SUSANNA CARR TALKING TO ABOUT THE FIRST KISS IN A NOVEL

Hi Charlotte,

Thank you for inviting me to post on your blog.

Susanna

 

First Kiss

 

It doesn't matter if the romance story is sweet or spicy--the first kiss is always an important event! That kiss sets the tone of the relationship and it often says something about the hero and heroine. It is a symbol of the dreams and conflicts they face.

For example, the first kiss in my Harlequin Blaze is very different from the first kiss in my Harlequin Presents. Blazes are known for being red-hot reads, but that doesn't mean the book will start off with a kiss. In Suddenly Sexy, my Harlequin Blaze, Julie doesn't make the first move on Eric until chapter three! And when she does, she is struggle with many emotions:

 

Julie's heart pounded against her chest as she grazed her mouth against his. She thought she would feel brazen at this moment. Instead she was nervous, not knowing if Eric was going to reject her.

 

She placed her hands on his shoulders and deepened the kiss. He tasted good. Hot, male and dangerous.

 

Eric didn't respond. She wanted one more taste before he pulled away. With the dart of her tongue, Julie traced the lines of his mouth, encouraging him to part his lips.

 

She heard Eric groan, felt the rumble in his chest. He reached out and Julie was sure he would push her away. Instead he grabbed her waist, his hands bunching her dress in his fists.

 

Julie wasn't sure why he wasn't tumbling her into his arms or, worse, setting her aside. When she felt the tremor in his shoulders, she understood. He was trying to hang on to the last shred of restraint.

 

She understood it because she felt the same way. But she wasn't going to hold back any longer.

Julie thrust her tongue into Eric's warm mouth and boldly explored. When Eric sucked her in deep, Julie moaned with pleasure.

 

The sound of her voice shattered the last of his resistance. He vaulted from his chair and pressed her body against his. Eric speared his hands through her hair, holding her still before he plunged his tongue into her mouth.

 

This kiss says a lot about Julie. She wants Eric but is afraid to make the first move. It starts off soft and exploratory before it explodes into something wild.

In The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar, my Harlequin Presents, the hero instigates the first kiss. Zoe and Nadir have just married but they are strangers. The motivation for this kiss is anything but romantic. Nadir must create an instant bond with his new wife. What better way than with a kiss? But from Zoe's point of view, a kiss is too dangerous.

 

It was too late. Nadir had been a threat from the moment he touched her. She didn't think she had ever longed for a man's touch, hungered for a kiss, as much as she did at this moment.

 

Her defenses couldn't crumble. She would not let him get too close. Her future depended on it.

 

Nadir cradled her face with his hands and covered her mouth with his.

 

Wild desire exploded inside her. It rushed through her veins and she melted against him. She had never been kissed like this before.

 

Nadir's kiss claimed. Dominated. She couldn't surrender to him. She couldn't let him find out the truth about her. Zoe knew she shouldn't let this seduction continue, but somehow she parted her lips and allowed him to thrust his tongue deep into her mouth. She returned the kiss and was instantly swept away.

 

Sensations overwhelmed her and she clung to Nadir's shoulders. Her hands crushed the luxurious fabric of his dishdasha and she drew him closer. She wanted more, so much more.

 

Zoe ignored her growing sense of alarm until she heard Nadir's groan. She couldn't tame the instant attraction that had flared between them. Nadir was too sensual, too dangerous. She broke the kiss and turned her head away swiftly.

 

 

The kiss doesn't go as planned for Nadir. He wants to deepen the intimacy but Zoe draws away. She can't get close to Nadir and is surprised by the growing attraction.

 

First kisses are as different as the romance couple. A first kiss might appear in chapter one or at the very end of the story. But when it happens, it means something. It's a special moment. When the hero and heroine kiss, it changes everything.