My Favorite "True Love's Kiss" Moments by Kara O'Neal

One of my favorite moments in a story is when the hero or heroine kisses his or her true love and the curse breaks. It's such a wonderful thought, that love is strong enough to cure any ill.

For me, it's more than a thought, though. It's a belief. Love has the ability to soothe any villain, comfort the grieving, and liberate the oppressed.

And, of course, I have a few favorite true love moments....

1) When Emma Swan kisses Henry, her son, and wakes him from the sleeping curse in Once Upon A Time.

2) When Prince Philip kisses Sleeping Beauty and wakes her from the sleeping curse.

3) When Wesley and Buttercup kiss at the end of The Princess Bride.

4) When Emma Swan and Captain Killian "Hook" Jones triumph in the ultimate true love test in Once Upon A Time.















And last....

5) When Stephen Dawson kisses Constance Forrester for the first time in The Editor's Kisses. (Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of this. Because this is from one of my books!)

Yes, #5 is one of my own, and while there isn't anything literally magical about it, it does wake up Stephen and he's able to unchain himself from the toxic control another woman had over him. It was absolutely beautiful how it worked out, and even though you can't see it happen, you can read it...

Scene: The parlor of the Talbut home

Problem #1: An embarrassing parlor game – being locked in a broom closet with a member of the opposite sex

Problem #2: Stephen and Constance are in a fake courtship – Stephen is trying to make someone jealous and Constance gets to be a reporter for his paper

And now...a beautiful "true love's kiss" moment...

Madeline’s spinning of Constance was a little rough, but Stephen held his tongue. When their hostess let go, Constance fumbled for a moment before Stephen raised himself up and yanked her into his lap.

The shouts of excitement and delight that went around the room nearly deafened him. People playfully called out “cheater”, but Stephen didn’t care, especially when Constance whisked off her mask and looked immensely relieved to see he’d successfully caught her.

They headed to the closet without fuss. Constance almost looked as if she was dying to climb inside. She probably wanted to get the farce over with.

Once they were squeezed into the confining space, with their chests pressed together in a way Stephen had only fantasized about, she said, “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done—”

He covered her mouth with his hand, having dislodged it from his side. Then he leaned near her ear. “They might be able to hear us,” he whispered.

She flinched.

He lowered his arm, and she let out a slow breath. He wished he could see her face. For more reasons than to satisfy his worry she was all right.

He did everything he could to ignore the touch of her body along his front. He tried not to remember how she looked, how her eyes lit up, how her expression sharpened when she was interested in something. Why had he watched her all night?

But he knew. He knew very well. She was captivating. Intriguing. And so damned lovely.

Why was he having feelings for her? Wasn’t his love for Madeline strong enough to withstand attraction for another woman? But if it was, he would be in the closet with his hostess and not the lady he pretended to the world held his fancy.

He had to kiss her. He had to discover if this attachment was real. Besides, if he didn’t kiss her, everyone would wonder why. And for some strange reason, he needed every fellow out there to understand Constance Forrester was his. He closed his eyes and realized his attitude was no better than a caveman’s. But the need to possess and brand raced through him without pause, and he couldn’t fathom how to check it. Except to kiss her and get her out of his system once and for all.

“Constance,” he uttered. “I’m gonna kiss you.”

She flinched again.

“I won’t hurt you, I swear it. But if I don’t kiss you…they’ll all question us and our…attachment.” He was an ass. He was using their agreement to coax her into acquiescence, and while he knew it, and was ashamed of it, he continued. “It will only be for a second. I’ll just brush my lips with yours.”

In the darkness, he felt her slight nod against his chin. His heart pounded at her quiet surrender.

When she pulled back as far as the space would allow and lifted her head to his, heat slashed through him. He’d never needed a kiss as much as he needed hers.

Madeline had kissed him. Once. Behind the schoolhouse when they were sixteen. And that moment hadn’t caused nearly the anticipation this one did.

He lowered his head and swallowed her gasp. It wasn’t a brush, even though he only set his lips on hers. It was a fire. A shot of whiskey that whipped through him and pooled in his gut. He deepened the connection, and she let him, sighing and sinking into him despite already being as close to him as he could get her.

He melted. He needed to move to the ground and cover her, press her down and make her his. He used his tongue, tasting her. She capitulated instantly and opened her mouth under his. He took what she allowed without hesitation as his free hand came up to grip her waist.

The damn closet was too small. His left hand was wedged between her side and the slender door. But though he couldn’t get his arms around her, he didn’t stop the kiss. It went on and on, stealing his breath, tightening his chest and making him doubt everything he’d ever known about his heart.

Rapid footsteps had him surging backward, and he knocked his head on the wall.

The door flew open, and cool air blasted his cheeks. He and Constance fell out of the space, their limbs tangling as they tried to right themselves.

Peals of laughter rung around them as Stephen reached out a hand to balance her. She latched on as if she didn’t want to let go, and his muscles vibrated with hope she had enjoyed the moment as he had.

It had taken less than a few seconds for him to realize kissing her had been the wrong thing to do. But also the most right, most perfect, most sound judgement he’d ever made in his life.

As those who’d crowded around the entrance to the kitchen went roaring with laughter back into the parlor, he gazed at Constance. And his world tilted.

Her flushed cheeks and bright eyes made his heart constrict with an emotion he was too afraid to name at the moment. But he knew what it was. He knew.

How in the devil had it happened? Was he a fool? A fickle man?

He swallowed. “Do you want to leave?”

And before his eyes, he witnessed a transformation that set his blood on fire. Determination changed her expression, and she lifted her chin.

“Certainly not. I’m quite all right, I assure you.” She gave a shake to her skirts. “We’ve a job to do, Stephen Dawson, and I’ll not let you down.”

She exited the kitchen with a swirl of satin, and he followed with less sure steps. She wouldn’t let him down, he knew it. But he feared he might disappoint her, for if she knew the direction of his thoughts, she would never forgive him. Constance Forrester had no time for any man. She had plans. Plans that didn’t include caring for the heart of the newspaper editor.

TEXAS BRIDES OF PIKE'S RUN SERIES

September Is For Lovers by Joan Reeves #SmartGirlsReadRomance

Did you know that research shows colder weather makes people want to get together.

In centuries past, this may have been a primitive survival instinct. Get in a relationship so you wouldn't be alone in the winter. You know, the share body heat idea.

Fortunately, we have central heat now, but getting into relationships increases in the fall. 

We now know that testosterone levels in both men and women jump up in the fall. When testosterone levels increase, sex drive increases too. It's likely that's what drives the desire to be in a relationship.

National First Love Day

On September 18, National First Love Day is celebrated in the United States. We are the only country to celebrate this holiday that was created in 2015.

Yes, this is the day to remember that first rush of feeling that made your heart pound—that first spark of attraction with someone you fancied. We've all had that feeling.

Rarely does that first love end up being our last love, but there is a song that celebrates that. Barry White release his song, You're The First, The Last, My Everything in 1974, and it hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart.

Whether your first love was your last love or not, First Love Day is a time to look back on that time in your life. You may be sentimental and nostalgic about the experience or you may shudder and be deeply grateful your experience never went beyond a "first love."

Why First Love Day

I read that this holiday was created to remind us where it all started in our own lives and in the lives of others.

The day is supposed to remind us of the first time we felt love in a romantic relationship. Like I said, these memories could be good or bad, but that first love was a rite of passage.

Love is the emotion we feel when we care about someone else. We give our love, hoping it will be reciprocated.

Through the centuries poets have written about love. Philosphers have expounded about love. Singers have sung about it. Like the movie Love, Actually says: "Love really is all around us."

By the way, in case you wonder about people who end up with their first love. I read a statistic that said 97% of people who married their first love think they will be with them until they die.

A Personal First Love Story

My grandparents met when they were children. This was in the late 1890's. Weird, I know.

When my grandfather was a young man, employed, and of an age to marry, he ended up having to support his widowed mother and his sister who never married.

When he was in his early forties, his mother died, leaving him as the sole support of his sister, but he was tired of waiting.

He bought a beautiful ring with a large solitaire ruby, took a train back to Mississippi, and found my grandmother in th same small town where he'd left her.

She lived alone and made her living as a seamstress. His brother had traveled with him and served as his witness. They were married the next day.

