Taste of Cyn

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/testing-truth/id1520415369

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/testing-truth-cynthia-sax/1137237855

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Thoughts-Refuge-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01MRAABGC/

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Bonus Weeks And Doing Nothing

Throwback Thursday – Dark Thoughts

By Cynthia Sax on July 30, 2020

Warlord’s Return (releasing in November) takes us back to the Refuge on Carinae E. That’s the outlaw settlement ruled by Kralj from Dark Thoughts. He and Dita and many of the other modified humanoids and their mates will be making an appearance in Warlord’s Return.

Kralj has changed as we all do over time. I won’t say he has mellowed. (grins) He’s still eating his enemies and is super protective of the beings he cares about (threatening Dita is now a leading cause of death in the Refuge). But he cares more about what happens both inside and outside of the Refuge. He’s taking a more active role in other activities.

Can love redeem a monster?

The Refuge is home to some of the most violent beings in the universe. Kralj, its leader, reigns over the remote outpost with terrifying ease, ruthlessly squashing any rumors of rebellion, killing anyone who breaks his rules. Primitive, deadly, powerful, he’s a monster, scarred both on his face and his soul. He has never met a being he couldn’t control.

Until he meets her.

Dita has one mission—to kill the three targets claiming sanctuary within the Refuge. Or so she claims. For the first time in his long lifespan, Kralj isn’t certain of another being’s intentions. The tiny assassin is immune to his powers, her thoughts unreadable. He can’t predict her movements, can’t control her, can’t stop wanting her.

Dita is rare, as unique as he is, and, to keep the residents of the Refuge safe, Kralj will have to kill her. But first, he’ll touch her, taste her, show her how passionate the beast inside him can be.

Dark Thoughts is a STAND-ALONE SciFi Romance.
The hero might be tall, dark, and scarred but don’t be fooled by his appearance.
He’s truly a monster.
This story is not for readers with delicate sensibilities.

Order Now:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Thoughts-Refuge-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01MRAABGC/

Apple/iBooks/iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dark-thoughts/id1200022597

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-thoughts-cynthia-sax/1125580992

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dark-thoughts-3

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/699393

Topics: Throwback Thursday | Comments Off on Throwback Thursday – Dark Thoughts

Pantsing, Plotting and Plotzing

By Cynthia Sax on July 29, 2020

Stock Art Crafted By And Indirectly Purchased From: grandfailure

There are three types of writers.

Plotters

These are writers who know the entire story before they sit down to write that first line. They are more likely to have elaborate plot diagrams and character interviews and other wonderful things. They know the goals, motivations, conflicts, where the turning points are, what type of words their heroine would use in sentences.

Pantsers

These are writers who write by the seat of their pants. They sit down to a blank screen, knowing nothing or only knowing that first scene. Their characters lead them. They type as quickly as they can and try to keep up with their characters.

Plotzers

Plotzers are a combination of the first two writers. They might know their characters but they don’t know the plot. They might have one line about every chapter but not much else. They might plot and then throw out that plot halfway through the first draft.

Which Type Of Writer Is Best?

There is no way of knowing, by reading a story, which type of writer wrote the story. There are best selling plotters, best selling pantsers, best selling plotzers. There are pantsers who write the most intricate 10 story series. There are plotters who only write standalone stories.

There ARE a gazillion books on plotting or explaining how a pantser can become a plotter. IMHO…if a pantser can become a plotter, she was likely either truly a plotzer or a plotter OR something happened that caused her brain to change (some of my writing buddies say this can happen during menopause, for example).

I can’t plot. Or, more specifically, I can craft a plot but then the story doesn’t get written or it deviates wildly from that plot or it has zero magic. The magic is in the pantsing for me. I can’t seem to find it with plotting (other writers can ONLY find the magic with plotting).

Why aren’t there a gazillion books on pantsing? Because pantsing is very challenging to explain to another writer and pantsing is also often different for each writer. I see a movie in my head (it is like dreaming). Some writers hear only dialogue. Some writers see text.

The Trad World Is Designed For Plotters

One of the reasons pantsers attempt to become plotters is because the world doesn’t understand pantsing.

Agents and editors, especially those associated with the big New York Trad Publishers, ask for things like partials, for example. Partials consist of the first 3 chapters and a synopsis detailing the ENTIRE story. A pantser doesn’t have this unless she has written the entire story. I would make sh*t up and then go through the painful exercise of refining a plot I knew I’d never write. (This is one of the many reasons I’m so happy to be Indie now.)

Stock Art Crafted By And Indirectly Purchased From: Ashrafov

Plotters Vs Pantsers And Writing Speed

Another reason pantsers attempt to become plotters is due to the myth floating around that plotters complete stories faster than pantsers.

