Taste of Cyn

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

https://hellegade.com/2021/05/03/author-cynthia-sax-interview/

Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Talking Dinosaur Planets With Delilah Devlin

Cynthia Sax Interviewed By Helle Gade

By Cynthia Sax on May 5, 2021

Woot! I was interviewed by Helle Gade, was asked some super fun questions.

Here is a snippet…

“Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

All we can really control about this wonderful career is our happiness levels. Write stories that feed your soul, that make you feel good about yourself.

Those stories can be marketable. That’s often best. We can feed our stomachs as well as our souls. If you have a list of 10 story ideas and 1 of those ideas involve, say, a vampire, and vampires are all the rage in Romancelandia, consider writing that vampire story next.”

You can read the full answer and the entire interview here

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.

***

A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

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.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=8157

Topics: Author Interviews | Comments Off on Cynthia Sax Interviewed By Helle Gade

Under Strain – Final Scene Of The First Chapter

By Cynthia Sax on May 3, 2021

Under Strain releases next week! Woot!

This week, I’m sharing the fourth and final scene in its first chapter.

You can read the first scene from the first chapter of Under Strain here:

***

“Grudge also believes I wasn’t wrong to make an exception for you.” Cadet surprised him with that information.

The warrior had seen him almost repeat the attack on the human female.

Yet the male believed he belonged on their team, had vouched for his inclusion.

Strain’s resolve solidified. He would repair himself, wouldn’t fail them again.

“He has volunteered to train you.” Cadet met his gaze. “You will shadow him on the next five missions. After the fifth mission is completed, you’ll be evaluated. The entire team will decide if you are worthy of your role.”

Strain lifted his chin. He would be worthy.

“During those five missions, you won’t utilize, carry, or touch any weapons.” The female cyborg glided her right hand over the hilt of a gun strapped to her body armor. She was as armed as he was, as all cyborgs preferred to be. “That will remove the temptation to utilize them.”

Strain didn’t require a weapon to kill a being. He could end a human’s lifespan with his bare hands. His lips flattened. Humans were fragile. They wouldn’t have lasted a planet rotation on the death planet alone.

“We’re leaving for the first of those missions in one shift.” Cadet looked around her. The chamber was fully stocked and spotless, ready to be inhabited by whomever they rescued. She shouldn’t find fault with it. “Twenty-three warriors were locked in storage, left behind, and forgotten when the Humanoid Alliance abandoned the planet.” She blew out her breath. “They would have to be E Models.”

The female cyborg didn’t like that model type. Strain projected that was because Power, the self-appointed leader of the Cyborg Council and her greatest nemesis, was an E Model.

Power was unaware Cadet had given herself the mission of rescuing warriors left behind during the mass rebellion. The arrogant male wouldn’t approve of her actions.

He could sit on a dagger and rotate. Strain widened his stance. The male hadn’t sent any warriors to help him, hadn’t even replied to his messages.

If his fate had been placed in the E Model’s hands, Strain would still be on that blasted death planet. All his loyalty belonged to Cadet. She and her team, the team he was now part of, had saved him.

“We’ll need more outlets and cords. The E Models will require energy boosts.” Cadet paced around the perimeter of the chamber. “They’ll need nourishment bars for their organic sides. Stars.” She stopped. Her eyes widened. “There couldn’t have been much to eat in their storage chamber.”

There hadn’t been much to eat on the death planet either. He’d survived on rodents and insects.

“Stock extra nourishment bars.” Cadet resumed walking. “I’ll warn Patch they might require repairs.”

Patch, a J Model, was the medic on the team. His repairing skills weren’t often needed with cyborgs. Their kind’s nanocybotics restored them to full functionality.

Physically.

Strain’s nanocybotics hadn’t stopped the death planet footage from replaying. They hadn’t repaired that glitch. Nothing he had implemented had done that. All he’d managed to do, thus far, was temporarily fade it, push it to the background.

He had to learn how to keep it there permanently if he wished to remain on the team.

“You might project you process more about these warriors than I do, than Grudge does.” The female cyborg continued talking to him. “Their condition will be similar to yours when you were retrieved.”

