Taste of Cyn

Warlord Reunited – The Second Scene Of The First Chapter

By Cynthia Sax on January 27, 2020

Warlord Reunited, the fourth standalone story in the Chamele Barbarian Warlords series, is releasing on February 18th.

Last week, I shared the first scene from the first chapter.

You can read that scene here:
http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=7056

This week I’m sharing the second scene of that first chapter.

***

Berke rolled back his shoulders. A loud crack reverberated through the space. That action didn’t ease the weight bearing down on him, didn’t dissipate the tension that was slowly coiling tighter and tighter around him.

The jagged shards of ice piercing his core no longer alleviated the pressure either. That excruciating pain was always there, reminding him his gerel wasn’t by his side. He’d become accustomed to the hurt.

More was needed. He glanced around him. Some of his favorite weapons were displayed on the walls. A tinge of regret tugged at him. His Ellie would rave over the new additions. She shared his love for unique killing instruments.

He could picture her slender fingers wrapped around the handles, the sparkle in her big brown eyes as she tested them. Zondoo. He had to leave the chambers he’d once shared with her before he lost his renowned composure.

Rejoining his warriors didn’t appeal to him. He was too wound up, too close to breaking. They were loyal and skilled, deserved the cool, rational leader they expected. He couldn’t give them that right now.

Leaving the underground was a better option. He donned his furs, layering the garments over his form. Holsters and sheaths were strapped to his waist, his arms, his legs. They were filled with guns and blades, an assortment of weapons.

He opened a wall compartment, paused, gazing at its contents. Another stratum of stress settled on his chest.

Two swords in leather sheaths were stored there. One was wide and long and heavy. The other was thinner and shorter and lighter, yet no less deadly…like his gerel.

Berke ran his fingertips along the smaller weapon’s sheath. It was fashioned from the finest materials he could find. An image of a solar eclipse was imprinted on it. Rays of a solitary sun illuminated the curves of the moon, light emerging after a brief duration of darkness.

He craved that brilliance, that heat. The sheath had taken him almost a solar cycle to craft. The twenty-three previous attempts hadn’t met his severe specs. The bindings hadn’t been strong or straight enough. The images hadn’t the precision of the final version.

His fingers drifted over the hilt of the sword. The metal warmed to his touch, seemed as alive as his Ellie, its intended recipient.

Horologium carbide was coveted by warriors throughout the universe, was the best material to construct blades. Berke had sourced enough of it for the fabrication of the two swords, had that precious compound conveyed to the most skilled weapons designer alive, an elderly Silian female who had dedicated her long lifespan solely to that craft.

His lips lifted slightly. The result was perfection. It was a flawless sword for a flawless female. His Ellie would love it.

And she would be the first being to wield it. He reluctantly lifted his hands from the smaller blade, grasped the larger one.

That weapon was his. It was identical in design, would have been a joy to handle if he could still experience pleasure.

That emotion required a functional heart. His was frozen, had been enclosed by ice from the moment he and his gerel had parted.

The holder for his sword was much older, had been worn by time, battered by past battles. He could, and would, never replace it. The sheath had been constructed by his father, the previous Warlord.

That male had been a great leader, a loving parent, and Berke missed him.

His gaze shifted to the smaller sword. His losses, both temporary and permanent, haunted him. The tension inside him increased to unbearable levels.

He had to expel it. In private. Where no one could see or hear him. As he stalked across the chamber, he strapped his sword to his back.

His warriors were also aware he had found his gerel. Most of them assumed he’d somehow survived her death.

Berke preferred they believed that. If everyone thought his gerel was dead, unscrupulous enemies wouldn’t use her existence against him. They couldn’t hurt her, kill her.

The stress he was under threatened to break him. He sealed his emotions under a chilly mask, placed one of his palms on the control panel.

The doors opened, revealing two Chamele guards. They stepped aside.

Berke strode forward.

Jochi, his second, waited in the hallway. His best warrior’s expression was as studiously blank as his own was.

“My lord.” The male fell into place beside him, matching his pace.

They marched up the incline, heading toward one of the less-utilized entrances to the underground settlement.

It was the passageway his Ellie had preferred. She believed it to be her own and he had allowed her to think that.

Zondoo. He had to focus, had to stop thinking about her. That was one of the reasons he’d sent her to safety. When she was around him, he couldn’t hold another thought in his head.

That was dangerous…for her, for him, for the beings under his protection.

***

Read the next scene (available February 3rd) here:
http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=7062

***

Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/

Warlord Reunited

This barbarian warrior’s cold demeanor hides the warmest of hearts.
* * *
Solar cycles ago, Berke, a savage Chamele Warlord, found his gerel, the one being he is destined to be with for all time…except he couldn’t embrace that fate. He was fighting a series of brutal wars.

To protect his little human female, he conveyed her far from the Chamele sector. He then returned to the endless battles, concealing his pain, his anguish, his need, under a thick layer of ice.

His gerel was safe. That was all that mattered to him.

When Elle was a young bounty hunter, she bonded with an arrogant warrior on a distant planet. She was deliriously happy…for a while. Then he dumped her in a strange settlement far from his home and left, never to return.

Their parting caused her excruciating pain—both physical and emotional. She endured it, earned the esteemed role of head bounty hunter of an academy, salvaged a bit of a life from the disaster her primitive warrior had made of it.

Now, two of her bounty hunters have made the same terrible mistake. Elle is determined to rescue her friends and break their connections with their Chamele Warlords.

While she is in the sector, she plans to kill the warrior she’d once considered hers. Elle is ending her relationship with Berke…permanently.
* * *
Warlord Reunited is based on a much shorter story sharing the same title.
It is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance featuring a warrior hero and a take-charge heroine set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082RM76RF

Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082RM76RF

Apple/iTunes:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlord-reunited/id1491702046

B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warlord-reunited-cynthia-sax/1116110455

Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-reunited-1

Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/995680

Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Warlord Reunited – The Second Scene Of The First Chapter

Passion Surge – Weilai’s Sleeping Support

By Cynthia Sax on January 22, 2020

When I saw this bassinet (designed by 4moms) at the CES, I thought of Passion Surge and the sleeping support Surge and his brethren crafted for Weilai, the newest addition to their crew.

This 4moms bassinet has five motions (car ride, wave, kangaroo, tree swing and rock-a-bye), five speeds and four white noises (rain, ocean, fan and a shush). It was an honoree in the CES Innovation Awards.

As per their sign, “4moms has made the ‘4th trimester’ transition from womb to bassinet easier with the introduction of its proprietary motion during sleeping periods. Constant motion is familiar and comforting to newborns, which helps them not only to fall asleep, but also stay asleep longer – giving you and your baby the sleep you both need.”

Nu, our heroine, can attest to that. (grins)

***

Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/

Warlord Reunited

To protect his little human female, he conveyed her far from the Chamele sector. He then returned to the endless battles, concealing his pain, his anguish, his need, under a thick layer of ice.

His gerel was safe. That was all that mattered to him.

Now, two of her bounty hunters have made the same terrible mistake. Elle is determined to rescue her friends and break their connections with their Chamele Warlords.

Pre-order Now:

Topics: General SciFi Romance | Comments Off on Passion Surge – Weilai’s Sleeping Support

Warlord Reunited – First Scene Of Chapter One

By Cynthia Sax on January 20, 2020

Warlord Reunited, the fourth standalone story in the Chamele Barbarian Warlords series, is releasing on February 18th.

As we wait for Warlord Reunited to release, I thought I’d share the first chapter. This week I’m sharing the first scene of that first chapter.

***

Chapter One

A Chamele warrior couldn’t live without his gerel.

Berke had proven that ‘fact’ to be false. He was living without her. It was torturous, more painful than a deep stomach wound. But he had survived the separation.

He would continue to tolerate it until the last threat to his female was dead.

“We have to find Tolui. Now.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his frustration and impatience hidden under a countenance as icy as the planet he ruled.

They were running out of time to deal with the would-be Warlord.

A chill gripped Berke. Knowing his Ellie, she was already contemplating traveling to Chamele to retrieve her bounty hunters, the two females his brothers had claimed as their gerels.

If he and his warriors failed to find their sole remaining enemy before she arrived, his little bounty hunter, the holder of his heart, would be placed in peril. All his sacrifices, all of the time spent in agonizing solitude, would have been for nothing.

“And how do you propose we find Tolui?” Murad, the youngest of his two brothers and a fellow Warlord, lifted his eyebrows. His image, along with their brother Khan’s, was displayed on a wall viewscreen in Berke’s private chambers. “He and his clones have eluded every trap we’ve set for him. His ships are indistinguishable from ours.”

“They were our ships.” Khan was the most battle-ready of his brothers and the Warlord of the lushest planet in the system. “That’s why they’re indistinguishable. The dishonorable male stole those ships from us.”

“We were sloppy.” Murad’s lips flattened. One of the ships had been his private vessel. “It won’t happen again.”

“I agree. It won’t happen again. Once Tolui is dead, the thefts will stop.” Berke didn’t care about the ships. His sole concern was protecting the one being he loved most in the universe.

That had been his top priority since the first moment he saw his Ellie, his gerel, the only being who could thaw the frost inside him and heat his soul.

His brothers had never met her.

They must have realized he’d found his female. His scent had changed after he bonded with her. That happened with all Chamele warriors once they claimed their gerel, the one being they were destined to find.

But his brothers might have believed the rumors about her having died. They weren’t aware that she was very much alive, was the reason he was driven to hunt down their rivals and end the Succession Wars.

“When we find Tolui, we’ll find our ships.” If that was the incentive his brothers needed, he would supply it.

“We could ground our warriors and shoot any remaining ships out of the skies.” Khan had offered that option in the past.

It remained unacceptable. The risk they could kill the one being Berke couldn’t live without was too great. His Ellie was…unpredictable. He couldn’t foresee when she might arrive and where she might go.

“At sunrise, we’ll employ all our fleets and all our warriors, both active and inactive. We’ll gather every being we can spare and canvass Chamele, searching every planet, every square of terrain, every section of space.” Berke shared his plan with his brothers. “We’ll locate Tolui and we’ll kill him.”

“He could surrender.” Murad glanced off-viewscreen. His expression softened.

Both of his brothers foolishly kept their gerels close to them.

Berke’s lips twisted. He cared for his Ellie too much to do that. “If Tolui surrenders and pledges loyalty to us, he will live.”

The would-be Warlord would be given the same choice they had offered to all of their rivals during the long and bloody Succession Wars. If he surrendered, he would be watched by some of their warriors for the rest of his lifespan.

Berke didn’t trust the rogue Chamele to keep his word.

“We’re in the midst of the harvest.” His youngest brother’s planet supplied much of the nourishment for the sector. “If we wait ten more planet rotations, I can spare more warriors for the search.”

Berke couldn’t wait that long…because his Ellie wouldn’t delay her voyage. She might have already left her bounty hunter academy. Excitement edged with fear rushed through his form.

“The search for Tolui is happening at sunrise.” He wouldn’t move on that timing.

Murad narrowed his eyes at him. “A postponement of ten planet rotations won’t make a difference to you and your search.”

A postponement of ten planet rotations could kill his gerel. Berke folded his fingers into tight fists. “We stick to the plan.”

His youngest brother opened his mouth.

“Sunrise is optimal.” Khan surprised Berke by defending his timeline. “This is a battle, and in battle, we strike hard and fast.” He extended his claws and jabbed the air in front of him. “It will give Tolui less time to prepare should one of our warriors betray us and inform him of our plans.”

They had all been deceived by beings close to them, had learned to be wary.

“Then we search at sunrise.” Murad blew out his breath, his youngest brother conceding defeat.

“We’ll communicate after the rest cycle.” Berke nodded, satisfied with that decision.

He ended the transmission. The images of his brothers faded.

***

Read the next scene (available January 27th) here:
http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=7060

***

Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/

Warlord Reunited

To protect his little human female, he conveyed her far from the Chamele sector. He then returned to the endless battles, concealing his pain, his anguish, his need, under a thick layer of ice.

His gerel was safe. That was all that mattered to him.

Now, two of her bounty hunters have made the same terrible mistake. Elle is determined to rescue her friends and break their connections with their Chamele Warlords.

Pre-order Now:

Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Warlord Reunited – First Scene Of Chapter One

Cyborg Sizzle Escape Omnibus Releases!

By Cynthia Sax on January 7, 2020

The Cyborg Sizzle Escape Omnibus released today!
Note: ALL of the stories in this collection have been previously released. They haven’t been changed at all. If you have all of my cyborg stories, you have all of the stories in this omnibus.

Cyborg Sizzle Escape Omnibus

Half Man. Half Machine. All Theirs.

While these cyborg warriors battle to escape their cruel manufacturers, they find the human females they are destined to love for all eternity.
This omnibus includes the first seven stories in the Cyborg Sizzle series: Releasing Rage, Breathing Vapor, Being Green, Crash And Burn, Defying Death, Chasing Mayhem and Jumping Barrel.
All of these Cyborg Romances are set in a dark, gritty, often violent universe.

Releasing Rage

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.

Breathing Vapor

Vapor is the most advanced cyborg the Humanoid Alliance has ever developed. He’s a finely honed weapon, a warrior without parallel, half man and half machine. No lock can contain him. No being can stop him. Whatever he wants, he takes.
He wants Mira Breazeal, the Designer’s daughter.

Being Green

Green, a cyborg warrior, cares for one being—his plant Windy. When Windy becomes sick, he’ll do anything to heal her, even venture across the universe to visit a worlds-renowned plant doctor.
He doesn’t expect to find love.

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.

Defying Death

Cyborgs don’t show emotion. Death learned that lesson early in his long lifespan. To survive, he hides his fierce passions behind a stoic wall. He calls no warrior friend. He never admits to caring for any being.
Even the human female he’s destined to love.

Chasing Mayhem

Mayhem has spent his lengthy lifespan obeying the Humanoid Alliance’s rules. Finally free from their cruel control, the cyborg warrior plans to cause chaos. He infiltrates a remote settlement, provokes the savage locals until they want him dead, and allows himself to be captured by the sexiest little Retriever he has ever laid his mechanically-enhanced eyes on.

Jumping Barrel

Barrel requires an Expert for the Tau Cetian orphans. He’s looking for a female who is willing to commit to a lifespan-long role, who is comfortable with moving off planet, and who, preferably, has the ability to speak the offsprings’ first language.
His female, however, is looking for a hero.

Buy Now:

Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081VFHF1S

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B081VFHF1S

Apple/iTunes:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/cyborg-sizzle-escape-omnibus/id1488934271

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cyborg-sizzle-escape-omnibus-cynthia-sax/1135056509

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/cyborg-sizzle-escape-omnibus

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/992060