Guest: Meagan Hatfield

Please welcome Meagan Hatfield to the convertible today! She's got a fun Top Ten list of best kisses. And to celebrate the release of her latest SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE, she's giving away a copy to one lucky commenter. [winner announced on Friday]

Pucker up!

Let's face it, a good kiss will make me melt and remind me why the hell I write about everlasting love in the first place. So, in keeping with my blog tour theme of top ten lists, I thought I would list some of my favorite or most inspiring lip locks of all time:

10.) Eric and Shelley at the end of The Crow

Because after watching everything that man went through for two hours in the name and honor of his girlfriend, he SO deserved that kiss.

9.) Lenny and Mace kiss at the end of Strange Days

I literally searched Google for hours - maybe even days looking for the final scene from this mind-blowing movie. No luck. But believe me, when Lenny finally realizes what he has, reaches out and friggin' claims it with a toe curling kiss that I felt through the screen and into my living room, it was a big payoff. *fans self* Seriously, if you haven't seen this movie, buy it. The kiss alone is worth it. (Although, Juliet Lewis singing, "I can hardly wait" kinda rocks it too.)

8.) Michael and Sara in Prison Break

Ah, Sara and Michael. One of my fav. tv couples EVER. I was not so much a fan of the first kiss in the prison, simply because of his motivation. But his second kiss on the train to Chicago was for all the right reason. *sigh*

7.) Johnny and Penelope in Penelope

James McAvoy and whoever she was, uh Christina Ricci, in Penelope. The kiss at the end of this movie made me fall in love in James McAvoy, a guy who would normally NEVER make my radar. Good gravy, his mouth should be outlawed in four states. Men, boys, grandpa's take notes! He is the perfect hero, in this scene. He's utterly dominant and yet shows vulnerability, need and longing in the way he touches and looks at her. Awesome.

6.)Yuri and Lara in Dr. Zhivago

Two characters straight out of my favorite book of all time. Now, I'm too young to like the original movie. That Omar dude played a bad guy in a Benji movie, so every time I look at him, I think EVIL! Same with Tom Berenger bc of Platoon. But that's a different blog. Anyway, this is a remake from PBS and OMG, I adore everything about this movie. Especially, these two freakishly gorgeous people.

5.) Kate and Sawyer in Lost

Because holy hannah, did I ever want to be an actress in my life when Sawyer kissed Kate the way he did in that scene. Uh. *thud* Wow.

4.) Ennis and Jack in Brokeback Mountain

It may be shocking, but this is the kiss that made me fall in love with Jake Gyllenhaal.

3.) Ryan Goseling and Rachel McAdams

Okay, sort of fiction, sort of not, as they were dating at the time. But wow, Rachel McAdams and Ryan Goseling accepting their MTV movie award for best kiss. Humana, humana...what's my name? And why do I have this sudden urge to have Ryan Goseling's babies?

2.) Lady Viola and Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love

If only because it is my fav movie ever made and it makes me cry everytime I watch it.

1.) Arthur and Gwen from Merlin.

This is the second time they kiss in season two and I absolutely loved this kiss. I literally rewound and watched it until I had it memorized. The way his face passes through shock, to desire is swoon-worthy. The muscles of his jaw relaxed, his eyes softened and then BAM! He was in it to win it!

Okay, so now that I’ve got you all hot and bothered *grin* Let me direct your attention to my latest release, SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE, which is full of smokin’ hot kisses, btw.

Here is the blurb for SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE:

Even vampires should never sleep with the enemy.
Vampire princess Alexia Feodorovna has been undead for 125 years, so it's been a while since any man has made her pulse race. Until Declan Black. One look at his bronzed body and a fire like no other consumes her. Then she discovers that he's a dragon lord come to take revenge on the vamps who killed his parents. And claim a crystal said to imbue its owner with incredible powers.
Alexia is ordered to torture and kill the dragon lord. Yet with each reckless encounter, she finds herself consumed by his fiery passion. A passion Declan battles, as well. Will he be able to resist the fire of lust she kindles within him and keep revenge in his heart? Or will he risk everything to quench the burning desire and claim the vampire as his own?

To celebrate the release of SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE, I’m going to give away a copy to one lucky commenter on today's blog! What is your favorite kissing scene? What couple do you think I left off my top ten list? Just leave a comment below for you chance to win.

If you’d like more information about me, my books, fun extras, excerpts, contests, links, promo items, signed bookplates or if you would like to join my newsletter or street team, check out my website – www.meaganhatfield.com Also, please feel free to email me at meagan@meaganhatfield.com and let me know what you think of Declan and Alexia or any of my characters. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Visit Meagan Online:

· http://twitter.com/MeaganHatfield

· http://www.facebook.com/meagan.hatfield

· http://www.myspace.com/meaganhatfield

· http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2946327.Meagan_Hatfield

Buy SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE:
HQN | borders | powells | barnes&noble | amazon | books-a-million | bookdepository | chapters | indiebound | target

The Kissing Bits...

What about you? Do you like the kissing bits, or do you skim the pages when you get to the kissing and sex scenes?

I used to read books straight through, not skipping a page. Now, I find I skim through the sex scenes more often than not. Why do I do that? Isn't that one of the payoffs of reading romance? You get to see what goes on behind closed doors. Hey, I can admit it, a sexy scene is a good thing every now and then. I'm focusing on straight contemporary and historical romance here. Erotica is a different bird that, well heck, I buy it because of the sex scenes. Doesn't everyone? (And please, if you don't buy erotica for the sex, then you must tell me why not?)

But have we done it all on the page?

The main reason I'm skimming pages is because I've read that scene before. Or it's similar to the last ten books I read. Rarely now do I find a book with a sex scene that makes me slow down and read every word. Think to myself, wow, this is great. It's unique. It's original. It's making me think and it's entertaining me.

I'm not saying it needs to be wild and wacky stuff to lift my eyebrows. Heck, I prefer the vanilla stuff, thank you very much. But tantalize me with words, beckon me with pacing, bleed the emotion onto the page, and I'm so there.

So are you a read-every-word kind of gal, or a skimmer? What do you think it takes to really make you slow down and indulge in a great kissing scene?

I've got a fun prize to give away in celebration of our two year anniversary. First, I'll send the first three books in my BEWITCH THE DARK series out to you (the July book isn't even in stores yet!), a handmade bookmark, and I'll send a neat package of Zum products like soaps and washes and moisturizers. It's my favorite place to shop online. I love the goat's milk soaps and the lemon lavender hand lotion!
I'll choose one winner from today's comments. Return tomorrow to check out the winner!
Thanks for cruising with us!
Michele

Ever wonder what your favorite author's toes look like?  Stop by my blog all month for guest toes!

Kissing. . . 101

Do you remember what it was like to anticipate your first kiss? What did you imagine kissing would be like? Do you recall your pre-pubescent days of watching actors and actresses on screen. . . wondering how they knew which way to tilt their heads and why their noses never seemed to bump?

Yeah, me too.

News came out yesterday that researchers have discovered that people who don't have a satisfactory first kiss, generally don't continue to see each other. Apparently the scientists concluded that which all teenagers instinctively know-- bad kissers don't get repeat plays. And then came all the inevitable experts opining on what makes a fabulous first kiss. More pressure on the pre-pubescent and the late-in-life daters who've forgotten all of this "delicate dance of romance" stuff. So, I went to the web and found (tada!)a Wikipedia article on "How to Kiss."

10 Steps to being a good kisser. If this were one of those Cosmo quizzes. . . well I'm not revealing my score. Suffice it to say, it wasn't 100%.

1. Be kissable. It says to use lip balm. Maybe breath mints. (Gwyneth Paltrow confided that she uses Altoids before kissing scenes. Really.) And check periodically to see that you don't have food stuck in your teeth. Lip balm, check. Breath mints, check. Water bottle, check.

2. Test the waters. Watch for signals that the other person is into you and ready for a kiss. Does he or she seem to enjoy touching you? Do they enter your "personal space freely and playfully? Bring up the subject of kissing? React positively if you bring up the idea of kissing?

3. Wait for the right moment. No hurry. Choose a private moment where you can be relaxed, so nobody will see if your attempt to kiss is rejected.

4. Get permission for the kiss. This, they say, doesn't necessarily mean asking verbally. It means telegraphing your intention: moving in and allowing the person to move closer or to withdraw, signaling that a kiss would not be welcomed. Yeah, well, a lot of people skip this step. Mostly guys. And that whole pause before contact thing escapes most college males.

5. Approach for the kiss. Move in slowly but steadily. You may use your hands to nudge or position your partner's body for more appropriate contact. (Remember that kiss where Spidey was hanging upside down and Mary Jane pulled down his mask and grabbed his head. . . now that was an extreme example of "the approach.") As you near your partner's lips, maintain eye contact. (See Deb's post of a few days ago for comments on eye-to-eye stuff.) And keep your eyes open until you've made contact lip-to-lip. THEN close your eyes to show you're concentrating on the sensations. (Show who? Aren't the other person's eyes supposed to be closed, too?)

6. Kiss gently. The first kiss shouldn't be at crush-depth pressure-- it should be exploratory and gentle. No pressing or pushing-- just let the lips meet gently. A soft, closed-mouth, lip to lip kiss is always best for the first kiss. (Most college boys are operating under a four-beer handicap by the "kissing" portion of the date. A lot of 45 year old divorcees operate under a three-martini version of same.) (Drinking and kissing-- not a good combination.) Then break the kiss for s second or two, deeping your head close to your partner's, and gauge the reaction.
If he or she is smiling, rinse and repeat.

7. Make the kiss the reason for the kiss. "A lot of people (mostly men) seem to treat kisses as nothing more than a prelude to something else and will try to move quickly into French kissing or start putting their hands in inappropriate places. Good kissers concentrate on the kiss, and they kiss-- at least seemingly-- expecting nothing more." (I quoted that whole part to let everybody know it's not just my opinion!)

8. Let your partner participate in the kiss. Good kissing requires give and take. Mashing, grabbing, forcing. . . are all in very bad form. It should be equal, not a contest in attempted domination.

9. Breathe. Through your nose, if possible. If not, take a break and breathe in between. Quietly, please. No gasping.

10. Use your hands. Keep them polite. . . no groping body parts. But use hands to augment sensation. . . touching face, cupping chin, touching hair gently, resting on shoulder or arm. A kiss is not the starter flag at the Indy 500. It doesn't signal the start of unlimited liberties.

Then there are a few other tips. . . don't poke your kissee in the face or eye with your glasses. Get your hair out of your face-- nothing says "ick" like hair caught against your mouth. And keep your mind on the kiss and not on other things that happened on the date. . . like that drink he or she spilled on you. Also, don't slather on lipstick in anticipation of a kiss.

Sounds very dry and unappealing to me.

I far prefer Crash's description in the movie Bull Durham: "I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days."

Yeah. Me, too, Crash.

So, just for fun, here are four sets of famous Hollywood lips. Can you identify them? A set of Bert's Bees Lip Balms to one of the lucky readers who gets all four correct!



So, what was your first kiss like? Interesting, terrifying, anti-climactic, dreamy? Mine was in a kissing game. . . not the most romantic thing, but certainly informative. Got to practice technique with several (ahem) guys. Came away with a lot of info! So what was your most MEMORABLE first kiss? Or if you'd rather comment on what makes a good kisser-- fire away! Do you think romances give short shrift to kisses these days-- and just go right for the bigger contact? What was the most romantic kiss you ever read?