May The Fourth Be With You
Today is Star Wars Day, one of my favorite days of the year!
I love the ever-expanding Star Wars world. I also love the Star Trek world. I see no issues with loving both. They are different worlds and focus on different things and I think that’s awesome.
The Mos Eisley cantina scene in the very first Star Wars movie has always been an inspirational scene for me. I strive to, someday, write a scene similar to it except I would like reading buddies to already know the background of every participant in that scene. That would require writing numerous stories featuring a variety of aliens and cyborgs and other types of species.
That will take decades but I hope to do it!
When the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I visited the Yoda Guy exhibit in St Maarten a few years ago, Nick Maley, the man who helped craft Yoda for Empire Strikes Back, was sculpting a Yoda head. I thought that was so fraggin’ awesome.
What is your favorite Star Wars memory?
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Under Strain
A damaged cyborg warrior is hunted by a peace-loving human female.
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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.
Pre-order 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: Guest Post | Comments Off on May The Fourth Be With You
Interview With Michelle M. Pillow
I sat down (virtually) with Michelle M. Pillow for a short interview. Michelle M. Pillow’s most recent release is His Earth Maiden: A Qurilixen World Novel. The hero is a space pirate. Yum!
Cynthia Sax: I LOVE your sexy heroes. What makes them so freakin’ hot?
Michelle M. Pillow: Confidence and loyalty. My sci-fi heroes tend to have alpha male qualities, but also a kind of innocence when it comes to dealing emotionally with women. (The sexy part they have down.)
Cynthia Sax: They certainly do have the sexy part down! Where did you get the idea for your Space Lords series?
Michelle M. Pillow: The Space Lords series is a series installment in the sci-fi romance Qurilixen World collection. It came naturally as the characters from previous series began leaving their planet for the high skies.
The Qurilixen World is an extensive collection of science fiction and futuristic romance novels that started nearly 15 years ago with the original Dragon Lords series and has since grown into a massive collection with 34 books within 7 series installments and growing. Each book in each series is a standalone story. The Space Lords are interconnected with the other series, as well as set in the same universe.
The book titles (His Frost Maiden, His Fire Maiden, His Metal Maiden, His Earth Maiden – Woodland is next) refer to a curse the crew received when the pilot insulted an ancestral spirit on a planet they were visiting. Each book is an element of the curse.
Cynthia Sax: That’s super cool! What genres do you write in? Are there any that you’ve yet to try but want to?
Michelle M. Pillow: As an author, I love being able to move around to different genres and I’m so lucky to have awesome fans who happily hop around with me. So far I’ve done Science Fiction, Futuristic, Paranormal, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Contemporary, Historical, Chick Lit, and Cozy Mystery. I would love to do a thriller or horror novel someday. I also want to publish a photography book.
Cynthia Sax: Wow. You do it all! That’s awesome. Do you have any advice for new writers?
Michelle M. Pillow: The best advice I have that is worth anything, is to do your research. Research everything—your book, marketing, promo, your genre—and think about the long-term goals, not just instant career gratification. That’s what separates career authors from hobbyists. Writing as a hobby is fine, if that’s what you want to do. If you want to be a professional, you just have to spend the time and study up. There is no magic formula or secret handshake. I so wish there was. (Well, there is coffee. That’s kind of magical.) You just have to put in the hours and do the work. Knowledge really is power.
Cynthia Sax: That is so true! Thank you for joining us today, Michelle M. Pillow!
Michelle M. Pillow’s Website: https://michellepillow.com/
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Former elite Federation soldier, now turned space pirate, Jackson Burke has done his best to turn his life around—for the better. He isn’t prepared when fate leaves a woman’s safety totally in his hands. Since heroes don’t leave a damsel in distress—and despite being outlaw pirates, the crew considers themselves the good guys—Jackson assumes responsibility for the beauty. It’s enough that his ship is held together by rust and sheer will, now he’s got to keep this good guy thing straight and not give into the urges the sassy female brings out in him. Raisa is everything a man could want and for some reason she seems to like him, rough edges and all, but he’s on the Federation’s wanted list and they aren’t known to back down.
