Blind Ambition: Danger and kisses in the jungle

Mar 17

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! For my bit o’ the green this year, I’m carrying around my new release Blind Ambition.

Blind Ambition cover

What? You didn’t notice the green? 😉

In Blind Ambition, former pararescueman Dan Molina’s mission to rescue a kidnapped aid worker from St. Isidore’s rebels falls apart when the woman—who once broke his heart—refuses to leave the island.

Alexa Alyssandratos won’t leave until she’s certain the orphans she cared for are safe from the rebels. On the run from ransom-hungry soldiers, old passions reignite as she and Dan race to save the children before they disappear forever.

Running, hiding, swimming, rebel attacks, and kissing (and more) ensue.

Since it’s St. Patrick’s Day, the whole “Kiss me, I’m Irish” saying got me thinking about different types of kisses. Like the undercover kiss that turns real, the shut-her/him-up kiss, and the ill-advised-but-can’t-stop kiss.

Alexa and Dan have an electric attraction that pretty much short-circuits all rational thought when they’re together, which means many of their kisses are of the the ill-advised-but-can’t-stop variety. Like this one…

She opened to him, their tongues tangling as she forgot about the cold water, the danger on shore, everything. Nothing felt like being in Dan’s arms, connected. Nothing in her life had ever even come close. They were perfect together.

Perfect in a way that scared her. A way that made her want to forget the vows she’d made and to never let him go.

Or this one…

A little shiver ran through her as he watched her with those beautiful eyes as if trying to figure her out.

Then he kissed her.

Not just a quick meeting of the lips. This was a kiss for the ages. A kiss to sustain her for the rest of her life. A devouring kiss that awakened every cell in her body and aligned them all toward Dan.

Oh, yeah, and this one…

Before he could think it through he gripped her head and pulled her into a kiss.

Her mouth met his, equally hot and hungry as their bodies melted together. She stroked the back of his neck with one hand, the other pressing him between the shoulder blades as if to bring him closer.…

…It had always been like this with them. Nonstop desire, instant heat. Zero to sixty in two seconds flat.

I promise there are plenty more where those came from. 😉

Do you have a favorite type of kiss from books or movies? I have an e-book copy of Blind Ambition to give away to one lucky commenter. Wishing you the luck o’the Irish and plenty of kisses in your life!

About Gwen Hernandez

Author of SCRIVENER FOR DUMMIES & the Men of Steele romantic suspense series. Manufacturing engineer turned writer. I read, write, run/bike/hike, explore, eat plants. gwenhernandez.com

Posted on March 17, 2015, in Gwen Hernandez, New Release and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink. 35 Comments.

  1. Lena Diaz | March 17, 2015 at 6:25 am

    Happy release day, Gwen!

    Reply
  2. Krista Hall | March 17, 2015 at 6:42 am

    So many great kisses in Blind Ambition! Make-up kisses are my favorite. Happy book birthday! Happy St Patrick’s Day! We’re all Irish today, right?

    Reply
  3. Patti Straight | March 17, 2015 at 6:54 am

    I can’t wait to read ‘Blind Ambition’! There are so many great romantic kisses in books and movies that it is hard to pick. I am going to say the first historical romance I ever read and the first kiss in it was what got me reading the thousands of books I have read since. It was ‘Sweet Savage Love’ by Rosemary Rogers.

    Reply
  4. Diana Belchase | March 17, 2015 at 7:23 am

    Happy release day, Gwen! May the luck of the Irish be with you. Great post. Who can forget Clark Gabel and
    Vivian Leigh in GWTW? But the kiss between Ashley and Melanie always gets overlooked — and that’s the kind of real love that doesn’t burn out. So I love that one, too.

    Reply
  5. Rachel Grant | March 17, 2015 at 10:15 am

    So excited that Blind Ambition is out!!

    When I was in middle school, I thought the first kiss between Han Solo and Princess Leia was pretty hot.

    I like writing the delayed kiss – the one that happens about 50 pages after the reader wants/expects it. I’m sort of cruel that way.

    Reply
  7. Sarah Andre | March 17, 2015 at 10:25 am

    Well, THIS is KaTs hottest post ever!

    Last time I answered a kiss description, Gwen, you summarized my response with the ‘long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days,” so we’ve established that’s MY fav.

    But my favorite movie kiss is about half an hour in to The Big Easy. Tired of her teasing and mixed signals, Dennis Quaid stalks across the living room (wild lightening and thunder out the windows) with THAT look on his face. And you see by her expression she knows what’s coming. In one smooth move he leans her and her desk chair back while tearing out the clip that keeps her hair tight and tidy. Then he kits her with a primal kiss that gives me goose bumps EVERY time!

    SO: my morning- I got up, made coffee, sat down on a lounge chair in my beautiful lanai to watch the sun rise, opened my iPad and downloaded BLIND AMBITION! Nothing like hottie Dan to wake up to, LOL! (Man, that cover!!)

    Happy release day, Gwen. Off to shout this to the world.

    Reply
  8. julieinkc | March 17, 2015 at 11:15 am

    It is St. Patrick’s Day, so I am going with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara in The Quiet Man and their kiss during the storm. He kisses her, pulls her close then looks at her with so much love you know they’re destined for HEA.

    Reply
  9. Keely Thrall | March 17, 2015 at 11:17 am

    Sarah Andre – you stole my favorite kiss scene!! How is it that I movie close to 30 years old is still the one to beat? Gwen, happy book birthday, and you’re right, nobody is going to notice there is green on the cover of your book. H-o-t!

    Reply
  10. Carey Baldwin | March 17, 2015 at 11:58 am

    Congrats Gwen! I can’t wait to read BLIND AMBITION! Those kiss scenes are awesome, and I tell you why I think so- there’s much more to them. So much emotion jumping off the page. Love it!

    Sarah, erm. The Big Easy: Hawt movie. One of the hottest scenes ever might be an extension of that kiss you mentioned. I don’t even remember the kiss. I just remember what comes after, when she tells Dennis Quaid “I don’t have much luck with that.” Meaning s*x. And he tells her her luck’s about to change, and then changes it. I’m already fanning myself remembering.

    My favorite kiss is any kiss that Lisa Kleypas writes. Holy moly. That first kiss with Hardy in Blue Eyed Devil. There you go Gwen – I rambled myself into it. One of my favorite types of kisses is the “mistaken identity” kiss. Oops, I *thought* you were my fiance.

    Reply
    • Gwen Hernandez | March 17, 2015 at 12:10 pm

      Thanks, Carey! Good point. Kiss scenes and love scenes don’t make me swoon without the emotional element. That’s where the falling in love happens.

      And now I have to rent The Big Easy. I don’t think I’ve seen it since it came out. Pulling up Netflix…

      Man, Lisa Kleypas can write. I LOVE her books. I had forgotten that “mistaken identity” kiss, but it’s all rushing back to me now… 😉

      Reply
    • Sarah Andre | March 18, 2015 at 10:16 am

      Oh YEAH, Carey, Kleypas’ ‘mistaken’ kiss in the dark wine room was spectacular!

      And yep–had Gwen asked for the best s*x scene The Big Easy one you describe would still come out on top. TRIVIA: Did you know the song that plays during their ‘romp’ is Dennis Quaid lyrics and he’s singing? And can you tell I was a frightening stalker fan of his 20+ years back? 😉

      Reply
  11. kimk | March 17, 2015 at 12:20 pm

    First kisses. Those are the best because usually by the time it happens, both parties have been thinking about suckin face for a while.
    The sensations are all so new. Feeling a new set of arms around you, new tastes, flavors, feeling that set of lips, the ones you’ve been dreaming about, against yours for the fist time.
    (Sigh), Yeah, first times are the best.

    Reply
  12. kimk | March 17, 2015 at 12:29 pm

    Crap, now I feel like an idiot, I didn’t say anything about the book. which looks and sounds amazing. And I didn’t wish y’all a Happy St. Paddy’s day! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Curtis | March 17, 2015 at 2:57 pm

    Congratulations! I read the first chap. on Amazon last night! Wow! You have turned up the volume. You put some serious Gwen energy into it. Intense. You were not at a distance describing the scene. You were square in the middle of it. I think when a writer emotionally, relationally participates, the writing goes to a new level.

    It was late, as in 2:00 AM late when I read it. I planned to skim it and come back today. You ruined my plan. As soon as I had the image in mind I had to stay to see what happened. Excellent!

    Oh yeah. The Kiss. The kind fo kiss. The Fire Starter for sure. And, if Kim didn’t know she was facing east, neither of them would have known it was sunup or sundown. And after that. Who cared? The Fire Starter for sure.

    REPLY

    Reply
  14. Sharon Wray | March 17, 2015 at 2:58 pm

    Happy release day, Gwen! So excited to read Blind Ambition!

    Reply
  15. Grace Kahlo | March 17, 2015 at 3:30 pm

    Congrats on the new release, Gwen!

    Reply
  16. marsharwest | March 17, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    Happy release day. Gwen. The cover is perfect for today–and every day. 🙂

    Reply

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