An Interview with Sci-Fi Romance Author Cara Bristol
The Adventures of The Everyday Fangirl welcomes again author Cara Bristol, this time to talk about her newest sci-fi romance novel, Blown Away.
Welcome again Cara 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 about your newest book, Blown Away.
What does the title of this novel, series or set of stories signify?
Blown Away (Cyborg Force 1) is a cyborg romance series set on a sandy, windblown planet. The title alludes to the conditions on the planet, but also to being “blown away” by unexpected events. All the heroes of the series are cyborgs who belong to a military unit called C-Force, but the series is named Cyborg Force because no one would know what C-Force is unless they read the book.
Do the names of the characters in your novel have some sort of significance or importance to you? If so, give a few examples…
As I mentioned, Blown Away is set on a windy planet. Just for fun, all the heroines will have names alluding to wind. Breeze in Blown Away (Cyborg Force 1), Gayle in Gale Force (Cyborg Force 2) and Tempest in the untitled Cyborg Force 3.
What prompted you to write in this genre and who or what inspired you to?
I write science fiction romance because of the creativity it allows me. All things are possible. With respect to the Cyborg Force series, I wanted to write about cyborgs again (Six of my eight sci-fi romance series are alien romances). I love military heroes, and a cyborg romance combines the best of both worlds: military heroes and sci-fi romance.
Over the holidays, I read a few “snowbound” romances and decided I wanted to write a forced proximity romance. I’d written about snowy planets before (the Alien Mate series), so I wanted to do something different. That led to the creation of Sajave, the windswept planet subject to fierce sandstorms. The hero and heroine hunker down in an isolated cabin during a violent sandstorm.
What kind of research did you have to do for the novel, series or set of stories that was different from others?
Although the hero of Blown Away is a cyborg, aliens factor into the story as well. I had to research the answer to the questions, how do you know when something is alive and what is intelligence? What makes a living entity intelligent?
What are you a fan of and is this reflected in your writing?
The romance tropes that I like as a reader are ones that I write about: enemies to lovers, redemption, wounded hero, military, second chance romance, forced proximity, arranged marriage, fated mates, and many others.
Is there anything else you want to add about the story, series that has not already been mentioned?
Cyborg Force is a later-in-life (mid-life) series with characters in their 40s. I think Romancelandia needs more mature characters. Most romance readers are not twentysomething anymore. I want to give them characters they can relate to.
And then I’d like to mention that Blown Away is the first book of this brand new series. Book two, Gale Force, is tentatively scheduled for late June/early July, and the third book will come out in the fall. If readers like cyborgs, I have a seven-book Men of Mettle cyborg romance series that’s complete.
What is the best way for readers to interact with you?
On Facebook and through my author newsletter. They can friend me on Facebook and join my private Facebook fan group. Readers can get a free book when they subscribe to my author newsletter.
- Get the newsletter and a free book: https://BookHip.com/GRKXKHF
- Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/cara.bristol.3/
- Facebook profile page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063796386441
- Bristol’s Book Babes Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1761424733891183/
- My website: https://carabristol.com/
About Blown Away
Trapped in a sandstorm on an alien planet, they’ll battle passion and danger…
Breeze O’Day
Windswept, sandblasted Sajave isn’t every astrogeologist’s dream assignment, but it’s been my safe zone from a dangerous past, and now I’m about to announce a game-changing discovery. But on the way to finalize my research, my hovercraft gets caught in a violent sandstorm and crashes. Unfortunately, my rescuer is Tack Grayson, an ill-mannered, bad-tempered mammoth of a man who’s made it perfectly clear saving me is a huge imposition. Well, no worries. I’ll soon be on my way to finish my top secret project, and our paths need never cross again.
Tack Grayson
If I had wanted company, I wouldn’t be living in a cabin hundreds of miles from nowhere. But I’m a cyborg with C-Force and rescuing people is what I do, even if they are idiots who should know better than to venture out in a sandstorm. Now I’m stuck with Breeze O’Day until this storm blows over.
But as I learn more about Breeze and her research, I begin to worry our association won’t end anytime soon. She’s in danger. Serious danger, and she’s going to need my help.
About Cara Bristol
USA Today Bestselling Author Cara Bristol has published more than fifty romances. Writing with humor and heart, she loves introducing new readers to science fiction romance, and likes to say she writes sci-fi for readers who don’t like sci-fi. When she’s not writing (ha ha ha – she’s almost always writing) she enjoys traveling to exotic destinations and chillaxin’ with her favorite TV shows. Cara lives in Missouri with her husband.
Guest Post: The challenges of a “cloning” a character in science fiction romance
The Adventures of The Everyday Fangirl welcomes USA Today Bestselling author Cara Bristol as a guest blogger to talk about her new book, Hunted by the Cyborg.
Take it away Cara!
The challenges of a “cloning” a character in science fiction romance by Cara Bristol
Until now, I’ve pretty much stuck to human, alien, and cyborg main characters.
Aliens and cyborgs (humans with computer and/or mechanical parts) are versatile characters. Any role a human plays, an alien or a cyborg can play. The alien or cyborg can have a backstory or it can just be.
Clones?
Their existence raises questions. Why was the clone created? Who created the clone? What happened to the original “parent?” Because of this, using a clone as a main character affects the plot of the story.
I knew fans of the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance series had high expectations for Hunted by the Cyborg (book 6). This was Carter’s story. The director of Cyber Operations, a secret cyborg force, he’d been a secondary character in the previous five books. He had to have a special heroine.
I chose to make her a clone. The challenge was to give her a backstory that fit the plot, yet make her real, make her as human as any other human. I tried to create a woman who was vulnerable, but also resilient and independent. I didn’t want readers to see her as an “other.”
Beth, who begins life as an unwanted copy, strives to find her uniqueness. Here’s what readers have said about Beth:
“I enjoyed seeing Beth find her true self and live a life that she deserves.”
“Beth is such a strong character, even when she’s knocked down she always keeps trying,”
“Beth was a wonderful character. Innocent in a lot a ways, but also smart, strong and full of life.
“I fell in love with this character. Beth was given a raw deal. But even after all that she had been through she is a strong woman who knows that life needs to be lived to the fullest!”
“Beth also met all my expectations of a leading lady. She was smart, courageous and could match wits with Carter. No damsel in distress here. I loved that about her.”
Excerpt from Hunted by the Cyborg
Carter halted inside the crowded cafeteria. Aym-Sec employees gathered at their usual tables, eating and chatting the way they always did, but his cyber operatives faced away from the forward left corner of the room. They stared at the wall while gulping their chow.
He pivoted in the direction they seemed to be avoiding.
Holy bejeezus!
In the corner, sat a naked Beth, eating breakfast.
Technically not unclothed, she’d donned her Shuttleport Authority travel suit. To an operative with cybervision, the see-through SA unitard provided little more covering than transparent polymer sheeting.
A heated rush of hormones shot straight to his groin as he rushed across the room, tearing off his shirt.
“Put this on.” He didn’t wait for her response but tugged the garment over her head. The image of two perfect dusky-tipped breasts burned into his brain.
“What are you doing? Stop it!” She squirmed like a toddler as he tried to dress her, but he got her head through the neck opening.
“Put your arms through the holes,” he ordered.
“What—why are you doing this?”
“Put it on. I’ll explain in a minute.” What his actual words would be, he didn’t know. She stopped resisting and slipped on the shirt. He grabbed her arm. “Come on, we have to leave.”
Hunted by the Cyborg blurb
Billionaire Carter Aymes, director of Cyber Operations, a covert cyborg force, devotes his wealth and time to saving lives, rescuing hostages and other victims from desperate situations. His ultimate mission is to hunt down and eliminate Lamani, the alien terrorist mastermind, before he conquers the galaxy.
When Carter hires Beth O’Shea, a vulnerable yet courageous woman with connections to his past, their attraction is immediate and strong, but he knows getting involved with her is a bad idea. He’s her boss, and he has way too many classified projects to risk letting someone get close.
Rejected by the progenitors who cloned her, Beth is determined to live a normal human life, beginning by getting an ordinary job with a security firm. But, from the start, she questions the extraordinary secrecy surrounding the organization. She can’t help but wonder about the tall, muscled, larger-than-life director who gave her a chance when she desperately needed one. Could he ever be romantically interested in a woman like her, in a clone?
When Beth is attacked, they both realize how short and tenuous life is, and their mutual attraction becomes too powerful to resist.
As their relationship heats up, so does the urgency to capture Lamani before he can unleash a stealth weapon at a critical planetary Summit meeting. With time running out, Carter discovers that stopping Lamani may require sacrificing Beth’s life.
