Cynthia Sax's Blog, page 255
December 30, 2013
Kat’s New Year’s Resolutions
Kat, the heroine from Flashes Of Me, wanted to share her New Year’s Resolutions for 2014.
1) I will stop flashing. Last year…errr…week, I flashed a man or two or four on the subway, a quick lift of my blouse as the train rushed past. I doubt they saw anything. This year, that number will be zero.
2) I will gain some job experience, real job experience with someone other than my father, so that section of my resume will no longer be blank.
3) I will be taken seriously. I can’t help it if I have blonde hair, big breasts, and impeccable taste in fashion. I have other things to contribute to the world. I don’t know what those other things are right now but I will find that out soon.
4) I will look for the positives in every situation. My father says they’re there. Over the last couple of months, they’ve been more challenging to find. This will change in 2014.
5) I will be happy…even if I have to move clear across the country to do this.
Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly using his network of cameras and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, his scarred hands and huge size have resulted in him being feared by everyone… almost everyone.
Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss’s wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses, and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken.
Kat likes to be watched. Henley can’t look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?
Pre-order Now For 99 Cents: http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-An-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO
December 24, 2013
First Excerpt From Flashes Of Me (Adult Content)
Note: If you are under the age of 18 years old or are sensitive to adult language, please do not read this excerpt.
This is a first look at the first 1,000 words of Flashes Of Me. These words haven’t been edited so please forgive any typos (and all writers have typos).
Chapter One
No one in this coffee shop knows who I am. I stand in the line, waiting to place my order. They don’t know about my past. They don’t know my last name. I tap my lavender heels against the floor, drumming an up-tempo tune into the tan-colored tile. They won’t remind me why I shouldn’t be happy.
I need to be happy. I need to laugh, to have fun, to focus on this fresh start. If I don’t, I’ll cry and I promised my father I wouldn’t cry. I plaster a silly smile across my face and I tap my heels harder against the floor. These two actions lighten my mood, allowing me to cope with my emotions.
The bleary-eyed woman swaying in front of me yawns, adding vocals to my beat. For L.A. locals, it’s six in the morning. For a recently displaced New York native such as myself, it feels like nine o’clock. I’m eager to start my new job and my new life on the west coast.
I’m two hours early. The internship orientation session at Blaine Technologies is scheduled for eight o’clock sharp, not one minute before and not one minute after. Although caffeine is last thing I need, standing in line at this coffee shop gives me something to do and someone to watch.
I slide my gaze to the fascinating someone waiting at the front counter. The biggest man I’ve ever seen in my entire life looms over the cash register, his feet braced apart as though he’s preparing for battle. His ebony hair is cropped close to his head, hiding nothing, and he’s dressed completely in black like a villain from a 1970’s spy movie.
I survey my behemoth’s broad shoulders. It’s all him under his jacket, not a hint of padding disturbing the cut. His suit is bespoke, custom made especially for his big body, and I suspect the designer is English. My mystery man is wearing Barker Blacks, his leather shoes as large as the rest of him. Even his matching dress shirt is well made, the collar and cuffs stiff and crisp.
He glances over his right shoulder, meets my gaze, and I inhale sharply. His eyes are as dark as his ensemble, his nose flattened and his chin square. Everything about him screams power, strength, vitality, and the woman in me responds, my nipples tightening, pressing against the blazer of my favorite lavender suit.
My behemoth returns his gaze to the frazzled barista and I exhale, my head spinning. It has been years since I’ve allowed myself to notice a man, to think about what I want, what I need. My fingers tremble as I smooth my flared skirt. I want this stranger desperately, more than I’ve ever wanted anyone in my life.
This is a problem, as I have no idea how to snag his attention. My last date took place when I was seventeen and I suspect flashing my breasts at a pep rally won’t land me this sophisticated man. I chew on the inside of my cheek, having no other clever ideas.
I ponder my next steps, and my stranger moves away from the front counter, clasping a cup of coffee with his thick fingers. He ordered plain black coffee, no cream, no sugar, no whipped cream, and hell no to the chocolate sprinkles. My father likes his coffee the same way.
My mystery man stops at the lid and stir stick island and a stout man wearing mismatched jacket and pants rushes to the counter, barking his order at the disheveled barista. The rest of us shuffle forward in line. The tall skinny brunette behind me pleads into her sparkly pink phone, begging her boyfriend to give her one more chance. She’ll be the girl he needs, she promises. She’ll lose those last five pounds.
I don’t know where she’ll lose those five pounds. She’s already as thin as a yard of fine silk ribbon. I look down at my more ample bosom, my breasts wrapped snugly in the blazer.
“No, please.” The brunette sobs. “Derek! Derek!” She glances at her phone’s small screen and her face crumples. My heart aches for her. She doesn’t know how to hide her sorrow, not like I do. I can help her with this.
I touch the girl’s bare arm, diverting her attention away from her phone. “Who did your pedicure?” I feign an interest in her perfect pink toes. Although her beige sandals are adorably strappy, my goal is to distract her from her grief. “I have to know,” I insist.
The brunette wipes away her tears with the back of her hand. “I-I-I.”
I glance around us fervently as though I’m afraid someone will overhear us. The behemoth is watching me, his dark eyes glinting with intelligence. Some people think big men are dumb. Some people also think blonde women are stupid and no one should wear pink at a funeral. I learned long ago to ignore some people.
“Look at what happened to me on the flight here.” I slip my right foot out of my lavender pumps and I wiggle my big toe. A huge chip of coral polish has flaked off, revealing raw nail. “I rushed for a flight, banged into a baggage cart and that was it. My pedicure was ruined.”
The brunette’s red-rimmed eyes widen. “That’s terrible.”
“It’s a disaster.” I ignore the behemoth’s shaking shoulders. He doesn’t understand. My mystery man has the strength to deal with loss directly. He doesn’t need to pretend, to use trivial distractions as a means to cope. He would never travel across an entire country seeking to escape his sadness.
“I’m in a strange city,” I explain. “I have so many cute sandals and I can’t wear them.” I shove my foot back into my shoe, hiding the offending toe.
As we exchange information and bad salon stories, the behemoth leaves. I watch his broad shoulders disappear into the L.A. sunshine and I feel as though I’ve lost a piece of my soul, a part of my future.
Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly using his network of cameras and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, his scarred hands and huge size have resulted in him being feared by everyone… almost everyone.
Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss’s wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses, and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken.
Kat likes to be watched. Henley can’t look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?
Pre-order Now For 99 Cents: http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-An-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO
December 17, 2013
What Does Your Coffee Say About You?
Henley and Kat, the hero and heroine in Flashes Of Me, first meet in a coffee shop. Kat notices Henley’s order (He ordered plain black coffee, no cream, no sugar, no whipped cream, and hell no to the chocolate sprinkles.) and she makes some assumptions about his personality. Kat, in contrast, orders a “small coffee, two creams, three sugars, extra whipped cream, and hell yes to the chocolate sprinkles.”
So what does YOUR coffee say about you?
Plain black coffee: You’re a purist valuing efficiency. You don’t like any fuss, any complications. Give you the facts and only the facts and you’re happy.
Coffee with cream and sugar: You’re a comfort seeker and you like to make people happy. When you’re offered something, you take it. It might not be good for you but you’d rather harm yourself than make others unhappy.
Mocha: You like a little bit of everything. You flavor your life with a dash of this and a dash of that. You’d prefer to eat dessert first and live for today.
Latte: You’re classy. Simply saying the word latte makes you feel sophisticated. You’re carrying the latest purse, shopping at the hottest stores.
Iced Coffee: You’re playful and fun. Everyone wants you at their parties. You tell the craziest jokes and are the first person on the dance floor.
A grande cafe mocha, no sugar, no whipped cream, extra dry, with half skim, half full milk: You’re very sensitive and very particular. You tend to be a perfectionist. You’d rather drink nothing than drink the wrong thing.
Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly using his network of cameras and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, his scarred hands and huge size have resulted in him being feared by everyone… almost everyone.
Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss’s wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses, and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken.
Kat likes to be watched. Henley can’t look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?
Pre-order Now For 99 Cents: http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-An-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO
December 15, 2013
Interview With Declan Sands
I sat down (virtually) with Declan Sands for a short interview. Declan’s latest release is Private Research, a sexy Contemporary Romance.
Cynthia Sax: What do you love about Oh! Hoaley Night!?
Declan Sands: I absolutely love the Christmas season. And I love small town mysteries, so what could be better than a small town mystery at Christmastime? Like many people, part of my history with the season involves traveling home to be with my family at Christmas. That was the inspiration for Oh! Hoaley Night!. In the first 3 books of the series, there wasn’t a lot of information about Adam’s family. He’s moved away from the small town in Southern Indiana where he was born and raised and rarely visits his parents. Adam and his dad haven’t always seen eye to eye on things and, rather than work things out, they’ve pretty much just avoided each other whenever possible. But, as we’ve all experienced, it’s hard to avoid each other during the holidays! This forced togetherness sometimes brings about revelations we might not otherwise have faced. That’s the setting for the story, but when Adam arrives in his home town of Candlelight, Indiana, things get even more complicated. There’s a dead body in the manger of the living crèche, and Adam’s dad appears to be the chief suspect.
Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from Oh! Hoaley Night!?
Declan Sands: My favorite line from the book is the opening line. Because it pretty much sums up how painful it can be spending extended family time during the holidays:
“That’s crazy talk, Ads. Visiting your family is not like being castrated with a rusty can opener.” #:0)
Cynthia Sax: Where is Oh! Hoaley Night! set?
Declan Sands: As I mentioned above, Oh! Hoaley Night! is set in a small town in southern Indiana at Christmastime. I’ve always loved writing about small towns. They’re a whole entity of their own. Just as a large city has a unique pulse and flavor, small towns have a totally different feel to them that I find fascinating. In a small town everybody knows everybody else, and probably has from birth onward. Most of the inhabitants of a small town have some kind of history with your characters and, probably due to the innate nosiness bred into this kind of setting, most people will have some kind of secret they’re trying to keep. It can make for really fascinating fiction, especially in a murder mystery!
Cynthia Sax: Is Oh! Hoaley Night! part of a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?
Declan Sands: Oh! Hoaley Night! is Book 4 in my Hoale Construction Mysteries series. I’ll definitely be writing more books in this series, in fact I’ve already started penning the next one, tentatively entitled By All That’s Hoaley.
Thank you, Declan Sands, for joining us today!
Declan Sands’s Website: http://www.declansands.com/
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Sometimes going home is clarifying. Sometimes it’s just plain deadly!
Adam travels to Candlelight, Indiana to visit his parents for Christmas. When he arrives he discovers somebody has killed a man and dumped him in the manger of the living crèche at the local church. Unfortunately, all signs lead back to Adam’s father as the murderer. A Sheriff with a grudge and a small town more interested in gossip than reality, convince Adam that it will be up to him and the gang to clear his father’s name.
Buy From Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GTMQEKS
Buy From ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ohhoaleynight-1352639-149.html
Buy From B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oh-hoaley-night-declan-sands/1117542756
December 13, 2013
Passionate By Moonbeam On USA Today Blog
Passionate By Moonbeam was mentioned on the USA Today blog!
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2013/12/12/paranormal-romance-new-releases/3995723/
Passionate By Moonbeam
Cynthia Sax
Vern has dedicated himself to healing his people, seeking to prove his worth. He faces an uphill battle to claim Winona, a human astrobiologist. While Vern’s days are filled with hard work, his nights are spent engaging in steamy online encounters with his lusty human.
He tells himself he can wait to touch her, taste her, love her…until enemy forces attack Earth. Now Vern will do anything to keep her safe. He will defy his Rulers, storm across a carnage-filled battlefield, take Win in every way a woman can be taken.
Buy Now: http://www.ellorascave.com/passionate-by-moonbeam.html
Buy Now On ARe:https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-passionatebymoonbeam-1370431-340.html
Buy Now On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Passionate-Moonbeam-4-Alien-Abductions-ebook/dp/B00H9F0F1S
December 11, 2013
Avon Facebook Holiday Party
The Avon Holiday Party is on Friday!
https://www.facebook.com/events/600062096726032
There will be prizes, many, many, MANY prizes.
(Reading buddies know the issues I have with contests and only having one winner – grins)
There will also be laughter, VERY bad jokes, and some of the sexy-sexy.
I’m hosting from 4:30 to 5:00 pm EST.
Henley from Flashes Of Me has promised to show up. He’ll be working security, frisking rowdy guests with his big scarred hands (yum!).
Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly using his network of cameras and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, his scarred hands and huge size have resulted in him being feared by everyone… almost everyone.
Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss’s wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses, and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken.
Kat likes to be watched. Henley can’t look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?
Pre-order Now For 99 Cents: http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-An-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO
December 8, 2013
Upcoming Releases
Yes, I haven’t had an update in a while but that’s because I’ve been writing like a fiend (hopped up on Nutella)!
Here are the stories you’ll be seeing in the near future
Avon Impulse
Flashes of Me, the approximately 200 page contemporary erotic romance with Henley (from The Seen Trilogy) and Kat, is now available for pre-orders! http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-An-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO The price is a crazy low 99 cents. Flashes of Me is releasing February 11th.
Breaking All The Rules, the approximately 200 page contemporary erotic romance with crazy Camille aka Goth girl (from The Seen Trilogy) and Nate, is also available for pre-orders! http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-All-Rules-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXY The price is the same 99 cents and this story is releasing February 18th.
Ellora’s Cave
Passionate by Moonbeam, the fourth and final story in the Moonbeam series (the other three stories being Lust by Moonbeam, Ravished by Moonbeam, and Exposed by Moonbeam), released on Friday. http://www.ellorascave.com/passionate-by-moonbeam.html Yes, this is Fixer Vern’s story. I know many reading buddies wanted his story and I’m glad I told it. This is my favorite of all four stories.
Alien Tryst, the second story in the Tattooed Tryst series, has been written and submitted to my wonderful editor. This tells the story of Kane and Essie. I suspect it will release either in January or February.
Tryst Denied, the third and final story in the Tattooed Tryst series, has also been written and submitted to my editor. This is Raff’s story. I know many reading buddies have been waiting for his story. This will likely release in February or March. (I have no control over release dates).
All of my SciFi erotic romance series have been wrapped up which means that I’m working on a NEW SERIES! Woot! I’m super excited about this series and wrote the first chapter in the first story last week.
Other Projects
I was invited to contribute a sexy contemporary erotic romance novella (100 pages approximately) to a print anthology. I don’t yet know when this will be releasing.
December 2, 2013
Cyber Monday Sales
All of my titles are 50% off after Rebate at ARe for TODAY (Cyber Monday) only. The Buy 10, get 1 free promotion still applies. (Pro tip: I buy one book at a time, using the rebate to pay for the next book – this is how I purchased over 100 books last year – yeah, I have a bit of a reading habit)
And yes, this means you can buy the entire Seen Trilogy for $1.50!
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/store...
***
He Watches Me From Cynthia Sax
She desires to be seen. He wants to watch.
Anna Sampson has a naughty secret. Every night, she slips into her neighbor’s yard and swims naked in his pool. She fantasizes that the dynamic young billionaire watches her nightly nude aquatics, his brilliant green eyes gleaming with lust.
She discovers this isn’t pure fantasy. Gabriel Blaine has been watching her via his security cameras, and now that he has returned to L.A., he doesn’t plan to stop. That’s all he wants—to watch. Anna knows she shouldn’t allow him and she certainly shouldn’t want more, but she craves Blaine’s attention, needing his gaze fixed on her body.
