IMHO Welcomes Linda Warren!

We're back with our next guest, award winning, multi-published category romance author Linda Warren!

At eighteen Linda Warren was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, but she hasn’t let that stop her from accomplishing her dream of writing for Harlequin. In January her twenty-fifth book, a Harlequin Super Romance, will be released. She also writes for Harlequin American and Super Everlasting.

RITA® nominated and a Waldenbook’s Series Bestseller, Linda has won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award, The Golden Quill, The Texas Gold, The Aspen Gold, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, More Than Magic Award, The Bookseller’s Best Award and The Bookbuyer’s Best Award. Her books have been published in nine languages.

Drawing upon her years of growing up on a farm/ranch in Smetana, Texas, Linda writes about sexy cowboys, feisty heroines, and broken families with an emotional punch, all set against the backdrop of Texas. She now lives in College Station, Texas, not far from her birth, with her husband, Billy, and spends her days doing what she loves—creating unforgettable love stories.

This summer Linda kicks off her Harlequin SuperRomance series, The Belles of Texas. Every belle needs her beau... Three sisters determined to save a rundown ranch. The first book, Caitlyn's Prize, will be Linda’s contribution to the “This Kiss, This Kiss” tote bag. Madison's Children will follow in October '09, and Skylar's Outlaw will be an early 2010 book.

IMHO: So, Linda, what’s your take on our theme for the month?

LW: Ah, this kiss, this kiss…

As I thought about this blog, it brought back memories of that first kiss, that special kiss and the kiss that made me go “ah,” and how important they were. It’s all about “the kiss.” It’s a sign of affection for another person and it affects our lives daily. As an author I’m sure my experiences has been relived in my books (unconsciously, of course).

When I was about twelve, I sat behind a boy named Joey in homeroom. I loved his curly blond hair and his bright blue eyes. I thought he was gorgeous. My first crush. At the end of the school year, Joey and I sat together for lunch at the park on a field trip. Dreamy. As we got up to throw away our trash, he suddenly kissed me. I was shocked and in a panic. I was afraid someone had seen and then the teacher would tell my parents. It might not have been so bad, but he kissed me like my dog did: wet and sloppy. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. Geez, a girl needs a little warning. School ended and Joey with the gorgeous eyes and hair moved away. Just as well. Suddenly Joey wasn’t that attractive anymore. It’s all about the kiss.

Then came high school and a whole new realm of kissing. I went steady a couple of times, but nothing was ever serious. Kissing was always the test. Will he be the one? I wanted to be kissed like Donna Reed in the phone scene in It’s a Wonderful Life (watch it every Christmas. I’ve seen lots of other memorable kisses in movies and on TV but that one always sticks with me). Jimmy Stewart plants one on her and they seem to melt into each other. Ah. I thought if I ever found a guy who could kiss like that, I’d marry him.

When I was seventeen, I found him. He and his buddies were home from the National Guard and they crashed the wedding of a friend. There was beer, they’d heard, and they wanted beer and girls. They were getting ready to deploy to Cuba and were looking for a good time. He was older, different, and wow, did he catch my attention. He had dark, dark eyes, midnight eyes. Here’s how I described those eyes in Caitlyn’s Prize, July ‘09 (dark-eyed heroes show up in my books a lot).

His hair was dark brown, his eyes darker. She'd once called them "midnight magic." Their color rivaled the darkest night, and magic was what she'd felt when he'd looked at her.

Remember it vividly.

He asked me out and, yes, I found my Jimmy Stewart kisser. And the rest, as they say, is history. It’s all about the kiss.

This summer I started a trilogy, The Belles of Texas, for Harlequin Super Romance. Here’s a first kiss excerpt (between the hero and heroine after being apart for many years) from Caitlyn’s Prize, July ’09.

Without thinking clearly, Cait slid a hand around his neck, caressed his roughened skin and pulled his face toward hers. She touched his lips gently, almost reverently. It took a split second for remembered emotions to explode.

He took over the kiss, cupping her face with both hands, and time floated away, as did the years, as they found comfort in a kiss that bound them together. Tongues and lips knew the drill. Memories like this weren't forgotten, just buried beneath the pain.

He tasted of bourbon, and the heady sensation was making her drunk all over again.

Or was it just Judd?

Yes, it’s definitely all about the kiss and the way it makes us feel. I’d love to hear what you think or some of your memories.

Thanks for this trip down memory lane.

IMHO: Linda, I love, love, love that kissing scene from It’s a Wonderful Life. And your kissing scene from Caitlyn’s Prize is wonderful, too!

Okay, IMHO readers, tell Linda about the best kiss you ever received. Let’s have a little fun with this one: If you had to compare your best kiss to a food or drink, what would it be? Mine would have to be dark chocolate spiked with Irish Bailey Cream…yum…

TJB