Hello, all! I'm happy to have the chance to host a stop on the Harlequin Teen Reading Into Romance blog tour today. Stopping by today we have Cayla Kluver, author of the Legacy trilogy. Cayla will tell you all about a vital key to romance in her books: kissing. I hope you enjoy and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post. Good luck!
First Kisses
As we know from the
beginning of Legacy, Steldor is a
lady’s man, well-experienced in wooing women, and an excellent kisser. This is clear from Alera’s reactions to some
of his advances. Even though she
dislikes him, she recognizes his masculinity and inherent attractiveness,
noting after one kiss: “…he departed, leaving me slightly off balance, as I had
not anticipated such tenderness from him, and highly unsettled by the knowledge
that I had enjoyed both his kiss and his touch.”
As for Steldor, his
first kiss with Alera is one he will never forget, for it was the first time a
woman ever rejected his advances. He is
at his romantic best, having taken her to dinner and then for a walk in the
Palace gardens. But when he sits with
her on a bench and leans in to kiss her, she pulls away, appalled that he would
make such a presumptuous move on her.
Before he can kiss her again, she springs to her feet and hastens to
London. Certainly not the way Steldor is
used to having his evenings end! This
was, of course, not only Alera’s first kiss with Steldor, but her first
romantic kiss, period. And even though
it was entirely unwelcome, she admits to London that “when we were sitting on
the bench, I couldn’t think. He has this
amazing… scent.”
Interestingly, up until
this first kiss, Steldor was pursuing Alera primarily because she was his way
to the throne. But after this
experience, he sees her as a challenge, a handful, and well worth pursuing in
her own right. As strange as it seems,
her rejection makes her more attractive to him.
Alera’s first kiss with
Narian occurs later in Legacy, and is
presumably the first time he has kissed a woman. It is a forbidden kiss, and comes in the
aftermath of Alera learning about the Legend
of the Bleeding Moon and being advised to stay away from him. He has just defeated Steldor in the
Exhibition at the Harvest Festival’s Tournament, and she seeks him out in his
tent, where his injuries are being treated.
She confronts him about the legend, and the kiss is his way of telling
her that he loves her and has no intention of hurting her or her kingdom. Alera describes the kiss in this way: “His vivid blue eyes captured mine of deep
brown. As my heart pounded, his lips met
mine, lightly at first, then more insistently, and I succumbed to his
embrace. I melted against him, my hands
upon his back, all reason having abandoned me.
After several moments, our lips reluctantly parted…” While she has long been attracted to Narian,
this may be the moment when she realized she has fallen in love with him.
So what’s the power of a kiss?
Both Steldor and Narian would seem to be excellent kissers, which would
indicate the magic is not in the manner of the kiss itself. But perhaps a kiss helps to identify your
true feelings about someone. In the case
of Steldor, it strengthens Alera’s dislike of him. With Narian, it confirms that she loves
him. So don’t take a first kiss too
lightly, or engage in one too soon. And
above all, pay attention to what your instincts are telling you!
About the Author
Check Out the Other Stops
About the Author
With the book industry currently in a debate over print vs. digital, Cayla Kluver, born October 2, 1992 in Wisconsin, truly embodies the next generation of author. At just 19 years-old, Cayla has already published her debut novel Legacy in three different formats.
It all began with self-publication and the creation of her own publishing house (with the help of her mom, called: Forsooth Publishing) in 2008. Cayla was then offered a digital debut with Amazon (was the premier title for Amazon’s self-publishing program, Amazon Encore) in 2009. Finally in 2010 Cayla was signed to a three book publishing deal with Harlequin TEEN.
She has cats, dogs and horses, and watches more crime shows than is probably healthy. Her office is filled with twinkly lights, candles and fun colors. She loves Robert Louis Stevenson and the Beatles, and you can follow her on Twitter @CaylaKL, as well as join her fan page on Facebook.
Check Out the Other Stops
Monday, March 4th - Karen Ann Hopkins and Temptation:
Wednesday, March 6th - Liz Fichera and Hooked:
Friday, March 8th - Cayla Kluver and the Legacy series:
Monday, March 11th - Aimée Carter and The Goddess Test series:
Wednesday, March 13th - Julie Kagawa and The Iron King series:
Friday, March 15th - Katie McGarry and Pushing the Limits:
Monday, March 18th - Rachel Vincent and The Soul Screamers series:
Wednesday, March 20th - Hannah Harrington and Saving June:
Friday, March 22nd - Jordan Dane and In The Arms of Stone Angels:
The Giveaway
Today's Daily Prize:
 |
| Your Choice of 1 of the Books in the Legacy Trilogy |
The Grand Prize:
 |
| HarlequinTEEN dresses you for a romantic date with this beautiful, unique heart shaped locket! And in case it’s a chilly spring evening, don’t forget the matching beautiful Pashmina! |
