We’ll be talking about Crash And Burn in the comments. Please do not read this post if you have NOT read the story. This WILL contain spoilers!
Crash And Burn
Crash was manufactured to be one of the best warriors in the universe. The cyborg has spent many human lifespans fighting the enemy. But, unlike his battle-loving brethren, he doesn’t enjoy killing. When he escapes the Humanoid Alliance, he vows to never end another life.
Then he meets Safyre, an infuriating human female, and he considers breaking his vow.
Safyre will do anything to save her friend, the being she loves like a sister. She’ll ravish a huge hunky cyborg, kiss his best friend, and invoke scorching hot desires the male never realized he could feel. Dark soulful eyes, a quick wit, and a tempestuous passion won’t divert her from her mission.
Love, and a planet-destroying weapon, however, might stop her permanently.
I set up this secret page so we can discuss what happened and didn’t happen in Crash And Burn.
Everyone looking at this page should have read the story so don’t worry about spoilers or anything else.
Also, feel free to vent. You won’t hurt my feelings. I have rhino skin. I also realize that not every reader will like what happened in Crash And Burn.
Yeah……you killed Gap…..not only that, you killed him just after he found his female…..how could you
(big hugs) They’re warriors, unfortunately, manufactured to kill and eventually to die. They remain at war and, although they act like they’re immortal, they’re not.
Though Gap WILL in some way be immortal. He will never be forgotten, which was his dearest wish. He wanted to belong, to earn the respect of his brethren, which he did.
Crash and Rage HAVE found their happy ever after. They beat amazing odds to accomplish that. Gap had a different destiny.
It is the classic question – Would you rather have a short but glorious life, a life that will be marked in history and never forgotten, or would you rather live a long, fairly uneventful life?
I would choose the long, uneventful life, but Gap wouldn’t. He’d want the glorious life.
You still wish everyone can enjoy a long life! Even if its a character in a book! I was looking forward to Gap’s books! I imagined it would of been fun!
I wish a long life for everyone also. I cried the entire time I was writing that scene with Gap. I thought for certain he’d somehow make his way out.
But Safyre knew there was no way to escape those cursed tunnels. As Rage mentioned, they’re death traps, with limited ways to escape.
She truly thought she’d be the being who died with Nymphia.
I hated that Gap died right as he found his mate….I wish they could have had at least a little more time together. I did love the book overall though….going to be interesting to see Death’s mate and what she will be like/
Yes, they had one brief yet wonderful moment. Safyre suspected Nymphia would never escape that cursed tunnel and unfortunately, she was right.
Death plans to risk everything to get his one moment of happiness. His female is Tifara, Safyre’s medic friend… because that is what a medic needs–a love interest named Death.
Why!!!! I couldn’t phantom Gap’s death, I keep hoping he escaped… So, I’m not happy about that tear invoking heartbreaking piece you added.
I wanted a miracle to happen also but Rage is right. Tunnels are death traps. Limited ways in. Limited ways out.
Safyre knew that. She knew if she made it to the tunnels, she’d likely die. She thought a cyborg might have a different fate but, while they’re very hard to kill, they’re not immortal.
Wow…..Blew. My. Ass. Away! Soooo did not see that coming with Gap…! However(comma) I understood the need to have that happen. It was perfect, and honestly- needed to be done to prove a point. IN fact, I think that, in the back of my mind, I always knew he wouldn’t get his HEA like the others. Just some sort of niggling doubt I always had.
Awesome. Awesome! Big Hugs to you!
;D
Awww… thank you (hugs Amy)
Yes, they’re at war. The odds of all of them surviving was very low.
Gap DID have his one moment of happiness. He knew Crash loved him, Rage loved him, his female loved him.
Death envied him that happiness. He plans to do ANYTHING to get his moment of happiness.
Just a quickie~ did you know all along what you were going to do, or was it something that just hit you one day? (I love the creative process…. since I have none).
Thanks!
I knew when I wrote the first story that the odds of all three of them finding their HEA was unlikely. They’re at war. Finding a female IS rare (and unfortunately not all cyborgs will find their females).
I also knew that a cyborg would eventually die. They’re not immortal.
The rest flowed from the characters and the plot. What would Gap do? Is he the type of warrior to wait or would he rush into danger? In Releasing Rage, he had both Rage and Crash looking out for him. In Crash And Burn, he had only Crash and Crash was distracted.
And if he had survived this mission and hadn’t found his female, he would have been alone (which would have hurt him as he desperately wants to belong). He might have partnered with other cyborgs on future missions but these cyborgs wouldn’t have necessarily looked out for him. How long would he have survived?
Thank you so much for your reply! I am honored to have been given that glimpse in to your creative process. Very, very interesting!
OMG I was at the local A&W for breakfast when I read the scene with Gap and Nymphia. It was all I could do not to burst into tears. I understand why it happened, but it really hit me hard.
(hugs)
I cried while writing those scenes. And yes, it did have to happen, for a zillion different reasons.
This was the most emotionally challenging story I’ve ever written. I was a mess after writing it.
You set me up! You set me up!! How could you?!? Gap… How could you.?!? I don’t know if I can love you anymore.
You might not love me but I will always love you, Kadashee (big hugs) I cried too.
I cried when Gap died. I was with Crash I Was like go get him and than I cried again when Rage got the news. My kids rolling their eyes at me. It was to much. I don’t know if I can emotional take the next one.
It is an exceptional author who can pull her readers so deeply into the emotions of the characters! Cynthia, you are an awesome writer. I was upset that Gap died, but the way he found his beloved and stayed with her was also ‘right’ for him. The scenes with Rage had me crying again!
Then, in the epilogue I laughed at Crash’s playfulness!
Awww… (big hugs)
Thank you, Jannie.
I cried while writing those scenes. And you and I both knew Rage was going to take it hard. He is likely blaming himself for not going on the mission with them.
Ohhh… don’t expect the next story to be as emotional.
I don’t think there is anything more traumatic than a death of a loved secondary character.
I write romance so I believe in the happy EVER after for couples (and more – once we get to Ace and Thrasher’s story).
The story was so good, broke my heart but at least Gap found his love and they were together when they died! I get so attached to these characters and want them all to have a HEA!!! It just goes to show how amazing a writer you are that we love these characters so much that we get upset when something happens to them!!! I am very happy that Crash and Safyre found each other and got their HEA
(hugs Stacy)
I was just as emotional writing the scenes. I’ve spent so much time with Gap. I really loved him. Still do.
Hey~ for all that grieve: Gap and Nymphia went out like Vikings! And like true Vikings they became sacrosanct and were talked about forever after.
(Or, if you are from Lake Erie like me- they went over the Falls like the Maid of the Mist and became eternal!).
I love the legend of the Maid Of The Mist (I’m from the T-dot).
Kakabeka Falls, near Thunder Bay, has a very similar legend (I grew up around there).
Yes, Gap would love knowing he’s a legend now.
😉
Yes, you pulled on the heart strings when Crash displayed the playback. But in conflict, death is inevitable, and truth be told, Gap’s mind wasn’t in the game.
So true.
His mind wasn’t in the game.
In Releasing Rage, he had both Rage and Crash keeping him focused.
In Crash And Burn, he only had Crash and Crash was distracted.
I loved it!
Like the other’s, I couldn’t put it down!!!
I must confess tho, that I cheated…. I checked this page first, so I knew Gap was gonna die. It was still heartbreaking and until Crash see Gap’s death footage, I had hope that he could have survived someway and that he would return in the next book….
I loved meeting Death and knowing that Tifara is his female! I can’t wait for his book!
LOL
Claudia, you bad girl.
Though I often do that also, simply to reassure myself that the romantic couple gets their happy ever after.
Death is so freakin’ sexy and, when he’s with Tifara, he melts my heart into a puddle of goo.
Thanks for putting this book out. Really enjoyed Rage’s story but I wasn’t looking for a similar theme. Was great this wasn’t a repeat of the same. A great read!!
OK. So just a few things
What I love love loved:
The bookcover – strong, sensitive, muscular, turned away – as if Crash is physically showing how he wants to turn away from the very purpose of his creation – killing and war. But has the muscle to do it if it means protecting the woman or fellow cyborgs he loves.
The general plot – great heroine and enough additional threads for many other stories!
Safyre is real kick ass or as she would say “is kickass as fuck”. Although I appreciate D/s themes, I’m glad she got the opportunity to show times where she is equal partner, leader, tease, batshit crazy… a bit like a real woman!
Death. Just loved Death. Crushed a lot on Mr deadpan – this book showed he has deeper depths to explore. Actually preferred him to Gap even though the latter got more airtime.
