I’m thrilled to be joining the amazing writers at InspyRomance! This is my debut post, and true to the title, coming up with something worthy to be called my first has been difficult! So in honor of this memorable (at least for me!) event, I want to talk about firsts. First loves, first dates, first…well, fill in the blank with the firsts that come to mind. I love writing about firsts. From the characters’ first meeting to their first kiss as husband and wife, the firsts are the highlights of their story. Here are two of my favorite firsts…
FIRST LOVE
Do you remember your first love? Adam Chambers, the hero of Hollywood, Texas (A Brides of Texas novella) is stunned to find his first love sitting in his favorite chair on his back deck. Movie star Amy Foreman’s return to the tiny Texas town where she was born is fraught with complications, including falling back in love with the handsome veterinarian who used to walk her home from school. And in a first for both of them, they allow a first love to be a forever love. Don’t you love it when that happens?
FIRST KISS
If you’ve read more than just a few romance novels, you know that at some point in the story a first kiss is going to happen. It’s the point of the story that readers–and characters–look forward to with eager anticipation.
Well, mostly. Sometimes the first kiss is as much of a surprise to readers as it is to the characters. In Coffee Scoop (A Brides of Texas Novella), the last thing reporter Carrie Collins wants is to become attached to the subject of her investigation. And yet, when the kiss between her and Ryan Baxter happens, she neither expects it nor complains. By that time, she has fallen in love with the seminary graduate whose Harvard MBA is being used to further the cause of the less fortunate in Costa Rica and other places around the work. It is a first kiss that is both memorable and repeated. Though, technically I suppose you cannot truly repeat a first kiss, can you?
Now tell me about your favorite first love or first kiss, either in a book or your own experience, and you might win a e-copy of the Brides of Texas Novella of your choice!
Bestselling author Kathleen Y’Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA nominee of fifty novels with almost two million copies of her books in print in the US and abroad. A tenth-generation Texan and certified family law paralegal, she has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award as well a Reader’s Choice Award and several Top Picks by Romantic Times magazine. A member of Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, and a former member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, she is currently a proud military wife and an expatriate Texan cheering on her beloved Texas Aggies from north of the Red River. To find out more about Kathleen or connect with her through social media, check out her website at www.kathleenybarbo.com.
Oh Kathleen! This is such a fun post! YAY! And I LOVE chatting about kisses – first, second, thirds… ;-) But, back to the point, there is this first kiss in one of my contemporary novels that I absolutely adore because I ‘expected’ the guy to be the initiator and the heroine surprised me (and him) with her response. Such fun!
Love this! I’m pretty obsessed with meet-cutes, first kiss stories, first loves. The beginning is so symbolic whether it’s a precursor to something beautiful or it’s ironic that a disaster can turn into a happily-ever-after. If you think about it, all of those firsts in a relationship are kind of like “hooks” :) Happy to have you on board!
I love it when our characters surprise us, Pepper! It’s so much fun to write “people” who take on a lives–and minds–of their own, don’t you think?
And Laurie, your comment about meet-cute had me thinking about one of my favorite movies, The Holiday. Do you ever just sit down and write a list of meet-cutes? I do!
So glad you’re here Kathleen!!!!!! Pepper writes great kisses! There’s one. In some sort of castle/tower ruins. Waffy sigh. Bigger waffy sigh.
I wrote a first smooch last night :D. It got caught on video and is going to end up on “Letterman” and cause all sorts of problems :D. Gotta love it!
Oh, do tell, Carol. That sounds intriguing!
That’s an excellent writing prompt :) I think I’m on probation from thinking about new scenarios intentionally since I have so many accidental story ideas in the queue!
Hmmm….yes, you are definitely prolific with ideas, but that is NOT a bad thing. Maybe your challenge is to start a list of meet-cutes that you are expressly forbidden to write about until a specific time.
They got stranded at his office during an ice storm [electronic lock and power outage, you know] and when the power comes back on, there’s a Weather Channel type crew in the vicinity and they get caught first-smooching in the background.
The problem? She’s a popular blogger in conservative/Christian communities with a “True Love Waits” type blog. ;) And, since she’s also a nanny for his daughter, he’s her boss.
Oh. And she’s wearing a man’s shirt since she got Dr. Pepper spilled all over hers and he had an extra. :D.
It ended up being more of a TMZ type show than “Letterman” but it’s all about to hit the fan :D.
I love this. My very first kiss was when I was in 1st grade. Yep! I was young. I had a HUGE crush on the blond boy with the killer smile who lived next door. His older brother always picked on me. The night before we moved, it was the older brother (only by one year) who kissed me, and told me HE liked me. I was floored! While I was too young for either guy to matter in the long run, it showed me that odd things happen when we least expect it. I’m still good friends with both brothers, as we remained members of the same church for years. Nothing more romantically happened with either of them. It was still a fun memory.
Cute post, Kathleen! I’m looking forward to reading both these books, but Coffee Scoop looks very interesting indeed.
My favorite first kiss moment (so far) is in Letters to Juliet. Love that movie! It’s such a sweet romance.
Blessings,
Andrea Cox
andrearenee2004@yahoo.com
I had fun writing the first kiss in my novel Raspberries and Vinegar. In fact, it was one of the few scenes I could totally envision before I started writing at all. One reviewer said. “Valerie did a great job with the first kiss. Completely unexpected, loved it!”
Now THAT’s what I’m talkin’ about!
Welcome to InspyRomance, Kathleen! We’re honored to have you blog with us. As far as first kisses, I actually wrote about mine with my husband. Write what you know, right? :) He had a unique perspective concerning HIS first kiss, and I turned it into the premise for my first Christmas novella. I love writing first kisses, yes, but I actually adore all the bantering that leads up to that moment every bit as much. Blessings!
I’m loving all these “first” stories!! Keep them coming!
Love your post, Miss Kathleen! My favorite first kiss was in Dare to Love Again by Miss Julie Lessman. Allison and Nick’s story was so sweet and I loved their first kiss! Thank you so much for the giveaway. I have been wanting to read your new book!
Thank you, Wanda! Love Julie’s books!
Thank you for all the comments! In celebration of my first Inspy Romance post, I’m giving ALL OF YOU a copy of one of my Brides of Texas Novellas! Email me through the contact page on my website at http://www.kathleenybarbo.com and let me know which book you want. Again, thank you for the warm welcome!!
This is sooo nice of you, Kathleen. Thanks so much!