Splitting A Series
I receive questions from quite a few writing buddies and a handful of reading buddies around why I’ve split the cyborg world into subseries.
It wasn’t really a sell more books strategy.
Sure, when I split a series, there are more entry points for new-to-me readers and more permafree first in series opportunities (as well as BookBub possibilities).
But that is offset by some booksellers having systems that greatly favor long series. Apple, for example, sends new release information to anyone who has ever purchased a book in the same series. Every time I start a new series, I start at zero. That’s not very effective.
I split the series because that’s how I think as a writer.
I can’t hold 20 future stories in my brain. (grins) I can barely hold 1. And I find a super long series daunting. I like 5 core stories. That’s manageable. If I apply myself, I can write that in a year and a half or less.
I also split the series because that’s how I like to read.
I like the way Lisa Kleypas, for example, splits her huge historical world into 5 (on average) book series. I can read 5 books and have the satisfaction of reading an entire series. That’s extremely fulfilling.
Then I can wait for a bit to start the next series. Or I can skip a series if the premise for that overall series doesn’t appeal to me (that hasn’t happened yet with Lisa Kleypas’ historicals). Or I can (gasp) stop. Yes, there will be things I’ll never uncover but there should be a satisfying stopping point.
You, as a writer or a read, might have different preferences. And hey, that’s okay! Do whatever brings you joy. Happiness is precious. Protect it.
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Baring Grudge
No one in the universe is more determined than a cyborg warrior tracking his female.
***
Grudge, a C Model cyborg, has been assigned a mission – safeguard a Humanoid Alliance space station for his kind. Honor was once all he had, and he is determined to fulfill his duty.
That resolve is tested when a tiny human female enters the space station and sets the prettiest little explosives the warrior has ever seen. She is Grudge’s genetic match, the one being manufactured for him. He wants to touch her, kiss her, claim her in all ways, but first he has to stop her from blasting him into the next galaxy.
Taelyn has a self-appointed mission—to destroy every battle robot the Humanoid Alliance has ever manufactured. A huge gray-skinned, blue-eyed cyborg warrior with mismatched arms won’t prevent her from achieving her goal. She’ll escape him, leaving destruction in her wake.
Before she departs, she’ll experience one toe-curling moment of hatred-edged passion with her handsome foe. She’ll show him how skilled with detonations she truly is. He will have his universe rocked.
Then she’ll disappear.
Her cyborg, however, has no intention of ever letting her go.
***
Baring Grudge is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a determined, damaged warrior, an equally resolute human female, and an explosive game of predator and prey played across galaxies.
Baring Grudge is the third 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
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/baring-grudge/id1559566673
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baring-grudge-cynthia-sax/1139086727
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/baring-grudge
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1075600
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Splitting A Series
Savvy Marketing Vs Simply Having Fun
I talked with a newer writer a few days ago. She is sharing updates on characters in her newsletters, hoping to increase her sales. I do that, she told me, so it must work.
Except…
I don’t share updates on characters to increase sales of my stories. I suspect it doesn’t increase sales at all.
I share updates because that’s fun for me. I like visiting with Rage and Joan and Kralj and other characters. It is like spending time with dear sometimes murderous friends. (grins)
I post the updates in my newsletters because I think you and some of my other reading buddies might enjoy them also. It might make you smile when you receive my newsletters. It might be the reason you agreed to receive communications from me. It might make you more excited about my next book release.
Who knows? (shrugs) The key thing is… I have fun with the updates.
I do many things simply because they’re fun. These things might look like marketing efforts. Because I continue doing them, other writers might believe they’re successful marketing efforts. But often, they’re simply fun things I like doing and think reading buddies might enjoy.
If you’re in doubt about whether a tactic is savvy marketing for me or merely me having some fun, contact me. I’ll happily tell you which one it is.
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Under Strain
A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.
***
Strain is severely malfunctioning. The D Model cyborg was the sole survivor after a horrific decision was made by his cruel manufacturers. He hates all humans, and when he attacks one who is under his cyborg leader’s protection, he is reprimanded, stripped of his weapons, and told to watch and not actively participate in the next mission.
That mission takes place on a small remote planet. Its lush terrain should only be inhabited by the cyborgs they were sent to rescue, but Strain senses another presence on the surface. She is watching him, tracking him, hunting him.
A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.
Strain wants to claim her. Forever.
Kamyelle is the only one left of her kind. Warriors have killed the other nonviolent human inhabitants of her planet. She survived…barely…by hiding in the trees, observing her enemies, and covering herself with lifeform scan-concealing mud.
When a handsome, gray-skinned, brilliant-blue-eyed male arrives, surrounded by weapon-carrying warriors, she has to save him. Warriors harm and they kill. That is what they do.
She won’t allow them to hurt Strain.
***
Under Strain is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a broken warrior, a human female who thinks he’s perfect, and velociraptor-like dinosaurs who view them both as light, tasty snacks.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R322L7S
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08R322L7S
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/under-strain
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10602
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Savvy Marketing Vs Simply Having Fun
Why I Build Worlds
I wrote a post for Dragon’s Book Hoarde about why I tend to build worlds.
Here is a snippet…
“I get attached to people. I’ve known and loved Dragon for well over a decade (we won’t say how many years more – grins). I’ve worked with my cover artist on other projects long before I was a published writer. I consider readers to be part of my book family and I worry when I don’t hear from them.
This is no different for my characters. My characters are their own beings. It is sort of like the characters in our dreams. They might come from our brains but they do their own thing. I care for many of them…greatly. I also want them all to find their romantic happy ever afters…if that is possible (sometimes it isn’t possible).”
You can read the full post here –
https://ladydragonknight20.wixsite.com/website/post/why-cynthia-sax-creates-worlds
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Containing Malice
This tormented cyborg craves vengeance…and her.
***
Malice, a C Model cyborg, has spent his long lifespan enslaved by the Humanoid Alliance. His cruel manufacturers have hurt him in all the ways a male could be hurt.
His enemy has now added a new weapon to their arsenal—a tiny human medic with soft hands and a delectable scent. She experiments on him multiple times a shift, delivering pain…and frustration.
He wants her. He also seeks retribution.
Once Malice frees himself, he plans to achieve both of his goals, taking Medic Illona captive and ending her research…permanently.
Illona is as much a prisoner as the cyborgs she experiments on. Since her arrival at the Human Alliance’s secret laboratory, she has carefully, stealthily, crafted a plot to free her test subjects. To conceal her covert activities, the medic has been forced to harm beings rather than heal them.
The being she has damaged the most is also the cyborg she fiercely desires— Malice, a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed C Model with massive hands and a voice deeper than space. He hates her, has good reason to do so, and, when he’s freed, there’s a high probability he’ll kill her.
Illona will take that risk to ensure he survives.
***
Containing Malice is a STANDALONE enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the first 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
Buy Today:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/containing-malice/id1536770487
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/containing-malice-cynthia-sax/1137961594
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/containing-malice
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1049881
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Why I Build Worlds
How Long Should Your Book Series Be?
I shared my thoughts on The Wicked Writing Corner about how many stories a series should have (I’ve figured out the right length for my series but that likely won’t be the right length for every writer or every series.)
Here is a snippet…
“I’m a pantser, a writer who writes by the seat of her pants. Sometimes, I’ll start a series with the intention of it being X stories long and the series becomes X+12 stories long. That happens. I write as many stories as I have to write to give readers a satisfactory end to the series.
But my ideal series length at this moment is five.
That’s because I’m self-published so I know my publisher (me – grins) will give me those five stories to run with. It is because my current favorite marketing strategy is to price the first story in the series, after a few years of being published, at permafree. And it is because, in cyborg romance, I see readership of a series dramatically drop off after five stories.
That might not be your ideal series length.”
You can read the full post here –
https://thewickedwritingcorner.blogspot.com/2021/03/guest-post-how-long-should-series-be.html
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Containing Malice
This tormented cyborg craves vengeance…and her.
***
Malice, a C Model cyborg, has spent his long lifespan enslaved by the Humanoid Alliance. His cruel manufacturers have hurt him in all the ways a male could be hurt.
His enemy has now added a new weapon to their arsenal—a tiny human medic with soft hands and a delectable scent. She experiments on him multiple times a shift, delivering pain…and frustration.
He wants her. He also seeks retribution.
Once Malice frees himself, he plans to achieve both of his goals, taking Medic Illona captive and ending her research…permanently.
Illona is as much a prisoner as the cyborgs she experiments on. Since her arrival at the Human Alliance’s secret laboratory, she has carefully, stealthily, crafted a plot to free her test subjects. To conceal her covert activities, the medic has been forced to harm beings rather than heal them.
The being she has damaged the most is also the cyborg she fiercely desires— Malice, a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed C Model with massive hands and a voice deeper than space. He hates her, has good reason to do so, and, when he’s freed, there’s a high probability he’ll kill her.
Illona will take that risk to ensure he survives.
***
Containing Malice is a STANDALONE enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the first 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
Buy Today:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/containing-malice/id1536770487
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/containing-malice-cynthia-sax/1137961594
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/containing-malice
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1049881
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on How Long Should Your Book Series Be?
The Why
There’s a joke going around social media about how there’s a line in a story about the curtains being blue. The English Professor talks about how the blue curtains symbolize something else. The author states it merely means the curtains are blue.
That isn’t true for my stories. And I suspect it isn’t true for quite a few writers’ stories.
Nothing in my stories is random. If a character wears a red flight suit, for example, it means something. I might not share it on page but in my brain, there’s a reason for that specific color choice.
I’m currently working on the first draft of Baring Grudge (This will take me at least a month to write so you might hear this more than once.). I know Grudge, the C Model cyborg with the purely mechanical arm, loves explosions. He’s also named Grudge.
One of the things that excites me about writing is uncovering the why behind the character. Why did he choose Grudge as his name? Why does he like to blow things up?
And this doesn’t merely apply to characters. I need to know the why behind everything. Knowing the why might not be necessary for the story. Often it isn’t necessary. At all. (sheepish grin) But it is fun for me. I love knowing every little aspect of the story.
Anyhoo…if you ever want to know what something means or symbolizes, reach out to me and I’ll happily answer your questions!
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Containing Malice
This tormented cyborg craves vengeance…and her.
***
Malice, a C Model cyborg, has spent his long lifespan enslaved by the Humanoid Alliance. His cruel manufacturers have hurt him in all the ways a male could be hurt.
His enemy has now added a new weapon to their arsenal—a tiny human medic with soft hands and a delectable scent. She experiments on him multiple times a shift, delivering pain…and frustration.
He wants her. He also seeks retribution.
Once Malice frees himself, he plans to achieve both of his goals, taking Medic Illona captive and ending her research…permanently.
Illona is as much a prisoner as the cyborgs she experiments on. Since her arrival at the Human Alliance’s secret laboratory, she has carefully, stealthily, crafted a plot to free her test subjects. To conceal her covert activities, the medic has been forced to harm beings rather than heal them.
The being she has damaged the most is also the cyborg she fiercely desires— Malice, a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed C Model with massive hands and a voice deeper than space. He hates her, has good reason to do so, and, when he’s freed, there’s a high probability he’ll kill her.
Illona will take that risk to ensure he survives.
***
Containing Malice is a STANDALONE enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the first 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
Buy Today:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/containing-malice/id1536770487
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/containing-malice-cynthia-sax/1137961594
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/containing-malice
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1049881
Topics: Story Insights, Writing Tips | Comments Off on The Why
Worldbuilding For Pantsers
I’ve written a post on Worldbuilding For Pantsers for The Wicked Writing Corner.
Here is a bit I posted in the comments…
“I know what some pantsers will say – How does basing the story world on an existing world help us? We’re pantsers.
As pantsers, we tend to do this subconsciously.
What I do is I write the scene and then I try to figure out which world or worlds I’ve subconsciously based the scene in the story world on.
THAT is the world I use as a guideline going forward.
For example, I’ll picture the hallway of a spaceship.
I’ll then search through images online of TV shows or Movies I’ve watched featuring interiors of spaceships.
Often there are small differences (or it might be a combination of interiors) but I can usually find something similar.
THAT is the reference I’ll use for future scenes.”
You can read the entire post here –
https://thewickedwritingcorner.blogspot.com/2021/02/guest-post-worldbuilding-for-pantsers.html
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Containing Malice
This tormented cyborg craves vengeance…and her.
***
Malice, a C Model cyborg, has spent his long lifespan enslaved by the Humanoid Alliance. His cruel manufacturers have hurt him in all the ways a male could be hurt.
His enemy has now added a new weapon to their arsenal—a tiny human medic with soft hands and a delectable scent. She experiments on him multiple times a shift, delivering pain…and frustration.
He wants her. He also seeks retribution.
Once Malice frees himself, he plans to achieve both of his goals, taking Medic Illona captive and ending her research…permanently.
Illona is as much a prisoner as the cyborgs she experiments on. Since her arrival at the Human Alliance’s secret laboratory, she has carefully, stealthily, crafted a plot to free her test subjects. To conceal her covert activities, the medic has been forced to harm beings rather than heal them.
The being she has damaged the most is also the cyborg she fiercely desires— Malice, a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed C Model with massive hands and a voice deeper than space. He hates her, has good reason to do so, and, when he’s freed, there’s a high probability he’ll kill her.
Illona will take that risk to ensure he survives.
***
Containing Malice is a STANDALONE enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the first 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
Buy Today:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/containing-malice/id1536770487
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/containing-malice-cynthia-sax/1137961594
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/containing-malice
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1049881
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Worldbuilding For Pantsers
Keeping Skills Honed
I take, on average, one writing craft workshop a month.
This surprises some newer writers. I’ve been published for well over a decade, have been writing since I could hold a pencil, have hit the USA Today Bestseller List a few times.
Why would I continue to take craft courses?
I do this because skills can always be improved and I find it fun to add to the tools in my writer toolbox. I think readers deserve the best d@mn stories I can produce. Some stories can only be told using certain skills, skills I might not yet have.
And these courses are food for my muse. It excites me to hear how other writers tackles issues, how they think differently than I do. It draws me out of my own head, allows me to see problems from a different angle.
If the workshop host offers a critique (Angela Knight often does this with the workshops she gives), I always submit a sample of the story I’m currently working on. Getting a new perspective on it is often priceless. The feedback strengthens the entire story.
I whole-heartedly recommend writers continue to take workshops. Every writer is different. The workshops might not benefit you as they benefit me. But it is worth a try.
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Containing Malice
This tormented cyborg craves vengeance…and her.
***
Malice, a C Model cyborg, has spent his long lifespan enslaved by the Humanoid Alliance. His cruel manufacturers have hurt him in all the ways a male could be hurt.
His enemy has now added a new weapon to their arsenal—a tiny human medic with soft hands and a delectable scent. She experiments on him multiple times a shift, delivering pain…and frustration.
He wants her. He also seeks retribution.
Once Malice frees himself, he plans to achieve both of his goals, taking Medic Illona captive and ending her research…permanently.
Illona is as much a prisoner as the cyborgs she experiments on. Since her arrival at the Human Alliance’s secret laboratory, she has carefully, stealthily, crafted a plot to free her test subjects. To conceal her covert activities, the medic has been forced to harm beings rather than heal them.
The being she has damaged the most is also the cyborg she fiercely desires— Malice, a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed C Model with massive hands and a voice deeper than space. He hates her, has good reason to do so, and, when he’s freed, there’s a high probability he’ll kill her.
Illona will take that risk to ensure he survives.
***
Containing Malice is a STANDALONE enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the first 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
Buy Today:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/containing-malice/id1536770487
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/containing-malice-cynthia-sax/1137961594
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/containing-malice
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1049881
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Keeping Skills Honed
Writing Weekends
I receive quite a few awesome questions about my schedule. One of the major misconceptions is, as an established writer (i.e. a writer with numerous books released and years of publishing behind me), I must take weekends off.
(laughs until my stomach hurts)
That is a big nope.
My Dear Wonderful Hubby currently has a fairly traditional job schedule. When I first met him, he was working three jobs. Right now, he works one job Monday to Friday (the hours are long, however).
I’ve never not worked on the weekends. Reader promotional events (all virtual for me) often happen on Saturdays and Sundays. I love to attend these get-togethers, be part of the happy chaos in Romancelandia.
When I was a full-time business babe, in addition to being a writer, the weekend was also my primary time for fresh writing. Saturdays and Sundays would often be longer workdays than my weekdays.
Writing is a lot of fun, is one of the best jobs on the planet, but it still requires showing up, completing tasks, being semi-awake. (laughs)
Now that I write full-time, my weekends are a bit more relaxed. The marketing part stays the same, as does the business part, but I usually cut my writing/revising schedule in half. That gives me more awesome time for reading and goofing around with the Dear Wonderful Hubby.
This is the schedule I need now to do all the things I want to do. Other writers take weekends off writing/revising. Or they might work harder on weekends.
I don’t know many established writers, however, that don’t do anything writing/publishing related on the weekends. As I mentioned, that is often when reader events happen.
If you’re writing this weekend, know that you’re not alone.
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Containing Malice
This tormented cyborg craves vengeance…and her.
***
Malice, a C Model cyborg, has spent his long lifespan enslaved by the Humanoid Alliance. His cruel manufacturers have hurt him in all the ways a male could be hurt.
His enemy has now added a new weapon to their arsenal—a tiny human medic with soft hands and a delectable scent. She experiments on him multiple times a shift, delivering pain…and frustration.
He wants her. He also seeks retribution.
Once Malice frees himself, he plans to achieve both of his goals, taking Medic Illona captive and ending her research…permanently.
Illona is as much a prisoner as the cyborgs she experiments on. Since her arrival at the Human Alliance’s secret laboratory, she has carefully, stealthily, crafted a plot to free her test subjects. To conceal her covert activities, the medic has been forced to harm beings rather than heal them.
The being she has damaged the most is also the cyborg she fiercely desires— Malice, a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed C Model with massive hands and a voice deeper than space. He hates her, has good reason to do so, and, when he’s freed, there’s a high probability he’ll kill her.
Illona will take that risk to ensure he survives.
***
Containing Malice is a STANDALONE enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the first 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
Buy Today:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/containing-malice/id1536770487
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/containing-malice-cynthia-sax/1137961594
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/containing-malice
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1049881
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Writing Weekends
Containing Malice And Reader Feedback
I read all the messages I receive from reading buddies. Some writers have assistants. I don’t have one. I look at everything myself.
Unless the message is a death threat or something similar, I try to respond to every message.
If you don’t receive a message from me, it is likely because an email service, either mine or yours, in their great wisdom (<–extreme sarcasm), decided either to not deliver your original message to me or to not deliver my reply to you. (shakes head) That unfortunately happens…quite often, especially with Gmail.
I LOVE questions and other feedback about stories. If you have a question or concern, there is a good chance other reading buddies have the same question or concern. Sometimes I’ll answer that question or address that concern on this blog, in addition to responding to you directly. That sharing benefits everyone.
I also often tweak my writing a bit to decrease confusion in future stories.
In Containing Malice, for example, some reading buddies were unsettled that Illona didn’t have a conversation with Malice about her Humanoid Alliance-caused illness, about their experiments on her. They’re right. That communication should have happened. In the future, I’ll ensure couples (or more) have conversations about important things like that.
I want to give you the best story I possibly can. (big hugs) That’s super important to me. And your feedback allows me to do this.
Thank you so much!
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Containing Malice
This tormented cyborg craves vengeance…and her.
***
Malice, a C Model cyborg, has spent his long lifespan enslaved by the Humanoid Alliance. His cruel manufacturers have hurt him in all the ways a male could be hurt.
His enemy has now added a new weapon to their arsenal—a tiny human medic with soft hands and a delectable scent. She experiments on him multiple times a shift, delivering pain…and frustration.
He wants her. He also seeks retribution.
Once Malice frees himself, he plans to achieve both of his goals, taking Medic Illona captive and ending her research…permanently.
Illona is as much a prisoner as the cyborgs she experiments on. Since her arrival at the Human Alliance’s secret laboratory, she has carefully, stealthily, crafted a plot to free her test subjects. To conceal her covert activities, the medic has been forced to harm beings rather than heal them.
The being she has damaged the most is also the cyborg she fiercely desires— Malice, a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed C Model with massive hands and a voice deeper than space. He hates her, has good reason to do so, and, when he’s freed, there’s a high probability he’ll kill her.
Illona will take that risk to ensure he survives.
***
Containing Malice is a STANDALONE enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the first 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
Buy Today:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/containing-malice/id1536770487
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/containing-malice-cynthia-sax/1137961594
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/containing-malice
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1049881
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Containing Malice And Reader Feedback
Containing Malice And Writing The Next Story
Some reading buddies have asked me why I’m revising the short(er) stories for a C.S. collection (Medieval Beasts, likely releasing at the end of March) and not diving right into the next story in the Rebel Cyborgs series.
Under Strain, Book 2 in the series, has already been written. It is now with my Awesome Editor. She’s likely looking at it as I’m typing this and plans to return it to me in a week or so.
All the stories in the Rebel Cyborgs series are standalones. They can be read on their own. But they also build. What happened in Containing Malice will change what happens in Under Strain. What happens in Under Strain will change what happens in Baring Grudge.
It is ideal that I wait until my Awesome Editor has given me her insights on Under Strain before I start Baring Grudge. Rewriting to incorporate major changes usually takes longer for me than waiting and, for me, it often weakens the story. I want to give you the best stories I can craft.
So I’m waiting.
My brain also needs a vacation between cyborg stories. The cyborg stories take SO much out of me creatively and emotionally. I LOVE that but I also need a break.
The short stories give me that break. They are short (grins) and light and they are set in a completely different world in a completely different niche of romance.
Other writers have their own processes. We all do what works for us and this schedule is working for me at the moment.
I’m excited about Under Strain. I think you’ll really enjoy this story. And I’m stoked about the scenes I’ve envisioned for Baring Grudge. I think you’ll be excited about that story also.
***
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Containing Malice
This tormented cyborg craves vengeance…and her.
***
Malice, a C Model cyborg, has spent his long lifespan enslaved by the Humanoid Alliance. His cruel manufacturers have hurt him in all the ways a male could be hurt.
His enemy has now added a new weapon to their arsenal—a tiny human medic with soft hands and a delectable scent. She experiments on him multiple times a shift, delivering pain…and frustration.
He wants her. He also seeks retribution.
Once Malice frees himself, he plans to achieve both of his goals, taking Medic Illona captive and ending her research…permanently.
Illona is as much a prisoner as the cyborgs she experiments on. Since her arrival at the Human Alliance’s secret laboratory, she has carefully, stealthily, crafted a plot to free her test subjects. To conceal her covert activities, the medic has been forced to harm beings rather than heal them.
The being she has damaged the most is also the cyborg she fiercely desires— Malice, a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed C Model with massive hands and a voice deeper than space. He hates her, has good reason to do so, and, when he’s freed, there’s a high probability he’ll kill her.
Illona will take that risk to ensure he survives.
***
Containing Malice is a STANDALONE enemies-to-lovers Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the first 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
Buy Today:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08LK4CWHS
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/containing-malice/id1536770487
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/containing-malice-cynthia-sax/1137961594
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/containing-malice
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1049881
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Containing Malice And Writing The Next Story
