The Good Assistant – Toronto, City Hall And Ghosts
One of the secondary characters in The Good Assistant is the (fictional) Mayor Of Toronto. The Mayor, of course, works out of City Hall.
The current City Hall is situated in the heart of downtown. Inaugurated in 1965, it was designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell (who unfortunately died before it was completed).
The space in front of City Hall is often used for concerts (including the New Year’s Eve celebrations). Residents wade in the reflecting pool during the summer and skate on it during the winter. I worked close to City Hall and my coworkers and I would skate on lunch hours.
If you ask where Toronto’s City Hall is, residents should know that this is the building you’re referring to. They might ask for clarification, however. Toronto, like many big cities, used to consist of many different Burroughs or smaller towns. It has amalgamated these smaller neighborhoods into a larger city. That means there are many former City Halls.
There’s even a former City Hall situated right next to the current City Hall. Called ‘Old City Hall’, this Romanesque Revival building was inaugurated in 1899. The Ontario Court of Justice is its current tenants. When you pass, you might see happy brides and grooms having their photos taken in front of the building. It is designated a National Historic Site.
For paranormal lovers, Old City Hall is said to be haunted by several ghosts. (http://www.torontoghosts.org/index.php?/2008081476/The-Former-City-Of-Toronto-Public-Buildings/Old-City-Hall.html ) Especially haunted is Courtroom 33, where you might, just might, see the ghosts of the last men condemned to hang in Canada.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
My boss, John Powers, represents everything I want in a man. He’s the CEO and founder of a powerful company, that position having made him a billionaire, striking in an I-survived-a-bar-brawl sort of way, and too clever for my sanity.
I’m his assistant and desperately in love with him. I’d willingly serve him both in the boardroom and in the bedroom.
There’s one problem.
He doesn’t mix business with pleasure.
Ever.
Buy your copy today!
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Assistant-City-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B013O33EKM
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thegoodassistant-1870006-340.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-good-assistant-cynthia-sax/1122572951
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Releasing Rage And My Top Writing Tip
The always awesome Nicola Cameron asked me what my top writing tip was.
http://nicolacameronwrites.com/2015/11/04/wicked-wednesday-reads-releasing-rage/
Write balls to the wall.
Get your mind out of the gutter. (grins) That saying refers to cannonballs, though I suppose it could apply to other kinds of balls also. What it means is to write that first draft all out, no filters, no thinking ‘will my agent, editor, reviewers, readers like this?’ or ‘is this sellable?’ Dump everything on the page—your words, your heart, your guts.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Half Man. Half Machine. All Hers.
Rage, the Humanoid Alliance’s most primitive cyborg, has two goals—kill all of the humans on his battle station and escape to the Homeland. The warrior has seen the darkness in others and in himself. He believes that’s all he’s been programmed to experience.
Until he meets Joan.
Joan, the battle station’s first female engineer, has one goal—survive long enough to help the big sexy cyborg plotting to kill her. Rage might not trust her but he wants her. She sees the passion in his eyes, the caring in his battle-worn hands, the gruff emotion in his voice.
When Joan survives the unthinkable, Rage’s priorities are tested. Is there enough room in this cyborg’s heart for both love and revenge?
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Releasing-Rage-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B00ZOL1DRO
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-releasingrage-1850041-340.html
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/releasing-rage-cynthia-sax/1122455646
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Releasing Rage And My Top Writing Tip
Why I Wrote Releasing Rage
I’m on Pauline Baird Jones ‘ online home today, talking about why I wrote Releasing Rage.
http://www.paulinebjones.com/BlogWP/wrote-releasing-rage
Here’s a snippet…
I wrote Releasing Rage primarily for me. I’d already pitched the idea to my agent and she relayed that there would be little publisher interest in it. But when I finished the story, I knew it was special, one of those rare gifts a writer receives. I realized that I had to share it with reading buddies.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Half Man. Half Machine. All Hers.
Rage, the Humanoid Alliance’s most primitive cyborg, has two goals—kill all of the humans on his battle station and escape to the Homeland. The warrior has seen the darkness in others and in himself. He believes that’s all he’s been programmed to experience.
Until he meets Joan.
Joan, the battle station’s first female engineer, has one goal—survive long enough to help the big sexy cyborg plotting to kill her. Rage might not trust her but he wants her. She sees the passion in his eyes, the caring in his battle-worn hands, the gruff emotion in his voice.
When Joan survives the unthinkable, Rage’s priorities are tested. Is there enough room in this cyborg’s heart for both love and revenge?
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Releasing-Rage-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B00ZOL1DRO
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-releasingrage-1850041-340.html
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/releasing-rage-cynthia-sax/1122455646
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Why I Wrote Releasing Rage
Why Breathing Vapor’s Heroine is Named Mira Breazeal
Names of characters are really important. I put quite a bit of thought into each of them. Mira Breazeal, the name of the heroine in Breathing Vapor, is no exception.
Mira (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mira ) is a nod to a 6 billion year old red giant star positioned about 200–400 light years away from Earth in the constellation Cetus. Mira is a binary star, consisting of Mira A and Mira B, which is appropriate for a cyborg’s heroine. She’ll be paired with her warrior forever.
Mira also means ‘wonderful’ or ‘astonishing’ in Latin. Johannes Hevelius gave the star this name in 1662 because he thought it acted like no other known star. Mira, our heroine, acts like no other being Vapor has ever met.
Breazeal is a nod to Cynthia Breazeal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_Breazeal ), the director of the Personal Robots Group at the MIT Media Laboratory. Cynthia Breazeal is known as a pioneer of social robotics and human–robot interaction. She’s co-developed several robots and is one of the top innovators in the field.
Vapor’s name was easier to choose. He is the most advanced cyborg ever developed. No lock can contain him. He’s like vapor, like mist, going wherever he wants.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Vapor is the most advanced cyborg the Humanoid Alliance has ever developed. He’s a finely honed weapon, a warrior without parallel, half man and half machine. No lock can contain him. No being can stop him. Whatever he wants, he takes.
He wants Mira Breazeal, the Designer’s daughter.
She’s his one temptation, his sexy target. Vapor shouldn’t crave her caresses, steal her kisses, make her scream with ecstasy. The cyborgs want her dead and they would question his loyalty if he didn’t kill her. The humans would shoot him on sight if he dared to touch her.
Their love is forbidden. Their desire could be lethal. One human and one cyborg will risk everything for a moment of passion.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Breathing-Vapor-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B015UN87JC/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Breathing-Vapor-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B015UN87JC/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-breathingvapor-1897324-340.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breathing-vapor-cynthia-sax/1122718203
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/breathing-vapor
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Why Breathing Vapor’s Heroine is Named Mira Breazeal
Why I’m Writing Cyborgs Now
I’m at Debra Jess’s online home today, talking about why I’m writing cyborgs now, after loving this hero for years.
http://debrajess.com/2015/10/starlight-presents-cynthia-sax/
Here’s a snippet…
Releasing Rage is the result. It is a book of my heart, one of those special stories writers are gifted with from time to time. I had been seriously thinking about cyborgs for five years, completing research out of personal interest, crafting stories in my head. All of this, combined with some perturbing recent events (like #GamerGate and a female-disrespecting Nobel Prize winner), was poured into Releasing Rage.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Half Man. Half Machine. All Hers.
Rage, the Humanoid Alliance’s most primitive cyborg, has two goals—kill all of the humans on his battle station and escape to the Homeland. The warrior has seen the darkness in others and in himself. He believes that’s all he’s been programmed to experience.
Until he meets Joan.
Joan, the battle station’s first female engineer, has one goal—survive long enough to help the big sexy cyborg plotting to kill her. Rage might not trust her but he wants her. She sees the passion in his eyes, the caring in his battle-worn hands, the gruff emotion in his voice.
When Joan survives the unthinkable, Rage’s priorities are tested. Is there enough room in this cyborg’s heart for both love and revenge?
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Releasing-Rage-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B00ZOL1DRO
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-releasingrage-1850041-340.html
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/releasing-rage-cynthia-sax/1122455646
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Why I’m Writing Cyborgs Now
Why I Love Boss-Assistant Romances
In The Good Assistant, Trella, the heroine, is the assistant to her hunky billionaire boss, John Powers.
In most organizations I’ve worked for, assistant to the CEO is the second most powerful position in the company. In one of the world’s largest beverage companies, the assistant position is a training role for future executives. Ambitious employees, both male and female, will do almost anything to land that position.
Why? Because this person sees and hears everything the CEO does. Everyone the CEO meets, the assistant meets. Often CEOs will discuss confidential decisions with their assistants because they know they can trust these assistants to say nothing. As we see in The Good Assistant, assistants supply their executives with information. Which information assistants select will influence the outcome of decisions.
There’s (usually) mutual respect and admiration. Yes, the boss is still the boss but the assistant was hand chosen because she/he has potential to be the boss, to be his/her business equal.
Boss-assistant romances are similar to a friends to lovers situation. There’s a healthy non-sexual relationship that neither person wants to destroy. They sincerely like each other.
It is natural that feelings would grow, especially since self-made billionaire bosses spend most of their time at work. These bosses work long hours, usually seven days a week. They’re as passionate about their businesses as writers are about writing and readers are about reading. They find joy in business building.
No one understands this better than his or her assistant. Assistants often work the same hours. If their bosses are working on a Saturday, they’re working on a Saturday. They do this because it is expected but also because they often have the same passion for the business. They don’t need hobbies. Work is their fun.
Acting on this attraction is a big risk, one neither person would take lightly. They might destroy their relationship. The boss is making himself/herself vulnerable to a lawsuit (this is why many companies have anti-fraternization rules). The assistant might lose her/his professional reputation (The business community is small. People talk.) A wise person would only take this step if the relationship was serious, a forever type of relationship.
This is why I love boss-assistant romances.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
My boss, John Powers, represents everything I want in a man. He’s the CEO and founder of a powerful company, that position having made him a billionaire, striking in an I-survived-a-bar-brawl sort of way, and too clever for my sanity.
I’m his assistant and desperately in love with him. I’d willingly serve him both in the boardroom and in the bedroom.
There’s one problem.
He doesn’t mix business with pleasure.
Ever.
Buy your copy today!
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Assistant-City-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B013O33EKM
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thegoodassistant-1870006-340.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-good-assistant-cynthia-sax/1122572951
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Why I Love Boss-Assistant Romances
Is Releasing Rage BDSM?
Releasing Rage does have some BDSM elements. Joan and Rage form a submissive-dominant relationship. Joan submits (when it pleases her) to Rage. When they first meet, she kneels before him. As his engineer (or handler, as Rage calls her), it is her responsibility to care for him, to serve him.
Joan calls Rage ‘sir’, as many subs call their doms. However, she uses this term because they live on a military battle station. Higher ranking officers in the military are often called ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’. Rage is much older than Joan is (cyborgs have a very long lifespan). He has more experience and is seen as more valuable. She would call him ‘sir.’
Their relationship doesn’t have the physical pain element that many readers enjoy in BDSM stories. Rage has suffered so much pain in his life. He would never afflict it on a female he cared for. However, pain isn’t a necessary part of a BDSM relationship.
Safewords, however, ARE a necessary part of a healthy BDSM relationship. Talking about limits, about rules, is also key. These are so important that I feel any story that doesn’t contain these elements shouldn’t be viewed as being representative of the subgenre and the community. I would be devastated if any reader picked up Releasing Rage and used it to craft her own BDSM relationship.
As cyborgs are warriors, rough, tough males more accustomed to violence than kindness, I suspect many of my future stories in this series will have BDSM elements. In Breathing Vapor, there are some spanking scenes (as pain allows Mira, the heroine, to express her emotions). In Crash and Burn, Crash likes to restrain his reckless heroine.
But these relationships will be unique to the characters and not representative of the present day BDSM community or a healthy present day BDSM relationship.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Half Man. Half Machine. All Hers.
Rage, the Humanoid Alliance’s most primitive cyborg, has two goals—kill all of the humans on his battle station and escape to the Homeland. The warrior has seen the darkness in others and in himself. He believes that’s all he’s been programmed to experience.
Until he meets Joan.
Joan, the battle station’s first female engineer, has one goal—survive long enough to help the big sexy cyborg plotting to kill her. Rage might not trust her but he wants her. She sees the passion in his eyes, the caring in his battle-worn hands, the gruff emotion in his voice.
When Joan survives the unthinkable, Rage’s priorities are tested. Is there enough room in this cyborg’s heart for both love and revenge?
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Releasing-Rage-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B00ZOL1DRO
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-releasingrage-1850041-340.html
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/releasing-rage-cynthia-sax/1122455646
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Is Releasing Rage BDSM?
Some Tidbits About Breathing Vapor
I’ve been interviewed at Sizzling Romance!
http://sizzling-romance.net/2015/10/22/author-interview-with-cynthia-sax/
Here’s a snippet…
So, Cynthia Sax, now that you have written Releasing Rage what is next on your list?
Cynthia Sax: Breathing Vapor, the follow up story to Releasing Rage, will be releasing in November. This is a sidequel, which is a new term for me. (grins) It means Breathing Vapor happens at the same time as Releasing Rage. Vapor is one of the K Model cyborgs slated to replace Rage and his brethren.
There will be more darkness, more twists, more baby cyborgs. There will also be one feisty, curvaceous heroine who just might be the best liar in the universe. Since cyborgs can’t tell lies, this skill of Mira’s drives Vapor a little bit crazy.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Half Man. Half Machine. All Hers.
Rage, the Humanoid Alliance’s most primitive cyborg, has two goals—kill all of the humans on his battle station and escape to the Homeland. The warrior has seen the darkness in others and in himself. He believes that’s all he’s been programmed to experience.
Until he meets Joan.
Joan, the battle station’s first female engineer, has one goal—survive long enough to help the big sexy cyborg plotting to kill her. Rage might not trust her but he wants her. She sees the passion in his eyes, the caring in his battle-worn hands, the gruff emotion in his voice.
When Joan survives the unthinkable, Rage’s priorities are tested. Is there enough room in this cyborg’s heart for both love and revenge?
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Releasing-Rage-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B00ZOL1DRO
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-releasingrage-1850041-340.html
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/releasing-rage-cynthia-sax/1122455646
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Some Tidbits About Breathing Vapor
Can A Cyborg Rationalize Love?
Can a cyborg’s machine side rationalize love?
I’m talking about cyborgs at Christie Meierz ‘s online home.
http://christiemeierz.com/2015/10/cynthia-sax-talks-cyborgs/
Here’s a snippet…
Cyborgs are constantly conflicted between their machine side and their human side, between logic and emotion, between following commands and exploring their independence, between programming and free will.
At no time is this conflict more pronounced than when cyborgs fall in love. There is little logic behind love. Will their human sides be strong enough to overcome their machine sides, allowing them to choose love?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Half Man. Half Machine. All Hers.
Rage, the Humanoid Alliance’s most primitive cyborg, has two goals—kill all of the humans on his battle station and escape to the Homeland. The warrior has seen the darkness in others and in himself. He believes that’s all he’s been programmed to experience.
Until he meets Joan.
Joan, the battle station’s first female engineer, has one goal—survive long enough to help the big sexy cyborg plotting to kill her. Rage might not trust her but he wants her. She sees the passion in his eyes, the caring in his battle-worn hands, the gruff emotion in his voice.
When Joan survives the unthinkable, Rage’s priorities are tested. Is there enough room in this cyborg’s heart for both love and revenge?
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Releasing-Rage-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B00ZOL1DRO
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-releasingrage-1850041-340.html
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/releasing-rage-cynthia-sax/1122455646
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Can A Cyborg Rationalize Love?
Loving At The Edge Of Death
What would you do today if you thought it was your last day alive?
(I’d definitely eat more Nutella)
I’m talking about loving at the edge of death at Jessica E Subject ‘s online home today.
http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/releasing-rage-cynthia-sax/
Here’s a snippet…
The interesting thing about facing (what she believes to be) certain death is there’s no longer any point being afraid. The worst thing that could happen to a being WILL happen to her. Joan thinks she’s going to die. She’s not afraid of having her heart broken.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Half Man. Half Machine. All Hers.
Rage, the Humanoid Alliance’s most primitive cyborg, has two goals—kill all of the humans on his battle station and escape to the Homeland. The warrior has seen the darkness in others and in himself. He believes that’s all he’s been programmed to experience.
Until he meets Joan.
Joan, the battle station’s first female engineer, has one goal—survive long enough to help the big sexy cyborg plotting to kill her. Rage might not trust her but he wants her. She sees the passion in his eyes, the caring in his battle-worn hands, the gruff emotion in his voice.
When Joan survives the unthinkable, Rage’s priorities are tested. Is there enough room in this cyborg’s heart for both love and revenge?
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Releasing-Rage-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B00ZOL1DRO
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-releasingrage-1850041-340.html
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/releasing-rage-cynthia-sax/1122455646
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Loving At The Edge Of Death
