Throwback Thursday – Testing Truth
Testing Truth is the closest story I have in the cyborg world to a fairytale.
The human heroine is a Princess. The cyborg hero is…well…he is rarely serious and likes to tease everyone and he is not at all related to Royalty but he IS her Prince Charming. There’s action and adventure and love, lots and lots of love.
(smiles)
Testing Truth
A fun-loving cyborg gets serious about love.
***
Truth lives each moment as though it were his last. The cyborg warrior rushes into danger, teases beings he shouldn’t provoke, accepts every call of adventure he encounters.
When a prissy little human princess floats into the Rebel structure Truth is occupying, seeking a mercenary to assist her and her unusual entourage, he volunteers to be her warrior. She claims their assignment is dangerous, warns him he might not survive the task.
That is exactly the type of fun he has been seeking.
Princess Nanette of the planet Royaume must rescue her estranged brother from an enemy prison ship. That is her duty, and she has been trained to always place the needs of her planet and her subjects before her own. Nancy doesn’t have the freedom to indulge her passions for a certain dark-haired, gray-skinned cyborg. Not permanently and not publicly.
But she is unable to resist the warrior. Truth, with his laughing eyes, smiling lips, and rough hands, tempts her as no one else ever has. He could be her one fleeting act of rebellion before she’s matched with the powerful ruler her planet requires.
If they survive their current mission.
Their love is doomed. Their lifespans are at risk. This cyborg and his princess will need the help of every ally they have if they wish to see another sunrise.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BTYN7TT
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BTYN7TT
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08BTYN7TT
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/testing-truth/id1520415369
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/testing-truth
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1029497
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Every Plant Is Different
Last year, I harvested seeds from the sole zinnia plant that survived to seed stage.
(There was NO cross-pollination.)
I started some of those seeds indoors in the same soil putting them under the same growlight. When they were large enough, I moved them to the same bed, caring for them the same way.
They received the same amount of sunlight and water and nutrients.
One plant didn’t survive. One has SIX flowers. One hasn’t flowered at all. Others have one to four flowers per plant.
The largest plant is as tall as my hips. The shortest surviving one barely reaches my ankles.
And their flowers are a variety of colors (each plant only has one color of blooms, however)!
Plants, like humans and other species, are all different. They grow in their own unique ways at their own unique times.
Yes, we can influence that growth. But we can only help so much.
We care for them and let them do their thing.
And we embrace their differences.
(smiles)
Topics: Gardening | Comments Off on Every Plant Is Different
Straddling Two Tectonic Plates In Thingvellir National Park, Iceland
While we were visiting Iceland, the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I participated in a Golden Circle Tour. One of the stops was Thingvellir National Park.
Thingvellir National Park has some gorgeous scenery, some amazing history, and awesome hikes.
But the highlight for me were the rock formations. And the fact that it is where the two tectonic plates – the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates – meet…sort of.
I say sort of because there’s a gap between the two tectonic plates. The locals call that gap no man’s land. That land isn’t technically on either plate.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby also loved the Silfra fissure. We didn’t have enough time to snorkel in it but the visibility from the bridge was amazing.
And there was a nice walk to a large lake (not shown).
It was a great stop and I could have happily spent days exploring the park.
Topics: Iceland, Travel | Comments Off on Straddling Two Tectonic Plates In Thingvellir National Park, Iceland
Muse Food – Touching Tree Bark
Can you ‘feel’ the roughness of this tree’s bark, its indents and lifted pieces? How some of it crumbles against your fingertips?
Describing some of the objects our characters touch is a great way to draw readers deeper into our stories.
That could be the softness of a kitten’s fur, the wear and tear on the hero’s well-worn brown leather jacket, the heat of a sun-warmed boulder the heroine is hiding behind.
Use touch to bring the scene to life.
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Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – July 27
I love the markings on this kitty the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I spotted in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
(smiles)
I continue to work on the first Moonbeam duet. I’ll let you know when it has been listed by booksellers!
It is slow going because I am distracted by the fun secret writing project. (grins) It is giving me so much joy!
Have a wonderful week, my friends. (big hugs) Celebrate your own unique markings! Scars prove we are strong and have survived sh*t. Stretch marks are proof we have changed over the years and that’s an awesome thing! Freckles and birth marks are kisses from the sun and/or from nature. They make us different and interesting and one of a kind (like Cabbage Patch Kids – laughs).
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.
When he’s faced with the choice of protecting his fragile human or living to see the next sunrise, he chooses her, always her, sending Zebrina halfway across the universe to safety. He doesn’t realize their stolen moments had consequences neither of them believed possible.
After hearing her warrior died in battle, Zebrina focuses on the last gift he gave her. Doing what is right for their child is her sole priority. She will put their son’s happiness first, even if that means choosing another male over the love of her life.
The Cyborg’s Secret Baby is a STAND-ALONE story loosely connected to the Cyborg Sizzle series.
It is also a Second Chance Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, often-violent universe.
Buy Now:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Cyborgs-Secret-Baby-Stars-ebook/dp/B07F2NK6D4
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyborgs-Secret-Baby-Stars-ebook/dp/B07F2NK6D4
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/Cyborgs-Secret-Baby-Stars-ebook/dp/B07F2NK6D4
Apple : https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-cyborgs-secret-baby/id1404800721
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-cyborg-s-secret-baby
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/870968
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Ripples From Little Acts Of Good
A visitor to our neighborhood remarked on how trash-free it was compared to other neighborhoods. He thought the city was sending people to our neighborhood to clean it and was quite irate that they didn’t send people to HIS neighborhood.
I told him the truth.
RESIDENTS pick up the trash in our neighborhood.
I, for example, every couple of days, take a little grocery bag and spend five minutes picking up trash.
Which doesn’t seem like a lot.
Except other residents see me (or other people) doing that and THEY then spend five minutes picking up trash also.
And people, seeing us picking up the trash, are less likely to drop their trash on the ground. They are more likely to deposit their trash in a nearby bin.
And that is why we have a fairly trash-free neighborhood.
You don’t have to take BIG actions to change your corner of the universe. Little acts, especially done often, create ripples and can result in significant change.
Take a little act today!
Topics: Cyn-Sights | Comments Off on Ripples From Little Acts Of Good
BBC Pride And Prejudice – Comfort Watches And Building A Believable Happy Ever After
Spoiler Alert – This post will talk about the BBC Colin Firth version of Pride And Prejudice and it WILL contain spoilers. If you haven’t yet watched this classic miniseries, you might wish to skip this post.
(This is a photo of my much loved DVD box set. – smiles)
When the world gets a little too stressful, I like to rewatch a movie/miniseries I absolutely adore and escape. The BBC Colin Firth version of Pride And Prejudice is an often-reached-for brain vacation.
I love this version for a gazillion reasons.
One of the reasons is…
It builds an extremely convincing Happy Ever After For Mr. Darcy and Lizzie.
We are shown how Lizzie will fit into Mr. Darcy’s life at Pemberley.
She is shown playing with a dog. We see Mr. Darcy walking with his much beloved dogs at Pemberley.
She is shown trekking across hills and fields. We see Mr. Darcy doing the same at Pemberley.
She spends a lot of time by herself. He likes to spend a lot of time by himself.
They both like debates. But they also both like quiet time spent reading.
They are very protective of the people they love. Mr. Darcy adores his sister. We see Lizzie protect Mr. Darcy’s sister from a verbal assault. Lizzie is upset about her youngest sister’s scandal. Mr. Darcy fixes that scandal for her.
There is NO DOUBT in our minds they will make their marriage work. And we know what their marriage and future will look like.
THAT is how one builds a convincing Happy Ever After.
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Throwback Thursday – North Bound
The Ruler of Balazoid Minor is Steve, a sentient plant, and yes, he truly IS the Ruler. Nothing happens on his planet without his authorization. No one visits the planet without his authorization.
He doesn’t like males. AT ALL. He has eaten every male humanoid and every male human who has ever set a booted foot on his land.
Which means Balazoid Minor is also a female dominated planet.
North and his all male, all cyborg team doesn’t process this.
They will soon find this out.
(grins)
North Bound
A mission-focused cyborg battles a captivating and dramatic distraction.
***
North, the second-in-command of a cyborg crew, has two priorities—he has to explore and collect data on Balazoid Minor, a small planet in their sector, and he must bring his three-being team back to the ship alive and fully functional.
When he encounters his brash, bravado-wielding female, the one being genetically designed for him, he recognizes her for what she is—a distraction that might get him and his brethren killed. He WILL claim her, but only on his terms, when his mission is complete and everyone he is responsible for protecting is safe.
Myrina the Magnificent is the best warrior on her planet and possibly the universe. She has captured an unparalleled fourteen males for her all-female tribe. Once she has secured the fifteenth male, she will be a legend. Her name will live forever. She’ll earn the undying adoration of her sisters. Glory will be hers.
The male in her sights—and in her snare—is a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed cyborg with a skill for war and lips designed for kissing. One emotionally charged battle is all it takes for Myrina to realize she wants North for herself. She won’t share his caresses with anyone.
Their forbidden love might be destined to be, but it won’t be easy to maintain. Myrina will have to fight her sisters, an all-powerful male-eating plant, and her cyborg’s unbending will to make North hers and hers alone.
***
North Bound is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the fifth of six core stories in the Cyborg Space Exploration Series.
Book 1: Choosing Chuckles
Book 2: Doc’s Orders
Book 3: Dominance And Dissent
Book 4: Passion Surge
Book 5: North Bound
Book 6: Testing Truth
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Amazon Australia:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/north-bound/id1500291657
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/north-bound
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1006230
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When In Doubt, Water Your Garden
Rain has been forecast for my corner of the universe every day for the past five days.
That rain never happened.
If I had waited for it, half, if not all of my vegetable garden would be dead.
Thankfully, years ago, a gardening expert told me,
“Don’t water based on hope. Water based on your current situation.”
If it is raining, don’t water. If it has rained sufficiently over night or the day before, etc., don’t water.
If your plants need water today and it isn’t raining, water them.
If it does rain, maybe you won’t need to water tomorrow. And you might be able to fill your rain barrels. That’s awesome.
But if it doesn’t rain, your plants should still be okay.
(smiles)
Topics: Gardening | Comments Off on When In Doubt, Water Your Garden
Củ Chi Tunnels In Vietnam
The Vietnam War (as folks in the US call it) is a HUGE part of Vietnamese History.
And it isn’t purely history in Vietnam. Fields are contaminated with Agent Orange today. Babies are still being born with birth defects due to it. Lives are being shortened.
(As a side note, the Vietnamese tend to be very friendly and are usually polite toward Americans.
But, if you are American, know that Americans WERE the enemy.
EVERYONE knows someone Americans killed and/or had tortured.
So, yes, ask questions. Listen and learn.
But keep your opinions and your own experiences to yourself.)
No visit to Vietnam is complete without a tour of a portion of the Củ Chi tunnels.
Some tunnels have been fortified and better maintained allowing daring visitors to navigate them.
The site we visited also had other items from the war – like different types of ingenious traps set for the enemy, tanks, medical kits, etc.
It was sad, of course. The entire ‘war tour day’ the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I participated in was very sad and often quite horrifying. (So plan around that.)
But the tour of the tunnels was informative and it gave us a deeper understanding of the Vietnamese people.
Topics: Travel, Vietnam | Comments Off on Củ Chi Tunnels In Vietnam
