Saturday, February 12, 2011

True Love's First Kiss ~ Wendi Zwaduk

Ah, the fun of the first kiss. Actually there’s nothing like writing about one, but what’s even better is writing the fits and hiccups that come before the first kiss. When I wrote Right Where I Need to Be, my hero was literally chomping at the bit to kiss the heroine. He forgot one minor problem—she wasn’t at all interested in kissing him. Here’s how it went:

Her body relaxed. Her sigh, like the mew of a kitten, thrust him into a new dimension. He wanted more, way more. His hands rubbed her back and trailed up her soft body to cup her jaw.
His eyelids drooped. He wanted to kiss her.
Cass tilted her face to look at him. “What do you think you’re doing?” Her no-nonsense tone jarred his common sense back into play. What was he doing? “Just because I liked you for the part Logan, doesn’t mean I like you.” She wriggled out of his grasp. “I’m not a notch on your belt. If that’s your inclination, then I’ll give the role to Mr. Speedle.”
He felt like she punched him in the stomach. She should’ve. “Cass, I’m not used to women walking away.”
Cass straightened her spine and squared her shoulders. “Then turn around so you don’t see me leave.” With that, she spun on her heel and left.


Yeah, he was more than a little taken aback and irritated with me. I mean, how could I, the author, take the chance to kiss the woman he’s infatuated with, from a Hollywood star?

Apparently, very easily. It wasn’t supposed to just happen like a story book (er...pardon the pun). I wanted that boy to work. At the same time, I wanted them to kiss because I liked them and I really liked the sparks when they were together. So what’s a writer to do?
Make him suffer a little longer and then make the moment that much sweeter. Like this:

His words washed over her like a waterfall. She wanted to give in, but if she touched him, she’d never be able to pull away. She turned back around. “Logan this can’t—”

He stood inches from her. His eyes flashed just as he lowered his lips to hers. A warm rush flowed from her brain all the way to her toes. She felt sparks radiate from his fingertips as he twined them with hers. A moan escaped her throat. Oh, he tasted too good to walk away from. But in that instant, he pulled back. “That’s just a sampling,” he murmured. “We could continue all night long, if you desire.”
Cass swallowed hard. His erection jabbed into her stomach. Maybe she could turn a man on after all. More thunder crashed, spooking the dog.“I’d better go,” she whispered.
Logan nodded. “I’ll be here if you need me.”


I just love it when things happen in a nice progression but not too easily. But now that I’ve whetted your whistle, I want to know...in your reading/writing ventures, what’s your favorite first kiss? Why was it so memorable? I’ll be back later, but I am absolutely checking and will respond to all comments.
I’ll leave you with the blurb for Right Where I Need to Be

Sometimes the love of your life isn’t the one you expect, but he’s the one you need.

Cass Jenson needs an actor for her made for TV movie. The previous actor dropped out, leaving her stranded. Her savior shows up looking sinfully sexy and totally right for the part, but what part is she auditioning him for? Her movie or her bed?

Logan Malone needs an acting job and fast. With his string of broken hearts, his professional life lies in shambles. To resurrect his career, he must audition for a television role which could be the job of a lifetime. That is, if he can work with distraction and Cass is a major distraction with a heart of gold. Is their budding relationship enough to survive separation, lies, and a couple zany fans?


About Wendi: I always dreamed of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favorites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line. I tend to write books with titles taken from songs because music is one of my many muses.

I earned a BA in education at Kent State university and as well as a Masters in Education from Nova Southeastern University. I've tried my hand at teaching, waitressing, and retail sales, but writing holds my heart.

I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals. I have six books under contract and more than my brain can handle percolating. I can't wait to share them with you! Visit me on my
site and my blog!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the first kiss in Teresa Medeiros' "After Midnight". It takes place in a bad part of the city late at night and the edge of danger along with the building heat between the characters from their earlier encounters makes the whole scene incredibly erotic even though nothing beyond a kiss is shared.

Caffey said...

Hi Wendi. Great meeting you! I love to read those first kisses too! It is so special, I remember A LADY OF PERSUASION by Tessa Dare and it too so moving because of too her first kiss and her reaction to the experience of it is beautiful to read!

cathiecaffey @ gmail.com

Wendi Zwaduk and Megan Slayer said...

Hi Mrs. Soule. I haven't read much Teresa Medeiros, but there's a lot of books out there I haven't read. Sounds fantastic though. Looks like my TBR pile is growing.

And Hi Cathy!!! How are you? I'm a sucker for first kisses. Looks like I need to add Tessa Dare to my list, too. :)

Di said...

that first kiss often points the way for the rest of the story & tells a lot about the characters - it's a very important point of any romance story.

sallans d at yahoo dot com

writermama said...

The perfect first kiss is more of a fantasy, than a reality. Things don't always go the way we plan and that makes writing the scene more enjoyable. My favorite first kiss is from my Novel 'Painted Jezebel' coming out in September from museitup publishing. Shameless plug I know, but I really had fun writing the scene. Jezebel is a bit of a lightweight and and after a few tiny bottles of airplane liquor she decides to seduce the hero Finn and though he tries to be good he finds himself unable to resist her pull, but just when he gives in and kisses her back she stops responding. He finally clues in that she fell asleep when he hears the soft snores and with a sigh lets her fall back to the bed and goes off to take a cold shower. Sometimes when things go wrong, it's much more satisfing when they finally go right. I've already added right where I need to be to my TBR list. Great excerpt

Wendi Zwaduk and Megan Slayer said...

Thanks Mystic Mother - glad you like the excerpt. I had a blast writing it. Yours looks interesting, too.

Di - The kiss is so important and it's so telling. If they have a bumping nose moment, then it's a little more fun. Glad you liked it.

Aging Ophelia said...

A first kiss that leaves an impression-- hmm, literary first kisses aren't something I know that much about; but the several first kisses (different men) Sally gets in Practical Magic all work for me.