Liked the tiny bits of new tech – eg Who doesn’t want those cleansing wipes – although small I find that it added to the worldbuilding and makes it almost a believable step from current, rather than a massive leap often in sci-fi based books.
Overall – Loved the overall story, not gutted about the Gap ending (although see my final point below…!) as I understand in a time of war everyone doesn’t make it out alive
Liked? Not so much:
It really distracts to keep reading about the sleeping supports (Bed), lifespan (life) solar rotations (day). I understand the aim of trying to go all futuristic by showing how language has changed etc but usually language changes and phrases get shorter/ contracted [eg “I say old chap! The Devil take you man! What the damned blue blazes is going on here, eh?” (circa Victorian times/19th century) is now “Dufuq?!” or even just #WTF (c2015)]
The whole ‘we blow a planet to smithereens rather than lose a battle’ approach just seemed so wasteful and not good battle or war strategy at all – unless Mclass/ habitable planets are a dime a dozen in that part of the universe?
Jury is still out on the whole ya gotta french kiss and breed/sex as part of the standard healthcare system to the human females by Cyborgs (although, come to think of it… would be interesting if we tried to get similar introduced in the national heathcare system here in the UK – we could call it the UK’s alternative to the USA ‘Let’s move’ health campaign…)
Safyre was great personality but I didn’t get her hair though. Was it long or short? How long? It stuck up ‘in spikes’ yet ‘flowed behind her like a comet’ and was long enough to wind around the hilt of Crash’s dagger? I got a bit confused. So it was hard for me to get a picture of her fixed in my head. But that is a small point, you could say I’m splitting hairs now …:-)
Final point – a tiny, tiny plea 🙂
OK so Gap died… it happens, but there is always a way to revive if you REALLY REALLY want it. They did land on a cyborg manufacturing planet after all – who’s to say there wasn’t a J class model primed and just awaiting final steps to be brought to life somewhere (by the lovely Weston who may have been very close to the tunnels)…. and who’s to say Gap’s main processor somehow was not nuked completely in the inferno…and Gap did get to kiss Nymphia so who knows what bio/cyborg changes happened in those few minutes together….!! Everyone loves a comeback, Cynthia
Maybe it’s needs to be a fanfiction plot
Oh yes, write that fanfic, Cieeri.
That would be awesome!
Let me know if you do this!
That the Humanoid Alliance blew up a M class planet rather lose the war is so shocking that it is bound to rally other species behind the rebel’s cause. Right now, they’re sort of like the cyborgs–thinking it isn’t their fight.
The Humanoid Alliance had to blow up the planet because the cyborg manufacturing facility was situated there. They couldn’t allow the rebels to gain that top secret technology. If they did, the war really would be over.
Safyre’s hair is… well… it is a whole lot sexier than a mullet but it is similar. It is long on the top and short on the sides, sort of like how Pink, the singer, often wears her hair except a little more extreme.
Okay, a lot more extreme. (grins) Safyre doesn’t do anything halfway.
Re: language
That is always a big decision for SciFi romance writers. My thinking is… they’ve gone to a universal language (likely not English) which incorporates a multitude of cultures. When two cultures meet, we usually use functionality to describe the object (at least I do when I travel). Saying ‘bed’ means nothing to another culture. Saying “the place where you sleep’ means more. A day would mean nothing to a being on another planet. Describing it as a planet rotation (and they would standardize this) would make more sense for them.
Some English words might survive (especially the words that are functional – What is a ship? It is something that ships a being to another place) but considering English isn’t even the most used language on modern Earth, I suspect not many would.
I LOVE Death.
I fell in love with him during Crash And Burn.
I’m writing his story right now and I love him even more.
His scenes with Tifara are magical.
I’m super excited about his story (it should be releasing in May)
I could talk about cyborgs forever.
Thank you for your awesome questions and comments.
(big hugs)
So, this week I devided to take up the challenge and started on the fanfic for Gap and Nymphia!!!!!!
It’s your fault, Sax I couldn’t get C&B out of my mind!!!
The writing, oh! It’s developing a life of its own… 🙂
Two quick qus:
1. Where’s the best place to post it?
2. Is it better to post bits as they are written (bit series-like) for y’all to laugh/rage at and critique or should I just wait until it’s all done??
New to this so whatever thoughts on these two areas would be great!!