Cynthia Sax's Blog, page 7

Muse Food – Hong Kong And Unexpected Art

These stairs in front of a park in Hong Kong was artwork the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I didn’t expect to see.

Many officials in other cities would have left the stairs a plain, rather ugly gray, the color of the cement. That would ‘save money.’ It would be simpler to maintain. There’s less risk of it turning out terribly.

Hong Kong administrators allowed an artist to use it as a canvas. And that says a lot about Hong Kong and the people living there. They value art. They value beauty. They care enough to make their surroundings gorgeous.

Your description of your story’s setting communicates a lot also. It sets the mood. It conveys the values of the beings living there…or the absence of beings.

Setting is a character. Use it to better tell your story.

Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – June 1

Black cats always seem to have vivid personalities.

And this kitty the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I encountered in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is no exception to this ‘rule’.

Look at the curl in his tail!

(grins)

Welcome to June, my friends! This is one of my favorite months mainly because it lands close to half way in the year. 2025 is almost 50% over and we’re creeping closer to 2026. I find that very exciting.

Have a wonderful week. (big hugs) Celebrate the things you have already accomplished this year. The biggest accomplishment and the MOST important one, some might argue the ONLY important accomplishment, is surviving thus far. That’s HUGE. And well worthy of celebration!

***

Cyborg Sizzle Homeland Omnibus

Cyborgs will do anything to protect their Homeland.
* * *
The cyborgs have claimed their Homeland but that has come at a cost. As they reconcile with their pasts, they seek to manufacture happier futures with the females they’re destined to love and cherish forever.
This omnibus includes three stories in the Cyborg Sizzle series: Taking Vengeance, The Cyborg’s Secret Baby and Dark Arsenal.
All of these Cyborg Romances are set in a dark, gritty, often violent universe.

Taking Vengeance

The only force stronger than their hate is their love.
Vengeance hates all humans. They killed every being he ever cared about. When the huge C Model cyborg is told he’s genetically compatible with the enemy, he makes it his mission to capture the female and use her to expel all humans from his home planet.

The Cyborg’s Secret Baby

A fierce cyborg warrior and his curvy human female share a no-longer-so-little secret.
Stealth, a K Model cyborg, knows his passion for Zebrina, the commander’s human daughter, is forbidden, yet he can’t resist the curvy female. He craves her touch, cherishes her sounds of pleasure, would do anything to keep her safe.

Dark Arsenal

A cyborg warrior and a Rebel female’s first mission together might be their last.
Arsenal considers himself to be a disposable cyborg. He drifts from assignment to assignment, forming no connections to anything or anyone. When the cyborg council requires a warrior for a high-risk mission, Arsenal volunteers. He believes no one will miss him if he dies. He doesn’t realize he’s one female’s fantasy.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/Cyborg-Homeland-Omnibus-Romance-Continuum-ebook/dp/B0DVQF51ZG

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyborg-Homeland-Omnibus-Romance-Continuum-ebook/dp/B0DVQF51ZG

Amazon AU:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Cyborg-Homeland-Omnibus-Romance-Continuum-ebook/dp/B0DVQF51ZG

Amazon Canada:

https://www.amazon.ca/Cyborg-Homeland-Omnibus-Romance-Continuum-ebook/dp/B0DVQF51ZG

Apple Books:

https://books.apple.com/us/book-series/cyborg-romance-continuum/id1488934279

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/cyborg-sizzle-homeland-omnibus

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1700426

Encourage Another Being Today

(We didn’t take a photo of the hornet. This is a photo of a bumblebee on the zinnia plant taken last year.)

We found a hornet in our bathroom. She had likely overwintered in the walls somewhere and then had exited the wrong way, going deeper into our home instead of leaving it.

She was moving VERY slowly. We thought she was dying.

But the Dear Wonderful Hubby gently captured her and we took her outside. We released her in the rose bed, in the sun, by some greenery.

Moments later, she flew off.

A few more moments passed and we spotted her happily flying and landing around the front yard, exploring the grasses, and terrain.

She hadn’t been dying.

She had been tired.

And discouraged.

(Because she couldn’t figure out how to escape our bathroom.)

We all need encouragement and help from time to time. This is especially true now.

If that is you today, know that you CAN survive this. You CAN tackle any bad situation. You ARE loved and you make this world a much better place.

Don’t give up!

Hanging Out On The ‘Boardwalk’ In Dubai

There is an awesome running/walking path that runs along a beach in Dubai. It is the equivalent of a boardwalk or a malecon and is a destination for many locals and travelers on beautiful outside-friendly days.

The running path is made with spongy materials. The surface is cushiony and easy on the feet to walk on.

We walked much of it.

We also people watched at the 2km point.

There are benches and other seating with shade set up along the running path. We claimed one of them.

As we sat, we watched kind souls feed and water the feral cats.

We watched Moms push their kids in strollers. We watched some toddlers have absolute meltdowns over seemingly nothing.

THAT is universal.

(grins)

We also watched QUITE a few new runners make it victoriously to the 2k point.

And then call a taxi or car to pick them up.

(laughs)

The taxi drivers knew. There was always a taxi waiting.

Throwback Thursday – Warlord Unarmed

What happens when a hunky tech-savvy barbarian Warlord crashes on a planet with a curvy administrative-wonder of a human female?

They fall in love.

(smiles)

Warlord Unarmed

Protected by the Barbarian Warrior
* * *
Murad, a technology-loving Chamele Warlord, has to track down and eliminate a rogue warrior before that male ends Murad’s reign. Permanently.

When a pieced-together wreck of a ship enters the sector without authorization, Murad assumes it is piloted by an ally of his enemy and decides to blow the battered vessel out of open space.

Then he hears the voice of its sole occupant and his orders and his priorities immediately shift. The captain of the ship is his gerel, the one female he’s genetically compatible with—the light to his darkness, his future, his everything.

He will protect her…even if it costs him his life.

Bounty hunter Gale doesn’t want or need protection. She has entered Chamele space on a rescue mission. A tall, muscular, half-naked barbarian with humor-lit eyes and gentle hands won’t distract her from that purpose, no matter what he tries.

A broken ship and an enemy focused on revenge do interfere with her plans. Gale’s goal changes from saving a friend to saving herself. The only being who can increase her chances of survival is the one Warlord she can’t resist.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V6LWGT3

Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V6LWGT3

Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07V6LWGT3

Apple:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlord-unarmed/id1472428313

Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-unarmed-1

Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/948299

Gardening And Food Insecurities

When I was a kid, we didn’t eat every day. Yes, here in Canada. We were severely poor and we were living out in the country, far away from easily accessible food banks.

As a result of that experience, I have food insecurities.

I think almost everyone who has been hungry for an entire day or more deals with this issue.

It is one of the (many) reasons I LOVE gardening season.

Whenever I get overwhelmed with food insecurities, I go outside, look at the growing plants and…I usually plant a few more seeds.

Those vegetable seeds could produce food for the future. That calms me. As does touching the soil and feeling that richness under my fingers.

Gardening gives me that serenity during these turbulent times.

(smiles)

Fairyland Beach In The Seychelles

When we were in the Seychelles, the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I took a very harrowing bus ride to Fairyland Beach.

The beach was AWESOME. The snorkeling was only okay.

But the vibe was amazing.

Locals were sitting under the trees playing guitars and singing. Their kids were exploring. One fisherman came back to land with a huge octopus (it was dead by the time that happened so there was no saving that poor creature). He showed it to the kids, allowing them to see it and touch it, before putting it in a bag filled with ice.

Muse Food – Hong Kong And Trees

In any major city, we often see sites like this one in Hong Kong – a tree or plant growing where it seems impossible for it to grow, trying to reclaim part of the terrain.

This happens almost everywhere on Earth.

There are stories of nature reclaiming the land around Chernobyl, for example. And the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I often joke that the super aggressive vine in our yard would devour our home completely in less than a decade.

Life WILL take over a vacated spot. That life could be plants or insects or bacteria or…something else.

I remember that when I’m writing about deserted planets or outposts. Those places are unlikely to look exactly like they had looked when the last human or humanoid left. Other lifeforms will move in and the places will change.

Our stories should address that.

Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – May 25

Look at the markings on this cat in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! He looks like he’s been digitized! (grins)

I didn’t write much this week. I was spending time with the Dear Wonderful Hubby and in the garden. Everything is growing, growing. The birds sing every morning. The Mafia Squirrels throw peanuts at me and criticize my gardening. (laughs) It is a sliver of paradise in the city.

Have a wonderful week, my friends. (big hugs) Find your sliver of paradise. That could be in your nice comfy bed, under the covers. Or in a quiet reading nook in the neighborhood library. Or on a park bench near your workplace. We can all benefit from having a serene, peaceful place we can escape to!

***

Cyborg Sizzle Homeland Omnibus

Cyborgs will do anything to protect their Homeland.
* * *
The cyborgs have claimed their Homeland but that has come at a cost. As they reconcile with their pasts, they seek to manufacture happier futures with the females they’re destined to love and cherish forever.
This omnibus includes three stories in the Cyborg Sizzle series: Taking Vengeance, The Cyborg’s Secret Baby and Dark Arsenal.
All of these Cyborg Romances are set in a dark, gritty, often violent universe.

Taking Vengeance

The only force stronger than their hate is their love.
Vengeance hates all humans. They killed every being he ever cared about. When the huge C Model cyborg is told he’s genetically compatible with the enemy, he makes it his mission to capture the female and use her to expel all humans from his home planet.

The Cyborg’s Secret Baby

A fierce cyborg warrior and his curvy human female share a no-longer-so-little secret.
Stealth, a K Model cyborg, knows his passion for Zebrina, the commander’s human daughter, is forbidden, yet he can’t resist the curvy female. He craves her touch, cherishes her sounds of pleasure, would do anything to keep her safe.

Dark Arsenal

A cyborg warrior and a Rebel female’s first mission together might be their last.
Arsenal considers himself to be a disposable cyborg. He drifts from assignment to assignment, forming no connections to anything or anyone. When the cyborg council requires a warrior for a high-risk mission, Arsenal volunteers. He believes no one will miss him if he dies. He doesn’t realize he’s one female’s fantasy.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/Cyborg-Homeland-Omnibus-Romance-Continuum-ebook/dp/B0DVQF51ZG

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyborg-Homeland-Omnibus-Romance-Continuum-ebook/dp/B0DVQF51ZG

Amazon AU:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Cyborg-Homeland-Omnibus-Romance-Continuum-ebook/dp/B0DVQF51ZG

Amazon Canada:

https://www.amazon.ca/Cyborg-Homeland-Omnibus-Romance-Continuum-ebook/dp/B0DVQF51ZG

Apple Books:

https://books.apple.com/us/book-series/cyborg-romance-continuum/id1488934279

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/cyborg-sizzle-homeland-omnibus

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1700426

The Importance Of Honor And Trust

The heroes in my stories rarely lie. And when they DO lie, their heroines can usually detect those lies.

That is because I believe love has a very challenging time growing and lasting if there is no trust.

The billionaire heroes in my contemporary romances (like One And Done) have an additional reason not to lie.

That’s because business relies on trust. It relies on honor. It relies on adhering to contracts everyone involved has agreed upon.

Stars. The entire concept of physical money is everyone agrees it is worth a certain value. If we don’t agree to that and keep to that agreement, a dollar bill is just a piece of paper.

That is why punishments should be and HAVE TO BE applied to anyone, at any level in business, who breaks agreements.

This trust is fragile. And once that trust, that honor is gone, businesses WILL collapse. The economy WILL collapse.

My billionaire heroes definitely don’t want that to happen!

He wants one night. I want forever.

Hit it and quit it—that’s Smoke Sheridan’s relationship philosophy. The tall, dark, and dangerous club owner never spends more than one night with any woman. He seduces the broken-hearted, leaving them with smiles on their faces and a sexual confidence other men can’t resist.

I need his services.

My boyfriend of four years dumped me because I’m a lousy lay. Smoke can help me win him back, teach me how to make my man writhe in ecstasy. I’ll show him such bliss, he’ll bellow my name in the dark of the night, want me with an all-consuming desire.

This sounds like a great plan. Except I see the loneliness in Smoke’s eyes, feel the wistfulness in his touch, experience the wanting in his embrace. The player isn’t as shallow as he appears.

And I’ve never been good at letting go.

One And Done contains inappropriate humor, very bad pickup lines, a BBW heroine who doesn’t know what she’s doing and a player who thinks he does.
This is a standalone story.

Buy Now:
On Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/One-Done-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B01FOVMF70

On Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Done-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B01FOVMF70

On Amazon AU:  https://www.amazon.com.au/One-Done-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B01FOVMF70

On Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/one-and-done-1

On Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/636742