A How-To on Hot Kisses
By Carrie Lofty
To me, the most important thing about writing a kiss that’ll curl toes is to get deep down into a character’s point of view. The last thing you want is to make the reader feel as if she’s looking at a lovely painting. Be the paint! Be the harshness and need and sweat! Think of it more as an experiment in how much sensation you can describe in one sitting, rather than who touched what where. Sensation is the key to seducing the reader with a kiss.
Let’s take the example of William and Catrin from my $.99 novella from Pocket, “A Little More Scandal.” They’ve just had an argument, and argument kisses are a lot different from other, sweeter, more measured or intentional kisses. These can be the most powerful and demanding physical scenes to write, outside of describing a fully intimate encounter, because they can also reveal tumultuous thoughts that a more logical, measured mind might not dare think.
Here’s William:
Their mouths did not meld; they dueled. She fought back as much as she acquiesced, with her tongue a weapon at turns defending and assaulting. He pushed deeper into her wet warmth, where her maddening ideas—she was so bloody quick of mind—found voice. Those lips. God, he could kiss them for the rest of time. She felt that good, that right.
Ooops. He had thoughts about her specialness! Let’s do continue, shall we?
“You silly, stupid girl,” he rasped against her throat. Her hands slipped up his forearms, his biceps, to the sharp tension between his shoulders and his neck. A brief squeeze. He nearly groaned. Then her clever fingers untied his cravat and slid down his nape, as if searching for even more of him—more forbidden places. “You have no idea what it is to be married to me.”
If you like, add in a dash of humor to keep the reader smiling as she’s melting into a puddle of romance goo.
“Surely it involves more of this,” Catrin said.
But of course, a hero bested by such a quick wit may feel the need to retaliate—in the best, tastiest sense.
William growled into her mouth. He kissed her with the abandon he rarely felt, always constrained by his ambitions and concern about how he should appear and behave to achieve them. Catrin upended those expectations. He dragged a huge breath into his chest. The burn of holding it in while he plunged his tongue between her lips was a quiet torture and a means of staying sane. He wanted to take her, to rip her clothes, tug her hair, make her scream.
Bloody hell. How dare she be so contrary to what he had planned?
Another ooops. All those pesky plans suddenly in disarray—probably like her hair and their clothes will be once they finally come up for air.
So remember. Lots of sensation. Thoughts that move the romantic plot along. A sprinkle of humor. And a hero and heroine who aren’t above demanding what they really crave. More, more, more…
“A Little More Scandal”
Flawless
The Christies #1
A passion this seductive is more precious than diamonds…Sir William Christie, ruthless tycoon and notorious ladies’ man, is dead. Now his four grown children have gathered for the reading of his will. What lies in store for stepsiblings Vivienne, Alexander, and twins Gareth and Gwyneth? Stunning challenges that will test their fortitude across a royal empire…and lead them to the marvelously passionate adventures of their lives.
Lady Vivienne Bancroft fled England for New York, hoping to shed the confines of her arranged marriage to unrepentant rogue Miles Durham, Viscount Bancroft—though she never forgot the fiery desire he unleashed with his slightest touch. And when the gambling man arrives on her doorstep for a little sensual revenge for her desertion, he is met with Vivienne’s dilemma: She must earn her father’s inheritance by profitably running a diamond business worth millions in colonial South Africa.
Swept together in an exotic undertaking filled with heated passion and hungry temptation, will Vivienne and Miles discover that the marriage vows they once made are the greatest snare—or the most treasured reward?
A Little More Scandal
The Christies #1.5
May 29, 2012
Digital Novella
Welsh minister’s daughter Catrin Jones is the talk of Britain. Many women served as nurses in the Crimean War, skirting the edge of propriety to tend lonely soldiers’ wounds, but only Catrin survived a shipwreck on her return voyage. Suddenly, like a circus curiosity, everyone wants a glimpse of the scandalous Miss Jones. Scarred, opinionated, and adjusting to a rush of fame so very different from far-away battlefields, she’s not the sort of woman Scottish robber baron William Christie aspires to marry.