Buy Now:
On Author’s Website: https://michellepillow.com/book/his-earth-maiden/
On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BRC1CTX/
On Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-earth-maiden-michelle-m-pillow/1128306556
On iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/his-earth-maiden/id1364701541?mt=11%3Fmt%3D11
On Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/his-earth-maiden
Topics: Author Interviews | 1 Comment »
Interview With Elizabeth A. Schechter
I sat down (virtually) with Elizabeth A. Schechter for a short interview. Elizabeth A. Schechter’s latest release is Haven’s Fall, a Fantasy Romance featuring asexual characters.
Cynthia Sax: Why are you excited about Haven’s Fall?
Elizabeth A. Schechter: What I find exciting is that there don’t appear to be many people writing romances with asexual main characters. I checked Goodreads, and I found a list of romance novels with asexual MCs. 57 books, counting my own Counsel of the Wicked and Haven’s Fall. That’s not enough. There need to be more books with asexual characters. There need to be more romances with asexual characters, if only to dispel the misconception that asexuals either can’t or don’t experience romantic love!
It’s important to be able to find yourself inside the pages of a book. It’s important to be able to relate to characters, and to know that other people are seeing this character, and might just be able to understand you a little better. My biggest worry as a writer is whether or not I’m portraying a character properly and respectfully, because if I’m not, then I have work to do to fix it.
Cynthia Sax: So true. (nods) Where did you get the idea for Haven’s Fall?
Elizabeth A. Schechter: You know how places can be characters in a book? In the case of the Rebel Mage series, a place inspired the whole thing. I was in North Carolina, helping my sister out while she had the flu. Part of this involved taking her daughters to church. Since this was in December, that meant going to and from Sunday Mass, then to and from the rehearsals for the Christmas show, and finally to and from Faith Formation. Three trips, six times driving past the Stonewall Jackson School for Boys, a historic site located north of Charlotte. I looked it up, because I was curious, and I found out it was a reform school, and that it had a really lurid history of abusive behavior toward the boys. That history, combined with the last trip through the rain and fog, where all I could see from the road was the octagonal stone gazebo, created The School. Then Matthias walked out of the fog.
Cynthia Sax: What advice would you give new writers?
Elizabeth A. Schechter: It’s kind of cliché, but the one piece of advice that I have given writers, and that I will continue to give to new writers, is to keep writing. To not worry about how badly their first draft sucks, because first drafts are supposed to suck. That’s why they’re first drafts. It’s what you do with that draft that is important.
Cynthia Sax: That’s awesome advice. My first drafts are always challenged.
What do you love about writing Fantasy?
Elizabeth A. Schechter: The possibilities. When you write fantasy and science fiction, there are no limits. You can do anything. I’ve written about shapeshifting demigods and intelligent machines (more than once!). There have been trickster gods and BDSM vampires, BDSM super predator-warriors and gods trapped in human form. There’s about to be a blind mage, and then there’s the dystopian world of the Rebel Mage series, with its theocratic despots and the young asexual mage who everyone wants to either co-opt or kill. And eventually, there will be steampunk on the high seas, there will be more BDSM vampires, and there will be anything else I can dream up.
I have the best life— I get to drink coffee and make stuff up. Can’t get any better than that!
Cynthia Sax: Thank you for joining us today, Elizabeth A. Schechter!
Elizabeth A. Schechter’s Website: http://www.elizabethschechterwrites.com
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Haven had been their goal since escaping the destruction of the School. Haven had promised safety, rest, an end to running and death. But things had gone badly wrong in the mountains. Tam and Linnea had to leave Matthias and Solomon behind to face the Elders, hoping to return for them once they’d found Haven. The reality does not live up to the promise. Isolated and dying, Haven fears outsiders almost more than it needs new blood. With only the griffon Dancer and the human healer Ilane for allies, Tam and Linnea fear that Haven’s rulers will prevent them from going back for their friends—then fire rains down from the sky, and things became so much worse for everyone.
Buy Now:
On Fantastic Fiction Publishing: http://www.fantasticfictionpublishing.com/product/havens-fall
Topics: Author Interviews | 1 Comment »
Interview With Alison Aimes
I sat down (virtually) with Alison Aimes for a short interview. Her latest release is Trapped: A SciFi Convict Romance (Book One in the Condemned Series)!
Cynthia Sax: What is one thing that excites you, as the writer, about Trapped?