Theirs was a first love. Theirs was a true love. True love lasts through thick and thin, and isn't diminished by distance.

(In case you're wondering, his sister Nancy never married. She lived with my grandparents until her death. I found out before my mom died that Nancy Jane had loved a young man, but he had died. She never loved again.)

Why I Write Romance

Maybe my grandparents' love story is what inspired my love of romance. That could be why I write romantic stories.

First love is the trope in several of my books like Deceptively Yours. 

By the way, I'm one of the women who is delighted that my first love in high school—a mere infatuation—didn't end up being my last love. 

I was like the traveler in the yellow wood on the road that diverted. I took a different path which made all the difference and gave me a wonderful husband and a wonderful life.

Have a marvelous September!

(Joan Reeves is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program, which means she may earn a small commission if you click her link to her book on Amazon.)

I WISH YOU LOVE by Caroline Clemmons

 

Happy month of love! Well, love is welcome in any month, but we hear more about it in February. I hope you share romantic love with another and the love of friendship with many.

As a writer, I sometimes write love at first sight. Many people don’t believe that can happen. It can. It happened to me.

The first time I saw my Hero is still clear in my head. I remember what I was wearing, what he was wearing, what his sister was wearing, and where his mother stood in the doorway from the living room to the dining room. The occasion was at his sister’s thirteenth birthday party. He was fifteen and I was six weeks shy of thirteen.

Needless to say, I did not date him until years later. I feel eternally grateful that he and I have been wed for many, many years!

That’s my story. Also the story of several couples I’ve known through the years. See, love-at-first-sight does exist!

But not for everyone ...

For some, love grows from a long friendship. For others, dislike or competition slowly turns to love. However you find it, I wish you true and enduring love.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

P.S. Candy for Valentine's Day is nice for us, but it can be fatal for cats and dogs. Protect your pets from chocolate!

Herbs for Romance and Love Charms

Through the ages, herbs have furthered affairs of the heart. I've provided snippets of historical lore on some of the most significant.

Calendula: One favorite bit of lore is that calendula flowers were used to keep a lover faithful. All one had to do was to dig up some soil where their lover had walked, and use that soil for planting calendulas. From that day forward the lover would forever by faithful. Calendulas are the original English/Scottish Marigold. Though not native, they are widely naturalized from Europe and have been grown in the UK for centuries.

Rosemary: English folklore says if a girl places a plate of flour beneath a rosemary bush on midsummer's eve, she will find her future husband's initials written in it. Another bit of lore to discover your true love is to place a sprig of rosemary under your pillow. A dream will reveal their identity. Dried rosemary was laid in bed linen to ensure faithfulness and a bride who gave her groom a sprig of rosemary to hold on their wedding night would ensure his faithfulness.

Another belief regarding dreams: On Saint Agnes’ Eve (January 20), a woman seeking romance would mix thyme with rosemary and pray: “Saint Agnes, that’s to lovers kind, Come, ease the trouble of my mind.” The virgin martyred saint would then send a dream about her true love.

Rosemary came to Britain with the Romans and has centuries old use.

Violets: Gaelic advice: “Anoint thy face with goat’s milk in which violets have been infused, and there is not a young prince on earth who would not be charmed with thy beauty.”

Violets are used in love spells and may be carried as an amulet to increase one’s luck in love. Combine them with lavender for enhanced effect.

Violets grow throughout the UK. But Lavender wasn’t cultivated there until the mid-sixteenth century. No herb smells more wonderful than lavender. I just planted more in the garden.

Wild Pansy (violas): Violas, heartsease, V. tricolor…have a great reputation as a love charm. Its three colors of purple, white, and yellow, each marked with a petal, have given it associations with the Holy Trinity, and the name Herb Trinitas, which figures in old books. The name pansy comes from the French pensée (thought). 'Love in Idleness' is another of this beloved flower’s names. In ancient days the plant was much used for its potency in love charms, hence perhaps its name of Heartsease. It is this flower that plays such an important part as a love charm in Midsummer Night's Dream.

The pansy Shakespeare refers to are probably V. tricolor, the wild pansy or viola. ‘In A Midsummer Night's Dream. Oberon sends Puck to gather "a little western flower" that maidens call "love-in-idleness". Oberon's account is that he diverted an arrow from Cupid's bow aimed at "a fair vestal, throned by the west" (supposedly Queen Elizabeth I) to fall upon the plant "before milk-white, now purple with love's wound". The "imperial vot'ress" passes on "fancy-free", destined never to fall in love. The juice of the heartsease now, claims Oberon, "on sleeping eyelids laid, Will make or man or woman madly dote upon the next live creature that it sees." Equipped with such powers, Oberon and Puck control the fates of various characters in the play to provide Shakespeare's essential dramatic and comic structure for the play.’

The wild violas, heartsease, grow abundantly throughout Britain.

Vervain: An ancient cure-all, sacred to the Druids, vervain was also thought to be a love charm. According to the Druids, the plant should be collected when neither the sun nor the moon is in the sky. And in exchange for removing such a valuable plant from the earth, honey combs should be left on the ground. It grows wild in England, sparsely in Scotland. However, vervain was grown in herb gardens in the Middle Ages (and later).

The Hawthorne Tree:

“The fair maid who, the first of May

Goes to the fields at break of day

And washes in dew from the Hawthorne tree,

Will ever after handsome be.”

There is also an old belief that cowslip (primrose) flowers hold magic value for the complexion and making one beautiful. Seeking beauty is an age-old pursuit in love.

The wild white yarrow pictured below is the variety referred to here and elsewhere in my herbal posts. Yarrow, an ancient widespread herb, is used for medicinal purposes, but also in love charms, and in divining who the lover might be. I'm not certain exactly how, but the rhyme below was thought to be useful.

“Good morrow, good Yarrow, good morrow to thee. Send me this night my true love to see, The clothes that he’ll wear, the colour of his hair. And if he’ll wed me…”  ~Danaher, 1756. (But the saying may be much older.)

Herbs might be worn as amulets or love charms alone, or inside jewelry, like a locket, or in small cloth bags hidden in clothing, woven into a woman’s hair, rubbed over her in an enticing oil… They were brewed into decoctions for her/him to imbibe, or to anoint the object of one’s love in his/her sleep. Herbs were hung overhead, tucked under pillows and in bedding. Women bathed in their essence… I say him or her but this sounds more like something a woman might do. There are many ways people thought herbs furthered romance and kept a lover true. I hope you find these suggestions interesting. 

For more on herbs, I refer you to my herbal--Plants For A Medieval Herb Garden in the British Isles in kindle and Print at: https://www.amazon.com/Plants-Medieval-Garden-British-Isles-ebook/dp/B00IOGHYVU/ 

An illustrated collection of plants that could have been grown in a Medieval Herb or Physic Garden in the British Isles. The major focus of this work is England and Scotland, but also touches on Ireland and Wales. 

Information is given as to the historic medicinal uses of these plants and the rich lore surrounding them. Journey back to the days when herbs figured into every facet of life, offering relief from the ills of this realm and protection from evil in all its guises.

For more on me please visit: https://bethtrissel.wordpress.com/

GHOSTWRITING AND MORE WITH KAREN BONCELA

Our guest today is not your typical author. She’s a ghostwriter as well as writing books under her name. Have you wondered how ghostwriting works? Karen Boncela is here to share her experience with you.

By Karen Boncela

Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Not the first time that this has happened for me since I began my Writing Career about 5 years ago!

To my delight last year, I fell into a wonderful opportunity to work as a GHOSTWRITER. I happened to meet a prominent oral surgeon in my area. He had actually done some dental work for my husband. My husband (Eddie) is my biggest fan and he loves to brag about the fact that I’m published. As he was escorted out of the dental office, drooling a bit with his mouth shoved full of cotton, I managed to understand him when he asked me to give the nurse my business card.  

Word got around the very large dental practice that I was a published author. When Eddie went back for a follow up appointment, Dr. Stone asked first about me and whether Eddie thought that I might consider writing “HIS Story.”

The thought of a project like this had crossed my mind but I wasn't sure if I could do it. Dr. Stone and I emailed back and forth a discussion of the possibility.  I conveyed to him that this would be my first go at this kind of a job. After doing some research online, I drew up an agreement between the two of us with some guide lines to be followed as far as how and when the writing would develop and what my fees would be.

We agreed on a price and a time limit of how long I predicted that the project would take. Once the contract was signed, the doctor handed me a huge box stuffed full of documents; doctor reports, police reports, journals, emails, court documents, lawyers letters, etc. I have to say it was a bit overwhelming! I combed through all that information and started to create a story line of sorts; with all the incidents in chronological order. As I did so, dozens of questions popped into my head about the particulars behind all the facts. I wrote them all down and then set up an interview time with the doctor.

We sat down together in my dining room about five times through this process and spoke for a few hours each time as he poured his heart out to me with all the details about his struggle. There was at least one time during that project that I thought that maybe I’d bitten off more than I could chew, but I just told myself, “Just dig in your heels Karen, you can do this!” And you know what? I did!

About ten months later, ONE FATHER’S LOVE was the end result. I must say that both the doctor and I are very happy with the outcome! ONE FATHER’S LOVE is an awesome story of courage and determination. Daniel Stone is the perfect example of a loving father who puts all his needs aside in order to protect his precious sons from the person who should have cared about them most.

I love everything about my Writing Career and I try to put myself out there every chance I get because you just never know what opportunity might present itself to you at the most unexpected time! New possibilities around every corner!

Have you got a story to tell?

Have you ever wished that you could put it into book form?

As your GHOSTWRITER, I could make that happen for you! Whether you want to keep it as your personal memoir or if you want to share it with the world, I can help you to create that!

In fact, we can discuss any writing job that you need done. No job too big or too small. I can consider all.

You can email me with QUESTIONS and FEE INQUIRIES at kared8111@hotmail.com

***In addition to ghostwriting, Karen has two other books published. Here’s what she says about getting out of an abusive 32-year marriage and meeting her current husband, Eddie.

I was so inspired when I met Eddie in 2008. Our relationship was so romantic; it was like out of a movie. I never knew that love like ours existed. I didn’t want to forget a single detail, so I started writing things down; a journal of sorts. One day I sat down at my computer and started to put the notes all together into story form. I surprised myself when I read back what I was writing and laughed about the possibility of publishing. The more I thought about it, the more compelled I felt to share our story of love and gratitude.

That story became my first book, WORDS TO LOVE BY.

My third book, DARK SECRETS NO MORE just debuted on Amazon in April. It’s the Prequel to my first book. There was such a great emotional response from my readers after they had read WORDS TO LOVE BY, that I felt compelled to tell the whole story to make readers understand why I have such a feeling of gratitude in my life now.

So many of my readers have found WORDS TO LOVE BY so helpful and inspirational. Because of that, I felt like I had no choice but to share the whole story.

Once you’ve read DARK SECRETS NO MORE, you will understand why I wake every morning and go to bed every single day with a feeling of gratitude and joy.

DARK SECRETS NO MORE is my real life story, before Eddie.

For thirty two years my life revolved around my spouse. He demanded no less. I never had the privilege of putting my needs first. According to him, my feelings were insignificant and stupid. 

I felt like a hostage for many years with no way out.

DARK SECRETS NO MORE is the story of my journey out of that dark tunnel, which had become my life. It’s the story of the painstaking changes that I made, which led me to my freedom from the shackles of abuse.

Excerpt from DARK SECRETS NO MORE:

As I walked through the front door of the hospital and into the lobby, the volunteer at the front desk greeted me with a smile and a question, “Can I help you find your way?”

“No thanks” I said. “I know where I’m going,” which was a funny thing for me to say really, because I felt so lost and alone.

I was so used to pretending that I was okay. I was accustomed to putting on a brave face when in fact, I would have liked to just crawl up into a ball and hide from the reality of my life.

I’m passionate about spreading the word through my stories that nobody controls the happiness in your life except YOU! No matter what your situation, you can be happy through the choices that you make. Another important message is to take chances in life. Listen to your inner voices. Break out of your comfort zone. 

You have to try something different, if you want your life to change.

You can find all my books at this LINK. Reviews are there as well. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=karen+l+boncela

Please LIKE my FB Author Page here. https://www.facebook.com/WordsToLoveBy.KLB?ref=hl

Visit my BLOG here. www.karenlboncela.com

Karen, thanks for sharing with readers today.