Under Strain And The Death Planet
Strain, the hero (though he wouldn’t consider himself one) of Under Strain, is dealing with emotional trauma. The worst planet rotation in his long existence, the source of that trauma, happened on, what he refers to as, the Death Planet.
Strain is a cyborg. He knows the name of that planet.
Yet he never ever uses it.
Why?
Because that would make the experience even more real for him, even more challenging to live with.
That’s also the reason why he doesn’t specifically name his cyborg brethren during his relaying of that planet rotation’s events. He knows their names, ALL their names, but he can’t handle that level of detail. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
And that’s okay.
We all deal with grief differently. (big hugs) We all have our own unique methods of coping. We all do what we have to do to get through trying times.
We all WILL get through it, however. We’ll find happiness again.
It might be a different type of happiness. Strain’s happiness post trauma doesn’t look exactly the same way happiness looked for him before the events on the Death Planet.
But he DOES find peace and joy and love.
And, along the way, courtesy of Grudge and Rancor and his female, he also has some laughs. (grins)
Cadet has both of her cyborg hands full managing her team. They are intent on causing chaos.
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Under Strain
A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.
***
Strain is severely malfunctioning. The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made by his cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is under his cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, and told to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.
That mission takes place on a small remote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they were sent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She is watching him, tracking him, hunting him.
A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.
Strain wants to claim her. Forever.
Kamyelle is the only one left of her kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of her planet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and covering herself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.
When a handsome, gray-skinned, brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she has to save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.
She won’t allow them to hurt Strain.
***
Under Strain is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a broken warrior, a human female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who view them both as light, tasty snacks.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08R322L7S
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/under-strain
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10602
Topics: Story Insights | Comments Off on Under Strain And The Death Planet
Under Strain – Second Scene Of The First Chapter
I’m sharing scenes from the first chapter of Under Strain as we wait for its release on May 11th.
You can read the first scene from the first chapter of Under Strain:
This week I’m sharing the second scene of that first chapter.
***
“Take one more step and I’ll stun you, D Model.” A C Model cyborg issued that warning.
The voice was familiar. Strain searched his damaged processors for a name.
Gain. No, Grudge.
He was one of his brethren, part of the cyborg retrieval team.
“Human.” Strain’s gaze remained fixed on his target, on the couple approaching the transport ship. Surely the male behind him could see the danger.
“She’s a human female.” Grudge didn’t lower his gun. “She isn’t a threat to us.”
Many cyborgs believed human females didn’t pose a danger to them.
Strain knew that assumption was incorrect…and dangerous. The commander’s female had shown him they could be as evil as their male counterparts.
The female had reveled in her power over him and his brethren. She had once whipped him down to his frame, had done the same to many of his fellow cyborgs. Warriors had been decommissioned, suffering the most painful death available, for the mere infraction of looking at her.
Human females weren’t to be underestimated.
Strain held his position, didn’t look away from the black-haired female.
“She is also that cyborg’s female.” Grudge pushed the muzzle of the gun harder into the back of Strain’s neck, that tinge of pain planting him more thoroughly in the present. “Malice had his nanocybotics boosted. You do not want to challenge him a second time. He’ll beat you into the ground.”
Strain wasn’t interested in challenging the warrior. The female was his focus.
“And there is no reason to attack them. Smell her.” That was a command, not a request. “She’s ours.”
Ours. Strain turned his head, looked at the female cyborg standing in the distance with a male cyborg and a blonde-haired human female.
Cadet. That was her name. She was their leader.
The female C Model wouldn’t approve of him attacking the black-haired human female…though he couldn’t process why she wouldn’t endorse that response.
He kept his gaze on the cyborg, using her presence as a diversion, and he scanned his databases for the reason.
Some humans were genetic matches for cyborg warriors. They were…ours. That was the term Cadet utilized for them.
And when those humans bonded with their warriors, they hosted their nanocybotics, became different, not cyborg but no longer human.
Strain breathed deeply. The scent of the male cyborg, Ghost, Cadet’s dad, clung to the blonde-haired human female, Cadet’s mom.
She was…ours, was no longer human, no longer a threat.
His organic brain cleared a bit more. The footage continued to replay again and again in his processors, but the screams were now a mere hum in the background. The images had dimmed and the bombardment on his senses was manageable.
He had regained control. Tautness eased from his form.
He permitted himself to look at the black-haired female, inhaled once more.
The female smelled of her warrior.
She was ours also.
“She’s not human.” His fingers flattened.
“She’s no longer human.” Grudge lowered his weapon. “I can’t 100.0000 percent process the damage you’ve endured. As you can’t 100.0000 percent process mine. But if you want to stay on the team, you have to repair yourself. Cadet won’t tolerate many more errors.”
Strain nodded, signaling his understanding. The Humanoid Alliance, their manufacturers, had tolerated zero errors. Cyborgs would be decommissioned, sliced apart, and stripped of parts, killed in the most painful method possible, if they made any mistakes.
He and his brethren were free now. But he didn’t expect their leader to accept less than perfection from the warriors under her command. It was an elite team. He was fortunate to be part of it.
And he would do anything to remain one of its members.
His jaw jutted. He had to repair himself.
“There are thousands of cyborgs unable to free themselves from the Humanoid Alliance’s clutches. Cadet will want to rescue those warriors as soon as possible.” The C Model slammed his purely mechanical hand down on Strain’s shoulder.
The impact would have flattened a human. Strain merely grimaced.
“We have to prepare the modified freighter for the next mission.” Grudge assigned that task to him.
Strain looked at the warrior. According to his calculations, there was only a 35.2563 percent probability he’d participate in that next mission.
“Utilizing tasks as a distraction assisted in my repairs.” Grudge shrugged. “That technique might work for you. And the modified freighter has to be readied.” He stomped up the ramp. “If you choose to remain part of this team, you would be wise to assist me.”
Strain’s gaze slid back to the black-haired human female.
She smiled up at her C Model, chattered about medic bays and offspring manufacturing humanoids. The weapons strapped to the cyborg’s body armor were too accessible to her.
Tension stretched across Strain’s shoulders. The screaming in his auditory system grew louder.
He hurried up the ramp, following Grudge before he lost control. Again.
***
Read the next scene (available April 26th) here:
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Under Strain
A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.
***
Strain is severely malfunctioning. The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made by his cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is under his cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, and told to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.
That mission takes place on a small remote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they were sent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She is watching him, tracking him, hunting him.
A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.
Strain wants to claim her. Forever.
Kamyelle is the only one left of her kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of her planet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and covering herself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.
When a handsome, gray-skinned, brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she has to save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.
She won’t allow them to hurt Strain.
***
Under Strain is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a broken warrior, a human female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who view them both as light, tasty snacks.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08R322L7S
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/under-strain
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10602
Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Under Strain – Second Scene Of The First Chapter
Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – April 18th
This week, as I wait for Baring Grudge to return from my Awesome Editor, I revised and expanded a short(er) romance featuring a lion shifter for an upcoming C.S. Sax collection. This story is set in a modern fantasy-like world. It resembles today’s Earth but shifters and magic exist in this world.
This upcoming collection will be SO much fun. The stories will be perfect for midday reading breaks or days when we’re too wound up to read anything longer. They are sexy and fun and all of them will have the expected happy romance endings.
This upcoming week, I will be revising and expanding a story featuring a tiger shifter hero. Yep. (grins) This will be a fun story also!
Fun is a treasured commodity. Whenever or wherever you find it, embrace it! And I hope you’ll find some fun this week. I’m wishing you smiles and laughter and many, many hugs. (big hugs)
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Under Strain
A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.
***
Strain is severely malfunctioning. The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made by his cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is under his cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, and told to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.
That mission takes place on a small remote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they were sent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She is watching him, tracking him, hunting him.
A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.
Strain wants to claim her. Forever.
Kamyelle is the only one left of her kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of her planet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and covering herself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.
When a handsome, gray-skinned, brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she has to save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.
She won’t allow them to hurt Strain.
***
Under Strain is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a broken warrior, a human female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who view them both as light, tasty snacks.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08R322L7S
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/under-strain
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10602
Topics: Cynthia Sax Weekly Update | Comments Off on Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – April 18th
Under Strain And Strain’s Name
The primary cyborg (he wouldn’t call himself a hero) in Under Strain is, of course, Strain.
Cyborgs are given a model type and number by the Humanoid Alliance, their cruel manufacturers. They give themselves their names.
And they expect only their brethren or beings aligned with cyborgs to ever use those names.
You and I might not choose a dark, emotionally-laden name like Strain. Strain, however, chose that name as a warning to his brethren—he is under extreme pressure. He is one wrong word or action away from losing control. They should be cautious around him, treat him carefully.
His name would be one of the first things he relays to others. His precarious situation is one of the first things others should know about him. He has meshed the two in his name.
Which is a logic we would expect from a cyborg. (grins)
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Under Strain
A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.
***
Strain is severely malfunctioning. The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made by his cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is under his cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, and told to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.
That mission takes place on a small remote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they were sent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She is watching him, tracking him, hunting him.
A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.
Strain wants to claim her. Forever.
Kamyelle is the only one left of her kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of her planet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and covering herself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.
When a handsome, gray-skinned, brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she has to save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.
She won’t allow them to hurt Strain.
***
Under Strain is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a broken warrior, a human female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who view them both as light, tasty snacks.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08R322L7S
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/under-strain
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10602
Topics: Story Insights | Comments Off on Under Strain And Strain’s Name
Under Strain And Avialans
Much of the action in Under Strain, the next Rebel Cyborgs story, happens on Rohini 9. I joke that Rohini 9 is the Jurassic Planet. The vegetation and many of the creatures remind me of how I imagine Earth was during that period.
One of the types of creatures on Rohini 9 are the avialans. The most well-known present day avialans on Earth are birds. Rohini 9’s avialans are similar to our birds. They are huge, however, brightly-colored and they sport teeth.
It made sense to me that if the planet had velociraptor-like creatures (the theropods), it would also have bird-like creatures (the avialans). These two creatures on Earth shared the same ancestors. One would evolve to dominate the ground and the other would evolve to dominate the skies.
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Under Strain
A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.
***
Strain is severely malfunctioning. The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made by his cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is under his cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, and told to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.
That mission takes place on a small remote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they were sent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She is watching him, tracking him, hunting him.
A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.
Strain wants to claim her. Forever.
Kamyelle is the only one left of her kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of her planet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and covering herself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.
When a handsome, gray-skinned, brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she has to save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.
She won’t allow them to hurt Strain.
***
Under Strain is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a broken warrior, a human female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who view them both as light, tasty snacks.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08R322L7S
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/under-strain
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10602
Topics: Story Insights | Comments Off on Under Strain And Avialans
Throwback Thursday – Dark Flight
The migratory birds have returned to my corner of the universe. They chirp happily all day and it is such a merry sound. They’re likely arguing or something like that. (grins) I don’t understand bird but I think they’re happy and I smile when I hear them.
Orol is the being I think of when the birds return. He’s the winged hero of Dark Flight, the second story in the Refuge/Dark Thoughts Series. This modified humanoid loves to fly.
Which means there are some steamy scenes with Rhea, his mate, in the air. Those were fun to write and I find them fun to read.
Dark Flight
His mission. His challenge. His forever.
Orol, the Refuge’s second-in-command, has been given what he believes is a simple mission—escort two human females to the settlement. The winged warrior arrives at the meeting site to find one of the females missing and the other aiming a gun at his head. To rescue the first, he must capture the second. Once he has Rhea in his talons, however, he realizes he never wants to let her go.
Her enemy. Her captor. Her everything.
Rhea doesn’t trust anyone. She certainly doesn’t follow commands issued by a gorgeous flying male with glittering eyes, a beautiful face, and a seductive touch. Orol is dominant, edged with darkness, and determined to find her sister. Rhea will do anything to prevent that, even if it means playing sensual games of submission with her powerful enemy, seducing him into forgetting everything except her.
Dark Flight is a STAND-ALONE SciFi Romance set in a gritty, dark world.
Buy Now:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Flight-Refuge-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07124941B/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Flight-Refuge-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07124941B/
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B07124941B
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/dark-flight/id1242494643
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-flight-cynthia-sax/1126484675
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dark-flight-3
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/727350
Topics: Throwback Thursday | Comments Off on Throwback Thursday – Dark Flight
Under Strain And Emerging From Lockdown
My section of the universe has been on lockdown forever (stay-at-home orders are sometimes sprinkled into the mix to add excitement). It is extremely rare that I interact in-person with anyone other than my super easy going Dear Wonderful Hubby.
Which means my social skills are a bit…rusty. (sheepish grin) They were never admittedly great. I’m an extreme introvert. Now, they’re a hot mess.
Often when I speak to people now, I skip the niceties and get straight to the point. I don’t ask how they are or introduce myself. I just say what I want to say, blurting out unusual questions and observations. (laughs) Yes, I’m a disaster. I’m trying to train myself not to do that.
Kamyelle, the heroine of Under Strain, has been on her own for a very, VERY long time. She hasn’t talked with a human or humanoid…or cyborg for many solar cycles. Her social skills are on par with mine. (grins) When she finally makes contact with others, she says whatever crosses her mind.
This makes her conversations with Strain and other super fun to ‘listen’ to. I smile thinking about them and I think you’ll enjoy them also.
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Under Strain
A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.
***
Strain is severely malfunctioning. The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made by his cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is under his cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, and told to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.
That mission takes place on a small remote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they were sent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She is watching him, tracking him, hunting him.
A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.
Strain wants to claim her. Forever.
Kamyelle is the only one left of her kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of her planet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and covering herself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.
When a handsome, gray-skinned, brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she has to save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.
She won’t allow them to hurt Strain.
***
Under Strain is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a broken warrior, a human female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who view them both as light, tasty snacks.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08R322L7S
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/under-strain
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10602
Topics: Story Insights | Comments Off on Under Strain And Emerging From Lockdown
Cyborg Sizzle Featured On Allie Ritch’s Site
Yay! The Cyborg Sizzle series has been featured on Allie Ritch’s online home. (Allie Ritch’s hot new SciFi Romance release is Carnal Fusion.)
Here is a snippet…
“I’ve followed her Cyborg Sizzle series from book one, Releasing Rage, and keep coming back for more. Green, Zip, Barrel, Surge, Chuckles, Stealth—there are so many cyborgs to love in her books. She has a way of making even the most battle-hardened warrior seem endearing.”
Read the full post here:
https://allieritch.wordpress.com/2021/04/09/favorite-sci-fi-by-loose-id-authors/
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Under Strain
A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.
***
Strain is severely malfunctioning. The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made by his cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is under his cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, and told to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.
That mission takes place on a small remote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they were sent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She is watching him, tracking him, hunting him.
A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.
Strain wants to claim her. Forever.
Kamyelle is the only one left of her kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of her planet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and covering herself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.
When a handsome, gray-skinned, brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she has to save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.
She won’t allow them to hurt Strain.
***
Under Strain is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a broken warrior, a human female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who view them both as light, tasty snacks.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08R322L7S
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/under-strain
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10602
Topics: Reviews | Comments Off on Cyborg Sizzle Featured On Allie Ritch’s Site
Under Strain – First Scene Of The First Chapter
Woot! It is countdown time for the release of Under Strain, the second emotionally-packed standalone story in the Rebel Cyborgs series!
While we wait for Under Strain to release on May 11th, I’ll be sharing the first chapter, starting today with the first scene.
***
Chapter One
Strain was malfunctioning.
He shifted his weight from his right booted foot to his left. The ground below him was solid, real. But he was 98.2569 percent certain the screams accosting his auditory system weren’t valid inputs. The smell of rotting flesh filling his nostrils, he projected, was also a figment of his damaged processors.
It was becoming more and more challenging to separate the present from the past. Footage from the death planet, from the worst planet rotation of his lengthy existence, replayed on a continuous loop inside his head.
He couldn’t stop it, couldn’t delete it, not without further corrupting his systems.
Those images and sounds were currently too loud, too vivid. The noise interfered with his logic, with his ability to detect threats or protect the rest of the cyborg retrieval team.
Strain slid his gaze to the transport ship parked seventy-two strides from his position. Cyborgs waited to escort newly arrived beings, the beings they’d rescued, to their assigned domiciles on Mercury Minor. He was 99.2569 percent confident those beings existed.
Which meant the black-haired human female walking with a C Model warrior on the edge of his visual system was part of his reality too.
Strain’s muscles flexed. She had pointed a gun at the male during the retrieval.
Additional footage played in his processors, meshing with the images from the distant past, from the bombings, the trauma.
There had been a gaping pit of smoking rubble situated behind the human female, similar to the debris on the death planet. Beneath the smell of that destruction, he’d detected the putrid aroma of long-dead bodies.
It was too much like the original ordeal, too similar. He lowered his form more and more, preparing for the female to attack. Humans betrayed. They had no sense of honor. He was reminded of that truth with every replay of the bombing footage.
There was a loud click, and the montage residing in Strain’s databases restarted.
The commander of the fleet, a human aligned with the Humanoid Alliance—with the cyborgs’ cruel manufacturers, accessed the communication lines. He gave the orders to decimate the enemy’s planet.
The commander’s human female laughed in the background, triumphant in her victory, reveling in the progression of her sinister plan. She had plotted to have the D Models replaced by newer models…or playthings, as she’d called them. The bombing would bring that scheme to fruition.