Following a decade of brilliant business maneuvers, William is on the verge of securing a key railroad contract. But his aristocratic wife’s death during childbirth meant the loss of considerable influence. Few in Society have forgiven his up-from-the-gutters youth. With respectability, wealth, and his two-year-old son finally his to claim, William must decide whether an extraordinary nurse is worth embracing just a little more scandal….
Starlight
The Christies #2
June 26th 2012
Passion sparkles forever . . . in the shining eyes of a true love.An esteemed astronomer, Alex Christie, the eldest and most steadfast of the Christie siblings, has never possessed his late father’s ruthless business drive. But to protect his frail infant son from his cruel father-in-law’s bid for custody, the young widower must undertake Sir William Christie’s posthumous million-dollar challenge: to make a Glasgow cotton mill profitable. At sea in an industrial world of sabotage and union agitation, Alex meets Polly Gowan, daughter of a famed union leader, who hopes to seize a mysterious saboteur without involving the police.
Because a sympathetic mill master would aid her cause, Polly becomes Alex’s guide to urban Scotland. From soccer games to pub brawls, Alex sees another side of life, and feels free for the first time to reveal the man—vital and strong—behind his intellectual exterior. Polly is utterly seduced. Their ambitions, however, remain at odds: Alex vows to earn the mill bonus to save his child, while Polly fights for the needs of her people. Is there strength enough in their sparkling passion to bind them together in their quests—and in a lasting love that conquers all?
GIVEAWAY TIME
I’d love to give away a print copy of FLAWLESS, the first of the Christies series from Pocket. (“A Little More Scandal” is a tie-in novella.) I’ll ship anywhere.
To enter for a chance to win Carrie’s book Flawless please fill out the Rafflecopter from below.
I already have a copy of Flawless (Loved it!) and I got a copy yesterday of A Little More Scandal…can't wait for Starlight to be released! Loved the post about "kissing"…very good.
wow, that was a hot scene! neat how you broke it all down 🙂
I love that kissing scenes can depict a million different thoughts and emotions. I love how a hero can growl while kissing the heroine and it can mean a million different things. Mostly, I like that the kissing is….kissing. What can I say? I am a sucker for a kiss!
Bingo, you nailed it very nicely, nicely indeed.
Thanks for the lovely interview, your series is on my wishlist already. I love it that the children have something to achieve before getting their inheritance.
Oh wow, well how can I beat what you said? You covered all the great parts!!!
Ann
I love how William is unabandoning in his kissing…being the real him and letting go instead of being who he thinks everyone else thinks he should be.
I love reading about a good hot and steamy kiss which makes me long for the same kiss.
Thanks for a fun post and great giveaway! I love reading about kisses for all the reasons that Carrie described. B/c it puts us right into the romance and especially the first kisses, cements the fact that they are suppose to be together.
Wt I like most about a kiss? What's NOT to like? It is so intimate to have a man's lips caress yours….. to have his tongue peek out and…. well, you get the picture. Its the intimacy of it that I love.
Hi everyone! Thanks for all the kind words. I really appreciate your enthusiasm. William and Catrin surprised me by becoming one of my favorite couples. I hope you enjoy their story and continue to enjoy the Christies series. Good luck with the drawing. (Anyone who already has Flawless and is selected in the drawing can have their pick of my back catalog, including my co-written Ellen Connor books.)
Thank you Carrie,
for stopping by Books-n-Kisses.
I like to see the emotions the characters have about the kiss.
You can't possible imagine how wonderful it would be for me to win a "real" copy of Flawless! I love Carrie's stories whether they are a novella or full length story but to be able to hold a "real" book in my hands and be able to turn the page of my favorite scenes is something I've missed since they closed our only bookstore!
I love that I can download instantly and pre-order books for my Kindle but with Carrie's stories I miss being able to re-read those great scenes by just going to where I have marked the page and enjoy that incredible scene just one more time!
So many different feelings and emotions go into a kiss. So intimate. This book sounds fantastic. Can't wait to read it. Thanks for the giveaway.
Great post! I loved the kissing hot to guide!
The cover of Flawless is stunning…all the covers are very appealing. Thanks!
I agree, what is NOT to like? Sends my mind reeling.
Hi, Carrie!
When I saw the cover for Starlight, I wanted to buy it! It's so beautiful!
Congratulations on the release of your novella!
* * *
Answer: I am always intrigued by the choreography of a kiss in any novel — how the author will get our hero and heroine closer and closer until the moment of the kiss and how the kiss proceeds from then on.
Oh wow… um… I don't know!!! I'm too excited right now to say what of everything >.<
And well the fact that I'm not into any kind of historical but with just reading a bit of the book's description I think I'll be more than willing to give the books a shot! >.<
The emotions, the sweet feelings, the moment when the characters finally surrender to desire! (ileana – rafflecopter)
Kisses are hot and wet and full of emotion —
audie(at)wickerness(dot)com
Kisses are so personal and sweet. And I just love when you're rooting for the characters and they finally give in and kiss 🙂
I love that first kiss, the tender touch of lips, and then how they're swept away by the feel of each other's lips and lose all control for a moment. Delicious!
It's all the emotions of a good kiss: love, lust, tenderness,EVERYTHING.
Flawless looks great! Love to read about the first kiss!
kisses are personal, sweet, lust, love.. and how the peoples lose all the control for a moment..
thanks for the giveaway ^^
sunshine_pinkystar(at)yahoo(dot)com
I like the emotions and feelings.
When reading about a kiss I just LOVE it when the author has built up the tension so much that I am trembling and buzzing with barely controlled excitement along with the characters to finally the h/h touch, and then reading about their physical reactions conveying the deeper emotional ones gets me. A well written kiss scene can be even more erotic and arousing than a full-bodied love scene!
Thank you for the chance, you have the most beautiful covers!! Congratulations on your release Carrie! 🙂
stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com
I love coming to blogs and see what books are out there and see what catches my eye. This series might be something i might add to my wish list,
Loved, loved Flawless. Can't wait for Starlight! Great scenes and insights about kissing. 🙂
Marika
I love the way you write about the whole person thrown into the kiss. A good kiss is from the soul and demands more. You were spot on!
I love when I read about a kiss and it makes my stomach flutter…that’s how you know an author did their job right!!!!
andieleah78@gmail.com
Iike the feel of…being there….. participating… feeling it! Great blog. I would love to win one of your books. I LOVE reading “new-to-me” authors and have found many “jewels” this way. Thank you for the opportunity to win one of your books!
I love reading about kisses because there are so many different ways to do it. It can be rough and passionate, even a little angry, or it can be soft, gentle yet still very passionate. Each one is unique just like the characters and stories.
Great post. I can’t wait to read the Christie’s series. I think every kiss can say something different. The sweet and gentle kiss, the ravaging kiss that I’d imagine a gorgeous Highlander giving lol . I love the whole idea of kissing. It’s so emotional and stimulating to the senses.I enjoyed your post on kissing. Happy Memorial Day. Thanks for the prize being in Print. 🙂
Carol L.
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
I love that “the kiss” scene can create a visual and emotional respones with a variety of emotions. It can also bring up memories…
Lovely post, Carrie! Loved Flawless and can’t wait for the rest of the Christies 🙂
i love how a kiss is always the most passion filled moment .
A good kissing scene can bring up so many memories of amazing, embarrassing, and/or life-changing kisses in my life. It’s one of the many fun things about reading romance.
It’s a book…what’s NOT to like. Really I can’t get enough. Would love to be your winner, it would be an ideal birthday present for me. 🙂
i love the magical connection between the hero and the heroine
They all sound great. Can’t wait to get my hands on them. Love the give away.
Muffy