Madagascar, Zebus And Dowries
We saw many zebus as we were being driven around Madagascar. These big humped cows are a huge part of the locals’ culture.
Our awesome guide shared that a zebu was a big part of the traditional dowry (a gift from the groom to the bride’s family). But the zebu had to be female as they are good for milk and babies, in addition to meat, riding, farm work, etc. To give a male zebu was an insult.
If the bride’s family lived too far away to send the animal itself, the equivalent funds to buy a female zebu could often be sent.
The penalty in Madagascar for stealing a chicken was five years in prison. I don’t want to think about what the penalty for stealing a zebu would be!
Topics: Madagascar, Travel | Comments Off on Madagascar, Zebus And Dowries
Flamboyant Trees In Mauritius
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I were fortunate to visit Mauritius while the flamboyant trees were blooming. They traditionally bloom from November to January and WOW, their blooms are a bright, happy orange.
A driver called them New Year Trees, sharing that they signify luck for the new year. Another person called them Christmas Trees. The Mauritius Tourism Facebook account calls them “bouquet banané’ or flower of the year. By any name, they’re beautiful!
Topics: Mauritius, Travel | Comments Off on Flamboyant Trees In Mauritius
Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – January 19
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I stayed at the Maison Du Nord when we recently visited Mauritius. It was an absolutely delightful boutique hotel with amazing customer service and a wonderful buffet breakfast featuring crepes and local fruits.
And Maison Du Nord had its own resident guard cat! This extremely skilled hunter is shown here protecting the lobby. (grins)
As you likely guessed it, the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I have been traveling. We’re seeing the world while I figure out which writing projects to work on next.
These writing projects will be pitched to agents, publishers, or other entities so they likely won’t be published in the immediate future. Big wheels turn slowly and all that. (smiles)
Have a wonderful week, my friends. (big hugs) Do some traveling of your own – whether this is around the world or into the next neighborhood. There are so many delightful and interesting places all around us, alcoves we haven’t yet explored. Get out there and sightsee!
***
Claiming Cure
A proud cyborg medic meets his human match.
***
Cyra has tasks to complete before she dies.
There are patients to heal, a dangerous mission to undertake, and a world to save. She doesn’t have time to entertain uninvited guests.
Especially one coldhearted cyborg medic who thinks he’s better than her.
The male might be breathtakingly handsome. His sternly set lips might be extremely kissable. And his touch might draw out a passion she didn’t think she was capable of feeling.
But he’s also a distraction, one that might doom millions of innocent beings to a painful, horrible death.
Cure isn’t emotionless. He feels…greatly. Listening to that malfunction has caused other beings pain and suffering in the past.
He refuses to allow his desires to cloud his judgment now.
His resolve is tested when he’s forced to associate with the most provoking, alluring medic in the universe.
Cyra is his genetic match, the one being in the universe he is fated to protect, touch, claim. She’s clever and beautiful, and the need to hold her almost downs his systems.
But now is not the time to indulge his great wanting.
Cure has an assignment to complete.
If he fails to accomplish his goals, everyone he cares for, including his human female, will die.
***
Claiming Cure is a standalone Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features two skilled medics determined to ignore the toe-curling attraction between them, a perilous impossible mission, and foes seeking to ensure they never heal another being ever again.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/Claiming-Cure-Dauntless-Cyborgs-Book-ebook/dp/B0D26MWGKC
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Claiming-Cure-Dauntless-Cyborgs-Book-ebook/dp/B0D26MWGKC
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Claiming-Cure-Dauntless-Cyborgs-Book-ebook/dp/B0D26MWGKC
Amazon Canada:
https://www.amazon.ca/Claiming-Cure-Dauntless-Cyborgs-Book-ebook/dp/B0D26MWGKC
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/claiming-cure/id6499055867
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/claiming-cure-cynthia-sax/1145464760
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/claiming-cure
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/1553992
Topics: Cynthia Sax Weekly Update | Comments Off on Cynthia Sax Weekly Update – January 19
Muse Food – Travelers
Many beings in my Cyborg Romances are undergoing huge shifts in their lifespans. Often, they are not only undergoing emotional changes but they are also undergoing changes in physical location. They are relocating. They are escaping from a planet under siege or searching the universe for a place where they belong or leaving their birth planets for some other reason.
Sometimes when I’m looking for inspiration for these stories, I trek to an airport or bus terminal or pier, places where people are constantly arriving and departing.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I spotted this monument in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and we had a good chuckle. It is supposed to depict the hardship of immigrants having to leave their families temporarily behind as they search for new homes. But the guy looks so dang eager to leave. (grins) He’s outta there!
