I let out a small squeak of surprise and my hand drifting up to hover uncertainly over what was likely Peter’s shoulder. I had always believed that the tales of fireworks exploding when people kissed was pure exaggeration, something for make-believe and movies. Kissing Peter made me a believer. It was like the summer when we were eight and had played with sparklers for hours until bright flowers of color bloomed across the sky. There was a wonder to it akin to magic.

Then, as abruptly as it had started, it stopped. Peter once more settled back leaving me feeling a bit light-headed. I was glad I was already lying down. I strongly suspected that if I had been standing, I would have fallen over. I carefully reached up to touch my lips where Peter’s own had touched them. They still buzzed. I gave a small laugh.

~Excerpt from Coming Home

In case you hadn’t already gathered, I’m taking a different approach to this momentous holiday.  I debated doing today’s post on freedom or equality or something to that effect, but quite frankly, that borders dangerously on me stepping up on a soap box. Thus, I opted for one of my favorite things that happens on this day: Fireworks.

Naturally, I couldn’t go with literal fireworks (gotta keep you guessing 😉 ). As I’ve mentioned before, all good/great books have a touch of romance. So today’s post contains two excerpts from entirely different works in progress and subsequently different takes on the fireworks we all wish we could experience.

“When we fall in love, we hear Puccini in our heads.” ~Barbara Streisand, The Mirror Has Two Faces

I have done my best to choose scenes that give you that spark and don’t give too much away in spoilers. Happy Fourth of July my loyal followers!

Now without further ado, an excerpt from Charlotte’s Midnight, Book One of the Moon Shadow Saga.

We danced for what felt like hours, but I couldn’t stop, I didn’t want to stop. The songs came and went but we didn’t. Despite all of my efforts we only got closer. I couldn’t seem to stop touching her. A deep need to have her as close as physically possible was growing inside of me. My restraint was seriously being put to the test. How long could I keep this up?
She continued to dance between my arms oblivious to my struggle. Another spin. She landed too close. There wasn’t even a fraction of a second between when she landed and when my mouth mashed down on hers. I knew instantly that I shouldn’t have, that I should stop. But Night, kissing her was like falling into a kaleidoscope of color. My heart was hammering so hard I thought it might actually be the base. I felt high. Nick better not have spiked my drink again. The thought was distant like it belonged to another person. I tasted her lips, they were like sunshine. Impossible as it should have been I heard her whisper my name. The rest of the world fell away. The girl had absolutely no idea what she did to me. I didn’t even know. All I knew for certain was that I was kissing Charlie and best of all she was kissing me back. I hadn’t been sure that night in the woods, but there was no mistaking it now. I pulled her tighter and she melted into me. My fingers found her hair which had slipped free during our wild display. The sunny waves twined around them. Damn she was soft, like feathery down. I kissed her harder. I needed this in a way I’d never needed anything before. Our kiss took on a life of its own, threatening to pull me into depths I would never escape. I didn’t know what scared me more how deep it was or that I didn’t care.