Sasha White's Blog

Any author will agree it’s all about the character, but not all will agree that we - the writers - are just the instrument that tells their story.

As someone who started her career writing short stories with no need for plotting, I’ve never really had a problem following the story where it needed to go. In fact, when I look back at everything I see clearly that the only times I really struggled with word counts, writing, or continuing a story are when my mind fights with that needs to go on the page.

My short story Meandros is the perfect example. I was writing to fill a call for vacation stories for an erotica anthology and I’d planned to write a sexy romp that took place in Greece. I started it with this couple on a plane on their way to Greece, and at the end of the first scene I wrote a sentence that changed it all.
After I wrote that sentence I stalled - literally for a week. That one sentence that just spilled out as I was writing took the story in a totally different direction. Not one I wanted, either. But it was so damn awesome. It was. Shocker, and it felt so right that I just wanted to run with it. But if I ran with it, then the story would no longer fit the call for submissions I was aiming it at.

I followed the story, and it turned out to be one of my favourite stories ever. It’s super short, and erotic, and so emotional. I wrote that story in 2004, and it’s gotten some great reviews, as well as awful ones, but I don’t care either way because that story taught me a very important lesson. Follow the story. You might not get the story you wanted, but it will flow, and it will be what it’s what its supposed to be.

A lesson I sometimes need to be reminded of, as I struggle with rewriting Drake’s Hunt. 😉

I was at the Dr yesterday. Weighed in at 302. Three pounds more than the scale in the morning when I wake up.

Four years ago when I was focussing on my fitness I went down to 282. I kept it off for a year, but didn't lose more when I switched to a full-time position at the day job. Then it slowly started creeping back on all the way up to 318. This time in losing I've not been focussing working out. Instead I've just been focussing moving. As in not going to the gym, but walking around the block when I can, dancing around my apartment, or even walking more at work by taking a position that required me to basically run laps in the store for 6-8 hours a day (average of 14k steps a day). And on not turning to junk food in my frustration and stress. It's slower, but it's working. Not as well as it should when the Dr looks at what I'm eating, but slowly.
 
The truly interesting part? I found out yesterday I have PCOS. I can remember back in 2015 when at The Novel Experience/Vegas  T.J.  Michaels  told me to ask my doctor about it because it sure sounded like I had it.  I did ask my Dr, and he waved me off, and I didn't push. Oops.

So, turns out people with PolyCystic Ovary Syndrom have a difficult time losing weight due to the amount of hormones in their body. Which means there is a reason I've had such a hard time.  Let me clear.... I know I CAN lose weight. I've done it before, and I know what I need to do. The thing is, I'm 51 years old now. And I was 45 when I was in Vegas. When I was younger I was an athlete, and in a job that was very physical and I trained constantly. It was my job to stay fit and I did it. I enjoyed it. I left that career and lifestyle when I was 30. and started writing a couple years later. By the time I was 35 and writing full-time I'd gained 50 pounds, but to me, that was just life. I was still active, and fit, I just wasn't, fighting fit, if you get what I mean. It wasn't my job anymore, I was just trying to be a normal healthy person.

When I was 36 I became a full time author, and my gym time went from three or four days a week to pretty much non-existent. I gained 120 pounds over a two year period while I launched my writing career, and I've been struggling with that weight ever since.


Dr's and experts say you should be able to lose weight simply by changing your diet, but that's never worked for me. I've tried it, many times, and that only led to frustration. I'd join a gym and go four or five times a week, working my ass off, literally. Those workouts, along with changing eating habits would get me some weight loss. But I hated it. I enjoy being active, but I'm not a fan of simply weight training or treadmill running. I'm older now, and I don't want to have to work out like I did when I was in my 20's just to be somewhat healthy. Other people didn't have to, so why did I have to live like a competitive athlete in order to have normal weight loss? It never failed though, as soon as I slacked off on the working out so much, I'd gain it all back. That would lead me to be frustrated and then I'd give up completely.

It didn't help that I felt my other Dr, my family and even friends, would think I was lying about my eating. Either to them or to myself. Because if I was doing what I said I was doing I should be losing weight.

Well, turns out there's a REASON!!! I was right, I shouldn't have to work out like an athlete in order to lose weight. However, due to other complications that won't be fixed for a while. It's okay. Now that I know there's a reason I have to be stricter and more disciplined than your average person, I can stick with it. So, starting today, I'm back to being strict. My biggest things, because gyms are still closed. No more soda(even diet) and no more bread, pasta, or potatoes. ????

Anyone else working on a healthier You? Shout out in the comments. Let's do this together!!

I don’t care what ‘experts’ say, you don’t have to love writing to be a successful writer. Personally, I hate writing. I always have. Okay, that’s not completely true. Let me go a bit deeper. I’m not a fan of the physical act of writing. I dislike sitting at a computer all day, staring at a bright screen. I dislike typing, and am not good at it. These two things are tied together because my dislike of staring at the screen leads me to staring at my fingers on the keyboard, which lead to typos, which leads to my dislike of typing. But none of this matters because I do LOVE being an author.

When I look at the words on the page and they form a story the feeling is indescribable. The knowledge that my mind has created a world with people (because characters are people to me) in it that others read and enjoy brings me a contentment and sense of accomplishment that is unmatched.

That is why I sit at the keyboard, and start again, every time.

For me, writing is hard. especially starting. Starting a new story, starting a new chapter, and new page, and new day. Doesn’t matter what, starting is hard. The magic comes after I’ve been at it for a bit, and I slowly lose track of everything around me as I sink deeper and deeper into the world on the page. I love the feeling of getting lost in the story, even while I dislike the act of writing because sitting and writing is hard. Not just hard on the mind, but the emotions, and the body too. Knowing this I try to set timers to get up and walk around or do something to keep my body somewhat fluid, and then I have to start again. Ugh!
I. know you'll understand this because it's the same when you're reading a good book. That "I don't want to move. I just want to keep reading." is the same as the "I'm finally in it I can't stop now." feeling I get when writing.

But, because I love being an author. Because I love creating, and sharing what I create, I keep doing it. I can't NOT do it. Writing is the same as anything else you choose to do, or not do. You need to accept how simple it is, how hard it is, and know what you dislike about it, and what you love about it. If you don’t understand these things it’s unlikely you’ll stick with it. With anything.

Do you have a passion? Do you think about these things? Why you love it, why it brings you joy? The things you don’t like about it? Please share with me in the comments. I’d love to know.

I should be editing, but yesterday I binged the first Season of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist on Apple TV. And I teared up at almost every episode. Her Dad. My mom…  I remember when it first started, and I had no interest. I enjoyed Glee, Mamma Mia, and Grease as musicals, but...

sort of. LOL

Hey everyone!

I wanted to let you know that the Psychic Hunter stories are being rereleased this summer. Some of them have new titles and the series name has changed to HPG (Hunter Protection Group) . That's all branding for new readers.

What I really wanted to note here for you guys is that Seer's Flame, (Previously The Devil Inside, the first story in Sexy Devil) has not changed. IF you read it, and nothing has changed in it.

It release a couple weeks ago, and I would love if you could share any reviews you did of the story when it was in SEXY DEVIL to the new page for it. (And on Amazon if you're cool with it. ;) )

Also to note:
Devil's Jewel, which has some small fleshing out added in, but nothing plot wise, is up for pre-order and will release at the end of the month.

Drake's Hunt (Previously titled Primal Male) is being reworked a bit right now. I've been rereading the old reviews for these titles, and looking to see what you liked and didn't;t and I am totally open to feedback if you're interested in giving me some as I rework Drake's story. You can email me at sasha@sashawhite.net anytime.

Thank you!

PS: I you posted a review of Sexy Devil here, and repost it for me, be sure to message me, and I'll send you a free ebook of the new versions for your collections in appreciation of your help and support!

When I was seventeen I moved out of my parents house, and out of the city they lived in. Much to my fathers disappointment, it wasn’t to go to college, but instead, just to move. It was always a joke in our family that I was born with itchy feet,...

Hey Everyone, I've decided since I'm getting seriously back to work on this writing gig that it was time to get an ARC Team together.

I love my readers, even if they don't leave reviews, so it's okay if you're not interested. Reviews do help me get more visability with ads, and also helps spread the word to get new readers, which in turn helps sales which helps me work less at the day job, and write more, so I truly truly appreciate all that you di the you leave a review, even if you can't sign on and commit to the release day request. I just want y'all to know that. :)

But if you can....and you are Interested, then here's the link to the sign up. ARC Team Sign Up Form .

PLEASE read the rules. I'm going to be following them, and I hope you will too.

A heads up, I have a whole series releasing this summer, so if you want them a week or two early, get your name not hat sign up. They are RERELEASES, so you might be familiar with them already.

Which ones? They were formerly known as Psychic Hunters

Formerly published by Kensington, I now have the rights back, and I've rebranded, and reedited/rewrote some of them....I just released SEER's FLAME, which was The Devil Inside, in the Sexy Devil book. Nothing new has changed in that story. It's now labeled a prequel though, because it does have a different feel, more romance, less hunting, than the others. Next up is Devil's Jewel, and I am adding some new scenes to
that one.
Primal Male will be called Drake's Hunt, and it's getting some changes and new scenes as well
No Angel from the Most Wanted anthology is now titled Gabe's Angel. Not sure if I'll be changing anything there. I haven't gotten that far yet. LOL

In addition to the PNR ones here, I also have 3 contemporary stories that will be coming out int he late summer, early fall. SO, seriously, if you want some hot reads, I hope you sign up.

Cheers,
Sasha

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Hi Everyone,
I've been away for a while. What can I say, life has been crazy. I know the world has become all sorts of crazy different in the last 2 months but mine's been a whirlwind of crazy for the last 2 years.
I'll just say a couple words about that, then we can move on. Health. Dementia. Family. Love.
Maybe I'll share more details about it all in other posts, but for this one, I don't want to get into details. I just want you to know that my not being around, and not writing was due to important things, and not just a lack of productivity.
Things are starting to settle into a new normal here in my neck of the woods. So I'm striving to get back to this here career I built at one point in time. And I'm hoping those who remember me will still be around, and those who don't know me will give me a chance.
To encourage that, I've set up a FREE DOWNLOAD through Bookfunnel for the first story in my Overwatch series UNFETTERED.
There's only 250 copies to be given away, so if you already have it, don't worry about grabbing the freebie. There's nothing new in it.
CLICK HERE to go to the giveaway page.
There is no need to sign up for a newsletter or anything to get it. But if you DO want to sign up for my newsletter, you can do that HERE.

Here's Unfettered so you can read previous reviews, and if you've read it and not given a review, nows the perfect chance ;)

I've got several backlist titles I'll be rereleasing in the near future as I work on new content, so I hope you'll stick around. And if yo've been a reader for a while, and are wanting someone specials story now's the perfect time to mention it, so I can add ideas/characters to my To Do List. :)

Stay Sane and Read,
Sasha

Dear Faleena, Just stop. Every time I see your name, all I can think is Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire. and I’m not the only one.  At this point I am convinced that the only reason you are doing all … Continue reading →