Is There Anything Like a First Kiss? by Mackenzie Crowne

There are many firsts in life; that first thrilling, solo ride on a bicycle, or that breathtaking view of the ocean, and the nerve wracking experience of sitting behind the wheel of a car. But of all the memorable firsts in one’s life, who can forget their first kiss? Whether a heart pounding realization of a dream with that boy you've been crushing on for weeks or the lousy ending to an interminable blind date your girlfriend set up, there is nothing like a first kiss.

Hollywood is obsessed with them, both in TV and movies, and thank God they are. Audiences waited with bated breath while Sam and Diane (of Cheers fame) circled each other in a lustful dance for an entire season. The episode when they finally locked lips was one of the funniest TV moments I can remember.

The first kiss was taken to a whole new level in 50 First Dates. Because of Lucy's short term memory loss from a head injury, Henry spends each day wooing the woman he loves back into his arms. If you've never seen Lucy and Henry's hilarious romance, you're missing out.

And has there ever been a better movie moment than Rhett and Scarlett's first embrace in Gone With the Wind? As a girl I thought my heart would burst in my chest as Scarlett hung in Rhett's arms, their lips a breath apart. *Sigh* That moment birthed the romance writer in me.

As a reader of romance, the first kiss is all important to whether or not a book remains in my heart or gets tossed into the 'what a waste of time' pile. The moment sets the tone of the characters' ultimate happily ever after, at least for me. A first kiss can be dramatic, lustful, or even funny, but whether the author offers a shy brushing of lips, a shocking, melt your bones devouring, or a nose-bumping calamity, if that first kiss doesn't grab me, chances are the rest of the book won't either.

I write romantic fiction and that first kiss is always a struggle for me. I'd love to say I draw on the memory of my own for inspiration, but I'd be lying. A game of spin the bottle granted me my first lip lock, and while the memory makes me smile, it wasn't exactly the stuff of fantasies.

I’ve included an excerpt below from TO WIN HER BACK, book 4 of my Players series releasing in January 2017. V and Sam’s story is a second chance romance, so their kiss isn’t technically the first. It is, however the first after eighteen years and a bit contentious.

Enjoy and then tell us…How important is the first kiss in the books you read, and what's the story behind your own?

“There was a time you included me in the list of things you wanted.”

The claim hit V like a physical blow and it took all her concentration not to flinch. Denying she’d wanted him wasn’t something she could do with any conviction and they both knew it. Running her gaze down his big body, she hid her dismay beneath pure bluster. “You’re a fine-looking man, Sam. Wanting you was never the problem.”

“I’m glad to hear you still feel that way. That’ll make things easier.”

The fine hair on the back of her neck prickled when he suddenly dropped his hands to his sides and stalked toward her. “Wait. What are talking about?”

“It’s simple.” He closed the distance and she stumbled backward. Stiff-arming him did no good. He gripped both her arms and held her there when she would have scooted clear of him. “You claim you walked away from me to get what you wanted. If that’s true, as far as I’m concerned, I dodged a bullet fifteen years ago. I’m perfectly happy to let that be the end of it.”

Some of the tension eased from her clenched muscles. He may have his doubts but, thankfully, he wasn’t going to press her on them.

“But, it appears providence has other plans.” Her tension returned tenfold as he released one of her arms to slip his hand around her waist. Calculation darkened the blue of his eyes. “Because of our past, my position with the Marauders is shaky when it shouldn’t be.” He slid his hand down her spine and tugged her against him until her breasts smashed flat against the solid muscle of his chest. “Caroline made it clear she expects us to put our personal differences behind us. What better way to convince her we have than to return to Manhattan as a couple?”

She opened her mouth to blast him with a shocked denial, but only succeeded in aiding him as he lowered his head and crushed his mouth to hers. His tongue slid into her mouth with practiced ease. Familiar and irresistible, his woodsy scent and spicy flavor wrapped around her, seeping into her taste buds and absorbing into her skin like a well-remembered balm.

Her knees went loose and, though she struggled to keep her feet beneath her, it was no use. She hung in his embrace, off balance and unable to care, and curled into him as if returning home. His guttural groan was a rumbling vibration against her breasts and she reveled in the knowledge she wasn’t alone in her madness.

He shifted his head, taking the kiss deeper, and time retreated. Mistakes, secrets, and years of regret vanished until only pleasure and heat existed. Desperate for more, she fought her arms free to slide her hands up over his chest and neck, and plunged her fingers into the thick pelt of his hair. She was rewarded by the quick thrust of his hips and cried out at the delicious friction of his erection pressed against her lower belly and mound.  

When Mac isn’t dreaming of that perfect first kiss, she spends her time weaving HEAs for her characters, like V and Sam. Their second chance love story, TO WIN HER BACK, book 4 in Mac’s Players series from Kensington Books, releases in January 2017 and is currently available on NetGalley for those of you who are members.

The Ick Factor: Good Characters Who Do Bad Things by Amber Leigh Williams

This month’s movie topic, Rebel Without A Cause, got me thinking a bit...well, off topic. I’ve got deadline on the brain so this is really no wonder. When I saw the title, I automatically thought, “Rebels.” For some reason, this led to some deep thinking about good characters who throw their own good natures to the wind and, to the reader or viewer’s consternation, cross the line and do bad things…and, worse, sometimes get away with it for reasons we can't explain.

Years ago, when I was a wide-eyed eighteen-year-old dating this really cute guy, we were hanging out at his house for a movie night. He asked if I’d ever seen Sleepless in Seattle. I said no. A shame since I love You’ve Got Mail so much. He dug out the VHS tape—yep, that’s right, kids!—and we snuggled through two hours of rom-com goodness.

Fast-forward from there about eight years. This same cute guy (now my husband) and I are lounging in bed. I’d been in bed all day and for a good reason—round the clock morning sickness. The only thing that proved to somewhat distract me from the onslaught of 24/7 nausea was a marathon of romantic comedies. The hub was scrolling through Netflix and found Sleepless in Seattle. Remembering how much I had enjoyed it that first time back in the day, he selected the movie and we snuggled some more. Only…this time I wasn’t quite so charmed. Yes, Tom Hanks and his son are adorable. Both the hero’s strengths and flaws are written and played to perfection, as far as I’m concerned. However, I found it difficult to relate or even sympathize with the Meg Ryan character, Annie Reed. Maybe it was the negative side effects of early pregnancy getting me down. Maybe it was the fact that I’d spent years studying up on character and motivation and had worked hard to write properly motivated and relatable heroes and heroines. As charming as Meg Ryan tried to make her character, I still couldn’t get on board. First of all, she’s got a ring on it. Not only that—her fiancé is a perfectly lovely man. Other than a case of severe allergies, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with him. She brags a good bit about the man she’s going to marry, how great he is, and how right their relationship is. All the while, she, in essence, spends weeks stalking a stranger she hears talking about his deceased wife on the radio. The whole time I’m rewatching this movie I’m thinking, "If this were a book, I’d have stopped reading before the midway point."

Sleepless in Seattle is a beloved rom-com. Like You've Got Mail, it's a Nora Ephron film. There are countless individuals who no doubt include it on their Favorite Movies list. Once upon a time, I might have been one of them. Which means at some point or another I let this sort of heroine behavior go. Why? I’ve noticed through the years, particularly in modern romantic comedies, that heroes and heroines are often allowed to do things they would never get away with in books if they wanted to avoid crucifixion by book reviewers. This puzzles me a bit. Why is there so much leeway for characters like Annie Reed? Because she’s so darn plucky?

Speaking of my husband…he isn’t an avid reader nor does he tend to scrutinize character and GMC like I do. But even he has as much trouble watching some modern-day rom coms as I do. He refuses to watch one such movie, Because I Said So, because the main character, Milly, dates two guys at the same time without either of them knowing about the other. Even from a modern day woman’s perspective, there’s a definite ick factor there…especially when you consider that Milly is also sleeping with both of these men without their knowing about the other.

A bestselling novel by Emily Griffin that was recently turned into a successful rom com, Something Borrowed, provides another example. The protagonist, Rachel, spends much of the story pining for her best friend’s fiancé, Dex. It’s true; she saw him first in college. It’s also true that her best friend, Darcy, is actually kind of terrible. Why then is Rachel still friends with Darcy? Much of the plot tries to establish Rachel as the “good girl” and Darcy as somewhat of a villain. Not that any of the above justifies the protagonist when she begins dating and sleeping with Dex behind Darcy’s back. Sorry, but for me, another ick factor….

Good characters doing bad things isn’t just visible in the present—and not just in movies either. What about those infamous alpha males from 1970’s romance novels? There was practically an entire era of bodice-ripping alpha heroes who did bad things. How did they get away with their forcible shenanigans for so long? Apparently because back then there was a readership surrounding them. Otherwise, why would editors and writers let this fly?

Going a bit further back to classic literature, we find Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. (To the diehard GWTW enthusiasts reading this, forgive me.) I am a HUGE fan of both the book and the movie. I especially love the character of Rhett Butler. But even I’ve got qualms with the scene toward the end where he gets, in his own words, “very drunk” and forcibly carts Scarlett O’Hara up the stairs of their Atlanta mansion despite her flailing protests. Everything fades to black and we, as the audience, can only assume what’s happening. In the following scene, a sober, ashamed (and, one can only assume, hung-over) Rhett apologizes for his behavior. I admit, I’ve overlooked this part of the story through the years because, as I’ve confessed, I love Rhett Butler. I’ve noticed, too, that this scene isn’t widely discussed amongst other Gone With the Wind fans. Why, even in modern times, aren’t more people asking questions or at least saying, “Bad, Rhett Butler! Bad!”? Is it because he IS RHETT BUTLER? Something to think about, particularly when you consider how bad a rep Scarlett gets for her own bad behavior. Is it really any worse than this? (*ahem* Also, Ms. Mitchell? Perhaps you could explain to me how Mr. Butler performed so well under such heavy intoxication? This seems quite unlikely, even for a character of his magnetism.)

A couple of years ago I read a historical romance novel set in the Highlands of Scotland by a well-established author with many credits to her name. The hero and heroine both intrigued me. Their romance was sexy and sweet in all the right places. To summarize, the two wind up in a marriage of convenience…but also in love. I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book wholeheartedly. Not a lot could have coaxed me to give it any less than a five-star review. Or so I thought. In the last half of the book, the hero sustains a head injury and is lost amongst the Highlands with amnesia. The author then describes in detail the wild sex he has with random women along the way. Let me reiterate the fact that this is a historical romance novel. No, it is not erotica or anything else that would explain such explicit and socially unacceptable character behavior. I understand that the book takes place in the historic Scottish Highlands. People and morals might have been looser then, particularly for men. However, these wild sex scenes between the hero and women who were anything but his wife/heroine seemed out of place, so much so that they jolted me out of the story. (On a related note, I’m not sure a man should engage in such wild, amorous behavior following a severe blow to the head….) When his memory finally returns and he goes back to his heroine, the hero neither confesses to what happened while his memory was lost nor does he seem to feel any sort of remorse for it. I read reviews posted by other readers of the book who also seemed to think these scenes were a bit taboo considering that the book was lauded by both its author and publisher as a traditional romance novel.

How ‘bout it, readers? Have you ever been frustrated or disappointed by a good character behaving badly? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic….

Oh, and Friday I’ll be unveiling the gorgeous cover art for my October Harlequin Superromance novel, Married One Night, at the SuperAuthors site. Stop by for an exclusive first look at my next romance novel!

Amber Leigh Williams lives on the Gulf Coast. A southern girl at heart, she loves beach days, the smell of real books, relaxing at her family’s lakehouse, and spending time with her husband, Jacob, and their sweet, blue-eyed boy. When she’s not running after her young son and three, large dogs, she can usually be found reading a good romance or cooking up a new dish in her kitchen. She is represented by Joyce Holland of the D4EO Literary Agency. Find out more at her website: www.amberleighwilliams.com.

Gone With The Wind by Diane Burton

photo from IMDB

We’re supposed to talk about Gone With The Wind this month and (hehehe) I get the last word. Love when the month only has thirty days. 

It has been a long time since I read Margaret Mitchell’s classic. The first time I was in high school. Given my immaturity at the time, my perspective was a little skewed. I didn’t see Scarlet as self-absorbed. I thought Ashley was a wimp—not far off on that one. What did Scarlet ever see in him?

I do remember Rhett Butler as incredibly sexy. Or as incredibly sexy as a fifteen-year-old knew about sexy. Of course, most fifteen-year-olds back then were quite naïve and I was no exception. I read somewhere that Mitchell had Clark Gable in mind when she wrote the book. I can’t imagine anyone else playing that role.

But my biggest error back in my teens was thinking that Melanie Wilkes was a namby-pamby, wishy-washy do-gooder. Not until I was older did I realize what a strong character she was. Yes, she did good and for some odd reason she was kind to Scarlett. Didn’t that fry Scarlett’s cookies? Her chief opponent (for Ashley’s love) befriended her. In the movie, Olivia de Havilland played Melanie. Her soft, cultured voice was perfect. Melanie was the perfect foil to Scarlett. In today's romance, Melanie would be the heroine and Scarlett a pain in the you-know-what. Oh, wait. She was that.

I can’t remember the first time I saw the movie. Probably on television. I don’t remember seeing it at the show. My younger (by two years) sister would know. She remembers everything while I have huge memory gaps. I’ve read that as you get older, your brain is so full of data some of it has to be deleted to make room for more. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. LOL

I do remember one line from GWTW so well I used it in my science fiction romance Switched Resolution. “I don’t know nothin’ 'bout birthin’ babies.” It seemed an appropriate response to an intense situation--like my heroine about to have her baby in the back of an SUV.

A couple of years ago, I won a basket of goodies at Mid-Michigan’s Retreat From Harsh Reality. In that basket was a DVD of Gone With The Wind. Until then I didn’t realize my husband had never seen it. Interesting watching the movie again.

Margaret Mitchell only published one book. And what a book, what a movie, it was.

I blog here on the 8th and 30th of each month and Mondays on my own site http://dianeburton.blogspot.com

GWTW and my Mom

I didn't read romance novels when I was younger. I read my first one about 10 years ago. I did read Gone with the Wind, which I don't really consider a romance novel. It's more history to me.

I think I read GWTW when I was about 13 or so. It brought to life the Civil War for me. I didn't care much for Scarlett -- I still don't, tell the truth. And I understand Rhett's appeal, but I don't find him appealing.

I clearly remember the first time I saw the movie. I was with my Mom. It was probably in the 1980s or so. The movie was making a big "come-back" tour, probably on an anniversary or something. My mother wanted to see it because it was one of the few movies she had ever seen in a theater. She just never went to movies. Watched 'em on TV, but theater? Nope.

I came to town that weekend and Mom and I went to the movie. She tried hard to act all grown-up about it, but I could tell she was having a teenager time of it, enjoying everything about it. We did the whole bit: popcorn, pop, candy, and seats right in the middle (matinee in the middle of the week). When that enormous screen lit up, I thought her eyes would pop.

I can never watch GWTW without remembering that time in a movie theater in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and how my 60-something mother was so enthralled by movie magic. I try to recapture some of that magic whenever I go to the movies. It's too easy to be jaded and take it all for granted. It really is magic, isn't it? Just like diving into a good book is magic. Don't forget that. It's special.

J L
(busy writing after all these years....)

Lessons from Scarlett ~ By Leah St. James

I can’t hear the title “Gone with the Wind” without recalling the first time I saw the movie. It was in a theater, a special showing as part of an anniversary celebration. I was a teenager, and I can’t think of that event without recalling the film’s introduction of Captain Rhett Butler, how the camera panned down from the grand staircase of the grand plantation house to capture that knowing, bad-boy grin. I can still hear the collective gasp that echoed throughout the movie theater—the sounds of the women’s hearts stopping, if just for a second.

Once I get past that memory, I think how the story’s theme—a way of life that flourished but slipped from the grasp of its devotees—was so perfectly titled: Gone with the Wind. The people of the Old South (as depicted in the story) were so caught up in the gaiety of their lives, they never saw the danger steamrolling in their direction.

Despite the aspects of life in the antebellum south that were just so wrong, sometimes I think Scarlett and her friends had some things right. Even when she was staring adversity head on and daring it to better her, she lived every moment to its fullest—whether loving or hating, laughing or pouting.

I can learn a lot from Scarlett.

Sometimes I’m so caught up in (and wrung-out by) the every-day busy-ness of my life, I don’t pay attention to the joys in front of me. Before I know it, what I cherish will have fluttered away in the mindless passage of days, and I’ll be left grasping at wisps of memory that I hadn’t taken time to fully appreciate.

As I write this I’m visiting my older son. He is a doctoral student at a college several states away, and I only see him once or twice a year. My husband and I stopped here as part of a longer trip, just to touch base, to be with him.

When I look at him, my eyes see a man in every respect, but my mind’s eye sees the baby toddling to me on those first ecstatic steps, and the sense of time snowballing beyond my control fills me with disbelief.

So after I shut down my laptop, I’m going to plop myself next to him on his couch and watch some awful movie that he and my husband have chosen. And I’m going to metaphorically bottle these very mundane, but very precious, moments so I can pull them out to savor when I want.

What about you? Do you (like me) find yourself carried along on the tides of your day? Or (like Scarlett) have you figured out how to truly live each moment?

_________________

Leah writes stories of mystery and romance, good and evil, and the enduring power of love. Her novels include romantic suspense Surrender to Sanctuary and Adrienne's Ghost, and women's fiction Christmas Dance. Learn more at leahstjames.com.

My Favorite Year Has Something Gone With The Wind Lacked by Donna Michaels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love Peter O’Toole. Handsome, debonair, gorgeous blue eyes, killer accent. Clark Gable is the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. Both are wonderful hero inspirations and were enough to draw me to their movies.

As a screenwriter, I loved both My Favorite Year and Gone With The Wind for different reasons.

MFY has several well-rounded fundamentals, blending drama with splashes of humor and a small added romantic element. The audience can relate to the part of Benjy being a fan of a famous movie star, and root, not only for him, but Peter’s character Allan, as the young writer tries to help and encourage the older star to ‘dry’ up, take charge of his personal life and make amends with his estranged daughter. It’s a feel good movie that puts a smile on your face as the credits roll.

 

GWTW is epic. Pure and simple. A masterpiece. Great, dramatic writing and acting, and the fact it was adapted from a Pulitzer Prize winning book, written by a woman, is wonderful. Drama and romance blend to create an exceptional story that sticks with you long after the credits roll.

 

 

As a romance writer, I can’t exactly say I love both movies.

Don’t hate me but, as I’m sure you’ve figured out, I do have a bit of a problem with GWTW. Again, please don’t hate me, and yes, I’m being a bit of a princess diva, but IMHO I didn’t get my HEA. I’m probably not the only one who feels this way, but as far as I know, I’m the only one who is foolish enough to voice my opinion. And that's all this is, my opinion. It doesn't mean I hate the movie, because I don't. I love it. But, hey, I write romance, for goodness sake. And all my romances are HEA. Sure, Rhett and Scarlett are volatile, and they both wronged each other, but maybe if they worked through their issues, compromised, apologized for their shortcomings, they could take it slow and work on rebuilding, not only Tara, but their relationship.

Nah.

I’m just kidding with you. You can’t change the ending, then the movie wouldn’t be so epic. Wouldn’t stick in your mind. Wouldn’t draw such strong reactions from people like me. ☺ And, it’s okay, really. I’ve already written a different ending in my head, and my Rhett and Scarlett did achieve the HEA that is so important to me as a romance author.  

Have you ever done that? Rewrote the ending to a movie or book in your head?

I haven’t written an epic, Pulitzer Prize winning novel, but I do have a few happily-ever-after romance novels out there that have received reviewer top picks and some wonderful reader emails. My latest, HER FOREVER COWBOY, Book 4/Kevin in my Harland County Series hit three Amazon Top Ten Lists this past week: Best Selling, Top Rated and Hot New Releases. I’m so humbled. Thank you to all who helped make that possible. ♥

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KFRWNWQ

Thanks for reading,

~Donna

www.donnamichaelsauthor.com

 

They Don't Get Any Bigger (or Better) Than The One and Only Gone With The Wind

Movie titles, that's what we at the Roses of Prose are writing about. One of the titles assigned this month, as if you haven't already heard, is GONE WITH THE WIND.

What to write, what to write?

Any and all ideas I might have for this post are GONE WITH THE WIND.

GONE fishing WITH my brother-in-law Joe THE proverbial bag of WIND.

Have you GONE out WITH him to see THE WIND mills being built?

He was GONE WITH THE speed of a brisk WIND.

Okay, I won't subject you to any more of my plays on words to sneak in the title. Can you tell I'm procrastinating? Time to get to work.

Hear the title GONE WITH THE WIND and most people think Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh in the lavish four hour cinematic extravaganza. We tend to forget this epic started out as a book. A coming of age historical romance. The first, and only, written by Margaret Mitchell.

Here are a few facts I've discovered.

As books go, GONE WITH THE WIND is the most popular of all time with twenty eight million sales and counting.

Published in 1936, GONE WITH THE WIND earned a Pulitzer Prize in 1937.

The movie rights sold for $50,000.

Various working titles for GONE WITH THE WIND included; Tomorrow Is Another Day; Not In Our Stars; Bugles Sang True; Tote The Weary Load; and Baa, Baa Black Sheep.

Some work in progress names were Pansy which was changed to Scarlett and Fountenoy Hall which became Tara.

The author wrote the first chapter last and reportedly liked it the least. She also started the book by writing the end of the story and knew all along **SPOILER ALERT** Rhett and Scarlett weren't going to make it.

Since our current subject is movies, here are some bits of trivia about GONE WITH THE WIND, the movie.

Remember Silver from The Lone Ranger circa 1949? He got his start as a bit player in the famous movie. Also, heads up ladies, it is reported that Clark Gable worked 71 days and was paid $120,000. Vivian Leigh worked 125 days and earned $25,000.

That's all I have for now.

Margo

My days to blog here are the 11th and 23rd. For more about me and the books I write, please visit my WEBSITE

Gone With the Wind - Carol Burnett Style!

Laura Breck

While I do love the movie Gone With the Wind, I can never think of it without the scene from The Carol Burnett Show popping into my head.

As you may remember, in the movie, Scarlett tore down the curtains at Tara Plantation to make a dress for herself so Rhett wouldn’t see her in the rags she wore while trying to keep body and soul together.

Carol Burnett did her own version of the same scene.

For me as a writer, I love the surprise and laughs of writing a scene where we think drama will dominate, but something happens to turn things around to make it humorous.

Life is full of both dramatic and humorous moments. As a writer, I like my books to reflect that, and to give my readers a break from the heavy subjects once in a while.

Thanks, Carol Burnett! Your depiction of Scarlet will forever remind me to lighten things up once in a while!

Laura

~Smart Women ~Sexy Men ~Seductive Romance

LauraBreck.com

~Dancing in a Hurricane is available in digital formats at Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble and in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace

~Love in the Land of Lakes is available in digital format at Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon, and in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace