A kiss is just a kiss,
A sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply …
As time goes by.
— As Time Goes By"
music and words by Herman Hupfeld
Casablanca (1942)
I’m sorry, but let’s be serious here. A funny scene makes you laugh. A sad scene makes you cry. A scary scene freezes the blood in your head. And a love scene? Oh, honey, it should make you sigh. And in the case of great love scenes, I respectfully beg to differ with Herman Hupfield —a sigh is not just a sigh nor is a kiss just a kiss. No, ma’am, a kiss should make you tingle to the tips of your curled toes … just like in the movies.
So … as a romance writer who is quite fond of a toe curling AND in honor of Valentine’s Month … I just couldn’t resist talking about what I like to talk about (and read/write about) the most—KISSES!!
Of course, there are all kinds of kisses, but it’s the romantic ones that pucker my lips every single time. Blame it on being one of 13 kids starved for attention or an obsession with Gone With the Wind at the age of twelve, or even all those romantic movies I used to sneak downstairs and watch from the age of eight when my parents were in bed. Sigh … wonderful movies called Kisses for Breakfast, Pillow to Post, Susan Slept Here. Now why would a little girl (who is now an “old girl”) be so preoccupied with kisses, you ask?
Well, the truth is that I and every other woman alive come by it honestly because kisses reflect “desire,” and women want to be desired. We were, after all, made in God’s image, and as John and Stasi Eldredge so beautifully point out in their truly amazing book, Captivating, “God longs to be desired. Just as a woman longs to be desired.” So let’s just blame it on amazing God who is “relational to the core” and has “a heart for romance.” Mmm … like Father, like daughter …Now, every romance writer has his/her own style as to what makes a kiss more than “just a kiss,” and frankly, I love them ALL. BUT … I really love kisses that have drama, tension, edginess and above all, lots and lots of desire, so that’s why I write kissing scenes like I do. Now I will be the first to admit that my style of kisses are certainly NOT everyone’s pucker preference, but for we “kissaholics,” the more pulse palpitations and toe curling going on, the better. That said, please humor me today as I share some of my favorite kisses from “The Daughters of Boston” series AND my new series, “Winds of Change,” along with a few tips as to how I like to crank up the “toe-curling” effect.
DISCLAIMER: Before I dive in to the actual scenes, I’d like to briefly share some basic things I’ve learned about writing romantically charged scenes. Please keep in mind that this is the way I write a love scene, but certainly not the only way to do so nor even the best way to do so. Frankly, I take my hat off to those authors who can write a toe-curling love scene without accelerated breathing and neck nuzzling, because to be honest, that is true talent, in my opinion. A contest judge once told me that the best authors are those who can say the most in the least amount of words. Well, I will go one step further and say the best romance writers are those who can elicit the most sighs with the least amount of body parts and action, making the most of an innocent look, smile, or word. I envy them because trust me—that ain’t me! So, if “edgy” offends you, step away from the blog …
B.) Utilize a healthy mix of “beats” (or character action … especially dramatic action) with dialogue like this scene from A Hope Undaunted:
Her hand flew back to slap his face, but he locked her wrist mid-air with a painful grip. “Is that all this was between us then? A little fun while your rich boyfriend was off limits?”
She jerked her hand free. “I never started any of this, and you know it. It was you.”
His fingers dug into her arms as he pressed her to the counter. “No, but you sure finished it, didn’t you?”
Massive palms slowly grazed the side of her arms, as if he thought she might be chilled, but the heat they generated made her feel anything but. In fluid motion, they moved to her waist, the gentle caress of his thumbs all but stealing her air. His blue eyes deepened in intensity as he leaned in, and his husky voice made her mouth go dry. “Let’s face it, Katie Rose,” he whispered, “I don’t want ice, I don’t want water and I definitely don’t want chocolate.” She caught her breath when his words melted warm in her ear. “I want you …”
D.) NEVER forget it’s all about the chase! Women not only want to be desired, they want to be pursued, so keep the pursuit going to the end. I’ve read books where the pursuit ends ¾ through and for me, the story drops off a cliff. I like to keep the emotional and romantic tension building right up until the “happily ever after.”
E.) Use emotionally charged words to enhance the mood of the scene like those underlined below in which I wanted to convey the hero’s anger manifested in dominance in this scene from A Hope Undaunted:
In a catch of her breath, he took her mouth by force, his late-day beard rough against her skin. A faint moan escaped her lips and all resistance fled, burned away by the heat of his touch, leaving her weak and wanting. His mouth roamed at will, no longer gentle as he devoured her, ravenous against the smooth curve of her throat, the soft flesh of her ear. With a guttural groan, he jerked her close with powerful arms, consuming her mouth with a kiss surely driven by the sheer will to ravage.
GENERAL WAYS I WRITE AN EMOTIONALLY CHARGED LOVE SCENE:
1.) I LIKE TO WRITE IT FROM THE MALE POINT OF VIEW: I think one of the best ways to write a great kiss is to write it from the male point of view. For me, getting inside the male head during “the kiss” intensifies the “desire” factor. You can show his strength, his dominance, his angst at falling in love with a woman he wants but can’t have, which always enhances the “WOW” factor. Like Rhett with Scarlett in Gone With the Wind or … ahem … Collin with Faith in A Passion Most Pure. Here is a scene from A Passion Most Pure (and the first love scene I ever wrote), which looks at a first kiss through the eyes of the bad-boy hero, Collin McGuire:
"Don't ever say that again," he whispered, his jaw hard as rock. Fury pulsed in his temple. He tightened his grip. "Too good for the likes of me, is she now? Well then, what about you, Faith O’Connor? Are you too good for the likes of me?"
She caught her breath just before his lips found hers, and he felt the fight within her as he locked her in his arms. The taste of her mouth was so heady to his senses, a hoarse moan escaped his lips at the shock of it. She shivered before she went weak in his arms, and instinctively, he softened his hold.
She lunged back and clipped the edge of his jaw with a tight-fisted punch, her breath coming in ragged gasps. “How dare you—” she sputtered, the green eyes full of heat.
He grinned and silenced her with his mouth. She made a weak attempt to push him away, but he only drew her back with a force that made her shudder. He felt her pulse racing as his lips wandered her throat. The scent of her drove him mad. He kissed her with renewed urgency, the taste of her making him dizzy. And then, before she could catch her breath, he shoved her away, his heart thundering and his mind paralyzed.
2.) I LIKE TO WRITE IN AN ELEMENT OF SURPRISE FOR BOTH THE HERO AND HEROINE: Surprise is always fun, but never more so than in a love scene. I like to shock my hero and heroine with a kiss neither expects, because let’s face it, catching a guy (and a gal) off-guard with a kiss provides top-notch romantic tension, in my humble opinion. Here is an example of a surprise kiss from A Passion Redeemed (and one of my favorites, so I’ve used it before), where the hero has already made it clear to Charity in the prior scene that he wants nothing more than friendship.
Dear God, what was happening? It was as if he had no control over his hand as it strayed from the towel to the soft curve of her neck. A tilt of her head, the blush of her cheeks, and suddenly he was two different men. One whose every muscle, thought and desire strained toward wanting her. The other, a distant voice of conscience and memory, quickly fading with every throb of his renegade pulse. Curse the effect of the wine! What else could explain this driving insanity pulsing through him right now? His fingers burned as they lingered, slowly tracing to the hollow of her throat. Against his will, he fixated on her lips, lush and full, staggered at the heat they generated. What was he doing? He didn’t want this.
Yes … he did.
All night he’d felt it mounting, a desire in his belly that grew tight at the sound of her laughter, the lift of her chin, the light in her eyes. A woman with cool confidence around everyone but him. Call it the wine. Or the fact he hadn’t been this close to a woman for well over a year. Or the intoxicating awareness that his very presence seemed to unnerve her. Whatever name it bore, it had him by the throat, taking him places he’d vowed he’d never be.
She blinked up at him, eyes wide and wondering. He was taking her by surprise and knew it. But no more so than him. He stared at her lips, feeling the draw and unwilling to fight it. His fingers moved up her throat to gently cup her chin, his eyes burning with intent. Slowly, carefully, he leaned forward, his mouth finally reaching hers, his breathing ragged as he tasted her lips.
A soft mew left her throat, and the sound ignited him. He pulled her close, his mouth demanding hers. She moaned while he pressed her to the counter, holding her there as he deepened the kiss. With a deep groan, his arms swallowed her up, drawing her small frame tightly against his. He pressed his lips to her hair, allowing her scent to flood his senses … to consume him.
Just like before.
His heart seized. What was he doing? The more he touched, the more he wanted. But she had ruined his life. Dashed his hopes. Destroyed his dreams. Dear God in Heaven, he wanted her … but he didn’t want her.
3.) I LIKE TO EXPOSE DESIRE IN AN UNWILLING CHARACTER: There is something so emotionally charged about a person whose romantic vulnerabilities are exposed (i.e the concept of still waters running deep). Dormant desire is a human condition we all relate to and when it’s brought to the surface, sparks can fly. Here is a kissing scene I just wrote a few days ago for book 2 of the “Winds of Change” series, A Heart Revealed. It involves Sean O’Connor, a confirmed bachelor whose only love affair is with sports and who has NO intention of getting romantically involved. Keep in mind that although he is a moral man, his relationship with God is not very deep at this point in the book, thus his response when he finds himself smack dab in the middle of this kissing scene.
If I were you, I’d consider yourself lucky, Miss Kelly. You don’t want a man like me who has no time for a woman, even one that I like.”
Her lips quivered, dislodging a tear that had settled in the corner of her mouth. Hope glimmered in her eyes. “You like me?” she whispered.
Lie, O’Connor, and get out of this car … now!
He dropped her hand like it was a Lefty Grove fastball stinging his bare palm. “Yes, Rose, but not that way.” He gripped the door handle so hard, it gouged into the calluses on his sweaty palm. “I gotta go.”
The heaving whimper that rose in the air fused his trousers to the seat as surely as if they were hand-stitched to the leather of her father’s Cadillac Victoria. She began to sob, hands to her face, and the whites of his eyes expanded in shock. “Rose, please—”
A wailing moan finished him off, and his blood froze as he watched her weep against the back of the Moroccan leather seat. God help him, he had way too much compassion for his own good, a trait he could obviously blame on his parents. With an agonizing sigh, he dropped his head in his hands and gave up the ghost, finally pulling her to his chest and patting her on the back. “Rose, please—don’t cry, please! It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard—I can’t handle it.”
Her body continued to jolt with heaves, and he stroked her hair, rocking her with a gentle motion as he whispered in her ear. “It’s okay, Rose, you’re going to be fine, I promise. You’ll find the right man for you … it just isn’t me.”
Her sobs grew, obliterating any thoughts but those for her welfare. “Rose, Rose,” he said, absently kissing her hair like he would with any of his sisters. He closed his eyes, and her scent aroused his senses, a heady meld of Breck shampoo with Chanel No. 5, warming his blood while he warmed her arms with the buff of his hands.
Her travail rose in volume and he panicked. He wove his fingers into her hair at the side of her head to cup her face in his hands. “Rose, shhh … it’s okay … it’s okay …”
Like he’d done a million times with Gabby or Katie or any of his nieces or nephews, he pressed his lips to her cheek, and her moist lashes lifted, spiky with tears and swollen eyes awash with surprise.
His breath caught in his throat at the tremble of her lips, parted and wet, the innocence of her face, mottled with weeping, and a once-familiar heat singed through his body like an electric shock. He could hear her breathing, husky and shallow like his, filling the silence between them with something other than grief. His gaze settled on her lips and his mouth went as dry as cotton, confirming that this kiss on the cheek was something far more dangerous and far more compelling.
He jerked away. “Rose, I need to go …”
“Sean, no, please …” Her voice was nasal and husky, drawing him back as surely as the hands she circled around his neck. Before he could retreat, she captured his mouth with her own, paralyzing him to the spot.
It was a brisk October night, but the taste of her lips made it feel like a blistering day in June, melting his resolve and fogging the windows as much as his mind. The woman may as well been made of magnetite, because her lips drew his with a pull he hadn’t felt since Clare. His eyelids weighted closed, heavy with need as his mouth devoured hers. He wrenched her close while their ragged breathing merged into one. Glazed with desire, he gripped the nape of her neck and deepened the kiss, a low moan trapped in his mouth as he pressed her to the seat.
Dear God, what I am doing?
But his body didn’t seem to care. She was like putty in his hands, warm and willing, and God help him, he hadn’t felt like this in such a long, long time. A soft moan left her lips, and he groaned again, lost in the taste of her mouth, the scent of her skin, the feel of her body clinging to his.
“Sean, I think I love you,” she whispered, and his body froze, colder than October frost on her father’s steel bumper.
He jerked away, his mind in a stupor. “Rose, no … you can’t …” Shame surged within, cooling the heat of her kiss. “Forgive me, please, I was wrong …”
“No, Sean, you weren’t! We’re attracted to each other—why do you fight it?”
He stared at her, his chest rising and falling with tortuous breaths and his body still humming from the heat of their kiss. Why? Because he’d only felt like this one time before, and that had ended in the most excruciating pain of his life. A fatal attraction, pulsing with passion and little else, starting fast and finishing faster …
Like this would … tonight.
He put his hand to the latch of the door. “Rose, I need to go …”
Need and want were two different things, apparently, at least to Rose Kelly. She sidled close and placed a gentle hand on his thigh, sending his pulse into overdrive faster than her daddy’s apple-red caddy. Reaching up to nuzzle his neck, she feathered his ear with her mouth, tempting him with words that were warm and husky. “Stay with me, please? Just for a while?”
He was a responsible man, moral to a fault and loathe to hurt anyone’s feelings. He needed to end this before he got in too deep and someone got hurt. And he would. He closed his eyes and drew her close as the blood throbbed in his veins.
Right after the next kiss.
Okay now ... SO, I don’t know about you, but I repeat—a kiss is not just a kiss! So, come on—don’t let me hog the mike here. It’s Valentine’s Month, for Cupid’s sake, and I’d like to see more kissing scenes, so show us what you got. Anyone who leaves a comment will be entered in a contest for winner’s choice of a signed copy of one of the Daughters of Boston books OR a signed copy of my next book when it comes out in September, A Hope Undaunted.
EXTRA BONUS: There will be a second giveaway for those who sign up for my newsletter today at http://www.julielessman.com/sign-up-for-newsletter/ OR if you signed up last week. Simply indicate that in your comment today, and I will send you my current newsletter. It features a glimpse of my preliminary cover for A Hope Undaunted, a sneak peek at a love scene from the book AND a new contest where you can win signed copies of A Hope Undaunted before it hits the stores in September.
And remember, a kiss is not just a kiss—it’s chocolate to a woman’s soul!
Hugs,
Julie
P.S. And, oh my, if any of you kissaholics missed the “Love Story” YouTube link from Tina’s Contest Update last Wednesday, you may want to check it out here. Very cool!
http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2010/02/february-contest-update.html.
169 comments:
WOW! JUST WOW! That is the only word I have right now! It's a good thing I was sitting down when I read this post...it made me weak in the knees! Julie you certainly write a kiss unlike anyone out there! Can you say sizzle times 10??!!! Thank you for sharing the scene between Sean and Rose too...wheweeee CANNOT wait to read that book now!!
I would love to be entered to win a copy of A Hope Undaunted! I can't wait for September to come around!
xoxo~ Renee
steelergirl83(at)gmail(dot)com
Oh Julie....you had this single girl sighing all over the place :)
I really liked your perspectives on the whole kiss thing...I found myself nodding my head and agreeing with you. I had never really thought of it in terms like this before.
And this...
We were, after all, made in God’s image, and as John and Stasi Eldredge so beautifully point out in their truly amazing book, Captivating, “God longs to be desired. Just as a woman longs to be desired.” So let’s just blame it on amazing God who is “relational to the core” and has “a heart for romance.” Mmm … like Father, like daughter …
Is fabulous for explaining part of us. I love the way this was explained. Relational to the core. Amazing.
(don't enter me in the drawing...I just had to comment on Julie's post!)
-Christy
We should be warned to have fans and cold drinks at the ready when Julie's going to write ~ especially about kissing. :o)
Great post! I think you have done an excellent job of balancing tension, romance and tempered passion. I can't wait to read the new ones. September is too far away.
Please enter me.
leesmithwriting{at}yahoo{dot}com
Well, good morning all -- "early" good morning I should add! I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd check to make sure the blog went up, and Renee, Christy and Lee already beat me here!!
We have crepes and blintzes today, strawberry, cheese and peach, of course with plenty of fresh whipped cream. There's a side of honey-baked ham and maple-cured bacon because I don't know about you, but this girl needs her protein! Uh, especially after those kissing scenes AND to give us the energy we're gonna need for all the toe-curling ahead as those of you brave enough share your favorite love scene.
Cappucinos, lattes and cinnamon hazelnut coffee on the sideboard with a yummy selection of teas. Dig in!
Hugs,
Julie
RENEE!!! There must be some kind of prize for first post, girl, but I'm not sure what it would be unless I toss in an extra point for you in the drawing! :)
Thanks, sweetie, for your kind comments, and uh ... yeah, I guess I do like a wee bit of "sizzle" in my love scenes, which is sure not for everybody, but all I know is that THIS girl likes it! Blame it on an early encounter with Gone With the Wind, I guess ... I was stunted at 12, the doctors say ... :)
Hugs,
Julie
CHRISTY ... Thanks for coming by so soon, my friend, and yeah, the John and Stasi Elredge Captivating book is absolutely AMAZING!! I am reading it as a personal devotional right now, and I end up in tears most of the time because it is SO profound and moving! I highly recommend it to every woman. If you think that brief quote from it was something, you won't believe the rest of the book!
Hugs,
Julie
LEE ... Thank you SO much for your very encouraging comment that I have "done an excellent job of balancing tension, romance and tempered passion." You have no idea how much that means to me, especially this week when I've gotten a bit more flack for writing romance the way that I do. My style of romance is not for everybody, I will be the first to admit that, nor for every age, but I am hoping that it will reach those women who buy secular romance, giving them an alternative that will uplift and encourage as well as curl the toes.
Hugs,
Julie
Wow! Let's just say that you have a way with words! You're right, a kiss isn't just a kiss. I like the way you write, not like some of the smutty books that are out there now, but in a way that shows taste. Almost a respect for the characters. Does that even make sense? A "love" or a "kissing" scen does not have to be X-Rated.
I would love to be entered in the contest. I signed up for your newsletter as well.
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
Julie - love your passion for words and your words of passion ;-)
The girls are right - September can't arrive soon enough!
Hugs
Amazing kissing scenes, Jules!!! Whew, where's my fan? LOL Whether we write edgy romances or sweet romances, you've given excellent tips on making the most of a kiss. I'm taking notes, gal, from the best.
Breakfast is scrumptious! Thanks!
Janet
Wow! I agree with you whole heartedly...a kiss is not just a kiss! I know it's chocolate to my soul! A good kiss can melt you into a little puddle of goo...sweet goo!
I would love to be entered into your contest for a book giveaway!
May God richly bless you all!
Cindy Woolard
countrybear[at]yahoo[dot]com
- or -
cwoolard[at]ambsteel[dot]com
I want to add, Julie, how effectively you use kisses to up the stakes and add additional conflict between the hero and heroine. Tension just pulsates!
Janet
Hey, NANCYE, thank you SO much!! "A respect for the characters?" Wow, I like that, although I know it's definitely a respect for God. You see, He made me like this ... a romance lover right out the gate, so it's either stifle who I am or write it within His parameters for His glory, which I am trying to do. And trust me, A LOT of prayer (not only my own, but a prayer-support team as well) goes into every one of my books, because the LAST thing I want to do is offend Him.
Thanks for signing up for my newsletter, Nancye, and I will send it out later this week.
Hugs,
Julie
Alright, I think my hubby is going to have to drive me to the hospital due to hyperventilation. Not pretty. :-)
A kiss isn't just a kiss - as poor Sean finds out. Rose is DEFINITELY not is sister.
And a kiss is kind of like the external pulse of the explosion or gentle warmth beating in the person's heart. Whew...a nice way to warm up my morning on this snowy day. WOW - much better than a woodstove ;-)
I'm printing out this post because I'm getting ready to write a near-death kiss scene. You know,the desperate-we're about the die-type of kiss. So the emotions of fear, surprise, and desperation all mingle together for it. What else should you do on a sinking ship, right? ;-) Definitely a kiss to build a memory on ;-)
And btw, for those of you who haven't signed up for the newsletter, you get another excerpt about Katie...and of course, it's a KISS. Yummy.
Cluny/Luke is WONDERFULLLY dangerous.
pepperbasham@yahoo.com
REL ... Ooooo, nice phrasing, girl!! Sooo good to see you here, too! Don't know if I told you or not, but Revell changed the cover on me ... instead of a blue argyle background, it's now a gold paisley one, but it's still beautiful. I can't release it till they tell me I can, but you're on the list, my friend.
Hugs,
Julie
JANET ... you know, Missy posted a "near kiss"on Pepper's blog that curled my toes, so we got into the discussion of my brand of all-out passion vs. the near kiss or sweet passion, and I have to tell you, you curled my toes a number of times in The Substitute Bride. So much so that it stopped me dead in my tracks and I reread it over and over, thinking to myself now HERE are sweet kisses that made my stomach flutter!! Which tells me, my friend, that you sure don't need any advice from me!
