Please welcome fellow Decadent Publishing and science fiction romance author, Clare Dargin to the blog!

CD: Hi Jessica!  It’s a great to be here!

Tell us about your new release.

CD: My pleasure!  Its called Cold Warriors.

Here’s a blurb- Left in cryogenic stasis for nearly a century, Caitlin Driskoll is awakened and drafted into a war she knows nothing about. Expected to defend a world where her kind is despised and expendable, she discovers love and respect from the one man who can’t be associated with her.

Lieutenant Colonel Medoro Keegan has spent a lifetime in the Marines. With no family to speak of, the Corps and his ship, the USS Blanchard, are all the loved ones he needs…until Caitlin sparks a fire within, that threatens to consume him if he doesn’t walk away.

Will he choose a life of certainty in the only world he knows or give it all to Caitlin and run the risk of losing someone, yet again?

Cryogenics fascinates me! Describe the heroine, Caitlin, in three words.

CD: Determined, Vulnerable and Loving

What traits does the hero, Keegan, posses that make Caitlin swoon?

CD: He’s strong, courageous, fair and has a weak spot for her.

Oh, that dreaded weak spot. LOL What was your inspiration for this story?

CD: The Antarctic journey of Robert Falcon Scott.   One day I was watching a Nova episode and I was fascinated and moved by the heart and the tragic struggle of their journey.  And I thought, what if that was a woman and not a man?  The story kind of grew from that…

Who is your favorite character from this book? Can you include an excerpt involving this character?

CD: To be honest, it’s the Colonel Keegan.  He is so hot!  And so tortured and mixed up!  I think this scene really is indicative of his feelings for Caitlin.

He didn’t know what to say. His first clash with her had distracted him to the point of madness. It had been some time since he’d had such a powerful encounter with a woman. The last one to push his buttons that hard, he wound up marrying.

Caitlin was stubborn, mouthy, somewhat insubordinate, and filled with an innate force he had not seen in sometime. She had no problem in standing up for who or what she believed in. He didn’t like the feelings she stirred in him. He dare not consider them. Especially with her. She was a subordinate and a cryo. It was against regulations for him to even think of starting anything with her.

He shifted his stance. His heart pounded in his ears and breaths quickened. “Ms. Driskoll. I don’t know what you expect from me.”

“Nothing more than I expect from myself.”

Before he knew it, he crossed the distance between them and swept her into a searing kiss. He caressed her body, touching every curve. Arousal sped through his body like lightening. He dug his fingers in her hair and hungrily dominated her mouth, his tongue delving in, playing with hers. Gripping her waist, he lifted her up and placed on her the table. She arched her neck exposing her creamy skin. He nipped and bit at it enjoying its smoothness. He reached up and caressed her breasts, a need filling him to see them, taste them.

He was ready to slip off into oblivion when he remembered himself. It was the middle of the day; they were in a briefing room and would be caught. Breaking off the kiss, he raised his hands in surrender.

“Jesus,” he said in between breaths.

“What?” she panted, as she straightened her uniform.

“Please leave. Just go.” He closed his eyes, wrestling his feelings into submission. Holding them down, he shuddered. Dear God, help me. He needed her so badly. His breathing slowed to a normal rate. When he opened his eyes, she was gone.

“Sir, you’re needed on the bridge,” the voice on the com said.

“Be right there,” he replied, grateful for the distraction.

Great excerpt! How long have you been writing with the hopes of publication?

CD: Ever since I could write!

How did you get started?

CD: The publication process?  Oh my goodness.  Well I tried publishing with small ‘zines in the 90’s and found it very hard to be accepted.  They had hard stipulations for being published on top of buying a copy of their issue!  Then after being rejected and sometimes insulted by every agent and editor under the sun, I stumbled upon a small press.  I submitted and I was accepted!  But they folded before I could be published.  So emboldened with the hope that one of my stories was publishable, I expanded one of my short stories into a full length novel and submitted to an small indie press and not only did they accept it but they loved it!  That novel was Cold Warriors.  I have since revised and republished it with Decadent Publishing and they have been amazing to work with.

What genres do you write in, and what appeals to you about those genres?

CD: I write primarily in the areas of Science Fiction and Romance.  Ever since Star Wars, I have been blown away by the ‘what if’ question.  What if we lived in a world where space travel is common place?  What if life existed on different planets and what could happened if we interacted?

As for Romance– I am sucker for romance.  Let me put it this way, when I was a kid, I loved watching G.I. Joe on tv.  While I thought the guys and the guns were cool, me and my best friends used two of our action figures to play out the implied romance between two of the characters “Mainframe and Zarana.”  Yeah, kind of weird but it was the 80’s and I was young.  I guess you had to be there to understand.

What other titles do you have published? 

CD: Speculative Sky-  Astronomer April Mullen is warned to stay away from the lights in the night sky.  But what happens when her curiosity gets the best of her?

Zenward’s Magic- Hunted by a demon, Marius Zenward is on the run.  Captivated by his mystery and torn by her desire, Corrigan Heilyn longs to be with him but Marius holds her at bay because of a horrible secret that follows him from town to town. Will the special magic that only he possesses set them free?

Fugue- Determined to safeguard the lives of his men, Lt. Chad Meyer, must use all of his courage, will and stamina to make sure that they survive against their non-human foe.

Kybernatia- Gabrielle Burle, project manager for the development of the planet Kybernatia, is forced out of her job under a veil of secrecy, when the planet undergoes a horrible accident.

Determined to find the truth, Gabrielle goes on a journey of discovery that leads to the one man with all the answers.

What are you working on now?

CD: I am presently editing a steamy erotic romance.  I am sure your readers will be very pleased!

Me, too! Can you describe your daily writing routine?

CD: Staring at the computer.  No really, I turn on my computer and put on some inspiring music and get to writing!

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

CD: Definitely a pantser.  I tried being a plotter.  Didn’t work.

What genres do you enjoy reading?

CD: Erotic Romances,  Science Fiction and Romantic Suspense.

What author(s) have influenced your writing style?

CD: Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.  Their story telling is amazing!  The way they craft the world in where there character’s live almost make me feel like I’m an expert right along with them.

Oh my gosh! I LOVE Preston and Child, both together and their separate titles! Where do your best ideas come from?

CD: Just depends.  Watching people, documentaries, movies, tv.

What is your favorite book that you’ve read?

CD: Too hard to choose.  Depends on the mood I’m in.

Who is your favorite character from any of the books you’ve read?

CD: Boris Zankoff in the Amoveo- Undenied.

What writing/writer’s organizations are you involved with? Can you explain how they help your writing and/or your writing career?

CD: I have been involved in several chapters of the RWA and a few local writing chapters as well.  They really helped me hone my skill and network with other writers.  Sometimes writing can be lonely!

Do you belong to a critique group or have critique partners? If so, what have you learned from them? How has it affected your writing?

CD: I have been involved with several critique groups.  They really helped me to develop characterization and understand how to craft the romance in a romance novel.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?

CD: Don’t be afraid to take constructive criticism.  Never give up honing your skills.  And just because someone says no, that doesn’t mean someone else won’t say yes.

Is there anything else my readers should know about you?

CD: I really love talking to my fans!  I’m a fan girl myself!

Where can my readers find you?

CD: My blog | Facebook | Twitter

Where can my readers find your books?

CD: They are all available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance Ebooks and other retail outlets.

Jessica thanks for hosting me!

It is my pleasure! I hope you’ll come back and visit!

Author Bio:

Clare Dargin is a an author of Science Fiction and Military Science Fiction Romance. She has been writing stories all of her life before being published in 2007. She is a great fan of all things science fiction and romance and loves promoting the genre.

She is an educator by profession and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from a major mid-western university. She presently resides in the Midwestern United States and is pursuing a graduate degree. In the future she hopes to expand her writings to include non-fiction, historical romance, and contemporary novels.