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NonFiction

Character Sex Coaching: Your Characters Deserve Great Sex, Too!

What exactly is a character sex coach? A character sex coach is essentially a sex therapist or educator for your characters. They can help you, the author, understand how sexuality fits into your characters’ personalities, motivations, and relationships. Best of all, they guide you in using sexuality to deepen your readers’ connection to your story. They are helpful to writers who may not have had formal sex education or who struggle with writing convincing and nuanced scenes with sex. By working with a character sex coach, you can better understand how sex operates in your story and develop a more...

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Cards of Passion Romance Series / Fiction

What’s Satisfaction Guaranteed Got to Do with It?

Satisfaction Guaranteed by F. Leonora Solomon is book nine in the Cards of Passion Series. For me, it is the perfect last title. All the authors in the series hope that your reading experience left you satisfied. With romance and intimate behaviors, we all work to have the reader connected to the characters and the story. While each author has written in different genres, the stories they’ve created tap into the magic of sexuality with the cards. Leonora’s story toys with us, literally and figuratively. Let’s meet her. Leonora, who are you as a writer? I would like to think...

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Cards of Passion Romance Series / Fiction

Sri Savita Romances Indian Representation with Magic and Heart

I’m so excited to introduce you to Sri Savita. She and I have worked together at Rosy as a writer-editor pairing. Her dedication to craft and making a difference by showing herself in representation in stories warms my heart. You will love her writing style. Now let’s get to know her. Sri Savita, who are you as a writer? I’m Sri Savita, and the focus of my fiction is Indian representation in romance and erotica. Some of my stories are set in contemporary modern day, and others are set in historical, fantastical, or paranormal worlds. Some are about finding the...

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Cards of Passion Romance Series / Fiction

Remarkable Interview: Kaitlin Schmidt On Queernorm Romance As The New Normal

It is so exciting to share my editor with you all. Kaitlin Schmidt and I have worked together for years and we flip our roles often. Here she is talking about herself as an author and her writing. Kaitlin Schmidt, Who Are You as a Writer? I am a queer, neurodivergent writer with a passion for queernorm high fantasy and spicy romantasy. In queernorm worlds, being queer is unremarkable, expected, or even assumed, and that’s the kind of world I wished I lived in, so I guess I’m trying to write a new reality into existence. So many queer stories...

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Cards of Passion Romance Series / Fiction

Introductory Interview: Ally Daine Dishes on Her Love of Romantasy

Ally Daine is the author of Book Four of the Cards of Passion Series. I am so tickled to introduce you to my old friend. We met through another spectacular friend and played together on Amelia Island long before writing was on our radar. Ally Daine is a treasure, and I’m excited to fall into her created fantasy world. I hope you will be, too. Who are you as a writer, Ally Daine? I grew up reading fantasy, Sci-Fi, and romance novels. My favorites were those that blended fantastical worlds with spice! As a writer, I strive to emulate these...

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Cards of Passion Romance Series / Fiction

Author Interview: Henrietta Holland Unleashes Love in Small Town Style

Another book has dropped, and you get to meet the author, Henrietta Holland. I had the pleasure of working with Henrietta when she attended my course about the card deck, Purple Passion Reflections for Women. During the course, I learned Henrietta was a writer and wanted to get back into writing. As the spark of a romance series around the cards occurred, it seemed destined for her to be in the Cards of Passion Series writing group. Who are you as a writer, Henrietta Holland? I learned to read at age three. Books and stories have always played a major...

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Cards of Passion Romance Series / Fiction

Their Romance Lives On After the GoodReads Giveaway

Romance lives on with a thank you to the 1534 people who requested Shadows & Silhouettes: Cards of Passion in the Goodreads Giveaway. Congratulations to the 100 hundred people who won the book. I’m tickled you’ll experience the Creativity Summit. For those who didn’t win, I appreciate your interest in Liv and Adrian’s story. I’m tickled that something about my story resonated enough for you to enter the giveaway. The Book Process It’s exhilarating to start with a singular idea of “what if” and finish with a completed story. This book has so many “aha” moments. And when a story...

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Cards of Passion Romance Series / Fiction

Snappy Interview: Mischa Eliot Talks Redemption and Love

For those who don’t know, Mischa Eliot is a tech wizard, formatting guru, talented writer, and my best friend. We’ve known each other since late 2016 and have entwined our real lives over the years, sharing family and friends. The Cards of Passion project couldn’t have happened without her. I’ll remember fondly sitting on the porch of the old house during our writing retreat and bringing up the idea. And now it is an actual project. I’m so excited. Let’s hear from Mischa herself. Who are you as a writer?  I feel like a different writer every time I write a new...

