Please tell us a bit about yourself: Hello, all! My name is AR DeClerck. I’m an adventure romance
author. I write books set in scifi, fantasy and steampunk worlds, and my
characters ALWAYS get themselves into some kind of trouble. In my day-to-day
life I’m a mother, wife and dialysis technician. I have two dogs and a lazy cat
to sit near my feet when I write my books.
Tell us about Bound
to You:
What inspired you to write this particular
story?: I saw a music video by a favorite band, and I
started thinking about the people in the video. How did they get to that point?
What brought them all to this place? The story grew from there.
Please share a favourite snippet from your
book:
Jacks
leaned against the door and tried to control himself. He was a fucking mess,
and this was not the way to try to power an alien machine. He needed to be
focused and sure of what he was doing.
That
was the problem. He wasn't sure. The minute he'd realized what the reinforced
room meant, every promise he'd made to Lia went out the window. They were not
doing this together, no fucking way. He'd seen the results of radiation
poisoning in his classes at the IGU, and he knew that the Illaran machine must
put out massive amounts to warrant such a remote, closed room.
He
looked up, and saw that above the machine there were doors, like hangar doors
that must open to the surface. Surely, if the energy the machine created was to
destroy the wormhole, the doors opened up to allow the energy out.
He
looked up and saw that Lia was pressed against the window, her palms flat on
the glass as her eyes followed his every move. He tried to ignore her, but knew
it was impossible. He went to her, and placed his palms on the glass, mirroring
hers.
"Don't
die." she mouthed to him, her voice carried away by the thick glass.
He
tried to think of something reassuring to say, but found nothing, so he nodded.
She was torn up, the gamut of emotions coming off her end of the bond
physically painful. He winced, and rubbed his chest, and she stepped back,
lessening the flow. They were learning to control the flow between them with
every day that passed, and he knew that, if he tried, he could completely shut
her out. He held on to that knowledge, praying he wouldn't need to use it.
He
backed away and looked around the room. He was here, but he had no idea what to
do next.
"I'm
here." he said aloud, hoping Layl was nearby. "What now?"
A
moment passed, then two, but nothing happened. He looked at Lia and raised a
shoulder. She pointed, and he turned as the terminals inside the room suddenly
came on. The same scrolling Illaran letters were running, and he leaned closer.
They made no sense to him at all, the figures completely different than any
language he'd ever seen.
"Uh,
okay." he called out to Layl. "Still no idea what to do."
He
could almost picture Layl's frustrated growl, as the computer nearest him
stopped scrolling, and the screen froze. He leaned an elbow on the table and
studied it. It was a diagram of the machine, complete with pictures showing him
how to open the domed lid.
He
moved to the machine, looking for the same buttons on the machine that he saw
on the screen. He pressed it, and the dome slid back. He grinned and looked at
Lia, who'd covered her mouth with her hand as she stared at the machine. He
went back to the computer and the picture flipped, showing the person climbing
bodily inside the machine as the dome slid closed over them.
"Illaran
death machine for dummies." he murmured, going back to the machine. He
looked up at Lia, and tried to send her reassurance through the bond.
She
didn't move, but her fingers curled against the glass as he sat on the bed of
the machine and swung his legs up. He laid back and as his head touched the
pillowed rest the dome slid closed over him.
No fan
of enclosed spaces he found that breathing was easy inside the machine, but he
could smell the engine oil and grease the Illarans had used. It was as if the
machine had been constructed yesterday as opposed to three thousand years ago.
He wiggled his fingers and toes, hoping that Layl could turn the thing on
himself.
He
waited, but after a minute nothing had happened. He sighed and tried to sit up,
and the dome slid back as if understanding him. He went back to the computer,
waving at Lia as she paced outside of the window. She didn't wave back, but she
stopped to watch him, her eyes big in her pale face. He watched as the image on
the screen changed, showing the machine drawing energy from the person inside.
Some writing narrated, but it made no sense. The image changed again, showing a
brain scan with massive electrical impulse. He knew his own scans looked
similar. He realized then that he knew what to do.
He
climbed back inside the machine and lay down, the dome sliding closed over him.
He closed his eyes and thought about what he wanted the machine to do. As he'd
expected, the machine was in tune with his mental wiring. He felt it hum to
life under his back, the vibrations deep in his muscles. Lights came on over
his body, and there was a steady humming that grew louder as he waited. It was
powering up, and soon it would be ready to pull the energy from his body and
direct it at the wormhole, hopefully permanently closing the spacial anomaly
that anchored Verhagnis to the planet.
Which comes first for you – a character's
looks, personality or name?: A combination of name and personality. The looks get filled
in as I’m writing the story, usually pulled from the other character’s
thoughts.
Any tips for aspiring authors?: Don’t give up. Don’t give in. There is a lot of pressure in
the industry to write what “readers want”, and sometimes that can skew your own
creativity. It’s hard to find a niche, but following the crowd and being like
“everyone else” leaves books flat and uninteresting. Forge your own path, blaze
your own trails. Write for you and for your readers and your authenticity will
pay off.
Questions for fun:
If you had the power of time travel, is
there anything you would go back and change? Why/why not?: No. I am a firm believer that messing with the past is far
too tricky a business for anyone, especially me. One wrong step and Napolean’s
grandson is the King of England.
What super-power would you choose?: Healing. Definitely. Myself and others.
If you could have three wishes, what would
they be?: 1) happiness for my kids and family 2)no one
goes hungry again 3)free sustainable energy that doesn’t destroy the planet
Coffee, tea or wine?: I’m from the Southern USA, so it’s cold sweet tea. The
sweeter the better. Dark brewed!
What is your favourite book? (aside from
one of your own!): A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeline
L’Engle. The book changed my life, opened my eyes to the magic of the world and
the written word.
Favourite genre and why?: Steampunk! I love the idea that one little adjustment to
historical fact can create so many possibilities. I love the adventure and the
science all the what-ifs!
Favourite colour?: Green.
Upcoming news and plans for the future?: I will be releasing a 3 novel/1novella bundle as a sample for
my readers, so they can get a taste of my writing style on March 1st.
April 29th I will release my second magical steampunk adventure
novel, The Enchanter’s Embrace. (followup to The Alchemist’s Kiss)
Thank you so much for taking the time to
talk to us!
Amy’s Links:
Find all my books at www.amazon.com/author/ardeclerck
Bio:
AR DeClerck is a harried madwoman with nineteen kids,
one good eye and a limp. Ok, ok. She squints often, limps sometimes, and she
has two kids. But the ‘harried madwoman’ part stands! She was born in North
Carolina, USA but currently lives with her husband and kids in the Quad Cities.
When she’s not working as a mom or dialysis technician she is writing adventure
romance novels. AR believes that LOVE is the greatest adventure.
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