This sculpture was situated near the first one. This man isn’t trying to hide his glee. (grins)
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Grin And Bare Him
This cyborg will be the warrior his female requires.
Cyborgs are designed to fight. That is their primary purpose and 98.2356 percent of the manufactured warriors enjoy battle. Tremendously.
Grin, a K model, is one of the rare exceptions. When he escaped his cruel creators, he set down his sword and allocated his processors to less violent pursuits. He projects he’s left his war-waging planet rotations behind him forever.
Then he meets his beautiful, beguiling female, the one being he’s destined to protect, to claim, to love for all eternity, and his plans for peace are completely decimated.
Mohini needs a ship.
She has a dangerous mission to complete and the first step in that assignment is arranging transport to an enemy-controlled planet. The vessel she has set her sights on is guarded by the sexiest cyborg she’s ever seen.
To gain access to his ship, Mohini is prepared to kiss, caress, seduce the muscular male. The mission is her focus. The pleasure she experiences will merely be a bonus.
A female has to do what a female has to do to save the universe.
Grin And Bare Him is a Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a humanoid female undertaking a dangerous mission, a cyborg intent on keeping her alive, and an enemy with enough firepower to blow up an entire sector.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ZCWMSDV
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09ZCWMSDV
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B09ZCWMSDV
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/grin-and-bare-him/id1622100495
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grin-and-bare-him-cynthia-sax/1141413965
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/grin-and-bare-him
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1145153
Topics: Muse Food | Comments Off on Muse Food – Travelers
Writers On Vacation
Recently, the dear wonderful hubby and I went on a (super cheap) cruise from Florida. One of the stops was the Dominican Republic. The cruise terminal was situated miles away from anywhere. We needed to take a taxi to town. To save money, we partnered with another couple.
We usually travel on the cheap, hiring a driver if that’s necessary (more often, we take public transportation or we hoof it) and that’s it. The wife of this couple, however, really wanted the history spiel. This was her first big trip and she wanted to know everything about the place.
She talked us into hiring a ‘guide’. This guide assured us that he knew his history and he could speak English well. We piled into the taxi and took off.
It turned out… he could only speak enough English to convince us that he knew the language. He had memorized short speeches about the big sites. His answer to every question was ‘Yes. Yes.’
The wife was disappointed. She became more and more upset, arguing with our ‘guide’. The dear wonderful hubby and I could tell that this blunder was wrecking her day, coloring her view of an otherwise wonderful country.
So we started peppering our so-called guide with ridiculous questions.
“Is it true that General Luperon died fighting the vampirous, ferocious blood drinking invaders from a nearby island?”
“Yes. Yes.” The guide bobbed his head.
“I read that today is take your chicken to work day.”
“Yes. Yes.” The guide nodded.
“I understand that depression in trees is common here, that they have tree doctors who try to lift their spirits.”
“Yes. Yes.”
Soon, the wife was smiling, laughing, joining in, asking equally ridiculous questions. At the end of the day, the husband said it was the most fun he’d ever had on a tour. We had an absolute blast.
Never question that reading and creativity is valuable. It can change a ‘disastrous’ day into one of the best ever.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Crash And Burn
Crash was manufactured to be one of the best warriors in the universe. The cyborg has spent many human lifespans fighting the enemy. But, unlike his battle-loving brethren, he doesn’t enjoy killing. When he escapes the Humanoid Alliance, he vows to never end another life.
Then he meets Safyre, an infuriating human female, and he considers breaking his vow.
Safyre will do anything to save her friend, the being she loves like a sister. She’ll ravish a huge hunky cyborg, kiss his best friend, and invoke scorching hot desires the male never realized he could feel. Dark soulful eyes, a quick wit, and a tempestuous passion won’t divert her from her mission.
Love, and a planet-destroying weapon, however, might stop her permanently.
Pre-order Now:
On Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Crash-Burn-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B019EBKIF2
On Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crash-Burn-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook-x/dp/B019EBKIF2/
On ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-crashandburn-1950244-147.html
On B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crash-and-burn-cynthia-sax/1123141101
On Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/crash-and-burn-13
Other booksellers coming soon!
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Writers On Vacation
Which Toys Did Your Characters Play With?
One of my joys during the holiday season is buying toys for our local toy drive. The dear wonderful hubby and I weren’t blessed with children but we were both children once. Shopping for toys brings back memories of our own childhoods.
My characters also had childhoods and favorite toys. Some of them you might expect. Some of them might surprise you.
Belinda from Sinful Rewards
Belinda’s favorite childhood toy won’t be a surprise to any Sinful Rewards reader. This fashionista was (and still is) a Barbie lover. Her hard working single mom scoured yard sales for second hand Barbies and clothing, especially keeping an eye out for designer fashions (one of her finest finds was this Badgley Mischka Bride Barbie Doll – the dress was a little smudged but Bee was able to clean it).
Nicolas from Sinful Rewards
Nicolas’s favorite childhood toy is also not a surprise. This real estate billionaire played Monopoly every chance he could, learning skills he’d eventually use to build his empire. He preferred to be the banker and he considered the rules to be guidelines. He spent a bit of time in jail and he didn’t like it. He also didn’t understand why a low rent property had to stay low rent, especially if he owned all of the properties around it.
Hawke from Sinful Rewards
I expected Hawke, our former Marine, to be a G.I. Joe type of kid. Bee actually calls him G.I. Joe during one of their arguments.
But nope, Hawke spent his childhood outside, trekking around the orchard with his best friend Rock. He was an active boy and a bit of a terror. His favorite gift was a slingshot. He would use rotten apples as targets, challenging Rock to best him.
Writing buddies, which toys did your characters play with? Reading buddies, which toys did you play with when you were a child?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Nicolas Rainer, Chicago’s most sought-after billionaire bachelor, has finally decided what he wants, and that’s Bee Carter in his arms, forever. He shows up unannounced on her doorstep and kisses her until her toes curl and her body burns.
Nicolas wasn’t the sexy man Bee expected to see this morning. Hawke Masters, her tattooed former marine, is riding his customized chopper toward the condo building, anticipating an equally mind-meltingly erotic encounter.
Both men want her with a thrilling intensity. Neither her billionaire nor her biker wishes to share her affections. Is today the day Bee is forced to choose?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00IMHU7FG
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards5-1663924-237.html
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-5
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-5-cynthia-sax/1119919838
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_5?id=nFaYAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-5/id828414457
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Which Toys Did Your Characters Play With?
Sinful Rewards 5-Ordering Dinner In Another Language
The dear wonderful hubby and I travel quite a bit. We often don’t know more than a couple of courtesy words in the local language, which makes ordering food an adventure. We’ll point at something another patron is having. Once my hubby mooed to tell the waiter he wanted beef. (grins) I’ve clucked to indicate chicken. Sometimes we simply choose things at random. Many times we have no idea what we’re eating.
Bee, the heroine of Sinful Rewards, had a similar adventure when she had a lunch at a French restaurant.
Here’s a bit of the scene
The waiter returns, the hoity-toity bastard addressing me in French, knowing I don’t understand a word he says. I read his face. He gazes at me as my mom gazes at the customers she serves, waiting for their orders.
I glance down at the menu, having no idea what it says. He looks at me expectantly and I’m too damn proud to admit I don’t know a word of French. “I’d like this.” I point to a menu line.
The waiter sniffs. “Mademoiselle, that states that vegetarian options are available upon request.” He says nothing more, not helping me at all.
I point at another line. This seems to make him happy as he rattles off more French words. Then he waits. Again.
Oh, God. What does he want? I gaze at Lona. She’s cuddling with Jacques, in her own happy-little-couple world. I glance at Francois.
He sighs, shaking his head. “You don’t know a word of French, do you?”
“This is America.” I lift my chin. “I shouldn’t need to know French.”
“I’m American and I know French.” Francois changes languages as easily as I change outfits, talking with the waiter.
Have you ever had adventures in ordering food in another country or language?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Nicolas Rainer, Chicago’s most sought-after billionaire bachelor, has finally decided what he wants, and that’s Bee Carter in his arms, forever. He shows up unannounced on her doorstep and kisses her until her toes curl and her body burns.
Nicolas wasn’t the sexy man Bee expected to see this morning. Hawke Masters, her tattooed former marine, is riding his customized chopper toward the condo building, anticipating an equally mind-meltingly erotic encounter.
Both men want her with a thrilling intensity. Neither her billionaire nor her biker wishes to share her affections. Is today the day Bee is forced to choose?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-Billionaires-Bikers-Novella-ebook/dp/B00IMHU7FG
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards5-1663924-237.html
Avon: http://www.avonromance.com/book/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-5
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-5-cynthia-sax/1119919838
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_5?id=nFaYAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-5/id828414457
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Sinful Rewards 5-Ordering Dinner In Another Language
