Samhain Publishing

Hey all,

Some of you may be aware I injured my hand this summer. Tore some ligaments in my left hand which shut down any writing I wanted to do. (pout) After two months, I’ve got the go ahead to start up again, but I can’t do much. So, to keep my hand happy, this month I decided to recycle an old blog I’d done on a subject we all most likely enjoy.

Kissing…

One of my friends adores a good kiss in a book. In fact, she loves it so much that she’ll read that section over and over again. And if the book starts with a good kiss, then she’s hooked and will probably buy that story without a second thought.

For a romance writer like myself, a good kiss in a story is a must. After all, what would a true romance be without one? All subgenres embrace this fact. (pun intended) Heroes must be hot kissers, and heroines should know when to accept a kiss or when to be the one initiating it!

Now my friend has very specific ideas as to what constitutes a good kiss. No slobber, no dry pecks…for her the kiss has to be slow, sexy and very thorough. Every time she recommends a book to me, I’m pretty sure there will be at least one sexy kiss in it somewhere. And when I send her one of my books to proof, I always ask her about the kissing scenes. I want to make sure that I’ve met her strict criteria for ‘the perfect kiss’.

A kiss can be the beginning of something magical, or literally the kiss of death for a relationship. Many of us have had that one partner that kissed like a fish, or tried to eat your face at the end of a date. On the other hand, one of the reasons my husband and I are still together is because he’s got the sexiest lips on the planet…and he knows how to use them. (grin)

“May I print a kiss on your lips?” I said,
And she nodded her full permission:
So we went to press and I rather guess
We printed a full edition.
~Joseph Lilientha

Good kissing is a wonderful prelude to good sex. As in the quote above, you begin with a kiss on the lips and if that makes you sigh or spin out of control, it can lead to even more enjoyment. But it’s the kiss that starts it out.

So just what IS a good kiss? For that, you’ll get a hundred answers. It’s just as personal as anything else to do with intimacy. I love quick brushes of the mouth and then nibbles on my lower lip. Gets my motor running. Then, I like him to get more aggressive…take control and show me who’s boss. I’m more submissive in kissing, I like the feeling of him being in charge. Will that work with everyone? Not on your life.

And neither does it work in fiction. A kiss for one couple I write may be gentle and loving, filled with all the emotion of how they feel about each other. On the other hand, if it’s a slam-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of relationship, the kiss can be just heat…all about the physical.

A kiss can start at the eyes with “butterfly kisses” and move all the way down the body until you move into a different type of kissing altogether. (giggle) But this post is about an old fashioned lip to lip embrace. It’s so important, scholars have done dissertations on it, documentaries have explained its significance, and the Bible, the number one selling book of all time, goes into great detail about how meaningful it is.

Song of Solomon 1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth- for your love is more delightful than wine.

A kiss between a two people who are destined to fall in love is an awesome thing. In any romance story, that first kiss is the ‘tell’ for how the relationship may go. And any kiss thereafter can mean a multitude of things. Consider these famous kisses…

1. From Here to Eternity (1953) That couple rolling around in the waves stealing forbidden kisses had movie goers fanning themselves.
2. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) The famous kiss in the rain didn’t leave a dry eye in the house.
3. Spiderman (2002) The kiss between Spidey and Mary Jane while he hangs upside down in the alley is not only sexy, but it sets up one of the best “reveals” I’ve ever seen.
4. Gone with the Wind (1939) What more needs to be said about Rhett sweeping Scarlet up in his arms and planting one on her? Even in this day and age where more heroines are taking charge, that picture stirs the juices like no other.
5. Lady and the Tramp-(1955) Sure, they’re dogs, but that kiss was so absolutely perfect, I wanted to go get some spaghetti and try it out myself! And I was just a kid!

A truly great kiss between two lovers is one that will never be forgotten. There’s the one that when we read about it, may help us nurse a broken heart. Or the one that set our pulses racing and we have to jump our honey when he gets home. And don’t forget the kiss that inspires us to follow our dream…to search for that special someone we know is out there just for us.

In a story, those things are even more true. Each word we write. Each description of a kiss must be more than just the pressing of lips together. It must bring the heart and the soul into it. It must make passion flare and love spark into true possibility.

Ancient lovers believed a kiss would literally unite their souls, because the spirit was said to be carried in one’s breath. ~Eve Glicksman

When I kiss you, I can taste your soul ~Carrie Latet

I am one who believes in soulmates. That for every person in this existence, there is another that completes you…that is the other part of your inner heart. In one of my upcoming series at Samhain—Don’t Spank the Vamp—I use the term-Twin Flame, which literally means the other half of yourself. If, as in the quote above, a kiss can unite two lover’s souls, then each kiss is very important and should never be treated lightly. The phrase… you have to kiss a lot of frogs, before you find your prince, may be true, but in my books, a kiss will always be the beginning to something huge and special. Something that will make you want to be that hero or heroine for a little while so you can feel the wonder and glory in the love they share…in that kiss.

Fiery sensation raced through Calion’s already overstimulated body. The chance meeting of their lips wiped all pain, fear and worry about touching a human out of his mind. He went on pure instinct. His body burned to make her his own. Slanting his hard mouth across hers, he devoured. Not a tentative first kiss, this, but one that instinctively knew just where and how to touch her.

The Mylari Chronicles: Eyes of Fire

His lips moved over hers in a sensuous caress that shocked him with its intensity. It was like being hit by a bolt of lightning. Any thought he’d had of taking it slow disappeared in a ball of white heat. He groaned and slanted his mouth over hers, taking hers in a hungry deep kiss that fused them together.

Don’t Spank the Vamp

Kisses, to me, are the first step in creating a romance. Soft and sweet, hard and fast, it doesn’t matter as long as they show all the passion and emotion of the moment. And I like to make sure my heroes are great kissers, not just for my aforementioned friend’s sake so she’ll like my books, but because I’m a great believer in the wisdom of Mae West who said…

A man’s kiss is his signature.

And I truly believe that. A man’s kiss shows exactly what he is and how he will treat his lady. Just as how a woman responds shows a great deal about her. My women may be shy, sweet, earthy or wanton, depending on the character. My men will be strong, sensitive, and lusty kissers. No fish lips for my guys, you can be sure of that! (smile) Instead, any kiss given by one of my heroes, as in the examples above, will be something the ladies won’t soon forget. Because if a man’s kiss is his signature, I definitely want my my readers to remember his name!

So…now it’s your turn to tell me about kisses. And I’ll even make a contest out of it. Anyone who leaves a comment about the blog AND tells me their favorite kiss story will be entered. To be specific, tell me about a kiss you’ve experienced. Bad…good…THE BEST! Where, when, how…with who (the last one only if you want). You’ll have between now and September 30th to comment. The winner will be chosen randomly from the comments left and be announced in a comment as well as on the Samhain Readers Loop. Can’t wait to hear all about it!

What will you win? How about a beautiful copper and glass suncatcher? I have one just like it in my office window and it’s lovely when the morning sun hits it.

And don’t forget to check out my website for all the new goings on. I’ve got a fun Fall Contest, monthly Hunks, and a great Fall Special for all my readers.

Take care everyone and I’ll see you next time with even more fun!

Hugs,

CJ England

Never anger an elf… we have very long memories
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