#WriteTip - Sticky Notes and Storyboards by @ErzabetBishop, spotlighting her @DecadenPub #LesbianFantasy #Romance

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I'm delighted to welcome fellow Love Spanks contributer Erzabet Bishop here today. If you're a fan of smoking hot Lesbian Romance (aka FF Romance), she's probably already one of your go-to gals. Also, here's a little-known fact about me: my first manuscript (which has been trunked and will never ever see the light of day) was a retelling of the myth of Persephone. Once you read Erzabet's blurb, you'll know why I'm so excited. 

Let's get this writing tip out of the way, shall we?

Sticky Notes and Storyboards

by Erzabet Bishop

Every writer has that moment where the story sticks and you just have to knuckle down and figure something out when it doesn't flow the way you think it should. What works for me every time is an old foam-core poster board and a selection of colorful sticky notes so I can move plot elements around until they make sense again. And they always do. Eventually. Whether it's sideways or up and down, I twist the board until it fits what I need. Character arc, plot weirdness or just overall story. I have even used the back of my bedroom door. (Much to my husband's horror.) It's about what helps you get the story done. One plot bunny at a time...

Pomegranate

Myth and Magic #1

by Erzabet Bishop

What if everything you thought you knew was a lie?

Crafting spells, running her shop, and hanging with her lover, Hayden, was all Persephone Carraway wanted out of life. The future was filled with endless possibilities as long as it was with the girl of her dreams. But Hayden has a secret and, it turns out, so does Persephone.

One night in the Underworld will change things forever…

Demi, Persephone’s mother has developed a designer pomegranate, infusing it with her daughter’s blood. A single act of betrayal will craft war with the old gods and the Fae, leaving destruction in its wake. Persephone is drawn into a web of myth and magick where nothing is as it seems, even herself.

Myth. Magic. Pomegranates…

Excerpt

Persephone took a breath. Her mouth was dry and her skin slick with sweat. She was thirsty. So thirsty. Her eyes wouldn’t focus, and her heart was racing.

“You look like you could use this.” A woman in a black mask and unbuttoned tux jacket approached, holding out a bottle of water. The white dress shirt was halfway open, straining against her breasts. Every movement tugged against the soft flesh, hinting at the bounty buried beneath the fabric. Vest unbuttoned over leather pants and kickass boots, she made Persephone’s breath catch in her throat. The woman’s black hair was slicked back into a tight bun, her red lips plump and succulent.

Hands shaking, Persephone took the bottle. “Thank you.” What is wrong with me?”

“This is your first rave, I take it?”

“Yes.” She drank the cool water, each swallow bringing her more clarity. Soon the bottle was drained and dangled empty in her grasp.

“It can be a little much when they turn on the purple wave. Here. Sit.” The masked woman led her to a chair. Large and white, it faced an enormous fireplace. Green fire burned within. Persephone fell into the chair, her dress spilling around her. She watched the green fire dance, marveling at the images unfolding. Her mind was still muzzy but she saw...no....

“Faces...there are faces,” she gasped, trying to push herself up from the chair.

About Erzabet Bishop 

Erzabet Bishop is an award winning author who loves to write naughty stories. She is the author of Lipstick, Dinner Date, Crave,The Science of Lust, Arcane Imaginarium: Spirit Board, Holidays in Hell, Mallory’s Mark (upcoming 2016),The Devil’s Due (upcoming 2016), Charity Benshaw’s Enchanted Paddle Emporium (upcoming 2016),Tethered, Sigil Fire, Glitter Lust (upcoming 2016), Written on Skin, Club Beam, Pomegranate, A Red Dress for Christmas, The Black Magic Café, Fantasies in Red, Sweet Seductions: The Erzabet Bishop Collection, Holiday Cruise, Fetish Fair, Temptation Resorts: Jess, Temptation Resorts: Marnie, Taming the Beast, The Erotic Pagans Series: Beltane Fires, Samhain Shadows and Yuletide Temptation along with being a contributor to many anthologies. Erzabet has been a finalist in the GCLS awards for 2014 and 2015. She lives in Texas with her husband, furry children and can often be found lurking in local bookstores. She loves to bake, make naughty crochet projects and watch monster movies. When she isn’t writing, she loves to review music and books.

