Clare Dargin

Cold Warriors

by Clare Dargin

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?

Excerpt--

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. 

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.

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.  

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Virginnia de Parté

A TALENT FOR LOVING
by Virginnia de Parté

His talent is jumping between locations. Her talent is moving objects with her mind. Can they share their secrets and develop a talent for loving? 

Talents come in many guises.

William and Belinda, two genetically altered individuals meet years after leaving the government-rearing nursery for genetically altered infants. Their late development allowed them to escape a life devoted to the government's defence departments. If their skills are now discovered they are in danger of conscription by the government.

William, whose talent is to move through space between locations in the blink of an eye, has devoted his life to protecting other ex-nursery adults. Belinda occasionally uses her talent, lifting objects of great weight with her thoughts. Their meeting leads to love and a raft of problems both struggle to overcome.

Can they trust each other enough to allow love to bloom? Can they risk the renewed attention of the Defence Department?

A Talent for Loving explores an alternate reality and discovers the one talent neither Belinda nor William can control - love.

Excerpt:

There it was again.

That tickling on the edge of her safety net. She always put her confusion barrier up when in the city.  Anyone wanting to approach her would be stifled at five paces away, their decision to approach would waver and hopefully they would give up their effort.  Any other pedestrian, not concerned or not noticing her would walk right on through it.  It was a handy device that kept her safe and a secret she shared that put her mother’s mind at rest.

Besides, you never knew when someone from the ‘Nursery’ might be checking up on your life.  Cursed people.  Thank God she’d escaped, been adopted by loving indulgent parents and was managing to live her life to the fullest

The sensation tickled her back again and she stopped mid-stride, turned and looked down the street.  There he was again, the same young man who’d stared at her in the supermarket the other day while she’d been shopping with her mother. He had to be about her own age - too young to be a government agent. What did he want from her?  Probably some creep who stalked people, unless it was a co-incidence? Could he be g-altered too?

Did he recognize her from the Nursery?  The children had mixed socially when they were growing up until the magic age of seven. Any friendships formed were then split asunder as some stayed, some were adopted and some seemed to vanish overnight. His face didn’t ring any bells in her memory. Had he been adopted as well? To be out in the world he must have. Those ‘conscripted’ didn’t enjoy the luxury of free will.

She ran her gaze slowly over him, taking in his tall frame, broad shoulders and thick, dark hair.  He met her gaze with equal interest before she turned and walked on. She could feel his indecision prickling again behind her. If he really wanted to talk to her then her confusion barrier would be stopping him.  A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She could feel his puzzled thoughts bouncing off her barrier, as other pedestrians streamed past close to her and wove between them. No doubt he couldn’t work out how they could get close to her and he couldn’t. 

She wondered if he’d work out how break through the barrier. No one else had so far. It wasn’t that she was against men or found the opposite sex unattractive. It was simply a matter of safety first. On reaching the corner she took the steps into the train station at a run, glad to be out of the wind and stopped to read the digital notice board’s moving message.  There was a ten minute wait till her next train on Platform three. Should she get a coffee to sip on the train?  She checked her barrier, no tickling, no irritation. He must have given up, or moved away.  Pity, obviously no stickability. He’d looked rather nice too. Ah well, he might try again and she just might let him approach next time.

LOVE’S RED HEART
by Virginnia De Parte

In the near future genetically altered individuals live among the wider population, not always trusted, wanted or even accepted. Jill Corban, a nurse from a  g-altered family is  looking for ways to control her chameleon genes. A vacation in to visit her family teaches her these skills and a meeting with Dr. Michael Scott offers her a chance at the kind of love she’s given up hope of ever finding.

  

Their romance takes a dusty trip through the heartland of Australia, blending tales of the Dream Time with adventure. Is their attraction to each other strong enough to survive the challenges of prejudice, a time stopping rescue, and challenges to Michaels research programme?

Can their desire survive these events and grow into love?      

Discover the beauty of the Red Desert and how the power of love can change a life, for Love’s Red Heart beats within us all.

Excerpt: 

That night, as she did every night, she polished her memories of the day and stored them away for the future. Every detail recorded and filed, she silently called to Michael. I’m safe. Charlie will take me home. She hoped he heard her. Somewhere, out there under the same sky, slept the handsome Maori healer who’d stolen her heart. Would he get back to Alice Springs before she left? She wanted to tell him she didn’t care if he only wanted Maori genes, he might have to make do with chameleon ones instead because that’s what she had to offer...

She’d needed the time to think and the last ten days had convinced her. Whatever the risk; however much heartache it might cause, she had to give her heart the freedom it demanded to fall in love, or to simply fall. Above her, slipping through the stars, their longing for each other joined in the night sky, like two ribbons entwined a purple trail through the deep indigo blue.