Muse Food – Birds And Beings In The Sky
One of the (many) things I’m very conscious of when I write stories set on alien planets is…
There would be activity in the sky also.
Look at the Earth. There is SO much livable sky above us. And birds and butterflies and other lifeforms take advantage of that space.
These birds were spotted off a beach in Florida, USA.
And here is one of their buddies. (grins)
The space above an alien planet would likely be utilized also. If the planet was rich in resources, the skies would likely be quite crowded with lifeforms.
***
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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.
Buy 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 – Birds And Beings In The Sky
Muse Food – Chess And Other Strategy Games
Battle scenes and love scenes are very similar. They are often constructed with an action, followed by a physical reaction and usually an emotional reaction.
Something like…
He strokes her chest. She arches her back. Desire sweeps through her.
or
She swings her sword. He blocks the blow. Excitement courses through his circuits.
It reminds me of a game of chess. There’s a move. Then there’s a countermove.
When I’m stuck in a scene, I often jot down a random action and then I think how the other beings in that scene would react to it. That often gets my creativity flowing.
***
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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 – Chess And Other Strategy Games
Muse Food – Ship Figureheads
The cyborgs tend to be very practical beings. They value functionality over almost everything else.
Which is why their ships don’t have many decorative features. Plain vessels are easier to clean and repair.
But I can envision humans and humanoids flying more decorative ships.
Perhaps their vessels sport figureheads similar to the ones the Dear Wonderful Hubby and I spotted in the Dockyard Museum in Antigua.
According to the sign, “Despite being viewed as unlucky aboard ship, women were viewed as the best navigators, and the eyes of a female figurehead were thought to be able to find a way through the seas when lost.”
***
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Provoking Odium
A Beautiful Cyborg
While accompanying his leader on a mission, Odium, an E Model cyborg, hears a distress call over the communication lines. The voice on that message makes his circuits surge with energy and all his systems light up. He has to respond to the mysterious female, would risk his lifespan and the lifespans of everyone on board their ship to protect her.
A Human Female Others Call Beast
Briella gained her nickname due to her flying abilities, her fearlessness, and her scarred countenance. Her verbal-only relationship with the sexy cyborg who answers her distress call is a steamy yet short-lived fantasy. His kind is physically perfect, and she is…not. He will uncover that truth when…if they survive the attack upon her freighter.
Provoking Odium is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a human female intent on remaining mysterious, a cyborg warrior determined to uncover her identity, and an enemy seeking to destroy them both before they have the opportunity to meet.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/provoking-odium/id1605490349
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/provoking-odium-cynthia-sax/1140894003
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/provoking-odium
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1127119
Topics: Muse Food | Comments Off on Muse Food – Ship Figureheads
Muse Food – Making The Turn
I can envision a spaceship chase along this river’s path. When they make this turn, the tips of their vessels skim against the rock, leaving grooves, setting off sparks.
Maybe the enemy doesn’t slow and they crash into the wall of stone. The debris floats down the river to be picked up by metal salvagers.
The locals watch and shake their heads. “Humans,” they mutter. “Always in a rush.”
***
Subscribe To My Newsletter: http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Provoking Odium
A Beautiful Cyborg
While accompanying his leader on a mission, Odium, an E Model cyborg, hears a distress call over the communication lines. The voice on that message makes his circuits surge with energy and all his systems light up. He has to respond to the mysterious female, would risk his lifespan and the lifespans of everyone on board their ship to protect her.
A Human Female Others Call Beast
Briella gained her nickname due to her flying abilities, her fearlessness, and her scarred countenance. Her verbal-only relationship with the sexy cyborg who answers her distress call is a steamy yet short-lived fantasy. His kind is physically perfect, and she is…not. He will uncover that truth when…if they survive the attack upon her freighter.
Provoking Odium is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a human female intent on remaining mysterious, a cyborg warrior determined to uncover her identity, and an enemy seeking to destroy them both before they have the opportunity to meet.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B09NRXGLFW
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/provoking-odium/id1605490349
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/provoking-odium-cynthia-sax/1140894003
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/provoking-odium
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1127119
Topics: Muse Food | Comments Off on Muse Food – Making The Turn
Why Writers Write Under Pen Names
Every so often, someone writing under a pen name does something horrific. They betray a reader’s trust or they try to scam the system or they do something else not-very-nice.
Following this type of revelation, there is often a call for banning pen names. The people leading this call are usually either uninformed about the writing business or they are people readers should think twice about trusting.
