Guest Author Samanthya

I'm pleased to welcome fellow Soul Mate author, Samanthya Wyatt. Samanthya writes hot sizzling

romance, and her book, The One and Only (Book 3 in the One and Only Series) is now available on Kindle.

In the first book of the series, The Right One, Katherine’s brother is missing. Book 2, The True One, is Stephen’s story—why he was gone for two years, what happened to him, and a love story all his own. And now—book three. Giles was introduced in the first book as Morgan’s best friend—the duke. In the second book, he is asked to rescue Kat’s brother, Stephen. The Only One is his love story.



Blurb:

A dangerous lord’s warning sparks devastating results

One impulsive kiss to prove the young girl flirted with danger shakes Giles’ firm resolve. The young American is wild and reckless, and before long he realizes, she’s too much to handle. He surrenders. A duke must adhere to his duty. His title demands his home is in England. Tormented with longing for the woman who branded his very soul, he forsakes nobility and returns to claim the love he has carelessly thrown away.

A girl’s determination triggers a woman’s desire

From the first moment Alexandria saw the duke she knew he would be hers. Determined to get the man she wants, she devises a plan, curbs her reckless nature, and presents the proper lady his nobility requires. The interference of her brothers disrupts her amours pursuit, yet the feisty girl seduces the lord with a woman’s passion, and brands the duke hers forever.





Excerpt:

“I was not spying.”

“Of course you weren’t. Judging from the conversation I interrupted, no young girl would know the subject they were discussing anyway.”

Her face flushed scarlet. He arched a brow. Surely she had no idea the boys were speaking of tupping a girl’s skirts.

“You’re handsome,” the girl stated baldly, expanding a breath as if she’d held her mouth closed too long.

He didn’t know whether to be flattered or feel concern at a possible purpose behind her words.

“What do you know of handsome men?”

“My brothers, I guess are handsome. But they’re my brothers. I don’t care enough about other men to consider them handsome.”

Care?

“So then, why are you here?” He gave her his best glare.

“I’ve grown out of pigtails. I’m a woman now.”

Swallowing his amazement, he nearly choked. “Donning a dress does not make you a woman.” His gaze dipped in a slow, silent perusal. The damn girl’s breeches emphasized her curves, leaving nothing to a man’s imagination. Not that he should notice, of course, but . . . Damnation. She didn’t look the least like a child.

“I see you’ve resorted to breeches again. After your brothers’ reproaching insults, I would think you’d learned your lesson.”

She thrust out her chest. “Papa always said I had spirit. I am not unwise.”

“You think it wise to hide in a tackle bin? To be alone here with me?”

“You’re a duke. A gentleman.”

He gave a harsh laugh. “Being a duke does not make me a gentleman.”

“But Aunt Cornelia said English aristocrats live by their honor. You’re a nobleman. You have integrity, and morals.”

“Morals? Honor? A man lives by his own decree. What if I were to take liberties?”

“I can handle you.” Her eyes lit up and she seemed too sure of herself.

The gall of the chit.

With one quick movement, his hands shot out and jerked her against his chest. A gasp rushed from her throat, but she boldly held his gaze. With deliberate daring, his arms imprisoned her.

He watched the emotions flitting over her face. He meant to punish, to teach, to frighten. His gaze lowered to her mouth.

He’d send her fleeing for good.

He captured her lips in a forceful kiss.

Her fingers twisted his shirt.

Good God, she kissed him back. With such enthusiasm, he was flabbergasted.

Unconscionable, that one so young should kiss with such skill. Had the damned girl been coached? She should slap him, call him a knave. Push him away, scream at him. Instead, she twined her arms about his neck while her warm, seeking tongue pirouetted a mating dance with his.

Chest heaving, he grabbed her shoulders and thrust her away.

“Where the hell did you learn to kiss like that?”

About Samanthya:

Samanthya lives with her husband in the Shenandoah Valley. She left her accounting career and married a military man traveling and making her home in the United States and abroad. Once she found historical romance novels, she couldn’t put a book down. She fell in love with the characters and needed to know their happy ending.

One day she put words to paper creating a story of her own. The more she wrote, the more she became involved with the characters, and they seemed to take a life of their own. She relishes the challenge of penning a story with strong characters, a bit of humor, and active scenes. She enjoys creating new characters and bringing them together in a romantic tale. It took years of writing, joining RWA, joining chapters, entering contests, submissions& rejections which created the author she is today. By keeping her spirit and turning criticism into drive she has achieved her career as a published romance author.

You can find Samanthya on the internet at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Romance Awareness Month - It's the Little Things That Count

In honor of Romance Awareness Month, I’m blogging about ways to add a little romance back into

your life. Last week, I talked about the little things that show you care. I thought I'd continue that topic today.

We often think in grand gestures when we want to show our significant other how much they mean to us. Grand gestures are wonderful, but it’s the daily gestures that show you care. Here are five ways to make the little things count.

1. Give a gift just because. It doesn’t have to be a diamond necklace. It can be a jar of bath salts for her, or a cool gizmo for him. You might even see something among the impulse items at the register. Was he complaining the other night about never having a flashlight handy when he needed one? Grab one of those super-bright LED flashlight key chains. She loves to cook and always complains about not having the right food processor attachment. Pick one up for her. 

My husband loves peanut butter more than life itself. He could eat it every day if I let him. We love the all-natural peanut butter, but the oil separates from the peanut butter, and it’s hard to mix it up. I came across a really cool Peanut Butter Hand Crank Mixer in a cooking magazine, so I ordered it and gave it to him as a gift-for-no-reason. He loved it and thanked me for my thoughtfulness.

2. Guys, encourage a girls’ weekend away, or even a girls’ shopping day, and when she comes home surprise her with a clean house. You’d get lucky that night for sure! 

3. Girls, suggest a poker party for him and his buddies, then make gourmet subs or pizzas for the party. Bonus: after you feed the guys, you can go indulge in a hot bubble bath and a glass of wine for a little me time.

4. Ask your significant other how their day went, then stop what you’re doing and actively listen. Ask questions, offer suggestions, and just generally show you’re interested. 

5. Offer to give a foot or shoulder and neck massage. Guys, you see where this is going, right?

What little things do you do to show that special someone you care?

Don't forget to check my Facebook page for this week's giveaway!

August is Romance Awareness Month

August is Romance Awareness Month – the month to add a little romance back into your life. Whether that means special date nights with your significant other or curling up with a romance novel or romantic movie, set aside some time to focus on romance. I blogged recently about some of my favorite romantic movies, romcons, and classic romantic novels, just to give you a few ideas. 

I thought Urban Dictionary had the best definition of romance: 

True romance is doing something special or unexpected for someone you love, even though you don't have to. Romance isn't a greeting card, it isn't Valentine's Day, it isn't a box of chocolates, and it certainly isn't a dozen roses (unless you like that sort of thing). Real romance is not what modern society has been taught to think it is. Real romance isn't manufactured. It is completely individual. Romance is for showing the person you love that you're thinking about them. It shouldn't feel forced. There are no limits to romance; it can be shown by a handwritten note, by going for a walk, or even by making someone a sandwich. Romance is something simple and sweet that reminds your partner why they fell in love with you in the first place.

So, in that same vein, let's talk about some ways to add a little romance back into your life. Romance authors like writing about creative ways the hero and heroine can show how much they care for each other, and it’s often the little things that count. For instance, actively listening to your significant other is a perfect way to show you care. So are simple gestures. If you’re making yourself a cup of coffee, ask your SO if he’d like one too. And don’t wait for special occasions – stash a greeting card in a drawer or under a pillow for him to find, just because.

In Rescuing Lacey, the heroine shows her attentiveness to the hero’s interests when she gives him a beautiful watercolor set. In return, he shows he’s paying attention to their conversations when he gives her a very meaningful Christmas gift. 

Sometimes showing your love means giving, what looks like to outsiders, to be a very unromantic gift, but the gift means the world to the recipient. A friend once gave his wife a humidifier. Most people laughed it off, but to his wife, who’d been suffering with asthma related to the dry climate where they lived, cried over his thoughtfulness.

But showing how much you care doesn’t always have to involve gifts. During Thanksgiving dinner, in The Promise of Change, the hero notices the heroine is cold, and without prompting, rises from the table to get her a sweater. It’s all about attentiveness and genuine concern.

This month I’ll be blogging about all things romance. So stay tuned. And I love to hear your ideas for showing your significant other that you care.

I'll also be giving away print copies of my books, so check out my Facebook page for weekly giveaways!

Top 5 Most Romantic Classic Novels of All Time

Continuing my theme of "top five most romantic," since I'm at the national conference of the Romance Writers of America this week, it seems only fitting that I should list my top five most romantic classic novels of all time. So here they are. 

#5 Wuthering Heights – Wuthering Heights is the turbulent and wildly passionate love-story of Cathy and Heathcliff, two people who cannot love together, yet cannot bear to live apart. Their love-hate relationship and unresolved passion eventually threatens to destroy them and many around them. But they’re two parts of the same soul destined to be joined for all eternity.

#4 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte’s classic story of a young orphan girl who overcomes cruelty,

loneliness and heartbreak and falls in love with her dark, dashing and handsome employer, Mr. Rochester, is one of great passions and dark secrets. A true Gothic tale complete with a shadowy manor house, unexplained noises, suspicious activities, and a brooding hero. But it’s the love of Jane and Rochester that make this number four on my list.

#3 Gone With the Wind – Margaret Mitchell’s sweeping epic novel about the South during the Civil War. The saga tells the story of Scarlett O’Hara and the dashing, roguish Rhett Butler, beginning on the eve of the war through Sherman’s March, the Reconstruction Era and beyond. Scarlett’s evolution from spoiled Southern Belle to tough, smart business woman is one of the main reasons I love the story. Many find nothing to admire in Scarlett, but I admire her grit in the face of war, hunger, and death.

Rhett is the quintessential bad boy, but the one soft spot in his heart is for Scarlett. He not only loves her for who she is, he respects her smarts and her determination. She leads him a merry chase, but she finally succumbs to his relentless pursuit. While he does leave her in the end, I believe the two are destined to be together in the story after the story.

#2 Emma - Jane Austen’s brilliant novel about the beautiful, wealthy, meddling matchmaker, Emma,

who refuses to listen to her friend George Knightley when it comes to arranging marriages. Emma is stubbornly certain she knows the best match for all involved. The complications Emma runs into, with Austen’s cast of droll characters, each mistaken in their beliefs as to who loves whom, including Emma herself, makes for delightful comedy. Emma must learn she isn’t always right, but it takes a spark of jealousy to make her realize she has loved Mr. Knightley all along.

#1 Pride and Prejudice – Austen’s “darling child” celebrated its 200^th anniversary in 2013! It’s astonishing to think a novel published 200 years ago is still relevant today. For those of you who don’t know, this wonderful novel tells the story of the fiercely independent, Elizabeth Bennett, one of five sisters who must marry rich.  Along comes Mr. Darcy, wealthy, arrogant, and of course, quite handsome. Confounded by her, he plays the aloof, superior gentleman, determined to snub his nose at her and her family. But he soon finds himself unable to resist her wit, charm, and beauty. With delightful twists and turns, this comedy of manners is far and above my favorite romantic novel of all time. 

What novels would make your top five most romantic classics?

RWA Style 2015

The National Conference of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) is less than a week away and this year it's in the Big Apple. What is RWA, you ask? It's the once-a-year extravaganza where over 2000 aspiring, newbie, and best-selling authors (mostly women, but not all) converge on a conference center to learn, share, talk, rub elbows with, and generally immerse themselves in all things romance. Think of it as Comic-Con for romance authors.

It's really quite extraordinary to see 2000 people in one place, all devoted to the romance genre and all it's sub-genres. There's something for everyone! It's also exciting to see your favorite authors up-close-and personal. The tried and true greats from Nora Roberts and Jude Devereaux, to the latest phenoms like Kristan Higgins and Julie James are all under one roof. The week culminates in the Golden Heart Award (unpublished works) and the RITA's (published works), the Oscars of the romance world. I have to admit I go a little crazy fan-girl when I see Nora.

For the last couple of years, I've blogged about my preparations for the Big Event, and by preparations I mean wardrobe, of course! It's important to look your best, because you never know who you might meet, but it's also equally important to be comfortable. The week involves long days, lots of walking, and Arctic conference rooms. I contend that you don't have to wear a suit and heels to look polished and pulled together. Smart combinations, stylish but comfortable shoes, and some well-chosen accessories create a look that says, I'm professional, fashionable, and confident, and can earn you styles points.

I have such fun putting together my wardrobe! What can I say? I'm a clothing junkie.

I've learned over the years that building a wardrobe around one or two colors helps cut down on the number of accessories, like shoes and handbags, because you can mix and match. And if you wear one of the pairs of shoes on the plane, that's one less pair you have to pack.

So, here are my wardrobe choices for this year's RWA.

For the flight, I've chosen a pair of comfortable leggings and a tunic sweater. I get cold on airplanes and in airports, so I like something with a sleeve. I'm wearing black ballets (easy on and off at security), and I'll also wear them at the conference with another outfit or two.

For two of the conference days, I've chosen skinny jeans that can be dressed up or down. Pairing

them with a structured jacket or a cardigan really pulls the look together. Add a pair of ballets, and you've got a comfortable, but fashionable outfit. Sweaters and jackets are a must for conferences. I don't know about you, but when I'm cold, I can't concentrate. It's also a good idea to throw a pashmina in your conference bag. More on the conference bag below. (And, no, I'm not pregnant. My bed pillows just make my outfits look like an ad for Pea in a Pod.)

Bring along a couple of dressy T-shirts, and those jeans become something a little more casual. The T-shirts also make a great choice for the flight home.

On one particular day, I have special evening plans, so I'm bringing ivory and black skinny pants, along with a breezy black top. I'll add a bold necklace to the outfit to up the chic factor. During the day I'll be wearing those black ballets. But in the evening I'll slip into a pair of black patten platform pumps and add a small handbag in teal to add a pop of color.

The Awards Ceremony (aka The Big Night), every guy and gal puts on their best. Everything from evening dresses to little black dresses, and everything in between. Whatever makes you feel special. This year I'm going with a pair of champagne silk dupioni skinny pants with a champagne and black blouse. Black strappy sandals and a turquoise handbag complete the ensemble.

Don't forget to bring or carry a handy-dandy tote bag for carrying all that swag and the free books you pick up. Select something that looks polished, but has great organization pockets. When someone asks for your card, you don't want to scrounge around for ten minutes looking for one. Have them handy.

On the subject of swag, bring plenty of business cards, bookmarks, pens, lip balm, whatever you have  with your brand front and center. You don't want to miss an opportunity to introduce someone to what you write.

Last but not least, have fun. Remember why we all go to RWA – to get out of our writers' caves, meet other like-minded people, and have a little fun. And what better place to have a little fun than the Big Apple.

What did I miss? What do you think are conference essentials?

Top 5 Most Romantic Movies of All Time

Who doesn't love a great love story, whether we're reading it or watching it? I've been talking about "top five most romantic" lately, from real life couples to fictional couples. Now let's talk romantic movies. Here are my top five in no particular order.

Casablanca (1942) – This romantic drama, set during World War II, tells the story of embittered ex-patriot, Rick Blaine, and his former lover, Ilsa Lund. Rick, who owns an upscale club in Casablanca, finds his life is turned upside down when Ilsa and her husband Victor Laszlo, a renowned fugitive Czech Resistance leader walk into his club.

Laszlo and Ilsa are trying to escape to America so he can continue his work against the German occupation.

Rick and Ilsa rekindle their love affair, and Rick promises to help Laszlo escape while leading Ilsa to believe that she will stay behind with him. Rick finds he must choose between love and honor. In the end, Rick makes Ilsa escape with her husband, telling her she will regret it someday if she doesn’t, “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life."

Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergmann’s performance brings tears to my eyes every time I see it. No wonder it’s the American Film Institute’s (AFI) number one most passionate film of all time.

Shakespeare in Love (1998) – This delightful romantic comedy depicts a fictional love story

between the great playwright, William Shakespeare, played by Joseph Fiennes, and his muse, Viola de Lesseps, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Rich with references to Shakespeare’s works, the film is amusing and the screenplay witty. Shakespeare is writing Romeo and Juliet at the time, but is suffering from writer’s block. Once he meets Viola, the words flow, the imagination soars and he finishes the play. Clearly, their secret love affair serves as the inspiration for Romeo and Juliet, especially since the lovers know their future is doomed. Shakespeare is married, and Viola is being sold off by her father to marry Lord Wessex (played by the yummy Colin Firth).

Viola marries Wessex, and Viola and Shakespeare part, resigned to their fates. The film ends with Shakespeare drafting the beginnings of Twelfth Night, Viola still his muse, as he imagines her washed up on the beach of a foreign land following a shipwreck, "For she will be my heroine for all time, and her name will be ... Viola.”

Pride and Prejudice (1995 BBC Production) – Of course you knew this had to make the list, since Elizabeth and Darcy is my number one most romantic couple of all times. With the 200th Anniversary of Pride and Prejudice last month, I celebrated the momentous occasion by watching for the umpteenth time my DVD of the mini-series. Jennifer Ehl and Colin Firth will, in my mind, always be the Elizabeth and Darcy.

Emma (1996) – This is my favorite depiction of Jane Austen’s sparkling romantic comedy destined

some 150 years later for the silver screen. The cast is marvelous, including the snotty Mr. Elton, played with perfection by Alan Cumming. Gwyneth Paltrow plays a vivacious, sharp-witted Emma to Jeremy Northam’s gentle Mr. Knightley.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) – One of my mother’s favorite movies, I saw this the first time when I was a young girl, and have loved it ever since. A young widow, Lucy Muir, played by Gene Tierney, and her daughter, move into Gull Cottage, reputedly haunted by its former owner, sea captain Daniel Gregg, played by Rex Harrison. Gregg appears to her on her first night in the cottage. Lucy is not afraid of him and finds him handsome, in a harmlessly roguish sort of way. After Lucy’s income dries up, Gregg offers to dictate his life story to her for a book. Their connection grows during this time, and the ribald memoir becomes a bestseller.

In the meantime, she meets a real live man, Miles, and falls in love. After he proposes to her, Gregg decides to leave her to her life, telling her in her sleep that he was only a dream. She later learns that Miles is already married. She lives out her long life in peace in the cottage.

**Spoiler Alert** At the moment of her death, Captain Gregg appears. Reaching out, he lifts her young spirit free of her body and the two walk arm-in-arm out the front door and into the fog to spend all of eternity together. Gets me every time.

The Young Victoria (2009) ­– This beautifully crafted film starring Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend,

depicts the story of Queen Victoria, before she ascends the throne, through her early years as Queen, and her courtship and marriage of Prince Albert. If you read my June 11th blog post, you know the story of their great love affair, which is one of enduring passion, deep commitment, and touching remembrance.

Other romantic movies that deserve recognition include An Affair to Remember, Out of Africa, and Gone with the Wind.

Your turn. What are your favorite romantic movies?

Top 5 Most Romantic Fictional Couples of All Time

Last week I gave my top five most romantic real life couples of all time. This week, I thought I'd list my top five most romantic fictional couples of all time. Like last week, this was a tough list to create because there are so many wonderful choices. 

#5. Romeo and Juliet – Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers whose tragic story touches the hearts of romantics worldwide are often touted as the most romantic fictional couple of all time. In the beginning Romeo is in love with the idea of love, but with Juliet’s strength and determination, he realizes how profound and intense true love really is. For her part, Juliet does not blindly fall in love with Romeo. She sees him for who he is and is able to criticize his rash decisions and over romanticism. Her ability to see him in a critical light doesn’t decrease the intensity of her love for him.

In the end, it is the intensity of their love that results in their tragic suicides.

#4. Heathcliff and Cathy – Emily Bronte created a truly flawed couple when she created Heathcliff and Cathy. The two are self-centered and often ignore the needs, feelings, and claims of others. The only thing that matters to them is their own feelings and needs. So why, you ask should such a couple make my top 5 most romantic couples? Because they find meaning in their relationship to each other; they are two halves of a soul struggling to unite.

“... he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” Catherine, CH. 9.

#3. Jane Eyre and Rochester – Another of the Bronte sisters, Charlotte, also created a dark and complex couple in Jane and Rochester. The perfect example of the Byronic hero, Rochester is a passionate man, often guided by his senses rather than by his rational mind. Jane, on the other hand, is his moral compass. Raised an isolated and unloved orphan, Jane longs for love and identity. Like many heroines in modern-day romance novels, Jane is meant to tame the bad-boy Rochester. But, while Jane is the proper English governess in many ways, she is also a rebel when it comes to inequalities of class and gender.

In the end, she tames the wildly passionate, often brash Rochester. But in return, he gives her what she’s longed for — love, happiness, and independence.

#2. Emma and Knightley – Emma is one of my favorite Jane Austen novels. Emma’s willfulness is balanced by Knightley’s steady character and good sense. He is the only one strong enough to impress Emma, and his good opinion is important to her. Theirs is not the passionate, almost destructive love of Heathcliff and Cathy, nor the tumultuous love of Jane and Rochester, but it is a calm, quiet love based on a deep mutual respect that you can’t help but believe perseveres through thick and thin.

#1. Darcy and Elizabeth – Darcy and Elizabeth. I can’t think of a more romantic couple — that’s why they come in at #1 on my list. Her wit and vivacity, his smoldering good looks and aloof personality, make them the perfect combination of light and dark. I especially love their verbal sparring and the sexual tension between them. Lizzie gives as good as she gets during these decidedly heated moments. 

His comeuppance at the hands of Lizzie’s sharp tongue provides the impetus for him to become the man he was destined to be. Once shed of the bad qualities of an English gentleman, arrogance and self-importance, he matures into the ideal English gentleman. And to my mind, the ideal romantic hero.

Of all the couples in romantic literature, they are the one couple whose story I want to continue. I love to imagine their life after Pride and Prejudice, where Darcy can set his passions free and Lizzie can see the side of him I know exists only for her. Who would you include in your top five most romantic fictional couples list?

Hollywood's Hottest Kisses

What can be more romantic than a kiss? As a romance writer, that is one of my favorite scenes to write, especially the first kiss. This started me wondering what makes for a memorable kiss? Is it a full-on, face-grabbing, lip-smashing passionate kiss? Or is it the sweet, lip-brushing kiss that turns startlingly hot? Or maybe it’s the anticipatory kiss, the kind where the hero and heroine stop a half-inch away, hesitating, before diving in?

Hollywood certainly has its fair share of memorable kisses, so I’ve listed just a few of Hollywood’s hottest kisses, in no particular order, along with some videos to whet your appetite:

From Here to Eternity (1953) boasts one of the most famous Hollywood kiss scenes. Often imitated, never duplicated, it’s often a favorite for parody. You can refresh your memory by checking out the video.

Ah, Casablanca, the American Film Institute’s (AFI) number one most romantic movie of all time. Ill-fated Rick and Ilsa, played by Bogart and Bergman, share a kiss of passion and longing and desperation, when Ilsa tells Rick she still loves him.

Number two on AFI’s list of the most romantic movies of all time, Gone with the Wind, has many memorable kiss scenes, but the one on the bridge just before Rhett leaves to enlist in the defeated Confederate Army, earns him a stinging slap at the end.

Here’s a soldier of the South who loves you, Scarlett. Wants to feel your arms around him, wants to carry the memory of your kisses into battle with him. Never mind about loving me, you’re a woman sending a soldier to his death with a beautiful memory. Scarlett! Kiss me! Kiss me … once … [he kisses her]. Sigh.

One of my favorite movies is the Thomas Crown Affair (1999) with Rene Russo and Pierce Brosnan. You could cut the sexual tension between the two with a putty knife. At the Black and White Ball, Russo, in a sheer (and I mean sheer) black sheath, and sexy Brosnan, heat up the dance floor with a super-sizzling tango. The kiss at the end could combust the polar ice cap. And the following scene … holy hot flash … need I say more?

Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief wins the prize for the two-most-beautiful-people-who-share-a-kiss scene. Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Could it get any more beautiful than that? I love this scene. It’s rife with innuendo, without sinking to campy, as only Hitchcock could achieve.

You can’t talk about romantic kiss scenes without talking about the famous kiss in the rain from The Notebook. Noah tells Allie that he wrote her every day for a year.

It isn’t over. It still isn’t over.

Then he grabs her and pulls her to him, the rain pouring over them. Sigh. And what happens next could steam the wrinkles out of a shar pei.

Bogie and Bacall — the classic Hollywood couple — give a memorable performance in To Have and Have Not.  They met and fell in love on this film, which also gave us the unforgettable lines:

You know how to whistle don’t you Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.

Another Hitchcock film, Notorious, with the suave, sexy Cary Grant (again) and breathtaking Ingrid Bergman (again), has one long two-and-a-half minute kiss, filled with tasty nibbles and tender caresses. It was the longest kiss scenes of its time. Leave it to Hitchcock to push the envelope.

When talking about Hollywood’s hottest kisses, I can’t leave out Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, winners of MTV’s 2009 Award for Best Kiss in Twilight. Their first kiss in Bella’s bedroom starts out hesitant, Pattinson stopping just an inch shy of her lips, heightening the anticipation of the kiss, before it flares to an all-out passion-fest. That scene melted many a woman’s heart, young and old. It deserved to win.

While not a lip-lock, the final scene in Twilight, where Edward presses his vampire lips to the pulse in Bella’s throat, ranks right up there with other wickedly delicious kisses.

Other memorable kiss scenes include:

Titanic (1997), when Jack and Rose kiss on the bow of the doomed ocean-liner. Of course most people remember the steamier scene in the backseat of the car, when in the throes of passion, Kate Winslet’s hand slides down the fogged-up window.

The Proposal, with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds (cutie-pie), when they kiss at the very end. He drops his jacket, cradles her face, and they kiss in front of the entire office. Now that’s a happy ending.

In Witness, when John Book and Rachel Lapp (played by Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis) finally give in to their passion. You know when Rachel removes her bonnet what’s going to happen next.

The rain-soaked, lightning-storm kiss on the beach from Sweet Home Alabama with Josh Lucas and Reese Witherspoon.

Who can forget the gorgeous Hugh Jackman in Australia? Yum. Oh, I guess there was a gorgeous Nicole Kidman in that scene as well. Lady Sarah and Drover kiss in the rain surrounded by a crowd of people who may as well not exist.

Finally, how about when Demi Moore and the late Patrick Swayze make out over the potter’s wheel in Ghost with the Righteous Brothers’ "Unchained Melody" for background music? Be still my heart.

So many memorable Hollywood kisses, so little time. What’s your favorite Hollywood kiss?