That’s complete bullsh*t. There’s no correlation between the type of writer and writing speed. I, as a pantser, do one more draft than many of my plotting buddies but I also don’t take a week or more thinking about my plot and characters. It all evens out.

Do I throw away scenes? Yes, I do. But I learned things about my characters when I wrote those scenes. They weren’t wasted scenes. And, thankfully, words are plentiful. I don’t have to worry about running out of them. (grins)

Plotters throw out their diagrams after their books are published and that doesn’t seem to concern anyone.

Forcing yourself to write in an unnatural way also increases the likelihood you’ll get word constipation. If you’re not writing any words, you’re not completing stories quickly.

Which Type Of Writer Are You?

The best way to figure out which type of writer you are is to try a variety of writing techniques. Try plotting. Try pantsing. Try a combination of the two. Try different techniques. Read different books on crafting stories.

If you try 5 or 6 techniques and one way works best for you, use that technique until it stops working for you. Then consider going through the process again.

Pantsing And Craft

There’s a myth that pansters don’t need to learn craft (learning 3 act structure or GMC or turning points, etc). IMHO…I find it is the opposite for me. I need to know craft so fraggin’ well; I internalize it during the writing of the first draft. I also need to know it when my first draft doesn’t quite work. Maybe my structure is off. Maybe I have to look at my characters again.

Being a pantser is NOT a reason to ignore craft.

Do Whatever Works For You

Do whatever works for you. If a technique is working for you, if it makes you happy, pleases the muse, gets stories written, think before changing your technique.

If someone tells you there’s one ‘right way’ to write, smile and nod and then purge that feedback from your brain. They’ve found THEIR ‘right way’ for the moment and that’s awesome. I’m happy for them.

But their ‘right way’ might not be YOUR ‘right way’.

***

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

Testing Truth

A fun-loving cyborg gets serious about love.

***

Truth lives each moment as though it were his last. The cyborg warrior rushes into danger, teases beings he shouldn’t provoke, accepts every call of adventure he encounters.

That is exactly the type of fun he has been seeking.

If they survive their current mission.

Their love is doomed. Their lifespans are at risk. This cyborg and his princess will need the help of every ally they have if they wish to see another sunrise.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/testing-truth/id1520415369

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/testing-truth-cynthia-sax/1137237855

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Pantsing, Plotting and Plotzing

Dear Wonderful Hubby Stories – Smiley Faces On Toast

By Cynthia Sax on July 28, 2020

The Dear Wonderful Hubby is not a morning person. He isn’t grumpy (his default mood is happy) but it takes him a while to wake up.

So I am usually the one who makes breakfast.

Sometimes I’m inspired and I’ll make an omelette or scrambled eggs. Most days, I’m not very wide awake myself and I make toast for both of us.

I try to add a little drama to these rather boring breakfasts by doing things like putting the raisins on his peanut butter-topped toast in the shape of a happy face. The Dear Wonderful Hubby LOVES this. He always sits in his chair, looks down at the smiley face and he smiles also.

He’s convinced the happy face makes the toast taste better…which led to this conversation with a coworker this morning.

Coworker: (on phone) All my son likes to eat is peanut butter and toast. I can’t get him to eat anything else.

Dear Wonderful Hubby: Have you tried adding raisins?

Coworker: He wouldn’t eat it.

Dear Wonderful Hubby: Were the raisins in the shape of a happy face? (says this sincerely as though that makes a difference) That’s how my wife makes it.

(grins) He makes me smile so hard.

***

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

Testing Truth

A fun-loving cyborg gets serious about love.

***

Truth lives each moment as though it were his last. The cyborg warrior rushes into danger, teases beings he shouldn’t provoke, accepts every call of adventure he encounters.

That is exactly the type of fun he has been seeking.

If they survive their current mission.

Their love is doomed. Their lifespans are at risk. This cyborg and his princess will need the help of every ally they have if they wish to see another sunrise.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/testing-truth/id1520415369

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/testing-truth-cynthia-sax/1137237855

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Topics: Dear Wonderful Hubby Stories | Comments Off on Dear Wonderful Hubby Stories – Smiley Faces On Toast

A Premise For Holding Hoarse

By Cynthia Sax on July 27, 2020

I finally thought of a great premise for Holding Hoarse! Woot!

The heroine is a doll (or ulu) fabricator. I KNOW. That is a no-brainer for our ulu-making hero and you’re likely wondering why I took so long to figure that out. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the solutions we can’t see.

I’m super excited about this story and I’ll be starting it this week. This is a short story so I might also be finishing it (the first draft) this week. I love that about short stories. They make me feel super productive.

