Cynthia Sax's Blog, page 113

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Published on May 22, 2021 23:00

Under Strain And Communities On Mercury Minor

Mercury Minor is, first and foremost, Ghost and Lethe’s home. They ‘rule’ the planet. They brought it back from the dead, cleaned it up, made it inhabitable.

Ghost requires space. He requires quiet and he requires terrain he can protect, a place where he can feel safe. A section of the planet will always belong exclusively to him and to Lethe.

Some newly rescued warriors also require quiet, less populated places, places inhabited by only cyborgs and no other species. There will be a few severely damaged warriors who never become accustomed to sharing spaces with other species.

There is land set aside for them on Mercury Minor.

Most cyborgs, however, like having beings around them. They were manufactured in huge batches. They trained all together. They were stored together, fought together. Now that they are freed, they often want to stay together. They don’t mind crowded sites. Those can be comforting for them.

The largest communities on Mercury Minor are allocated to these cyborgs.

Cyborgs who have found their genetic matches often want to have their own semi-private spaces and their own communities. Their genetic matches have unique needs, especially around socialization, and they feel more comfortable being around beings like them, beings who are going through similar experiences.

There are some smaller communities on Mercury Minor reserved for these small and growing families. Often, the not-yet-matched non-cyborg beings are situated in these communities too.

As Mercury Minor evolves, the communities will, of course, change. But right now, this set up works for the Rebel Cyborgs and their genetic matches.

***

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Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is huntedby a peace-loving human female.

***

Strain is severely malfunctioning.The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made byhis cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is underhis cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, andtold to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.

That mission takes place on a smallremote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they weresent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She iswatching him, tracking him, hunting him.

A fully operational cyborg would endher lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

Kamyelle is the only one left ofher kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of herplanet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and coveringherself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.

When a handsome, gray-skinned,brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she hasto save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.

She won’t allow them to hurtStrain.

***

Under Strain is a STANDALONE CyborgSciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

It features a broken warrior, ahuman female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who viewthem both as light, tasty snacks.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094365ZNT

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Published on May 21, 2021 23:00

Big Cat Shifters From C.S. Sax Available For Pre-orders

Big Cat Shifters, the next short(er) story collection published under C.S. Sax, is now listed at all booksellers!

Big Cat Shifters

They’re wealthy. They’re powerful. And they’re big cat shifters. Three billionaires—a lion shifter, a tiger shifter and a leopard shifter—prowl the boardrooms of the city. They are masters of their domains, kings of all beasts, and they have everything anyone could possibly want.

Except love.

These billionaire big cat shifters track and claim their human fated mates in three sizzling stories of passion, dominance and savage battles to the death.

Assistant To The Alpha Lion – Royce, a hard-working alpha lion shifter, believes Starr, a curvy job applicant, is his birthday present. She decides to give him a private party he’ll never forget.

Hacking The Billionaire Tiger – Nikhil, a tiger-shifting billionaire CEO, has been hunting Violet, a chaos-causing hacker, for years. When he finally captures her, anarchy rules, empires crumble and beings die.

Entering Leopard Territory – Jeanine’s secret dream is to belong. Why then is she attracted to Adar, a fierce billionaire leopard shifter renowned for being solitary?

Answer a big cat’s call. Delve into a modern-day fantasy world with these lunch-hour-length romances.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B094365ZNT

Amazon AUS:

https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B094365ZNT

Apple Books:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/big-cat-shifters/id1565862583

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/big-cat-shifters-cs-sax/1139399738

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/big-cat-shifters

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1082543

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BTYN7TT

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Published on May 20, 2021 23:00

Throwback Thursday – Testing Truth

Testing Truth was such a fun story to write.

Truth, the hero, has been causing chaos for others since the beginning of the series. This cyborg warrior is rarely serious. He loves dangerous missions.

Princess Nancy is accustomed to chaos and is well able to keep pace with him. Her entourage, her makeshift family, easily supplies the drama and excitement Truth constantly seeks.

