The Conley Corner

It's Monday again...Time for another installment in my D/FW Author Meet 'n' Greet Series of Authors.  On December 7th, a bunch of us are meeting at a The Coffee House Caffee in Dallas to say hello!  Every Monday on my blog between now and then, you can meet one of us!

Today, we're going to meet CA Szarek. author of Collision Force and Chance Collision.

I honestly can't wait to meet the ladies at this shindig.  It's going to be so much freakin' fun!

1. What motivates you to sit down and write?

Consistency is best for me. So, if I write every day, I write EVERY DAY. Once I start I tend to keep it up. The need to write kinda drives me, so I am thinking about it all day, then when it’s time to write, I’m raring to go.

2.  Where does your inspiration come from?

I don’t think I consciously get inspiration from anything in particular, but I think maybe I get it from anything, anywhere. Life experience, hearing about something, seeing something on TV. Sometimes things come out when I sit down to write. I don’t think of them as “pre-planned.”

3.  What do you think your greatest strength is in your writing?

I think I’m really good at writing emotion, sexual tension and deep POV, meaning you really see through the characters eyes. I think I write real people. :D

4.  Tell a little about your most recent work.  Title, genre, and tag line.

Collision Force is the first book in my Crossing Forces series, and it’s a steamy romantic suspense. It’s about a badboy FBI agent, Cole Lucas, and a feisty single mom police detective, Andi MacLaren that are forced to work together to go after a human trafficker. They don’t like each other very much, so their relationship is full of tension and smart ass until they put their differences aside to work together and fall in love along the way.

5.  Tell us about your favorite character from the book.  

Cole, the hero/male lead. He’s kinda my dream guy. He’s a smartass, but he’s dedicated to his job. He’s never really been in love before and he’s very alpha male, so I love seeing him grow and change in the book.

6.  Do you have any words of advice or encouragement for other writers who are looking to publish?

Know if you want this, you’ll have to fight for it. But. If you want it, go for it. Never. Ever. Give up.

7  What makes a good story?

Well, I feel like it’s got to be interesting and different. I realize these are really subjective, but it also has to be a mix of emotions. You have to have laughter and tears and the author has to know the characters well enough to give them flaws as well as strengths so they’re real. The characters make the story, in essence. They have to grow and change and the reader has to be able to see this, as well as see something in the characters they can recognize in themselves. If it’s good enough, the reader really connects with the characters. 

8.  How do you market your work?

I’m really big on social media. I always say I’m obnoxious on Facebook. I am on Twitter, Goodreads, I have a website and blog, but I kinda live on FB.

9.  Do you have a current work in progress?  Can you tell a little bit about it?

Yes! Several actually. I’m working on book 3 of my Crossing Forces Series, as well as book 4 because I’m a glutton for punishment. Book 3 is about Lee and Nate and it’s called Calculated Collision. He’s lawyer, she’s FBI and he witnesses his best friend get gunned down. He has to go into protective custody and things go from there. I’m almost done. Like I will have it wrapped up within about a week. I’m excited about that.

10..  Tell us about yourself, outside of writing.

I’m married, have two dogs and a cat. I love kids, and I have two jobs, both involving them. During the week I’m the Juvenile Case Manager for two city municipal courts and work at a Shelter for teens on the weekends. I like to scrapbook, and I’m an avid reader! I love books. Reading and writing them!

Collision Force by C.A. Szarek

Book One in the Crossing Forces series.


If you loved The Heist: A Novel by Janet Evanovich and Fatal Error by Colleen Thompson, then you will not be able to put down this absolute treat!


Bad boy FBI agent and feisty widowed police detective collide pursuing a human trafficker in small town Texas on their way to true love.


Bad boy, married to his job FBI agent Cole Lucas always gets his man. So when the unthinkable happens and one gets away, Cole grits his teeth and hunts human trafficker Carlo Maldonado all the way to Antioch, Texas, where he collides with Detective Andi MacLaren.

Cole doesn’t do small towns and doesn’t get involved with women he works with, but Andi tempts him in ways he doesn’t want to acknowledge.

Two murders, her partner shot and leading the investigation on her own, the last thing Andi needs is a cocky FBI agent who sees her as no more than a tagalong.

Widow and single mother Andi is used to being on her own. When Cole gets stuck without a place to stay, crashing on her couch puts them in dangerous territory.

Attraction and passion bring Andi to a place she’d left behind when her husband died. Her three-year-old son quickly wiggles his way into Cole’s heart, and he starts contemplating things—family, love—that he’d never planned for himself.

