Writing Warriors Wednesday ~ A Kiss is Just a Kiss

Little girl’s dreams are built around it. Boys brag about it, and it is the force driving every book I write. It is all about the kiss, not just any kiss, ‘the kiss’.  Sounds like a pretty weak way to drive anything, but that us my focal point. The first kiss and then the renewal kiss. In any romance, the basic bare bones plot is usually the same.  Boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back.  Obviously, there are a million variations of this, but the core is the same. So for a writer to truly translate their vision, we must have a focus.

In my first series, ‘Trust Me,’ the entire novel started out as an image in my head. Two people, breathless and desperate to kiss each other but unable to act on their feelings, I focused on the single image rolling all of the possibilities in my head, why wouldn’t they be able to fulfill their desires? What was holding them back and what would make them so desperate to act? Where did the need to be in the others embrace stem from? What were the consequences if they acted on their desires? The answers to each of these are, of course endless, but in the end, Trust Me was born. The two people became Rebecca Gailen and Eric Stiles, the scene wound up in a very different place than I imagined it, and the consequences were shattering to both of them.

Eric sat for a moment, letting the advice settle in his gut before he rose from the table. He made is way down the hall and over to the kitchen. He popped a few quarters in the vending machine his mind heavy in thought.

Just promise me, if you find her you won't walk away…

Then the world literally stopped. I looked up, and there she was smiling at me as she said hello.

I wish that were true…

He made his way back to the conference room, two sodas in hand. He rounded the corner and bumped into someone. He heard a gasp, and he turned. Her blue eyes looked at him in terror.

"Beccs."

He'd scared her again.

Damn it what was she doing out here alone?

She was breathless, and he watched her body begin to quake. Her eyes watering, she looked to him, helpless. He grasped her hand and scanned his ID before he led her into an empty conference room. She propped herself against the wall, and he shut the door. Her trembling worsened while tears slid down her cheeks.

He pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her protectively until the trembling passed. She clung to him, and he pulled her tighter against him, kissing the top of her head.

After a few minutes, she seemed to calm. Eric looked down at her, his hand grazing her hair. She met his gaze, her cheeks still wet with tears.

"Okay?" He gently wiped her tears away with his thumb.

Quiet desperation shone back at him, and he drowned in her eyes. His heart refused to be ignored. The walls he'd so carefully built crumbled like ash. Eric leaned down, pressing his lips against hers, his hands pushing into her hair. He covered her mouth, and a rush of fire swept through him. Her lips were warm and sweet. She opened up to him, and he pulled her closer to him, devouring her mouth. They melted together into one enduring embrace.

She pulled away, their lips parted, and his heart screamed in protest.

"We can't do this," she said in a breathless whisper. His forehead rested against hers, eyes closed, fighting the need to kiss her again. "Eric…"

"If it was anyone else…" his voice a deep growl talking his way back from her warmth, "Rebecca I--"

Her warm hand rested against his cheek and stabs of pain pushed at him like his heart was being ripped from his body. He tried to catch his breath. Her eyes were brimming with life, pain, and unquenchable warmth.

She rose up on her toes. His arms still wrapped around her, she kissed him once more. Full of emotion and regret, her lips fit within his. She broke away and lowered herself back to the ground. Unable to pull away from her eyes, he could see the strain and exhaustion she fought to hide. His hand grazed her hair, and her eyes closed.

Like the screaming of an alarm, his cell phone rang. Her eyes opened, looking at him with strength, hiding the pain and fear only he could see. Her shoulders squared, her back stiffened, and her arms dropped from his chest.

Eric kept her resilient but anguished gaze. He dropped his arms from their protective position around her. She took a step back. His cell phone rang again. She took another step and turned toward the door. He struggled with not being able to touch her or hold her. She glanced back, but within seconds, she disappeared. It was torture beyond his imagination, and it was killing him.

His phone rang again, and he pulled it from his pocket.

"This is Detective Stiles."

***

So that was the beginning of the Trust Me series or at least the kernel of inspiration.  Now that was not the first kiss, nor would it be the last, but it is a crucial part of the plot. First kisses, as I stated, are of monumental importance to me. They have to be perfect. They have to feel honest, real, and natural. One of my pet peeves is to have a kiss feel rushed or awkward, or when as the reader I am saying – where the hell did that come from. There has to be a build-up, tension, and finally, the explosion that lifts the character's story to the next level.

