Interview with romance author Cara Bristol

Today's special guest is romance author Cara Bristol. She's here chatting about her newest novel, Mated with the Cyborg (Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance 2).

During her virtual book tour, Cara will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Multi-published, Cara Bristol is the author of more than 23 erotic romance titles. She writes science fiction, contemporary, and paranormal erotic romance. No matter what the subgenre, one thing remains constant: her emphasis on character-driven seriously hot erotic stories with sizzling chemistry between the hero and heroine. Cara has lived many places in the United States, but currently lives in Missouri with her husband. She has two grown stepkids. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading and traveling.

Welcome, Cara. Please tell us about your current release.

In the Cy-Ops series, Terra and the other planets of the galaxy are threatened by terrorists. Kai Andros is a cyborg operative (spy) who goes undercover as android on the enemy’s space station. His mission is to get the intel that will bring down the reclusive terrorist leader. When he discovers that the enemy general intends to kill his own daughter, he’s forced to choose between his mission and saving her life.

This is the blurb:

Kai Andros’s orders were simple. Get in. Gather the intel on the terrorist organization. Get out.

Then he met her. Mariska. Beautiful. Innocent. Ignorant of her father’s atrocities. And marked for death.

His orders said nothing about saving her. But he did. He went off-mission.

Can a rogue cyborg outrun both Cyber Operations and the terrorists to save the woman he loves?

Mated with the Cyborg is an action-packed erotic sci-fi romance between a man with a mission and a woman with a secret that jeopardizes their lives and the fate of the galaxy.

What inspired you to write this book.

I fell in love with cyborgs. They’re part man, part computer/machine and are the ultimate alpha male. But when they meet their Ms. Right, they fall hard. In most other sci-fi romances, cyborgs are created by an evil government who use them as soldiers and force them to fight. I wanted to offer something different. My cyborgs are rough and tough, but they are operatives, spies who are fighting to save the galaxy from terrorism, which was inspired by present day threats.

Excerpt from Mated with the Cyborg:

Mariska’s dress dragged along the metal floor as she headed for the general’s receiving room. People glanced at R981, but the android could have been alone for all the notice they paid her. Her veil seemed to render her invisible.

If only she could truly disappear. Years had passed since the last summons. Why had her father called her? Nervousness slickened her palms, and she had to concentrate to avoid wiping them and leaving a telltale stain on her clothing. The only thing worse than being afraid was showing it. At least her voluminous skirt hid her wobbling knees. Outside her father’s fortified headquarters, she halted and took a deep breath. I can do this. I can do this.

“You are nervous,” stated R981 in his stilted, but gravelly voice. No other android had vocals like his. His rumbling tone vibrated through her in a most disturbing way.

“No, I’m not,” she quickly refuted. Fear was a flaw. Flaws were punished. Although R981 was assigned to her, he had been programmed to report misbehavior and anomalies to her father.

The solid black orbs of his robotic eyes blinked once. “I detect pupil constriction, increased perspiration and respiration, which indicate fear.”

“I believe you are mistaken and require a full diagnostic. How long has it been since your last maintenance overhaul?”

“I am a new model entered into service five weeks ago. I do not require maintenance for another fifty-five point four days.”

She needed to shore up her courage, but R981 pulled open the door, making it clear he served her father. Just like the other droids.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m working on the third (still untitled) Cy-Ops Sci-fi romance. It will be Dale Homme’s story. He’s a secondary character in Mated with the Cyborg, but is such a cool guy, he needed his own book. Although I plan to focus on sci-fi romance in 2016, in February, I’ll have a “sooper sekrit” short BDSM romance that will come out in an anthology. To catch both books, sign up for my newsletter.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve been writing for so long, it’s hard to remember that once it actually was hard to announce, “I am a writer.” I was a journalism and PR professional before I became author. I’ve been writing fiction for more than 20 years, but I’ve only been writing erotic romance since 2009. Mated with the Cyborg is my 23rd book.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I do write full time. I get about 5:30 a.m., grab a cup of coffee and hit the computer. I answer email, respond to comments on my blog, check Facebook, etc. for about an hour, and then I start to write. I’ll work until about 9 a.m. when I break for breakfast and a shower. By 10:30 a.m., I’m back at the computer. I work until about 4 p.m, with a half-hour break for lunch.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I can’t write sex scenes if someone is in the room with me. That’s why my husband and I no longer share a home office. Lol.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I considered a lot of careers. Until junior high, I wanted to be teacher. After that, I thought about interior decorator, private investigator, and biologist. By the time I was filling out my college applications, I fortunately realized I loved to write most of all. I chose journalism because it involved writing. I became a newspaper reporter and then PR professional. However, being a romance author is the BEST gig in the world. I love it.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Yes, three things. First, thank you! Thank you for buying and reading my books and for all the reviews you write. I do read them and I do evaluate the criticism I’ve received and have made some changes in what I write based on what some readers have said. Second, although Cy-Ops is a series, each book can be read as a stand-alone. You don’t have the read the books in order. Third, I have another sci-fi romance series: Breeder. It’s “edgier” than Cy-Ops, and may not be for everyone, but it’s quite compelling. The books are Breeder, Terran, and Warrior. You should read that series in order.

Links:

Cara Bristol website/blog | Author Newsletter | Facebook Author Page | Amazon Author page | Twitter

Buy Links:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Barnes and Noble | All Romance | 

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