Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Tasty Tuesday with M.J. Kane

Welcome to another Tasty Tuesday! Today's guest is author M.J. Kane. Take it away M.J.!


A Heart Not Easily Broken - A First Kiss to Remember

One of the most anticipated scenes in a romance novel is the first kiss. A well written first kiss is a window into the characters relationship…and the prelude to how hot the sext will be. For me, writing engaging dialogue was a piece of cake, a steamy love scene a challenge, and describing the first kiss breathtaking!  

When I write, my goal is to tell a love story readers hadn’t read before. So when it came to writing the first kiss, I quite naturally chose to visit it from the hero Brian Young’s POV. 

This scene picks after Ebony and Brian have taken a tumble on the boardwalk while rollerblading. Enjoy!

Excerpt:

A dog ran by chasing a Frisbee. The dog’s sudden appearance surprised Ebony who instantly moved her feet. Our skates tangled. Everything moved in slow motion as I started to fall, allowing me to live up to my promise to protect her body.
“Oh, no, Brian, are you okay?”
I lay on my back, closed my eyes, and took a moment to evaluate the situation. I could still feel my toes and fingers. My head was okay, thanks to the helmet.
My butt on the other hand was a problem.
An unexpected weight rested on my chest. I opened my eyes to the most beautiful sight: Ebony on top of me, staring into my eyes. Strange, I hadn’t noticed the light flecks of gold in her brown irises. Her lips were inches away from mine. My first thought was to feign unconsciousness so she’d perform CPR.
“I’m sorry!” She fiddled with the straps of my helmet while I groaned. “That dog ran by…oh, man. Where does it hurt?”
She sat up, straddled me, felt the back of my head, and then ran her fingers over my chest. Since her hand came away free of blood, I assumed I wouldn’t die today. She shifted her weight and ran her hands down my legs. The pain was worth having her hands on me. The feeling ignited my body. It wouldn’t be long before the growing bulge in my pants became visible.
“Why don’t they make butt pads?” I struggled to sit up. “I’m okay.”
Ebony aided me in the movement, genuine worry in her eyes. In the end, we were sitting facing each other.
“Are you sure nothing’s broken?”
“Yeah.” I massaged my neck and rolled my shoulders. I would pay for this in the morning.
Ebony removed her helmet. Her hair was a mess, but it looked good. She reached to release the curly locks from the ponytail holder, allowing them to settle on her shoulders.
Once our eyes met, she bit her lip. Her eyebrows shot up as she stifled a laugh. I smirked, which caused her laughter to burst out and me to join in. We looked like idiots.
Ebony wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. She was beautiful. Unable to resist, I ran my fingers through the free strands of her hair. She didn’t pull away. I indulged, brushing my fingers along her cheek, and tucked the hair behind her ear.
It felt like silk. As my fingers grazed her cheek again, her laughter slowed. Her eyes focused on me with just a hint of a question. Her lips parted, sending what I hoped was a silent invitation.
I was aware of the people veering around us as they rushed by. The sound of the ocean, laughter, and dogs barking were no longer the focus of my attention though. Nothing else mattered. No longer thinking, I did what came naturally. My finger rested beneath her jaw as I leaned in to kiss her.
I pressed my lips lightly against hers, inviting her to return the kiss, silently praying for permission for more. Her body tensed beneath my fingertips, so I stopped my lips from taking what they wanted. But, it was too late; I’d crossed the line.
After a day spent talking, laughing, and getting to know each other, it all came down to this kiss. Ebony didn’t pull away, so I kissed her again.
I was about to give up hope and deal with the consequences when her lips came to life.
For a moment, I thought I imagined it. But then she did it again. The warm slide as her lips pressed harder against mine.
I didn’t hesitate. I opened my mouth wider, slipping the tip of my tongue in and tasted…strawberries. Her hand came up and slid into the hair at the nape of my neck. If it were up to me, the kiss would never end. But this was neither the time nor place to explore the softness of her lips.
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Ebony is a smart, sexy, career-oriented black woman who wants nothing more than a summer fling with a man who challenges her mind and body. What she doesn’t expect is a blond haired, blue-eyed bass player—who won’t take “no” for an answer—to accept the challenge. 
When Ebony’s attempt at a brief fling turns into more, despite negative reactions from friends and family, she finds juggling love, family, and career are nothing compared to the ultimate betrayal she endures. Now her dreams spiral into lies and secrets that threaten her future and her best friend’s trust. 

Look for the second book in THE BUTTERFLY MEMOIRS Series, JADED, which will be available March 22nd through 5 Prince Publishing!




A devastating breakup leaves Yasmine Phillips in shambles. Unable to trust another man with her heart, she focuses on the one thing she can control—starting her own business. 
When her computer crashes, taking months of hard work with it, she must rely on computer genius Zachariah Givens to save her. A complete opposite of men from her past, she doesn't expect the passion that ensues. But just as she finds happiness, she learns the truth about the other women in Zachariah's life. 





ABOUT THE AUTHOR

M.J. Kane stumbled into writing. An avid reader, this stay at home mom never lost the overactive imagination of an only child. As an adult she made up stories, though never shared them, to keep herself entertained. It wasn’t until surviving a traumatic medical incident in 2006 that she found a reason to let the characters inhabiting her imagination free.  Upon the suggestion of her husband, she commandeered his laptop and allowed the characters to take life. It was that, or look over her shoulder for men caring a purple strait jacket. And the rest, as they say, is history.

No longer a television addict, if M.J. isn’t reading a book by one of her favorite authors, she’s battling with her creative muse to balance writing and being a wife and mother. She resides in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia with her high school sweetheart, four wonderful children, and two pit bulls. MJ can often be found hanging out at the local library where she is director of a local writer’s group, or online connecting with readers and other authors. Other activities she enjoys include: creating custom floral arrangements, assisting her children in their creative pursuits of music and art, and supporting her husband’s music production business, 3D Sounds.

MJ’s debut novel, A Heart Not Easily Broken, Book one of the Butterfly Memoirs, became an instant Amazon Bestseller in Multicultural Romance and African-American Literature and Fiction within hours of publication. It has also spent time on the African-American Women’s Fiction and African-American Romance Bestsellers lists.

You can find MJ on social networking sites, sharing writing tips, talking about music, life, and family. She’s always excited to meet new people. Connect with her via the websites below. 

1 comment:

  1. Soft, sweet, simple, and so much more...Gotta love a first kiss! Thanks for letting me share,Tonya!

    ReplyDelete