In Shockwave, the first kiss is the turning point in the novel. It is the place where the reader is finally satisfied by the flirt. Kate Weiss and Jack Tucker are from two different worlds, he is always in the spotlight, and she is always behind it. At the beginning of the story, Jack and Kate hate each other until Kate is attacked by a group of thugs.  From there, the flirt is on, and in this scene, the readers are given what they have been hoping for…

It took a little time, but they managed to make their way out and hail a cab back to the hotel. Stumbling into the hotel laughing, they managed to navigate their way to the elevators. They stepped in, and concurrently forgot the floor of their rooms.

“Twenty-three Three is sticking in my brain.” She leaned against the back of the elevator.

“Twenty-three Three it is,” Jack pushed the button and leaned against the wall next to her.

“You’d think they would put it on your key or something.”

“What’s your room number?” His brain flipped like a coin in mid-air.

“2509.” He looked at her with a smile. “Seriously?”

She reached forward, pushed the button for twenty-five. He laughed.

“What’s your room number, Tucker?”

“Ah…I…well…I have no fucking idea!”

“See!” She stepped back, leaning next to him. “So I don’t want to hear any sass out of you about my 23!”

“My sass will remain closed.” The heat of her body made his head spin more than it already was.

“That’s why!”

“Why what?”

“I finally understand why she calls you Sass. I didn’t see it before, but now I definitely agree that you are…”

Abruptly the doors opened, and they turned to move out of the elevator. He realized they were on the wrong floor and pulled her back.

“What are you doing?”

“Twenty-five, remember, not twenty-three.”

“Oh yeah,” She turned to him with a lopsided smile. It hit him like a hammer. He realized it was the first time he had ever really seen her smile.  It lit up her face, and he couldn’t help but smile back. “Do you know that saying?”

“What saying?”

“The whole, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas thing.”

“Yes, I am familiar with it.” The doors of the elevator opened again, and he gently turned her around, moving her forward into the hallway.

“Well, you need to make sure you understand that saying because well…” She rummaged through her pockets for her key. “I am breaking so many rules right now, you wouldn’t believe.”

“Rules?” She stopped at her door leaning against it, key card in hand.

Jack watched her struggle to maintain her mental and physical balance.

“Yes, rules. Many, many rules.”

“What kind of rules?” Warmth enveloped him. Her scent and deep eyes drew him in, and he was powerless to resist.

“Important rules.” His palms rested on the door trapping her between his arms, and a deep sigh escaped her lips. “Very important rules.”

“Kate,” He breathed her in, just inches away from her lips, her emerald eyes shining brightly up at him.

“Yes?”

“Forget the rules.” He caressed her cheek with his thumb, his heart pounding against his chest. Jack let go of his fear and covered her mouth with a passionate kiss.

He expected the moment of surprise. Then she kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him closer. After a hesitant but passion-filled exploration of the other's lips, their touch parted, and he bit back a groan. He didn’t want to stop. He wanted to keep kissing her forever.

***

In my new book, Finders, Demonologist Luke Melloy cannot afford to be in love. It is a hazard to his job and his soul. A missing part of his life he has learned to deal with… Claire Westin is too busy for love, she has a career, goals, and a notorious family name to escape. Funny how fate has other plans for this pair.

They laid in silence. Luke focused on his breathing and thought she’d fallen asleep. When she turned to face him, he opened his eyes, seeing her beautiful face just inches away. His heart raced, and he begged it to calm. The need to touch her scorched his body, and he held back.

“Can you feel it?” Claire said, her voice barely audible.

The question threw him off. Everything about Claire threw him off. In a desperate attempt to remain in control of his colliding emotions, he responded, “feel what?”

Her soft and yet piercing gaze studied him. He could almost hear her mind working as she stared through his mask. A mask, until now, no one knew was there. She shifted slowly, her hand rising from the down bedding before gently laying against his cheek. “Feel this.”