Why do I say this?
Because many professional writers use pen names.
Stephen King has used multiple pen names (Richard Bachman, John Swithen and Beryl Evans are known pen names of his). Jayne Ann Krentz officially uses THREE pen names at the present ( Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle). Nora Robert is also J.D. Robb, Jill March and Sarah Hardesty.
Cynthia Sax is a pen name. That is unlikely to shock anyone. I’ve been open about that, likely TOO open about it. (grins) I’m certain some of my buddies are tired of hearing that information.
It is easier to list the few professional writers who HAVEN’T used pen names rather than list the writers who do use pen names.
Why Do Writers Use Pen Names?
There are a gazillion reasons why writers use pen names.
They might want to signal that they write in a certain niche or they are writing in a different niche than the one they normally write in. Jayne Ann Krentz writes Romantic Suspense. Amanda Quick writes historicals, for example.
They might write so many books; a publisher can’t handle their output. That’s one of the (many) reasons Nora Roberts publishes her romantic suspense novels under J.D. Robb.
They might not want one of their readerships to find certain books. A great example would be a writer who writes both steamy romances and children’s books. She wouldn’t want her kiddie readers to find those very adult books.
In my case, I don’t want the friends and family of my very religious and extremely Awesome Mom-In-Law to find my steamy romances. She has been wonderful, supports me so much, and I would never want my writing to hurt her in any way. (We have to protect the ones we love, don’t we?)
I know some writers who are hiding from exes and other bad people. They feel safer writing under pen names.
Maybe the writer’s books under one pen name didn’t sell well and publishers are nervous to take a chance on her next absolutely awesome novel. A new pen name gives this wonderful book and this gifted writer a fresh start.
The writer’s real name could be long or complex or she might not like it very much. Or she might want to honor a loved one by using a part of that loved one’s name.
Maybe it is easier for her to write truthfully, with full emotion, if she feels no one knows those are her emotions on the page or if she pretends she’s a separate person.
Maybe it is easier for her to tackle criticism of her work if it is published under a pen name. The editor or reviewer isn’t criticizing HER. It is her author persona that is being criticized.
Maybe the writer uses a pen name because it is safer for her. Writers, especially female writers, receive some ‘interesting’ messages. Some of these can be quite scary. We’re talking go-to-the-police-right-away levels of terrifying. A pen name makes a writer a little bit more difficult to track down.
Some writers use pen names because…hey, they’re fun to use. We feel like superheroes with our secret identities. (grins)
There are many, many more reasons, too many to list here.
Would Eliminating Pen Names Eliminate Bad Behavior?
Short answer – No.
Bad people are bad people. They don’t play by the rules so creating a new rule around pen names is unlikely to stop them. And it WILL inconvenience a lot of good people, honest people, people who would never betray their readers’ trust.
Also, unless the writer shares the information or the pen name is clearly a pen name (a name like Man Titty, as an example – grins), we don’t know who is writing under a pen name. It would be an administrative nightmare to track this and there are other areas we should be focusing on.
Pen names are a part of the writing world. They’ve been around since the beginning of publishing and I suspect they will be utilized forever.
I am extremely grateful for this option.
***
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Other Chameles view him as the enemy.
She sees the warrior hero he never believed he could be.
* * *
Tolui is a Warlord in search of a planet to rule. He has been leading his fellow clones in a stealth battle, fighting for both control of the Chamele sector and the right to exist. The brave warriors he commands warrant respect, and they deserve the best.
That best isn’t the barren, dangerous terrain on Chamele 4. When Tolui crashes on that planet’s surface, he’s determined to leave it as soon as possible. The tiny human female rescuing him might be as beautiful and as wild as the land she inhabits, but her flowing words, trusting gaze, and enthralling submission won’t stop him from rejoining the war.
After many solar cycles of living alone, Lea is overjoyed when a tall, scarred, muscular warrior falls from the sky. Her savage stranger is strong and severe, and he makes her feel safe, an emotion she hasn’t experienced in a long, long time.
He also insists they must part. Before they do, she’ll show him the splendor of her home, and she’ll enjoy his big form, collecting passionate moments she can revisit when she’s solitary once more.
Every additional moment Lea and Tolui spend together increases the chance they’ll both die. Lea is being chased by female-hating fiends. Tolui is being hunted by the best bounty hunters in the universe. War will soon arrive on their threshold, and the blood spilled might be their own.
* * *
Warlord’s Mercy is based on a much shorter story sharing the same title.
It is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance featuring a villain turned hero and a brave, chatty heroine set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
Warlord’s Mercy is the fifth of six core stories in the Chamele Barbarian Warlord series.
Book 1: Warlord Sky
Book 2: Warlord’s Bounty
Book 3: Warlord Unarmed
Book 4: Warlord Reunited
Book 5: Warlord’s Mercy
Book 6: Warlord’s Return
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0886K65F9
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0886K65F9
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0886K65F9
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlords-mercy/id1511995733
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warlords-mercy-cynthia-sax/1116524052
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-s-mercy-1
SmashWords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1020349
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Why Writers Write Under Pen Names
Writing Prompts
The next story on my schedule to write is Holding Hoarse, this year’s free short story (releasing in December). The challenge is…
I haven’t yet figured out a great premise for this story. I have premises. I always have premises. (grins) But they aren’t right for Hoarse, the C Model cyborg hero.
One of the things I do to break out of my small idea box is look around me, find an object or a news story or a line of a song or something else random, and then write as many premises or story ideas as possible involving it.
I go wild with these ideas. I flip tropes or expectations. I think of the most bizarre things. There’s no judgment. I am unlikely to share these ideas with anyone else unless I use them or I think they’re fun and might inspire other writers.
When writers freely share premises with other writers, we call them writing prompts.
***
Writing Prompt:
An asteroid speeds toward Earth.
As it draws closer to the planet, scientists realize it isn’t an asteroid.
It is an egg.
And it’s hatching.
***
This writing prompt or premise was inspired by a carton of eggs and was influenced by my love of disaster movies.
I am unlikely to ever write it. My alien romance stories aren’t set on modern Earth. So I’m sending it out into the universe, freely giving it to other writers, hoping they are inspired by it or write it as it is.
Has this premise already been written? That’s likely. There are thousands of books published every day. I’m certain someone else has thought of it.
But no one will think of it quite the same way as I do or as you do. Premises are common. Stories are unique to each writer because our voices are unique. No one has the same way of thinking, the same experiences, the same perspectives as you do.
If you are inspired by a story prompt, you are free to write it.
As for me… (big sigh) I’m still looking for a great premise for Holding Hoarse. It will come to me. I know that. But it might take a few more story idea brainstorming sessions.
(If you want to see some of the story prompts coming out of these brainstorming sessions, I usually share them on my Instagram account – https://www.instagram.com/cynthiasax/ )
***
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Other Chameles view him as the enemy.
She sees the warrior hero he never believed he could be.
* * *
Tolui is a Warlord in search of a planet to rule. He has been leading his fellow clones in a stealth battle, fighting for both control of the Chamele sector and the right to exist. The brave warriors he commands warrant respect, and they deserve the best.
That best isn’t the barren, dangerous terrain on Chamele 4. When Tolui crashes on that planet’s surface, he’s determined to leave it as soon as possible. The tiny human female rescuing him might be as beautiful and as wild as the land she inhabits, but her flowing words, trusting gaze, and enthralling submission won’t stop him from rejoining the war.
After many solar cycles of living alone, Lea is overjoyed when a tall, scarred, muscular warrior falls from the sky. Her savage stranger is strong and severe, and he makes her feel safe, an emotion she hasn’t experienced in a long, long time.
He also insists they must part. Before they do, she’ll show him the splendor of her home, and she’ll enjoy his big form, collecting passionate moments she can revisit when she’s solitary once more.
Every additional moment Lea and Tolui spend together increases the chance they’ll both die. Lea is being chased by female-hating fiends. Tolui is being hunted by the best bounty hunters in the universe. War will soon arrive on their threshold, and the blood spilled might be their own.
* * *
Warlord’s Mercy is based on a much shorter story sharing the same title.
It is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance featuring a villain turned hero and a brave, chatty heroine set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
Warlord’s Mercy is the fifth of six core stories in the Chamele Barbarian Warlord series.
Book 1: Warlord Sky
Book 2: Warlord’s Bounty
Book 3: Warlord Unarmed
Book 4: Warlord Reunited
Book 5: Warlord’s Mercy
Book 6: Warlord’s Return
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0886K65F9
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0886K65F9
Amazon AUS:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0886K65F9
Apple Books:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlords-mercy/id1511995733
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warlords-mercy-cynthia-sax/1116524052
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-s-mercy-1
SmashWords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1020349
Topics: Writing Tips | 4 Comments »