Part One of The Seen Trilogy
Buy On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/He-Watches-Me-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00CD36FS8
Buy On Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/he-watches-me-cynthia-sax/1115122850
Buy On Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/he-watches-me
Buy On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hewatchesme-1223674-149.html
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He Touches Me From Cynthia Sax
His touch enflames her desires.
Anna Sampson has allowed billionaire businessman Gabriel Blaine to watch her, all of her. And looking is all he’s done—until now. After giving him permission to touch her, Anna realizes she won’t be satisfied until she has all of this handsome and secretive man.
Soon she tempts him, shreds his control, and pushes him too far. Blaine’s reluctance to take her virginity frustrates Anna. He fulfills her fantasy, but what is their reality together?
Part Two of The Seen Trilogy
Buy On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/He-Touches-Me-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00CD36FVA
Buy On Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/he-touches-me-cynthia-sax/1115122851
Buy On Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/he-touches-me
Buy On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hetouchesme-1226413-149.html
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He Claims Me From Cynthia Sax
A billionaire’s desires and a virgin’s wish to be claimed come together.
Two men want Anna Sampson. Gabriel Blaine is powerful, intelligent, the CEO of a successful company, and a billionaire. He’s watched her, touched her, encouraged her to become a strong, independent woman, a woman unafraid of her desires.
Now secrets from the past are exposed, threatening Anna’s freedom and safety. Will the man she loves stand by her side, or will he desert her, leaving Anna once again to face the future alone?
The searing climax of The Seen Trilogy.
Buy On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/He-Claims-Me-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00CD36FTW
Buy On Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/he-claims-me-cynthia-sax/1115122852
Buy On Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/he-claims-me
Buy On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heclaimsme-1228063-148.html
November 26, 2013
Wayback Wednesday-Exposed By Moonbeam
EXPOSED BY MOONBEAM
By Cynthia Sax
Now Available From Ellora’s Cave
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For months, the mysterious Ary has been teasing Storm with sexy tales of aliens. The intrepid reporter arrives in Moonbeam to investigate the story, and within hours of meeting the aristocratic Ary, Storm sees, feels and tastes his hard, vibrating proof. She’ll do anything to keep her source happy, including voyaging to the ends of the known universes to nail an exclusive.
Ary, a ruling prince of Sila, prides himself on being cool and unattached. Storm’s constantly moving mouth tests that resolve. Under her enticing touch, Ary’s primitive passions erupt, releasing his inner beast, freeing him from the restraints of tradition.
Not all Silans are happy their ruler has a mate and the enemy is poised, ready to attack. The last story Storm covers could be her own.
Buy Now: http://www.ellorascave.com/exposed-by-moonbeam.html
Buy Now On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Exposed-Moonbeam-Alien-Abductions-ebook/dp/B009IQNMQQ
Buy Now On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-exposedbymoonbeam-964621-340.html
***
“This Moonbeam place is in the middle of nowhere.” Howard, the television station’s most experienced cameraman, hunched over the steering wheel and peered through the bug-splattered windshield, the van’s headlights illuminating the lonely stretch of highway. Tall pine trees lined the pavement, their fresh scent mixing with the aroma of coffee. Stars sparkled above them, a vivid reminder that they might not be alone in the universe, a theory Storm would soon confirm.
“What are you going to do if your source doesn’t show?” Howard’s wrinkled face twisted into a scowl.
“My source will show,” Storm assured her overprotective friend. “He was scheduled to arrive in Moonbeam a week ago last Friday.” She glanced at the tiny screen of her handheld. Still no messages. “Don’t worry.”
“I have to worry because you’ve taken no precautions. Meeting with a strange man in a strange place.” He clucked his tongue. “Not everyone is your friend, Storm.”
“No one is my friend.” She recited her new mantra, undeterred by Howard’s worrying, an investigative reporter’s job to venture where others feared to tread. “I’m cool, calm and detached.”
“Right.” The older man snorted. “Who are you trying to be—Brenda?”
Storm’s face heated. “She did land the fulltime position with that attitude. Or it could have been her perfect blonde hair or her extensive coverage of the war in the Middle East that did it.” She nibbled on her bottom lip, a nasty habit she had been unable to break. “I need a war.”
“You’d cry over every death.” Howard reached over and patted her hand, his comment unfortunately true, her sympathy serving as a liability in the news business. “If your source has spent the last two weeks and a day in Moonbeam, why hasn’t he emailed you? How well do you know this guy?”
“Well enough.” She shrugged, unwilling to admit her fascination with the mysterious Arystokrata Nazwisko extended past the potentially groundbreaking story. “We’ve been in contact online for months. He claims communicating close to the rendezvous date is a security risk.” She sighed softly, missing their correspondence, Ary’s detailed stories of exotic alien worlds the highlight of her day.
Storm stared out the window at the night sky. Win says his stories are plausible and she’s the best astrobiologist I know. A meteor shot across the blackness. Is there truly life out there?
“Security risk? You’re meeting in Moonbeam, the Roswell of the North.” Howard tugged at his thin gray ponytail. “If he was so concerned about security, you’d think he would put more thought into the location.”
“Who says he didn’t? It’s the perfect site if he wants this initial encounter kept off the record,” Storm guessed, not knowing Ary’s reasoning. They exited Highway 11 and she leaned forward. The small town appeared dark and deserted, the ideal backdrop for a midnight exchange of top-secret information. “No one would believe he met with me here.” Especially with proof aliens exist.
It would be proof only she’d have access to, Ary promising her exclusivity. Storm’s lips curled upward as she envisioned her gracious acceptance of the News And Documentary Emmy Award, her proud journalism professors and jealous rivals standing in the audience, clapping enthusiastically and murmuring about how she broadened their horizons, making a difference in the world.
“Your source is right about no one believing you.” Howard interrupted her reverie. “It’s hard to take a town known for aliens seriously.” The van rolled to a stop in front of the town’s landmark, an illuminated, silver nine-foot-tall model of a UFO. “What did I tell you?” He waved his hand at the empty space. “There’s not one car in the parking lot.”
“He’ll show,” Storm repeated, trusting Ary to keep his word.
“And when he does, I’ll be here to film your meeting.” Howard unbuckled his seatbelt. “I’m not leaving you in the dark alone.”
“You’re leaving me because the station will have your ass if you stay. Freelancers aren’t assigned cameramen, you know that.” Storm summoned a smile, irked by her lowly status. “And you have a forest fire you need to film.”
“The forest fire can wait,” Howard groused.
“No, it can’t. Don’t blow this opportunity for me.” She wagged her index finger at him. “I need this. I don’t want to be covering human interest stories forever.”
“You like human-interest stories.”
“I want to make a difference.” Storm pleaded for her friend to understand, needing to do this, to prove she was a great reporter. Howard opened his mouth and she rushed to clarify. “A big difference. That’s my dream, my destiny, what I know I’m meant to do.”
Howard sighed. “Who am I to hold you back from your dreams?”
“Thank you.” She opened the door and hopped down, her sturdy military boots crunching on the gravel surface. “I’ll be begging you for editing assistance on this story.” Storm swung her heavy backpack over one of her shoulders. “Consider yourself warned.”
“You do that.” Howard shook his head, chuckling. “And call me if you need help. Remember—”
“We cover the news, we don’t make it,” Storm recited and she laughed, closing the door with a solid thud. “Now get going before you scare my source.”
Howard waved as he drove away, a smile on his weathered face. Storm watched the dented cube van until it faded from view. A peculiar clicking noise filled the night air.
“I’ll filter that out of the audio afterward,” she noted. “Don’t let it bother you, Storm. Be professional, unemotional.” She checked the time on the handheld. She was six minutes early. “Audio.” Storm flicked the recording feature on and the handheld beeped. “Check.”
She walked to the flying saucer and stood directly underneath it, as instructed. “I’m in position.” She plunked her backpack down and scanned her surroundings. The landmark was isolated from the rest of the town, with no houses built nearby. Shadows stretched across the freshly mowed grass, providing plenty of places for her contact, Arystokrata Nazwisko, to hide.
I trust him. Storm rolled her shoulders back, her joints cracking. He didn’t spend months sending me hundreds of messages simply to lure me to a remote northern town and kill me.
She extracted her compact from the backpack and primped, pushing back wayward strands of red hair, her short curls never falling perfectly in place as Brenda’s longer, light-catching golden tendrils did. Storm grimaced, her untamable hair adding more stress to an already stressful situation.
“Not that I have video.” She twisted her lips. “I should have asked for permission to record video.” An unusually large meteor flashed across the midnight sky. “Brenda would have asked for permission.” Storm tucked the compact away and wiped her moist palms on her khaki cargo pants. The annoying clicking noise increased in volume.
“Storm Mackenzie?” The voice was male and disappointingly nasally, Storm expecting Ary’s voice to be deeper and sexier. A shadow separated from the others.
She narrowed her eyes, peering into the darkness, the silhouette strange, almost insect-like. “I’m Storm Mackenzie. Is that you, Arystokrata Nazwisko?” She was proud of how the difficult name fluidly flowed off her tongue, having practiced the pronunciation for hours.
“No.” He stepped into the light and she gasped. The man…creature resembled a giant red ant, guns unlike any she’d ever seen clasped in his four hands.
Don’t run. Storm’s flesh crawled and her heart beat frantically in her chest. Great reporters don’t run. She inhaled, counted to five and exhaled.
It’s a story. It isn’t real. Film the story. Storm fumbled with her handheld, found the video function, and activated it, positioning the camera to frame the ant man. An ant man. She trembled with excitement and fear. “W-w-who are you and what do you want?”
“I am a Mravenec warrior. I want you, Storm Mackenzie, mate of Ruler Arystokrata Nazwisko, and I want revenge upon all of Sila.” He pointed one of the guns at her feet and tapped a button. Red electricity flared from the muzzle and snapped toward her.
“Shit.” She jumped backward. The energy curled around her ankles, binding them together. She stumbled and toppled over, landing with a thump on her ass, the grass cushioning her fall, her handheld remaining in her hands.
“I’ve been captured.” Storm’s voice wavered, her fear audible and unprofessional. Be cold, calm and detached. “The electricity doesn’t hurt.” Do your job. Report on the news. “I feel numb.” She wiggled her toes within her boots. “I can’t break the bond. It must be some sort of super strong alien technology.”
The giant ant man approached, his antennae twitching and his jaws clicking as they snapped open and shut. “He’s coming for me.” Storm wiggled away from him, seeing no kindness reflected in his forbidding insect face and having no desire for a posthumous Emmy Award.
“You’re mistaken, Mr. Warrior,” she called to him. “I’m not Ruler Arystokrata Nazwisko’s mate. He’s my source.” The ant’s expression remained blank. “He’s my contact and that’s all,” she explained, frantic to stop him. “We haven’t even met, not in person, so if you’re thinking to trade me or hold me for ransom, he won’t negotiate, not for me.” The ant pointed a larger, more deadly looking gun at her head, and a trickle of perspiration slid down her spine. “I’m nothing to him.”
“You are everything to me, my Storm,” a stranger yelled, his inhumanly deep voice rumbling through her body.
A flaming fireball slammed into the giant ant and flung him to the side, severing one of his arms, the limb twitching on the lawn. An even larger creature darted toward her, teeny tiny guns clutched in his big hands. The newcomer’s skin glimmered with two colors of green, ridges cascaded down his bald skull, and every inch of him rippled with muscles.
“This is what an alien should look like.”
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November 24, 2013
Join The Cynsations!
Did you know that I have a street team?
I started the Cynsations because I wanted to thank and reward reading buddies who help spread the word about my stories.
Every week, we have a mission. This mission could be to retweet an announcement, share a Facebook post or tell your worst Halloween joke. This takes mere minutes and are likely things you’d do anyway.
Every month, one of these missions will have a reward attached to it. Cynsations also hear about stories, read blurbs, see covers first. You’re truly part of my team.
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