Dark Fire – Second Scene From The First Chapter
While we wait for Dark Fire (Releasing on June 12th! Woot!), I’m sharing the first chapter with you.
Read the first scene here: http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=6383
Today, I’m sharing the second scene.
He turned and stomped down the stairs. Gazes lifted to him as he descended. Warriors greeted him warmly. They didn’t view him as an outcast.
Females smiled and waved at him. He smiled back. They tittered behind their hands. He didn’t stop moving.
They weren’t his female. Although he was in no hurry to find his mate, he wouldn’t be untrue to her. She already had all of him – his beast, his humanoid, his body, his soul.
He stalked through the settlement. Merchants called out, trying to attract customers for their containers, weapons, and other goods. A pleasure worker negotiated with a bearded male, flashing her three breasts in a bid to increase her price.
Metal clanged against metal as two males fought, sparks flying from where their swords connected. Blood dripped on the white sand, the scent exciting Dare’s Drache. The males’ forms were covered in gashes and cuts. One of them limped, his thigh cut to the bone.
As long as they didn’t kill their opponent, Kralj would look the other way, allow them to work out their differences. If someone did die, breaking one of the Refuge’s few rules, the killer’s body would be added to the display of corpses impaled on spikes outside the settlement’s walls.
Kralj’s justice was swift and inescapable.
Dare respected that and his Drache enjoyed the violence, the wildness, the unpredictability. It was now awake and fully aware, pacing inside him. The scents of battle and sex filled his nostrils. Blood rushed through his veins.
He neared the beverage outlet, which served as the Refuge’s command center. A presence barreled toward him, detectable only by the air being displaced.
Dare extended his claws, raised them to block the assault. Another set of claws caught his. His attacker grunted, tried to push him forward. Dare, being bigger and stronger, propelled him backward.
“Your speed is increasing.” He softened the boy’s defeat with praise.
Hulagu’s scrawny form came into view. The boy was a Chamele, had the ability to disappear into the background. “I almost defeated you.”
“Almost.” Dare retracted his claws. He, and many of the other warriors in the settlement, had been training the kid. “Build your strength and you’ll be a worthy opponent.”
“I’m already a worthy opponent.” The boy swaggered, his bare feet kicking up sand. “I’m the greatest Warlord”—he paused—“in the settlement.”
Dare swallowed a laugh. The kid was currently the only Chamele Warlord in the settlement.
“Kralj asked me to meet with him.” Hulagu’s chest puffed with importance. “That’s how much he values my skills.”
Dare lowered his eyebrows. “Kralj asked me to meet with him also.” Why would the Ruler require both of them?
They entered the beverage outlet. Warriors lingered around the entrance, chatting, polishing weapons, their presence adding an extra layer of protection to the structure.
“We’re part of the same mission.” Hulagu grinned, his dark eyes lighting up. “It must require tearing the enemy apart.” The bloodthirsty Warlord-in-training spread his fingers, having not yet retracted his claws. A passing warrior turned his body to the side to avoid being gouged. “I like that.”
If the kid was correct, part of Dare’s mission would be ensuring Hulagu didn’t maim innocent victims. The Chamele was still learning how to use his natural weapons.
The doors to Kralj’s working chambers opened.
“I asked the two of you here for separate reasons.” The Ruler of the Refuge clarified that point right away.
Kralj was seated behind a horizontal support. Shadows shrouded his scarred face. Dita, the Ruler’s tiny human mate, sat beside him. The two of them were always together.
As Dracheon warriors and their mates were always together. A male without his female felt incomplete. Dare knew that truth well.
But he’d rather feel incomplete than guilty. His female had a better chance of remaining alive if they didn’t meet.
He was accustomed to the solitude, would survive it.
“Hulagu.” Kralj turned his focus on the kid.
“Yes, sir.” The Warlord-in-training straightened, pride and excitement radiating from his slight form.
“Your older brother, Oghul, communicated with me moments ago.” The Ruler relayed the information without emotion. “He and his warriors will be arriving in two planet rotations.”
“He’ll take me back to Chamele 2.” Hulagu wrinkled his nose. “Azalea won’t want to accompany me and I can’t leave without her. She’s my gerel, the light to my darkness.”
The kid’s mate had been brutally attacked outside the Refuge’s walls. Since then, she refused to leave the settlement.
But Hulagu, like Dare, had no choice about leaving. Their traditions dictated what they could do and what they couldn’t.
And one of the things they couldn’t do was stay on Carinae E.
Read the next installment (Available May 28th): http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=6392
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Dark Fire
What the Beast wants, the Beast gets.
Dare’s savage nature has made him an outcast among his kind. The silver-scaled Dracheon warrior can’t control his inner beast. It’s too strong. When his primitive instincts told him his destined mate was on Carinae E, he had no choice. He had to travel to the outlaw planet. There, he hoped to meet a female powerful enough to survive his Drache.
He finds Faylee, a delicate little human.
Faylee is the best thief on the planet. Everyone she encounters mistakes her for a young boy…except for a tall, shiny warrior from off-planet. When she gazes into Dare’s flame-filled eyes, he makes her feel, for the first time, like a desirable female. The fire-breathing male has her yearning for hot kisses, fierce embraces, and a future filled with love. She doesn’t realize mating with him might be the last thing she ever does.
Dare’s beast isn’t the only danger on the planet. An enemy from the past has returned and he’s determined to stop Dare and Faylee…permanently. They’ll need luck and the assistance of every warrior in the Refuge to stay alive.
Dark Fire is a STANDALONE SciFi Romance set in a gritty, dark world.
Pre-order Today:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Fire-Refuge-Book-4-ebook/dp/B07CW2Y8B7/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Fire-Refuge-Book-4-ebook/dp/B07CW2Y8B7/
Apple/iTunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dark-fire/id1381353384
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-fire-cynthia-sax/1128614574
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dark-fire-22
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/824382
Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Dark Fire – Second Scene From The First Chapter
Dark Fire – First Scene From The First Chapter
Dark Fire is releasing on June 12th! Woot!
While we wait, I’ll be sharing the first chapter with you. Today, we see the first scene.
Dracheons prided themselves on having two things – honor and absolute control.
Dare was a being of honor. He didn’t lie, didn’t cheat, fought fiercely yet fairly, had earned everything he possessed.
What he lacked was control. His humanoid side couldn’t restrain his inner Drache. The beast was too strong, always prowled at the surface, was visible to all.
Dare stood at the top of the Refuge’s white stone walls where he wouldn’t be disturbed. The space was quiet, occupied only by one guard—a friend.
Squaring his shoulders, Dare held up his silver scale-covered fingers. That would be his focus, his everything. He shut down his other senses, narrowed his view to the tip of his right index finger.
His beast fought him, snarling, clawing, clinging to its position. He ignored that part of him, concentrating on the curve of a single scale.
The Drache became bored and gradually retreated deeper inside him. His scales faded from view.
Expanding his sphere of awareness, Dare observed the blue of the sky, the heat of the sun’s rays. His skin remained human-like.
He could do this. Satisfaction flared within him. He would learn to restrain his beast and would no longer be seen as an outcast among his kind. His fellow Dracheons would accept him, would welcome him back to his home planet.
His mate, whoever she was, would be proud to claim him as her male. When he finally found her, she would gaze at him with warm admiration, with lust, with caring. He—
Carinae E’s arid breeze blew over him, bringing with it the scent of blood. It was faint yet strong enough to provoke his Drache.
The beast roared, surging to the surface, prepared to fight, to maim, to kill. Dare’s scales shone, lit by the solitary sun.
He’d lost control. Again. Fraggin’ hole. He curled his fingers into fists, frustration flaying him.
He was running out of time. His female was somewhere on the small outlaw planet. They would eventually meet and his instincts would drive him to bond with her.
Mating was savage and extreme. It provoked even the most docile of Draches.
His much more primitive beast would tear her apart. He grimaced, staring down at the beings swarming around the Refuge’s main gates.
Dracheons’ emphasis on control existed because in the ancient past, precious females had been killed during the mating process.
Dare, a genetic throwback to that time, had been the focus of debates. Some believed he should be put to death. Many, including his parents, supported a movement to ban him from ever mating and possibly passing his affliction on to his offspring. All had considered him to be an outcast.
That made it easier for him to leave the planet undetected and travel to Carinae E. His Drache had located its mate. It would not be denied.
He was her male. He could also be the being who would cause her death. Hoping not to find her, yet driven to look, Dare searched the crowd below him.
All of his senses, including his vision, were more enhanced than any human’s. He studied every female’s eyes, lips, other facial features, seeking to feel something, anything.
He experienced only relief. She wasn’t one of the newcomers. The identity of his mate, the female he’d traveled across the universe to meet, continued to be unknown.
He had more time to learn how to master his beast.
Before trying again, he would fight, burn off some of his excess energy. On Dracheon, physical confrontations were frowned upon. In the Refuge, they were embraced.
Especially if the skirmishes were with the Humanoid Alliance.
A group of those males approached the main gates, guns in their hands. The Humanoid Alliance had tortured many of Dare’s friends, the fellow warriors guarding the Refuge. The humans weren’t welcome in the settlement, knew that, were clearly planning to create trouble for Balvan, the giant green male positioned at the entrance.
Dare leaned forward. The males would give him the fight he yearned for.
Balvan can handle those males. Kralj, the settlement’s all-knowing, all-powerful Ruler, pushed that thought into his head. The modified humanoid monitored the thoughts, speech, and actions of everyone within his wide range. He was aware of the situation. Meet me in my working chambers. Now.
Duty called. Dare perused the activity before him one more time, noting the newcomers. None of them belonged to him, and for that, he was grateful.
Read the next installment (Available May 21st): http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=6389
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Dark Fire
What the Beast wants, the Beast gets.
Dare’s savage nature has made him an outcast among his kind. The silver-scaled Dracheon warrior can’t control his inner beast. It’s too strong. When his primitive instincts told him his destined mate was on Carinae E, he had no choice. He had to travel to the outlaw planet. There, he hoped to meet a female powerful enough to survive his Drache.
He finds Faylee, a delicate little human.
Faylee is the best thief on the planet. Everyone she encounters mistakes her for a young boy…except for a tall, shiny warrior from off-planet. When she gazes into Dare’s flame-filled eyes, he makes her feel, for the first time, like a desirable female. The fire-breathing male has her yearning for hot kisses, fierce embraces, and a future filled with love. She doesn’t realize mating with him might be the last thing she ever does.
Dare’s beast isn’t the only danger on the planet. An enemy from the past has returned and he’s determined to stop Dare and Faylee…permanently. They’ll need luck and the assistance of every warrior in the Refuge to stay alive.
Dark Fire is a STANDALONE SciFi Romance set in a gritty, dark world.
Pre-order Today:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Fire-Refuge-Book-4-ebook/dp/B07CW2Y8B7/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Fire-Refuge-Book-4-ebook/dp/B07CW2Y8B7/
Apple/iTunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dark-fire/id1381353384
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-fire-cynthia-sax/1128614574
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dark-fire-22
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/824382
Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Dark Fire – First Scene From The First Chapter
Great Review For Dragons Lords Collection
Kyraninse at Night Owl Erotica shares
“The stories are short, fun, and hot — perfect for unwinding, or winding up of a more entertaining nature.”
You can read the full review here
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Kyraninse-reviews-Dragon-Lords-Collection-by-Cynthia-Sax
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Princess Taja dreams of a scarred dragon lord. Weary of waiting, Lady Sabine issues a sexy ultimatum to her laughing knight. A determined Lady Trinia faces fire, wax and an active volcano to win her red dragon. Lady Guinevere frolics naked with twin warriors. When the village needs a virgin sacrifice, Rhoslyn volunteers. Lady Celestria faces her dragon lord on the battlefield.
This collection contains the previously released novellas Dragon Lord’s Mate, Dragon Lord’s Prize, Dragon Lord’s Fire, Her Dragon Lords, Dragon Lord’s Captive, and Dragon Lord’s Destiny.
Buy Now At Changeling: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2198
Buy Now At Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J2GEHDY
Buy Now At ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-dragonlordscollection-1452827-146.html
Buy Now At B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragon-lords-cynthia-sax/1118935376
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Favorite TV Moms – Game Of Thrones
I’m a huge fan of Game Of Thrones so I thought it fitting that I choose my favorite moms from this TV show. There shouldn’t be any spoilers but if you haven’t yet seen ANY of the episodes and you plan to, you might want to skip this blog post.
There are quite a few kick butt moms in this show but my favorite, hands down, is
Cersei Lannister
Cersei isn’t a ‘nice’ woman (I doubt ‘nice’ women would last long in this brutal world). She murders, schemes, betrays. Her lover is seen as taboo in many cultures (though not in Egyptian culture – grins). She’s ambitious, determined to be in control of not only her household but the world. She uses her beauty, her sex appeal and her position of power (first as the Queen and then as the Queen’s mom) to benefit herself.
And her children.
For all of Cersei’s faults, there is NO doubt in anyone’s mind that she would kill or die for her children, all of her children, not only the heir. When she’s parted from her children, she worries. When her children are threatened, she goes all momma bear on them, ready to wage war. And lord help the man who harms one of her children. He is a dead man walking. She WILL get her vengeance and that vengeance won’t be pretty.
I love that Cersei is a strong warrior mom. She’s not sitting at home, baking cookies and rocking children to sleep (that is admirable in the real world but in the fictional world, I cheer for a more active mom). She is waging war, standing beside the powerful men in her family. Cersei shows that it is okay for a mom to be sexual and still be a great mom.
Daenerys Targaryen
I have to also mention Daenerys. She isn’t a mom of human babies. Like me, she didn’t have that opportunity (and I think this is one of the reasons why I love her so much). Unlike me, she’s a mom to DRAGONS. Yes, she represents moms of fur babies everywhere (or in this case, scaley babies).
It is clear to everyone that Daenerys loves her dragons. She protects them when they’re young, feeds them, suffers separation pains when they become older (moody teenage dragons – grins). Her dragons are part of her family (as any pet lover would agree).
Who are your favorite TV moms?
Nathan Lawford, Blaine Technologies’ chief financial officer, is known as the Iceman. He conducts his personal and business affairs without emotion, never allowing himself to become involved with anyone. When Nate sees something or someone he wants, he negotiates, paying a simple, set monetary price.
Now he wants Camille, the company’s green-haired intern.
Camille Joplin Trent never expected to be paid to pleasure the man of her dreams. She can’t quite figure out why this is a bad thing. Nate is intelligent, handsome, sophisticated, everything she’s ever wanted in a lover and never thought she could have. Their contract is for a month, thirty lust-filled days of making every sexual fantasy they’ve ever had come true. At the end of this month, the rules state their relationship will end.
Of course, Camille has never been good at following rules.
Buy Now At Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-All-Rules-Erotic-Novella-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXY
Buy Now At ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-breakingalltherules-1453084-149.html
Topics: Guest Post | 2 Comments »
Dragon Lord’s Destiny Nominated For LRC’s Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy books of 2013
Woot! Dragon Lord’s Destiny has been nominated as one of LRC’s Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy books of 2013! Thank you to the LRC reviewers, staff, and readers for making this possible!
By Cynthia Sax
Now Available From Changeling Press
Buy It Now: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2083
Buy It Now On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Lords-Destiny-ebook/dp/B00ENOVHMO
Buy It Now On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragon-lords-destiny-cynthia-sax/1116532341
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Wayback Wednesday-Dragon Lord’s Destiny
Part of the fun of writing is hiding little hidden jokes in our stories. Sometimes reading buddies figure out these jokes. Sometimes they don’t. In my dragon shifter stories, many readers (including my reading buddies in Germany) have figured out that my heroes are often named for German items or colors. Grau of Starke, the hero of Dragon Lord’s Destiny, is a powerful silver dragon. Grau means roughly gray and Starke is power.
By Cynthia Sax
Now Available From Changeling Press
Then a warrior dressed all in gray, breathing smoke and fire, enters the fray. Celestria knows he is the one, the man she is destined to love. He doesn’t know he’s her future husband, however, and he is riding toward her, his sword raised.
Buy It Now: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2083
Buy It Now On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Lords-Destiny-ebook/dp/B00ENOVHMO
Buy It Now On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragon-lords-destiny-cynthia-sax/1116532341
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Dragon Lord’s Destiny Releases Today
Dragon Lord’s Destiny releases today. Although this is part of the Dragon Lord series, it can be read easily on its own. There is no connection (other than it being a story about dragon shifters in a medieval fantasy word) to the other stories.
Dragon Lords Destiny Me From Cynthia Sax
Lady Celestria eagerly travels with her aunt and cousin to participate in festivities at King’s Keep. Decades ago, her father had met her mother in the courtyards. He took one look at her mother’s face, sank to his knees, and declared his undying love. Celestria believes this is where she will find true love also.
In the forest, less than a day’s ride away from the keep, they are attacked by bandits. Celestria fights alongside the guards. Outnumbered and disarmed, she faces her death bravely.
Then a warrior dressed all in gray, breathing smoke and fire, enters the fray. Celestria knows he is the one, the man she is destined to love. He doesn’t know he’s her future husband, however, and he is riding toward her, his sword raised.
Buy From Changeling: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2083
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Wayback Wednesday – Big City Dragon
Big City Dragon is the first story of the Big City series (the other stories are Big City Vampire, Uptown Dragon, Uptown Vampire, and Big City Wolf). This paranormal series is set in contemporary New York City.
I got the idea for this series while walking in Manhattan. I was strolling between the tall buildings and a gush of warm air swept over me. My explanation? A dragon flew by, passing above us, using the dragon version of ‘glamor’ to disguise his presence. Yes, there are dragons around us.
By Cynthia Sax
Now Available From Changeling Press
her skin are a trick of the light, her shrieks of outrage are due to
extreme sexual frustration, and many women need fire and flame play to
enjoy sex. All of her idiosyncrasies can be explained.
Frey is a dragon shifter. He has waited centuries for his mate, and
he won’t lose her to delusions of humanity or to a reckless golden
rival. He fought for his territory, and he will fight to the death for
his mate. No one messes with a dragon from the Bronx.
Buy It Now: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1765
Buy It Now On ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bigcitydragon-771518-142.html
Buy It Now On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Big-City-Dragon-ebook/dp/B00851HA8G/
Topics: Wayback Wednesday | Comments Off on Wayback Wednesday – Big City Dragon
Wayback Wednesday: Dragon Lord’s Fire
I LOVE this third story in the Dragon Lords series. It has volcanoes and fierce dragon battles and a heart-tugging local legend.
Although Trinia is Lord Berg’s twin sister (Lord Berg is the hero of Dragon Lord’s Prize), this story can easily be read on its own.
Now Available From Changeling Press
Can this dragon shifter convince his golden lady of flame he burns only for her?
Sharing a womb with a dragon shifter has made Lady Trinia different. She hides herself away from all those that could reject her. The rejection she most fears is from her destined mate. She knows the red dragon searches for her. She can feel his presence. She doesn’t know that prophecy declares he will love another.
Buy Now: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1365
Buy On ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-dragonlordsfire-440920-142.html
Buy On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Lords-Fire-ebook/dp/B005ALR2P0
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Hump Day Humps – Skies On Fire Excerpt
“Leave or die.” Reisen issued the ultimatum, knowing what their response would be, and he widened his stance, bracing his feet on the tiled floor.
Blood pumped through his veins, his beast wild from the battle and aroused by his mate, his savage emotions accentuated by something else, something lingering in the air — old and alien and primal.
“They’re… they’re beyond reason.” Jayla panted behind him. Skin rubbed against skin and a gust of feminine musk hit his nostrils.
“You’ve also been infected.” He groaned, his nose twitching, his beast’s attention diverted by his mate’s readiness to bond.
“Don’t worry about — Reisen!”
He spun, pivoting on his heels as the Vladiums surged forward in a synchronized attack. Reisen blazed them mercilessly with orange flames, releasing all of the fire and fury burning inside him.
Their skin blistered and popped. Their hair burned. The sweet aroma of charred flesh and vengeance filled Reisen’s nostrils.
The Vladiums screamed and flung their bodies backward, out of range. They rolled on the floor, dousing the flames, leaving patches of flesh on the metal tile.
“Mercy,” Jayla whispered, and the scent of her arousal increased.
“She belongs to me.” He snapped his teeth at the wounded Vladiums, his beast hungry for more fighting, his rational side giving them one more opportunity to concede defeat.
The Vladiums lunged to their feet, acting more like animals than humanoids, their eyes narrowed to slits, and their flesh hanging off their wide shoulders.
Inside Reisen, his drache paced with excitement, eager for the kill, viewing them as wounded prey.
“Our female.” The three half-dead males flew at him, sealing their fate.
Reisen swiped his deadly claws through flesh and sinew, cutting to the bone, the tang of blood filling the space and coloring his tips crimson.
The males staggered backward, clutching their chests with blood-soaked fingers, their eyes wide with disbelief. “Ours,” the largest male muttered, red dripping from his lips. They sank to their knees and fell face forward, one by one.
“My mate.” Reisen tilted his head back and roared his claim, his shoulders vibrating with the effort. His body pulsed with triumph, with need. He had fought for and won his mate, and now he would claim her.
He turned and met Jayla’s gaze, her unclothed form and open admiration pleasing his beast.
“Mercy,” Jayla repeated, staring at the magnificent naked male looming above her. Reisen’s eyes blazed with fire, flames flickering in the blackness of space. Blue scales covered firm muscle. Claws extended from his fingers. A lock of dark hair fell rakishly over his forehead.
The normally reserved, rigidly controlled bodyguard had shown her his wild side, acting more primitive and savage than her deadliest plants. He had protected her, killed for her, and that excited Jayla, thrilled her.
Buy Skies On Fire: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2027
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