I have Cara Bristol visiting today with her latest release, Captured by the Cyborg. Cara's books are among my favorites, especially her sci-fi romances. Well, that's not true. Pretty much all of them! She's talking about why she writes cyborg sic-fi romance. Here's Cara:
When I started the Cy-Op Sci-fi Romance series, I wanted to create not just literary heroes, but heroes in the traditional sense: men who were flawed, but valiant and courageous, who risked their lives to make the world a better place. My cyborg heroes belong to a clandestine paramilitary organization called Cyber Operations, Cy-Ops for short.
Cy-Ops gets called in, not when the going gets tough, but when the going gets impossible. These men—cyborgs—know that on any one mission, they might not come back alive. Because of the covert, dangerous nature of their jobs, maintaining close, intimate relationships is difficult. Until they meet the heroine, of course, and then there’s a whole new level of difficulty. They fall, and fall hard.
I created an evil enemy, Lamis-Odg, a nation planet of religious terrorists. If that strikes a chord and reminds you of present-day threats, well, it’s supposed to. I introduce Lamis-Odg in book one, Stranded with the Cyborg. In Mated with the Cyborg, Lamis-Odg plays a central role. The hero goes undercover on a Lamis-Odg space station and ends up going AWOL to rescue the villainous general’s innocent daughter.
But Lamis-Odg isn’t the only threat out there. And, it’s no coincidence that in the series tagline, “Saving the girl and galaxy one mission at a time,” that the girl comes first. So in book 3 Captured with the Cyborg, I wanted to make the danger even more personal. Lamis-Odg is still mentioned, but remains in the background/backstory, and a new villain emerges: the heroine’s ex life mate.
“Illumina Smith” (her name is an alias) is a Faria, a humanoid alien. Faria marriages are arranged, and they mate for life. Only in very rare instances can their bond be dissolved. After heinous crime committed against her by her life mate, Illumina’s marriage is annulled. But the danger isn’t over…her ex is hunting her, seeking to finish the job—to kill her.
And Dale, our cyborg hero will do anything to keep her safe, even if it means locking her up.
Captured by the Cyborg Description
Sometimes the biggest risk is to one’s heart….
An ex-Cyber Operations field agent, Dale Homme has kissed danger and betrayal more times than he cares to count. Now he runs a clandestine factory beneath the surface of the moon Deceptio, where confidentiality and security matter more than anything. When a beautiful young woman arrives seeking a job, Dale knows within minutes she’s lying. Everything about her is false: her past, the people she claims to know, her reason for being on Deceptio. Illumina Smith? Even her name is an alias.
Logic says send her packing. His gut says she’s in trouble. She needs him. So he’ll do anything to keep her safe….even if it means keeping her captive.
Captured by the Cyborg is third in the Cy-Ops Sci-fi Romance series but is written to be read as a stand-alone novella.
Captured by the Cyborg Excerpt
Dale slapped his knees. “Here’s what’s going to happen. First, to put your mind at rest, let me assure you that Alonio is no threat to me. I’m a cyborg. Keeping people safe is what I do. He might succeed in drawing a little blood, but I’ll wipe up the mess with his ass. Second, while I doubt he can gain access to Deceptio, as a precaution, I’ll amp up security.”
“About that…” She had to tell him how she’d changed the entry protocol. He wouldn’t like that she’d gone behind his back. “I need to tell you…”
He held up his hand. “Let me finish. Third, you are not going anywhere. You’re staying right here where I can protect you.”
The autocratic edict set her teeth on edge. “You can’t keep me here!” She hadn’t fought so hard for her freedom and safety only to be dictated to by another man, however well intentioned. She was nobody’s captive!
“Yes, I can.”
Let him try! “As you’ve realized,” she said, “I’m a master sensate. A computer system doesn’t exist that I can’t infiltrate. I can hijack one of your spaceships and be gone before you realize there was a breach. Your entry and exit protocols, for instance—”
He leaned in until his breath caressed her ear, and he whispered, “Did your orientation tour happen to include a visit to the brig?”
He was threatening to lock her up? She jerked away and rounded on him. “What are you saying?”
“Moonbeam’s isolation can cause people to go a little crazy. We haven’t had anyone snap yet, but the possibility exists. You could be the first ward of the Deceptio jail.”
“I can access computer-controlled doors, too!” She crossed her arms.
He laughed. “You and half the employees on Deceptio—which is why they’re not computer controlled.” From his pocket he pulled out a metal ring and dangled some odd-shaped jagged objects. “Good old-fashioned locks and keys. The best antiques money can buy.”
She leaped off the bench. “You’d imprison me?”
Buy links
Captured with the Cyborg is available in ebook and print.
Author bio/links
USA Today bestselling author Cara Bristol has published more than twenty-five erotic romance titles, including contemporary and science fiction 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.