Their condition would not be similar to his. Strain scrubbed the emotion from his countenance, giving her the blank mask he and his brethren would always offer the Humanoid Alliance.

There were twenty-three of the E Models. They had each other for companionship, for emotional support.

He had been completely alone.

“But you are a trainee on this mission.” Cadet reminded him of his status. “You are to follow Grudge’s lead. He has more experience at this than you do. Do you understand?”

Strain nodded. He understood this was a test, that he had to assign top priority to passing it. The E Models’ functionality, their lifespans, his lifespan was of lower importance.

Cadet paused by the door. “You can do this, warrior. I process you are manufactured for the team. Grudge processes you belong with us. Prove us right.” The female left the chamber.

He would prove them right. Strain drew himself up to his full height.

No beings, not Cadet, not Grudge, not anyone on the team, would find fault with him. He would follow his assigned trainer unceasingly, would watch, listen, learn.

Battle could wage around him. His brethren could be bombed into oblivion. Human females could flay him until the skin, the flesh was removed from his frame. The screams in his processors could permanently deafen him.

He wouldn’t act on his own, wouldn’t move from Grudge’s side.

Strain squared his shoulders. He would be successful.

Nothing and no one would distract him.

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.

***

A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

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.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Under Strain – Final Scene Of The First Chapter

Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – May 2nd

By Cynthia Sax on May 2, 2021

Woot! I finished revising and expanding the leopard shifter story, the third and final story in the Big Cat Shifters collection (releasing likely in June under C.S. Sax). I love all the stories but this one is my favorite of the three. I think you’ll really enjoy it.

This upcoming week will be dedicated to reading over the three stories one or two more times.

I will start thinking about the first scene for B Free, the fourth story in the Rebel Cyborgs series. Knowing how impatient I am (grins), I’ll likely write a few words on it. Yes, I know. I should take a break but I’m super excited about B’s story. He is the last of his kind and that hits me in the feels.

I’m also excited about Under Strain releasing this month! YES! I can’t wait for you to read this story!

Have an awesome week, my friends. Take some time for yourself. Read a great romance. Eat cookies. Enjoy nature. Do something that makes you happy. You deserve joy.

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.

***

A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

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.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Topics: Cynthia Sax Weekly Update | Comments Off on Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – May 2nd

Under Strain, Cyborgs And Never Forgetting

By Cynthia Sax on May 1, 2021

Cyborgs, when their processors and databases are functional, never forget anything. Everything they have seen or heard or learned is stored inside them in perfect detail.

They store not only what THEY have experienced but also often what their brethren have experienced. Their memories can be shared.

(They don’t have to be shared. Cyborgs have the option of keeping information to themselves.)

Their perfect memories are usually beneficial. Their knowledge bases are greatly expanded. It increases their chances of survival tremendously. They learn faster.

But it can be a strain on them also. ALL experiences, the good AND the bad, are captured in their entirety, are always accessible to them. These memories never fade, never lose details, are as vivid now as they were two hundred solar cycles ago.

Cyborgs don’t have the gift of forgetting. And they remain half human, often have human reactions to bad memories. If an experience is especially traumatic, like the planet rotation Strain endured, it will always be with them.

Thankfully, cyborgs have coping mechanisms…if their machines allow them to use them. Many of them gather happier experiences and focus on them, not on the bad memories.

Rage, for example, replays moments with Joan and his offspring, rather than the footage of the Humanoid Alliance’s experimentation on him. That has allowed him to find great joy. Unfortunately, not every cyborg has that ability.

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.

***

A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

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.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Topics: Story Insights | Comments Off on Under Strain, Cyborgs And Never Forgetting

Under Strain And Eating Fruit

By Cynthia Sax on April 30, 2021

Kamyelle, the heroine of Under Strain, exists mostly on fruit. It IS alien fruit, fruit native to Rohini 9. But it is similar to fruit grown on Earth during the Jurassic period.

And there WAS edible fruit on Earth during the Jurassic period. We tend to think of the ‘caveman diet’ as consisting of only meat. That’s more marketing than reality.

Early humans ate fruit and vegetables. Paleoanthropologists have found bits of dates stuck in the teeth of Neanderthals. Researchers have found evidence of 7 million year old grapes. Plums and olives have been found dating back to the paleolithic period.

Could early humans have existed ONLY on fruit? There ARE fruitarians living on Earth today. It can be challenging, however, to get all the needed vitamins from our planet’s fruit selection.

Kamyelle, living on Rohini 9, can get all the nourishment she needs from the fruits on her planet.

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.

***

A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

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.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Topics: Story Insights | Comments Off on Under Strain And Eating Fruit

Under Strain And The Heroine’s Name

By Cynthia Sax on April 28, 2021

The human heroine in Under Strain, the next Rebel Cyborgs story (releasing soon!), is named Kamyelle.

As happens with many of the heroines in my stories, she was named after a beloved reader. If you reach out to me and you have a cool name, beware! I will likely steal it (letting you know first) and I’ll use it in a story. Your namesake will be paired with a sexy cyborg or alien. (grins) That is the price of being my buddy!

I didn’t find much information on Kamyelle on name sites. There was conflicting information about its origins and about the name’s meaning…which I thought was very apt for Strain’s female. Kamyelle in Under Strain has been forced to hide for solar cycles. She has ‘disappeared.’ For safety reasons, she tells other beings as little about herself and her kind as possible.

Until Strain arrives. (smiles)

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.

***

A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

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.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Topics: Story Insights | Comments Off on Under Strain And The Heroine’s Name

Under Strain And Trees

By Cynthia Sax on April 27, 2021

Kamyelle, the human heroine of Under Strain, lives mostly in the trees on Rohini 9.

These alien trees are very tall and they have thick, horizontally growing branches. The branches often intertwine with the branches of neighboring trees.

This makes them easy to navigate. Kamyelle can run along the trees’ branches, using them as an in-the-sky pathway. She sleeps in the trees with little fear of falling out of them.

As a girl, I would often sleep on branches of less-sleeping-friendly Earth trees. (grins) Some kids can sleep anywhere and I grew accustomed to being in the trees.

When the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I travel, I take photos of interesting trees and other instances of nature I think might make great alien environments.

These tree photos were taken in Kauai. The trees on Rohini 9 are MUCH larger but the branches are very similar.

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.

***

A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

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.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=8157

Topics: Story Insights | Comments Off on Under Strain And Trees

Under Strain – Third Scene Of The First Chapter

By Cynthia Sax on April 26, 2021

Under Strain releases on May 11th. As we wait, I’m sharing scenes from the first chapter.

You can read the first scene from the first chapter of Under Strain here:

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

***

The bots completed 86.1288 percent of the cleaning. Strain and Grudge restocked supplies, inspected weapons, reset the modified freighter’s systems.

Grudge chattered during the tasks, continued to talk as he lumbered toward the front of the ship.

Strain, situated in one of the holding chambers, didn’t contribute to the conversation.

He’d spent eight solar cycles, five planet rotations, and two shifts on the death planet. Utterly alone. He hadn’t spoken to another being throughout that entire duration, hadn’t transmitted for the first four solar cycles, forty-four planet rotations, and two shifts of his solitary sentence.

Transmitting had been too risky, and it would have served no purpose. His brethren remained under the control of the Humanoid Alliance. They couldn’t help him, and he didn’t want to draw attention to them, to put them in additional danger.

Once the cyborgs had mass rebelled, he requested a transport off the planet. Three solar cycles and three hundred and twenty-six planet rotations later, Cadet and her team arrived.

Chatter felt…unnatural at the point. And he had nothing he wanted to convey to anyone. He hadn’t saved his brethren, hadn’t died with them as an honorable warrior would have done.

During the bombing, he’d been trapped in an underground tunnel. By the time he escaped, there had been no one left to assist or fight. His fellow warriors were dead. The Humanoid Alliance and their ships were gone.

He was alone, had only his brethren’s corpses and his regrets for company.

For solar cycles.

His lifeform scans pinged, snapping him back into the present. A cyborg was approaching the chamber.

Grudge was currently situated in the bridge. Strain closed the compartment he had restocked with nourishment bars. There was a 75.1258 percent probability the newcomer was Cadet.

She had ordered him not to damage any humans. He had attempted to attack the rescued female. Cadet could relieve him of his duty, kick him off the team.

He would then have no access to a ship, would be stuck on the surface, unable to escape if there was an attack, a bombing. Strain’s muscles flexed to the point of pain. The screams in his auditory system amplified.

The stress would be too much. His slender hold on reality would be severed.

The door slid open. Cadet stepped into the holding chamber.

Strain braced his booted feet apart and faced her directly, waiting to be reprimanded.

“Unless I authorize it, human females are not to be killed.” The female cyborg leveled a hard glance on him. “You agreed to that directive when you joined our retrieval team.”

The human female had pointed a gun at a warrior’s back.

Strain said nothing, because that circumstance didn’t negate his leader’s orders. The Humanoid Alliance had beaten that truth into them. Orders were to be followed at any cost.

Even if those orders were illogical, were issued to soothe a human commander’s irrational female, and following them resulted in the loss of fifty-two thousand, three hundred and ten cyborgs.

Fraggin’ hole. His lips twisted. He hated humans.

“Cyborgs can’t lie.” Cadet shook her head. The inability to bend the truth was hardcoded into their programming. “You must have believed you could adhere to that rule.”

“I will adhere to that rule.” Strain forced himself to speak. “It won’t happen again.”

The female cyborg studied him. “You’re severely damaged. Frag.” Her laugh contained a hard edge to it. “We all are that way. But your damage puts the team and our mission at risk. We will find beings destined to be ours during the retrievals, and some of those beings will be human. I can’t stop you from attacking them and, at the same time, keep the others safe. That exceeds my bandwidth.”

“I won’t attack them.” He jutted his jaw. “I can do this.”

“If anyone can do it, you can.” Cadet nodded. “When we arrived on that war-battered planet you were trapped on, you were standing all alone on top of that toppled domicile, your fingers curled into fists, your stance defiant. The remnants of your body armor hung from your frame. Your eyes were wild, and your hair was scraggly. You reminded me of the images I’d seen of my dad when he’d first been freed.” Her face softened. “You definitely had his vocabulary.”

Cadet’s dad, the C Model he’d seen her with earlier, spoke as rarely as Strain did.

“It took tremendous strength to survive what you did.” The respect in the female cyborg’s voice straightened Strain’s spine. “I projected you’d make a solid addition to our team. All the other cyborgs were required to go through the rehabilitation process. I made an exception for you. Was I wrong to do that, warrior?”

“No.” He wasn’t like all the other cyborgs.

The rehabilitation program lasted for an entire solar cycle. None of the warriors in it were given access to the ships on Mercury Minor.

There weren’t enough vessels to allocate to everyone, and there were thousands of cyborgs who had arrived on the planet earlier than he had.

Not having a means of transport off the planet would break him.

“You weren’t wrong to do that.” He had to be the exception. There was no other option for him, not if he wanted to survive with some of his processors intact.

***

Read the next scene (available May 3rd) here:

http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=8163

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.

***

A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

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.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/under-strain/id1545957749

Apple Books:

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-strain-cynthia-sax/1138505613

Kobo:

Smashwords:

Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Under Strain – Third Scene Of The First Chapter

Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – April 11th

By Cynthia Sax on April 25, 2021

As I wait for edits on Baring Grudge, the 3^rd Rebel Cyborgs story (releasing in August), I revised and expanded a short(er) romance featuring a tiger shifter hero for the next C.S. Sax collection. This is yet another fun, sexy story. It would be perfect for those times when you need a light shorter read.

This upcoming week, I plan to revise the third and final story in that collection. It will feature a leopard shifter hero. I love all three stories. I wouldn’t be sharing them with you if I didn’t love them. But the leopard shifter romance is my favorite of the three.

I’m wishing you a wonderful week! (big hugs) Please treat yourself to some new-to-you books this week if you can do that. Escape the world for a while. Do what you need to do to find happiness, my friends. Joy is what I want most for you.

***

Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/

Under Strain

A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.

***

A fully operational cyborg would end her lifespan.

Strain wants to claim her. Forever.

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.

Pre-order Now:

Amazon US:

Amazon UK:

Amazon AUS: