Monday, April 14, 2014

Author C.A. Szarek and The Tartan MP3 Player excerpt

I'm thrilled to welcome author C.A. Szarek back to my blog.  Not only is she sharing an excerpt from her new novel The Tartan MP3 Player but she's also answering a few questions for my feature, One Last Time.  If you're curious about C.A.'s last celebrity crush or the chore that makes her go Ewww, keep reading!



           
      1.  Last person I kissed...
Hmmm, I am pretty sure hubs gets this one. LOL.

2.      2.  Last time I said "I love you"...
Today! When I said goodbye to some good friends from attending a conference hosted by my writer group. I told my hubs the same when I got home. J

3.      3.  Last celebrity crush...
There are too many to count. I adore The Rock. A more recent one that has come on to the radar is Tom Mison, from Sleepy Hollow. Gosh he’s hot. And I adore Alex O’Loughlin from Hawaii 5-O.

4.  Last chore I did...
Took out the trash. Ewww. But necessary.

5.  Last thing I do before bed...
Read usually. It’s my time to unwind before I sleep. I love it. Me time in a different way than writing is.

6.  Last time I cursed...
Lol. Probably today. I kinda have a potty mouth. Those who know me well can attest…

7.  Last time I had fried food...
Hmmm…Friday. Chicken fingers, and they were yummy! LOL!




The Tartan MP3 Player excerpt

Claire gets sucked into 1672, naked and scared. Duncan rescues her only to realize she's the key to finding his brother who was kidnapped by the Fae. Can they work together and both get what they want? Will sudden passion for each other change their goals?

“I’m going with you.”
A week had past and neither of them was closer to what they wanted.
Home for Claire and Alex for Duncan.
She still couldn’t remember anything before ‘waking up’ on the beach of Skye. Or how she’d got to his time. Even though he was convinced she’d travelled through the Faery Stones.
And Duncan was supposed to leave in the morning to continue his quest for them.
He laughed long and hard. “A lass on a pirate ship. Sorry, but it’s not a pleasure cruise. I’ve told ye what I seek. We’ll figure out another way ye can help.”
“Right.” Claire took a deep breath. “Your purpose is my purpose. You want to find your brother, and I want to get home.”
But did she?
Claire was already fond of this huge Highlander.
More than fond?
Her heart stuttered, but she ignored it. Duncan had been nothing but kind and honorable with her, even if his whole clan—his whole family—assumed she was sleeping with him.
Sleeping yes—as in his bed.
Every night.
Sex?
Not so much.
God, I wish.
Duncan said nothing, but he stared at her like he always did.
Claire took a step toward him, closing the distance between them in his office—ledger room—he’d called it. “We’ve talked about this. You need my help, and I want to help. Besides, maybe I can sense something, or something will jog my memory. And I can figure out how I got to that beach. It’s worth a shot.”
His massive chest rose and fell as he let out an audible breath.
Claire was holding hers.
Duncan was her familiar in this very foreign land of the past since she’d been here. She couldn’t imagine being left in the castle while he was gone for possibly months.
She adored his sister, liked his father all right, and of course little Angus, but… the thought of Duncan leaving her churned her stomach.
Historical romance novels hadn’t covered just how difficult life in this time was. Hard work, and boring with no TV, movies, not even her damn MP3 player. What was worse, she couldn’t read or speak Gaelic or Latin, so the books here were out, too.
No automation. Everything was manual labor, even cooking and laundry. Being a guest, she wasn’t expected to help Janet and the female staff with the castle day-to-day, but she didn’t want to sit around and be useless.
So Claire had been scrubbing floors on all fours, using a washboard to clean clothing and bed linens. Even smacking the dust out of tapestries.
She was a decent cook, so the previous night she’d helped in the kitchens, preparing a stew the men had seemed to enjoy, but she’d drawn the line at killing, even if she’d cooked and eaten the meat.
The archaic defined roles of the sexes were irritating but not a surprise.
On the other hand, the simplicity of life here appealed. And smiles meant the same. Love was the same.
Duncan’s people were kind and had welcomed her. Not even questioned her presence at Dunvegan, or in his rooms…in his bed.
“I see yer wisdom there.” He crossed his arms. “I don’ like it. My men…are ruffians.”
His thick brogue, leaving off the t whenever he said ‘don’t’ still made her heart beat harder. The man was pure sex.
Claire took two more steps. She could feel the heat coming off his body. “You’ll protect me.” She wanted to inch even closer. If he reached for her, she could be in his arms in seconds. A tremor shot down her spine.
“Will I now?” One corner of his mouth shot up. Amusement wrapped Duncan’s words and Claire’s heartbeat kicked up another notch.
“Aye.” She winked as she said his word.
Duncan smiled, and her stomach fluttered. “How’s that?” He bent his head low.
She gasped.
His lips hovered over hers.
Please, God.
Let it happen finally.
Please kiss me.
“Because you’re going to tell them I’m yours.”
Duncan growled—honest to God growled. Then his mouth crashed down on hers.
Claire moaned and moved into his chest as well as into his kiss.
He forced his tongue into her mouth, but she had no intention of fighting him. She slanted her lips under his and kissed him back as Duncan wrapped his arms around her.
She’d not bothered with a chemise that morning, and the stupid wool of her skirt made her thighs itch as it brushed her skin.
His massive hands cupping her ass and lifting her scattered Claire’s thoughts and she whimpered into Duncan’s mouth.
He slammed his pelvis into hers and she melted, pushing right back.
God, she wanted him.
Burned for him.
Sleeping in his bed, but not in his arms just left her with blue balls, especially the two nights he’d held her instead of avoiding contact.
Was it finally going to happen?
The Highlanders in her damn books never had as much control as Duncan MacLeod.
Unless he didn’t want her—scratch that. An erection was pressing into her stomach.
Claire rocked into him, kissing him harder and squeezing her arms around his neck.
“Jesu, lass.” Duncan yanked away from her mouth, resting his forehead against hers. His hard chest pushed into her breasts as he panted. His high cheekbones were flushed with color.
“Duncan, I want you.”




Buylinks for the Tartan MP3 Player:









Where to find C.A.:
Twitter: @caszarek