With her touch, his world rolled and surged. His energy aligned into a powerful rush of endorphins and strength. Closing his eyes, he savored the surge, like taking in pure oxygen after years of suffocation. “Yes.”

“What,” she started, and he watched her take a breath of air. “is it?”

Her sweet breath on his chin, her lips brushed against his in a hesitant kiss. The union sent sparks flying through his core, and without thought, Luke claimed her mouth with a fiery need. Taking her into his arms and rolling her beneath him, he could feel her desire, feel the heat boiling in both of their bodies. She opened to him, her nails curling into the back of his neck, demanding his attention, and he devoured her mouth in response.

Delicious

Intoxicating

Heaven

“Claire,” Luke said, forcing himself to pull back from the elation. His body groaned in response.

“I know,” Claire said, breathless and panting. “I know we have to stop.”

Luke met her eyes, seeing clarity, and understanding he wasn’t expecting. “I don’t…”

“I understand, Luke,” she said, her thumb stroking his cheek. “It’s complicated, and things are complicated enough right now.” He collapsed against her, breathing in her scent. “Your being here, holding me in your arms is enough for now.”

***

A little steamy, right-- Well all of that flirting tends to build up a little tension…and POW!

The kiss is a powerful weapon in the romantic suspense, more so than in other genres. The kiss is a prize, a reward for hard work, and a job well done. You have managed to stay alive, here is your treat…you get the girl/guy!

Every writer has something that propels them forward, the kernel of truth they search out.

I ask you, with the utmost sincerity, what is more, honest than a kiss? You cannot fake a kiss, not a real one anyway. A real kiss has the power to sway opinions, cease and cause wars, make you faint, swoon, and or gag. For me, the kiss is the first breath of love, it is an act of passion, and most of all, awareness.  There is no way to deny, retract, or ignore a real kiss, not even if you want to.

The core of my writing is the kiss in all of its glorious forms, whether is it a first kiss or a kiss. Goodbye, it is always memorable. It is my job to make you remember why.

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Writing Warriors Wednesday ~ Write Like You're Already Famous!

My kids are constantly boasting about how I’m a famous author. I just laugh at them and say yep, that’s me the Famous Author Mom.

What makes us famous or even infamous? What makes anyone famous? Is it the amount of money you make—probably not. There are lots of billionaires. I don’t know them from Joe Schmo at the convenience store.  How about what you drive or your wearing Brand name clothing – these things will probably get you noticed. We all know just because we own expensive items does not mean we can afford them.  Being on all of the talk shows and having a billion YouTube followers? – Yeah, not so much.

To me – in my ever so humble opinion—being famous is about two things. Confidence and determination.

In a previous post – To blog or not to blog – we talked about marketing and how you are not selling books anymore you are selling yourself. It is a harsh truth. We all know Best Seller, and Award-Winning means nothing when it comes to selling books. Yes, it helps, it shows your marketing skills, but we have famous books – one comes to mind in particular—that were worldwide best sellers, had movies made based on them and the book, well, sucked.  There are two reasons for this – the Big 5 is one of them. We all know money = success. If you have the money to splash TV ads, print media and buy your way onto the best-seller list, you will have a profitable book.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not discounting any authors abilities and deserved success. There are a ton of authors that succeeded and deserve every accolade they get.

To the world an author’s success is based on volume. How many books have you sold? Well, that is none of their business, to be frank. No one but you and your publisher knows those numbers.  That – my friends is a good thing. Use it, do not let your sales or lack thereof stifle your writing or make your doubt your talent. Being famous is a state of mind. The perfect example of this is the Kardashians. Seriously, think about it. They were nothing, but they became famous because of their confidence in themselves and what they have to offer the world. And money – lots of money.

Let me put it this way – if you reached the top of the pile and your books were selling like hotcakes on a summer griddle would that change the way you write? Would it change the way you perceive your writing? Your goals? Your ability to continue to get better, hon your craft? Would you feel more creative freedom? Would it change the way you market your books?

The world – via book sales is telling you – wow you are awesome and famous! 

What does it mean?

Reality? It means nothing. Not really.

So why not act like you are famous now? You are. You are a published author! Do the work, hon your craft, edit until your eyes bleed, and market like you are on speed. You are already famous. Use it, leverage it – write like it. Don’t hold back, let the words and ideas fly. What have you got to lose? Absolutely nothing, right? You can only gain. Gain experience, and visibility which equals book sales.

Okay so don’t go nuts and start yelling “do you not know who I am?” when the barista screws up your coffee. But do walk into a room of other authors proud. Talk about your book on social media. Brag about your book at parties and events. List your self as Published Author on your resume, business cards and emails.

The point to his whole post is –

You have just as much to offer as the Kardashians (or whomever you want) if not more. Scream it at the top of your lungs and keep working because you are already famous, the world just doesn’t know it yet.

This post was partially inspired by an amazing book I read a few years ago – Write Like You are Already Famous by a good friend of mine, M. LeMont. This post is also inspired by my fellow authors who while sitting in a dim room pound out millions of words every year. Keep going. 

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Writing Warrior Wednesday! ~ The Zombieland of Book Titles

So I was watching Zombieland, great movie, and I was inspired! If you have never seen the movie, zombies have taken over the country and four survivors meet and travel together, kicking serious zombie ass. The main character makes this list, the rules of how to survive Zombieland. So I thought why not make the ‘rules’ of picking a book title.

Okay here we go, in no particular order, feel free to add on…

Don’t be cliché but don’t be too abstract - One of my pet peeves is when a book has a title that says one thing and content that is another. You can always tell when someone is overly dramatic with the title…you know what I am talking about.

Google it before you choose it – perfect example, my first book is entitled Serenity Lost. Well there are several challenges here, apparently there is a rock band by that name. There is also the television show Serenity. So every time you type in Serenity Lost all of this other stuff comes up. Then there is the second book, Veiled Deception, yeah…there is another book with the exact same name and by a bigger author. Suck!

Hook ‘em – Your title is as important as the blurb or the cover itself. It needs to grab attention and work with the cover to make you want to pick up the book.

Don’t pull your hair out, it will come – picking a title can be one of the most frustrating parts of the process. Sometimes I have the title before the book, other times the book remains untitled until the very last moment. Either way, you will find it, and sometimes in the most unexpected ways. It is different for everyone.

Make sure you love it – It is your book, your name, your heart and soul. Do not skimp on the name. It is a representation of your work. (no pressure or anything…lol!)

Be prepared to change it – It will happen. You will have the PERFECT title and then someone says no. Or you have to take the one book and make it into three. This has happened to me twice now! Lol! Trust Me turned into Serenity Lost, Veiled Deception, & Jaded Promises. Dead Air turned into Shockwave, Backlash, & Fallout.

All of this is nothing you don’t already know. Writing a book is not an easy thing to create and build. It takes blood, sweat, tears, passion, and heart. Number one rule, above everything else, go with your gut it will never do you wrong.

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Writing Warrior Wednesday ~ How to Train Your Writing Dragon

When this movie first came out in the theater I was less than excited. It didn’t interest me. My husband, as a treat to our five-year-old son, took him to see it. 

Taking the kids to see animated movies, with the exception of Pixar, is usually a crap shoot, but we suffer through. In this case, when my husband and son returned that afternoon, our son was bouncing off the walls babbling about how awesome the movie was. This is not unusual. My husband, though, was also very complimentary and kept talking about not only the animation but the main character, Toothless, the dragon. 

Years have gone by and “How to Train your Dragon” is now on Netflix. We recently sat down one night as a family to watch it. 
I loved it, no I will preface this. I loved Toothless. 

Toothless has joined the ranks of my favorite silent characters. These include Wall-E, Silent Bob, R2D2, Sam (Benny & Joon), Pixar’s Lamp, Teller (Penn & Teller), The Red Balloon (from French movie of the same title), Wilson (Castaway) & The Tramp (Charlie Chaplin).

Chaplin, the master of the silent movie, was, and still is considered the master of conveying emotion, or character, without the use of dialog. One of the challenges every author faces is the ability to convey emotion through words. This can be done via dialog or description. An exercise most writers are tasked with in the very beginning of their pros is to write a scene completely devoid of description. The only venue you have to convey your theme is dialog. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, what if you had no dialog as a venue, only description?  As ours is not visual art, this poses quite a challenge. 

Visual expression, as brilliantly shown in the character Toothless, is astounding in the ability to have such an impact. The emotions attached to a silent character run a different, deeper, path than those who have a voice.  Another impressive modern example of this is Kurt Russell in the movie “Soldier” released in 1998. While this film was released with little attention from the populace, it is a touching and powerful example of expression without words. 

But how do we as writers describe the emotional expression of a character and exactly the same results? How do we describe anger, love, hate, frustration without words?

This, of course, leads us back to the #1 rule of fiction writing, show, don’t tell. 

One of the things I have started to do is to watch these characters and then describe their facial movements, their stance, and their eyes, trying to dissect what emotion is coming across, and how. 

So here is an exercise for all those who are interested in exploring this facet of our world. Here is a picture of Toothless. Use words to describe the scene and what is happening, the emotion involved in the scene.  Basically, recreate the picture in words. When finished you should be able to read the description and form the same image without the picture. 


Share it with us! I am excited to see what you come up with!

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Writing Warriors Wednesday! ~ To Blog or Not to Blog

This is a universal question and one we all struggle with when building our

empires. I have struggled with the same thing for years. Tossing and turning in conflict over how to spend my precious time. If I am blogging, I’m not writing, and I should be writing, right?

Yes and no.

This is the chicken and the egg scenario, unfortunately.

Working on your next book is KEY but you need to be able to sell your current book and the next one etc. The only way you are going to do that is to be out there. One venue is not enough! Just posting to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or even just blogging is not enough. You have to link them all together and run at full force to get your name out there.

The other thing you need to remember and a friend of mine recently pointed this out to me, you are selling you. There was a time – before social media—that an author was popular because we LOVED their books. Half the time we didn’t know what they looked like, their hobbies or their political affiliations.  I mean seriously have you seen Stephen King – that mug had to be a huge debate in marketing his books early on.  

This is no longer the case. The internet, Amazon and social media have changed the landscape dramatically and thus was born the word BRAND.  Yes, I used it and I know you all cringed and looked away.

A brand is simply what pops into a person’s head when they see your name. 

Nothing?

Well, that is a problem.

That is where social media and blogging come into play. More specifically this is where content comes into play. Blogging does not have to be a full-time job. Most of us have full-time jobs already that are not writing. Two blog posts a week works. Easy-Peasy. 

Okay, Amy, I get it – but I still have no clue what to blog about?

Keep it simple. What are your passions? What are you working on? What do you do outside of writing? For example. I love television so I started a blog series of favorite television shows A to Z. This gave me a sustainable topic to blog about every week and is also something I really enjoy talking about.  The blog will attract other people who also enjoy television and will then see all of my books on the blog (you get the idea). So now when that person sees my name they will think – oh yeah, Amy Romine is a huge fan of the Dukes of Hazard. I’d completely forgotten that show until I read her blog!

There are a TON of things to blog about, you can literally Google it and get thousands of topics.

The other challenge I have heard about blogging is the length. Guess what? Length, or lack thereof, is not a problem. The entire world has ADD now so the shorter the better, right? 500 – 750 words works great. (I just hit 500 words int his post BTW)

Do you read? Write book reviews! – This is a GREAT way to give back and support your fellow authors.

Saturday Seven – This is a weekly rundown of what you did the previous week. I pick seven topics (Reading, Researching, Listening To, Yummy Food, Learned, Quote I am pondering and Watching) and I write a little one or two sentence line about each. I link to recipes, books, music, articles etc.

Crafts / Hobbies – If you are into crafts and or some kind of hobby other than writing talk about it. Give tips, how to’s, what it is about the activity that brings you joy!

Writing – Excerpts, inspiration – I am writing a romantic suspense horror novel and I post what’s called a Finder’s Bucket List (Finders is the name of the Ghost Hunting Team in my book). I blog about locations that are on their list of want to do – I give a brief overview and then link to the website of the location. These are short and sweet blog posts but will attract anyone interested in ghost hunting.

Character Blogging – This is a fun one and I have used it a few times. Blog as your character! What are their likes, obsessions, hobbies, etc. It is an interesting way to give your blog reader an alternate look at a character you are working on or have already created.  (750 words)

So, dear teammates that is my take on blogging. Obviously, I am of the opinion that for brand marketing it is a must-do. On top of that though, it is writing! 

Like it or not it counts toward your 10,000 hours to become a writing expert!

Any kind of writing is a good thing for all of us writers. Flexing muscles you do not normally use gets the blood flowing and the creative juices moving in new directions.

Don’t over complicate it or overwhelm yourself. Ask for help, set a schedule and just do it.  Using programs like Triberr will extend your blog’s reach and push your posts into the social media mix.  Lots of little things like blogging add up to more exposure, more sales and that makes us all happy writers!

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Writing Warriors Wednesday! ~ The Kiss - A Pivotal Scene in Any Romance

Little girl’s dreams are built around it. Boys brag about it, and it's the force driving every book I write. Romance all about the kiss, not just any kiss, ‘the kiss’.  Sounds like a pretty weak way to drive anything, but that is my focal point. The first kiss and then the renewal kiss. 

In any romance the basic bare bones plot is usually the same.  Boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back.  Obviously there are a million variations of this but the core is the same. So for a writer to truly translate their vision we must have a focus.

In my latest erotic novella, the entire novel started out as a single moment. A passionate, unexpected, but wanted moment between two professional people. I focused on the single image rolling all of the possibilities in my head, why wouldn’t they be able to fulfill their desires? What was holding them back and what would make them so desperate to act? Where did the need to be in the others embrace stem from? What were the consequences if they acted on their desires? The answers to each of these are of course endless, but in the end You Never Could Be was born. The two people became Sara and Will.

Will finished his conversation, and hung up his phone, having booked himself on the next available flight. Highway assistance had solved their lug nut challenge, and they were back on the road to the airport. Sara saw the exit and glanced at him with a grin, her stomach churning. His phone beeped and he glanced at the screen with an audible sigh.

“Is everything okay?”

“Uh, yeah, it’s fine.”

“You don’t sound so convinced.”

“I’m not.” His focus went toward the window a deafening quiet lying between them once again.

“Are you going out of the same terminal?”

“Yeah, I think so, American.”

She grabbed her drive-through pass and headed to the terminal. The curb side thorough-way was closed. She pulled into the garage and found a space. Sara was unwilling to break the boundary of silence he’d put up, and wordlessly popped the hatch.

“Make sure you get a new tire. You shouldn’t be driving on the donut for longer than a day.” He came around the side, pulling his luggage from the back.

“I will.” She pulled her fingers against her hair. The tension was killing her, and she’d had enough. “Will…”

“They’re replacing me.” Her blood turned to ice.

“What?”

“The phone call, it was Regan. They decided to split the departments, and my position has been absorbed into the transition.” Unable to deal with the news without emotion, she turned away from him. “There are a couple of positions available in Phoenix. They are setting up interviews for me.”

“When?”

“I’ll announce it Monday. They want me to work through the transition so probably a few weeks.”

“I can’t believe this is happening. Will, you’ve been—“

“It’s okay Sara. It’s not personal. We knew with all the changes' stuff like this was going to happen.”

“Yeah, but not to us.”

She saw him take a deep breath before he closed the hatch. Her emotions rose to her chest and she wasn’t sure what to do. She did her best to gulp it back.

“Well at least, you’ll be around for the next few weeks, so I can still harass you when needed.” She meant for the statement to be light, but it came out like a final farewell. “You’ll have to come up with an excuse to come visit. I’m sure the group of us can come up with a plausible justification.”

“I’ll be around.”

“I know you will. You're always around when I…we need you.” His eyes bore through her, and her body involuntarily tightened. “You’d…uh…you’d better get moving or you’re going to miss your plane again.”

“Yeah, I think I would have a hard time using the flat tire excuse twice.”

“Have a safe trip.” She stepped into him, wrapping her arm loosely over his shoulder in a hug. Her heart raced at the solid heat of his body against hers. “Let me know if you need anything. Seriously, if you need anything just call.”

“You too.”

She nodded and went to step back, his hand lingering on her hip. She hesitated. He moved, and she took another step. He threw his laptop case over his shoulder and unfolded his luggage before waving good-bye.

Heaviness settled on her chest, forcing a deep sigh. Her mind felt thick, and she pulled herself away, getting in her truck. She lifted the handle when the smacking of hurried footsteps against concrete got her attention.

“Sara!”

She spun on her heel following his voice around the truck.

“Did you forget something?” He didn’t respond just kept walking, a startling determination in his eyes. She waited in open confusion. He kept coming and before she could react, his hand curled on the back of her neck. His mouth crushed hers with a heated demand and she had no choice but to give in. She opened beneath him, and his tongue diving into her mouth. He shifted his arm, wrapping it around her waist, resting on the small of her back. His mouth still dominating her attention, his overpowering torso pressed her against the truck. She was trapped, unable to escape his possessed siege of her mouth.

The kiss broke, and they both gasped for air. His eyes searched her face, his fingers kneading her neck. He wordlessly pulled at her lips, and her hands balled against his chest. She took another gasp of air, looking up into his heavy-lidded eyes. "Don't go.”

In my first romantic suspense series, ‘Trust Me’, we have two people, breathless and desperate to kiss each other but unable to act on their feelings. The two people became Rebecca and Eric, the scene wound up in a very different place than I imagined it and the consequences were shattering to both of them.

Eric sat for a moment, letting the advice settle in his gut before he rose from the table. He made is way down the hall and over to the kitchen. He popped a few quarters in the vending machine his mind heavy in thought.

Just promise me, if you find her you won't walk away…

Then the world literally stopped. I looked up and there she was smiling at me as she said hello.

I wish that were true…

He made his way back to the conference room, two sodas in hand. He rounded the corner and bumped into someone. He heard a gasp and he turned. Her blue eyes looked at him in terror.

"Beccs."

He'd scared her again.

Damn it what was she doing out here alone?

She was breathless and he watched her body begin to quake. Her eyes watering, she looked to him helpless. He grasped her hand and scanned his ID before he led her into an empty conference room. She propped herself against the wall and he shut the door. Her trembling worsened while tears slid down her cheeks.

He pulled her into his chest wrapping his arms around her protectively until the trembling passed. She clung to him and he pulled her tighter against him, kissing the top of her head.

After a few minutes she seemed to calm. He looked down at her, his hand grazing her hair. She met his gaze, her cheeks still wet with tears.

"Okay?" He gently wiped her tears away with his thumb.

A quiet desperation shone back at him and he drowned in her eyes. His heart refused to be ignored. The walls he'd so carefully built crumbled like ash. Eric leaned down pressing his lips against hers, his hands pushing into her hair. He covered her mouth and a rush of fire swept through him. Her lips were warm and sweet. She opened up to him and he pulled her closer to him devouring her mouth. They melted together into one enduring embrace.

She pull away, their lips parted, and his heart screamed in protest.

"We can't do this," she said in a breathless whisper. His forehead rested against hers, eyes closed, fighting the need to kiss her again. "Eric…"

"If it was anyone else…" his voice a deep growl talking his way back from her warmth, "Rebecca I--"

Her warm hand rested against his cheek and stabs of pain pushed at him like his heart was being ripped from his body. He tried to catch his breath. Her eyes were brimming with life, pain, and unquenchable warmth.

She rose up on her toes. His arms still wrapped around her, she kissed him once more. Full of emotion and regret, her lips fit within his. She broke away and lowered herself back to the ground. Unable to pull away from her eyes, he could see the strain and exhaustion she fought to hide. His hand grazed her hair and her eyes closed.

Like the screaming of an alarm, his cell phone rang. Her eyes opened looking at him with strength, hiding the pain and fear only he could see. Her shoulders squared, her back stiffened and her arms dropped from his chest.

Eric kept her resilient but anguished gaze. He dropped his arms from their protective position around her. She took a step back. His cell phone rang again. She took another step and turned toward the door. He struggled with not being able to touch her, or hold her. She glanced back but within seconds she disappeared. It was a torture beyond his imagination and it was killing him.

His phone rang again and he pulled it from his pocket.

"This is Detective Stiles."

So that was the beginning of the Trust Me series, or at least the kernel of inspiration.  Now that was not the first kiss, nor would it be the last, but it is a crucial part of the plot. First kisses as I stated are of monumental importance to me. They have to be perfect. They have to feel honest, real and natural. One of my pet peeves is to have a kiss feel rushed or awkward, or when as the reader I am saying – where the hell did that come from. There has to be a build up, tension and finally the explosion that lifts the characters story to the next level.

In Shockwave, the first kiss is the turning point in the novel. It is the place where the reader is finally satisfied by the flirt. Kate Weiss and Jack Tucker are from two different worlds, he is always in the spotlight and she is always behind it. In the beginning of the story Jack and Kate hate each other until Kate is attacked by a group of thugs.  From there, the flirt is on and in this scene the readers are given what they have been hoping for…

It took a little time, but they managed to make their way out and hail a cab back to the hotel. Stumbling into the hotel laughing, they managed to navigate their way to the elevators. They stepped in, and concurrently forgot the floor of their rooms.

“Twenty-three Three is sticking in my brain.” She leaned against the back of the elevator.

“Twenty-three Three it is,” Jack pushed the button and leaned against the wall next to her.

“You’d think they would put it on your key or something.”

“What’s your room number?” His brain flipped like a coin in mid-air.

“2509.” He looked at her with a smile. “Seriously?”

She reached forward, pushed the button for twenty-five. He laughed.

“What’s your room number, Tucker?”

“Ah…I…well…I have no fucking idea!”

“See!” She stepped back leaning next him. “So I don’t want to hear any sass out of you about my 23!”

“My sass will remain closed.” The heat of her body made his head spin more than it already was.

“That’s why!”

“Why what?”

“I finally understand why she calls you Sass. I didn’t see it before, but now I definitely agree that you are…”

Abruptly the doors opened and they turned to move out of the elevator. He realized they were on the wrong floor and pulled her back.

“What are you doing?”

“Twenty-five remember, not twenty-three.”

“Oh yeah,” She turned to him with a lopsided smile. It hit him like a hammer. He realized it was the first time he had ever really seen her smile.  It lit up her face, and he couldn’t help but smile back. “Do you know that saying?”

“What saying?”

“The whole, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas thing.”

“Yes, I am familiar with it.” The doors of the elevator opened again, and he gently turned her around moving her forward into the hallway.

“Well you need to make sure you understand that saying because well…” She rummaged through her pockets for her key. “I am breaking so many rules right now you wouldn’t believe.”

“Rules?” She stopped at her door leaning against it, key card in hand.

Jack watched her struggle to maintain her mental and physical balance.

“Yes, rules. Many, many rules.”

“What kind of rules?” Warmth enveloped him. Her scent and deep eyes drew him in, and he was powerless to resist.

“Important rules.” His palms rested on the door trapping her between his arms, and a deep sigh escaped her lips. “Very important rules.”

“Kate,” He breathed her in, just inches away from her lips, her emerald eyes shining brightly up at him.

“Yes?”

“Forget the rules.” He caressed her cheek with his thumb, his heart pounding against his chest. Jack let go of his fear, and covered her mouth with a passionate kiss.

He expected the moment of surprise. Then she kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his neck pulling him closer. After a hesitant but passion filled exploration of the other's lips, their touch parted, and he bit back a groan. He didn’t want to stop. He wanted to keep kissing her forever.

****

A little steamy, right-- Well all of that flirting tends to build up a little tension…and POW!

The kiss is a powerful weapon in the romantic suspense, more so than in other genres. The kiss is a prize, a reward for hard work and a job well done. You have managed to stay alive, here is your treat…you get the girl / guy!

Every writer has something that propels them forward, the kernel of truth they search out.

I ask you, with the utmost sincerity, what is more honest than a kiss? You cannot fake a kiss, not a real one anyway. It has the power to sway opinions, cease and cause wars, make you faint, swoon and or gag. For me, the kiss is the first breath of love, it is an act of passion and most of all awareness.  There is no way to deny, retract or ignore a real kiss, not even if you want to.

The core of my writing is the kiss in all of its glorious forms, whether is it a first kiss or a kiss goodbye, it is always memorable. It is my job to make you remember why.

Come Find Me!

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