Hugs,
Julie
"A little puddle of goo"?? Oh, CINDY, I like that, girl!! Warm chocolate ... like warm kisses ... is SO yummy!!
Good luck in the contest, my friend.
Hugs,
Julie
Get out your fans! Lordy, Lordy, that was some hot stuff, Julie!
And thank you! I was beginning to think something was wrong with me when I realized that most of the kissing scenes I've written so far are in the male POV.
And yes, please! Enter me in your giveaway.
JANET, I have to laugh when you say "tension just pulsates" because one of my prayer partners did NOT like A Passion Most Pure because of all the tension that I LOVE to put in a story. "Can't you just write a sweet love scene?" she asked, "You know, one that doesn't get me nervous?"
Uh, no.
So you see, I do believe between the popularity of Amish books and sweet romance such as yours, there is a huge market for the gentle kiss. I'm just hoping there are more tense types like me out there willing to read my books too ... :)
Hugs,
Julie
Eeeek! I LOVE those snippets. Whew. Feeling a little warm here. *grin*
Thanks for sharing. I wholeheartedly agree that there's nothing better than a belly-warming, toe-curling kiss. *sigh*
Wonderful examples! Thanks.
I gotta admit to liking those somewhat violent kisses!
Do you think there's something wrong with me???
Heeheee.
Hey, PEP, if you get that "near-death kiss scene" done today, we wanna see it, ya hear?? I've read your love scenes before, and uh, I ain't got nothing on you, girl!
And I'm glad we're in agreement on Cluny McGee ... he IS wonderfully dangerous and my favorite hero to date. So if you want to see him at his dangerous best, hop on over to Pepper's blog this Friday when I share my favorite love scene from A Hope Undaunted. And you should really check out Pepper's blog all this week where she posts favorite love scenes of Deeanne Gist, Missy Tippens, Ruth Axtell Morren, Siri Mitchell and yours truly, as well as Mary Connealy, Myra Johnson and Melanie Dickerson from last week. Here's the link:
Faith & Fiction On Fire
Hugs,
Julie
Grin, PATTY, seems like I should have handed out fans this morning 'cause several people have mentioned them, but maybe a little warmth on a cold day is a good thing, like Pepper said! Thanks for dropping by ... and stay warm! :)
Hugs,
Julie
I am new to your blog, and I'm glad I tuned in when I did. I write women's fiction, and you gave me great food for thought on my next kissing scene. I especially liked the male point of view and the surprise element. Thanks for the great post! I put a first kiss scene on my blog as well, but I think I might have to rewrite it and turn up the tension now:)
Whew!! Hold on let me me get my pulse and heart rate back to normal..... Ok wow!!! And that my dear friend is one of the many reasons you are im my opinion one of the greatest authors of all time!!
It gives me chill bumps wooo!!
I can never get enough of your books they are captivating and so addictive! Love, Love, Love it!!
Pleeeezze enter me to win one of your books!
Lindsey
lindseypa89(at)yahoo(dot)com
Julie you just made me want to go back to my kissing scene to see if it has all that and more!!
Great topic! You brought it on this morning!!!
JESSICA!!! Honey, if there's something wrong with you for liking those angry kisses, then there's definitely something wrong with me, and there's a line around the building ready to confirm that, I assure you.
BUT God made ALL types of people, ALL types of Christians and ALL types of writers, so we cannot just bury our heads in the sand if we like a little passion in our romance. Besides, I'm of the opinion that an angry kiss can showcase the male as being in control, strong, virile, not a pushover by a long shot. And let's face it, that is attractive to a lot of women because ultimately we want a man strong enough to stand up to us. Uh, at least I do!
My editor actually calls it the "Taming of the Shrew" effect, which I happen to love, but she doesn't particularly, but she gives me some leeway because she said "your readers obviously agree with you." So thanks for "agreeing" with me, and if you want to see my FAVORITE "angry" kiss, you best make it over to Pepper's blog on Friday. But, be sure to bring a fan ... :)
Hugs,
Julie
ROXY, WELCOME!!! You will LOVE the Seekers blog -- 15 contest divas who kept butting heads in contests and finally decided to join forces in a blog that deals with writing and the road to publication. When we started two years ago, only 1 of the 15 was published. Now 13 of us are, and the other two are hot on our heels, so we MUST be doing something right, eh? So do drop by again, okay? Uh ... say later on today with one of YOUR favorite love scenes???
Hugs,
Julie
Oh, LINDSEY!!! "One of the greatest authors of all time"??? Grin ... honey, I'd lay off the cold medicine, if I were you! Seriously, thank you SO much for that really amazing comment, and just let me know where I can send the check, okay?
And "chill bumps" are good!! :) Thanks for your incredible support, and good luck in the contest.
Hugs,
Julie
KERRI ... thanks, sweetie, and we would LOVE to see that kissing scene, you know, so don't be shy, my friend. Share!!
Hugs,
Julie
I do so LOVE shameless plugging ;-)
Thanks, Julie.
And Janet,
I'm reading a Subsitute Bride right now and agree with Julie...flutter, flutter...sigh
Whew! Julie! Those are some hot kissing scenes, girl!!! LOL! Okay, I'll share something from my 1880 Alabama book, Magnolia Summer, which is languishing on my computer right now.
Her brain screamed, No! You’re going to get killed and break my heart. But he was so beautiful, so noble. Her eyes focused on his lips, so close and inviting. How she wanted to kiss him and hold him and comfort him. Lord help me, I can’t resist.
She placed her palm against his cheek. Gently drawing his face toward her and rising onto her toes, she pressed her lips to his.
The hunger in his kiss turned her inside out. He still held one of her hands imprisoned against his chest, where she could feel the thundering of his heart. He pulled her closer with his other arm.
She stroked his cheek as they kissed. The ache inside her increased and the only remedy seemed to be to keep kissing him and never stop. Slipping her hand around his neck, she buried her fingers in his still-wet hair.
No. He’s going to leave me just like Papa. He’s going to die.
Panic gripped her. She was kissing him, precisely what she’d promised herself she wouldn’t do. She saw him lying dead on the ground as vividly as she had during her dream. She couldn’t bear it, couldn’t bear to love him and lose him that way.
She pulled away and clutched at her chest. “I can’t do this. I can’t—“ She gasped. She tried to pull out of his arms but he wouldn’t let go.
“No,” he growled. “You’re not going to do this to me again.”
Claire heard the anger in his voice and stopped struggling.
“Claire, I know you care for me. What is it you’re so afraid of?”
She didn’t speak. He gripped her upper arms so hard it hurt. “Tell me.”
“I—I … I can’t. I can’t stand it if you die. And you don’t seem to care.” She spoke the last statement in an angry whisper. “Don’t you see? Papa died and I’m so angry with him.” She drew in a sharp breath at her words, then choked back a sob.
“Nothing’s going to happen to me, Claire. You’re fearing something that will probably never happen. You have to trust God.”
“God didn’t keep my father from dying, did he? How can I trust Him?”
“You’re doing all right, Claire.” His eyes seemed to plead with her. “God is taking care of you and your family.”
“No, I’m not all right!” Claire tried to take a deep breath to calm herself, but her chest couldn’t seem to hold the air and all the hurt, too. She shook her head. “I’m not all right. I miss my Papa. I didn’t want him to die.”
He pulled her against his chest. She sobbed against his shirt, against his solid chest. How could Papa let himself get killed, and how could God let him die? God could have saved him. God was all-powerful. But He let him die and now she would never see her father again. He could never provide or comfort or advise. He was gone.
Truett stroked her hair as he murmured, “I know. I know. It’s all right.”
She wrapped her arms around the solidness of him. The tears seemed to have loosened the pain in her chest so that she could breathe again. She took a deep breath, still pressing her cheek against his chest. Finally, when she believed she could speak without breaking down, she said, “I’m afraid for you, Truett. I’m afraid you’re going to die and leave me broken … like my mother.” The words made her start crying again. She didn’t like hearing the truth in all its stark ugliness.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear,” Truett quoted softly, “but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Claire pressed her cheek against the softness of his shirt. “So you’re saying I shouldn’t be afraid?” She lifted her head to look at him. “But, Truett, I—“
His lips pressed tenderly against her forehead and she immediately forgot what she was going to say. He kissed her temple, then his mouth moved down to her cheek.
She moaned, then bit her lip to stop the sound. His mouth, so tender and warm, continued down to her chin, then moved to her lips, caressing gently, as though patiently waiting for her to respond.
I wanted to post more of that scene but blogger said it was too long. :-(
Oh, PEPPER, I do too!! As long as somebody else is doing the promotion!! :)
Hugs,
Julie
MEL ... WHOO-WEE, girl, talk about warm!!! I absolutely loved it. And the line "The hunger in his kiss turned her inside out" turned ME inside out, girlfriend. Sigh. Cannot WAIT to read your book, sweetie!
Hugs,
Julie
Hi, Julie! Happy Valentine's Day to you and all the Seekers : ) Julie, as I've said before, humans are physical beings and they express love in a physical manner. When you truly love someone, their kiss goes beyond the physical and sears your mind as well! Being in love, and being loved in return, is a wonderful privilege. Sharing a soulful, sensual kiss is the frosting on the cake!
I am already signed up for your newsletter, and the cover for "A Hope Undaunted" is gorgeous! "She wore blue velvet...."
gcwhiskas at aol dot com
Okay, Julie, here's another kiss from LOVE FINDS YOU IN GOLDEN, NEW MEXICO, that releases May 1.
Jeremiah came up behind her. He pulled her back against his chest and held her within his arms. He kissed the top of her head then turned her around and stared into her eyes. Unspoken communication flowed between them. She held nothing back, and neither did he. The abundance of love she read on his face and in the depths of his dark, sparkling eyes almost overwhelmed her.
“I love you, Madeline.”
Maddy hadn’t realized just how much weight those three words carried as they winged their way to her heart, suffusing it with indescribable sensations completely foreign to her. For a moment, she couldn’t catch her breath. She stared into those fathomless eyes, trying to express with her own just how much he meant to her.
“I love you, too, Jeremiah.” Her words started tentatively but gained strength.
His lips skimmed across her forehead. Each touch sent flashes of heat through her veins. Then he tenderly kissed the corners of her mouth, teasing her, not really settling on her lips. He tasted of her chin, and she dropped her head back, reveling in the sensations that tingled all the way to her toes.
When his lips trailed down the length of her throat, her breathing deepened. Then he settled on the hollow of her throat where she felt her pulse beat like the wings of a hummingbird. He tasted of her, awakening sensations she’d never imagined.
Finally, his lips settled on hers again. Firmly. Giving and receiving a depth of love beyond her wildest dreams. Desire swept through her like a raging fire, beautiful and fearful at the same time. She yearned to find new ways to express her love to him, not able to imagine another way.
Oh My Stars....
Just one question, one itty, bitty little question...
WHY DO I HAVE TO ALWAYS POST THE DAY AFTER JULIE???????
sigh....
tucking tail and trudging away, thinking of...
what else?
kisses.
Julie! See what you started??!!! WOW Melanie and Lena those are some swoonworthy kisses! I already have Lena's book on my wishlist and Melaine I'm crossing my fingers that yours gets published so I can add that to the WL because I'm hooked! :-P
xoxo~ Renee
p.s. Julie I was lurking last night cause I knew you were posting that's how I got in the first comment LOL!
LOL...RUthy!!
You could be thinking of something a lot worse ;-)
Yowza! I had no idea what I was about to jump into when I popped over today, but I knew the post was from Julie as soon as I started reading -- that voice and favorite topic, you know. :-)
Interesting thoughts on why it's good to write the scene from the hero's POV; I hadn't thought of it that way. Though Melanie's and Lena's scenes certainly worked in the heroine's POV. And I'm with Julie, Mel -- loved the line about turning her insides out. LOL
I don't have a scene to share between H/H, though the not-so-nice other guy is about to make an unwelcome move on the heroine. Should be fun to write, especially with this post fresh on my mind. I'm going to enjoy letting her bring him down a notch or two.
Thanks for warming us up on a cold day, Julie!
Oh my! (fans face furiously as she tries to hide behind her work computer.) It's my break time -- honest -- and I just wanted to catch up on a blog or two. But now I'm overheated and my coworker thinks my fever is back...hmm...which may not be a bad thing if it gets me out of work early and then I could go home via the bookstore and pick up some of the kiss scene bloggers' books and....
Enjoyed your insights on kissing scenes...particulary liked the definition of the male viewpoint because I've always liked reading those and never knew why!
Sigh, back to work, but first I need to run my wrists under cold water or, better still, stick my head in the freezer for a few minutes.
Love, love the post!! And I'm such a fan of your books! Please enter me for the giveaway!
Blessings
Michelle V
m.vasquez[at]grandecom[dot]net
Well, ahemmmm....I suppose you were trying to TEACH us something in that post, Julie. But I kept getting distracted by the scenes.
I believe I will now just step outside and lay in the SNOW for a while until I'm able to more cool-y read the article you steamed up Seekerville with.
Love it, Julie. I cannot WAIT for the next book.
WOW, Julie!!! I don't know what to say, except I skipped the Passion Redeemed excerpt, because I REFUSE to be spoiled ahead of time. I did read everything else. :D My heart is beating faster, and I can't stop smiling. When am I going to get one of those kisses???? (I'll wait. :D)
Oh, I already signed up for your newsletter a month or so ago, so I'll let you be the judge of if you enter me twice. I second Renee's comment at the top- I'll be counting down the days until September!!
No cold medicine here just simply the truth ;)
Lindsey
lindseypa89(at)yahoo(dot)com
Here's a kissing scene from The Husband Tree.
“While we’re on the subject of changes, I don’t like the way you dress. I’d like my woman to look a mite more like a female.”
Belle surged forward up the stairs, so mad Silas thought her hair might stand on end if it weren’t caught back in her braid. She stormed into the house. “You listen to me. . .mmmph.”
Silas shut that yapping mouth right up with his lips. He swung the door shut and broke off the kiss just enough to speak. “Did I mention that I want more children with you than you’ve given to the other husbands.” He made sure to kiss her so deeply she couldn’t respond to that.
Finally, he pulled back. “Combined.”
When she was clinging to him, he kissed his way along her jawline and murmured in her pretty little ear, “I won’t feel right about it if my young ’uns aren’t in the majority. So that’s five more babies, woman.”
“Five more?” Belle asked weakly. “That’s nine children.”
He silenced her again until she shuddered in his arms. “Did I say just five more? I meant five boys. However many babies it takes to get that number of boys is what I expect from you.”
“I. . .I don’t think. . .I may not be able. . .I’ve shown no talent for birthing boys, Silas.” She was almost wailing before she was done.
He slid his hands down her back and pulled her hard up against him. “Are you disobeying me, woman?”
“Umm. . .the other girls all have your name.” She was starting to sound wimpy. Like a regular female. He thought he almost had her toeing the line.
Silas kissed her again. He really didn’t want to think of Belle going through the dangers of having babies many more times. Besides, he considered the girls to be, in all ways, his own, so there was no point in trying to match up the number of children. But what was the fun in admitting that?
Belle said, when he let her breathe, “I’ll do whatever you want, Silas.”
“Anything?” She wasn’t obedient worth a hoot as a rule, but he remembered how agreeable she always got when they were alone. This sweetness would no doubt wear off. In fact, he was surprised it had lasted this long. And the only reason it had was because he was distracting her.
But obedience aside, as soon as he was done teasing her he was going to sit her down and apologize for his own foolishness in not telling her he was building a house. Silas admitted he’d been selfish wanting to impress her. He should have known his hard working, self-sufficient wife would take care of her land with or without him.
Silas wasn’t going to make that mistake again. He’d almost lost his precious wife last night through his own prideful behavior. From now on he’d talk everything over with Belle. But he wasn’t going to start apologizing quite yet.
She let her head drop back as he nuzzled his way down her neck. Breathlessly she murmured, “Anything, if you’ll just forgive me for mistrusting you. . .”
Silas didn’t know if she noticed or not but he was acting real forgiving right now.
Good morning, Julie,
That sure got the juices flowing on this snowy morning! I agree with you whole-heartedly! Kisses are the BEST thing ever. In movies and in books. There's something especially romantic about forbidden kisses.
I ,too, fell in love with 'Gone With the Wind' as a teenager. They re-played it on the big screen in my hometown and my girlfriend and I went to see it. I wanted to kick Scarlett for her whining over the wimpy (in my opinion) Ashley when she had the amazing Rhett!
I absolutely love your books, Julie, mainly because of the intense emotion and yes, the kissing scenes! Keep up the GREAT WORK! Can't wait for the next books!
Have a fabulous day! Thanks for making mine!
Sue
sbmason (at)sympatico (dot) ca
Geee Mary after reading your kiss scen I'm gonna have to go do what you're doing...take a dive in a big snow pile! Wooooo!
xoxo~ Renee
Mary,
If a little bit of romantic humor goes a long way - yours will last through eternity.
I absolutely LOOOOVE that scene from your book and you're so good at bringing out Silas' voice. He's absolutely manly and thats EXACTLY what Belle needs.
sigh....
Melanie, lovely excerpt! what fun!
Oh, I tell ya one thing. If all this kissing doesn't spark some inspiration, both on and off the page, we're in a heap of trouble. :-)
or dead...
Great stuff here! Thanks so much for teaching us how to do it, Julie.
Your kisses are choregraphed in words with the grace of a dancer that tell a story for the imagination to imbibe the way a chocoholic needs their fix.
Of course I'd love to win a copy of Hope Undaunted since I already have the whole set of the Passion series.
[forest_rose (at) yahoo (dot) com
Of course I'll review Hope one way or another - LOL. Have to keep up with your current releases after all. Still waiting on TM2 but at least in the meantime I've got TM1 to reread if I run out of new books.
Melissa
Well, I was going to get on here and say I now need a fan, but I'm glad to see that others already asked. Julie, from now on provide fans when you share these kiss scenes!! Excellent writing!! You're a master at pulling together the emotional, physical and spiritual.
I can't wait for the next book!
Hi Ladies,
I promised Julie a really steamy scene, so here goes nothing. It's pretty new, and I'm not sure yet if this will actually cut it for CBA. This is a goody-goody youth pastor desperate to win back his ex-fiancee and convince her that he's changed.
* * *
Allie let go of his hands and sat back against the seat. “Oh, Andy. I don’t want you to beat yourself up. Either this is God’s plan or it isn’t. We both need to pray and come to the same conclusion. But at least I’m open to the possibility. That’s something. Right?”
“It’s all I could ever ask for.” Andy stepped out of the car and walked around to open her door. Good old Andy. Always the gentleman.
Allie took his hand and stood to meet him. “Give me a week. Okay. I promise I won’t ignore you, but I need time.”
Andy shut the door. “Well, while you’re thinking, keep this in mind.”
Andy swept Allie into a crushing embrace, and his lips seared hers. She met his frantic kiss with her own restrained need, and they were a tangle of arms and legs once again.
Nothing had ever felt so good in Allie’s whole life as Andy’s mouth pressed against hers. His arms wrapped around her. His body pressed against her. She wanted to melt right into him. Melt into that moment and never leave.
His lips slid along her neck, her ear, her temple like silk. He shifted her toward the hood of the car and laid her down upon it, slid on top of her and deepened the kiss. Fire shot through Allie in response. Fire and shivers and that warm syrupy feeling that left her in a swoon, as his hands wandered to places they had never ventured before.
Andy was caught in the moment, in the passion as well. Allie sensed his response in a tangible way that caught her by surprise. A way that shouldn’t happen to self-respecting, goody-goody youth pastors. She didn’t know whether to giggle, panic, or pull him yet closer and drown in that passion.
But before she could decide, Andy wrenched himself away from her. He turned his back and took several paces, while raking his fingers through his hair. “Ugh!” He turned back to Allie and threw his hands over his head. “Look at what you’re doing to me.”
“Me?”
“Yes you. I want to marry you. I want to make you my wife. I have for years. I’d marry you tomorrow. Do not awake love before it pleases. How many times have I thrown that verse at the kids? What are you doing to me? This should be happening on my wedding night on a bed of rose petals, not on the hood of a car in a parking lot. For crying out loud, Allie. I don’t know how much more I can take.”
* * *
I'd love to be entered in the drawing for your new book.
dina sleiman at gmail dot com
VIRGINIA SAID: "Humans are physical beings and they express love in a physical manner."
Oh, amen to that,girl, and don't think God isn't aware of that! He didn't write Song of Solomon for HIS health, you know! He made us sexual creatures with senses to enjoy all He has created within HIS bounds -- food for tasting, as long as we avoid gluttony, wine for celebrating, as long as we don't get drunk, music for evoking deep emotions and memories as long as He is still God in our lives and music isn't, and the wonderful longing and tingling of romance so we can relate on a human level to the kind of passion He has for us and wants us to have for Him.
But again, like music, the trick is having Him and His precepts smack dab in the middle and never, EVER must romance become more important than Him. Which for me is not all that hard because frankly, without Him, romance is pretty flat. At least for me.
And thanks for the compliment about the cover ... do you know, until you said that about "she wore blue velvet," I never EVEN realized that she is!! I'm afraid the long, dangling pearls in a knot and the sassy look on her face just plain stole my attention away.
By the way, Virginia, you're entered twice now--once for your comment, once for being a newsletter subscriber. THANK YOU!!
Hugs,
Julie
WHOA, BABY!!! LENA ... you GO, girl, because that was SMOKIN'!!!!
I especially love the line, "Desire swept through her like a raging fire, beautiful and fearful at the same time." Gulp ... ain't THAT the truth!!
Thank you SO much for posting, my friend -- I absolutely LOVED it, and I guarantee you sold some books today! :)
Hugs,
Julie
Here is a very ROUGH draft of my wip (first kiss/desperate kiss). Actually it's HOT off the press ;-) Just finished the last line.
Here ya go (sorry if it's too long):
With fingers as shaky as the waves around them, she reached for his tie. “Your tie is crooked.”
Sam tilted his head closer, his lips still hinged in a grin. He pushed another strand of hair from her face and chuckled. “I doubt the fish will critique my fashion.”
Idiot man, making fun of her at a time like this. Of course, why was she suddenly concerned about his fashion? Maybe she just wanted something of his to hold onto…something that could be hers. Or maybe she wanted to keep him close, safe.
Her gaze locked in his, his expression telling her what she already knew. Women and children first, just like two years ago on the Titanic when hundreds died. Hundreds, thousands. He knew he’d never see the inside of a lifeboat.
Her heart ripped at the seams. She loved him. Without a hue of doubt, she knew she’d never love anyone else, and even if her past kept her from sharing her future with him, she had this moment. This second and maybe never again.
A surge of need pushed her into motion. She tightened her grip on his tie and drew him forward, only noticing his eyes rounding to saucers before she crushed her lips against his.
Not even his slight gasp stopped her. She was like a madwoman, fueled by a heat, a love so great, it pushed the fear of the next moment, the repercussions of this insanity, into the shadows of her heart. She needed this…him.
The shock of his taste, his scent crashed through her in a wave of sensations, warm, cold, tingling. She never knew a kiss could feel like this. Like home and heat and hope all mingled together. There was no one else around. No impending danger. No panicked cries or mournful sobs. Only the golden silence of feeling.
Never had she wanted to belong with someone so much in her life. Never had fear flamed passion with such certainty, such urgency to have her respond like this? She loved him. Sam. Her beloved friend. The same friend who stood almost stoic against her assault. The chill of reality doused the infant flame in her heart. What was she doing?
With a whimper, she jerked back, still dizzy with his flavor, untwining her fingers from his hair. Familiar shame began its rise through her chest. How could she have been so thoughtless?
She kept her gaze from his, unwilling to see his expression of hurt or shock, perhaps, but just as she released her hold, his arms tightened around her.
She looked up and only caught one flash of his blue eyes before his lips captured hers, plunging her into the pool of fire again.
WOW Pepper! LOVE IT!!!
Grin ... give me a break, RUTHY! Your posts are ALWAYS like you -- snarky and fun! Because you and your voice are just SO unique ... a fact confirmed in Myra's fascinating post yesterday about voice, when most of our readers said they recognized yours, Tina and Mary's voices the most.
They only recognize mine when the words "kiss" or "Gone With the Wind" are in the title ... :)
Hugs,
Julie
RENEE ... "lurking last night" to be the first commenter??? Now, see?? That is only ONE of the many reasons I love you, my friend!! You are dedicated to the core, so take note, Melanie and Lena. You hook Renee as a reader, and you've got free promotion and support for life!
NOT to mention a dynamite friend! :)
Hugs,
Julie
LEIGH ... come on, admit it -- it's not my voice that gives me away, but my topics and pictures, right?
You said you "don't have a scene to share between H/H, though the not-so-nice other guy is about to make an unwelcome move on the heroine. Should be fun to write ..."
Uh, and READ!! Sounds WONDERFUL, Leigh, and like a blast to write. Thanks for coming by and glad I could take the chill off the day. :)
Hugs,
Julie
KAV ... grin, so sorry to fog up your windows at work, girl, but pressing my face against an icy windowpane usually works for me!
Thanks for dropping in!
Hugs,
Julie
MICHELLE!!! Sooo good to see you here, my friend! And thank you VERY much for your kind words ... they warm my day more than the scenes above!
Hugs,
Julie
Hi Ms.Lessman!
I can't wait for A Hope Undaunted! It looks so good. It's been awhile since I've posted a comment. How have you been? I hope you have a great day.
Alycia
horsecrazyaly(at)yahoo(dot)com
MARY ... SNOW ANGELS!!! I can just see you now, flapping your arms in the snow, pretty as a picture.
And, uh, after diving into Husband Tree a few days ago, sweetie, there's not much I need to teach YOU about heating up a love scene! Mmmm ... I do believe I may have been a bad influence on you, Ms. Connealy, because your books keep getting hotter and hotter ...
THANK YOU GOD ... humor and heat!! :)
Hugs,
Julie
Please enter me....would love to read a book by this author!!! Also, I signed up for Julie's newsletter! Thanks!!!
jackie.smith(at)dishmail(dot)net
Wow! Those scenes from the new series are awesome! I can't wait until September when the first one comes out.
Holly
oceandreamerfla(at)aol(dot)com
CASEY ... good girl, skipping the scene you haven't read yet! I have a good reader friend who ALWAYS reads the ends of my books before she gets there, and it drives me crazy!! I would SO much rather savor the kiss IN THE BOOK for the very first time.
When are you going to get one of those kisses??? Well, if you're anything like me, sweetie, not until you've said a boatload of prayers for the right guy. I started praying for a "godly guy who loved God more than he would love me" as soon as I became a born-again Christian at 23. Took five LONG years during the free-love era of the 70s, but let me tell you, it was definitely WORTH the wait!! So if you are younger than 23 (and you are, right?), you've got LOTS of time to start praying if you haven't already.
And yes, my friend, as a newsletter recipient, you are entered TWICE!
Hugs,
Julie
Grin ... LINDSEY, you are a real sweetheart -- THANK YOU!!
Hugs,
Julie
Holy cow Dina and Pepper those are some lip locks! And Pepper I love in your scene how the lady took control...love the tie grabbing *wink*
And Julie you're so sweet and your books are incredible so I just LOVE to "promote" you! Thank YOU for the great stories and friendship! <3
xoxo~ Renee
DEAR LORD, MARY, and Barbour lets you get away with that??? I am scandalized and oh, SO THRILLED to read a Mary Connealy love scene like that. Honey, YOU are one of those authors I was talking about above that can elicit a heavy sigh with very male heroes and wonderful dialogue ... uh, along with a little man-handling, of course! LOVE IT!!!
I guarantee I will be taking more powder-room breaks today (which is one of the rare times I get to read), and Husband Tree is the reason!
Hugs,
Julie
OH MY WORD! Mrs. Lessman you are the Queen of Kissing! I about passed out from all the heat radiating from these scenes. And believe me, my toes were a curlin'*grin*LOL. And thank you so much for giving us a sneak peek at A Hope Undaunted and A Heart Revealed. Can't wait for them to come:~D
Please don't enter me in the giveaway, 'cause I already have all three of the DOB books and my mom said it was OK that I get A Hope Undaunted (YEAH!)*winks
Love Ya,
Ashley
P.S.
First comment. You go Renee!:~D
Oh man oh man oh man! Hot Wednesday Julie! Oh, how I look forward to your invigorating posts : )
Kissing. I love kissing. You can pack so much emotion and attitude in a well charged (or not)kiss -- much like you've demonstrated, LOL!
The folks at work are wondering why I'm drooling, sighing and all reactions in between : ) Thanks a lot, chum for clouding my mind for the day : )
SUE!!! Another Gone With the Wind freak??? Man, I KNEW I liked you a long time ago, I just didn't know how much till you said that. :)
And OMIGOSH, YES ... I wanted to kick Scarlett, too, for mooning over Ashley instead of Rhett. Are you kidding me????? Was there ever more of a man on the screen than Rhett Butler?? Sigh.
Thank you SO much for your support and your encouragement, Sue -- it means more than I can say.
Hugs,
Julie
Julie, I so agree with you about men. *very happily grinning just thinking about it*
Wow!!! I love reading everyone else's excerpts! Thank you all so much for sharing them!
GINNY!!! Soooo great to see you here!! It's always so fun when other authors swing by.
And give me a break, girl ... I don't have to teach you anything!
Hugs,
Julie
I read everything Julie writes. I'm hooked, so no need to expound on that. :) Now I have to share this because it's funny. This is the most CBA-ish kissing scene I've ever written.
"You do not like how I look?" Her chin trembled. He thought she was ugly?
He leaned close and captured her gaze. "I think you look much more beautiful without all that paint on. When you are yourself, you... well, you're stunning. But this... this look is not you."
She looked at her reflection in the mirror and while she decided to do as he asked, she cried as she walked upstairs and entered her bathroom. Why did he not like the way she wore her make-up? Didn't all American men want their women to have movie star good looks? But maybe that wasn't the real issue. She had never been to an American church before. Maybe they were more conservative when they dressed for services and he didn't want her to embarrass herself. That had to be it.
After scrubbing her face clean and re-applying just a touch of mascara, a little bit of blush and lip gloss, she glanced in the mirror. This was how she normally looked, except she always pulled her hair into a ponytail for work. She didn't want to wear her hair up to church, so she kept it down. She also selected a modest dress and one inch heels and checked her reflection in the mirror. Now she looked like a normal woman, so how was she supposed to capture his attention this way? She shrugged and decided to go downstairs. This time she just walked down and left the strutting behind.
Randy smiled and whistled at her. "Now that is what I call sexy."
She laughed. "You joke me."
"No, I'm serious. I prefer a woman whose clothing is modest and whose face looks natural."
She grinned and approached him. "Then this is what you will see."
"Good." He smiled and touched her cheek, and then kissed her briefly on the lips.
Before she realized what had happened, it was over. Her throat knotted and she blinked back tears. Such a simple, kind expression of affection touched her deeply, and yet she didn't know how to respond. She hated not being in control of her emotions, but at the same time she wanted more of this gentleness that was so unfamiliar to her. Something told her that the time she'd be spending with Randy was going to be the longest, most frightening two weeks of her life.
She only hoped that she would not ruin whatever might have sparked in Randy's heart.
Now for the really hot, edgy stuff you'll have to go to my blog and enter my contest to win a free book. Don't want to toast someone's eyebrows to ashes on this site. :)
kissing scene contest
Hey, MELISSA, how the heck are you doing, girl? Haven't talked to you for a long time. And how is our good friend Geralyn doing?? Tell her "hey" for me, will ya?
Loved this: "Your kisses are choregraphed in words with the grace of a dancer that tell a story for the imagination to imbibe the way a chocoholic needs their fix."
WOW, thank you SO much! And let me know when TM2 is out as well, because like you, that's one I definitely want to read.
