Interview with Author: Cynthia Sax
It is a great pleasure to welcome Cynthia Sax author of Choosing Chuckles.
Welcome Cynthia to The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl and thanks so much for taking the time out your busy schedule to help us get to know more about you and your stories better!
Patty: What does the title of this novel, series or set of stories signify?
Cynthia Sax: Chuckles is the name of the cyborg hero of Choosing Chuckles. Cyborgs are assigned a model number when they are manufactured. They give themselves their names. Chuckles is known for being a bit grumpy. His name pokes fun of that. The fact that he has embraced that name tells us he isn’t as bad-tempered as he makes some others believe he is.
Patty: Do the names of the characters in your novel have some sort of significance or importance to you? If so, give a few examples…
Cynthia Sax: I named the heroine of Choosing Chuckles Bettina as a nod to Simone Micheline Bodin aka Bettina. She was considered to be one of the first supermodels and was best known for her beauty, but she was much more than that. She was a designer, a poet and a composer.
Like the supermodel, Bettina, my heroine, is viewed by some beings as merely a pretty face, but she is much more than that. She designs jewelry (not clothes), has honorable, worthy, secret goals that have nothing to do with her beauty.
Patty: What prompted you to write in this genre and who or what inspired you to?
Cynthia Sax: I fell in cyborg romance after reading stories by Laurann Dohner and Eve Langlais. When they both took a break from their awesome series at the same time, I decided to write the stories I was craving to read.
I was most interested in exploring WHY cyborgs, soldiers manufactured to fight, beings programmed to be loyal, would rebel against their makers. My series, both Cyborg Sizzle and, the new one—Cyborg Space Exploration, are, as a result, a bit darker than some other Cyborg Romance series.
Patty: What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer and do your characters reflect some of these attributes?
Cynthia Sax: A sense of humor is necessary in this wonderful business. I think it is also necessary for a happy life and for relationships. Things go wrong. The unexpected happens.
My main characters, yes, even Chuckles, our grumpy cyborg, all have senses of humor. They might not crack jokes all the time but they do tend to laugh and see the irony in the universe.
Patty: What kind of research did you have to do for the novel, series or set of stories that was different from others?
Cynthia Sax: One of my favorite sciences is Evolutionary Biology and I tend to weave that into my Cyborg and SciFi Romances. In Choosing Chuckles, our hero and heroine end up stranded on a rainforest type world. It was great fun crafting new alien species based on existing Earth rainforest creatures.
This, however, requires learning quite a bit about these species. I can talk for hours about the Panamanian white-faced capuchin, for example. (laughs) Yes, I’m a fountain of useless information, as my Dear Wonderful Hubby jokes.
Patty: What makes you laugh?
Cynthia Sax: I have a weakness for VERY bad puns. I also love hearing other people laugh. That usually sets me off. My Dear Wonderful Hubby makes me laugh all the time. He is always making jokes.
Patty: What makes you cry?
Cynthia Sax: If someone else is crying, I’ll cry. I also tend to cry while writing the cry scenes in my own stories. A death of a secondary character will almost always make me cry, especially if that character sacrifices her or himself for another being.
Patty: What are you a fan of and is this reflected in your writing?
Cynthia Sax: I’m a fan of many Cyborg Romance writers (Laurann Dohner and Eve Langlais being two of my earliest favorites). That has definitely influenced my writing as I would never want to write something that didn’t grow the niche or that brought shame to it. I want to leave Cyborg Romance as great as it was when I first discovered it.
Do no harm. (grins) That sounds very Star Trek-like, doesn’t it?
Patty: Is there anything else you want to add about the story, series that has not already been mentioned?
Cynthia Sax: Choosing Chuckles is the first story in a Cyborg Sizzle spinoff series called Cyborg Space Exploration. I’ve tried to craft this new series so it could be read on its own, with readers knowing nothing about the Cyborg Sizzle world. But I’ve also tried to craft it so Cyborg Sizzle readers will be super happy. That was a challenging balancing act but, with my awesome editor’s help, I think I accomplished it.
Patty: What is the best way for readers to interact with you?
Cynthia Sax: There are many ways for readers to interact with me or find out more about Choosing Chuckles including:
Visiting my Website: http://cynthiasax.com/
Signing up for dirty-joke-filled release day newsletter, http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.sax
Twitter: @CynthiaSax
Blog: http://tasteofcyn.com/
More about Choosing Chuckles and where to Pre-Order…
A Cynical Cyborg Meets A Bad, Bad Female.
Chuckles hates all humans. In the past, humans betrayed him. That treachery caused permanent damage to his muscular form, resulting in a lifespan of pain.
When the primitive D Model cyborg answers a distress call sent by a pink-and-blue haired, sparkly human female, he knows it’s a trap. He still has to respond to her fake cry for help. She belongs to him, is the one being genetically fabricated for him. But he plans to be her captor, not her captive.
Bettina, aka Bait, works with a team of females, snaring sexual predators in space, seizing their ships and transporting them to primitive planets. As soon as she speaks with Chuckles, she knows he’s not like the others. He has honor, is a being worthy of respect, of caring.
But she can’t let him go. She has to trap him. His dominance thrills her. His deep voice evokes desires she’d never experienced in the past. She’ll risk it all, breaking every rule for one wild encounter with the male she calls Sir.
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Choosing-Chuckles-Cyborg-Space-Exploration-ebook/dp/B07MXQ13WS
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Choosing-Chuckles-Cyborg-Space-Exploration-ebook/dp/B07MXQ13WS
Apple/iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/choosing-chuckles/id1450000541
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/choosing-chuckles-cynthia-sax/1130326339
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/choosing-chuckles
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/918618
Guest Post: Fun with Tropes
The Adventures of The Everyday Fangirl welcomes author Cynthia Sax as a guest blogger today to discuss the fun she has with tropes.
Take it away Cynthia!
Fun With Tropes by Cynthia Sax
A trope is a common plot device. Popular romance tropes include enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, Beauty and the Beast, duck out of water, billionaire hero and fated mate/love at first sight.
Tropes often get a bad name and, sure, when written poorly, stories using tropes can be cliché, boring or predictable. However, that can be true of any plot devices, original or not.
When written well, stories using tropes are magical. Tropes can be found in some of the best written, most loved stories in Romanceland.
I LOVE tropes. I love reading them and I love writing them. I could read a different Beauty and the Beast story (my favorite trope) every day for the rest of my life.
My most recent release, The Cyborg’s Secret Baby, plays with a few tropes. Of course, it is a secret baby story (the hero doesn’t know he has become a father). That trope is in the title.
It is also a second chance romance (the hero and heroine have another opportunity to make their relationship work). They are fated to mate (cyborgs are genetically compatible with only one being). There’s a bit of a love triangle (an alternate possible love interest). Their love is forbidden at the beginning of the story. I’m certain there are other tropes I’m forgetting.
(grins) Clearly, I enjoy tropes. The challenge of bringing a different angle to a heavily used plot device thrills me. It is fun to surprise a reader while still adhering to the expectations of the trope.
The Cyborg’s Secret Baby is a secret baby romance unlike anything I’ve ever read. It is a more powerful story because I used this plot device. I can’t imagine telling it any other way.
What are your favorite tropes?
The Cyborg’s Secret Baby
A fierce cyborg warrior and his curvy human female share a no-longer-so-little secret.
Stealth, a K Model cyborg, knows his passion for Zebrina, the commander’s human daughter, is forbidden, yet he can’t resist the curvy female. He craves her touch, cherishes her sounds of pleasure, would do anything to keep her safe.
When he’s faced with the choice of protecting his fragile human or living to see the next sunrise, he chooses her, always her, sending Zebrina halfway across the universe to safety. He doesn’t realize their stolen moments had consequences neither of them believed possible.
After hearing her warrior died in battle, Zebrina focuses on the last gift he gave her. Doing what is right for their child is her sole priority. She will put their son’s happiness first, even if that means choosing another male over the love of her life.
The Cyborg’s Secret Baby is a STAND-ALONE story loosely connected to the Cyborg Sizzle series. It is also a Second Chance Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, often-violent universe. This is available now via:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Cyborgs-Secret-Baby-Stars-ebook/dp/B07F2NK6D4
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyborgs-Secret-Baby-Stars-ebook/dp/B07F2NK6D4
Apple/iTunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-cyborgs-secret-baby/id1404800721
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cyborgs-secret-baby-cynthia-sax/1128976169
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-cyborg-s-secret-baby
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/870968
About Cynthia Sax
USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax writes SciFi, contemporary and paranormal erotic romances. Her stories have been featured in Star Magazine, Real Time With Bill Maher, and numerous best of erotic romance top ten lists.
Sign up for her dirty-joke-filled release day newsletter and visit her on the web at www.CynthiaSax.com
Website: http://cynthiasax.com/
Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Facebook: facebook.com/cynthia.sax
Twitter: @CynthiaSax
Blog: http://tasteofcyn.com/
Interview with an Author: Cynthia Sax
It is a pleasure to welcome Cynthia Sax author of Hers To Command.
Welcome Cynthia to The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl and thanks so much for taking the time out your busy schedule to help us get to know you and your stories better.
Cynthia Sax: Thanks for having me Patty. I’m excited to be here.
What does the title of this novel, series or set of stories signify?
Cynthia Sax: Carys, the heroine of Hers To Command, is a battle station Commander. She has a genetic anomaly that makes her compatible with TWO cyborg warriors. They will do anything to claim her, to keep her safe. Ace and Thrasher are truly Hers To Command.
Do the names of the characters in your novel have some sort of significance or importance to you?
If so, give a few examples…
Cynthia Sax: Carys, the heroine of Hers To Commander, is a tolerates-no-backchat type of Commander. Her crew don’t use her first name. I doubt they know it. They refer to her as Commander. I liked that she, a female many perceive as tough and strong, had a soft, feminine name. That shows the two sides of her. In public, she’s tough. In private, she has a soft heart.
Ace and Thrasher are cyborgs, half man, half machine. Cyborgs are viewed as weapons, as objects by their manufacturers. They’re given model numbers, not names. They choose their own names.
Ace is the more logical warrior, more machinelike than human. He chose a name that reflects excellence. It is also short, practical. Thrasher is the more emotional, more human warrior. His name conveys movement and emotion, specifically passion and frustration.
What prompted you to write in this genre and who or what inspired you to?
Cynthia Sax: I’m a long time cyborg romance reader. I love the delicious cyborg stories told by Laurann Dohner and Eve Langlais. I felt I had my own unique stories to add to this amazing niche.
What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer and do your characters reflect some of these attributes?
Cynthia Sax: I think it is very important that we write what WE want to write. Yes, we can try to make our stories a bit more marketable but we should love them. We should find joy in what we’re writing. Our happiness is the only thing we can truly control in this wonderful business.
The cyborg series is a prime example of that. When I proposed the idea of Releasing Rage to my agent, she didn’t want to shop it around. She said there was no market for it.
I wrote it anyway, Indie published it and it is, by far, my best selling story. I truly believe my passion for the niche shows. Readers feel the love.
What kind of research did you have to do for the novel, series or set of stories that was different from others?
Cynthia Sax: I do quite a bit of research for every story. Very little of it, ironically, is put on the page. But I consult with scientists and engineers and, of course, Google is a good friend of mine (grins).
I like to know everything in my stories is plausible. Maybe it isn’t the norm. Writing about what usually happens can be creatively restrictive, not-very-exciting and a bit predictable. But it COULD happen.
For Hers To Command, specifically, I did quite a bit of research on air battles, on battle strategy, on the gravity fields around planets and moons, on whether or not a cow would venture into a dark, cool cave (that is rare but it happens). My search history is a mess. (grins)
What makes you laugh?
Cynthia Sax: I LOVE truly bad jokes, especially puns. I’m PUNderful. One of my great joys is finding the perfect bad dirty jokes for my newsletters. They’re unabashedly awful. If you don’t groan while reading them, I haven’t done my job properly.
What makes you cry?
Cynthia Sax: Oh boy. What doesn’t? In romance novels, it is that tough heroine trying her best not to cry, fighting a losing battle against the tears. Or a hero who feels he has failed his female in some way. That gets me.
What are you a fan of and is this reflected in your writing?
Cynthia Sax: One of the earliest books I fangirled over was Felix Salten’s Bambi. I must have read that library book a hundred times. Coming from the country, being a farm girl, the honesty of that story got to me. Bad things happened in the story, just as I saw it happen all around me in nature. But there was still hope. There was still optimism.
That is what I try to convey in the cyborg series. My cyborg world is dark. Bad things happen. But there’s optimism. There’s love. There’s hope.
Hers To Command
Three Battered Hearts. One Perfect Love
Ace and Thrasher share a special bond. They’ve never acknowledged that connection and have never fully acted on it. The Humanoid Alliance kill cyborg males like them, deeming the warriors to be defective. Now that Ace and Thrasher have escaped, they don’t trust the cyborg council and their brethren to react any differently. Physical love is too risky for them to consider.
Until they meet her.
Carys is the Commander of a Rebel Battle Station. She has dedicated her lifespan to seeking vengeance against the Humanoid Alliance and the cyborgs who killed her daughter. On her battle station, she makes the rules, and if she wants to kiss, touch, and pleasure two mysterious warriors, she will. Nothing, not even enemy warships and a mass cyborg rebellion, can stop her.
In the midst of a war, enemies can become lovers and loyalties can change in a moment. Can a forbidden relationship between two cautious cyborgs and one unbending human Commander survive?
Hers To Command is Book 8 in the Cyborg Sizzle series.
Due to the number of returning characters in this story, you’ll enjoy Hers To Command more if you’ve read the other stories first. This is a MMF BBW Cyborg SciFi Romance and is available through the following outlets:
- Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Hers-Command-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B01N0I7X49/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hers-Command-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B01N0I7X49/
Apple/iBooks/iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hers-to-command/id1179869260
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hers-to-command-cynthia-sax/1125247346
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/hers-to-command-6
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About Cynthia Sax
USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax writes SciFi, contemporary and paranormal erotic romances. Her stories have been featured in Star Magazine, Real Time With Bill Maher, and numerous best of erotic romance top ten lists.
Sign up for her dirty-joke-filled release day newsletter and visit her on the web at www.CynthiaSax.com
Website: CynthiaSax.com
Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Facebook: facebook.com/cynthia.sax
Twitter: @CynthiaSax
Blog: TasteOfCyn.com
Guest Post: Cyborgs And Writing An Open-Ended Series With Cynthia Sax
The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl welcomes author Cynthia Sax as a guest today to tell us about Cyborgs and writing an open-ended series.
Take it away Cynthia…
Cyborgs And Writing An Open-Ended Series with Cynthia Sax
A series is a grouping of stories that are linked in some way. In SciFi Romance, these stories can be stand alones (they can be read out of order and on their own) or they can be connected (they have to be read in order).
Series can also be closed (the writer knows exactly how many stories will be in the series) or open-ended (the writer doesn’t know how many stories will be in a series).
Crash And Burn, my most recent release, is the latest installment in my open-ended cyborg series. Reading buddies ask me how many stories I plan to write in the series and I have no idea. Each story is crafted to be read on its own.
Open-ended series are great for writers in some ways and not-so-great in others. The writer can stop the series whenever she wants. If she runs out of original ideas or passion for the series, she can end it…either permanently or temporarily. If there’s no reader interest (i.e. sales suck), the series can be ended. If the series is a sleeper and interest builds over time, it can be restarted.
But open-ended series bother some readers. Some readers want to know exactly how many stories are in a series. They want to ensure they can read all of them. Some of these readers don’t like to wait to read the next stories so they buy the series only when it is completed. Writers of open-ended series don’t have that last book in the series sales bump. They are unlikely to interest these readers.
There are also some things that are challenging (though not impossible) to do in open-ended series. The main one is having an overall series arc. For example, the good guys are fighting the bad guys. Readers want to see the outcome of this battle. They’re reading to find this out. Writers are likely to end the battle during the last story in a series.
Except in an open-ended series, there ISN’T a last story. The battle never ends. Readers never find out who wins.
I have a bit of an overall series arc with my cyborg stories. However, this arc isn’t core to the stories. It doesn’t make a huge impact on the main characters. It is part of the setting rather than the plot.
What is your preference as a reader or a writer? Do you prefer open-ended or closed series? Does it bother you if a series changes from closed to open-ended midway?
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Cover for Crash And Burn
Crash And Burn
Now available to purchase on Amazon US, Amazon UK, ARe, B&N, or Kobo
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.
About Cynthia Sax
USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax writes contemporary, SciFi and paranormal erotic romances. Her stories have been featured in Star Magazine, Real Time With Bill Maher, and numerous best of erotic romance top ten lists.
Sign up for her dirty-joke-filled release day newsletter and visit her on the web at http://www.CynthiaSax.com
Website: http://cynthiasax.com/
Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Facebook: facebook.com/cynthia.sax
Twitter: @CynthiaSax
Blog: http://tasteofcyn.com/
What SciFi Romance influenced you?
‘Everyday Fangirl Asks’ is a new segment to The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl that asks a question posed by the Everyday Fangirl to a group of fans or creators on various fan related topics.
Today, the Everyday Fangirl asks members of the SFR Brigade the following fan related question:
So what was the first Science Fiction (SciFi) Romance that either started you down this path or has the most influence on you?
First, The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl would like to thank all of the members of the SFR Brigade who took time out of their busy schedules to share their influences and memories for this article!
The responses given by these members reflect a diverse set of influences on their science fiction romance genre journey…
Liza O’Connor Everyday Fangirl guest blogger and author of the Multiverses series
I had been reading sci-fi all my life, and while the science and adventure parts were excellent, they all lacked a major part of life for any species (sexual interest/romance). Thus, I wrote my own. It’s not funny so I’ve yet to publish it, but I expect to soon. I can’t remember the book that made me try and write a better sci-fi, but the protagonist went on and on about food, (I think he must have been on a diet, because his prior books had never been so food oriented), but the only woman in his book was nothing but a one-dimensional prop. It resulted in me no longer reading him and why I can’t remember his name or the book. He had failed me.
Pippa Jay Everyday Fangirl guest blogger and author of Keir and the upcoming Keir’s Fall
The Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffery. I just re-read the Crystal Singer trilogy recently, and was even sadder at the end to think there’ll never ever be another Killashandra story.
Pauline Baird Jones author of the upcoming All I Got For Christmas
The funny part for me, I wrote The Key not realizing it was SFR, because I didn’t write science. I barely passed science. Of course, looking back, I realize my science was mostly fiction back then, too. haha When someone compared it to a Linnea Sinclair, then I read her books and fell in love with the genre.
C.J. Gnos author of The Offspring series
One night when I was a kid, I had a dream that was so vivid that it stuck with me through the years. Planning to write it down some day, I would add to it in my head, until the day came when I did write it all down. That was five books ago. Now story has expanded into other worlds and species.
Carysa Locke who wrote the SFRBrigade article Of Fangirls and Heroines
I would have to say everything by Anne McCaffrey. Her Dragonriders of Pern was the first SF/F I ever read. It was what made me long to be a writer. (It was the summer before my 6th grade year.) I quickly read her entire backlog of books, including her Crystal Singer books, The Ship Who Sang, et al. Sure, SFR these days contains a little more R, but those books that set me on this path. I tried writing everything but SF for a long time, under the assumption that science would be too hard. LOL. But here I am, some three decades later.
Greta van der Rol author of the Ptorix Empire stories
I think the first SFR book I ever read was McCaffrey’s “Restoree“. But that’s not what led me to write SFR. Rather, I read hard SF (still do) and found that emotional bit missing. So I wrote a book I wanted to read.
The Star King by Susan Grant . That book spoke to me at a time when I was doubting my own ability as a writer. It inspired me to finish my debut book, Prophecy, which is set for release in January 2016. I keep my copy of The Star King on my book shelf (and reread it from time to time). One day my path will cross with Susan and I’ll ask her to autograph it.
Melisse Aires author of Her Cyborg Awakes
Some of the old scifi I swiped from my older brother’s room had a touch of romance in it, which greatly increased my enjoyment of a book. Murray Lienster, Heinlein. I didn’t read an actual genre romance until I was 16, but then spent years reading both those and scifi and fantasy writers. Did I mention I was quite a bookworm?
In the 80s and 90s I scoured shelves for futuristics and pararomance, which were hard to find. Anne Stuart’s Cinderman was a Harlequin, but I knew it was scifi! Loved that book–and it held up well, reread not too long ago. Dara Joy–I had to order her books from a bookstore because they didn’t carry them. When we got a computer it opened up the world of erom publishers, who were publishing scifirom and pararom.
I also loved Zenna Henderson, who wrote clever, gentle scifi often involving family and some young loves.
Moria Katson author of the Light & Shadow series
Wow, I can’t remember the first, but I think the one that made me think, “wow, this is FUN and I want to write it” was Ruby Lionsdrake’s Mercenary Instinct 🙂
Jenna Bennett author of Soldiers Of Fortune Series
I started on this journey with an idea of my own, after being challenged to write a 200-word flash fiction piece for a contest, and it happened to come out SF. Never thought I’d write SFR. Never wanted to. At the time, the only SF I’d read, other than a few of the classics, was Lois McMaster Bujold, so I guess I’d have to blame her.
Pippa DaCosta author of Girl From Above
I wouldn’t say it was sci-fi romance (I’m not even sure the term existed back in late 80’s, early 90’s) but I read Chris Claremont’s First Flight very early in my teens. (I’ve no idea where I got it from. From a second hand bookstore probably because we didn’t have much money and no car) It might even have been the first sci-fi book I’d read, because scifi books are not for girls, right? 😉
And I remember being completely engrossed in the story of Lt Shea. Wait, what was this – a scifi book with a kick-ass female lead? With action, intrigue, and gasp – romance? It’s a first contact story, and Lt. Shea was my effing hero. I haven’t read it since, and kinda don’t want to – because I’ll look at it differently now, and I don’t want to spoil the magic. My first ever scifi read that taught me women can kick ass in space just as much as the guys (and have emotions too!).
Carol Van Natta author of Central Galactic Concordance series of novels
My parents gave me science fiction one summer as a way to keep me from bugging them for stuff to read. The joke was on them, however, as it caused me to start bugging them for more *science fiction* to read. The first SFR I read was probably Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series, but I think Bujold’s Miles Vorkosigan series was more influential. A few years back, an interview I read with Linnea Sinclair told me that “science fiction romance” was a thing. When planning my current series, I knew SFR would be the best way to tell it, so as has been said so many times before, I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Cynthia Sax author of the Cyborg Sizzle series
I mistakenly read a very adult SciFi when I was about 12 with an android having a… ummm… too close of a relationship with his chicken. That was very memorable. But the first SciFi erotic romance that I read was Laurann Dohner’s Ral’s Woman. I loved it!
Kate Pearce author of The Tribute Series
Catherine Asaro, Ray Bradbury and John Wyndham
Sandy Williams
Finders keepers by Linnea Sinclair. I was researching her agent and figured I should read some of the agents clients. This was back in 1997 or 1998. I’d read Star Wars and some other sci fi before then, but I became hooked on sci fi romance after that book.
Aidee Ladnier author of The Klockwerk Kraken
Lois McMaster Bujold for the win! She’s also great about sprinkling in LGBTQ characters.
Athena Grayson author of Huntress Of The Star Empire series
The first Dragonriders of Pern book–it was a sci-fi that had a (gasp!) *heroine* in it, and a romantic subplot, too.
Belinda McBride author of The Coalition Universe
The White Dragon by Anne Mccaffrey was the first Pern novel I read, and at the time, I didn’t really understand that I was reading romance or that the dragon was asexual…or that there was even such a thing. Anyhow, I’d read sci fi before but that one really grabbed me.
Lee Koven SFR Brigade blogger
I’d read some SFR before, but the most influential SFR in my writing is probably Marcella Burnard’s Enemy Within. What drove me to write were straight SF books that I felt needed a romance in them. The second SFR that inspired me was Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair.
Marcella Burnard author of Enemy Within
Andre Norton was my first major influence – the *hints* of romance were there and I wanted more. It finally occurred to me if I wanted more, I’d best get writing it.
And you know, it was Linnea Sinclair GAMES OF COMMAND that convinced me to take a chance on writing Enemy Within. :D. Oh heck, if we’re breaking out the cheesy animated SFR, then Starblazers. 😀
Laurie A. Green author of Inherit The Stars
I read many of the SF classics as a teen, but McCaffrey’s Dragonriders is what originally hooked me on SFR.
Mary Brock Jones author of Hathe series
Anne McCaffrey’s would have to be the first – but it was Catherine Asaro and Lois McMaster Bujold who really got me hooked.
Veronica Scott author of Star Cruise: Marooned
Andre Norton, as others have said. She could only have hints of romance and that made me determined to write science fiction WITH romance. I LOVED RESTOREE. I still reread it occasionally. I wish she’d written more in that world.
Cathryn Cade author of LodeStar series
Wrinkle in Time was my first SF, but really didn’t spur any urge to write. It wasn’t until I read Jayne Castle’s SWEET STARFIRE that I got hooked on SFR. That was the first book I’d ever read that took place on another planet, and that had romance. A light went off in my pointy little head.