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Cards of Passion Romance Series / Fiction

Exclusive Interview: Gabbi Black Reveals Her Unique Edge in Romance

Gabbi Black is my guest today, and I couldn’t be more excited to introduce you to her. She is one of the authors of the Cards of Passion Series. We met through a mutual writing friend, and a year later, we are talking about our work together. It seems surreal because the time has gone by so fast. But let’s get going. So tell us, Gabbi, who are you as a writer? That’s a great question!  I am one author writing under three pennames – each with their own unique story.  As Gabbi Black, I have an interesting journey to...

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FWSG / NonFiction

How to Handle the Book Launch Week, or Not?

Book Launch week has arrived and here I am excited, and a little overwhelmed. If you’re like me, releasing a new book feels topsy-turvy, like a rollercoaster flipping around in my stomach. And I find myself at that very spot as it is the day before book launch. But I do plan for self-care. Here is the list of things I’m doing to manage it all so I can stay in the moment with the good feelings of celebration. Working with the list will help me navigate the excitement and feel connected. The Personal List for the Book Launch Pull...

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FWSG / NonFiction

The Way to Sensational Sex is with Eight Key Elements

If sensational sex is what you are looking for, you’ve come to the right place. Because we don’t get comprehensive sex education, most people believe our bodies will just know what to do for physical pleasure. The reality is there are many aspects at play that make sex sensational. My sex therapy mentor, David Schnarch, used to say that sex is a learned skill and an acquired taste. So, looking at the eight elements for sensational sex from research shows us we have to be an active and communicative partner to have that great sex. If you are an author,...

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FWSG / NonFiction

How to Craft Meaningful Body Movement in Scenes-with-Sex

Body movement in scenes-with-sex may feel difficult to write because you have to know what bodies can do, which body is doing what, and what movements match the character in their personality makeup and motivation. If you’ve been following the FWSG blog post series, you may have a more in-tune idea of how to write this. But if not, I’ll add some ideas to get you rolling. Create Body Movement Activities-With Your Clothes On Writers have a reputation for conducting exhaustive research. Does that also play into writing scenes-with-sex? I’ve been to a sex club to find a vibe. I’ve...

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FWSG / NonFiction

How to Craft Erotic Scenes Leading with An Emotional Touch

When you craft erotic scenes and lead with an emotional touch, you have many advantages. First, you ground the readers in that wonderful sticky glue of emotion for why the erotic exchange is occurring. This makes our brains stand up and take notice. And it’s your language choice that adds to the process. Couple that with some literary devices to best relay the message you want your writing to send to your characters. Language—How do you decide what words to use to craft erotic scenes? If you are like most people who received no formal sex education, the answer to...

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FWSG / NonFiction

Crafting Passion: How to Write Authentic Scenes with Incredible Sex

Crafting passion may be the most difficult thing to write in fiction. That’s what I hear from fellow writers. Sex. It’s intimidating. It’s fear-inducing. It’s anxiety-ridden. But what if I told you it didn’t have to be? What if you knew how to write authentic scenes that included incredible sex? It’s all in a little education and rethinking the definitions of scenes-with-sex. In crafting passion, ask, what is a scene-with-sex? Most people will be surprised I phrased my question this way, using scenes-with-sex instead of sex scenes. That’s because most of the time with your characters, sexuality is a part...

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FWSG / NonFiction

The Ultimate Writer’s Playground: The Sexy Brain on Storytelling

A writer’s playground is vast, but the ultimate and last frontier is the sexy brain on storytelling. When I say playground, I want you to think “amusement park” for writers, set up in the brain. What is unique about the brain that these three areas dissect? Sex, storytelling, and play all have brain chemicals in common. The more you know and understand, the more you can tap into this new world to move readers on the connection trail to your characters and story to help them feel the entire process along the way. They each are a journey. You, as...

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FWSG / NonFiction

Love Potions and Brain Chemistry: Decoding the Science of Relationships

The science of relationships is an area where I see authors use personality tests to help them build their characters. I have a test that I like to use because it is based on personality and brain chemistry. It also helps answer the question, do “opposites attract” or do “birds of a feather stick together?” Let’s dive into the work of Dr. Helen Fisher and see what brains have to do with relationships. Helen Fisher’s Personality Model Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a way to understand how some people are attracted to each other, and others are not?...

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FWSG / NonFiction

Raw Heat Lies in the Mechanics of Relational Intimacy

Let’s discuss the mechanics of relational intimacy or a complete relational sexual system. When you write, do you know how to create the relationship? How do you measure the emotion and heat and know where it comes from? You may not even think about the way I described it. But as a sex therapist, I can tell you that individuals negotiate relational sexual systems based on their own sense of self—to be exact, how much ‘self’ a person has. How would you show this in writing? And where does this come through in sex? What Have You Used to Create...

Emotions in color are dispersing from the brain to the air and fasteners are showing emotions 1

FWSG / NonFiction

Learn How to Craft Intimacy in Sex with an Emotional Lead

FWSG Blog Post #9 Crafting intimacy in sex is what I believe to be one of the most important things a writer can learn to enrich their stories. I see authors twist themselves up with how to write what I’ll call the picture of sex, which may only be the telling of what’s happening, devoid of the meaning behind it. In fact, the motivation or emotion behind the *want to*, can steal the show. Can intimate closeness trump climax? Well, you can write a climax without it, but when you have all the sticky, wonderful connections of emotion that come...

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FWSG / NonFiction

Fantasy’s Storytelling Role: A New Dimension of Character Interaction

FWSG Blog Post #8 Consider fantasy a gateway to character complexity and a way to unveil the mind’s treasures. When I considered writing The Fiction Writer’s Sexuality Guide, I knew I wanted to include fantasy information. It is an essential topic in writing about sexuality and one not discussed much. I want to introduce you to Justin Lehmiller’s sex research on fantasy so that you can feel confident in using it in your writing. Fantasy Defined First, fantasy occurs while you are awake. It’s the video or pictures you create. Second, these images turn you on. Typically, folks get nervous...

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FWSG / NonFiction

From Taboo to Tool Kit: How to Embrace Your Characters’ Sexual History

#7 FWSG Blog Post Sexual History is one tool that is a frame of reference for writing about sex in scene. It was a true favorite in my therapy practice and in educating students about relationships. It is rich with PEMS components, the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. In fact, it could be called your character’s missing chapter, an unexplored territory of sexual history. From now on, I hope that you will create a dedicated chapter in your Character Bible for sex history. Your full character profile will be complete when you’ve done this. Why Sexual History? Sexual history is...

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FWSG / NonFiction

Break the Silence: How to Talk about Sexuality in Your Stories

#6 FWSG Post Series Many people don’t know how to talk about sexuality in writing. Typically, the focus of sexuality is on the “sex scene,” and I’m on a mission to change that. What if we could learn more about the characters through their sexuality in all scenes? If writers had a structure on which to build sexuality, the characters and the story would have much more connection and depth. We would also understand the meaning of their actions when sex becomes physically close and intimate. To discuss sexuality in your stories, I suggest considering writing about sexuality with respect....

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FWSG / NonFiction

How PEMS Sexual Intimacy Shapes Your Characters

#5 FWSG Blog Series PEMS Sexual Intimacy is this week’s topic in the Fiction Writer’s Sexuality Blog Series. If this is your first read in the series I’m highlighting content from my upcoming release, The Fiction Writer’s Sexuality Guide, you can look here. I want to introduce you and help you understand the complex interplay of PEMS in sexual intimacy, its implications for personal growth and storytelling, and practical advice on weaving these elements into compelling character narratives. It begins by considering the bigger picture of sexuality for your characters, understanding how sexuality is an integral part of your story,...

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FWSG / NonFiction

How to Move from Worrying about Writing Sex to Enjoying It

#4 In the FWSG Series Did the phrase “writing sex” elicit a specific response inside you? For most writers, it does. Excitement, dread, denial. It’s not the same for everyone because of you, the person. Your experience in the world and your belief systems add to this thinking. Ask yourself: How do you feel about writing sex? What do you know about sex to write about it? Let’s explore what this is about and how to lessen the worry and enhance the enjoyment of writing. Person of the Writer In Writing Sex – Own Where You Are Most writers I...

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FWSG / NonFiction

Fiction Writers: What If Sexuality Can Enhance Deeper Storytelling?

#3 in the FWSG Series Fiction Writers: Can you imagine a world where sexuality is the gateway to deeper storytelling? Welcome to your new reality. Anyone who writes fiction can gain helpful information for their story with The Fiction Writer’s Sexuality Guide: Sex—It’s More Than a Scene. It can be one more tool in your toolbox to develop rich characters and your story. When I first started this project, I thought that only erotica or romance authors could use a new template and paradigm for writing about sex. The more I talked to other authors, the more I realized from...

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FWSG / NonFiction

How I Jumped into Nonfiction: The Fiction Writer’s Sexuality Guide

# 2 in the FWSG Series Where does nonfiction fit into a writing career? I received many tidbits of wisdom, but the one that stuck was that a nonfiction book was like a business card. It is a calling card that highlights your wares. The idea wiggled around in my head, and after Darryl Bollinger’s comments on helping authors write about sex, I started working on mine, with its last title, The Fiction Writer’s Sexuality Guide: Sex—It’s More Than a Scene. Where the Nonfiction Writing Process Began. Early in my writing career, I met Judith Briles of The Book Shepherd....