First Kiss

Happy Valentine's Day to all! 

Several bloggers out there, including my friend Shawna Romkey, are posting about first kisses today - kind of a fun topic for Valentine's Day, especially if you write romantic fiction of any stripe.

As Drew Barrymore says repeatedly in FIFTY FIRST DATES, "there's nothing like a first kiss." My favorite first kiss is the one I shared with my husband. Well, pretty obvious choice in retrospect, since I did marry the guy. But really, at the time I knew it was magical, unlike any kiss I'd experienced before... I felt like I lost myself in the kiss, somersaulting through space and time and was thoroughly surprised when it was over and we were still sitting in the same spot we'd started in. One kiss changed everything I thought I knew and wanted.

That's the feeling writers are trying to convey when we put words on paper to show a reader a first kiss scene. We're trying to put that magic into words to let the reader share the emotions the characters are experiencing.

I'm pretty excited about my upcoming YA novel, SON OF A MERMAID. It's scheduled for release in May and I just CAN"T WAIT!!! Okay, more like REALLY REALLY excited.... and anyway, I'm going to share a short scene today, showing the two main characters sharing their first kiss, both with each other as well as first kiss ever...

“Are you still cold?” Shea asked as he put his arm around her and hugged. She felt warm against him, her body radiating heat like a bonfire. Her hair smelled of salt air and sunshine.

“I’m not cold,” she whispered as she shivered again. “Just scared.”

He cupped her cheek with his hand and tipped her face upward, looking down into her wide eyes. “Don’t be,” he whispered back, and kissed her lightly. Her lips were soft and tasted of salt and sweetness, like the taffy they sold in the center of town. He wound his fingers through her golden locks, her hair silky and fine to his touch like spun sunshine, as he locked his lips more firmly to hers. His heart hammered within his chest, the blood pounding in his ears drowning out the world around them, he felt as though he were tumbling through space…until a sharp bark brought him back to the present and he opened his eyes. Lucky was standing next to the bed, prodding Kae with his black muzzle.

Kae drew away suddenly, her cheeks flaming red once again. “Oh,” she said, jumping to her feet. “Oh, I’m so sorry!”

“Sorry?” Shea stood slowly, his brow knotting with confusion. “What is there to be sorry about?”

“I… I… Maybe we’d better get going. My father will know what to do to help your mother.” She turned abruptly and walked into the hallway. He felt like all the heat had left the room with her, his heart still beat with a rapid, steady sharpness. Sorry? Why would she say that?

Lucky still stood next to Shea. He looked down at the dog and frowned. “Way to go, dog,” he muttered. “Rule number one? Never interrupt a first kiss.”