Will Carter be able to rescue her, or will his new love be the one person he can’t save?
Hunted By The Cyborg is available via Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, & GooglePlay!
About Cara Bristol
USA Today Bestselling Author Cara Bristol writes character driven science fiction romance with humor, heart, and heat. She loves introducing new readers to science fiction romance, and likes to say she writes sci-fi for readers who don’t like sci-fi. She has three science fiction romance series: the action-packed Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance cyborg series; the dark, intense Breeder series; and the new light and funny Alien Mate series. When she’s not writing (ha ha ha – she’s almost always writing) she enjoys traveling to exotic destinations and chillaxin’ with her favorite reality TV shows. Cara lives in Missouri with her own alpha hero, her husband. You can interact with her via the following:
Cara’s Website: http://carabristol.com/
Reader Newsletter: http://carabristol.com/get-your-free-book/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cara-bristol
Chat with Cara Reader Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1761424733891183/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cara-Bristol-Romance-178661122147994/
Twitter: @CaraBristol https://twitter.com/CaraBristol
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorcarabristol
Guest Post: Cyborgs
The Adventures of The Everyday Fangirl welcomes author Cara Bristol as a guest blogger to talk about what inspired her latest Sci-Fi Romance!
Take it away Cara!
Cyborgs: from the Six Million Dollar Man to Cyberoperative by Cara Bristol
If you’ve noticed similarities between cyborgs in today’s science fiction/sci-fi romance and the Six Million Dollar Man, a TV show from the 1970s, you’re on the mark. The “bionic man” was a cyborg. Col. Steven Austin, played by actor Lee Majors, was an astronaut who was critically injured when his ship crashed. Two legs, one arm and an eye were replaced with bionic parts making him faster and stronger. You can see the opening credit/sequence from the show below.
The Six Million Dollar Man was based on the Martin Caidin novel, Cyborg. The show had a successful run from 1974-1978 and led to a spinoff, The Bionic Woman (1976-1978), with Jaime Sommers played by Lindsay Wagner. Like Austin, Sommers had two legs and one arm replaced, but she had bionic ear instead of an eye.
What is different about Austin and Sommers from the cyborgs in the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance series and other authors’ cyborg romances, is that the bionic man/woman didn’t have any computer interfaces. In its infancy, computer technology was practically nonexistent in the 1970s. Computers were huge mainframe things (although the first PCs came out in the mid 1970s). The era was pre-internet, pre-wireless. So Austin and Sommers had mechanical limbs, but no computer chips or processors, no nanocytes.
Fictional cyborgs today aren’t just physically stronger, they have greater mental capabilities. The cyborgs in my series can communicate with each other telepathically via wireless, can hack into most computer systems, and have a database of information in their heads they can access. Their nanos, tiny robotic cells in their bloodstream, enhance bodily functions and repair injuries.
The computer age has changed cyborgs.
The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman were action-adventure stories. The Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance series books are romances, focusing on the developing love relationship between the heroine and the cyborg hero who works for a secret military organization called Cyber Operations (Cy-Ops).
So, how much would a six million dollar man cost today? Factoring in inflation alone, a six million dollar man would cost $29 million in today’s dollars. However, due to technological and computer advancements, they would probably cost a lot more.
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To get a feel for Claimed by the Cyborg below is an excerpt.
What the hell had gotten into these people? Wasn’t this supposed to be a friendly competition? There wouldn’t be any surprises. How could they get so emotional over a theatrical performance when they already knew the outcome?
Did they hate him because he was the challenger or because he was Terran? Even in silence, animosity fogged the arena like a heavy cloud.
At the officiant’s cue, March pivoted. The Sha’A’la was only a dramatic spectacle, but turning his back on a participant armed with a saber caused the hair on his nape to prickle. On the sixth step, as he’d seen practiced, he whipped around and charged, surprised to see Naimo closer than expected. Had he turned a step early?
Their blades connected and showered the air with sparks.
The crowd trilled with satisfaction.
His feet moved through the choreographed steps as he swung his blade to parry the thrusts of Naimo’s sword. Without a cyborg’s memory, following the routine would have been difficult. Though smaller, his opponent was strong and agile, his facial tension conveying a startling ferocity.
Naimo attacked with power and precision. Blades engaged in a loud clang of metal and a fiery glitter of sparks. From a foreigner’s viewpoint, March had misjudged the danger. One slip of the foot, one wrong twist of the wrist, and either of them could be injured.
Rocking from heel to toe, they darted back and forth, lunging and retreating. With a series of fast moves, March backed Naimo to the edge of the court and, with a swipe, nicked his arm as he’d seen rehearsed. Before the consort could claim his bride, his blood had to be spilled in her honor. Red spurted from the shallow wound, and the crowd hissed. If they’d disliked him before, they hated him now. He’d wounded their golden boy. That he’d been required to didn’t matter. He might need a protective detail to get off the planet alive.
Claimed by the Cyborg
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Barnes & Noble
March Fellows assumed he had all the time in the galaxy to pursue a relationship with Jules, an alien exchange student from Xenia, until she vanished without a trace. After years of searching, he finds his lost love on the eve of her arranged marriage.
The daughter of the Xenian emperor, Julietta never meant to fall in love with a Terran man while visiting Earth. Leaving to fulfill her responsibilities on her home planet opened up a hole in her heart that could never be filled. When March, now a cyborg, unexpectedly shows up just before she is to be bonded, she struggles to find the courage to turn him away a second time and follow through with her duty. Before she can act, the lovers are thrust into a political conspiracy that threatens the Xenian empire and their lives.
About Cara Bristol
USA Today bestselling author Cara Bristol has been the no. 1 best seller in science fiction romance, bdsm erotica, and holiday fiction on Amazon. She’s the author of two science fiction romance series featuring tough alpha heroes: the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance cyborg series and the Breeder science fiction romance series, which emphasize character-driven stories written with a touch of humor and sizzling chemistry between the hero and heroine. Cara lives in Missouri with her own alpha hero, her husband.
Website: http://www.carabristol.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/9aRJj
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cara.bristol.3
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Cara-Bristol-Romance-178661122147994/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Cara-Bristol/e/B004D8KZTQ/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carabristol/
Excerpt from Married to the Cyborg
The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl is happy to present this excerpt from the soon to be published Married to the Cyborg by Cara Bristol.
Scene setup: In this scene, Penelope has been mingling with guests at the AOP gala attended by aliens from across the galaxy. She needs a moment to recharge, so she goes in search of a quiet place.
She stopped outside a door marked OBSERVATORY – PRIVATE.
Did that mean keep out—or did it mean it was a place for solitude? Probably the former, but she could always plead ignorance. The UT she wore in her ear allowed her to communicate with almost everyone, but just because she had a universal translator didn’t mean she could read and write every language. Maybe OBSERVATORY – PRIVATE was the Drusilian’s way of saying, “Welcome, come on in!” Besides, if they didn’t want her to enter, the door wouldn’t open, right?
She palmed the entry scanner, the door slid open, and she stepped into nothingness.
Walls vanished as if no barrier existed between her and the infinite expanse of space. Instinctively, she leaped back with a cry. When she wasn’t sucked into outer space, she realized the floor, ceiling, walls were formed from some kind of glass, but not a type she was familiar with. This material showed no reflection at all. She inched a foot into the room, relieved to find solid floor beneath her slippers. Bolder, she crept inside. The door slid shut. Penelope gulped. Emptiness swirled around her. It was disorienting to be surrounded by nothing yet feel solidness beneath her feet. The Drusilians must have amazing abilities to create something like this.
She loved traveling to new worlds—and space stations—and experiencing alien technology up close and personal. There was so much to see and to learn! As endless as space itself, the galaxy contained infinite wonders. Since the launch of Sputnik centuries ago, Terra had achieved great technological strides—evidenced by her standing on an alien space station. But there was so much more to learn from other races on other planets.
Extending her arms, so she didn’t slam into a wall she couldn’t see, she advanced. Finally, she touched an invisible barrier. Energized glass? A force field?
Penelope peered into the black. Stars, solid points of light, extended out to forever. She was alone in the silent vastness.
She marveled, taking a cleansing, tension-releasing breath.
A rough hand clapped over her mouth, and she was jerked against a massive, solid form. “Do exactly what I tell you, and you won’t get hurt,” a gravelly voice rasped in her ear. A hard, male body flattened her against the transparent barrier.
Married to the Cyborg is currently in editing and will be released later this month (September). Download instructions will be provided in an upcoming newsletter issue. Subscribe here.