Wendy Lynn Clark author of Liberation’s Kiss
I just wanted to add one more vote for Anne McCaffrey’s Restoree for the win. 🙂 I read Dragon Singer first and considered it fantasy. This was in 6th grade. Restoree is still my fave SFR. I like them a little hotter tho so I’m glad the publishing world has expanded!
AR DeClerck author of Bound To You
My SFR journey began in 2002 when I discovered the secret rack at the back of our public library. I chose three or four novels to read (I was reading 4 or 5 a day) and I fell in love with Patti O’Shea’s Ravyn’s Flight. It was action, adventure, romance and aliens with tech and science and it rekindled my love of science and learning about the cosmos.
Aurora Springer author of the Grand Masters Universe
I don’t remember the first. I enjoy Andre Norton and she has some with couples, some of Piers Antony’s books, Joe Haldeman.
Anna McLain
The first one I knew was SFR that I read was Finder’s Keepers by Linnea Sinclair. Later I realized I’d read some as a child thanks to Marion Zimmer Bradley, the Pern stories, and Zenna’s books.
Jolie Mason author of Home in The Stars series
I didn’t have a book per se but I’ve been reading this stuff all my life starting with Andre Norton, Anne McCaffrey. But, I did have a kinda funny goal when I started. You know the Also bought list? :} There were certain authors I wanted on mine. And they are there. They are also in the group. LOL
So I don’t want to come off as all fangirl (note on this blog you can!) But they were writing what I wanted to write, and I thought if people who get mine love theirs, then I will be creating what I want. The list isn’t exhaustive, but it included Veronica Scott and Anna Hackett. I wanted to make those kinds of characters. I’m not entirely there yet.
Rebecca York author of the Off World series
SF romance? Probably The Puppet Masters, by Robert Heinlein. I didn’t know when I read it, but it’s classic SF romantic suspense.
Maybe I should also say that my mom recommended Restoree by Ann McCaffery to me. I liked it a lot, but by that time I was already a confirmed SF reader. My mom used to reread Restoree every year. Another book that influenced me a lot was Darker than You Think, by Jack Williamson. In a weird way, it’s SF romance, but not in the usual sense. But it really got me into werewolves. It’s about a guy who doesn’t know he’s a werewolf, and his coven–particularly one woman/wolf–is pushing him into his true destiny. It’s humanity vs werewolves, and Williamson made me want to be on the winning side–werewolves.
Tink Boord-Dill
Jayne Castle/Jayne Ann Krentz back when she first started it… early 1990s along with JD Robb/Nora Roberts. So happy that JC/JAK is writing them again now… so many years later 😉 and glad that JDR/NR never stopped writing the Eve Dallas series
Darlene Reilley author of Forbidden Timeline
I have read science fiction all my life. Like many people, I started out in fan fic, and the first science romantic entanglement that pulled me in was Star Trek Voyager’s Tom Paris and B’Lanna Torres relationship – I was hooked. I quickly ran to the library, but they didn’t have anything listed as SFR. So I turned to my science fiction – and found Robert Heinlein’s Friday, Frank Herbert’s Dune, and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. Outlander pulled me from strict science fiction into the world of SFR and I’ve loved it ever since.
Lastly, Patty Hammond the Everyday Fangirl from Michigan would like to answer this question and share what influenced her to seek out SFR.
I actually started not through books, but through Robotech, an animated TV series in the mid 1980’s which included a several romance stories with the backdrop of a multigenerational space war. The first romance book set in space that I read was Amaryllis by Jayne Castle, aka Jayne Ann Krentz. It was through both of these that I found a whole new genre to explore and learn more about.
Interview with author Cynthia Sax
It is a pleasure to welcome USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax, who recently released the Sci-Fi Romance, Releasing Rage.
Welcome Cynthia to The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl and thanks so much for taking the time out your busy schedule to help us get to know you and your story better.
What does the title of this novel, series or set of stories signify?
I can’t imagine calling Releasing Rage, my latest cyborg SciFi romance, anything other than that. Rage is the cyborg hero’s name. He’s enslaved by humans, forced to fight their wars and follow their orders. He plots to free himself, to be ‘released.’
He also vents much of his anger toward his masters and their injustices they inflict on him and his cyborg brethren. He releases his rage. (grins)
Releasing Rage is a dark book. The title signifies this.
Do the names of the characters in your novel have some sort of significance or importance to you?If so, give a few examples…
Cyborgs are normally assigned a model number by their manufacturers and then they might choose to give themselves a name. The hero of Releasing Rage chooses to call himself Rage because he’s often angered by the injustices inflicted on him and his cyborg brethren. He’s a primitive, passionate male and has a primitive, passionate name.
Joan Tull, the human heroine, is a former agri lot gal (i.e. farm girl). Jethro Tull is one of the most recognized innovators in agriculture. Joan is also on a mission, much like another famous Joan – Joan of Arc.
(grins) Yes, I put quite a bit of thought into a character’s name. It is so key to his or her identity.
What prompted you to write in this genre and who or what inspired you to?
I love reading cyborg SciFi romances. Writers such as Laurann Dohner, Eve Langlais, and Mina Carter inspired me to write my own stories.
There were two things that I really wanted to explore.1) What would cause cyborgs to rebel against their manufacturers? As they’re designed to be the perfect soldiers, loyal and true, I figured it had to be something dark and serious.
2) Cyborg babies—how do cyborgs reproduce? Yes, the early cyborgs were essentially ‘repaired’ human soldiers but eventually, military forces would wish to mass produce them. How would that happen?
Of course, I also wanted to tell a great story with plenty of hot, sexy romance and some spectacular explosions.
What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer and do your characters reflect some of these attributes?
The myth of the solitary writer, working away by herself in a dark attic, is exactly that—a myth. Success in every field is a team sport and writing is no exception. I owe my sanity to my fellow writers, especially Wylie Snow, J.K. Coi, Amy Ruttan, and Christine d’Abo, whom I email every day.
In Releasing Rage, Rage, the hero, might be one of the best warriors in the universe, but he depends on his fellow cyborgs, especially Crash and Gap. When they plan for their escape, they plan for ALL of them to escape, leaving no warrior behind.
What kind of research did you have to do for the novel, series or set of stories that was different from others?
Releasing Rage required quite a bit of research. For example: I have files and files of theories on how cyborgs might reproduce. I talked to scientists, product developers, other experts.
It’s very important to me that SciFi romance is based on science. That science might not be in the story (much of my research is shared on my blog) but we, writers, should know it. This sets the genre apart from… say… paranormal romance (which is based on myth).
What makes you laugh?
My dear wonderful hubby makes me laugh every dang day. You’ll always find some humor in even my darkest stories because I feel a shared sense of humor is essential for a lasting relationship.
What makes you cry?
I’m a sap. Hallmark commercials make me cry. I cry when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m emotionally moved. I was completing the final read of Breathing Vapor (the follow up story to Releasing Rage) last night and crying my eyes out. It doesn’t take much!
What are you a fan of and is this reflected in your writing?
I’m definitely a super fan of SciFi romance, cyborg stories in particular. The internal conflict between man and machine, between loyal soldier and independent warrior, between following orders and following our own paths, fascinates me.
I love reading in the genre I’m writing because I then know that I’m bringing something new to it.
***
Thank you again Cynthia for the interview and through your answers helping us get to know you better.
Half Man. Half Machine. All Hers.
Rage, the Humanoid Alliance’s most primitive cyborg, has two goals–kill all of the humans on his battle station and escape to the Homeland. The warrior has seen the darkness in others and in himself. He believes that’s all he’s been programmed to experience.
Until he meets Joan.
Joan, the battle station’s first female engineer, has one goal–survive long enough to help the big sexy cyborg plotting to kill her. Rage might not trust her but he wants her. She sees the passion in his eyes, the caring in his battle-worn hands, the gruff emotion in his voice.
When Joan survives the unthinkable, Rage’s priorities are tested. Is there enough room in this cyborg’s heart for both love and revenge?
Releasing Rage is now available at the following retailers:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Releasing-Rage-Cyborg-Sizzle-Book-ebook/dp/B00ZOL1DRO
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ZOL1DRO/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-releasingrage-1850041-340.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/releasing-rage-cynthia-sax/1122455646
About Cynthia Sax
USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax writes contemporary, SciFi and paranormal erotic romances. Her stories have been featured in Star Magazine, Real Time With Bill Maher, and numerous best of erotic romance top ten lists.
Sign up for her dirty-joke-filled release day newsletter and visit her on the web at www.CynthiaSax.com
You can also follow her Facebook Page, Twitter: @CynthiaSax or her Blog: TasteOfCyn.com
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