Follow her reviews and posts on Twitter @erzabetbishop.

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#WriteTip - Inspiring Locations by @CynthiaSax, spotlighting her #SciFi #Romance #NewRelease - Releasing Rage

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I'm delighted to welcome fellow SFR Brigader Cynthia Sax to my blog today. She's got a new science fiction romance out, one featuring a warrior cyborg and a sexy engineer. Before we take a closer look at Releasing Rage, I asked this USA Today bestselling author to give me a writing tip. We both share a passion for travel, so this is one I can definitely get behind.

Inspiring Locations

By Cynthia Sax

Tara and I both love to travel. (hugs Tara) For me, there’s nothing more inspiring, more likely to kick start the muse than a different neighborhood, city, country.

When Rage and his cyborg brethren in Releasing Rage were escaping the Humanoid Alliance, traveling through space to get to the Homeland, I pictured the time the hubby and I took a commercial flight during a meteor shower. 

When the cyborgs were restricted to the battle station, I recalled how I felt when we took a transatlantic cruise. We were confined to a vessel in the middle of an ocean. We couldn’t leave even if we wanted to. We saw the same faces every day. We were on the captain’s timetable, at his mercy.

And when any of my characters step into a new place, I think of how I felt the first time I visited Tokyo. I didn’t know the language. People dressed differently. I had no idea of the customs and I was nervous about inadvertently insulting anyone.

Of course, we don’t have to travel as far away as Tokyo to get that ‘strange lands’ feeling. The first time I walked into Starbucks, I was completely lost. Other people were zipping through the line, placing orders that sounded like they were issued in a different language. There were customs I wasn’t aware of--where to wait, what order to get things in. The place smelled different, had a different vibe to it.

Ideas flowed into my brain. What if an alien visited a Starbucks? What if a non-coffee drinking new grad was instructed by her billionaire hero to get coffee for him? What if, instead of coffee, all of the people ahead of me were ordering types of sexual encounters? What if they were CIA operatives communicating in top secret code?

Whenever I’m stuck creatively, I’ll change my physical location and usually something breaks free. What do you do to kick start your muse?

Releasing Rage

by Cynthia Sax

Half Man. Half Machine. All Hers.

Rage, the Humanoid Alliance's most primitive cyborg, has two goals--kill all of the humans on his battle station and escape to the Homeland. The warrior has seen the darkness in others and in himself. He believes that's all he's been programmed to experience.

Until he meets Joan.

Joan, the battle station's first female engineer, has one goal--survive long enough to help the big sexy cyborg plotting to kill her. Rage might not trust her but he wants her. She sees the passion in his eyes, the caring in his battle-worn hands, the gruff emotion in his voice.

When Joan survives the unthinkable, Rage's priorities are tested. Is there enough room in this cyborg's heart for both love and revenge?

About Cynthia Sax

USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax writes contemporary, SciFi and paranormal erotic romances. Her stories have been featured in Star Magazine, Real Time With Bill Maher, and numerous best of erotic romance top ten lists.

Sign up for her dirty-joke-filled release day newsletter and visit her on the web at www.CynthiaSax.com

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Techie Writer Reviews - Why I use #SquareSpace to blog - #writetip #writerslife #blogging

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I had ambitions to write up a post with lots of screen shots, but I got lazy and went with a video. Obviously, I like SquareSpace, and the fact that I'm using it to write this post is endorsement enough. Therefore, this is more of a simple overview than an actual critique. Yes, there are features I wish they offered. Yes, there are certain little things that drive me nuts. Nonetheless, I think it's the best solution for me at this time. 

What do you guys think about v-logging, as it were? Better? Worse? Does my voice sound weird? Let me know in the comments.