Rosaline And Shrewish Characters
Note: This post will talk about the Enemies-to-Lovers Romance movie Rosaline. If you haven’t yet watched this fun, light-hearted, HEA film, you might want to skip this post.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I watched Rosaline, a YA movie based on the book When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle. This story covers some of the scenes in Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet but from Rosaline’s POV.
We both really enjoyed this movie. It was light and fun and had the expected Romance ending. The soundtrack was awesome. The two main characters had delicious chemistry. And their romance had layers. I could see how they would grow together as a couple.
One of the (many) things it did well is give us a likable ‘shrew’ heroine and that’s very difficult to do. Often shrew characters are so harsh they’re mean. Or they are so soft they’re not truly shrew characters.
Rosaline balances this well. She will list everything she hates but then she’ll admit she does likes something. She’ll tell her hero off and then she’ll ask if he’s coming with her or not. She’ll say something harsh and then immediately and visibly regret it.
I liked her as a heroine. And I understood why her hero falls in love with her.
***
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Grin And Bare Him
This cyborg will be the warrior his female requires.
Cyborgs are designed to fight. That is their primary purpose and 98.2356 percent of the manufactured warriors enjoy battle. Tremendously.
Grin, a K model, is one of the rare exceptions. When he escaped his cruel creators, he set down his sword and allocated his processors to less violent pursuits. He projects he’s left his war-waging planet rotations behind him forever.
Then he meets his beautiful, beguiling female, the one being he’s destined to protect, to claim, to love for all eternity, and his plans for peace are completely decimated.
Mohini needs a ship.
She has a dangerous mission to complete and the first step in that assignment is arranging transport to an enemy-controlled planet. The vessel she has set her sights on is guarded by the sexiest cyborg she’s ever seen.
To gain access to his ship, Mohini is prepared to kiss, caress, seduce the muscular male. The mission is her focus. The pleasure she experiences will merely be a bonus.
A female has to do what a female has to do to save the universe.
Grin And Bare Him is a Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a humanoid female undertaking a dangerous mission, a cyborg intent on keeping her alive, and an enemy with enough firepower to blow up an entire sector.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ZCWMSDV
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09ZCWMSDV
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B09ZCWMSDV
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/grin-and-bare-him/id1622100495
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grin-and-bare-him-cynthia-sax/1141413965
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/grin-and-bare-him
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1145153
Topics: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on Rosaline And Shrewish Characters
The Lost City And Series Fatigue
Warning: This post will talk about The Lost City, an awesome movie starring Sandra Bullock as a Romance Writer and Channing Tatum as a Cover Model. The spoilers will be very light but you might wish to read this post after you’ve watched the movie.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I finally watched The Lost City and stars, we enjoyed it so very much. It was funny and had unexpected twists and a great Romance Novel ending.
Which is appropriate as Loretta Sage, the heroine, writes Romance Novels and Dash, the hero, is a Romance Novel Cover Model.
I loved this movie also because it discusses a very real issue Romance Writers sometimes face – series fatigue.
Loretta has series fatigue. She has been writing about the same couple for multiple books and can’t think up a new interesting adventure for the two characters to embark on.
She sees only one solution – she has to end the series.
Except no one else wants her to do that. Her readers, Dash, her publisher, etc., all want more books in the series.
The cure she takes for series fatigue has been effective for many writers, including myself.
Loretta is forced out of the writing cave and spends time in the greater world, having adventures and interacting with non-writing folks and surrounding herself with inspiration.
I force myself to leave the writing cave every so often also. I take a break. The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I usually travel.
All that greater world stimulation propels my muse into hyperdrive. Ideas and words flow. I return to the writing cave eager to write the next story. It is very exciting.
This solution doesn’t work for everything but it is well worth a try!
***
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Provoking Odium
A Beautiful Cyborg
While accompanying his leader on a mission, Odium, an E Model cyborg, hears a distress call over the communication lines. The voice on that message makes his circuits surge with energy and all his systems light up. He has to respond to the mysterious female, would risk his lifespan and the lifespans of everyone on board their ship to protect her.
A Human Female Others Call Beast
Briella gained her nickname due to her flying abilities, her fearlessness, and her scarred countenance. Her verbal-only relationship with the sexy cyborg who answers her distress call is a steamy yet short-lived fantasy. His kind is physically perfect, and she is…not. He will uncover that truth when…if they survive the attack upon her freighter.
Provoking Odium is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a human female intent on remaining mysterious, a cyborg warrior determined to uncover her identity, and an enemy seeking to destroy them both before they have the opportunity to meet.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/provoking-odium/id1605490349
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/provoking-odium-cynthia-sax/1140894003
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/provoking-odium
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1127119
Topics: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on The Lost City And Series Fatigue
The Sandman And Beginning As You Mean To Continue
Warning: This post will talk about the Netflix series – The Sandman – and it will contain spoilers. Don’t read this post if you haven’t watched at least the first episode.
I’ve been watching The Sandman, a series on Netflix based on the Neil Gaiman’s works. The Dear Wonderful Hubby watched episode 1 with me and stopped there.
The violent death of a beloved animal in that episode really bothered him. He deemed it too sad to watch, especially for entertainment.
I, on the other hand, have been enjoying it. I’ve finished episode three thus far and yes, it is sad. I cry and/or am horrified during every installment. But I like that purge of emotions. It allows me to cope with reality.
And I’m glad the Dear Wonderful Hubby stopped watching because the first episode is representative of the next two. The tone is the same. The sadness is the same. The senseless or random acts of hurting are the same.
I try to ensure my first stories in a series are representative of the other stories also. I also try to ensure first chapters are representative of the entire story. If it is a dark story, the first chapter shouldn’t be all giggles and sunshine. There should be a hint of that darkness.
Like having the main character dress all in black. (grins) The Sandman offers us plenty of warnings.
***
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Provoking Odium
A Beautiful Cyborg
While accompanying his leader on a mission, Odium, an E Model cyborg, hears a distress call over the communication lines. The voice on that message makes his circuits surge with energy and all his systems light up. He has to respond to the mysterious female, would risk his lifespan and the lifespans of everyone on board their ship to protect her.
A Human Female Others Call Beast
Briella gained her nickname due to her flying abilities, her fearlessness, and her scarred countenance. Her verbal-only relationship with the sexy cyborg who answers her distress call is a steamy yet short-lived fantasy. His kind is physically perfect, and she is…not. He will uncover that truth when…if they survive the attack upon her freighter.
Provoking Odium is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a human female intent on remaining mysterious, a cyborg warrior determined to uncover her identity, and an enemy seeking to destroy them both before they have the opportunity to meet.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/provoking-odium/id1605490349
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/provoking-odium-cynthia-sax/1140894003
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/provoking-odium
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1127119
Topics: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on The Sandman And Beginning As You Mean To Continue
Prey And Details
I’m talking about Prey, the latest Predator movie installment, today. There won’t be many spoilers in this post so you should be okay with reading it before watching the movie.
I LOVE the Predator movies. Some of them are better than others.
Prey, the latest installment, is one of the best. If you’ve never watched any of the movies, it is a great place to start.
One of the many things I love about this movie is…
It is EXTREMELY detailed.
Almost every scene does multiple jobs.
The title is an example of this. It serves multiple purposes.
The first movie is titled Predator. Of course, there would a movie in the series called Prey. I’ve been waiting for it. (And it did NOT disappoint me.)
Prey is perfectly suited for a story featuring a heroine who goes from being prey to being a predator. (That story arc was extremely well-done.)
And I found the Predator’s relationship to beings and creatures he classifies as prey extremely interesting. This, of course, impacts his changing relationship to Naru, the heroine.
I try to put the same level of detail into my stories.
***
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Provoking Odium
A Beautiful Cyborg
While accompanying his leader on a mission, Odium, an E Model cyborg, hears a distress call over the communication lines. The voice on that message makes his circuits surge with energy and all his systems light up. He has to respond to the mysterious female, would risk his lifespan and the lifespans of everyone on board their ship to protect her.
A Human Female Others Call Beast
Briella gained her nickname due to her flying abilities, her fearlessness, and her scarred countenance. Her verbal-only relationship with the sexy cyborg who answers her distress call is a steamy yet short-lived fantasy. His kind is physically perfect, and she is…not. He will uncover that truth when…if they survive the attack upon her freighter.
Provoking Odium is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a human female intent on remaining mysterious, a cyborg warrior determined to uncover her identity, and an enemy seeking to destroy them both before they have the opportunity to meet.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/provoking-odium/id1605490349
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/provoking-odium-cynthia-sax/1140894003
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/provoking-odium
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1127119
Topics: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on Prey And Details
The Matrix Resurrections And Reviving A Series
Note: I will talk about The Matrix Resurrections in this post and there WILL be spoilers. If you haven’t yet watched this movie, you may wish to skip this post.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I recently watched The Matrix Resurrections. I had mixed feelings about watching this film. I felt the series was done.
But I was SO glad I watched it because…
This was all about the romance between Neo and Trinity.
AND
They get their solid happy ever after, which greatly pleased this romance reader. (smiles)
The creators also did some brilliant, brilliant things to tie this movie into the others. There were images taken from the other movies. Characters returned or were ‘reborn.’ One favorite baddie got his vengeance.
Yet there was freshness to the story. There were fascinating new characters. The question of whether you and I are truly living in the Matrix resurfaces.
Best of all, there was character growth, especially with Neo and Trinity. They aren’t the same beings they were in the first Matrix movie. They are dealing with different choices. The power dynamic between them changes.
It is a study on how to resurrect a series, how to add to it after time has passed.
I highly recommend it to series writers.
***
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Provoking Odium
A Beautiful Cyborg
While accompanying his leader on a mission, Odium, an E Model cyborg, hears a distress call over the communication lines. The voice on that message makes his circuits surge with energy and all his systems light up. He has to respond to the mysterious female, would risk his lifespan and the lifespans of everyone on board their ship to protect her.
A Human Female Others Call Beast
Briella gained her nickname due to her flying abilities, her fearlessness, and her scarred countenance. Her verbal-only relationship with the sexy cyborg who answers her distress call is a steamy yet short-lived fantasy. His kind is physically perfect, and she is…not. He will uncover that truth when…if they survive the attack upon her freighter.
Provoking Odium is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a human female intent on remaining mysterious, a cyborg warrior determined to uncover her identity, and an enemy seeking to destroy them both before they have the opportunity to meet.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/provoking-odium/id1605490349
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/provoking-odium-cynthia-sax/1140894003
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/provoking-odium
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1127119
Topics: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on The Matrix Resurrections And Reviving A Series
Dune And Foreseeing the Future
Warning – This post will contain some spoilers for Dune. If you haven’t yet watched the 2021 movie, you might wish to skip this post.
In the 2021 version of Dune, based on the book by Frank Herbert, Paul, the hero, sees the future in his dreams. He dreams of beings he’ll meet and events that could happen.
That’s great skill for a character to have but it makes creating an interesting story much more challenging.
Because, if Paul can see the future, he should be able to avoid nastiness like loss and death. He has the ability to live until he dies of natural causes.
We, as readers and viewers, will know he’ll always safe in battle or other dangerous situations. There will be no fear of him dying and no suspense.
The solution to this is Paul dreams about events that COULD happen. If he changes his responses, he changes the outcomes. He changes the future. It shifts from being known to being unknown. And in that unknown future, he COULD die in battle.
Seeing the future gives Paul an advantage but it doesn’t make him invincible.
***
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Seizing Power
This cyborg believes he’s in control.
Power is the self-appointed leader of the cyborg council. Other members might debate situations. He makes the ultimate decisions.
When a threat to Homeland is revealed, he takes command of a fleet and ventures to the edge of cyborg-controlled space to investigate. He finds a rebellion led by a mysterious upstart he calls Cadet.
The plan Power derives is simple—he’ll quickly quash the uprising and teach its leader a lesson the warrior will never forget.
NO ONE challenges his authority.
Eirene Ours might be called a cadet by Power but she is NOT his subordinate. She is the arrogant E Model’s genetic match.
For much of her mature lifespan, she has desired the male, yearning for his dark-eyed gaze, craving his sure hands, longing for his respect.
That esteem was never granted. And Eirene Ours can no longer wait to earn it. There’s an external threat to their kind, a danger that might destroy them all.
Having lured Power to her home terrain, she now plans to use everything within her means — her fists, her daggers, her ship-destroying missiles — to pound that truth into her stubborn warrior’s thick metal skull.
The future of every cyborg is at stake. She can’t fail them.
Power will believe her. Or he will die.
***
Seizing Power is an enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features an epic battle between two equally strong cyborg leaders, plans that go terribly yet passionately wrong, and a love that will shake the entire universe.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HT5RMH8
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HT5RMH8
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09HT5RMH8
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/seizing-power/id1589084775
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seizing-power-cynthia-sax/1140305634
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/seizing-power-2
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1108292
Topics: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on Dune And Foreseeing the Future
In The Heights And Foreshadowing
Warning: This post will contain major spoilers for In The Heights. If you haven’t yet watched this movie, you might wish to skip this post.
I recently watched the musical In The Heights. I’m aware there are issues with this musical. I still really enjoyed it. There are two great romance threads. I loved the music and the dancing and many of the scenes were visually stunning.
It also does a GREAT job at foreshadowing the darkest moment.
There is a death in this movie. It made me cry but it didn’t 100% take me by surprise.
Why?
Because there were dozens of little hints it would happen (the actress was BRILLIANT at providing these). We’d view her character for mere seconds and we’d know something was wrong.
Maybe everyone else was happy and she had a slightly pained look on her face. Maybe her hands trembled slightly when she touched an object. Maybe she paused ever-so-slightly in the middle of a task. Maybe she wasn’t paying close attention to people and things around her. There were all these little hints that something wasn’t quite right.
Foreshadowing doesn’t have to be huge and highlighted. Often the best bits of foreshadowing are so subtle they might be overlooked. But our brains, being the wondrous machines they are, pick up on these hints.
***
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B Free
B is the last remaining B Model cyborg. All of his brethren, the beings he trained with, fought with, cared deeply for, have perished.
Or so he believes.
When he intercepts a communication mentioning the existence of one of his kind, he has to investigate its source. The message could be a trap set by his enemies. He’ll take that risk if it secures him the companionship he requires to be fully functional.
What he finds is a daring brown-eyed female who activates all his systems. She proudly proclaims she’s a researcher, brandishing that information like a weapon before her. He wants to kiss the sass off her beautiful face, protect her from the dangers around them, claim her forever.
Quinn is on a quest to locate the mechanics of an early-version cyborg. She believes the information captured within that frame will give her valuable insights into the past.
When her mission goes zombie-like beings levels of wrong, she comes face-to-face with a living, breathing B Model. He has big hands, a primitive countenance, and stern hard lips crafted for kissing.
She doesn’t trust him. And she doesn’t have time to indulge her desires.
Their shared enemies are chasing them, would kill to get their precious specimens back. One minor mistake could reduce B and Quinn to a mere line in the databases of history.
***
B Free is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features the sole surviving B Model cyborg warrior, a courageous researcher seeking to uncover the past, and an unplanned visit to a settlement ruled by an extremely scary all-knowing, all-powerful being.
B Free is the fourth of five core stories in the Rebel Cyborgs Series.
Book 1: Containing Malice
Book 2: Under Strain
Book 3: Baring Grudge
Book 4: B Free
Book 5: Seizing Power
Buy Today:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097CJJ6B7
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B097CJJ6B7
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B097CJJ6B7
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/b-free/id1572709749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/b-free-cynthia-sax/1139701466
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/b-free
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1089821
Topics: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on In The Heights And Foreshadowing
Favorite Halloween Movies – Bram Stoker’s Dracula
There are two movies I watch around Halloween – Young Frankenstein (1974), a childhood favorite, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), one of my favorite vampire movies.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula isn’t a romance. There are no romantic happy ever afters for any of the characters. But it does have romantic elements.
And it has one of the most romantic lines I’ve ever encountered.
“I have crossed oceans of time to find you.”
(shivers) When Dracula says that to Mina, it captures me every time.
One of the (many) things Dracula does well is, exactly that, it crosses oceans of time. The action starts in 1462. Then it jumps to 1897.
Whenever there’s a change in time periods, there’s a risk of losing readers or, in this case, viewers. This doesn’t happen in Bram Stoker’s Dracula because the two time periods are closely linked by character (Dracula and the reincarnation of his wife) and by plot. Almost everything that happens in 1897 is tied back to the actions in 1462.
***
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B Free
B is the last remaining B Model cyborg. All of his brethren, the beings he trained with, fought with, cared deeply for, have perished.
Or so he believes.
When he intercepts a communication mentioning the existence of one of his kind, he has to investigate its source. The message could be a trap set by his enemies. He’ll take that risk if it secures him the companionship he requires to be fully functional.
What he finds is a daring brown-eyed female who activates all his systems. She proudly proclaims she’s a researcher, brandishing that information like a weapon before her. He wants to kiss the sass off her beautiful face, protect her from the dangers around them, claim her forever.
Quinn is on a quest to locate the mechanics of an early-version cyborg. She believes the information captured within that frame will give her valuable insights into the past.
When her mission goes zombie-like beings levels of wrong, she comes face-to-face with a living, breathing B Model. He has big hands, a primitive countenance, and stern hard lips crafted for kissing.
She doesn’t trust him. And she doesn’t have time to indulge her desires.
Their shared enemies are chasing them, would kill to get their precious specimens back. One minor mistake could reduce B and Quinn to a mere line in the databases of history.
***
B Free is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features the sole surviving B Model cyborg warrior, a courageous researcher seeking to uncover the past, and an unplanned visit to a settlement ruled by an extremely scary all-knowing, all-powerful being.
B Free is the fourth of five core stories in the Rebel Cyborgs Series.
Book 1: Containing Malice
Book 2: Under Strain
Book 3: Baring Grudge
Book 4: B Free
Book 5: Seizing Power
Pre-order Today:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097CJJ6B7
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B097CJJ6B7
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B097CJJ6B7
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/b-free/id1572709749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/b-free-cynthia-sax/1139701466
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/b-free
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1089821
Topics: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on Favorite Halloween Movies – Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Lucifer And Knowing Your Audience/Readership
Watching the TV show Lucifer has been one of my joys over the past year. I have been re-watching earlier episodes with my Dear Wonderful Hubby. We enjoy the humor and we love that it is so very different.
One of the reasons Lucifer is so very different is because the show’s creators know who their audience is.
Anyone watching a TV show starring the Devil is likely to be tolerant and accepting of a variety of relationship constructs, sexual orientations, adult situations, etc. Having a bisexual character, for example, won’t shock that viewer.
The people involved with Lucifer have known this was their audience since day one and they produce the episodes specifically for this audience. They did this when Lucifer originally played on Fox, a network whose target audience is NOT known for tolerance. They did this after Fox cancelled Lucifer and Netflix picked it up. They stayed true to serving their unique audience and, as a member of this audience, I love this.
I think it is important for writers to know who they’re writing their stories for also. Someone who reads dark romance, for example, is unlikely to have issues with violence on the page. Someone who reads cyborg romance will likely embrace unusual settings.
Knowing our story’s readership frees us to be brave in our choices and that’s super exciting.
***
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Baring Grudge
No one in the universe is more determined than a cyborg warrior tracking his female.
***
Grudge, a C Model cyborg, has been assigned a mission – safeguard a Humanoid Alliance space station for his kind. Honor was once all he had, and he is determined to fulfill his duty.
That resolve is tested when a tiny human female enters the space station and sets the prettiest little explosives the warrior has ever seen. She is Grudge’s genetic match, the one being manufactured for him. He wants to touch her, kiss her, claim her in all ways, but first he has to stop her from blasting him into the next galaxy.
Taelyn has a self-appointed mission—to destroy every battle robot the Humanoid Alliance has ever manufactured. A huge gray-skinned, blue-eyed cyborg warrior with mismatched arms won’t prevent her from achieving her goal. She’ll escape him, leaving destruction in her wake.
Before she departs, she’ll experience one toe-curling moment of hatred-edged passion with her handsome foe. She’ll show him how skilled with detonations she truly is. He will have his universe rocked.
Then she’ll disappear.
Her cyborg, however, has no intention of ever letting her go.
***
Baring Grudge is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a determined, damaged warrior, an equally resolute human female, and an explosive game of predator and prey played across galaxies.
Baring Grudge is the third of five core stories in the Rebel Cyborgs Series.
Book 1: Containing Malice
Book 2: Under Strain
Book 3: Baring Grudge
Book 4: B Free
Book 5: Seizing Power
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/baring-grudge/id1559566673
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baring-grudge-cynthia-sax/1139086727
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/baring-grudge
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1075600
Topics: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on Lucifer And Knowing Your Audience/Readership
Promising Young Woman And The Right Ending For A Story
Spoiler Alert: This post will contain spoilers about Promising Young Woman. If you haven’t yet watched this wonderful yet so-NOT-a-romance-ending movie, consider skipping this post.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I watched Promising Young Woman and we both enjoyed it. It was clear why it had won an Oscar for Best Screenplay. The writing was tight and fresh and the heroine’s character arc was well-formed.
Promising Young Woman deals with rape. If you have any sort of triggers around that type of violence, avoid this movie.
Despite the dark topic and a strong social message, it contained humor and was extremely entertaining. I couldn’t stop watching it and I loved the ending, which is unusual for me because…
This movie does NOT have a Romance Novel ending.
At all.
Normally, I want happy endings in the books I read and the movies I watch. But with Promising Young Woman, a happy ending would have been a cheat. It wouldn’t have fit with the story and with the reality of any female-facing person watching the movie. We wouldn’t have believed it.
There IS justice, however. And that was extremely satisfying to see.
A high price was paid for that justice. That aligns with what female-facing people expect also. The heroine was fighting a society and systems that favor male-facing people. Heavily. We know, from the beginning, it will be a struggle for the lead character in Promising Young Woman to get any sort of closure.
It happens but with great sacrifice.
Was a happy ending possible for the heroine?
Of course, it was. She deserved happiness and love. Everyone deserves happiness and love. But she couldn’t have obtained that happy ending without giving up her main goal. And that would have destroyed the movie.
Not every heroic character is destined for a happy ever after.
Before writing a new story, I always ask myself, “Can this character achieve their primary goal AND also have a romantic happy ever after?”
Sometimes, I can’t figure out a way to accomplish this. If that is the situation, I park the story idea to the side and work on something else. I only write Romance and romantic happy ever afters or happy for nows are a must in this wonderful genre. I’ll return to the story when or if I can secure that ending.
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Baring Grudge
No one in the universe is more determined than a cyborg warrior tracking his female.
***
Grudge, a C Model cyborg, has been assigned a mission – safeguard a Humanoid Alliance space station for his kind. Honor was once all he had, and he is determined to fulfill his duty.
That resolve is tested when a tiny human female enters the space station and sets the prettiest little explosives the warrior has ever seen. She is Grudge’s genetic match, the one being manufactured for him. He wants to touch her, kiss her, claim her in all ways, but first he has to stop her from blasting him into the next galaxy.
Taelyn has a self-appointed mission—to destroy every battle robot the Humanoid Alliance has ever manufactured. A huge gray-skinned, blue-eyed cyborg warrior with mismatched arms won’t prevent her from achieving her goal. She’ll escape him, leaving destruction in her wake.
Before she departs, she’ll experience one toe-curling moment of hatred-edged passion with her handsome foe. She’ll show him how skilled with detonations she truly is. He will have his universe rocked.
Then she’ll disappear.
Her cyborg, however, has no intention of ever letting her go.
***
Baring Grudge is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a determined, damaged warrior, an equally resolute human female, and an explosive game of predator and prey played across galaxies.
Baring Grudge is the third of five core stories in the Rebel Cyborgs Series.
Book 1: Containing Malice
Book 2: Under Strain
Book 3: Baring Grudge
Book 4: B Free
Book 5: Seizing Power
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/baring-grudge/id1559566673
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baring-grudge-cynthia-sax/1139086727
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/baring-grudge
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1075600
Topics: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on Promising Young Woman And The Right Ending For A Story
