
Sr.Julie Asumpta here, and I am proud to say that in addition to Seekerville’sFIVE YEARS OF FUN, this year also marks FIVE YEARS of romance writing by one ofmy most boy-crazy students—Julie Lessman, who, along with her Seeker buds, willoffer us a truly swoon-worthy selection of love scenes. But … just because thisis Fall Break and we’re going to indulge in lots of pucker fun, does NOT meanyou can run amuck in my classroom, understood?

Ready?Get on your mark … get set … pucker!!
Fourteen “Suggestions” to“Warm up the Pages withRomantic Tension”
1. Using Internal Male Dialogue2. Making the Most of Touch andResponse3. Maximizing Use of Beats4. Utilizing Dual Point of View5. Escalate Tension with Anger6. Using all Five Senses7. The Non Kiss8. Cashing in on the Kid Factor9. Use Emotionally ChargedWords and Active Verbs to Enhance Mood10. Capitalize on the Element ofSurprise11. Expose Desire in anUnwilling Character12. Implement the Concept ofForbidden Fruit13. Effectively use Dialogue toEscalate Tension14. The Accidental Kiss15. The Mental Kiss16. The Caveman Kiss
16.)the “Caveman KISS.” Okay, I’mquite certain that my student, Julie Lessman, always get an eye-roll from hereditor every time she includes what I call the “caveman kiss,” which is when ahero takes a kiss by force, dominating the heroine to stake his claim. A bit ofa drama queen, Ms. Lessman claims to be from the Gone With the Wind school of thought where … sigh … Rhett takes a kiss from Scarlett by force, saying he wantsher to faint, because that’s what she was meant for. So in conclusion, we aregoing to wrap up our course with two Neanderthal examples from both the Queenherself, Mary Connealy, and her humble subject, Julie Lessman:

And now finally it was time to talk.“I’ve made my choice.” She stalked over to Tom. “I’m not going to sitlike a frightened rabbit and wait for those Cooters to come for me and mychildren and you.Tom looked up from the fire, where he was feeding in sticks, with eyesso blazing hot, Mandy felt burned.“So you headed out to kill them, is that right?” He threw in a biggerstick. “You were crawling up that rise to murder those men in cold blood—”“They deserve to die!”“—because you don’t trust me to protect you, is that right?” Tomshouted the last three words.“I did it to save your life. I know you’d protect me. I know you’d diefor me. I understand all of that. But I can’t let you.”“The one thing you don’t seem to know, woman,” Tom surged to his feet,“is that you can’t stop me.”His arm whipped out quick as a striking rattler and he yanked her hardagainst his body. “You’re mine.”He grabbed a hank of her hair. “You’ve been mine since the day we met.You were mine when you were married to another man. You were mine when you weregiving birth to someone else’s child. You’re mine, and I’m through waiting foryou.”He sank his heavy hand deeper into her hair and tilted her head back.“We’re married. I will protect you. I will die for you.”He kissed her until her knees went weak and her arms wrapped around hisneck to keep from falling. Long moments later he raised his head, his blue eyesburning into hers.“Better than that. I will live for you.That’s all you need to understand.” He swooped his head down.
Doublesigh. See what I mean?? Okay, finally … here’s Julie Lessman’s take on the“caveman” approach from Book 1 of The Heart of San Francisco Series, Love at Any Cost. And, yes, it's long—so what's new??? Frankly, Ms. Lessman stinks at editing and always was a chatterbox in class, so what do you expect?

SEEKER LOVE SCENES!!!
And now, just forfun, here is a favorite scene from some of The Seekers and why they chose it,wrapping up with our SURPRISE winning commenter’s scene, so be sure to read allthe way down to see both it and the giveaway info. Happy reading!
MYRA JOHNSON:Here's a scene from When theClouds Roll By, the first book in my Till We Meet Again series for AbingdonPress, scheduled for release October 2013. The scene takes place as Annemariemeets Samuel on the sidewalk as he walks to her house for Sunday dinner.(Gilbert is her former fiancé.) It's one of my favorites because it reachesinto the heart of a hero haunted by memories of war and who believes he has noright to love this woman, no right to hope for her love in return. It's themoment when both must admit that the love growing between them is right,beautiful . . . and inescapable.
Annemarielaughed with [Samuel], but several steps later, she tugged him to a halt. Hefaced her with a furrowed brow, one corner of his mouth curled upward, and shecouldn’t keep the worry out of her tone. “You can’t fool me, Sam. I know you’retroubled about something, and you’re holding it inside. Is it Gilbert? The war?If you think I wouldn’t understand—”“Idon’t want to talk about any of that right now.” His gaze caressed every inchof her face, as if he wanted to memorize each curve and angle. His hand foundthe base of her throat, his touch like a tender flame upon her skin. The linesaround his mouth softened, and he drew her closer, closer. With his lips mereinches from hers, he whispered, “All I want—all I need—is to know youcare for me.” “Ido, Sam. I care for you more than words can express—more than I ever thoughtpossible.” She melted against him, not caring if neighbors or passersbywitnessed her brazenness, and sought his lips. He tasted of spearmint andcoffee, his mouth softening against hers with a tenderness both sweet andurgent.
JANET DEAN:Kisses can show attraction, show the heroand heroine have fallen in love and can seal the commitment they make to oneanother. But kisses can also be used to raise the stakes and up the conflictbetween the hero and heroine. Exactly what happens here in this excerptfrom Wanted: A Family.Part of the charm for me is Jacob asked permission to kiss Callie. Though shecarries a load of uncertainties about trusting him, she can’t resist, then istotally unnerved by her reaction to the kiss, to the man. From that moment onthat kiss stands between them, a constant reminder that she allowed andresponded to the kiss of a drifter, a man she does not trust. For me that’sfun. Which just proves that writers are a sadistic bunch.

AUDRA HARDERS:My favorite part ofany romance is when the hero or heroine builds up the courage to ask for whatthey want most and they're rewarded for their effort... : )... beforereality rears its ugly head and the love they want most issnatched away because it just isn't time yet. They keep getting closer andcloser until the HEA becomes an event we wouldn't miss for the world : ) (Here’sa sample from my WIP Precious Possessions).
Her knees quaked, but not from fear. “Tell me,” shecoaxed. “Tell me of those things deep in your heart.”His fingers gently kneaded her scalp and drew hercloser. Warm breath tinted with the scent of mint, mingled with hers. Hebrushed a light kiss across her mouth, his lips surprisingly soft. Before shecould utter a question, he pulled her close and covered her lips with his own.The wild sensations of the afternoon flooded back andyearning so strong touched her soul she scarce found her breath. Lord Clopton’sinsinuations were forgotten; Lord Athay’s accusations forgiven. Nothing elsemattered except this man.The fine linen of his shirt crumpled within her fist,every nerve within her knuckles acutely aware of the rugged contours beneaththe fabric. A small voice of reason whispered for her to run, escape thedangers of love while she still could. Leaning into his embrace, she slippedher arm around his lean waist and held tight, her heartbeat pounding so loud,the entire forest echoed of it.As his roughened palm skimmed the curve of her back,Lila reached along his shoulder and tangled her fingers in his damp hair. Thefresh, cold scent of clean river water filled her senses. Just as she would’veexplored further, he released her and drew away.The tension in her belly wound tighter as she gazedinto the vast ocean of his eyes, relieved they mirrored the very emotions shefelt.In a blink, his fathomless blue eyes, so brieflysmoldering, banked once again to reveal no clues. His soul drew back to thatsafe place he kept hidden away from her, allowing only his shell ofindifference exposed.Setting her aside, he plucked a single strand of herhair from his sleeve. With great precision, he flicked it away. “You want toknow about me?” his thick voice a practiced study of detachment. “You shouldbear in mind that, like the tree of knowledge, once good and evil are exposed,the truth may not be easy to live with.”
MISSY TIPPENS: I love this scene from my upcoming release GeorgiaSweethearts, Love Inspired April 2013, because it happens after my heroinehas finally had a big change of heart. God has been working on her, and she'smade a decision to move ahead in her life, to quit wallowing in the past. To doso, she's ready to step out of her comfort zone and help others (don't want togive too much away here!). :) So the scene is special to me because I feelshe's taking a risk, being heroic, and she deserves a reward! And hoo-boy, didDaniel give it! LOL! Setup: The hero and heroine have nearly kissed twice. Thelast time they nearly kissed, someone burst through a door and broke themapart. Now, they may actually have a chance!
He reached out and gently brushed his knuckles acrossher cheek. “I’ve been an idiot. My own dad told me so.”She couldn’t respond. His touch left her breathless,and a little addled.“I can’t deny my feelings anymore, Lilly.”She sucked in air like a person drowning. “We’vetalked about this. A relationship is impossible.”“Impossible, yes.” He leaned closer, stopping justshort of touching his lips to hers. “But undeniable.”When he looked from her lips to her eyes, she waslost. She grasped for a last line of defense, anything to keep her from closingthe tiny space between them. “We don’t have to act on the feelings, though.”“I do.” He wrapped his arm around her waist, scootingher yet closer. He caressed her cheek with his rough, warm hand. Ran his thumbover her bottom lip. “I’m going to kiss you now, no matter who comes out thatdoor or tries to stop me.”A nervous laugh slipped out of her, but the sound wasdeep and husky, strange to her ears. When he took her face between his handsand touched his lips to hers, the universe expanded behind her closed eyes. Joyblossomed and spread into all the empty places inside her, smoothing over theraw edges of hurt.Daniel cared about her.And no matter how much time they would end up havingtogether before they parted ways, her life would be forever changed.
PAM HILLMAN:This scene is frommy upcoming release Claiming Mariah,and the reason it's my favorite scene is that my editor loves it, evenmentioned it in her Spotlight at ACFW. Needless to say I was thrilled! Setup: Mariah cuts Slade's hair inClaiming Mariah, Tyndale House Publishers, January 2013
Finally happywith her handiwork over his ears, she moved in front and started on the hairfalling over his forehead. He kept the wavy strands pushed back underneath hishat, but when she pulled them out straight with the comb, they were almost aslong as Jim’s had been.She carefullycombed and snipped until the results pleased her. She combed his hair back andthe wavy strands fell hither and thither. A snip here, one there. More on theleft. So caught up playing with his hair, she didn’t realize he’d opened hiseyes to tiny slits and was watching her.She stared into his heavy-lidded gaze for a long drawn-out moment,reliving the kiss they’d shared in the kitchen. Finally, she found hervoice. “I’m done."
GLYNNA KAYE:In my October release, "Look-Alike Lawman," Book #4 in the Love Inspired Texas Twins series, I'd originallywritten this scene with it cut off where Gray merely leaned over tokiss the heroine--then..."fade to black." But in my revisions,my editor said to play up their first-kiss scene. However, I knew"playing up" a kiss scene in a Love Inspired doeshave boundaries, i.e., "emphasize emotional intimacy rather thansexual desire." So I letreaders know what the hero is thinking about hisconflicted relationship with Elise, which added a bit more substance anddimension to the brief scene.
Holding his breath, half expecting her to push him away, he tentativelybrushed his lips against Elise’s as he breathed in the intoxicating scent ofher soft skin. Felt her press more closely against him.She’s only seeking comfort.Reassurance. Don’t take advantage of that. But when she didn’t resist hiscautious caress, he couldn’t help but adjust his arm around her and press hislips more fully to hers.Elise. Safe in his arms.Thank you, God, for protecting her and Cory.After some moments, Gray slowly drew back, brushing aside the silkenstrands of the dark hair framing her face. Heart pounding, he gazed inwonderment at the lustrous brown eyes looking into his with quiet, confident trust.It is not good for the man to bealone... The words of the Book of Genesis pulsed through his mind. Godcreated the lovely Elise he now held in his arms. A gift from God, one everybit as cherished by Gray as Adam had cherished his own gift of Eve.But was she his gift?Or was he, like Reggie suggested, letting his perspective get all out ofwhack? You just met this lady, yet you’reall caught up in her business. Caught up in the way she smiles at you and makesyour heart go pitty-pat. Totally ignoring the fact she’s made it clear she hasno interest in another cop.She didn’t want a cop.He was a cop.He closed his eyes, resisting that painful truth. Prayer. That’s what hispal had said would provide the answers. Prayer. But the only prayer he could utterwas that these precious minutes holding Elise would never end.“Gray?”He opened his eyes as her gentle caress skimmed the late-night stubblealong his jaw. Her questioning gaze probed his for a breathless moment. Thenher hand once again slipped behind his neck and she drew his mouth back down tohers.
SANDRA LEESMITH:Sandra says she“always love the forbidden aspect,” when both the hero and heroine areresisting what they both want as in this scene her WIP Ties That Bind, which has been requested by Heartwarming.
She studied him for long moments and smiled back. "Brrr. I feltthat water. It's going to have to warm up a lot more to interest me."He took advantage of her shiver and hugged her tight against him.The scent of her perfumed hair sent shivers of another kind through him.She tensed and pulled away. He left his hands on her waist and lether see the desire in his eyes. She glanced up and he saw the answeringreaction. Her fingers traced his jaw, their soft touch sending chills along hisspine. He turned his face into her hand and kissed the palm."I want you, Monica,” he whispered before he bent to kiss herforehead then her cheek and finally her lips.He shuddered into her moan. He wanted more. So did she. He tastedthe matching hunger in her. He wrapped his arms around her and brought herclose.Monica's arms slid up his back and pressed. The kiss seemed endlessand unbearably sweet. She finally pulled away and rested her head under hischin."This is wrong." Her words cut into his euphoria.
MELISSA JAGEARS: SUPER CONGRATS to Melissa for being our randomized pick for her choice of any of my books and the opportunity to post her love scene on this Seeker post!! Here is her clip from her manuscript Worthy In His Eyes, amarriage of convenience story. Melissa said: "I think the reason I like this kiss is themetaphor; I wanted the delicate, tentative landing of a butterfly to get acrossthe hero’s sensations without having to describe everything."
Her warm breath on hisneck sent chills through his body. No more fancy dance moves, just the two ofthem, swaying to a non-existent beat. He unlaced his fingers from her waist andtilted her chin, letting his thumb trace her upturned jaw.She pulled away, but he broughther back. She stared at his shirtfront where her balled fists pressed againsthim.He tucked a featherystrand of hair, the color of a robin’s wing, behind her ear. What went on inthat head of hers when he drew this close? Did his nearness erase any of herreservations, or did they race about in her mind all the more? She thought toomuch. Cared too much about what everyone else thought. Always measuring whatshe did, who she talked to, and how she lived using other people’s standards.His fingertips traileddown her velvety temple to her jaw, and his pulse thundered like a thousandstampeding hooves. She closed her eyes, and the tension in her musclesdissolved. His fingers explored the hollows of her throat and found anaccelerated heartbeat, matching his beat per beat. He did rouse her senses.What a lovely thing.He lowered his mouthwithin a hair’s-breadth from her lips. They were his to kiss, were theynot? Her breathing quickened, andlike a butterfly alighting on a sprig of new spring grass, he kissed her softon the mouth. Her lips tasted like sugar and vanilla, but this evening’s appledumpling hadn’t tasted this luscious. She voiced a tiny moanand pressed closer. With his pulse pounding in his ears, he deepened his kiss,the taste of her like bracing nectar. Only the space of a few heartbeatspassed, but if he didn’t break off, he wouldn’t stop. He took a step back andstruggled to catch his breath.Her gaze remained on hischest, and her cheeks heated beneath his palms. “How should we end this evening, Ann?” He choked on the wordshe hadn’t meant to voice.“Notthe way you want it to.” Her emotionally wrought whisper turned his heart to mash.Her gaze traveled up to his. She bit her lip, and her breathing grew frantic.“Not yet.” Helet his hands slide down her arms and capture her wrists, his eyes beseechinghers.Hergaze dropped back down to his chest. “Sometime soon. I just don’t know when.”Hepulled her closer and kissed her forehead. “I’ll wait, Mrs. Hendrix. I canwait.”
Okay, class is dismissed!! Leave a comment for achance to HAVE A CHARACTER NAMED AFTER YOU IN MY NEXT BOOK, Love at Any Cost OR a $50 GIFT CARD ... PLUS win one of ANY of my books from The Daughters of Boston or Winds of Change series including those below, my new release A Love Surrendered,my November 9 e-book release, A Light in the Window or my April release,Love at Any Cost.



Hugs and happy puckering!!Julie
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