My special guest today has a duel personality – she’s both Jennifer McKenzie and Jennifer Leeland. According to Jennifer, her Leeland persona was born when she wanted to write erotic romance. She loved reading spicier romances and wanted to take a shot. It turned out that writing erotic was as much fun as reading it.
One other interesting thing about Jennifer – her early reading included lots of Agatha Christie, Ngiao Marsh and Arthur Conan Doyle and now she finds dead bodies showing up in her manuscripts. Today she’s having the opposite problem though – a character who refuses to die.
Note from Shelley: When you visit Jennifer’s website, check out her free stories, None too Soon and The Ties That Bind.
CONTEST: Today Jennifer is giving away a pdf download of Taking Command. All you need to do is post a comment and you’re in the draw. I’ll announce the winner tomorrow, so don’t forget to check back in the comments section to see if you’re the lucky one. Read the rest of this entry ?
I’ve received another wonderful review for Fancy Free. Fallen Angel Reviews has given Fancy Free 5 Angels and a Recommended Read award. Color me excited!
Rachel C said, “Ms. Munro gives us hot sex scenes that have your blood heating and your palms sweating. But that’s not all you get with Fancy Free, you also get laughter, emotion and suspense. Ms. Munro has you guessing the whole time, and with the curiosity of what might happen next riding you, you can’t help but turn the pages until you reach the end. This is the second book by Ms. Munro I’ve read and it certainly won’t be the last. Fancy Free offers everything—steamy sex, at times slap stick laughter, nail biting suspense and of course let’s not forget the cast of supporting characters; they alone are worth the price on the cover. Don’t miss this great read.”
Read the full review here. Thanks so much for the great review, Rachel.
I’m still busy working on two Middlemarch stories. I’ve hit 32,000 words for one story and I’m working on final edits for the other story. All going well another Middlemarch story should travel the cyber highway to my editor’s inbox soon.
I have two interesting news items from New Zealand for you today. I know there’s lots of talk on the Internet re authors complaining about reviews and reviewers complaining about authors comments about reviews. It seems we’re quite well-behaved as a group compared to the restaurant owners in Auckland. Several top Auckland restaurants were given bad grades in a recent review by Metro. They struck back in an ad with a recipe for “Preparation of Metro Food Critic Testicles”.
Readers were encouraged to take a “very sharp knife, slice through the sort of skinnie muscley stuff that you find surrounding each of the Metro Food Critic Testicles (there should be two testicles, they can be hard to find)”.
And the Metro Food Critic’s comment – The testicles should be served with a side of “Sour Grapes”. You can read the full article here.
The other item of interest, or at least I found it fascinating, was the thawing out of the 490 kg squid at TePapa museum in Wellington. The colossal squid was caught in the Antarctic waters of the Ross Sea in 2007 and was frozen to preserve it. There’s been all sorts of discussion about defrosting the squid, since it’s not as easy as thawing out a packet of sausages. Here’s the photo gallery showing shots of the squid and you can also check out the webcam showing live action of the defrosting.
Author Barrie Abalard is out on the Passionate Ink Cyber Tour this week with her release Hot to Trot. Here’s a teaser about her book:
Exes Patti North and Dylan Decker adore each other. Her problem? He cheated. His problem? Her temper. Fixing things will take more than spankings and hot sex, though that’s a good start.
HOT TO TROT, set in the often funny-weird worlds of Boston high-tech and equestrian hobbyists, tells the story of two exes who still adore each other—and still annoy each other—more than any other twosome on the planet.
James Belshaw, 26, and his girlfriend Sophia Severin, 23, from London, shared an unbroken kiss for 31 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. They began kissing in the Plaza Shopping Centre in Oxford Street at 11:15 BST on Wednesday. The pair broke the previous record, which was set in the US four years ago, by more than half an hour. Throughout the event they were not allowed to sit, or fall asleep, could only take sustenance through a straw and had to stay kissing even while visiting the toilet.
Now that sounds a little extreme. I like kisses. I like reading about them and writing them, although I’m not sure about 31 plus hours of kissing. It makes my lips hurt thinking about it, but I thought we could share a few virtual kisses today.
Writers: post your excerpts up to 500 words maximum showing a kiss from your published book or work-in-progress. If it’s a naughty kiss with lots of explict language please post a WARNING at the top of your comment. Excerpts from m/m books are okay, but once again, post a warning at the top of your excerpt. If your book is published also leave us a buy link so we can explore further.
Readers and Writers: Tell me what you like to see in a kiss. If you have any kiss trivia you’d like to add, tell us about it. I’m giving away several spot prizes of downloads from my New Concepts books. All you need to do is post a comment and you’re in the draw. I’ll announce the winners on Sunday. If you like a kiss excerpt, tell the author. We love praise!
Kiss Quotes
It was brief, swift, and then it was done. It was a professional job. I needed to be kissed, and I was kissed. ~Actress Uma Thurman
This girl said “Yes” when I wasn’t ready. I kissed her lightly and got so dizzy I had to sit down. ~Actor Antonio Banderas
The first kiss I had was the most disgusting thing in my life. The girl injected about a pound of saliva, into my mouth, and when I walked away I had to spit it all out. ~Leonardo DiCaprio
If you kiss on the first date and it’s not right, then there will be no second date. Sometimes it’s better to hold out and not kiss for a long time. I am a strong believer in kissing being very intimate, and the minute you kiss, the floodgates open for everything else.
~Jennifer Lopez
A kiss can be a comma, a question mark or an exclamation point. That’s basic spelling that every woman ought to know. ~Mistinguett (Jeanne Bourgeois), Theatre Arts, December 1955
People who throw kisses are mighty hopelessly lazy. ~Bob Hope
Kissing is like drinking salted water. You drink, and your thirst increases. ~ Chinese Proverb
I’ll leave you with a kiss from my latest release, Wanderlust.
Sebastian moved closer, stopping when we almost touched, his expression cloaked in shadows. “Is that it? Don’t I get a kiss good night?”
“I—” His lips came down on mine, interrupting my train of thought about mixing business and pleasure. He nibbled my bottom lip, nipping and soothing the sexy bite with his tongue. When I gasped, he took advantage, pushing his tongue inside. Our tongues moved together in a sensual dance. Our breath mingled. It was as if we’d never parted. Sebastian drew me closer, fitting our bodies together. My breasts squashed against his muscled chest, increasing the throb of excitement that pounded me. It had been so long. It would be so easy to open the door to my cabin and let him inside. Apart from the fact that Elizabeth would arrive back at some stage and it was against hotel rules.
My mind hazed with pleasure, moisture starting to form between my thighs. Temptation slithered through my veins, and it was with deep regret that I pulled back from the kiss. “Good night, Sebastian.”
He smoothed his palm across my cheek. The tender gesture brought renewed desire and the siren lure of lust and temptation. So enticing just to step into his arms, hold on and never let go.
“Good night, sweetheart. Happy birthday.” He smiled before turning away and walking off into the darkness.
1. The dictionary defines a kiss as a touch given with lips as a sign of love, affection, greeting or reverence. Kisses come in many forms. There’s a kiss curl (a small curl of hair on the forehead), the kiss of death (apparently friendly act causing ruin), the kiss of life (artificial respiration). Some kisses are loud – the band KISS. Some kisses are delicious – Hersey’s kisses. Some kisses are personal – a kiss between lovers.
2. When you think about it – kissing is pretty yucky. It’s basically swapping spit. Experts say lots of bacteria journey from one mouth to another during the kissing process. You can get diseases from kissing – like meningitis, herpes and mononucleosis.
3. Despite this danger of disease anthropologists report that 90 percent of the people in the world kiss. Most people look forward to their first romantic kiss and remember it for the rest of their lives. Do you remember the awkward bump of noses, the apprehension of your first kiss?
4. Several other animal species have behaviors that resemble kissing. Many mammals lick one another’s faces, birds touch one another’s bills and snails caress one another’s antennae. In some cases, the animals are grooming one another rather than kissing. In others, they’re smelling scent glands that are located on faces or in mouths. Regardless, when animals touch each other in this way, they’re often showing signs of trust and affection or developing social bonds.
5. Your body physically reacts to being kissed. Most people like to be touched, and that’s part of your body’s response to kissing. But kissing also affects everything from your blood to your brain.
6. Kisses have lots of variations. There’s the beginner’s kiss where lips brush or gently press together. There’s a butterfly kiss where lips just graze in a light touch. There’s a French kiss where participants kiss with open mouths and probing tongues. Gently please! No stabbing for tonsils allowed.
7. There’s a virtual kiss – :-*
8. If you’re kissing a lot you want to have fresh breath and kissable lips. Here are some instructions for kisseable lips:
Step 1: Prep
Smooth lips with lip balm. Avoid slick products, such as Vaseline or anything else petroleum-based (they will make the lipstick slide off). Instead, apply a waxy balm, such as Chapstick, and massage into lips with your figertips. Then let it sink in for a few minutes.
Step 2: Pick Your Stick
Grab one that lets lips show through, such as a sheer lipstick or light gloss. Apply…LIPSTICK straight from the tube. Blend into lips and along your lip line with fingertip. Apply LIP GLOSS with the wand or a lip brush. Smooth out with your fingertip.
Step 3: Blot
When you are finished applying color, lightly kiss the back of your hand. This will get rid of excess product without cutting down on the sheen. Then, gently smack your lips together to even out the color one last time. Pucker up!
9. There are kissing games like SPIN THE BOTTLE
You put a soda bottle or a flashlight in the middle of a circle of people. One person spins the bottle (or flashlight in the dark) and when it stops spinning and points to someone of the opposite sex, they have to kiss.
10. We sing about kisses – here’s the great Louis Armstrong singing A Kiss to Build a Dream on.
11. There are kissing quotes:
The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story. It changes the relationship of two people much more strongly than even the final surrender; because this kiss already has within it that surrender. -Emil Ludwig (1881-1948)
I have found men who didn’t know how to kiss. I’ve always found time to teach them. -Mae West
A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous. -Ingrid Bergman
13. James Belshaw and Sophia Severin locked lips for more than 31 hours to break the world record for the longest kiss.
James Belshaw, 26, and his girlfriend Sophia Severin, 23, from London, shared an unbroken kiss for 31 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. They began kissing in the Plaza Shopping Centre in Oxford Street at 11:15 BST on Wednesday. The pair broke the previous record, which was set in the US four years ago, by more than half an hour.
Throughout the event they were not allowed to sit, or fall asleep, could only take sustenance through a straw and had to stay kissing even while visiting the toilet.
Do you have any kissing trivia to add? Stories of first kisses? A comment?
Tomorrow I’m having another post about kisses and would like to invite you to post a kiss excerpt (in the comments section). If it’s published post a buy link. Unpublished authors are welcome to leave their kiss excerpts as well. I’m giving out some spot prizes so come along and say hello, even if you don’t post an excerpt.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
I spent the afternoon at my favorite shopping center today and found myself trying on a couple of outfits. What on earth do they do to the lights and mirrors in store changing rooms? I want to know – the image that reflects back in the mirror… Oy! Scary stuff. I’m sure that wasn’t me! Was it?
I’m heading straight back to the writing cave now, but on Friday I’m going to have a special day all about kisses with the odd random prize or two. I hope you have a chance to visit.
One of my standout reads for this year has been Lori Armstrong’s Julie Collins series. I finished the third book in the series during the weekend and immediately emailed Lori, attempting to bribe her in exchange for an ARC of the next book. I’m desperate to know what comes next! Sigh – I failed. Evidently others have tried bribes with little success as well.
This is a mystery series with a romance subplot. Julie is a chain smoker, she drinks, and she brings a lot of baggage to the first story. Julie has a screwed up relationship with her father and her brother was murdered, which colors her actions. She’s a tough chick with a smart mouth, and I loved her straight away. And Martinez, her love interest – let’s just say, I want him and leave it at that.
If you haven’t read Lori’s books before and enjoy mysteries, run and grab a copy. You won’t regret it. As I said – the first three books in this series are among my favorite reads to date this year.
I’ve also just finished reading Drui Claiming by Jory Strong. This is part of Jory’s Supernatural Bonds series and I’ve enjoyed all four books. The last two books in the series Drui Claiming and Sophie’s Dragon take place during the same time frame. Gotta love those dragons!
What have your standout reads been so far this year?
Today I’m guest blogging over at the Romance Studio. Come on over and say hello!
My March release, Fancy Free featured a heroine who inherits a condom company.
Some of you will already be familiar with the behind-the-scenes story about how the idea for Fancy Free came to me. My husband and I were flying home from San Francisco aboard an Air New Zealand flight. I browsed the in-flight magazine and a new product article caught my attention. One of the new products was a vibrating condom, and immediately my mind seized on the idea. My husband shushed me when I tried to discuss condoms and the possibilities, so I went into daydream mode and by the time we landed in Auckland had a plot all mapped out.
That brings me directly back to condoms. In our personal lives we’re told to practice safe sex. I have no problem with that, after all, who wants to pick up a nasty disease while doing a horizontal tango?
Safe sex and the surrounding issues is something that authors need to consider each time they write a love scene. Back at the start of the safe sex campaign a lot of people went on record as saying using a condom in a fictional love scene destroyed all the spontaneity. Personally I’ve never understood the problem because if the scene is written properly, a condom can add an extra dimension. It says I care enough about my health to use one. It says I care enough about my partner to protect him or her. To me, writing a condom into a love scene makes plain common sense.
Over my years of writing I’ve developed a set of rules for fictional condom use. I’ll also add here that this is my opinion and this is what I like to see. I’m not going to bash you over the head if you disagree.
Contemporary romance:
My hero and heroine always use a condom in each love scene. Sometimes more, since I write erotic romance! If they don’t use a condom I give the reader a good reason. Sometimes in the heat of the moment our hero and heroine might forget. Our hero and heroine might be in the middle of nowhere and desperate to the point of crazed, or they might know each other’s sexual history and oral contraception is enough. In Fancy Free, condoms are part of the plot. My characters James and Alice make full use of their products. In Summer in the City of Sails, I even have a condom scene where the hero tells the heroine her glow-in-the-dark condoms remind him of a green ogre.
Historical romance:
I know from my research a form of condoms has been around since Egyptian times. During Roman times after the gladiators fought, they scored big time with the noble ladies. These noble ladies didn’t want children from the gladiators, merely a night of pleasure so they used condoms.
If I’m writing a historical, my heroes and heroines usually don’t use condoms. This was an era where good girls remained virgins until marriage, especially the women of the nobility so the use of condoms isn’t an issue. I look at the social mores when deciding whether my characters use birth control. In my Georgian-set historical, The Second Seduction the plot was a marriage of convenience and a condom wasn’t necessary. In Unforgettable, my World War II romance the couple use condoms.
Paranormal/futuristic romance:
Sometimes my hero and heroine use condoms and sometimes they don’t. It depends on the set-up. Often in my futuristic stories I’ll make a point of saying sexually transmitted diseases are eradicated. I did this in Sex Idol and Fallen Idol.
In my Middlemarch Mates feline shifter series condoms are used in some books and not in others, with the readers learning why condoms are absent.
It is my opinion that responsible romantic heroes use condoms.
What do you think about condoms in fiction? Should our heroes and heroines use them? Does it jerk you out of a scene if condoms are absent? If you’re a writer what rules of use do you like to apply?
Here are a couple of ads from New Zealand. The first one from Toyota offended quite a few people, but it’s typical New Zealand humor. It makes me laugh.
This second one is from Speights, a company that makes beer. If you’ve read my books you’ve probably noticed me mention Speights beer a time or two.
My special guest today has a duel personality – she’s both Jennifer McKenzie and Jennifer Leeland. According to Jennifer, her Leeland persona was born when she wanted to write erotic romance. She loved reading spicier romances and wanted to take a shot. It turned out that writing erotic was as much fun as reading it.
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