Taste of Cyn

Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – November 7th

By Cynthia Sax on November 7, 2021

I am STILL working on the first draft of Seizing Power (releasing in February) but the end of this first draft is now in sight. Woot! Power and Cadet/Eirene Ours remain alive. They haven’t yet killed each other. That’s a huge accomplishment. There were a few scenes I didn’t think Power would survive.

After the first draft is completed, there will be two more drafts (at least). Then the story will be ready to be sent to my Awesome Editor. I expect to hit my end of November target date for that.

B Free releases in 9 days. I’m super excited for this. I can’t wait for you to read B and Quinn’s story.

Have a wonderful week, my friends! (big hugs) Eat some leftover Halloween candy if you still have any (I’m all out – grins). Read a book written by a favorite writer. Hold the door open for a stranger. You might make their day and isn’t that a great superpower to have?

***

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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

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B Free, The Humanoid Alliance And Erasing History

By Cynthia Sax on November 6, 2021

“History is Written by Victors.”

(The futuristic version of this, used in B Free, is “History is recorded by the vanquishers.”)

This statement is often attributed to Winston Churchill but its true origins are ironically unknown.

Often when a civilization is ‘conquered’, it is erased and the victors’ culture, traditions, history is installed in its place. This is true here on Earth (it is STILL happening today) and it is true in the cyborg universe.

The Humanoid Alliance is infamous for this tactic. They not only delete the conquered beings’ history, they often kill all of them, leaving no one to relay it verbally.

Quinn, the heroine of B Free, specializes in excavating this lost history, both literally by unearthing deeply buried ancient objects and also figuratively by using her gift of psychometry to ‘see’ the past. Her goal is to ensure the voices of these conquered beings are heard.

***

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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: Story Insights | Comments Off on B Free, The Humanoid Alliance And Erasing History

B Free And Moll

By Cynthia Sax on November 5, 2021

Quinn, the heroine of B Free, has a nemesis named Moll.

Here is the first mention of Moll.

***

“Did Moll hire you?” Quinn moved closer to the mystery male. “That artifact-thieving, derivative work-creating, daughter of a scrap-heap tender.” The female was her most fierce competitor for research materials. “I should have hit her in the sources when I last saw her.”

***

Moll never appears on the page in B Free but Quinn refers to her a few times.

Moll is nod to Moll Cutpurse (born Mary Frith), a 17^th century thief, highway robber, pimp (procuring both men and women for clients), fence and overall esteemed member of the London Underground.

Moll Cutpurse dressed like a male, smoked a pipe and could outswear almost everyone. She adored her parrots and her doggies. Her doggies each had their own bed and she prepared their food herself.

Moll Cutpurse was an original being and, if I had any gift at all for historical fiction, I would write a story based on her (it wouldn’t be a romance as sex and romance didn’t interest her). She wasn’t all good, not by anyone’s standards, (laughs) but she definitely had traits and stances I admire and she lived her life her own way.

I suspect Moll, Quinn’s nemesis, has some traits and stances I would admire also.

***

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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: Story Insights | Comments Off on B Free And Moll

Welcome To November!

By Cynthia Sax on November 3, 2021

November is usually a cold month in my section of the universe. Usually. Climate change is changing that. Right now, there are still leaves on the trees and dandelions flowering in the backyard.

November, currently the eleventh month of the year, was originally the ninth month. Novem means nine in Latin.

This is a GREAT month for meteor showers. The Andromedids, the Leonids, the Alpha Monocerotids, the Northern Taurids, the Southern Taurids, the Phoenicids and sometimes the Orionids put on shows in the skies this month. If you’re outside at night and it is safe to do so, look upward. You might get lucky and see the flash of a meteor.

The big event for me this November is the release of B Free! Woot! B Free releases on the 16^th. I think you’ll really enjoy this story. I love B and Quinn.

I’m sending celebratory thoughts to all my buddies born in this month. Those were fortunate days for the universe. (smiles) And I am wishing everyone a great November!

***

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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 Welcome To November!

Containers

By Cynthia Sax on November 2, 2021

I mention containers quite often in my stories…because beings everywhere have always had the need to contain things-liquids, food, objects. (grins)

These early containers, displayed in the Altos de Chavon Regional Museum of Archaeology in La Romana, Dominican Republic, served as inspiration for some of the containers Quinn studies in B Free.

This container was quite large. It could have easily held water for a family.

This container, in contrast, was quite small. It looks like a gravy boat. (grins)

This could be easily held with one hand.

This container looked to be single serving size also

This platter would be large enough to hold the roasted roots for an entire family in one of my stories.

As per the sign…

“Chicoid Ceramics 800-1500 A.D.

Chicoid pottery is a product of the mixture of ceramic styles of the previous period. It originated on the island of Santo Domingo and from there spread to the current territories of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Bahamas.

The objects show a high degree of craftmanship, with a variety of receptacle decorated with geometric motifs and animal forms.

Bowls with handles decorated with bat an owl faces are very common in Taino ceramics from the eastern region of the island of Santo Domingo.”

***

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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: Story Insights | Comments Off on Containers

B Free – Third Scene Of The First Chapter

By Cynthia Sax on November 1, 2021

The countdown to the release day for B Free continues!

I’m sharing the third scene from the first chapter this week.

You can read the first scene here:

http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=8807

***

B entered the deliberately dented freighter. His lifeform scans indicated Cadet was on the bridge. He moved into that space.

She sat in the captain’s chair. An image of Power, the self-appointed leader of the cyborg council, was displayed on the main viewscreen. He was larger than life.

“I relayed the information about the space stations, the Resurrected warriors, and the battle robots to that arrogant ass.” She twitched her head toward the male’s image. “He told me that, unless those Humanoid Alliance forces are entering cyborg-controlled space, their activities are none of our concern.”

If they waited for an invasion to happen, it would be too late.

B sat in the seat beside hers.

The Humanoid Alliance, his former captors, the enemy, would rebuild their forces and their arsenals before attacking cyborg-controlled space. They’d conquer other species and demand they fight for them or perish.

It was prudent to stop the humans now when that was easier to accomplish.

“He won’t change his stance.” She rolled her eyes. “Let the humans and the humanoids have their wars.” She imitated Power’s arrogant tones. “Safeguarding the universe isn’t our responsibility.” She glanced at B. “He said I’d process that if I had more solar cycles of living.”

B huffed. Cadet did have comparatively fewer solar cycles of living. But she, like all the newer models, had downloaded their brethren’s combined experiences and knowledge.

Almost all their experiences.

A tinge of guilt struck B. He hadn’t shared his past with her, with anyone.

But others had. And Cadet had added to that intel by leading numerous rescue missions, had organized the beings on Mercury Minor.

The freeborn C Model had earned her role as their leader, was no cadet, as Power called her.

“We’ll take action without him.” B lifted his chin. They had sufficient warriors and ships to do that. “We’ll retrieve the warriors who couldn’t escape during the mass rebellion.” Some of those warriors would be trapped in Humanoid Alliance structures, in underground laboratories like he had been. “We’ll locate as many of the enemy’s space stations as we can, and we’ll destroy them.” They had teams working on finding the hidden structures. “And we’ll protect Mercury Minor, our home.”

Power could safeguard the cyborgs on the Homeland. None of those warriors had answered the distress calls made by their brethren who had been left behind. They hadn’t sought to find him.

Frag. They weren’t even aware he existed.

“He doesn’t listen to me.” Cadet scowled at Power’s image. “And he doesn’t respect me. After solar cycles of communicating with him, he still views me as his inferior, as the cadet he first labeled me.”

“The warriors on Mercury Minor listen to you.” B sought to repair his leader’s emotional damage. “We respect you.”

“And I value that.” Cadet’s gaze didn’t shift from the E Model’s face. “But…”

But it wasn’t enough for the C Model. She wanted Power’s approval.

That was illogical. The male lived on another planet, on the Cyborg Homeland. They had never met face-to-face. Cadet blocked visuals when she communicated the E Model, disguised her voice to sound male, concealed her location. Power was her nemesis.

There was only one reason B could process for Cadet seeking the male’s regard.

He stiffened. “Power is your genetic match.”

The female warrior’s gray cheeks flushed with pink pigment. “He’s an arrogant ass.”

That wasn’t a no. B clenched his jaw. Cyborgs couldn’t lie. Their programming didn’t allow that. But they could avoid answering questions.

Cadet had evaded his query, which meant…

Power was her genetic match, was the one being in the universe manufactured for her.

Part of B had always processed that. She communicated with the E model more often than was necessary, allowed no one else to observe those exchanges. Her anger toward the male was stronger than was justified. She tracked all Power’s movements. Her behavior bordered on obsessive.

B had pushed his suspicions to the back of his processors, hadn’t sought to verify them.

Because if they were true, it meant Cadet wasn’t like him at all. She was fully functional, and she had a being destined to be hers, someone she would eventually confide in, share her lifespan with.

He was truly alone.

***

Read the next scene (available November 8th) here:

http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=8814

***

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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: Coming Soon | Comments Off on B Free – Third Scene Of The First Chapter

Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – October 31st

By Cynthia Sax on October 31, 2021

Woot! Happy Halloween to everyone who celebrates this day! Wishing you only the good type of scares and the friendliest of trick or treaters!

This week, I continued working on the first draft of Seizing Power, the fifth story in the Rebel Cyborgs series (releasing in February). I love Power and Cadet/Eirene Ours together. I think she is the only heroine who can truly appreciate and handle him. (grins) Power IS a lot. I suspect even he would admit to that (and likely be proud of it).

The edits for Needing Valor, this year’s free thank you short story (releasing in December), have been completed and I’ve sent the story to my awesome formatter (who is now the Dear Wonderful Hubby). It should be ready to go in December.

Have a terrific week, my friends. (tackle hugs) Treat yourself today, as well as the kiddies. I ensure this happens at House Sax by buying extra candy. (laughs) This isn’t my first Halloween, unicorns and dinosaurs. I know all the tricks.

***

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:

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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.

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 Halloween Decorations

Favorite Halloween Movies – Bram Stoker’s Dracula

By Cynthia Sax on October 29, 2021

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.

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: Movie Reviews | Comments Off on Favorite Halloween Movies – Bram Stoker’s Dracula

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: