Check out these fun kissing facts:

In the year 1763, Kissing gets X-d. Kissing is first symbolized by the letter x, as in xoxoxoxo.

In 1896, the first on-screen kiss happened betwen actor John Rice and actreess May Irwin in the movie aptly named, THE KISS. The less-than-a-minute film was showng during the final scene of the Broadway play called THE WIDOW JONES and that on-screen kissed caused outrage at the time.

In 1990 - the most kisses per minute! A man by the name of Alfred Wolfram kissed 8,001 people in eight hours (hmmm...let's see: that's more than 16 people a minute). This all happened at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. I think Alfred was a very popular man that day! LOL.

Check out a great kissing excerpt from DIARY OF A MAD ESCORT at http://totalebound.blogspot.com/

And don't forget to kiss your significant other right now. Make a little kissing history of your own.

Enjoy!

Catherine Chernow

www.CatherineChernow.com

Time to say goodbye but don't go away! I'll be checking tomorrow morning for all the comments, and giving away a deck of Ellora's Cave playing cards and a set of Judith/Desiree magnets. So keep those comments coming.

Thanks to Catherine for giving me the chance to post today and share my favorite kisses with you.

Be sure to visit us at www.judithrochelle.com and www.desireeholt.com

Wjhat a scorching kiss Ethan and Lisas exchange in Judith's REDEMPTION, available online at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Alibris, Borders, Target.

His mouth moved over hers softly, gently. His teeth took tiny nibbles at her bottom lip then soothed it, the tip of his tongue tracing over the bite marks. He licked the inside of her bottom lip then turned his attention to the upper one.
Lisa felt as if she’d fallen down a well and was floating in the water. Ethan’s tongue was like a feather drifting across the surface of her mouth, bringing each and every nerve to jolting life. She felt sensations where she didn’t even know she had them. When she opened her mouth on a soft moan his tongue slipped inside as if it belonged there.
He tasted of fruit and power bars and the jungle and it was the most exhilarating taste she’d ever experienced. She wanted to roll it around in her mouth, swallow it, absorb it into her system. It was headier than the finest wine or the most expensive brandy.
She danced her tongue with his, a slow waltz to imagined music. Together. Retreat. Together. Retreat. His tongue slid across the surface of hers, teasing at it. Tantalizing. She couldn’t imagine ever kissing anyone else after this.
She tried to press her mouth harder against his but he held her head captive, keeping the pressure of his mouth and tongue as light at the touch of a butterfly’s wings. The sense of him permeated her body.
She had no idea how long he played with her mouth. When he lifted his head she felt a tremendous sense of loss. Opening her eyes she saw his black bottomless ones burning into hers.

From Desiree's NIGHT RIDE. Get it at The Wild Rose Press.

When his mouth touched hers, the kiss was beyond her expectations, heady like fine, aged cognac that reeled the senses. He sipped from her as if he were drinking a rare nectar. His lips were warm and firm, his tongue a live wire probing the seam of her mouth and pressing its way inside.
One hand captured her head, slanting it to accommodate him as he nipped her lips, tasted her, drew out her tongue to duel with his. They were both breathless when at last he lifted his head. He held her tight against him, his arms hard and strong.
“I have to see you,” he whispered as he bunched the soft material of her dress and pulled it upwards. “All of you.”

This one's from Desiree's DIAMOND LADY, Available at Ellora's Cave. Hint" Dominic is really a man from desiree's past.

Dominic leaned over and kissed her, his tongue sweeping through every part of the dark cavern of her mouth, demanding that hers do the same to him. When he broke the kiss his eyes were smoldering. “Well, my little jewel, your wish is my command. Whatever you would like, I have it here for your pleasure.”
He pulled her close to him and kissed her again with ferocious intensity. Even now his hunger was not completely sated.

From Desiree's DOUBLE ENTRY, Available at Ellora's Cave

Curt leaned forward and placed a warm kiss on her lips. “Darlin’, I know so.” His tongue tasted the surface of her lips, then darted swiftly inside. He tasted every inch of her mouth inside and out as it swept from roof to inner cheek to lips and back into the innermost recesses.
Lauren melted into the kiss and every part of her body responded to its sensuality. She managed to set her champagne glass down on the nightstand without spilling it and slid her fingers into the black silk of Scott’s hair. In a moment she felt Curt nibble at her shoulder, his hand at one of her breasts as he teased and stimulated the already tender nipple.
Scott cupped her face in his hands and moved his mouth first one way then another to give him a better angle, never breaking contact with her. At last he drew back, her mouth swollen and her senses drugged.
“Let’s see how those other lips are doing, sweet thing, shall we?” His voice was husky and warm.

From Judith's CUTTER'S LAW
Get it online at:Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Alibris, Booksamillion, Borders, Target

Her heart beat sped up and a corner of her mouth turned up. “Are we going to neck?”
“Sounds like a good idea to me.” His deep voice was slightly shaky. “How about you?”
Her own voice none too steady, she said, “Oh, I’m definitely up for a little necking.”
If the kiss the previous night had scorched them despite its brevity, this one consumed them like a raging inferno engulfing them both.
Morgan’s mouth pressed down on hers, his tongue licking at the seam, his teeth nibbling her lower lip, the soft skin of her lips seared by his touch. Fire began to race through her veins and all she could think of was this man and his touch.
“Open for me.” His voice was husky.
When she opened her mouth his tongue swept in like a wild marauder, invading the inner softness. Her own tongue dueled with it, tasting him, his mouth heavy with the flavors of coffee and good Kentucky bourbon. He shifted his head to give him greater access as he continued to devour her mouth, swallowing the tiny moan that bubbled up from her throat.
Desperate to feel his skin under her fingers, she pulled at his shirt, grateful it had snaps rather than buttons, vaguely hearing the popping sounds as she yanked it open. Then her hands were skimming over the smooth skin of his chest, her fingers curling in the crisp mat of hair, his flesh burning under her touch. When her fingertips found his nipples, she raked her nails over them lightly. His body jerked and his mouth bit down harder on hers, making her gasp.
“God, Allie.” His voice was almost unrecognizable, his breath like a hot wind against her face. “Sweet Jesus.”

This one's from Judith's One Hot Texas Night, available at The Wild Rose Press, Fictionwise and All romance eBooks. Tate Donovan is every woman's dream of a cowboy - sexy, rugged, pure testosterone. He can make love to you with his eyes. Abby Culhane, back home after years away, rememebrs the crush she had on him and how he blew her off. But now they're both older....and hotter.

Back away, you idiot. Don’t fall for this again.
But she couldn’t make herself move.
His lips were just as warm as they’d been last night. He brushed them over hers before running the tip of his tongue over the seam of her mouth, forcing it open. His tongue inside sent the same electric shocks through her and nothing could have stopped her from returning the kiss.
She wound her arms around his neck, pulling his head closer, tasting the flavor of him that was pure Tate. His hands caressed her arms, her back, then moved up to cup her face.
I’m crazy, she thought. Just plain nuts.

This one's from Desiree's CRUDE OIL, a Lust Bite from Total-e-bound. It's between Dana, who's sexuality is unfolding, and Max, who loves her to distraction.

Max cupped her chin and lifted her face so she had to look at him. “Embarrassed by what we did, Princess? Right out there in the open? Don’t be. First of all, no one was paying attention to us. They were all too busy doing their own thing. Secondly, I could tell you enjoyed it. And that’s nothing to feel bad about. I hope you’ll enjoy a lot more than that before the weekend’s over.”
He kissed her, a gentle pressure on the lips. But in seconds it turned into a scorcher, his tongue probing her mouth, his hands wrapped in her hair, pulling her head tight against him. He licked the insides of her cheeks, rasped against the roof of her mouth, pulled her own tongue into his waiting cavern. He was like a man who’d been starved for far too long.

From Judith's psychic romantic intrigue, Always On My Mind, available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Lotus Circle:

God. What’s happening here? This is Mark. My best friend Mark.
This was far from a friendship kiss. He held her head firmly in his palms, plundering her mouth, the kiss one long, sensuous mating. She felt his tongue everywhere, tasting the roof of her mouth, the inside of her cheeks and her lips. Tentatively she pressed her own tongue against his and the jolt of electricity that shot through her ignited every inch of her body.
At last he lifted his head and looked at her with heavy-lidded eyes. She saw desire there, heat and…something more. Then it was gone.
“Mark…”
He silenced her with another kiss. This time his fingers slid down the bare skin of her arms, touched her waist, then moved up to cup her breasts through the silky material of her dress. His hands, large and warm, held the weight of her flesh in his palms and his thumbs brushed across the tingling nipples.
“You are exquisite,” he breathed when he broke the kiss. “So beautiful. Jesus, Faith, when did you grow up like this? I’d love to strip you naked right here and feast on your body. You have no idea how many nights I’ve dreamt of just that. Of the things I’d love to do to you.”

Hello, everyone, from Judith Rochelle and Desiree Holt. We're going to be blogging today about kissing and we're going to share some kisses with you from our heroes and heroines. But first, a little background-about us and kissing. We're alter egos. Judith write contemporaries, romantic suspense and romantic intrigue, usually with a high level of sensuality. Desiree write erotic romances, both short and long, and they often cross into the suspense genre. We hope you enjoy our tidbits today. Please be sure to leave comments, because at the end of the day we will pick one person to receive a set of Ellora's Cave playing cards and another person to receive a set of Judith/Desiree magnets.

Okay, here we go. The kiss.

Kissing. Just the word alone can be exciting, anxiety-producing, and even amazing. On one hand, it's so simple. On the other, it's so complex. It can be a prelude to romance, the first taste of sexual foreplay or an expression of deep emotion. Kissing should be fun and feel good; otherwise, what's the point of doing it? And it is certainly one way to show someone how much you care for them.For some people kissing is the best way to express closeness. To show someone the intimacy of your feelings for them. Feel the romance blossoming between two people. The touch of lips, the tease of tongue, all are expressions of the sensations and emotions rushing through your body. Other qualities of a great kiss included eye contact beforehand, holding hands, and tenderness.
First kisses seem to be awkward for just about everybody. Being nervous and concerned about whether or not you're "doing it right" can certainly lead to awkwardness. Some people worry that they might not be good at kissing, and of course there is such a thing as a bad kiss. But we’re not going to talk about them today. We’re only going to talk about the kisses that send the temperature zooming, the body quaking, the blood heating….Oh, wait. I think that’s a line from one of my books!

THE INCOMPARABLE JUDITH ROCHELLE (aka DESIREE HOLT), ROMANCE AUTHOR, WILL BE BLOGGING WITH ME ON MAY 14, 2008!

Judith Rochelle (a.k.a. Desiree Holt) will be my guest blogger here at The Fine Art of Kissing Blog Spot where she'll be posting about one of my favorite topics in the whole world...

Kissing.

Join Judith for some terrific excerpts and her take on relationships and...the fine art of kissing.

See you then!

: )

Catherine Chernow

Night Kissing...

Did you know that our brains have special neurons that help us find each other's lips in the dark?

Kissing in the dark is mysterious and sensual. It's you and your special someone and...the kiss. That's it. Kissing in the dark allows you to get lost in the kiss.

When the lights dim, it doesn't matter what you look like, all that matters is the kiss. Your lips searching for your honey's lips. It starts out slow and tentative, a searching little peck. But once discovered, your lips fuse and the magic begins.

So next time you plan on kissing your special someone, do it in the dark.

Let your neurons do your thinking and may your lips find a sensual home.

Catherine Chernow

http://www.catherinechernow.com/

THE FINE ART OF KISSING is back!

Coming this July from www.ResplendencePublishing.com

Here's a sneak peek...

America's favorite relationship guru & kissing expert, Julie Wilson, has written a runaway bestseller, The Fine Art of Kissing. The book has created a sensation, and Brad O’Malley, host of “O’Malley’s Corner,” a popular talk show on cable television, wants to interview Julie for a ratings boost. Julie refuses. Brad O’Malley is legendary for badgering his guests, so in retaliation, he pulls a publicity stunt during one of her book signings…

****

Chapter One

“Please make it out to Sarah – with an ‘h’ on the end, okay?”
Julie Wilson grabbed her run-away bestseller, The Fine Art of Kissing, from the young woman’s outstretched hands. Julie never expected her book to take off the way it did. Now a “relationship guru,” people asked her advice on love constantly.
“Your book’s wonderful, Ms. Wilson.”
“Thank you,” she replied warmly and smiled as she scribbled her name on the inside of the book.
A large group of people gathered where Julie sat in the crowded bookstore that Saturday, all of them eager for an autographed copy of Julie’s book and a chance to meet her.
Another young woman leaned over Julie’s table, blushing. “Your book has changed our lives--our love lives, if you know what I mean,” she said conspiratorially.
“I’ll just bet it did.” The sound of a deep, male voice came from behind the two young women.
Julie’s head snapped up. She’d know that voice anywhere! It belonged to Brad O’Malley, the host of America’s leading primetime cable talk show. She received countless calls from his producers ever since her book hit the NY Times bestseller list. Julie knew why they wanted her on the show. Brad O’Malley’s ratings had slipped. She knew if she went on his show he’d subject her to the badgering that his viewing audience loved. Julie thought if Brad O’Malley could make ‘the relationship guru’ squirm, his ratings would skyrocket. Her manager said appearing on ‘O’Malley’s Corner’ would be great publicity for the book, that she could handle Brad. She just didn’t want that kind of publicity. Julie took The Fine Art of Kissing seriously.
“Now, what is it you say in your book, Ms. Wilson? ‘A kiss should be blissfully unhurried. You don’t want to squander a single moment thinking of anything but the kiss.’” He quoted verbatim from her book. Brad leaned against the table, one muscled thigh propped lazily against the edge, arms folded casually across his chest but his lips thinned and his face grew taut. When she refused to go on his show for the third time in a row, he had called her himself. She gave him the same answer she gave his producers, a flat out ‘no.’
Brad slipped the Ray Bans from his eyes and glanced over at the young women. Their eyes nearly bugged out when they recognized him. Another look at his stormy face made Julie’s pulse skitter.
“So Julie…”
“That’s ‘Ms. Wilson’ to you,” she snapped.
He grinned at her; a sexy, lopsided smile that made her heart flutter. Brad O’Malley was talented, arrogant, demanding…and exceedingly handsome, much to her chagrin. She didn’t like the way her heart skipped when she gazed at his chiseled, golden face and cursed her traitorous hormones.
“Do you practice what you preach?” he asked.
Julie’s chin jutted out defiantly. “Of course.”
“Then let’s see if you’re up to snuff.”
Quick as lightning, Brad pulled her to her feet and began kissing her in the middle of the bookstore.
“This is what a kiss should be. You’re not an Olympic starter, it’s not a rush to the finish line,” he quoted as he placed small, butterfly kisses on the corner of her mouth. “Sensual tulips,” he continued, “they comfort your soul through kissing.” He placed feathery-light kisses along her jaw, ending by her ear then his lips trailed down her chin. He made a small “O” with his mouth and sucked softly against the underside of her jaw. Julie grabbed his shirtfront to keep from collapsing as he retraced his fiery path along her chin, causing ripples of pleasure to cascade across her back every time his lips touched her skin.
“No one is a good kisser by themselves,” Brad whispered, “it requires cooperation and teamwork from both people.” He moved slowly, tracing the fullness of her lips with the tip of his index finger, then treated them like priceless treasures as he explored her upper lip first, then the bottom, with gentle pressure from his own lips, teasing and licking slowly until her mouth opened like a blossoming flower. Heat seared every inch of her body as Brad’s lips worked their magic on hers.
Julie’s hands crept up Brad’s neck to pull his golden head down further. She longed to deepen the kiss, to fuse her lips with his until her bones melted. Liquid fire coursed through her veins, it rose to the surface of her skin, making entire body blush. Brad’s hands skimmed across her shoulders, her heated skin becoming super-sensitive to his slightest touch.
“If the eyes are the portals of the soul, then the lips are the portals to the mind,” Julie quoted as she began her own exploration of Brad’s magic mouth. Her tongue slid over the soft, inside part of his lower lip then she slowly nibbled on it until she felt his body stiffen with desire. He tightened his hold and pulled her closer, as though yearning for more. Julie felt the hard, hot length of him slide across her thigh and seriously wondered if she had lost her mind when she shifted closer, pressing against him.
She didn’t know in that minute who had outsmarted whom when she finally felt his mouth close over hers. Julie gave herself up to the sweetest, softest kiss she had ever experienced. Its very gentleness stole the breath from her body and made her quiver. The sound of clapping and cheering finally brought her around.
“That’s absolutely, positively, the most romantic kiss I’ve ever seen!”
Julie turned to see one of the young women smiling at her. She quickly broke away from Brad.
“It’s very obvious, Ms. Wilson,” he drawled, “that you know you’re stuff.” Brad leaned down and whispered in her ear, “We start taping at two p.m. tomorrow. Be at the studio by noon, so we can go over the notes for your segment.”
Julie could only nod as she watched him turn and exit the bookstore.
******
“This has got to be the best damn publicity stunt ever!” Russ Harlan, Julie’s manager, boomed over the phone. “First, you gave O’Malley the brush off and then you zinged him. You kissed him right in the middle of that bookstore for the entire world to see.”
“Listen, Russ,” Julie spoke into her cell phone, “that’s not--”
“I’m just sorry I didn’t think of it myself.”
“I’m not doing this, Russ. I’m calling O’Malley and--”
“What do you mean, ‘not doing it?’?” You’ve got to do it. Julie, honey, listen to me, they’re flocking to the bookstores to buy your book. That kiss you shared with O’Malley is all over the six o’clock news.”
She groaned. This went from bad to worse! And the worst of it was yet to come. She couldn’t deny the feelings Brad O’Malley churned up inside her. Julie had been kissed before, but never like that.
“He set me up, Russ. He planned that little stunt.”
“So?”
“What do you mean, ‘so’? I’m not going to let him get away with that.”
“Then that’s all the more reason to go on his show. Turn the tables on him.”
She blinked once as she registered Russ’ words. Why not, she thought? Why not give Brad O’Malley a taste of his own medicine?
“All right, I’m going to do it.”
“Great!” Russ crowed. “I’ll meet you at the studio tomorrow.”
Julie prayed her knees would stop knocking by then.
******
copyright 2008 by Catherine Chernow

http://www.catherinechernow.com/

Note that this excerpt is subject to final edit and may differ from the final version

I've got a kool kissing fact for you, but you have to sing along. I think you'll remember this ol' tune from childhood:

James and Sophia sittin' in a tree - k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes James and Sophia and a baby carriage!

Now, here's the fact that inspired me to sing that little ditty -
British couple James Belshaw and Sophia Severin achieved a record for k-i-s-s-i-n-g back in 2005. They smooched for 31 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds! LOL - no word yet on whether it led to love, marriage or a baby in a carriage.

The truth is, if James and Sophia did get married, their successful union would require lots of work. Sometimes, you have to fall in love all over again - many times.

Maybe they'll discover one of the secrets to a good marriage - kissing every day, even if you don't feel like it.

Hmmm, I guess the more you kiss, the more you'll like it, right? And the happier you'll both be.

May all of your kisses be...blissfully unhurried.

Catherine Chernow
www.CatherineChernow.com

Join http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/ authors Aleka Nakis, Tia Fanning, Catherine Chernow and Maddie James for a 'Romantic Dialogue' live chat at www.NowLive.com/alekanakis. Hosted by Aleka Nakis and co-hosted by Tia Fanning, each broadcast sizzles with exciting live interviews with the hottest authors around and enticing topics to interest all readers of romance. Whether you like your romance books sweet or spicy, our http://www.nowlive.com/ chats are just the ticket to heat up your Monday night. It's easy to join the live broadcast, simply log on to www.NowLive.com/alekanakis then click on the 'Romantic Dialogue' button, followed by the 'call the show' button. You'll receive instructions on how to call in or...join us via email! While we chat, you can email your comments and questions. All live broadcasts air every Monday evening, beginning at 9 p.m. EST. Check out past shows at:
www.NowLive.com/alekanakis and visit all of our http://www.nowlive.com/ pages at -

www.NowLive.com/catherinechernow
www.NowLive.com/tiafanning
www.NowLive.com/maddiej

See you Monday night everyone!

Catherine Chernow
http://www.catherinechernow.com/