Their assignment is to save one of Princess Nancy’s brothers. The odds of surviving that mission are low…which doesn’t dissuade Truth at all from joining their team. He likes those types of odds. (grins)

Testing Truth

A fun-loving cyborg gets serious about love.

***

Truth lives each moment as though it were his last. Thecyborg warrior rushes into danger, teases beings he shouldn’t provoke, acceptsevery call of adventure he encounters.

When a prissy little human princess floats into the Rebelstructure Truth is occupying, seeking a mercenary to assist her and her unusualentourage, he volunteers to be her warrior. She claims their assignment isdangerous, warns him he might not survive the task.

That is exactly the type of fun he has been seeking.

Princess Nanette of the planet Royaume must rescue herestranged brother from an enemy prison ship. That is her duty, and she has beentrained to always place the needs of her planet and her subjects before herown. Nancy doesn’t have the freedom to indulge her passions for a certaindark-haired, gray-skinned cyborg. Not permanently and not publicly.

But she is unable to resist the warrior. Truth, with hislaughing eyes, smiling lips, and rough hands, tempts her as no one else everhas. He could be her one fleeting act of rebellion before she’s matched withthe powerful ruler her planet requires.

If they survive their current mission.

Their love is doomed. Their lifespans are at risk. Thiscyborg and his princess will need the help of every ally they have if they wishto see another sunrise.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BTYN7TT

Amazon AUS:

https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08BTYN7TT

Apple Books:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/testing-truth/id1520415369

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/testing-truth-cynthia-sax/1137237855

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/testing-truth

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1029497

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Published on May 19, 2021 23:00

The Girl With All The Gifts And Creating Sympathy For Morally Dubious Characters

Please Note: This post will have spoilers for The Girl With All The Gifts. If you haven’t watched this movie or read the book it is based upon (written by M. R. Carey), you might wish to skip this post.

One of the challenges of writing about morally dubious characters is making them sympathetic to readers, ensuring readers care about beings who don’t follow society’s rules, who might be seen as monsters.

A key trick is, what writers call, ‘saving the cat.’ The character does something honorable or noble or self-sacrificing early in the story.

But that isn’t possible when that’s not in the character’s nature.

The Girl With All The Gifts uses a different tactic. The storyteller depicts the character as being innocent simply by the nature of who she resembles—a human child. Then she is put in a situation that would appall the average person. She is locked in a cell by herself.

Everything is designed to gain our sympathy. She has a photo of a kitten she hides under her pillow. She is polite and friendly to the hostile adults who collect her. These adults point guns at her, treat her like a monster.

She doesn’t ‘save the cat’ (an ironic phrase – grins). There’s no self-sacrifice. She is merely portrayed as someone we would be predisposed to protect. We view her as being wronged and the adults as wronging her.

By the time, her true nature is revealed, we care for her. We’re firmly on her side.

The Girl With All The Gifts isn’t without its flaws but I enjoyed it for its fresh take on creating sympathetic characters and its clever spin on zombie movies.

And yes, the super fast zombies in this movie make me think about the Humanoid Alliance’s reanimation experiments in Containing Malice. I suspect I might be sympathetic to some of those tortured beings also.

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is huntedby a peace-loving human female.

***

Strain is severely malfunctioning.The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made byhis cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is underhis cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, andtold to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.

That mission takes place on a smallremote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they weresent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She iswatching him, tracking him, hunting him.

A fully operational cyborg would endher lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

Kamyelle is the only one left ofher kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of herplanet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and coveringherself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.

When a handsome, gray-skinned,brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she hasto save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.

She won’t allow them to hurtStrain.

***

Under Strain is a STANDALONE CyborgSciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

It features a broken warrior, ahuman female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who viewthem both as light, tasty snacks.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

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Published on May 18, 2021 23:00

Under Strain And Mudholes

The scene in Under Strain that took the most research and time to write was the theropod in the mudhole scene.

Getting the theropod stuck in the mud wasn’t the challenge. (grins) Some of the best-preserved dinosaur fossils currently in existence are those of creatures that became stuck in mud and couldn’t escape it. Getting stuck in mudholes happened.

But quite often the dinosaur also died, especially if they were as deeply stuck as the theropod in Under Strain was. Getting the dinosaur OUT of the mudhole is the challenge.

Especially as Kamyelle, our human heroine, is much smaller and lighter than theropod.

There are quite a few articles and videos showing how people have helped free cows and horses from mudholes. Deep mud continues to be a peril for large animals.

Getting animals unstuck often requires a variety of tactics. To free the theropod, Kamyelle used building traction (throwing the branches into the mudhole), use of a winch (the rope attached to the tree – this was okay for the theropod as they have tough hides and huge necks but it could be an extremely dangerous tactic for a horse or cow) and most importantly, working quickly before the dinosaur became overly tired. Unless the rescue team is huge, a large animal has to be able to help with the process.

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is huntedby a peace-loving human female.

***

Strain is severely malfunctioning.The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made byhis cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is underhis cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, andtold to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.

That mission takes place on a smallremote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they weresent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She iswatching him, tracking him, hunting him.

A fully operational cyborg would endher lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

Kamyelle is the only one left ofher kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of herplanet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and coveringherself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.

When a handsome, gray-skinned,brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she hasto save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.

She won’t allow them to hurtStrain.

***

Under Strain is a STANDALONE CyborgSciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

It features a broken warrior, ahuman female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who viewthem both as light, tasty snacks.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

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Published on May 17, 2021 23:00

Librarians And The Pandemic

Photo Taken By: by Pexels

When the groups that are helping us all cope with and survive the pandemic are listed, librarians are often overlooked.

Librarian have played essential roles during this pandemic.

The crisis is far from over, of course. We’re still in lockdown in my corner of the universe. Libraries, the physical buildings, are currently closed to the public.

But librarians are working hard and often harder than they worked previously.

Contactless pickups and drop-offs are available to all patrons. That takes skill and effort to arrange. Books, print, digital, audio, etc, are being added to collections.

Online seminars on topics like dealing with stress or searching for jobs during a pandemic are being hosted. Even while physically closed, libraries continue to be sources of information and knowledge.

Whenever I pass the neighborhood library, it doesn’t matter what time it is, there are people, often students, seated outside the library, with their phones and laptops and other devices in their hands or laps, using the library’s Wi-Fi.

The schools in my area sent kids home with devices so they could continue their schooling online. They didn’t provide them with Wi-Fi.

Local libraries are supplying that essential service for many residents. (Especially with coffee shops and other Wi-Fi friendly places being closed.)

Libraries and librarians also distributed food during the pandemic, becoming outlets for food banks. They helped to ensure residents didn’t go hungry.

Currently, many librarians are phoning older residents, telling them about vaccination opportunities, putting them in contact with organizations if they require help.

Librarians are helping in a gazillion other, often semi-invisible, ways to ensure we get through this crisis. I appreciate libraries and librarians so much for all they have done and continue to do. (big hugs)

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is huntedby a peace-loving human female.

***

Strain is severely malfunctioning.The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made byhis cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is underhis cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, andtold to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.

That mission takes place on a smallremote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they weresent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She iswatching him, tracking him, hunting him.

A fully operational cyborg would endher lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

Kamyelle is the only one left ofher kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of herplanet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and coveringherself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.

When a handsome, gray-skinned,brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she hasto save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.

She won’t allow them to hurtStrain.

***

Under Strain is a STANDALONE CyborgSciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

It features a broken warrior, ahuman female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who viewthem both as light, tasty snacks.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

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Published on May 16, 2021 23:00

Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – May 16th

Woot! Under Strain released this week! I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I wish to return to the dinosaur planet in the future. The cyborgs had so much fun while visiting it.

This week, I started writing B Free, the fourth story in Rebel Cyborgs (releasing in November). I had a few false starts as I often do. It is challenging to figure out the best place to start stories. Often I’ll start a story too late or too early. But I already love B Free. B, the last of his Model type, really pulls at my heartstrings.

I’ll continue to write fresh chapters in it this upcoming week. Yes. (sheepish grin) Updates are a bit unexciting while I’m writing the first draft. I will be writing, writing, writing every week until the story is completed.

And I’ll likely have book brain in a big way. I get sucked into a story and that’s all I can think about. If I email you back and I don’t make much sense, that’s why.

Have a wonderful week, my friends. (group hugs) Read some awesome romance novels. Treat yourself to some great food. Spend some time in nature if you can do that. Find some joy. You deserve it.

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is huntedby a peace-loving human female.

***

Strain is severely malfunctioning.The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made byhis cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is underhis cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, andtold to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.

That mission takes place on a smallremote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they weresent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She iswatching him, tracking him, hunting him.

A fully operational cyborg would endher lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

Kamyelle is the only one left ofher kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of herplanet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and coveringherself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.

When a handsome, gray-skinned,brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she hasto save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.

She won’t allow them to hurtStrain.

***

Under Strain is a STANDALONE CyborgSciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

It features a broken warrior, ahuman female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who viewthem both as light, tasty snacks.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

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Published on May 15, 2021 23:00

The Month Of May

I love May. (smiles) I love most months but May is still solidly in Spring in my part of the universe and that is my favorite season. I love the animal and bird births and the re-emergence of all the greenery.

May was named for Maia, one of Pleiades in Greek mythology (a star cluster is named after the Pleiades). Maia is perhaps best known as being the mother of Hermes, the herald of the gods. (Hermes’ father was Zeus.)

I find that apt as Mother’s Day in North America happens in May. A month ago, I ordered my Awesome Mom a bouquet of yellow roses, her favorite flowers, for Mother’s Day from a local florist. She loved them. And I LOVE the ability to order gifts far in advance. That helps when I get sucked deep into the writing cave.

Some of my beloved reading buddies and fellow writers are named May and I am thinking of them this month. (group hugs)

I’m wishing everyone a wonderful May!

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is huntedby a peace-loving human female.

***

Strain is severely malfunctioning.The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made byhis cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is underhis cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, andtold to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.

That mission takes place on a smallremote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they weresent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She iswatching him, tracking him, hunting him.

A fully operational cyborg would endher lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

Kamyelle is the only one left ofher kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of herplanet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and coveringherself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.

When a handsome, gray-skinned,brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she hasto save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.

She won’t allow them to hurtStrain.

***

Under Strain is a STANDALONE CyborgSciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

It features a broken warrior, ahuman female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who viewthem both as light, tasty snacks.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

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Published on May 14, 2021 23:00

Under Strain, Warriors And Pacifists

Kamyelle, the heroine of Under Strain, before she meets Strain, has a healthy dislike for warriors, weapons and anyone or anything else associated with war.

Her kind were peaceful beings. Before their planet was invaded by the Humanoid Alliance, they had plenty of food and other resources for everyone. They had no concept of war or battle.

When the war-obsessed Humanoid Alliance arrived…well…you can imagine how the locals fared. Kamyelle witnessed all of the that.

She doesn’t see the need for weapons. They are only used to hurt and kill. And she doesn’t see the need to kill others.

Strain, the hero of Under Strain, is a cyborg warrior. He was designed for battle, for killing beings and he has done quite a bit of that over his long lifespan. He seems to be an unlikely love interest for someone who hates war.

The universe is a surprising place, however. (grins)

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is huntedby a peace-loving human female.

***

Strain is severely malfunctioning.The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made byhis cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is underhis cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, andtold to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.

That mission takes place on a smallremote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they weresent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She iswatching him, tracking him, hunting him.

A fully operational cyborg would endher lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

Kamyelle is the only one left ofher kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of herplanet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and coveringherself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.

When a handsome, gray-skinned,brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she hasto save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.

She won’t allow them to hurtStrain.

***

Under Strain is a STANDALONE CyborgSciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

It features a broken warrior, ahuman female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who viewthem both as light, tasty snacks.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS: