Taste of Cyn

Happy Halloween

By Cynthia Sax on October 31, 2023

Halloween is my all time favorite celebration of the year. Yes, I love it more than I love my birthday. (grins)

I love the fantastical costumes and how people disappear into magic and make believe for the day.

I love meeting all the little trick-or-treaters who come to our door. Kids are in a constant state of wonder, aren’t they? They are a gift to the world.

I love the candy. When I eat those tiny chocolate bars, I feel like a giant.

I love the fall colors, the leaves, the pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns.

And I love the ghost stories. (shivers in delight)

Have a wonderful Halloween, my friends. (big hugs)

***

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Intrepid Encounter

Cyborg vs. Valkyrie

Blood will be spilled and hearts will be captured.

Intrepid and his crew on the Dauntless guard the border to the cyborg sector. The D Model cyborg captain has dedicated his lifespan to protecting their homeland. He’ll do anything to secure the space and keep his brethren safe.

That includes confronting a Valkyrie intent on vengeance.

The female warrior is beautiful, brave, strong…and Intrepid’s genetic match. She’s the one being he is fated to claim. Her voice causes his circuits to hum. Her touch produces a passion he struggles to control.

But if he has to stop her…permanently…to protect his kind, he will make that sacrifice.

Olrun has been tracking the whereabouts of a one-of-a-kind object. The stolen item is critical to the safety of her Valkyrie sisters, and she’ll do anything to retrieve it.

That includes waging war on a tall, broad-shouldered cyborg warrior sporting brilliant-blue eyes and grimly set lips.

The male might…just might…have battle skills matching her own. And that excites the immortal fighter. She craves his rough handling, his punishing embrace, his stern words.

But Olrun’s desire for the cyborg won’t distract her from achieving her goal. She will shield her fellow Valkyries from danger, even if that means ending Intrepid’s lifespan in the process.

Intrepid Encounter is an enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a protective cyborg, a vengeful Valkyrie, and a destiny neither of them can predict.

Pre-order Today:

Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/Intrepid-Encounter-SciFi-Cyborg-Romance-ebook/dp/B0C8BN96D1

Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intrepid-Encounter-SciFi-Cyborg-Romance-ebook/dp/B0C8BN96D1

Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Intrepid-Encounter-SciFi-Cyborg-Romance-ebook/dp/B0C8BN96D1

Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/intrepid-encounter/id6450374920

B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/intrepid-encounter-cynthia-sax/1143664740

Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/intrepid-encounter

Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/1409350

Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Happy Halloween

Preparing For Halloween

By Cynthia Sax on October 29, 2022

Halloween is my favorite celebration of the year. Yes, I love it more than my birthday. (grins)

I love the tiny chocolate bars. I feel like a giant when I eat them. I love giving these chocolate bars out (with the small bags of potato chips and some fun stickers) to kiddies. I love seeing all the costumes. I love jack o’lanterns and fall leaves. This is super fun for me.

I have new pumpkin pails to put the candy I’m giving out in. Pails, plural, because every Halloween, toddlers walk off with them and I don’t have the heart to take them back. (grins)

I’m wishing you joy and fun during this special celebration and beyond it. (big hugs)

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

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: Cyn-Sights | Comments Off on Preparing For Halloween

Halloween Decorations

By Cynthia Sax on October 30, 2021

We already have a pumpkin situated on our front step. I can’t really call it a jack o’lantern as we went the extremely lazy route and used markers instead of carving the face. It is a really small pumpkin. (grins) That is our excuse.

The big maple tree in the neighbor’s front yard has contributed to the decorating. Every morning, our driveway is covered with beautiful bright yellow leaves. It looks like a fantasy world. (smiles)

Our spiders have also stepped up their game. One of them has spun a huge spiderweb over our front door. It truly looks like we placed it there deliberately! Good work, spiders!

Are you decorating for Halloween?

***

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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: Guest Post | Comments Off on Halloween Decorations

B Free And Halloween Chocolate

By Cynthia Sax on October 27, 2021

Halloween is my all-time favorite special occasion. I love it more than my birthday, more than any other holiday.

One of the reasons for this great love is…

The tiny chocolate bars the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I give out to trick or treaters. (grins)

I eat some of these chocolate bars. I have to test them before I hand them to the kiddies. (laughs) And they always make me feel like a giant. They are so very small in my hands.