Can being forced to work together make them stronger or will their differences jeopardise their case and their hearts?

Due to technical difficulties, I'm having to "borrow" stuff from Amazon, because my internet is STUPID.

Sorry about that...

Here's an exerpt:

“Goodnight, Cole.” Obviously, she didn’t want to talk to him about anything, let alone his overdue apology.

“So, that’s it? You’re not going to accept my apology?”

“Not tonight. I’m tired, and we have a long day tomorrow.” She turned to go.

“Andi, wait.” Why was he calling her back? He could respect that she was still upset with him—she had every right to be. He’d gone a bit overboard with some of the things he’d said. 

Keeping Cass’ phone call from her had been unnecessary from the start. He hadn’t needed to carry it on in the car after they’d left the warehouse. It’d only served  to get her so pissed off at him she’d barely uttered a word all day. So much for getting somewhere on the case.  

Andi glanced over her shoulder and Cole grabbed her wrist. He yanked her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. 

He hadn’t intended to kiss her but as her soft, warm lips caressed his, Cole couldn’t have changed his mind even if he’d wanted to. Her curves hit his chest with  enough impact that should have jarred him back into his head, but he was lost and overheated immediately. He wrapped her in a tight embrace and kissed her harder.  

She fought him, but his mouth was demanding over hers, and Andi opened for him, melting against him, surrendering to him. She slipped her arms around his neck and Cole bit back a groan. Her taste, sweeter than he’d imagined, was like ripe berries.  He needed more.  

Andi whimpered against his mouth, her tongue dancing with his. His cock stood at attention, straining against his zipper. He moaned as her body melded to his, breasts to  chest, hips to hips. Cole had to have her.  

As he walked them back towards the couch, she pushed hard against his chest, breaking the kiss and shoving him away from her. They both panted hard.  

“Don’t…don’t ever do that…again,” she stammered, the gorgeous swell of her breasts lifting and pulling her shirt taut as her chest heaved. He could see peaked nipples. His erection throbbed and he struggled for coherent thought.  

Cole dragged his gaze to her face. Blue eyes wide, cheeks rosy, freckles noticeable, her lips swollen from his. Though she’d been appealing before, how she stood before him now blew that out of the water. She was gorgeous.  

He needed to say something. Anything. Apologise? He wasn’t sorry in the least.  Speechless just about covered it. 

She trembled and rubbed her arm. It took all he was made of not to pull her back to him and kiss her again.

There was no chance to answer. Andi turned on her heel and fled down the hall, slipping into the room farthest away from the living room. She didn’t even pause to look at him as she slammed the door.  

He winced. What the hell should he make of what had happened? He stared down the hallway for a moment, his heart pounding. Never in his life, not even when he was a  teenager, had one kiss stirred him to the point that Andi’s had. Then she’d run from him.  His body shook with unfulfilled need. 

Cole couldn’t blame her, really. No way should he have given in to the urge to kiss her. But he had the sinking suspicion he would have to do it again—and more. He wouldn’t be able not to. And hell, she’d kissed him back.

The voice of reason chided that he didn’t get involved with women he worked with, but his cock certainly disagreed. He ignored them both and dragged his hand over his face. The morning would bring complications.  

Cole sighed and glanced at the couch. It looked comfortable, but would he be able to sleep?

Oh...that looks good...  Here's what she's working on now, coming out in January...Chance Collision...

Vowing to protect her had nothing to do with feelings. 

Detective Pete Crane catches a new shooting case and considers it business-as-usual. But when 

the lead witness is the Chief of Police’s fiery assistant, he never anticipated she’d challenge 

him—personally and professionally. Especially while under his protection. 

Little do they know, the shooting she and her grandmother witnessed was anything but random.

Thrown together, their attraction sizzles, even though she’s squarely in the no-fly zone. She 

makes him break every rule in his little black book.

Nikki Harper has been attracted to Pete since they met two years ago. Witnessing a brutal 

shooting throws her into a stigma that’s always been her greatest fear: a victim. She has 

no choice but to accept his protective custody and let him help save her and her beloved 

grandmother. 

Can Pete protect his witness and solve the case, while fighting the intense heat with Nikki?

Contact her at:

Blog: www.caszarekwriter.blogspot.com
Website: www.caszarek.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/caszarek
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5815085.C_A_Szarek
Facebook: www.facebook.com/caszarek
Newsletter signup: http://www.caszarek.com/newsletter/
Fan email: ca@caszarek.com