About Cara Bristol
USA Today bestselling author Cara Bristol has been the no. 1 best seller in science fiction romance, bdsm erotica, and holiday fiction on Amazon. She’s the author of two science fiction romance series featuring tough alpha heroes: the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance cyborg series and the Breeder science fiction romance series, which emphasize character-driven stories written with a touch of humor and sizzling chemistry between the hero and heroine. Cara lives in Missouri with her own alpha hero, her husband.
Connect with Cara via the following: Author Newsletter, Author Website, Facebook Author Page, Amazon Author page, Goodreads Author Page, Personal Facebook or Twitter.
Interview with Author Cara Bristol
It is a pleasure to welcome author Cara Bristol, author of Married to the Cyborg.
Welcome Cara 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.
Everyday Fangirl: Tell us about Married to the Cyborg.
Cara: Married to the Cyborg is a brand new, FREE science fiction romance, a spinoff from Stranded with the Cyborg, book 1, of the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance series. It tells what happens to Brock and Penelope, the hero and heroine of Stranded, after their book ends. However, Married is a complete story, a standalone read with no spoilers and no cliffhangers. If you haven’t read the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance series, you can still enjoy Married with the Cyborg; it won’t spoil the rest of the series for you. If you have read the other books, you’ll enjoy seeing what familiar characters are up to now. I wrote Married to the Cyborg as thank you to my newsletter subscribers, and to introduce new readers to the series.
Everyday Fangirl: What’s the book about?
Cara: Glitz. Glamour. Kidnapping.
Anyone who is anyone attends the annual Association of Planets gala, the largest, fanciest soiree in the galaxy. Escorted by her husband Brock, Penelope “Pia” Aaron attends the event, to mix and mingle with the galaxy’s power elite to further her career as an AOP ambassador.
Brock Mann isn’t there to serve as his wife’s plus-one. A cyborg and a field agent with the covert force Cyber Operations, Brock knows the glitzy, glamorous evening isn’t going to end happily for one individual. An intercepted partial communique has revealed that one gala attendee will be the target of a kidnapping. Who the intended victim is, why the person is being taken and by whom—that’s what Cy-Ops must find out to stop the abduction.
And then Pia is taken. Without knowing who or why she was targeted, Brock must race against the clock to find his wife before she’s killed.
Everyday Fangirl: Now, you mention the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance series. What is that about?
Cara: Cy-Ops stands for Cyber Operations, a secret paramilitary organization of cyborgs who are fighting to keep the galaxy safe from terrorism. The series logline is, “Saving the girl and galaxy one mission at a time.” I wanted to create romance heroes who are truly heroic—flawed, but brave men who risk their lives to save others.
Everyday Fangirl: What exactly is a cyborg?
Cara: A cyborg is a human being who has been enhanced with computer and/or mechanical parts, which give them extraordinary abilities. Think of the Six Million Dollar Man. Cyborgs are rough, tough, super strong. Ultimate alpha heroes!
Everyday Fangirl: How can readers get Married to the Cyborg? When will it be released?
Cara: They can get it by subscribing to my newsletter. Married to the Cyborg is currently in editing and will be released later this month (September). Download instructions will be provided in an upcoming newsletter issue. Subscribe here.
Everyday Fangirl: Anything else you want to say about Married to the Cyborg?
Cara: As a special treat for readers of Everyday Fangirl an excerpt for this book will be shared here! Therefore, please stop by for a sneak peak!
Everyday Fangirl: Is science fiction romance all you write?
Cara: It’s my current focus. Cy-Ops is my second sci-fi romance series. I got my start writing spanking romance/BDSM light, but I’ve also written a couple of paranormals. I do have a domestic discipline (spanking romance) book coming out on September 6.
Thank you so much Cara for stopping by and sharing this with us!
About Cara Bristol
USA Today bestselling author Cara Bristol has been the no. 1 best seller in science fiction romance, bdsm erotica, and holiday fiction on Amazon. She’s the author of two science fiction romance series featuring tough alpha heroes: the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance cyborg series and the Breeder science fiction romance series, which emphasize character-driven stories written with a touch of humor and sizzling chemistry between the hero and heroine. Cara lives in Missouri with her own alpha hero, her husband.
Connect with Cara via the following: Author Newsletter, Author Website, Facebook Author Page, Amazon Author page, Goodreads Author Page, Personal Facebook or Twitter.
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