hallways with cool stone walls adorned with paintings, tapestries, or other works of art. I once had an opportunity to visit a writing retreat myself and having three days to work on my art was amazing. We have so many interruptions in our daily life. Being able to focus on creating in an awe-inspiring setting is an experience I hope to have again. Maybe in one like the Chateau in Dark Velvet!

Cynthia Sax: What creates problems between Savannah and Antoine?

Lisa Carlisle: The attraction is forbidden. Savannah arrives as a resident of the art colony so she can spend time working on her poetry. She’s distracted by the sculptor who founded the colony, whose gaze burns right through her and leaves her trembling. Acting on the attraction would be wrong, wouldn’t it? After all, he is the owner of the colony and her sponsor since she is there on a scholarship.

Cynthia Sax: Does someone in Dark Velvet have a secret?

Lisa Carlisle: Yes! Antoine disguises himself as a human as the founder of the colony, but he is not. You’ll have to read to find out more about his dark past.

Thank you, Lisa Carlisle, for joining us today!

Lisa Carlisle’s Website: http://lisacarlislebooks.com

*****************************************************************************

Grad student Savannah Evans is thrilled to be accepted as a resident to a prestigious art colony. Where else would she be able to focus on her craft of writing poetry in a setting like that of the medieval-styled castle? The remote New England island is a respite from her hectic city life. When she meets her benefactor, a mysterious French sculptor, her expectations for carefree days writing near the ocean are distracted by unprofessional fantasies about her sponsor.

Antoine Chevalier built Les Beaux Arts on DeRoche Island to bring purpose back to an existence that has lost meaning. He’s wandered the earth for decades and finds solace in returning to art. When Savannah applies for a residency, something about her words touches him. After her arrival, a physical attraction grows between them, which he struggles against. She deserves more than someone of his kind.

Antoine proposes they become lovers during her stay. But the situation turns complicated when Savannah discovers his secret. She had suspicions about his identity, but finds the truth overwhelming. Consumed by her desire for Antoine and faced with a tough decision, she is blind to the danger that has arrived at DeRoche Island.

New adult / paranormal / erotic romance.

Buy Now On Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IQUUMCC/

Buy Now On B&N:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-velvet-lisa-carlisle/1118847375

Buy Now On Kobo:

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dark-velvet-chateau-seductions

Buy Now On ARe:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-darkvelvet-1441148-340.html

FREE Bonus Scene For Sinful Rewards

One of the fun features of our Goodreads group, https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/139616-a-year-of-sizzling-hot-sax-read-along, is that reading buddies can request extra scenes. I LOVE this because it allows me to live in this sexy world for a little bit longer.

A reading buddy asked for a scorching hot scene on a motorcycle.

Here’s a snippet…

Hawke and I are riding through Happydale, the small town where I grew up. My arms are wrapped around his waist, my fingers linked over his T-shirt-clad stomach, his muscles rippling under the soft cotton. My naked body is pressed against him, the sun’s rays warming my shoulders and the wind lifting my hair.

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

How Current Should A Contemporary Romance Be?

There are two schools of thought with writing contemporary romances.

Make Your Story Timeless

One school advises us to make contemporary romances as timeless as possible. Try to avoid references to clothing, to technology, to popular culture (TV shows, movies, music, etc). Avoid slang. Only use brand names that might exist fifty years from now.

The reasoning behind this advice is ten years from now, we want our stories to remain ‘contemporary.’ We want readers to continue reading our stories. We want our stories to remain relevant.

This can be a great policy to follow if you wish to write for print first publishers. Print first publishers often have long lead times. There could be years between writing a story and seeing the story on shelves. Slang or styles or culture will likely evolve in this time, making your contemporary romance dated.

Make Your Story A Snapshot In Time

The other school recommends writing a contemporary romance completely anchored in this moment of time. We use brand names, slang, cultural references when we speak and who isn’t attached to their phones or tablets? All of this is part of living in the modern world.

The thinking of this school is that any story, no matter how hard we try, will be dated. Will a phone be called a phone two years from now? I don’t know. Will we be eating the same food, cooking it the same way? Will jobs change with technology?

This is a great policy to follow if you’re targeting digital first publishers. Digital first publishers normally have short lead times. Trends will likely still be relevant in two or three months. EBooks can also be updated more easily than print books. Five years from now, we can change the dated references and make the story contemporary once more.

My Thoughts

In Sinful Rewards, Bee receives sexy challenges via text so you can likely guess which school I belong to. (grins) I’ll make a not-so-wild prediction and state that texting won’t exist ten years from now. The entire premise of the story will fall apart.

And I’m okay with that. I don’t mind that my stories will be seen as semi-historical in a decade. They’ll be a sizzling hot time capsule of 2014. My characters age with us. Twenty years from now, I hope to tell their kids’ stories.

Which school do you belong to (as a reader or a writer)?

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

Facial Hair On Heroes – Yes Or No?

Adrian Grenier

Thanks to the popularity of Duck Dynasty, the beard is back! I’ve yet to write a bearded hero. My heroes are normally cleanly shaven as they tend to be businessmen. I’ve seen bearded men in suits but this is still less common.

Nicolas, the billionaire hero of Sinful Rewards, is cleanly shaven. He’s a beautiful sophisticated man. He reminds me a bit of Adrian Grenier, the star of Entourage, when I saw him a few years ago. In this photo, he has a hint of stubble, but his chin is normally bare (his thick dark wavy hair is identical to Nicolas’ – I want to run my fingers through it).

Houston Alexander aka The Assassin

Hawke, the other hero in Sinful Rewards, has perma stubble. Yes, he’s bad ass, a manly man, a primitive beast, not caring about his appearance, but there’s also a practical reason for his stubble. His face is crisscrossed with scars. The dips and grooves of his scars make it very difficult (and slightly dangerous) to get a close perfect shave. It is much easier for him to simply skim over the surface with an electronic razor.

Seth Green

This variance in facial hair between the two heroes makes kissing and nuzzling with them very different experiences. Nicolas’ face is smooth, a contrast of soft skin over hard jaw. Hawke’s rugged countenance is covered with short coarse hair.

Will Bee choose the clean-shaven Nicolas or the stubble-covered Hawke? We’ll find out in Sinful Rewards.

What type of facial hair do you love on romance heroes?

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

Sinful Rewards Reviewed At Fresh Fiction

Sinful Rewards 1 was reviewed at Fresh Fiction!

http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=45007

“In SINFUL REWARDS the author is at the top of her form and it’s a joy to read from page one. The cliff-hangers are part of the deal, I expect them, and it’s fine that way, because I’ll be looking forward to at least one very special treat each month for a year!”

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

Interviewed At Reading Between The Wines

I was interviewed at Reading Between The Wines!

http://www.readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.com/2014/07/the-seen-trilogy-by-cynthia-sax.html

Here is a snippet…

Lexi: We have your favorite white wine chilled and ready Cynthia! But unlike when we were talking about Flashes of Me we won’t give you too many difficult questions. And speaking of Flashes of Me, we have you here to talk about the trilogy set in the same world. Your Seen Trilogy includes: He Watches Me, He Touches Me, and He Claims Me. Has it been hard to leave this world and write in others?

Cynthia Sax: (sips her wine) It was very difficult to leave The Seen Trilogy world (Flashes of Me and Breaking All The Rules are also part of this world). That’s why Blaine, the hero of The Seen Trilogy, makes a brief appearance in Sinful Rewards, my sizzling hot 12 novella serial. The billionaire club in the US is fairly small (a little over 400 known billionaires) so it made sense that Blaine from The Seen Trilogy and Nicolas from Sinful Rewards would know each other.

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

Interview With Kathy Kulig

I sat down (virtually) with Kathy Kulig for a short interview. Kathy Kulig’s latest release is Nightlord Lover, a sexy vampire menage erotic romance.

Cynthia Sax: What makes Garrick and Ramon so freakin’ sexy?

Kathy Kulig: There are two heroes in NIGHTLORD LOVER because this is a ménage story. Garrick can be described as the warrior vampire, a mysterious and muscular predator. And Ramon is the sorcerer vampire with special powers. He’s sleek and wild like a rock star. Both are strong and fierce when it comes to protecting and pursuing Larissa. They’re intent on claiming her, but not against her will. The only problem is, there are others who would claim her at any time, given the opportunity, even destroy her. Of course, Garrick and Ramon are hot, as vampires usually are.

Cynthia Sax: What is one thing you absolutely love about Nightlord Lover?

Kathy Kulig: I love the setting for this book. New Hope, PA. It’s a historical, colonial village along the Delaware River. There are many old homes, shops and restaurants here. It’s also known as one of the most haunted places in the world. I also like the magical element in this story and the symbiotic relationship mortal and immortals have that makes the town thrive until the rebels gets greedy.

Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from Nightlord Lover?

Kathy Kulig: A favorite line that comes to mind is in the opening paragraph. I plan to start this intro. paragraph for each book to set the tone. It’s the internal thoughts of one of the vampires from the New Hope Guild. I’ll let the readers see if they can guess who it is. The line is: “Eternal nights awaken the sensual hunger that drives me into the shadows, searching for the one to end the agony and fill the need.”

Cynthia Sax: Where did you get the idea for Nightlord Lover?

Kathy Kulig: I’ve been to the real New Hope, PA many times and learned about the history, stayed in a couple bed and breakfasts (both claim to be haunted), and took the ghost tour. There truly is a hitchhiking ghost like I have in the story. I always felt it would be a great setting for a vamp story. While hubby and I stayed at one of the B & B’s, we learned about a hidden tunnel under this huge Victorian house that was built in the 1700s. The tunnel was part of the Underground Railroad that was used to rescue slaves and help them to freedom. This tunnel was found while the owners of the B & B decided to do some construction. They stopped the construction to preserve the tunnel.

The tunnel ran from a trap door beneath a gazebo in the yard to the basement of the house. As the writer, I thought what if there were dozens of tunnels like this all around the village connecting stores, businesses and homes? Vampires could travel underground in these tunnels during the day. And what if there was a tunnel that crossed beneath the Delaware River? In my story there is a council of vampire slayers who live in peace across the river. But not for long. All this musing created the beginning of Nightlord Lover

Thank you, Kathy Kulig, for joining us today!

Kathy Kulig’s Website: http://www.kathykulig.com

*****************************************************************************

Warrior vampire Garrick Labar guards the secrets of the Guild. His comrade–vampire and sorcerer Ramon Travere–enforces the uneasy alliance between mortals and immortals. When Larissa Devine moves into town, both Garrick and Ramon are mesmerized and enraptured by her. They crave to claim her as their crimson swan and lover. But a new arrival is fair game and if they don’t claim her first, a band of renegades will.

Larissa finds a blistering-hot ménage with her protectors too intoxicating to resist. The immortals can’t deny their sexual attraction for her and sense her blood pulsing hot and furious when they’re close. Erotic desires thrust her into a world of danger and seduction. When the renegade vampires attempt to destroy a hundred years of peace, Larissa is caught in the crossfire. Eternal love and carnal nights can be her future if she survives.

Buy Now:

http://www.ellorascave.com/nightlord-lover.html

WIP It Up Wednesday – Sinful Rewards

I’m participating in WIP It Up Wednesdays ( http://wipitupwednesday.blogspot.ca/ ) today, contributing a scene from Sinful Rewards 1!

***

Voices murmur outside the condo’s door, the sound piercing my delightful daydream. I swing the telescope upward, not wanting to be caught using it. The snippets of conversation drift away.

I don’t relax. If the telescope isn’t in the same spot as it was positioned last night, Cyndi will realize I’ve been using it. She’ll tease me about being a fellow pervert, sharing the story, embellished for more dramatic effect, with her stern serious dad or, worse, with Angel, that snobby friend of hers.

I’ll die. It’ll be worse than being the butt of jokes in high school because that ridicule had been about my clothes and this will center around the part of my soul I’ve always kept hidden. It’ll also be the truth and I won’t be able to deny it. I am a pervert.

I have to return the telescope to where it was positioned. This is the only acceptable solution. I tap the metal tube.

Last night, my man-crazy roommate had been giggling over the new guy in three eleven north. The previous occupant had been a gray-haired, bowtie-wearing tax auditor, his luxurious accommodations supplied by Nicolas. The most exciting thing he ever did was drink his tea on the balcony.

According to Cyndi, the new occupant is a delicious piece of man candy, tattooed, buff, and head-to-toe lickable. He’d been completing arm curls outside and she’d enthusiastically counted his reps, oohing and aahing over his bulging biceps, calling to me to take a look.

I’d resisted that temptation, focusing on making macaroni and cheese for the two of us, the recipe snagged from the diner my mom works in. After we scarfed down dinner with Cyndi licking her plate clean, she left for the club and hasn’t returned.

Three eleven north is the mirror condo to ours. I straighten the telescope. That position looks about right but then, the imitation UGGS I bought in second year college looked about right also. The first time I wore the boots in the rain, the sheepskin fell apart, leaving me barefoot in Economics 201.

Unwilling to risk Cyndi’s friendship on about right, I gaze through the eyepiece. The view consists of rippling golden planes, almost like…

Tanned skin pulled over defined abs.

I blink. It can’t be. I take another look. A perfect pearl of perspiration clings to a puckered scar. The drop elongates more and more, stretching, snapping. It trickles downward, navigating the swells and valleys of a man’s honed torso.

No. I straighten. This is wrong. I shouldn’t watch our sexy neighbor as he stands on his balcony. If anyone catches me…

I glance behind me. There’s no one here to catch me. Cyndi won’t know I looked. The hunk in three eleven north won’t know I looked. I’m not harming anyone.

I bend over and take another peek.

The sunlight casts interesting shadows across his stomach, accentuating the ridges of muscle, the dip of his navel. I dart my tongue over my suddenly dry lips. His skin is marred with silver scars, some round, some slashes, this proof of hard living, of survival, arousing me, tightening my nipples and moistening my pussy.

I shouldn’t lust after him. He’s the wrong kind of man, the leaving kind, too virile and feral to stay in one place for long. I can tell this from his stance, from his brazen exhibitionism. He wants me to look at him, to care for him. I tilt the telescope downward. His hips are slim. More scars are etched along the bones. Fine brown hair trails from his navel to…

My mouth drops open. He’s completely naked.

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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

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