I suspect that is how B, the hero of B Free, the fifth story in the Rebel Cyborgs series (releasing in November), often feels. He is HUGE. C Models are extremely large. B Models are even bigger. The nourishment bars must look like bite-sized treats in his big hands.

When you eat one of those little chocolate bars, think of B. That is his reality every day.

***

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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.

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 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:

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on B Free And Halloween Chocolate

Welcome To October!

By Cynthia Sax on October 1, 2021

October is one of my absolute favorite months.

I LOVE Halloween. I feel like a giant whenever I handle any of the treat-sized chocolate bars. I love the costumes (I sent a lobster costume to one of my sister’s dogs this year – grins). I love seeing all the neighbors’ kids all dressed up. It is a magical day.

I also love Fall/Autumn. Due to climate change, October is now when the leaves start turning gold or red or orange in my corner of the universe (a decade ago, that change started in September). It is nature’s art show and I’m here for that. The mafia squirrels are busy hiding bits of bagels on our windowsills. The fall jackets are coming out.

October, now the 10^th month of the year, was once the 8^th month. The number eight (ôctō) in Latin and Greek is what October is named after.

Happy birthday to all my buddies celebrating their special days this month! Happy October to everyone. (group hugs) Have an awesome month, my friends!

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

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.

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 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:

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Welcome To October!

Happy Halloween – Brace For Bad Puns!

By Cynthia Sax on October 31, 2020

You know I LOVE terrible puns and bad jokes and I have an awesome Halloween collection of them.

Here are some of my favorites…

***

How do you know a vampire has a cold?

He starts coffin!

***

What type of music does a mummy like the best?

Wrap!

***

What type of dog does Dracula have?

A blood hound.

***

What does a ghost call his sweetheart?

His ghoul-friend!

***

What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman?

Frost bite!

***

What does a ghost call his mom and dad?

His transparents.

***

Why didn’t the skeleton dance at the Halloween party?

He had no body to dance with!

***

What do ghosts use to wash their hair?

Sham-BOO!

***

Have a Happy Halloween, my friends!

***

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Warlord’s Return

Ariq is a barbarian warrior seeking a war.

He locates that battle when he meets Xareni.

* * *

Ariq is one of Chamele’s top warriors. A genetic predisposition to fighting, paired with intensive training and experience, has honed the scarred male into an effective killing machine. He loves war, can’t live without combat.

The Succession Wars, however, have finally ended and the Chamele sector is now at peace. Seeking excitement and purpose, the barbarian warrior accompanies his Second to the Refuge, an outlaw settlement on Carinae E. He hopes to locate the battle he’s been craving there.

Ariq finds that conflict and more when he meets his fated mate.

Xareni owes the Ruler of the Refuge a favor. That’s the only reason she has returned to the settlement. She doesn’t like crowds or structures or a certain barbarian warrior who insists on following her everywhere. It doesn’t matter that there’s a connection between them, that he makes her burn with desire, that he looks at her with heat in his dark eyes.

She’s a monster and monsters don’t need anyone.

* * *

Warlord’s Return is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance featuring a determined barbarian warrior, an equally resolute human female, and an eyeball-eating mini dragon.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FTJY7P1

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08FTJY7P1

Amazon AUS:

https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08FTJY7P1

Apple Books:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlords-return/id1527631786

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warlords-return-cynthia-sax/1137482152

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-s-return

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1038052

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Happy Halloween – Brace For Bad Puns!

Spookapalooza And Halloween Fun

By Cynthia Sax on October 28, 2020

While waiting for Warlord’s Return to release (on Tuesday – woot!), I’m having some Halloween fun.

I, and many other awesome Romance Writers, are participating in The Romance Studio’s Spookapalooza on their party site. There will be awesome contests and free books and monstrous (grins) posts. You can access the fun here – https://www.trsparties.com/

My post on Dark Thoughts And Monsters is live.

Here’s a snippet…

***

Halloween is the time of monsters and I absolutely LOVE monsters. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite tropes and who is the Beast? He’s a monster.

I absolutely believe monsters deserve love and companionship. Often they are misunderstood and merely appear scary.