Hugs,
Julie
Aw, MISSY, don't make me tear up now, you hear? I always get soft when a dear friend and peer I admire gives me a compliment like that. Thank you, my friend.
And I LOVED the near-kiss scene you posted on Pepper's blog, so I hope everyone will go check it out. It is definitely sigh-worthy!
Hugs,
Julie
Julie, I'm not sure which is on fire more: your lips or your finger tips on the keyboard. Fortunately your hubby gets to enjoy the former while the readers the latter.
The tip that stood out the most to me was when you said, Make the most of male “internal monologue,” or what the hero is thinking during the kiss scene because for me, the male is key—I personally believe his feelings/reactions generate readers' feelings/reactions even more so than the heroine's because his desire translates into the desire every woman wishes she could elicit.
That stunned me because I'd never pondered the significance. In fact, I started fretting because in my medieval, I thought all the kissing scenes were in her pov until I remembered an early one.
So with your commments in mind, I looked at the scene and realized I needed to add a few lines to enhance what the kiss means to him and to show what had "just been kiss before" was not more than "just a kiss."
Excellent lecture today, Teacher!
Oh, I forgot to add with all this kissing talk today and the lust talk I've been having with the Inkwell Inspirations ladies, I ordered a couple sex books today from Amazon to help me with developing the sexual tension in my books. Wenda suggested the author.
THE SEXUAL MAN and SECRETS OF EVE by Archibald Hart.
And Mary, I'm highly impressed with what a kissing connoisseur you've become. I seem to remember a book of yours where the heroine became pregnant and I had no idea she and her hubby were...umm, well, that close. :-) Who knew? Guess hero did.
Shoot. I should have added HUSBAND TREE to my order. I wonder if I still can...
Okay, everybody, turn in your fans right now because I need them!
HOLY CANOLI, DINA, are you kidding me??? WOW ... that is hot stuff, girlfriend, and you're right about it possibly not cutting for the CBA, but ONLY because of this line:
"he laid her down upon it, slid on top of her ..."
and maybe this one: "his hands wandered to places they had never ventured before." I got away with wandering hands in the DOB series, but ONLY with the married couples and in a near-rape scene.
To be honest, the rest of it is SO smokin' without going over the line, that I almost think that the graphic phrases above detract rather than add. I think the first one might serve the scene better if he maybe pushed her against the hood of the car instead. Honestly, just the IDEA of a goody-goody youth pastor losing a tiny bit of control to show him as a human being with God-given desires is sexy enough, in my opinion, ESPECIALLY with what he says to her at the end. WHEW!! VERY nice!!
Hugs,
Julie
Ooooo! Pepper! That was AWESOME! Can't wait till that book comes out, because I want to read it!!!
WHOA, PEPPER, you guys are gonna put me out of business!!!
Fire extinguisher, please?
LOVED IT ALL, BUT ESPECIALLY THE LINES: Like home and heat and hope all mingled together.
AND
Only the golden silence of feeling.
YIKES ... I am NOT going to get any writing done today, I can see that right now, and that's a real shame because I am SO primed for a love scene right now ... :)
Hugs,
Julie
ALYCIA!!! I've missed you, girl! Thanks so much for stopping by to leave a comment.
And you hope I have a good day? Oh, honey, you have NO idea!! :)
Hugs,
Julie
Julie, that is one of my reader sins- reading the end before the beginning, and I am trying to break it. Sometimes the ending just BEGS to be told! I am getting better!!
Ain't gonna tell my age exactly, but let's just say I am praying, and waiting, and waiting and praying :) (shhh- and yes I'm under 23 :)
Oh my satellite dishes!
Goody-goody youth pastors certainly know how to lose control.
JACKIE ... so you've never read one of my books, eh? Well, we'll just have to see what we can do about that! Right now you have two chances in the pool -- one for leaving a comment and one for signing up for the newsletter -- THANK YOU!
And I'm giving away another book on Pepper's blog this Friday along with a sneak peek at my favorite love scene in A Hope Undaunted, so that would be a good time to leave a comment as well. Here's the link:
Faith and Fiction on Fire
Hugs,
Julie
Okay so there's kissing and hugging and kissing and hugging.
Although I have a kiss scene I'd like to share I think it may be too much for us all at this point. Especially since Miss Julie worked her wonder with words and a few others have posted some excellent kissing scene specimens.
I'm just going to wing it with a brief interlude of lip exchange.
He hauled her up and pushing his fingers into her hair and down along the nape of her neck, he pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers.
There that should cool a few jets.
HOLLY ... Nice to see you here, girl!! Thanks for your support. And to be honest, I'm pretty excited about A Hope Undaunted too, not only because I think the cover is a step up from even the last series, which is saying something, but because I actually like the story the best of all four, and my editor and friends feel the same way, so I hope you do too!
Hugs,
Julie
Julie, I will take your excellent advice. I should also probably mention that this is women's fiction, not romance.
And Gina should know about youth pastors. LOL. So I'm glad she agrees.
ASHLEY!!!! "The Queen of Kissing"??? Mmmm ... I kind of like the sound of that, but as you can tell from all the wonderful love scenes we have today, that title is up for grabs!!
Sooo glad you stopped by today, my friend, and SOOO glad you won the signed copy of A Hope Undaunted in my newsletter contest. :)
Hugs,
Julie
I would love a chance to read one of your books. Your post definitely got me interested in reading more. I've signed up for your newsletter and am adding you to my list of authors to read.
Thanks so much!
douglas_fam530(at)yahoo(dot)com
AUDRA ... sorry for the drool, sweetie, but you should see MY keyboard!!
Honestly, is the KISS one of God's best creations or not??? YOWZA, the Big Guy sure knew what would ring our chimes, didn't He? Guess that's why Song of Solomon is jam packed with 'em!! :)
Hugs,
Julie
MICHELLE!!! Boy, you sure run the gamut, girl, from soft and sweet (VERY nice!) to OH MY!! :)
I read your kissing excerpts on your blog, and LOVED them of course, but my favorite is the scene from It's Not About Him -- YUM!!
Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Julie
GINA SAID:
Julie, I'm not sure which is on fire more: your lips or your finger tips on the keyboard. Fortunately your hubby gets to enjoy the former while the readers the latter.
Uh ... definitely fortunate for ALL of you as far as the hot-lips part!! :)
And, grin -- yeah, I tend to "ponder the significance" of male internal monologue A LOT, which is why I guess I'm somewhat decent at writing it. I used to daydream as a little girl AND as a teen about all the things a guy would say to me, so, trust me, I've been at this for a long, LONG time! Glad I could help!
And thanks for the tips on the books, sweetie.
Hugs,
Julie
CASEY, NOoooooooooooooo!!!! Not another reader friend with the bad habit of reading the end of the book!! You didn't do that with A Passion Most Pure, I hope, did you?? :/
And ... "praying, and waiting, and waiting and praying"?
Good girl. :)
Hugs,
Julie
Y'all have melted the entire chocolate stash that I keep beside my computer : )
TINA SAID:
He hauled her up and pushing his fingers into her hair and down along the nape of her neck, he pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers.
There that should cool a few jets.
Uh, nope, didn't work, sweetie -- as far as "cooling the jets," that is. :)
Hugs,
Julie
DINA, "women's fiction" with a scene like THAT??? Mmmmm ... I'm usually a die-hard romance reader instead of women's fiction, but scenes like that could definitely go a long way in changing my mind ...
And I don't know if my advice is "excellent" or not, but I DO know what will fly in the CBA and what won't. Trust me -- I've had enough red ink to prove it. :)
Hugs,
Julie
HEATHER, I'm THRILLED you want to read more, girl, so THANK YOU for leaving a comment AND for signing up for the newsletter. You should get it by tomorrow or the next day, so if you don't get it this week, let me know through my website, okay? I started a new newsletter service and a lot of people have not been getting the newsletter after I send it, but we are working out the kinks.
Thanks again for your interest.
Hugs,
Julie
Is it possible for a kiss to cool anything? I mean, just the thought of one get my pulse-a-poundin'. And the only 'real' smooch I've gotten today has been from a chocolate covered three-year old - a VERY sweet kiss, btw. nothin' beats chocolate kisses (pun!!)
But really, Tina... like Julie said, "a kiss isn't JUST a kiss." It's a motion that automatically activates E-motion :-)
Btw - today was DEFINITELY a day to be snowed in. Yipee!
GRIN ... VIRGINIA!!! You made me LOL on that one, girl! Thanks for the chuckle.
Now get back to work ... :)
Hugs,
Julie
PEPPER SAID:
"And the only 'real' smooch I've gotten today has been from a chocolate covered three-year old - a VERY sweet kiss, btw. nothin' beats chocolate kisses (pun!!)
TOO CUTE!!! Now the only thing that would be better is a kiss from a "chocolate covered" hubby ... :)
Whew ... time to step AWAY from the blog ... :)
Hugs,
Julie
I can never get enough of your kissing scenes! I own the "Pure Passion" books, and I have read them all several times (I know it's been 5+ for "Passion Most Pure"). You are an incredible writer--keep those kissing scenes coming! :-)
Please enter me in the drawing for the new book!
I'm burnin' up! Quick! Someone throw a bucket of water over me!
Phew, thanks. I needed that.
And we have to wait for the book?
You're an absolute tease, Julie.
Anita Mae.
Julie said -- Uh, nope, didn't work, sweetie -- as far as "cooling the jets," that is. :)
Julie -- Well I tried, but there was just too much lip lockage, hearts pounding and limbs turning to rubber happening on this site.
I will have to work up another damper LOL.
Or perhaps I will up the fire. Hmmm.
Pepper said-- But really, Tina... like Julie said, "a kiss isn't JUST a kiss." It's a motion that automatically activates E-motion :-)
Tina responds-- You're right, when you're kissed it activates emotion. OF course the emotion it activates depends on who's kissing you. I must admit that Baby chocolate kisses are rather gooey but lovely, and kisses from my husband send a lovely warmth through my soul.
But when the dog lays one on me ... well blahh
LOL
Been reading the kissing scenes posted at your site by the way.
LOL Tina..
okay, maybe the dog kiss would work as a damper ;-)
Wait until you read Julie's excerpt on Friday. Missy's was great too - hers was yesterday. It's been loads of lip-locking fun.
Oooh, and Mary and Myra's last week. Sigh...
Fun, fun!!
Pepper,
Yep dog kisses are where it's at. And not those cute little puppy things either. I'm talking full blown I just drank out of the toilet and now I'm drooling smacks.
LOL
I've read all the kiss posts on your site so far.
But SHHH
Don't tell Julie, I may have to skip Friday's kiss. I don't know if my heart can handle too much more of all this lovey dovey stuff.
Let's just keep that between you and me okay. :0) (SNORT)
Nooooo. No, I didn't as far as sneaking a peak at the plot, just page number and I caught Patrick's name, but I made myself STOP! Boy, I feel like a disobedient school girl :) I PROMISE I won't do it on A Passion Redeemed. :)
Hahahaha Casey! I'm a "peeker" too! :-P
xoxo~ Renee
KELLY ... FIVE TIMES for A Passion Most Pure??? That ALWAYS freaks me out because although I like to reread my books every now and then (especially when a new one comes ... I usually start a month ahead and reread ALL the books prior so I'm ready to jump into the new one!), I am always surprised when people tell me they reread them.
The gal who shocked me the most, however, is a teen who wrote me a letter telling me that she read APMP 17 times, and she joked that her family threatened to throw it away!!! Now I don't know if she was pulling my leg or exaggerating or what, but the only one I know whose read it more than her was me -- I read it over 60 times in the editing process!!
Scary, isn't it??? :)
Hugs,
Julie
Oh. My. Goodness. Leave it to Julie to attract a HUGE crowd!!! I've been busy with a million other things today and just now stopped in.
SUPER post, Jules! You hit the nail on the head--women long to feel desired. I never thought of that being the rationale for portraying a romantic scene in the hero's POV, but I've noticed I've leaned that direction in my own books.
I am now officially inspired to rework a few scenes in my wip and crank up the sizzle!!!!
LOL, ANITA!!! Mmmmm ... that's the first time I've been called a tease in many a moon, girl, which may have been dangerously close when I was like Charity in my B.C. days (before Christ).
And, yeah, you have to wait for the book just like I do, which isn't easy for me either since it's my favorite so far. But if you want a sneak peek at another love scene from it (my favorite, actually), hop on over to Pepper's blog this Friday (see the link above in a prior comment of mine ... it's bright blue).
Until then, ... pass the bucket of water, girl!! :)
Hugs,
Julie
I need more water!
I came back to read the comments this time... I knew Dina was a hot one but man, that's smokin'!
Julie - what have you done to me? And you think this won't be reflected in my daily writing? They're gonna wonder ... what was she thinking the day she wrote that scene? LOL
anitamaedraper(at)hotmail(dot)com.
Sign up for your newsletter. Please enter me in the giveaway. augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com.Thank you.
Oh, TINA ... how did we digress to dog kisses??? Don't make me come over there, girl, I mean it!
Hugs,
Julie
Okay, CASEY ... I'll let it go this time, but you're on probation, girl.:)
Gosh, I try really, REALLY hard to incorporate some surprise elements in these books for you girls, but if you are going to peek at the endings, what am I going to do with you???
No peeking on Redeemed or Denied. You can peek at the new series because the surprises are mid- and 3/4 through the books, so the endings won't give them away. Na-na-na-na-na!!!
Hugs,
Julie
RENEE ... not you too???!!! You younger crowd are gonna be the death of me yet! Like I told Tina, don't make me come up there ...
Hugs,
Julie
Okay Julie,
It is true that dog kisses are not conducive to flame fanning.
So I'm going to post a scene from a current WIP and try to shoot us in the right direction.
Tessa is carrying her husband's children but they've never consumated the marriage (oh the wonders of science) She lost her first husband in the past and has been afraid to love Marcus for fear she'll lose him to the future she's living in now. But her need finally outweighs her fears, and she goes looking for him. I think you can tell she finds him in a pool.
The muscles of his body taut, he cut through the water. He swam a couple more laps then he came up out of the pool, water glistening on his tanned skin. She caught her breath and found she finally understood what writer’s meant about Adonis rising from the water.
Her body heated as he strode to the chair, shaking his head as he wrapped a towel around his hips.
She literally froze to her spot, her whole body blushing when he looked up and found her watching like some voyeur.
“Tessa?” She stood with lips in a soft part, looking vulnerable and oh so beautiful in her nightgown with her hair askew around her head and draped over her shoulders. He went to her, wondering if she’d had a nightmare. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. She touched the scar on his chest with a trembling hand then lifted her eyes to his. The efforts of his swim quickly abated.
“Tess, why are you up?”
Her eyes grew to orbs, she blinked. “I’m hungry.”
He covered her hand with his own, fighting the desire building in him. “Then let’s go get you something to eat.”
She pulled her hand from his.
“No,” she whispered and caught his gaze. She sighed as her hand ran across his chest. Her eyelids fluttered, her eyes turned a soft hazel. “Marcus, I mean . . . I’m hungry.”
“What?” He choked and coughed. “Tess?”
She lowered her eyelids and nodded slowly. “I want . . . to be your wife.”
Fingers of molten lava were loosed in his gut as her hand ran along his skin. He lifted her into his arms, caught her sigh with his lips, and moved them back to the bedroom.
He sat down on the bed, holding her, wanting her. Amazed by how pliant and sweet her lips were against his, tortured by the feel of her body so near but so far away.
“Tessa, are you sure?”
She nodded as she pushed her hands into his hair and pulled his mouth back to hers. The assault of her lips, so ardent and soft made him groan with mounting desire.
He pulled away his heart palpitating, his blood hot and coursing.
“Tess, I love you,” he whispered as he laid her back on the bed. He loosened her gown and slid it off her shoulder, nuzzling her neck. She sighed as he laid a track of kisses from her shoulder to her lips. He rose up on extended arms and looked into eyes heady with desire then he put his lips to her ear.
“You should know. If you’re hungry, then I’m starving,” he whispered, before he molded his body, his lips, and his heart to hers again.
Goodness, MYRA, I'm surprised you made it at all with what you have on your plate right now! INCLUDING your own giveaway at Carla's Writing Cafe today where you and Carla are giving away both a copy of your new book, Romance by the Book (which sounds WONDERFUL, by the way!) AND chocolate!! Here's the link, guys, for those of you hungry for chocolate and a great book!
Carla's Writing Cafe
And, Myra, your comment "Leave it to Julie to attract a HUGE crowd"?
That's easy ... if we build a case for kisses or Edgy Romance, they will come ... :)
Hugs,
Julie
Hey, ANITA, don't blame it me, girl! You Inkies are the ones bantering about lust over on the Inkwell Inspirations loop, not me!! :)
Hugs,
Julie
Okay Tina,
That one just melted the chocolate in my REFRIGERATOR!! Whoa!
Hey, EMMA, thanks SO much for leaving a comment and signing up for the newsletter. I'll enter you into the contest for two chances to win. Good luck!
Hugs,
Julie
Hey Julie,
"If you write about kisses they will come" to the blog.
It's kind of like, "If you teach about Revelation, they will come to church" LOL...
Pepper said "If you teach about Revelation, they will come to church" LOL...
Tina's response. That is because both topics deal with flames...
LOL...good one, Tina.
And I suppose both of them could evoke one of two feelings.
Heaven or Hell ;-)
Oops, is it okay to type 'hell' on here. Whoops, just did it again.
Apologies for any tender eyes.
Which seems kind of weird to type after reading some of these excerpts ;-)
Oh I forgot to say I got your newsletter last week and loved it!
The cover of the new book awesome! And I'm really hoping they'll take you up on that Christmas story!!:)
I'm dieing to read it and you haven't even wrote it yet Hehe!
And If they don't want to publish it just write it anyway and send it to me and I'll love and enjoy every second of it!! :)
Lindsey
lindseypa89(at)yahoo(dot)com
WHOA, BABY, TINA ... you've been holding out on us, girl!! VERY NICE!!
ESPECIALLY: He rose up on extended arms and looked into eyes heady with desire then he put his lips to her ear. “You should know. If you’re hungry, then I’m starving ...”
Anita ... need that bucket ... NOW!!!
And, Pepper ... grin ... good one!!
Hugs,
Julie
TINA/PEPPER ... "flames .." certainly an appropriate topic today, for sure!
Hugs,
Julie
LINDSEY ... Thank you SO much, sweetie -- I really appreciate that. And trust me, I intend to write it whether they buy it or not. If nothing else, I can wallpaper my office with it ... after I send a copy to you, of course. :)
Hugs,
Julie
Yay,
I have redeemed myself. But ya know, getting reprimanded by Julie isn't so bad. She always does it with a hug.
And Pepper
It could heaven or Hell-ooo but then that could be heaven too.
and check this out my word for verification is hwords how funny is that.
Julie, your posts are always great! I rarely remember kisses from books. I do, however, recall the build-up to the intimacy.
MY word was 'misted', which is no doubt coming from the steam rising from Seekerville today. Whoa.
As my 10 year old says, "It's hot enough to fry eggs and bacon."
My knees are weak!
You, Julie Lessman, are the Kiss Queen!!!
One of 13 children, eh? Nice to learn some new Lessman trivia.
Love your mention of writing the kiss scene from the guy's POV. Excellent point I hope to remember. Thanks.!
TINA/PEPPER ... your verification words were "hwords" and "misted"??? Too funny ... and too true, given the fun were' having around here! :)
Hugs,
Julie
Thanks, DEB, but I pretty much think all we Seekers do a pretty sigh-worthy job of writing kissing scenes ... I just tend to write more of them in one book than everybody else. Oh, well, I always was an over-achiever ... just not necessarily in the right things. :)
Hugs,
Julie
Well Julie girl, All I can say is that its a good thing I didn't get to the computer early this morning or I would never have accomplished a thing.
I would have been sighing and oohing and ahhing all over the place and looking for those great books with wonderful kisses.
Or maybe looking for dh. smile.
The blintzes are gone too. Probably a good thing. I do have some Valentine chocolate kisses to share. In honor of the topic.
Sounds good to me:) But I have serious doubts that you will have to wallpaper it how they couldn't publish anything you write is beyond me:)
And I'll buy a special protective case just for it because I'm sure by the time I get done with it, it will look like some of the books you see in museums for as much as I'll wear it out! Hehe!;)
Lindsey
lindseypa89(at)yahoo(dot)com
SANDRA!!! Valentine's cookies??? We'll take 'em, girl -- all this kissing and fanning is working up an appetite.
I'll even throw in some Red Velvet Cake (groan ... one of my favorites!!) with thick, cream cheese icing.
And I know what you mean about not getting anything done today ... haven't touched the WIP, but to be honest, this is WAY more fun today ...
Hugs,
Julie
Sandra said -- Well Julie girl, All I can say is that its a good thing I didn't get to the computer early this morning or I would never have accomplished a thing.
Tina's response -- my boss isn't very happy that I've been piddling around on line when I should be working, but I'm going to go kiss him, and perhaps that will tame the beast. These office romances can be such a pain.
Tina,
You're crackin' me UP!!
You could have done something outrageous like marry your high school teacher. I wouldn't know anyone like that personally (wink,wink), but I've read about it in stories.
Pepper,
You're high school teacher huh? I had a fifty year old Math teacher with a glass eye and another science teacher with a balding crown and fifth wheel gut. Not much to flutter my heart there.
I married my high school sweetheart. Who is now my boss in the family business. Well that's what I let him believe anyway.
Balding and glass eyes are right up there with dog kisses on the HOT rating scale, Tina. ;-)
Neither of which describe the newly graduated teacher who walked into my chorus class. I was SURE it was a harmless crush I had. Who'd have thought, after graduation he'd ask me out.
First dates with former teachers are very weird feelings. I assure you.It would have been incredibly embarrasing to accidentally say, "Mr. Basham' during a romantic dinner date. I kept it safe. I didn't call him anything.:-)
Hey guess what?! The 10 ft of snow that was outside earlier has melted away! Whewww Tina that was one hot smooch! ;-) Nothing like a kiss to melt away the snow and the midweek blues!
xoxo~ Renee
I couldn't really think of anything to share, but Pep reminded me. I have a near-death kiss. Here goes:
Through a fog of fear, and the smoke slithering under the door, Livy watched Jake. He found a metal rod and pried against the bars, using the iron as a lever, trying to create an opening big enough for them to escape through. Sweat beaded and rolled down his face.
Lord, we need You now more than we’ve ever needed You. Please, Lord.
Jake stopped, lowering the heavy iron rod from the window. “It’s no use. The bars are bolted tight against the frame.”
Livy slid down the wall into a puddle, and wrapped her arms around her waist.
Oh God. Oh God. Have mercy.
Jake hurried across the room, hunkered down, and grabbed her by the shoulders. His eyes, their green depths fierce in the flickering light, stunned her. “We will make it, Livy. Don’t give up.”
Livy shook her head. There was no need for words.
Desperate time stood still.
He pulled her to him. “Please don’t cry, Livy.”
The air left Livy in a swoosh, leaving a desperate feeling of yearning inside. Tears tracked down her cheeks. With shaking hands, she traced his features, her fingers lingering along his cheekbones, the stubble along his jaw, and finally, his lips.
He hauled her to him, covering her mouth with his in a searing kiss that rivaled the fire raging out of control, not thirty feet away. All too soon, he jerked away, rested his forehead against hers and gazed long and deep into her eyes. He didn’t say another word, but his expression glowed with a passion that seared her to the core.
A passion that they’d never have a chance to explore.
RENEE ... GRIN, now that's some hot romance, for sure! I bet if we watch the weather tonight, the meterologists will talk about a surprise warm front ... :)
Hugs,
Julie
Oh sure Pam,
Write a kiss scene and add extra flames. LOL
Nicely done.
All I can say is, we've done our part for Global Warming.
Oh, PAMMY ... that was simply WONDERFUL. No kidding, you got to the part that said,
"He hauled her to him, covering her mouth with his in a searing kiss that rivaled the fire raging out of control, not thirty feet away," and I got flutters in my stomach that could be felt in the next state, DEAD SERIOUS!!
And the ending ... absolutely PERFECT!! Just curious, was that the end of the scene, I hope? Because, man, from what I have seen, one of the hardest things to do is to end a scene with the perfect touch of drama, which you did masterfully, my friend. I know, because THAT is one of the biggest things I notice in a book, how a scene often ends flat.
I cannot WAIT until you are published, Pammy. You may get a late start, but you are gonna finish FAST, girl!!
HUGS,
JULIE
TINA SAID:
All I can say is, we've done our part for Global Warming.
LOL ... AMEN TO THAT!!
LOOK FOR THE WINNERS OF THE BOOKS IN THIS WEEKEND EDITION. THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO MADE THIS A VERY WARM DAY!!
HUGS,
JULIE
Yes, that's the end of the scene. The next chapter starts with the hero's POV, showing all his angst, the fire (okay, the REAL fire lol), and then a little twist that I'm quite proud of if I may say so myself!
This is NOT how this scene was originally written. My heroine is really strong (street kid in 1880's Chicago) and tended to rescue the hero from all sorts of situations, so I rewrote several scenes where the hero figures out how to get them out of a few tight spots, and also gave the heroine a healthy fear of fire.
Thanks for today's post. I hope I can write my scenes with half the intensity that you do. :) I can't wait to read the next book. Please enter me in the drawing for A Hope Undaunted.
cynthiakchow (at) earthlink (dot) net
OK. I'm am so late, but I have a new job (internal) and I am busting to keep up.
Julie, you actually know what a Lefty Grove fastball is. I am in sheer amazement.
My favorite kisses are the ones I'm involved in.
Would love to win a copy of your book.
wmussell(at)hotmail(dot)com
Leave it to Walt to come in with a zinger. :-)
I don't have time to read all the comments, but I just have to say---yay!!!!! I am dying for Sean's story and it sounds like you haven't even finished it yet, LOL! :)
I love your books so much partly for the awesome romance, and great kissing scenes, Julie!
WHOA!!! That's all I can say!
You gals have talent with words!! All these excerpts are amazing! Canada sure got a whole lot warmer for a while there :D!
Reading all of these wonderful kissing scenes makes me look forward to the day when God will bring a special man into my life that I can love, and be loved by.
I loved reading all of these comments...Julie, as always I love, love your books and the excerpts you share! I simply can't wait for Katie's story! And Sean's and Steven's and especially the Christmas story about Patrick and Marcy! :D I am so excited about all your books...What can I say, I love your writing!
If it's okay I would love to be entered to win a copy of 'A Passion Most Pure' my friends keep borrowing mine and passing it on...not that I mind. But one can't go too long without reading about Colin and Faith...:D Thanks!
carolynnwald [at] hotmail [dot] com
PAM ... well, honey, all I know is that was one HOT scene ... and I ain't just talking about the fire!
You said: I rewrote several scenes where the hero figures out how to get them out of a few tight spots, and also gave the heroine a healthy fear of fire.
Absolutely perfect! And that, my friend is exactly why when you sell, and I believe it will be soon, you will be selling for a long, long time.
Hugs,
Julie
CYNTHIA!!! Now, see? I know you through personal e-mail and blogs, but I had NO idea you were an aspiring writer!! People often ask me what I did to get published, so I put together some steps I took, and if you would ever like me to send them to you, just contact me through my website, okay? Or you can respond to this comment.
Thanks for your faith in me, Cynthia, and I pray God's abundant blessings on your writing career.
Hugs,
Julie
WALT!!! So glad you got a chance to drop by. For some reason I really missed you and Vince, I guess because you are our token males, and I thought all the heat must have kept you away ... :)
And, grin, don't be too amazed by the Lefty Grove fastball knowledge -- it actually belongs to my husband who sits two feet behind me 15/7 in our tiny little office. He is an artist/designer with his own company and a real resource for anything sports-related. He actually didn't like the sentence I came up with based on some sports technicality, but I told him that my market is women and they flat-out don't care. :)
And your comment: My favorite kisses are the ones I'm involved in.
That's a romance novel in itself, my friend, and your wife appears to be a very lucky woman!
Hugs,
Julie
AMY!!! I am SO thrilled you came by to see me, my friend -- THANK YOU! And thanks for the kind words too. What can I say? My passion is "passion" and God ... just not in that order! :)
Hugs,
Julie
CAROLYNN!!! Soooo good to see you, girl -- thanks for stopping in!!
And THANK YOU for plugging me to your friends! Word of mouth is HUGE in this business so the more people you lend/talk about the books to, the better.
I'm saying one RIGHT NOW for that desire of your heart, my friend, and may God bring the perfect godly soulmate to you when the time is right.
Hugs,
Julie
JULIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Better late than never right?? =) LOL
I'm sure I could never get enough of your writing!
Ok...so I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and actually gonna post part of a scene. Eeek!!! =S
So, here goes nothin... =)
Love and hugs! Ashli
It's from my 1905 New York rough draft...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I cannot believe what a beautiful day it is.”
Everett leaned close to her ear. “I do see one thing more beautiful.” Dacey felt herself genuinely smile, teased at the compliment she felt a ruddy tinge cross her face again. “Mr. Wheatley, what exactly is it that brings you to New York?” A feeble, but hopefully successful, attempt to direct the conversation away from herself.“I permanently reside on the north side of the city, though business originally summoned me here from my home in London.” Everett quickly flicked his head to the side, almost as if he was looking over his shoulder for something. A common habit Dacey noted. And a strangely attractive one, actually. The action effectively swept the stray locks of hair from over his eyebrow back into their intended place, revealing a clear view of the flirtatious wink he sent her direction. “I dare hope, now, that pleasure, rather than business, will be what keeps me here.”
“Sir, you flatter me.” His smile stole her attention and sent her boot slipping from the brick sidewalk beneath her. Anticipating the impact of the fall, she reached for something to steady herself, and found a taut mass of muscle that caught her firmly before she hit the ground. A ripple of heat spread through her body not at all from the embarrassment she usually felt from her lack of gracefulness in heeled boots.
As he held her, Everett's eyes were mere inches from her own, piercing into hers as if he could determine her every thought. Assuming her mind were capable of forming any at that moment. His breath blew huskily on her face and smelled of cinnamon. “Are you hurt?” The words slowly dripped from his mouth like butter smothered onto freshly baked bread. Dacey slowly shook her head, unable to tear her gaze from his . . . unwilling to blink and risk surrender to what beckoned her toward his enchanting brown eyes. The ever present sounds of the city drifted into a distant haze. All movement seizing into stillness as time seemed to cease existing around them. He moved his face closer, just shy of touching her lips with his own. She felt her own breath grow ragged as the closeness of this man unraveled her self-control. A sudden burst of longing intoxicated her mind. Absent of hesitation, she met his mouth with hers and sharply drew back, singed from the spark the touch created. Just as quickly he found her kiss again, deepening her need for its taste. Her hands wondered his neck, reaching higher to feel the coarseness of his hair as his fingers searched her neck and entangled into her own loose strands until slowly tracing the outline of her face just before he gently tore his lips from hers.
He shifted her body between his arms and lifted her again to her feet. “Do you think you can stand now?” Regretfully tearing her stare from his, she quickly nodded, but kept her grip on his arms. He laughed, thoroughly amused. “I believe it is you, Miss Callaghan, who flatter me.”
ASHLI!!!! SOOOOO good to see you here, my friend, and better late than never is certainly right, especially when you're posting a heated encounter like the one below -- VERY NICE!! I'd prod you to get that book done, only I know that you are a wee bit busy right now ... but someday in the future, I hope! :)
Hugs and more hugs,
Julie
I can't tell you how much I enjoy your books-especially the kisses!
EMY ... thank you SO much for your sweet comment AND you encouragement!
Have a blessed day!
Hugs,
Julie
WOAH! Now THAT is how you write a kiss scene! I hope I'm not too late for this contest...I would love a copy of your book coming out in September!
I'm a new follower and I have to say that I am very impressed with this first post I've read. :D
Jordan
lizzielaura17(at)yahoo(dot)com
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