Interview With Pippa DaCosta
I sat down (virtually) with Pippa DaCosta for a short interview. Her latest release is Girl From Above (Books 1 – 4), a Sci-Fi Space Opera!
Cynthia Sax: What makes Caleb so super sexy?
Pippa DaCosta: Well, for one, my hero (Caleb) is about as anti-heroic as you can get. He starts out as a selfish asshat. But beneath all the swagger, the dry humor and apparent disregard for anyone but himself, he’s deeply damaged, and bears the emotional and physical scars to prove it. It’s this vulnerability that makes us root for him. As for being sexy? Who doesn’t like the rugged, against-the-odds, underdog fighting against the system kinda guys?
Cynthia Sax: I have a weakness for asshats. (grins) What is your favorite line from Girl From Above?
Pippa DaCosta: “Count the stars.” It’s something Caleb used to tell himself as a boy, when he was cornered and afraid. He passes this wisdom onto a character he cares for, and it carries through the entire series of books. “Count the stars” is about conquering your fear, but it’s also about looking for hope in the darkest of places.
Cynthia Sax: How does Girl From Above start?
Pippa DaCosta: We start as Caleb and his second in command, Fran, are desperate to depart a space port. They have a cargo hold full of illegal guns and the authorities are eyeing their ship like it’s Christmas. They believe they’re away and free, until their beloved ship develops a fault, and stalls. Caleb goes to investigate, and discovers a synthetic human alongside his shipment of guns. It’s not exactly love at first sight (the synth punches him in the balls) and he’d prefer to toss her out the airlock, but she’s got a bounty on her head, and he’s never been one to pass up an opportunity at earning some extra credits.
His day is about to get a whole lot worse.
Cynthia Sax: What makes Caleb and #1001 work as a couple?
Pippa DaCosta: Caleb’s relationships are complicated. He’s been dying to get Fran, his second in command, in the sack since he met her, but she’s too smart to fall for his smooth-tongue. The tension and banter between these two strong-willed characters is hilarious. Bu the main romance in the series comes between Caleb and the synthetic woman, known as #1001. She’s cold, calculating, and can kill at the click of her fingers, and she terrifies Caleb. But they actually have a great deal in common. Both have pasts they’re running from, both are damaged in irrevocable ways, and while they might seem to be complete opposites, there’s a spark between them, born of much more than physical attraction.
Cynthia Sax: Does a character in Girl From Above have a secret?
Pippa DaCosta: They all have secrets. Every single character in the series has secrets. I really can’t say what they are, but we all know secrets don’t stay secret forever, and when those secrets eat away at a close-knit tugship crew, mayhem follows.
Cynthia Sax: Is Girl From Above a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?
Pippa DaCosta: Girl From Above (The 1000 Revolution) is a series. The fourth and final book is out March 4th, 2016. I don’t have any immediate plans to continue the series, but I never say never. These series has been an absolute blast to write. Bad good guys are so fascinating (and so much fun to write). I’m sure my readers will pester me until I eventually write more in this world. I certainly look forward to revisiting Caleb and his crew.
Cynthia Sax: Thank you, Pippa DaCosta, for joining us today!
Pippa DaCosta’s Website: http://www.pippadacosta.com
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WARNING: 18+ only. Adult content. Including sex, drug use, violence, & swearing.
Read the bestselling, fast-paced, science fiction series, readers are comparing to Firefly & Ex_Machina!
After Captain Caleb Shepperd escapes from prison, all he wants to do is keep his head down and earn a living smuggling guns and drugs through the nine systems. But, when a synth known as #1001 stows away on the captain’s ship, bringing with her a ton of problems—including guilt-ridden secrets he thought he’d left behind—he’d prefer to toss her out the airlock. The problem is, she’s priceless tech and he’s fresh out of credit.
#1001 is no ordinary synth. She’s programmed to kill. While human memories of murder and betrayal riddle her synthetic systems with faults, she’s thinking only of revenge.
For Captain Shepperd, there’s nowhere left to hide.
From the bestselling author of the Veil Series comes an action packed story of love, redemption, and revenge.
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A8TQUS8/
On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/girl-from-above-4/id1071655181?mt=11
Topics: Author Interviews | 1 Comment »
Interview with Cara Bristol
I sat down (virtually) with Cara Bristol for a short interview. Her latest release is Captured by the Cyborg (Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance 3), with a scorching hot cyborg hero!
Cynthia Sax: What makes Dale so freakin’ sexy?
Cara Bristol: Dale Homme is a cyborg. Need I say more? Lol. Besides having all the attributes of a cyborg (a rockin’ bod with brains to match), he is a hero in truest sense of the word. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep the heroine safe—even if she hates him for it.
Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from Captured by the Cyborg?
Cara Bristol: “Dale knew the rules, but he hadn’t gotten where he was by following them.” This is a theme that runs through all the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romances. I want a hero who takes responsibility, takes a stand, and takes the hit. My cyborgs break the rules to do the right thing.
Cynthia Sax: How does Captured by the Cyborg start?
Cara Bristol: Dale Homme, the cyborg hero, is interviewing job candidates. A beautiful, but mysterious young woman applies for the position. He realizes within minutes of meeting her that everything about her is a lie. Not even her name is real. But he senses she’s in trouble. When the story opens, Dale is wishing for more excitement, that he’d never left the secret cyborg force, Cyber Operations. (Lol, be careful what you wish for…)
Everything in Captured by the Cyborg is linked and means something…the spacecraft he needs to fix (nicknamed Baby because it’s cranky), the heroine’s hair (quite distinctive with some unique qualities), the names of characters and places. That Baby can’t fly is symbolic.
Cynthia Sax: Where does Captured by the Cyborg take place?
Cara Bristol: Captured by the Cyborg is set underground the moon Deceptio, and it’s my favorite setting of the three Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romances written so far. Nobody leaves or enters Deceptio without Dale’s permission. Including the heroine.
Cynthia Sax: Is Captured by the Cyborg part of a series and will you be writing more stories in this series
Cara Bristol: Captured with the Cyborg is book 3 of the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance series. I do plan others. Carter Aymes, Cy-Ops director, who has a secondary role in all three books will likely be the hero of Book 4, and I expect a book 5 & 6 too. All the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romances are written to be read as standalones; however, you’ll see characters appear and reappear in the different books. For instance, Dale, the hero of Captured with the Cyborg was introduced as a secondary character in Mated with the Cyborg (book 2).
Cynthia Sax: Thank you, Cara Bristol, for joining us today!
Cara Bristol’s Website: http://www.carabristol.com
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Sometimes the biggest risk is to one’s heart….
An ex-Cyber Operations field agent, Dale Homme has kissed danger and betrayal more times than he cares to count. Now he runs a clandestine factory beneath the surface of the moon Deceptio, where confidentiality and security matter more than anything. When a beautiful young woman arrives seeking a job, Dale knows within minutes she’s lying. Everything about her is false: her past, the people she claims to know, her reason for being on Deceptio. Illumina Smith? Even her name is an alias.
Logic says send her packing. His gut says she’s in trouble. She needs him. So he’ll do anything to keep her safe….even if it means keeping her captive.
Captured by the Cyborg is third in the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance series but is written to be read as a stand-alone novella.
Buy Now:
On Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Captured-Cyborg-Cy-Ops-Sci-fi-Romance-ebook/dp/B01CKBC23Y/
On Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01CKBC23Y?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
On Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B01CKBC23Y?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
On Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01CKBC23Y?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-capturedbythecyborg-1995116-340.html
Topics: Author Interviews | 5 Comments »
Crash And Burn And Neutron Stars
In one of the scenes from Crash And Burn, there’s a reference to a neutron star.
Here’s the snippet…
A bolt of light flashed, originating from the World Ender. A sphere formed, spinning, glowing as brightly as his female’s hair.
“Is that a neutron star?” she asked.
“It has similarities.” It would be as deadly.
The crust of Tau Ceti heated. Orange and red spread across the surface, a rolling wave of death and devastation. There was no more blue, no more white. The planet resembled a sphere of molten lava.
His Safyre gripped his hands hard. “They’re all dead, million of beings. No one could have survived that.”
Crash said nothing. He couldn’t lie to her. No one could survive it. Any being who hadn’t evacuated was dead.
They watched as the destruction continued. More and more bits of the planet broke off, sucked toward the simulated neutron star. The pieces entered into an orbit around it, forming a ring of debris. That debris grew denser until it was all that was left of Tau Ceti.
The planet no longer existed.
What would that look like?
National Geographic has a great documentary on neutron stars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlTSXr4PfSg
(You can also click on the photo to go to the YouTube Video)
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
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.
Order Now:
On Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Crash-Burn-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B019EBKIF2
On Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crash-Burn-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook-x/dp/B019EBKIF2/
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-crashandburn-1950244-147.html
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crash-and-burn-cynthia-sax/1123141101
On Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/crash-and-burn-13
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Crash And Burn And Neutron Stars
Crash And Burn – A Recommended Read
Crash And Burn is a recommended read at Just Talking Books!
http://www.justtalkingbooks.com/blog/review-crash-and-burn-cyborg-sizzle-3-by-cynthia-sax
Here’s a snippet…
“I loved seeing the softer side of these guys and their humourous interactions breathed so much life into the story. Yet these sexy warriors have feelings and it came across quite poignantly here.”
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
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.
Order Now:
On Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Crash-Burn-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B019EBKIF2
On Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crash-Burn-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook-x/dp/B019EBKIF2/
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-crashandburn-1950244-147.html
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crash-and-burn-cynthia-sax/1123141101
On Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/crash-and-burn-13
Topics: Reviews | Comments Off on Crash And Burn – A Recommended Read
Rage From Releasing Rage-Most Sham-wow Worthy Book Boyfriend
Awww…. Rage from Releasing Rage is one of the top 11 (because there was a tie) Most Sham-wow Worthy Book Boyfriends of 2015.
(grins) I LOVE this award category. It’s so much fun! And I LOVE that Rage is mixing it up with heroes from a variety of different genres. Hopefully, he doesn’t kill anyone.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Half Man. Half Machine. All Hers.
Rage, the Humanoid Alliance’s most primitive cyborg, has two goals—kill all of the humans on his battle station and escape to the Homeland. The warrior has seen the darkness in others and in himself. He believes that’s all he’s been programmed to experience.
Until he meets Joan.
Joan, the battle station’s first female engineer, has one goal—survive long enough to help the big sexy cyborg plotting to kill her. Rage might not trust her but he wants her. She sees the passion in his eyes, the caring in his battle-worn hands, the gruff emotion in his voice.
When Joan survives the unthinkable, Rage’s priorities are tested. Is there enough room in this cyborg’s heart for both love and revenge?
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Releasing-Rage-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B00ZOL1DRO
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-releasingrage-1850041-340.html
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/releasing-rage-cynthia-sax/1122455646
Topics: Awards | Comments Off on Rage From Releasing Rage-Most Sham-wow Worthy Book Boyfriend
Interview With Alison Aimes
I sat down (virtually) with Alison Aimes for a short interview. Her latest release is Trapped: A SciFi Convict Romance (Book One in the Condemned Series)!
Cynthia Sax: What is one thing that excites you, as the writer, about Trapped?
Alison Aimes: I love the raw passion of the story, the heroine’s strength and determination and the hero’s courage and willingness to do whatever it takes to keep the heroine alive. I had so much fun, too, wondering ‘what if?’ with this particular scenario…. What if a woman crashed on a hostile planet? What if that planet was filled with ruthless criminals? What if her only hope for survival was one of the convicts, a hardened man with a questionable past? What would she be willing to do to save herself? What would he be prepared to take? The answers ended up being action-packed and scorching hot. Especially as all those ‘what ifs’ led to a story that begins with a transactional deal for sex in return for protection and a scenario where the hero holds more of the power and control. But exploring how that changes—how a prisoner who’s become more animalistic than man rediscovers his humanity and a woman finds her soul mate on the unlikeliest of places—was pure joy to write.
Cynthia Sax: How does Trapped start?
Alison Aimes: TRAPPED starts on the spacecraft carrying Cadet Bella West and her colleagues to Dragath25. Tensions are running high. The team of scientists and soldiers are nervous and excited about the assignment, a quick search and acquire mission on a part of the planet far from the criminal barracks. Hopes are running high that theirs will finally be the mission to discover the kind of plants that can survive on an Earth that has already lost billions to blight and famine. Until something goes wrong. And the shuttle drops. Leaving Bella and a few injured survivors stranded on a dangerous planet with no food or water, no knowledge of the terrain, and no way to defend themselves against the vicious gangs of roving convicts who control the planet.
The scene provides a sense of Bella’s strength and determination, the stakes for her in joining the mission, and the sheer impossibility of keeping her team alive without some kind of help. Help she finds in an unlikely source: one of Dragath’s own.
Cynthia Sax: Where is Trapped set?
Alison Aimes: Well, as I’ve mentioned above, my story is set on Dragath25, a harsh environment filled with violent criminals, hungry predators and endless rust-colored rock. Yeah, I know. That doesn’t sound too sexy, but it’s that ruthless environment that brings the hero and heroine together. And what’s more? There are secret caves on Dragath25, tiny oases drenched in lush, colorful plants and warm turquoise springs. Fragile places made all the more romantic in contrast to the harshness elsewhere. Want a peek inside one of those caves? Here’s what’s happening in one of those secret caves the first time the hero and heroine are together after they make their deal….
A splash sounded. Powerful ripples washed against her back like a surging tide. He was coming for her.
She whirled and discovered small bubbles on the surface of the water. An inky cloud of red and brown streamed in all directions followed by foamy white. Then a dark head broke the surface and he was standing before her, waist high in the water, a mud man no more.
Her mouth opened on a tiny o.
Without the dirt, dark, thick hair, shorn close to his scalp, was now visible. Along with olive skin, a wide forehead, low brows, firm lips, and a square jaw. Tiny droplets left his long lashes spikey while rivulets of water tracked over chiseled cheekbones down his sculpted chest and abdomen to a small trail of dark hair that snaked from his belly button to disappear into the water. Scars of various length and width tracked across miles of pure, hard muscle.
My God, mud man was a flesh and blood man—an incredibly masculine one. If she’d met him at the Academy or the barracks on Earth, she would have been unable to stop staring. He was that beautiful.
Then his hand shot out and her daze shattered.
With a hiss, she stumbled back.
One dark eyebrow rose. “Here.”
She looked down to see a small white bar in his hand.
“It’s soap.” His tone was brusque. “The drones dump trash from Earth. Use it.”
“Thank you.” It took all her courage to reach out and take the bar from his hand. “I—I’ve never used it before. The Academy only allows lasers for cleaning. The use of water was banned a long time ago.” She stopped short.
Of course, he knew that. He wasn’t from some distant galaxy. He was from Earth. He just wasn’t welcome there anymore.
His lips flat lined. “I’ve been here a while, but not as long as that.”
Was that a joke? His expression offered no clue.
“Of course.” Hands shaking, she took the soap and rubbed it against her arm. The blood stayed put. She rubbed harder.
She hadn’t expected this…this talking. Or the kindness of a bath—with soap. It was confusing.
“You need the water to make it work.” Rough hands reached out and took the soap, dunking it under the water, making that same foamy circle she’d seen before.
“Turn around.” His voice had gone husky again.
That overworked heart of hers started up double time once again. Her feet remained planted where they were.
He waited for longer than she would have expected before he spoke again, his jaw locked tight. “Anything?” It was a reminder. A reproach. A challenge.
And her last chance to change her mind.
Her eyes sunk shut. I can do this. I need to do this.
She whirled around, bracing for a grab. A strike. But the deliberate slow glide of a calloused fingertip down the bumps of her spine slammed through her with more force than any blow.
Cynthia Sax: Is Trapped part of a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?
Alison Aimes: Yes! It’s a series and I’m super excited about book two, TAKEN. I’m writing it now. It takes place in the depths of Dragath25 where it’s hot, hot, hot! The story reveals what happens to Cadet Ava Davies who vanishes without a trace in TRAPPED.
Here’s the current blurb…. All Cadet Ana Davies wanted after escaping Earth was to discover what happened to her sister and atone for the sins of her past. Now she’s captive within a labor camp deep within Dragath25’s core, a sweltering maze of caves overrun by brutal prisoners-turned-slaves. Her only hope for survival? A man from her past with his own reasons for wanting her dead.
Two years ago, ex-soldier Hunter Valdus lusted after a woman who betrayed him, landing him in a hell he and his men have been struggling to survive ever since. Now she’s landed back in his clutches. Better still, she just might be the key to his crew’s escape and his redemption. And all he has to do is keep her alive and at a distance until he can use her for his own dark purposes.
But raw, blood-pounding need is a potent force. Forgiveness and love even stronger. And even the best-laid plans can be laid to waste, especially on Dragath25.
After that, I’ve got plans—big plans—for Book 3 and 4. I can’t wait!!!
Cynthia Sax: Thank you, Alison Aimes, for joining us today!
Alison Aimes’s Website: http://www.alisonaimes.com
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Recently Awarded Top Reader Pick by Night Owl Review….
A tale of unbridled desire, stunning sacrifice, and unwavering love, Trapped is an action-packed, sexy sci-fi romance that takes you to the brink of oblivion on a prison planet where only the strong survive….
Cadet Bella West has one simple objective when she joins the scientific mission to Dragath25, the notorious penal planet housing Earth’s condemned. Earn the credits necessary to save her family from starvation. But when her shuttle crashes and the majority of her crew perish, her simple mission becomes complicated fast. Now, to stay alive she’ll have to depend on one of Dragath’s own. But such protection doesn’t come free.
Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, 673 has become more beast than man after eight grueling years on an unforgiving, hazardous planet of dirt and rock—and even more treacherous inhabitants. He doesn’t look out for anyone but himself and he certainly never grows attached. So when the bold female offers him pleasure in return for protection, he takes the deal without hesitation. He never expects how her touch will alter him. Or the growing realization that saving her may be the key to his own salvation.
But as dangers mount and their ‘simple’ deal unravels will he prove to be her surprise savior or her ultimate downfall? Because caring for someone on Dragath25 may prove the greatest hazard of all.
The first book in the Condemned Series, Trapped has a HEA and can be read as a stand-alone.
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Qex8hU
Topics: Author Interviews | 3 Comments »