***

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

Testing Truth

A fun-loving cyborg gets serious about love.

***

Truth lives each moment as though it were his last. The cyborg warrior rushes into danger, teases beings he shouldn’t provoke, accepts every call of adventure he encounters.

That is exactly the type of fun he has been seeking.

If they survive their current mission.

Their love is doomed. Their lifespans are at risk. This cyborg and his princess will need the help of every ally they have if they wish to see another sunrise.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/testing-truth/id1520415369

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/testing-truth-cynthia-sax/1137237855

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on A Premise For Holding Hoarse

Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – July 26th

By Cynthia Sax on July 26, 2020

My Facebook account has been in review 5 weeks and counting. Some buddies have asked me why I don’t merely set up another account. I HAVE set up a second account. Facebook thinks I am impersonating myself. I suspect if I try to set up a third account, they’ll think the same thing.

So I wait and I write. (grins) I’ve been busy during this Facebook break.

Yesterday, I completed the second draft of Warlord’s Return, the next and the final Chamele Barbarian Warlord story (releasing in November). I think you’ll love this story. Liking the way it read, I’ve sent it to my awesome editor.

I have a newsletter coming out this week (you can sign up for it here – https://cynthiasax.us8.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=64b6189b7fff32ec76ff320b2&id=ecb94709ae ). There will be a contest in it, a TERRIBLE joke, and I will be talking about the stories releasing in the rest of 2020 and all of 2021.

I have quite a bit to chat about so I’ll save the extra scene for August’s newsletter. It will be worth the wait. I promise. (grins)

I’m taking the rest of the week ‘off’, which means I’ll likely be writing a fun short story that I might or might not bundle in the future under the C.S. Sax pen name.

The next ‘official’ story on my schedule to write is Holding Hoarse, the December FREE cyborg romance short story. I STILL don’t have a premise for it that grips me, that screams ‘Write Me!’ I’m hoping, by writing the other short story, I’ll find an absolutely awesome story idea for Holding Hoarse.

***

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

Testing Truth

A fun-loving cyborg gets serious about love.

***

Truth lives each moment as though it were his last. The cyborg warrior rushes into danger, teases beings he shouldn’t provoke, accepts every call of adventure he encounters.

That is exactly the type of fun he has been seeking.

If they survive their current mission.

Their love is doomed. Their lifespans are at risk. This cyborg and his princess will need the help of every ally they have if they wish to see another sunrise.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/testing-truth/id1520415369

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/testing-truth-cynthia-sax/1137237855

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Topics: Cynthia Sax Weekly Update | Comments Off on Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – July 26th

Book Brain And Writers Working Weekends

By Cynthia Sax on July 25, 2020

My goal for today is to complete the second draft of Warlord’s Return (releasing in November). That requires revising the last three chapters.

I have SEVERE book brain. The book is all I can think about. The Dear Wonderful Hubby knows there is no holding a logical conversation with me on days like this. I am useless for making decisions. He usually either makes dinner or he orders it…and he always has quite a bit of chocolate on hand. (grins)

It is Saturday and I woke at my usual 8 am and will likely work until 2am or longer. I don’t usually work THIS hard on a weekend, only when I’m completing second drafts, but I almost always do something writing-related.

Many writers work weekends. Writers who juggle a full time job in another field with the writing often devote their weekends to writing. We might not appear as much on social media or answer emails on the weekend but that doesn’t mean we’re not working.

Being a writer is, in my humble opinion, one of the best jobs in the world. When we love what we do, we tend to do it more often…and on weekends. (smiles)

***

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

Testing Truth

A fun-loving cyborg gets serious about love.

***

Truth lives each moment as though it were his last. The cyborg warrior rushes into danger, teases beings he shouldn’t provoke, accepts every call of adventure he encounters.

That is exactly the type of fun he has been seeking.

If they survive their current mission.

Their love is doomed. Their lifespans are at risk. This cyborg and his princess will need the help of every ally they have if they wish to see another sunrise.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/testing-truth/id1520415369

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/testing-truth-cynthia-sax/1137237855

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Book Brain And Writers Working Weekends

Story Ripples

By Cynthia Sax on July 23, 2020

One of the many things I love about writing in a (now) huge world like the cyborg series is I have the ability to see the ripples actions make throughout the universe.

Almost every story can be read on its own and that holds true for Testing Truth but the more stories you read, the more impact certain events will have on you, the more meaning they will have.

In Testing Truth, as one small example, the heroine’s planet had been occupied by the Humanoid Alliance. When the cyborgs rebelled, they took away the Humanoid Alliance’s fighting force. The Humanoid Alliance couldn’t hold the heroine’s planet. They retreated. The heroine and her subjects were freed.

(This is all relayed in the second chapter. It isn’t a spoiler.)

The actions in a story occurring 7 core stories ago impact this story. Truth wouldn’t have met his female in his story if the cyborgs hadn’t mass rebelled.

Every story changes the cyborgs’ world a little bit. The actions in Testing Truth will add more ripples to the world, especially for the Rebel cyborgs.

This is one of reasons I doubt I’ll ever get series fatigue. The world and the occupants of that world constantly change.

***

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

Testing Truth

A fun-loving cyborg gets serious about love.

***

Truth lives each moment as though it were his last. The cyborg warrior rushes into danger, teases beings he shouldn’t provoke, accepts every call of adventure he encounters.

That is exactly the type of fun he has been seeking.

If they survive their current mission.

Their love is doomed. Their lifespans are at risk. This cyborg and his princess will need the help of every ally they have if they wish to see another sunrise.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/testing-truth/id1520415369

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/testing-truth-cynthia-sax/1137237855

Kobo:

Smashwords:

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seeking-vector-cynthia-sax/1127072529

Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Story Ripples

Throwback Thursday – Seeking Vector

By Cynthia Sax on July 23, 2020

Officially, the Cyborg Space Exploration starts with Choosing Chuckles. That is when the crew of the Reckless is assigned the task of exploring planets within the cyborg sector.

Unofficially, I view Seeking Vector as the first story. We first meet the crew of the Reckless in this story and it relays the romance of the ship’s Captain, Vector, and his human female, Kasia.

Seeking Vector adds depth to many of Captain’s decisions. We learn how important his crew is to him, how seriously he takes his duty to all on board his ship, explains why he respects Power but doesn’t like him very much.

It is a great story to re-read while you’re waiting for Testing Truth to release.

Seeking Vector

A cyborg with a secret… A female seeking the truth…

Vector, the C Model captain of the Freedom, is a cyborg many warriors wish to emulate. He fights fiercely, leads with honor, has earned the respect and loyalty of his crew. But no being, not even a cyborg, is perfect. Since arriving at the Homeland, Vector has been hiding a dark truth about his past. If his secret is exposed, he could lose everything – his position, his ship, and his life.

Kasia excels at uncovering secrets. Half a lifespan ago, her curiosity placed her on the Humanoid Alliance’s kill list. Now she has accessed information the cyborg council would prefer remain hidden. Their warriors are hunting her and won’t rest until she’s dead.

When Vector arrives on her battle station, all grim determination, gray skin, and bulging muscles, Kasia knows he has been sent to kill her. That doesn’t stop her from wanting the dominant cyborg. She senses the savage nature under the male’s controlled exterior, sees the mysteries in his brilliant blue eyes, craves the roughness of his touch. She will risk all she has to experience his embrace.

Kasia braved the cyborg council’s ire for a reason. If she doesn’t convince Vector to act on the information she uncovered, the enemy could destroy his home planet and render every cyborg in the universe immobile.

Can a doubting C Model warrior learn to trust and to love before it is too late?

Buy Now:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Vector-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B075FHBW87/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seeking-Vector-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B075FHBW87/

Apple Books: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/seeking-vector/id1280185990

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/seeking-vector

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/746717

Topics: Throwback Thursday | Comments Off on Throwback Thursday – Seeking Vector

Teenage Cyborgs

By Cynthia Sax on July 22, 2020

Future, Vector and Kasia’s son, makes an appearance in Testing Truth. We find out more about this freeborn C Model and his challenges on board the Reckless, reporting to his extremely protective Dad.

Future is physically fully mature. Cyborgs reach that point within one solar cycle (one year). Emotionally…well…he’s a teenager. He might have a little more control over his moods WHEN he wants to have that control. His processors and other mechanics assist with that. But when he’s acting without restrictions, he’s similar to a human teenager.

Young cyborgs, under Humanoid Alliance control, didn’t have the luxury of acting like human teenagers. Their training was severe. If they expressed emotion, they were decommissioned. If they refused commands or talked back, they suffered the same fate.

So the freeborn cyborgs are the first generation to have that experience. It is almost…a privilege (though I suspect their parents don’t always view it as that). And it will make them very different from their parents.

***

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

Testing Truth

A fun-loving cyborg gets serious about love.

***

Truth lives each moment as though it were his last. The cyborg warrior rushes into danger, teases beings he shouldn’t provoke, accepts every call of adventure he encounters.

That is exactly the type of fun he has been seeking.

If they survive their current mission.

Their love is doomed. Their lifespans are at risk. This cyborg and his princess will need the help of every ally they have if they wish to see another sunrise.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS: