Cynthia Sax | Hitting the Halfway Mark for SINFUL REWARDS

Fresh Fiction is thrilled to welcome bestselling author Cynthia Sax today! Cynthia, congrats on being halfway through your 12-month serial Sinful Rewards! Can you tell us a bit about the trials and tribulations of writing in this story world non-stop for a year? Cynthia Sax: Thank you, Fresh Fiction, for being so supportive of writers. (big hugs) We really appreciate it!

I knew when Avon Impulse entrusted me with this assignment, that it would be an
adventure. And it has been. Writing a 12 novella serial is very different from
writing 12 novellas. One small example: There were deep revisions in story 1 and
that changed stories 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Then a month later,
I’d receive deep revisions in story 2 and have to change stories 3 to 12 yet
again. The links between the stories are so tight that the minor details can
change the future.

But to be able to play in one world, with one story for over 1,200 pages was
amazing. I could properly write a love triangle. That requires quite a few
pages. And I could thoroughly examine the complex characters. I had the room,
which is a real luxury.

What has been the most exciting part of writing and releasing this serial? Cynthia Sax: I love hearing reader and reviewer comments as the serial releases, how impressions of characters change, what everyone loves about each story. It’s almost as though I’m reading the story with them. Monique at Fresh Fiction has been posting awe-inspiring reviews of Sinful Rewards. She has a gift for analyzing stories and I sit on the edge of my seat with every release, hoping she’ll enjoy it, wondering what insights she’ll have about my work. The heroine of Sinful Rewards, Bee Carter, is known as a good girl, but it was revealed in SINFUL REWARDS 4 that she has some dark secrets clouding her past. Can the readers expect more secrets to be revealed in the stories to come? Cynthia Sax: EVERYONE in Sinful Rewards has secrets. There are some huge secrets to be unveiled. For example: The secret revealed in SINFUL REWARDS 7 will cause many readers to reread the entire serial (at least, I did). The meaning of the previous scenes change with this world-shaking revelation. There are some huge secrets left in Sinful Rewards. Who is Friendly, the mysterious texter who has been sending Bee increasingly naughty challenges? What happened between Cyndi and Cole in LA? What is Nicolas’s plan to fix Bee’s problems?

This mirrors real life. We ALL have secrets. As we spend time with people, we
share more and more of our pasts, our hopes, our intentions.

Sinful Rewards features two major heroes vying for Bee’s affection—Nicolas, the handsome billionaire, and Hawke, the sexy biker. As the story progresses, has it been difficult to keep Bee’s affections conflicted in the middle, rather than leaning too far toward one hero or the other? Cynthia Sax: One of the things I love about this story is… both Nicolas and Hawke truly are heroes. One of these hunky men isn’t Bee’s hero but they’re both worthy of love. They’re wonderful, sexy, nice men.

As I was writing the scenes, I’d think, “How would another heroine interpret
this comment or action?” If Bee had been a different heroine, the unsuccessful
hero would have been successful. The fault for his lack of success is shared
between Bee and himself. This is true of most failed relationships. There isn’t
one bad guy. There’s merely a relationship that didn’t work.

SINFUL REWARDS 7 releases on January 20. Can you give us a little teaser on what to expect from the next installment? Cynthia Sax: From a sizzle factor, Sinful Rewards gets hotter and hotter. The stakes are higher, the emotion more intense. In SINFUL REWARDS 7, Bee is offered everything she’s ever wanted. But this comes at a price. How much will she give up to obtain her dream? How much would YOU give up? If someone approached you today and offered you everything you’ve ever wanted IF you walked away from your best friend, would you take this deal? A true friend would encourage you to say “Yes.” Would you?

Sinful Rewards: The Road So Far

Sinful Rewards 1 Sinful Rewards #1.0 July 2014	Sinful Rewards 2 Sinful Rewards #2.0 August 2014	Sinful Rewards 3 Sinful Rewards #3.0 September 2014	Sinful Rewards 4 Sinful Rewards #4.0 October 2014
Sinful Rewards 5 Sinful Rewards #5.0 November 2014	Sinful Rewards 6 Sinful Rewards #6.0 December 2014

Can't wait for the next installment? Pre-order SINFUL REWARDS 7 today!

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.