Throwback Thursday – Dark Strength
I’m currently writing the first draft of B Free, a story featuring B, a B Model cyborg. B Models are HUGE and B reminds me physically of Balvan, the Refuge’s great green gatekeeper, the hero of Dark Strength.
Balvan is a gentle giant…when he rescues tiny hurt creatures like his beloved puffkers. He’s not so gentle when he’s protecting his mate, Elyce. He happily stomps on her enemies’ heads, relishes hearing their skulls crack under his big boots.
Elyce is a strong female. She has faced some extreme hardships in her past, has impressively survived all that trauma. But we all need safeguarding from time to time and Elyce is no exception. She finds a powerful and loving protector in Balvan.
Dark Strength
The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall.
Balvan, the Refuge’s Gatekeeper, is huge, green, and has a reputation for crushing skulls. He’s a modified humanoid, genetically designed to be the ultimate warrior. One of a kind and considered monstrous by many, he never expects to find his mate, the one female meant for him.
Elyce, snatched from her home half a solar cycle ago, has finally escaped her brutal captors. She arrives at the Refuge barely alive. Only a blood transfusion from the largest male she has ever seen will save her life. But it will also bind her to him forever. Staring up, up, up at him, she wonders why she wants to be free. His gentle touch revives yearnings she thought dead. His lips set her skin ablaze. His massive muscles make her feel safe.
That feeling could be an illusion. Elyce’s captors want their slave back and they won’t stop until they have her. To give his mate her freedom, Balvan might be forced to give up everything he has – his role as the Gatekeeper, Elyce’s love, and his life.
Dark Strength is a STANDALONE Alien SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes violent universe.
Buy Now:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Strength-Refuge-Book-3-ebook/dp/B078SYYWH5/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Strength-Refuge-Book-3-ebook/dp/B078SYYWH5/
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/Dark-Strength-Refuge-Book-3-ebook/dp/B078SYYWH5/
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/dark-strength/id1332249866
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-strength-cynthia-sax/1127772582
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/dark-strength
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/775942
Topics: Throwback Thursday | Comments Off on Throwback Thursday – Dark Strength
Throwback Thursday – Dark Strength
I have a serious thing for Icy Bob in the TV show, Snowpiercer. (grins) He is definitely a beast hero and also has some wonderful Frankenstein’s Monster vibes. Icy Bob is big and scarred, has been through pain, has done some bad things in his past, and he would make a great Romance hero.
He reminds me a bit of Balvan, the giant green gatekeeper of the Refuge and the hero of Dark Strength. Balvan is fierce. He loves to crush enemy skulls under his big booted feet, enjoys the sounds that makes. But he is also gentle with more innocent beings. He rescues hurt small creatures and nurses them back to health.
It would take a strong female to love a male like that and Elyce is that female. She has been through trauma, is a survivor, and she would protect those she cares about with everything she has.
As a couple, they are magical.
Dark Strength
The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall.
Balvan, the Refuge’s Gatekeeper, is huge, green, and has a reputation for crushing skulls. He’s a modified humanoid, genetically designed to be the ultimate warrior. One of a kind and considered monstrous by many, he never expects to find his mate, the one female meant for him.
Elyce, snatched from her home half a solar cycle ago, has finally escaped her brutal captors. She arrives at the Refuge barely alive. Only a blood transfusion from the largest male she has ever seen will save her life. But it will also bind her to him forever. Staring up, up, up at him, she wonders why she wants to be free. His gentle touch revives yearnings she thought dead. His lips set her skin ablaze. His massive muscles make her feel safe.
That feeling could be an illusion. Elyce’s captors want their slave back and they won’t stop until they have her. To give his mate her freedom, Balvan might be forced to give up everything he has – his role as the Gatekeeper, Elyce’s love, and his life.
Dark Strength is a STANDALONE Alien SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes violent universe.
Buy Now:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Strength-Refuge-Book-3-ebook/dp/B078SYYWH5/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Strength-Refuge-Book-3-ebook/dp/B078SYYWH5/
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/Dark-Strength-Refuge-Book-3-ebook/dp/B078SYYWH5/
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/dark-strength/id1332249866
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-strength-cynthia-sax/1127772582
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/dark-strength
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/775942
Topics: Throwback Thursday | Comments Off on Throwback Thursday – Dark Strength
Beautiful Writers And The Best Seller Lists
Beauty matters. It sucks that it matters but it does. That’s the unfortunate reality.
The results of the study, which used an algorithm on facial beauty analysis site Anaface.com to rate the attractiveness of 677 CEOs, confirmed that better-looking CEOs make more money (sometimes called a “beauty premium”). It also found that stock market returns were higher on M&A announcement dates for companies whose CEO ranked high on the Facial Attractiveness Index.”
One would think that beauty wouldn’t matter in Romanceland. Sales should be all about the stories, about the yummy heroes and the intriguing heroines, right?
Yeah, no. If appearances didn’t matter, writers wouldn’t be asked for their photos… ALL the time. Our photos wouldn’t appear next to our online bios, in the back of print books, in the media kits.
And how we look in these photos makes a difference to our careers. The average reader is more likely to buy from an attractive writer. The media is more likely to feature or interview attractive writers.
There are a number of reasons why you won’t find my photo anywhere online. The main reason is that my dear wonderful supportive mom-in-law is very religious and would be embarrassed if one of her church-going friends knew what I was writing. I don’t ever want to hurt this terrific woman. I love her to bits.
But another reason is… I’m beauty impaired. The plain Jane heroine whom only the hero finds attractive? That’s me. Ironically my super awesome hubby IS handsome and he DOES think I’m beautiful, even twenty years and twice my original weight later. (Oh, and we fell in love at first sight – yes, I base my romance stories on real life).
I had to work ten times as hard in business to overcome this lack of beauty issue (because in business, beauty also matters). When I followed my dream into writing, I thought this wouldn’t be an issue. I was naïve. It IS an issue.
I use cover art for my bio photo. I prefer to look at Henley’s handsome face than mine. Some media won’t accept that, won’t cover the story unless I supply my real photo. I miss out on these promotional avenues. Some of my beauty impaired buddies (big hugs) use avatars, logos, and other clever images. They also miss out on opportunities.
I’m as guilty as the next person about judging writers based on their appearances. I’d rather not see who is writing the erotic romances I enjoy reading. I love my fellow writers but I don’t want to picture their faces while the hero is boinking the living daylights out of the heroine. SO not sexy. (grins)
And I don’t begrudge my beautiful writing buddies their successes. (big hugs) I merely wish their successes were due 100% to their wonderful stories. I wish we all stopped judging each other on our appearances. (And since we’re talking about fantasies, I also wish eating Nutella qualified as a form of exercise)
Have you been judged on your appearance? Does a writer’s appearance make a difference to you?
Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly using his network of cameras and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, his scarred hands and huge size have resulted in him being feared by everyone… almost everyone.
Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss’s wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses, and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken.
Kat likes to be watched. Henley can’t look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-Novella-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-flashesofme-1411711-149.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flashes-of-me-cynthia-sax/1117322925
Topics: Guest Post, Writing Tips | 2 Comments »
Secrets From Flashes Of Me
I LOVE secrets. I’m great at keeping other people’s secrets because I have a terrible memory. Friends know they can tell me their deepest, darkest thoughts and I’ll forget these thoughts the next day.
I also have a wonderful imagination so I’m never too sure whether I’ve imagined a friend’s secret or it truly exists. To play it safe, I assume the secret is a figment of my imagination. (I never claimed to be sane – grins)
My characters ALWAYS have secrets. Usually these secrets hamper their ability to have fulfilling and lasting relationships. Some characters, such as Gabriel Blaine from The Seen Trilogy (He Watches Me, He Touches Me, He Claims Me), never tell me their secrets. Ever. That’s extremely frustrating. When readers email and ask me, I have to tell them he continues to dodge questions about his past.
Thankfully, Kat and Henley, the heroine and hero of Flashes Of Me, are more forthcoming. Henley shares his secrets first. He knows this bravery is necessary to earn Kat’s trust (and Henley is one of the bravest, strongest heroes I’ve ever written). Kat doesn’t confide in Henley and in us until the end of the story. At the beginning, she can’t even think about her secret, can’t form that thought in her mind.
Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly using his network of cameras and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, his scarred hands and huge size have resulted in him being feared by everyone… almost everyone.
Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss’s wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses, and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken.
Kat likes to be watched. Henley can’t look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?
Pre-order Now For 99 Cents: http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-An-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO
Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Secrets From Flashes Of Me
In The Mood For Color
Kat, the heroine of Flashes Of Me, LOVES wearing color (there’s a reason that the cover is pink – pink plays a huge role in her life). She changes what she wears depending on her mood.
We all do this, either consciously or subconsciously.
So what do your color choices say about you?
Red, Pink, and Burgundy
Red invokes exciting emotions such as fear, anger, passion. Bright red says look at me. It is the color of passion. Pink conveys innocence. Kat’s dad loves it when his little girl (and Kat will always be his little girl) wears her favorite pink suit. At the other end of the red hues is burgundy. Burgundy screams sophistication.
Black
Black is a power color. Henley, the hero of Flashes Of Me, wears all black outfits, seeking to intimidate rule breakers. It is also sophisticated. Henley’s black suits are custom made and very well designed.
Yellow
Kat wears a sunny happy yellow suit when she needs a pick me up. People are more likely to approach a co-worker dressed in yellow.
Green
Camille aka Goth girl sports her trademark green hair once again in Flashes Of Me. She wears it to shock others but normally green has the opposite effect. It puts people in a relaxed, friendly mood.
Purple
Purple is the best color to wear on a job interview. It makes us feel confident and regal. Kat wears lavender on her first day of work at Blaine Technologies.
Blue
Blue conveys tranquility. Blue skies are calm skies. The blue ocean is a source of life.
What color are you wearing today?
Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly using his network of cameras and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, his scarred hands and huge size have resulted in him being feared by everyone… almost everyone.
Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss’s wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses, and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken.
Kat likes to be watched. Henley can’t look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?
Pre-order Now For 99 Cents: http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-An-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO
Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on In The Mood For Color