The hero of Dark Thoughts, Kralj, truly IS scary. He was designed to kill and he does that very enthusiastically.

He doesn’t scare Dita, however.

***

You can read the full post here – https://www.trsparties.com/dark-thoughts-and-monsters-by-cynthia-sax/

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Warlord’s Return

Ariq is a barbarian warrior seeking a war.

He locates that battle when he meets Xareni.

* * *

Ariq finds that conflict and more when he meets his fated mate.

She’s a monster and monsters don’t need anyone.

* * *

Warlord’s Return is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance featuring a determined barbarian warrior, an equally resolute human female, and an eyeball-eating mini dragon.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FTJY7P1

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08FTJY7P1

Amazon AUS:

https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08FTJY7P1

Apple Books:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlords-return/id1527631786

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warlords-return-cynthia-sax/1137482152

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-s-return

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1038052

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Spookapalooza And Halloween Fun

Sinful Rewards – Haunted Chicago

By Cynthia Sax on October 31, 2014

Sinful Rewards is set in Chicago which makes this Halloween even more exciting for me. Chicago, with its deadly history (The Great Fire, Al Capone), is one of the most haunted cities in America.

The Congress Plaza Hotel is a must-visit for ghost hunters. It was built to host visitors during Chicago’s World Fair and was a hangout for Al Capone and other gangsters.

Some of the ghosts include a little boy in the north tower. His mother threw him off the roof before she took her own life. There’s a female ghost in the banquet room. She whispers in the ear of any visitor who enters the space alone. The most haunted room in the hotel is 441. A shadowy outline of a woman frequently appears there.

Another must-see is the Inez Clark Statue in Graceland Cemetery. Inez was a 6 year old girl who was struck by lightning and killed in 1880. Inez’s parents commissioned a statue in the likeness of their beloved daughter. This was placed on her grave, in a glass box to protect it from the elements (apt, considering how she died). Cemetery employees and visitors have often found the box empty or the statue moved, especially during thunderstorms. Yes. I felt chills also.

The Lady In Red haunting the Drake Hotel is one of the most famous Chicago ghosts. When the Drake Hotel opened on New Year’s Eve in 1920, a wealthy venture capitalist and his fiancé attended the gala held in the Gold Coast Room. The venture capitalist excused himself, leaving his fiancé in the ballroom, and didn’t return for hours. The green-eyed, black-haired beauty dressed in crimson went looking for him. She found the love of her life in the arms of another woman. Devastated, she climbed to the roof and jumped. She has been seen searching the ballroom, standing in the room where she found him cheating and on the roof.

Have you ever seen a ghost or been in a haunted house?

***

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Four years ago, Bee Carter left her tiny hometown, escaping her tormenters. She concealed her tarnished reputation under a good-girl persona, hiding her history from Nicolas, her strong and silent billionaire; Hawke, her tattooed bad-boy biker; and Cyndi, her man-crazy best friend.

Today, she’s returning home … and she’s not alone. Some of her deepest, darkest secrets will be revealed. Trust will be tested. Clothing and inhibitions will be discarded. Bee and her hometown will never be the same.

When her past and her present collide, will any of Bee’s relationships survive?

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00I7V89N4

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards4-1645053-149.html

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-4-cynthia-sax/1119919839

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_4?id=PvxzAwAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-4/id814148698

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Sinful Rewards – Haunted Chicago

Interview With Ashley Ladd

By Cynthia Sax on October 24, 2014

I sat down (virtually) with Ashley Ladd for a short interview. Today is the release day for Ashley Ladd’s Spooky Sojourn, a MF Paranormal Erotic.

Cynthia Sax: How does Spooky Sojourn start?

Ashley Ladd: Deanna Thompson has just been hired to manage The Gilroy Resort and Hotel in Homestead, Florida and to rid it of the ghosts—or whoever is trying to make the hotel appear to be haunted—haunting it. So she talks to the assistant manager and other employees, then hires a paranormal investigator to help her get to the bottom of the problems. She’s taken aback when the man on the other end of the line has the sexiest, most exciting masculine voice she’s ever heard.

Cynthia Sax: Where is Spooky Sojourn set?

Ashley Ladd: In a haunted hotel south of Miami, Florida.

I think haunted hotels are especially exciting. In this case there are two purported ghosts haunting the hotel, one who likes to cook and throw knives around the kitchen and the other haunts the bowling alley and not only bowls but chases the employees around with pins. This has driven away many guests and also hotel personnel. However, when a romance writing convention stays at the hotel, they request a ghost tour, surprising Deanna.

Cynthia Sax: What makes Deanna and Harry perfect for each other?

Ashley Ladd: They appear to be opposites so this is a story of opposites attract. Deanna doesn’t believe in ghosts and the supernatural. In fact she thinks anybody who does is silly, even strange and immature. Meanwhile, Harry DeVeaux, the paranormal investigator she hires to disprove the ghost theory, whole-heartedly believes in ghosts. They often irritate each other even as sparks fly fast and furious.

When someone tries to kill Deanna, Harry’s protective instincts kick into full gear. He lost the first love of his life to foul play. He’s going to do everything in his power to keep Deanna safe and here with him.

Cynthia Sax: What do you love about writing paranormals?

Ashley Ladd: Paranormal is so much fun, especially ghosts. They get to fly, float, become invisible, jump into bodies, talk through people, and do just about anything they want.

Since this release occurs right before Halloween, it’s perfect timing. The mood is set for spookiness and all kinds of paranormal fun, even in hot muggy South Florida.

Thank you, Ashley Ladd, for joining us today!

Ashley Ladd’s Website: http://www.ashleyladd.blogspot.com

*****************************************************************************

Someone’s trying to kill Deanna, but is it the ghosts she doesn’t believe in, the rich socialite who might be a murderess, or someone else with a beef against The Gilroy Hotel and Resort that Deanna has just been hired to manage? The Gilroy’s owners want the ghosts, or whoever is causing the trouble at the hotel eliminated, and they are pressuring Deanna to do the job as quickly as possible. Harry DeVeaux, paranormal investigator comes highly recommended to do the job and against Deanna’s better judgment, she hires him.

Although Deanna thinks Harry’s crazy for believing in ghosts and Harry thinks Deanna has a closed mind to the possibilities of ghosts and they highly annoy each other, sparks fly. Deanna can’t help but fantasize about Harry and inspired by a romance convention visiting her hotel, writes her fantasies in a private blog that Harry finds, hacks, and reads. Ooh la la!

Buy Now: http://www.totallybound.com/spooky-sojourn

Topics: Author Interviews | Comments Off on Interview With Ashley Ladd

Happy Halloween!

By Cynthia Sax on October 31, 2013

I LOVE Halloween. The Sax household always gives out good candy and we stay open as long as the trick-or-treaters continue knocking on our door. We don’t care how old the little ghosts or goblins are. Everyone is welcome.

I grew up as one of six kids. We were dirt poor. We didn’t eat every day and we didn’t have running water. Yes, in rural Canada and U.S.A., there are still homes with outhouses. We lived in one of these homes.

Halloween was a magical time for us. We’d spend months making our costumes. Once we made Native American costumes out of burlap sacks, sewing each hoarded bead on by hand, plucking feathers from our chickens for our headdresses.

Pumpkins for our Jack O’lanterns would be chosen from our own patch. Each of us would design a part of the face. I might have the honor of designing the left eye of the Jack O’lantern or two of his teeth. The seeds would be dried, salted and roasted for a delicious treat.

On Halloween, we’d rush home from school, grab our pillowcases, and trek to the neighbor’s house. We lived in the country so there were miles between houses. The poor farmers would give us apples. The rich farmers would give us full sized chocolate bars or cans of soda. We’d stay out as long as we could because this was our candy for the year.

My parents charged a ‘tax’ on Halloween candy (because they didn’t have money for candy either). Ten percent of all candy collected went to my mom and dad.

In our northern community, Halloween is a social day. Trick-or-treating is a way for neighbors to visit neighbors. One parent would stay at home and give out treats. One parent would walk with the kids and visit with neighbors. When the little kids grew tired, the seniors would dress up and take their place. There was always a pot of coffee brewing for the adult trick-or-treaters. There was no worrying about the safety of candy because we knew everyone we received candy from.

Now that I live in the big city, I give out packaged candy and buy my pumpkin. However, I continue the tradition of greeting and meeting my neighbors, being part of this wonderful community event.