The terrain was populated by the older cyborgs, by Strain’s brethren. Forced to fight for the Humanoid Alliance, viewed as disposable machines, they hadn’t been evacuated with the humans.
Bombs fell, the assault synchronized, the coverage thorough. Cyborgs bellowed warnings and ran, seeking to evade the impending destruction.
There was nowhere to retreat. The humans had taken every functional ship, and not a single expanse of the surface was spared from the explosions.
His brethren, his friends, everyone he had ever cared for, were blown apart. Their screams of pain, of betrayal, of desperation had flooded the transmission lines.
The human female, from her vantage point on the commander’s battle station high above the planet, had laughed, acting as though the warriors’ deaths were a source of great amusement. The sounds of that mirth distorted in Strain’s auditory system, elongating, becoming more sinister. It was menacing.
A threat.
He had to eliminate its source. His body shook with barely contained emotion. If he didn’t kill all the humans, his brethren would die, and he’d be left alone on a death planet for solar cycles, sentenced to replaying footage of his ineptitude, of his failure to save his friends, again and again until parts of him broke, never to be repaired.
The screams echoed in Strain’s ears, and the images of the bombing, of the death, the despair, flowed through his processors.
He watched with horror as the black-haired human female turned toward the C model male and glided her hands along the warrior’s body armor-clad torso.
Her fingers were too close to the male’s guns.
A rumble rolled up Strain’s throat.
“Human.” He shifted toward the danger, leaning into it. His fingers folded, as though by their own programming, into tight fists. His body shook, the tremors escalating in intensity.
If the black-haired human female moved her hands a breath closer to the weapons, if she laughed, smiled too widely, the thin thread holding him back would snap. He would attack, kill her, remove the peril to his brethren and—
The muzzle of a gun pressed against his nape. The connection with another object grounded him. The coolness of the metal dissipated a sliver of his haze, pulling him back from the brink.
***
Read the next scene (available April 19th) here:
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Under Strain
A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.
***
Strain is severely malfunctioning. The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made by his cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is under his cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, and told to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.
That mission takes place on a small remote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they were sent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She is watching him, tracking him, hunting him.
A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.
Strain wants to claim her. Forever.
Kamyelle is the only one left of her kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of her planet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and covering herself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.
When a handsome, gray-skinned, brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she has to save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.
She won’t allow them to hurt Strain.
***
Under Strain is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a broken warrior, a human female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who view them both as light, tasty snacks.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08R322L7S
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/under-strain
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10602
Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Under Strain – First Scene Of The First Chapter
Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – April 11th
I completed the second and third drafts of Baring Grudge, the third Rebel Cyborgs story (releasing in August), and have sent it to my Awesome Editor! Woot!
I think you’ll really enjoy this story. Grudge, his female and her makeshift family are such unique, special beings. They make me smile and cry and give me that warm gooey feeling I love to experience in romance novels.
Once I sent this story to my editor, I slept for almost a day. I left it all on the page and had nothing left. (grins) That’s a sign, for me, of a story well told.
I sent my newsletter on Monday. It featured a never-before-seen update on Power, Truth and Princess Nancy. Let me know if you didn’t receive it!
This upcoming week, I’m revising some short stories for the next C.S. Sax collection. I think I’ll group together the big cat shifter stories. They’re set in a modern fantasy world and I have a hankering to play in that setting for a while.
I WILL be revising more medieval dragon shifter stories in the future (I have a collection of 3 stories linked to fairy tales that are so much fun). I have so many stories set in that world.
I hope you have a great day and a joyous week! (big hugs) Treat yourself this week. Eat some chocolate if that’s your thing. Read a wonderful romance. Sit in a park for a while (if that’s safe to do) and watch the birds. You deserve it!
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Under Strain
A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.
***
Strain is severely malfunctioning. The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made by his cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is under his cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, and told to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.
That mission takes place on a small remote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they were sent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She is watching him, tracking him, hunting him.
A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.
Strain wants to claim her. Forever.
Kamyelle is the only one left of her kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of her planet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and covering herself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.
When a handsome, gray-skinned, brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she has to save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.
She won’t allow them to hurt Strain.
***
Under Strain is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a broken warrior, a human female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who view them both as light, tasty snacks.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08R322L7S
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/under-strain
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10602
Topics: Cynthia Sax Weekly Update | Comments Off on Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – April 11th
