Interviewed By Blakely Bennett
I’m being interviewed on Blakely Bennett’s online home!
http://www.blakelybennett.com/blakelys-friday-interview-with-cynthia-sax/
I did this interview in February.
Here is a snippet…
What advice do you have for writer’s just starting out?
The usual advice about reading until your eyeballs explode and writing every day is GOLD. I’d also encourage writers to write balls to the wall, all out, putting everything—your heart, your soul—into your writing. If you don’t cry when you read your writing, your readers likely won’t cry either. If you aren’t adding something different to Romanceland, why would readers buy your stories?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
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
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Fathers (Dads) In Romance
Sunday is Father’s Day in North America so I thought it would be a great excuse to talk about the dads making an appearance in my stories.
If I could only recommend one of my stories to read this Father’s Day, it would be Flashes Of Me. This is a romance first and foremost but the secondary storyline is the relationship between Kat and her beloved father. (If you don’t appreciate your dad now, you will appreciate him after this story.)
Kat idealizes her father. He’s her mentor, her anchor, and she quotes his wisdom often, using his insights to guide her decisions. This exchange between Kat and the hero Henley (‘the stranger’) is telling.
“I left the experience section of the application blank.” I chew on the inside of my cheek. “I helped my father, but I didn’t know if that counted as experience and I didn’t want to lie.” I lied about my last name. I didn’t want to lie about anything else. “My father always tells me business deals are built on trust and trust is built on truth.”
My stranger turns his head and meets my gaze, his forehead furrowed with thought lines. “Your father always tells you that?”
I nod.
There’s a long pause in our conversation, as though he’s giving my father’s words deep consideration. “He’s right,” my mystery man finally concedes, his voice gruff.
I beam at him, liking him even more for agreeing with my father.
I don’t know if Kat would have trusted Henley as much as she does if he had disagreed with her father. This is how strong the connection between Kat and her father is.
In Alien Tryst, Kane’s view of relationships and what a man should be is formed by his father. In this scene, we seen how close his parents are and how his father immediately volunteers to go first, protecting both his wife and his son.
“If your experiment works, Kane, our son.” His mother looked at his father. “Our only child will live.” His parents hugged each other close. Kane couldn’t remember them ever spending more than a day apart.
“I’ll be your next trial,” his father volunteered.
Kane follows his father’s example, putting himself at risk to save Eshe, the alien woman he loves. He also assumes that wherever she goes, he’ll go (or vice versa). He doesn’t expect to be a lone wolf. For him, a relationship means being together.
Sometimes a dad doesn’t have to make an appearance to influence a character. Bee’s dad in Sinful Rewards left her mom when he found out she was pregnant. This abandonment changes their lives forever, purging them into poverty, making her mom a pariah in her small town, and affecting Bee’s view of her self-worth.
Who are your favorite dads in romance?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
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
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The Future Of Blaine Technologies
My first five contemporary erotic romance releases (He Watches Me, He Touches Me, He Claims Me, Flashes Of Me, and Breaking All The Rules) were all set in Gabriel Blaine’s LA based company, Blaine Technologies.
There are many more interesting people living in this world and I’ve received some wonderful emails from reading buddies asking me if Michael or Miss Yen or other characters will receive stories also. Will we see Blaine and Anna again?
The answer is…
I don’t know.
Yeah, that’s a terrible answer, isn’t it? (sheepish grin)
I don’t have any immediate plans to write more stories set at Blaine Technologies. Sinful Rewards, my 12 novella serial releasing from Avon (the first story releases July 15th), is set in Chicago. I’ve already written the 8th story in this serial and Blaine hasn’t yet made an appearance.
This doesn’t mean he won’t show up. As my SciFi readers know, my worlds and series tend to collide (as they do in real life). I also have no control over my characters. If I tell a hero not to show up somewhere, that’s usually where he insists on going.
Blaine, being a billionaire, completes business all over the planet, including in Chicago. The world of the extremely wealthy is very small. Blaine definitely knows Nicolas, the billionaire in Sinful Rewards.
If there is an uber-wealthy function or event in Sinful Rewards, Blaine and Anna could be guests. (Man, oh, man, that would be awesome! I’d LOVE to listen to a conversation between Blaine and Nicolas.) But I can’t guarantee that there will be such an occasion.
I DO believe that lovers of the Blaine Technologies stories will enjoy Sinful Rewards.
Sinful Rewards 1
Cynthia Sax
Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.
Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.
But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.
Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390
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Back To Work For Kat
Kat, the heroine of Flashes Of Me, is in her twenties yet she’s never had a ‘real’ job. She has always worked for her father, assisting him with his business. She wasn’t paid for that work (she lived in the family home) so she doesn’t consider that role as being valid work experience. When she applies for a position at Blaine Technologies, she leaves the work experience section of her resume blank.
Kat is assigned to Miss Yen’s department (Miss Yen aka the Dragon lady appears in The Seen Trilogy – He Watches Me, He Touches Me, He Claims Me) and she’s given the lowliest task possible. Her responsibility is to shred highly confidential files, files Miss Yen can’t entrust to a shredding company. Kat doesn’t mind this brain numbing work. As she says “This isn’t my dream job but it’ll give me formal work experience and the next time I apply for a position, that section won’t be blank.” I admire Kat’s attitude.
As I admire my dear wonderful mom’s attitude. When my parents’ marriage broke up and my mom was left raising six kids on her own, she was forced to find her first ‘real’ job (as Kat would call it) outside the home. My mom was in her late forties, her university degree was in Latin, a dead language, and she had no connections.
She didn’t whine. She didn’t complain. She put on her big girl panties and applied for any job she was remotely qualified for. She went on her first interviews, competing for positions against teenagers. Her first boss was half her age. She was scared and tired but she did it. I was and still am extremely proud of her.
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 Back To Work For Kat
A New Start
January is the month many of us make a new start. We start new jobs, move to new cities, try a new exercise regimen, learn new skills. I often attend the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. I learn all about the emerging technologies, meet new people and try too many new buffets (grins).
Kat, the heroine of Flashes Of Me, desperately needs to make a new start. She travels from New York City to L.A., assumes a new identity (she uses her mother’s maiden name) and starts a new job (as an intern at Blaine Technologies).
As Kat shares…
***
No one in this coffee shop knows who I am. I stand in the line, waiting to place my order. They don’t know about my past. They don’t know my last name. I tap my lavender heels against the floor, drumming an up-tempo tune into the tan-colored tile. They won’t remind me why I shouldn’t be happy.
I need to be happy. I need to laugh, to have fun, to focus on this fresh start. If I don’t, I’ll cry and I promised my father I wouldn’t cry. I plaster a silly smile across my face and I tap my heels harder against the floor. These two actions lighten my mood, allowing me to cope with my emotions.
***
Kat can’t deal with her past so…she doesn’t. She leaves her past behind, pretending it never happened. Strangers don’t know her. They don’t know THE truth. They only know HER truth. She can be anyone she wants to be.
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 A New Start
Kat’s New Year’s Resolutions
Kat, the heroine from Flashes Of Me, wanted to share her New Year’s Resolutions for 2014.
1) I will stop flashing. Last year…errr…week, I flashed a man or two or four on the subway, a quick lift of my blouse as the train rushed past. I doubt they saw anything. This year, that number will be zero.
2) I will gain some job experience, real job experience with someone other than my father, so that section of my resume will no longer be blank.
3) I will be taken seriously. I can’t help it if I have blonde hair, big breasts, and impeccable taste in fashion. I have other things to contribute to the world. I don’t know what those other things are right now but I will find that out soon.
4) I will look for the positives in every situation. My father says they’re there. Over the last couple of months, they’ve been more challenging to find. This will change in 2014.
5) I will be happy…even if I have to move clear across the country to do this.
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 Kat’s New Year’s Resolutions
First Excerpt From Flashes Of Me (Adult Content)
Note: If you are under the age of 18 years old or are sensitive to adult language, please do not read this excerpt.
This is a first look at the first 1,000 words of Flashes Of Me. These words haven’t been edited so please forgive any typos (and all writers have typos).
Chapter One
No one in this coffee shop knows who I am. I stand in the line, waiting to place my order. They don’t know about my past. They don’t know my last name. I tap my lavender heels against the floor, drumming an up-tempo tune into the tan-colored tile. They won’t remind me why I shouldn’t be happy.
I need to be happy. I need to laugh, to have fun, to focus on this fresh start. If I don’t, I’ll cry and I promised my father I wouldn’t cry. I plaster a silly smile across my face and I tap my heels harder against the floor. These two actions lighten my mood, allowing me to cope with my emotions.
The bleary-eyed woman swaying in front of me yawns, adding vocals to my beat. For L.A. locals, it’s six in the morning. For a recently displaced New York native such as myself, it feels like nine o’clock. I’m eager to start my new job and my new life on the west coast.
I’m two hours early. The internship orientation session at Blaine Technologies is scheduled for eight o’clock sharp, not one minute before and not one minute after. Although caffeine is last thing I need, standing in line at this coffee shop gives me something to do and someone to watch.
I slide my gaze to the fascinating someone waiting at the front counter. The biggest man I’ve ever seen in my entire life looms over the cash register, his feet braced apart as though he’s preparing for battle. His ebony hair is cropped close to his head, hiding nothing, and he’s dressed completely in black like a villain from a 1970’s spy movie.
I survey my behemoth’s broad shoulders. It’s all him under his jacket, not a hint of padding disturbing the cut. His suit is bespoke, custom made especially for his big body, and I suspect the designer is English. My mystery man is wearing Barker Blacks, his leather shoes as large as the rest of him. Even his matching dress shirt is well made, the collar and cuffs stiff and crisp.
He glances over his right shoulder, meets my gaze, and I inhale sharply. His eyes are as dark as his ensemble, his nose flattened and his chin square. Everything about him screams power, strength, vitality, and the woman in me responds, my nipples tightening, pressing against the blazer of my favorite lavender suit.
My behemoth returns his gaze to the frazzled barista and I exhale, my head spinning. It has been years since I’ve allowed myself to notice a man, to think about what I want, what I need. My fingers tremble as I smooth my flared skirt. I want this stranger desperately, more than I’ve ever wanted anyone in my life.
This is a problem, as I have no idea how to snag his attention. My last date took place when I was seventeen and I suspect flashing my breasts at a pep rally won’t land me this sophisticated man. I chew on the inside of my cheek, having no other clever ideas.
I ponder my next steps, and my stranger moves away from the front counter, clasping a cup of coffee with his thick fingers. He ordered plain black coffee, no cream, no sugar, no whipped cream, and hell no to the chocolate sprinkles. My father likes his coffee the same way.
My mystery man stops at the lid and stir stick island and a stout man wearing mismatched jacket and pants rushes to the counter, barking his order at the disheveled barista. The rest of us shuffle forward in line. The tall skinny brunette behind me pleads into her sparkly pink phone, begging her boyfriend to give her one more chance. She’ll be the girl he needs, she promises. She’ll lose those last five pounds.
I don’t know where she’ll lose those five pounds. She’s already as thin as a yard of fine silk ribbon. I look down at my more ample bosom, my breasts wrapped snugly in the blazer.
“No, please.” The brunette sobs. “Derek! Derek!” She glances at her phone’s small screen and her face crumples. My heart aches for her. She doesn’t know how to hide her sorrow, not like I do. I can help her with this.
I touch the girl’s bare arm, diverting her attention away from her phone. “Who did your pedicure?” I feign an interest in her perfect pink toes. Although her beige sandals are adorably strappy, my goal is to distract her from her grief. “I have to know,” I insist.
The brunette wipes away her tears with the back of her hand. “I-I-I.”
I glance around us fervently as though I’m afraid someone will overhear us. The behemoth is watching me, his dark eyes glinting with intelligence. Some people think big men are dumb. Some people also think blonde women are stupid and no one should wear pink at a funeral. I learned long ago to ignore some people.
“Look at what happened to me on the flight here.” I slip my right foot out of my lavender pumps and I wiggle my big toe. A huge chip of coral polish has flaked off, revealing raw nail. “I rushed for a flight, banged into a baggage cart and that was it. My pedicure was ruined.”
The brunette’s red-rimmed eyes widen. “That’s terrible.”
“It’s a disaster.” I ignore the behemoth’s shaking shoulders. He doesn’t understand. My mystery man has the strength to deal with loss directly. He doesn’t need to pretend, to use trivial distractions as a means to cope. He would never travel across an entire country seeking to escape his sadness.
“I’m in a strange city,” I explain. “I have so many cute sandals and I can’t wear them.” I shove my foot back into my shoe, hiding the offending toe.
As we exchange information and bad salon stories, the behemoth leaves. I watch his broad shoulders disappear into the L.A. sunshine and I feel as though I’ve lost a piece of my soul, a part of my future.
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 First Excerpt From Flashes Of Me (Adult Content)
What Does Your Coffee Say About You?
Henley and Kat, the hero and heroine in Flashes Of Me, first meet in a coffee shop. Kat notices Henley’s order (He ordered plain black coffee, no cream, no sugar, no whipped cream, and hell no to the chocolate sprinkles.) and she makes some assumptions about his personality. Kat, in contrast, orders a “small coffee, two creams, three sugars, extra whipped cream, and hell yes to the chocolate sprinkles.”
So what does YOUR coffee say about you?
Plain black coffee: You’re a purist valuing efficiency. You don’t like any fuss, any complications. Give you the facts and only the facts and you’re happy.
Coffee with cream and sugar: You’re a comfort seeker and you like to make people happy. When you’re offered something, you take it. It might not be good for you but you’d rather harm yourself than make others unhappy.
Mocha: You like a little bit of everything. You flavor your life with a dash of this and a dash of that. You’d prefer to eat dessert first and live for today.
Latte: You’re classy. Simply saying the word latte makes you feel sophisticated. You’re carrying the latest purse, shopping at the hottest stores.
Iced Coffee: You’re playful and fun. Everyone wants you at their parties. You tell the craziest jokes and are the first person on the dance floor.
A grande cafe mocha, no sugar, no whipped cream, extra dry, with half skim, half full milk: You’re very sensitive and very particular. You tend to be a perfectionist. You’d rather drink nothing than drink the wrong thing.
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: Guest Post | Comments Off on What Does Your Coffee Say About You?
Avon Facebook Holiday Party
The Avon Holiday Party is on Friday!
There will be prizes, many, many, MANY prizes.
(Reading buddies know the issues I have with contests and only having one winner – grins)
There will also be laughter, VERY bad jokes, and some of the sexy-sexy.
I’m hosting from 4:30 to 5:00 pm EST.
Henley from Flashes Of Me has promised to show up. He’ll be working security, frisking rowdy guests with his big scarred hands (yum!).
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: Guest Post | Comments Off on Avon Facebook Holiday Party