Alison Aimes: I love the raw passion of the story, the heroine’s strength and determination and the hero’s courage and willingness to do whatever it takes to keep the heroine alive. I had so much fun, too, wondering ‘what if?’ with this particular scenario…. What if a woman crashed on a hostile planet? What if that planet was filled with ruthless criminals? What if her only hope for survival was one of the convicts, a hardened man with a questionable past? What would she be willing to do to save herself? What would he be prepared to take? The answers ended up being action-packed and scorching hot. Especially as all those ‘what ifs’ led to a story that begins with a transactional deal for sex in return for protection and a scenario where the hero holds more of the power and control. But exploring how that changes—how a prisoner who’s become more animalistic than man rediscovers his humanity and a woman finds her soul mate on the unlikeliest of places—was pure joy to write.
Cynthia Sax: How does Trapped start?
Alison Aimes: TRAPPED starts on the spacecraft carrying Cadet Bella West and her colleagues to Dragath25. Tensions are running high. The team of scientists and soldiers are nervous and excited about the assignment, a quick search and acquire mission on a part of the planet far from the criminal barracks. Hopes are running high that theirs will finally be the mission to discover the kind of plants that can survive on an Earth that has already lost billions to blight and famine. Until something goes wrong. And the shuttle drops. Leaving Bella and a few injured survivors stranded on a dangerous planet with no food or water, no knowledge of the terrain, and no way to defend themselves against the vicious gangs of roving convicts who control the planet.
The scene provides a sense of Bella’s strength and determination, the stakes for her in joining the mission, and the sheer impossibility of keeping her team alive without some kind of help. Help she finds in an unlikely source: one of Dragath’s own.
Cynthia Sax: Where is Trapped set?
Alison Aimes: Well, as I’ve mentioned above, my story is set on Dragath25, a harsh environment filled with violent criminals, hungry predators and endless rust-colored rock. Yeah, I know. That doesn’t sound too sexy, but it’s that ruthless environment that brings the hero and heroine together. And what’s more? There are secret caves on Dragath25, tiny oases drenched in lush, colorful plants and warm turquoise springs. Fragile places made all the more romantic in contrast to the harshness elsewhere. Want a peek inside one of those caves? Here’s what’s happening in one of those secret caves the first time the hero and heroine are together after they make their deal….
A splash sounded. Powerful ripples washed against her back like a surging tide. He was coming for her.
She whirled and discovered small bubbles on the surface of the water. An inky cloud of red and brown streamed in all directions followed by foamy white. Then a dark head broke the surface and he was standing before her, waist high in the water, a mud man no more.
Her mouth opened on a tiny o.
Without the dirt, dark, thick hair, shorn close to his scalp, was now visible. Along with olive skin, a wide forehead, low brows, firm lips, and a square jaw. Tiny droplets left his long lashes spikey while rivulets of water tracked over chiseled cheekbones down his sculpted chest and abdomen to a small trail of dark hair that snaked from his belly button to disappear into the water. Scars of various length and width tracked across miles of pure, hard muscle.
My God, mud man was a flesh and blood man—an incredibly masculine one. If she’d met him at the Academy or the barracks on Earth, she would have been unable to stop staring. He was that beautiful.
Then his hand shot out and her daze shattered.
With a hiss, she stumbled back.
One dark eyebrow rose. “Here.”
She looked down to see a small white bar in his hand.
“It’s soap.” His tone was brusque. “The drones dump trash from Earth. Use it.”
“Thank you.” It took all her courage to reach out and take the bar from his hand. “I—I’ve never used it before. The Academy only allows lasers for cleaning. The use of water was banned a long time ago.” She stopped short.
Of course, he knew that. He wasn’t from some distant galaxy. He was from Earth. He just wasn’t welcome there anymore.
His lips flat lined. “I’ve been here a while, but not as long as that.”
Was that a joke? His expression offered no clue.
“Of course.” Hands shaking, she took the soap and rubbed it against her arm. The blood stayed put. She rubbed harder.
She hadn’t expected this…this talking. Or the kindness of a bath—with soap. It was confusing.
“You need the water to make it work.” Rough hands reached out and took the soap, dunking it under the water, making that same foamy circle she’d seen before.
“Turn around.” His voice had gone husky again.
That overworked heart of hers started up double time once again. Her feet remained planted where they were.
He waited for longer than she would have expected before he spoke again, his jaw locked tight. “Anything?” It was a reminder. A reproach. A challenge.
And her last chance to change her mind.
Her eyes sunk shut. I can do this. I need to do this.
She whirled around, bracing for a grab. A strike. But the deliberate slow glide of a calloused fingertip down the bumps of her spine slammed through her with more force than any blow.
Cynthia Sax: Is Trapped part of a series and will you be writing more stories in this series?
Alison Aimes: Yes! It’s a series and I’m super excited about book two, TAKEN. I’m writing it now. It takes place in the depths of Dragath25 where it’s hot, hot, hot! The story reveals what happens to Cadet Ava Davies who vanishes without a trace in TRAPPED.
Here’s the current blurb…. All Cadet Ana Davies wanted after escaping Earth was to discover what happened to her sister and atone for the sins of her past. Now she’s captive within a labor camp deep within Dragath25’s core, a sweltering maze of caves overrun by brutal prisoners-turned-slaves. Her only hope for survival? A man from her past with his own reasons for wanting her dead.
Two years ago, ex-soldier Hunter Valdus lusted after a woman who betrayed him, landing him in a hell he and his men have been struggling to survive ever since. Now she’s landed back in his clutches. Better still, she just might be the key to his crew’s escape and his redemption. And all he has to do is keep her alive and at a distance until he can use her for his own dark purposes.
But raw, blood-pounding need is a potent force. Forgiveness and love even stronger. And even the best-laid plans can be laid to waste, especially on Dragath25.
After that, I’ve got plans—big plans—for Book 3 and 4. I can’t wait!!!
Cynthia Sax: Thank you, Alison Aimes, for joining us today!
Alison Aimes’s Website: http://www.alisonaimes.com
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Recently Awarded Top Reader Pick by Night Owl Review….
A tale of unbridled desire, stunning sacrifice, and unwavering love, Trapped is an action-packed, sexy sci-fi romance that takes you to the brink of oblivion on a prison planet where only the strong survive….
Cadet Bella West has one simple objective when she joins the scientific mission to Dragath25, the notorious penal planet housing Earth’s condemned. Earn the credits necessary to save her family from starvation. But when her shuttle crashes and the majority of her crew perish, her simple mission becomes complicated fast. Now, to stay alive she’ll have to depend on one of Dragath’s own. But such protection doesn’t come free.
Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, 673 has become more beast than man after eight grueling years on an unforgiving, hazardous planet of dirt and rock—and even more treacherous inhabitants. He doesn’t look out for anyone but himself and he certainly never grows attached. So when the bold female offers him pleasure in return for protection, he takes the deal without hesitation. He never expects how her touch will alter him. Or the growing realization that saving her may be the key to his own salvation.
But as dangers mount and their ‘simple’ deal unravels will he prove to be her surprise savior or her ultimate downfall? Because caring for someone on Dragath25 may prove the greatest hazard of all.
The first book in the Condemned Series, Trapped has a HEA and can be read as a stand-alone.
Buy Now:
On Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Qex8hU
Topics: Author Interviews | 3 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
Topics: Awards | Comments Off on Dragon Lord’s Destiny Nominated For LRC’s Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy books of 2013
Cover Reveal For Wylie Snow’s Jump Zone: Cleo Falls
Today is cover reveal day for Wylie Snow’s Jump Zone: Cleo Falls, the first story in a wonderful new fantasy series (non-erotic). I had a sneak preview of this story and it ROCKS!
All Cleo wants, all she’s ever wanted, is the acceptance of her tribe and the love of her family… and she almost dies trying to earn it. But the man who saved her, who found beauty in her flaws and loved her without condition, has cruelly betrayed her, and she’s dying all over again.
Was it all lies? His words, his promises, his kisses? Lost in unfamiliar territory, Cleo will fight the forces that conspire to destroy her homeland, even if she has to do it alone.
Libra longs for freedom—from prison, from pretense, and from his birthright… but he’s caught in a political game where only greed and power can win, and Cleo Rush is the pawn. How much is he willing to sacrifice for liberty? His morals, his principles, the woman he loves? No matter which path he chooses, people will die, their blood on his hands. And it could be hers.
To save themselves and their world, Cleo and Libra must overcome the double tragedy that binds their families in hatred. Together, they might live. Apart, Cleo will fall.
JUMP ZONE
CLEO FALLS
9/9/13
Add to my Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17619268-jump-zone
Topics: Cover Reveal | Comments Off on Cover Reveal For Wylie Snow’s Jump Zone: Cleo Falls
