Waiting For The Last Frost Date
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I are impatiently waiting for our last frost date (May 10th) to transplant the tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, marigolds, zinnias and other frost-sensitive plants from the basement grow station to the outside gardens.
(We are also waiting for overnight temperatures to reach 4C/39F.)
It is…challenging to wait. (grins)
The plants are ready and so are we.
But transplanting them before the last frost date would put them at risk. And it won’t serve the plants as it remains too cool for them to prosper outside.
So…we wait.
Topics: Gardening | Comments Off on Waiting For The Last Frost Date
Collecting Seashells In Mexico
While we were last in Mexico, the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I took the bus to Playa Chileno, a beach near Cabo San Lucas. He snorkeled and saw some awesome fish. I relaxed on a big sun-warmed boulder and took in the beautiful scenery.
There were whales easily visible from the beach. There was a pirate ship. And there were some really interesting humans.
My favorite humans were a group of older ladies. They spilled out of their caravan of vehicles, chattering and laughing. I got the impression they were Mexican but from a different part of Mexico because they marveled at the beach and at the water and at the blue, blue sky.
I watched as they happily collected seashells and bits of washed up dead coral for their grandbabies back at home. One lady gave another lady some of her seashells because that friend would need more as she had MANY more grandbabies.
They brought their own snacks and drinks and seemed to be having the time of their lives.
That made me smile so hard! (grins)
Topics: Mexico, Travel | Comments Off on Collecting Seashells In Mexico
Muse Food – Hong Kong Reflections
The Dear Wonderful Hubby took this beautiful photo of Hong Kong while we were watching one of the nightly free light shows.
I love how all the colors are reflected in the water.
Having our characters reflect on past events is a very powerful tactic, especially if there has been a loss of a loved one in a battle or in some other action-packed event.
During battle, there’s no time for grief, for sorrow, for thinking about the loss. Everyone is fighting to stay alive. The action and reaction is fast, fast, fast.
It is not until later, when they are out of immediate danger, when they can slow down, that characters AND the reader can grieve. It is often during these reflections, during these internal replays that we are able to cry over the loss.
Use reflections or replays as a tool for great storytelling.
Topics: Hong Kong, Muse Food, Travel | Comments Off on Muse Food – Hong Kong Reflections
Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – April 27
This kitty in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico was watching a bird.
(grins)
I continue to garden. I continue to work on writing projects. And I continue to watch the events unrolling in the US and elsewhere, trying to figure out when it will be safe for my reading buddies to read my stories again. (big hugs) I hope that will be soon!
Have a wonderful week, my friends. (more hugs) Be like this pretty kitty and stop and watch the birds for a moment or two. Listen to their songs. Try to guess what they’re singing about. Revel in the realization that we are living on a planet with feathered flying creatures. That is all sorts of amazing!
***
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
Topics: Dear Wonderful Hubby Stories | Comments Off on Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – April 27
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
Topics: Cyn-Sights | Comments Off on The Importance Of Honor And Trust
Wicked And Bravery In Art
Spoiler Alert – This post will talk about Wicked, the movie, and it WILL contain spoilers. If you haven’t yet watched this brightly-colored musical, you might wish to skip this post.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I recently watched Wicked, the movie, and we both really enjoyed it.
It DOES have issues.
The primary one being casting a beautiful black woman to be the ‘ugly’ green antiheroine. Other characters would talk about how ugly she was and I would think, ‘Are they looking at the same gorgeous being I am?’
So yeah, there are issues with Wicked.
But it is also brightly colored and has great character arcs and…
It is fraggin’ brave.
Wicked is all about fascism. The movie is fun and has great songs and jokes but it is also a warning about what is currently happening all around us and what might be if it isn’t stopped.
The talking animals, for example, represent opponents to fascism and also anyone else the fascists target as being ‘others’ or…animals. First, fascists take away their targets’ voices by designating them as criminals or unnatural, then they imprison them or make them completely disappear.
The labelling of anyone daring to stand up against fascism, as another example, as being ‘wicked’ and an enemy of the people was brilliant. As was the use of ‘media’ to deliver that message.
This is high risk movie making, my friends.
To create art warning others about how fascism spreads and the tactics fascists use while we are surrounded by rising fascism is dang courageous.
Wicked will likely be banned in the US in the future. Its creators and stars will be and likely currently are in danger.
I suspect everyone involved with the film knew the risks when they joined the project.
I hope we can all be as brave.
Topics: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on Wicked And Bravery In Art
Throwback Thursday – Hers To Command
The majority of cyborgs have one genetic match, one being they are destined to safeguard, bond with, love.
Ace and Thrasher have two genetic matches. They are destined to bond with each other and with Carys, a feisty human female Commander in the Rebel forces.
Except she has a war to wage. And she has no time for romantic relationships or two young cyborg males.
Three Battered Hearts. One Perfect Love
Ace and Thrasher share a special bond. They’ve never acknowledged that connection and have never fully acted on it. The Humanoid Alliance kill cyborg males like them, deeming the warriors to be defective. Now that Ace and Thrasher have escaped, they don’t trust the cyborg council and their brethren to react any differently. Physical love is too risky for them to consider.
Until they meet her.
Carys is the Commander of a Rebel Battle Station. She has dedicated her lifespan to seeking vengeance against the Humanoid Alliance and the cyborgs who killed her daughter. On her battle station, she makes the rules, and if she wants to kiss, touch, and pleasure two mysterious warriors, she will. Nothing, not even enemy warships and a mass cyborg rebellion, can stop her.
In the midst of a war, enemies can become lovers and loyalties can change in a moment. Can a forbidden relationship between two cautious cyborgs and one unbending human Commander survive?
Hers To Command is Book 8 in the Cyborg Sizzle series.
Due to the number of returning characters in this story, you’ll enjoy Hers To Command more if you’ve read the other stories first.
This is a MMF BBW Cyborg SciFi Romance.
Buy Now:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Hers-Command-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B01N0I7X49/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hers-Command-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B01N0I7X49/
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/Hers-Command-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B01N0I7X49/
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hers-to-command/id1179869260
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hers-to-command-cynthia-sax/1125247346
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/hers-to-command-6
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/684788
Topics: Throwback Thursday | Comments Off on Throwback Thursday – Hers To Command
Ladybugs In The Basement Grow Station
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I always allow ‘lost’ ladybugs (ladybirds) to overwinter in our home.
I LOVE ladybugs. They are awesome defenders of our roses and other plants in the garden. And they’re beautiful little creatures.
Normally, they emerge from the shadows on sunny days to explore the windows.
Sometimes they’ll locate the indoor house plants.
This year, many of them have found the seedlings in the basement grow station. These ladybugs are hunting the bad-for-the-plants insects and warming themselves under the grow lights.
It is a ladybug party.
(smiles)
Once the weather becomes warmer, we’ll carefully transfer the ladybugs outside.
They will be liberated!
Topics: Gardening | Comments Off on Ladybugs In The Basement Grow Station
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque In Abu Dhabi
One of the must-see FREE sites to visit in Abu Dhabi is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I took the public bus to the Mosque. We got a bit lost, looking for the public entrance (grins), but the security guards stationed around the Mosque’s beautiful grounds were extremely helpful. As was everyone we encountered.
Mosque rules apply. Shoulders and knees and, for female-facing people, heads must be covered.
I always travel with a head scarf in Muslim countries. I also cover my shoulders. And I never wear anything shorter than below-knee-length capris.
That is, IMHO, respectful outside the Mosque also. The women seem to appreciate my efforts (they are friendlier and more likely to offer help) and the men tend to show me more respect.
There was an awesome and FREE English-language tour, which gave us access to parts of the Mosque other visitors didn’t have and our guide shared with us the history and the architecture of the Mosque.
Take your time, if you can, at the Mosque. The details are exquisite and everywhere you look. It is very much a work of art. And, if you can find a quiet, uninhabited part of the Mosque, you will likely FEEL the spiritual vibes emitting from it. I found it to be an emotionally powerful place.
Topics: Abu Dhabi, Travel | Comments Off on The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque In Abu Dhabi
Muse Food – Smaller Isn’t Easier
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I are growing mini tomatoes and mini bell peppers, along with many other vegetables, this year.
We’re not growing them because they are easier to grow than regular-sized tomatoes and bell peppers. They are as difficult to grow. And we’re not growing them because the plants grow faster. They take the roughly same number of days to get to maturity.
We’re growing them because more fruit can grow on those plants and that increases the likelihood the Mafia Squirrels and the insects will miss some of that fruit and we will get to eat mini tomatoes and mini bell peppers also.
(smiles)
Short stories are very similar to mini tomatoes or mini bell peppers. They aren’t easier to write than novels. And they often take roughly the same length of time to write well. But they can possibly serve more purposes (as promotional material, as a source of royalties, as a flat price sale to a magazine, etc).
And I find them fun to write!
Topics: Muse Food | Comments Off on Muse Food – Smaller Isn’t Easier
