I spent the end of last week reviewing copyedits for my upcoming release, IMPULSIVE. I really love this book. It pits an obey-all-the-rules hero, Eric Kimura, against a wild child heroine, Katie Long. These folks don’t know each other at the beginning of the book, but that doesn’t stop them from getting…um, close. I’ve never started out a book with immediate heat (and by that I mean sex) before, but it worked here. Take a look:
Katie Long wasn’t sure how they’d gone from “would you like another drink” to crawling all over each other half-naked in the oceanfront estate’s hall bathroom, but that’s what happened. All that beautiful Hawaii sunshine just steps away, wrapped in the mixed scent of salt water and pikake, and there they were holed up in a single stall the size of a closet.The knot on the apron dug into her waist as he lifted her out of her sensible black pumps and slid her butt onto the sink countertop. Before she could take another breath, he slipped between her legs. The soft material of his dark gray suit pants rubbed against her bare thighs. His hands never stopped moving and his mouth caressed and covered hers like a pro.
Apparently Eric Kimura was good at something in addition to practicing law. Very good.
“Did you lock the door?” she asked, her voice breathless as her head fell back and his fingers slipped past her inner thigh.
“Mmm-hmmm.”
With his face buried between her breasts and his teeth nibbling at the tiny pearl buttons holding her blouse together, she could barely hear him. Didn’t have to. The heat rolling off him said enough. This man was primed for action.
As you can tell, the title of this one is just perfect. 
Eric is first introduced in HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO. Tell me what romance book has your favorite opening and why, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO. The winner will be randomly selected on Thursday.
UPDATED: Very sorry for the delay in picking a winner. I went to the Lori Foster event this weekend and forgot to choose first. The winner is Mitzi – congrats!! Email me and we’ll arrange to get that book to you.
Hmmm…………that’s a hard one to think of! I LOVED the beginning of Jennifer Crusie’s Crazy For You, and Nora Robert’s Montana Sky. While they’re both not straight romance, the beginnings stick in my mind all these years later. I can’t wait to read Impulsive!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Brava Authors, HelenKay Dimon. HelenKay Dimon said: Peek at IMPULSIVE (Brava, Nov.) and a contest: http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/06/02/looking-ahead/ [...]
I LOVE that cover! It’s so bright and happy
No need to enter me in the drawing – I just wanted to coo over the cover.
As for a great opening… Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie because it’s so deceptive. But I think an all time favorite is Pigs Don’t Fly. Otherwise, the classics of course. While I don’t love the rest of the book I think the beginning and end of A Tale of Two Cities are… timeless.
No need to enter me, I already have a copy of “Holding Out for a Hero.” One of my favorite openings is “As Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, stared at the young woman who had just barged her way into his London residence, it occurred to him that he might have tried to abduct the wrong heiress last week at Stony Cross Park” from Lisa Kleypas’ “Devil in Winter.” I just love Sebastian and the first line just drew me in.
My all time favorite line and opening:
“He needed a woman. Bad.”
This is the first line from MacKenzie’s Mountain from Linda Howard. For me it was a grabber first sentence and I was instantly intrigued and wanted to learn more. LOL, what else does a romance reader want…
I love this first line from “The Cowboy and the Lady” by Diana Palmer:
“They were at a standstill, the tall man and the willowy young blonde, poised like boxers waiting for an opening.”
Even though this book is a contemporary Western romance, the opening line works for so many genres! It’s descriptive, intriguing, and suggestive of an intense relationship.
“Ramiel would not be blackmailed by any woman….no matter how great was her need for sexual gratification.”
The Lady’s Tutor by Robin Schone….just loved this book….my 1st erotic romance!!!
Very good openings. Thanks to Armenia, I had to dig out my copy of Mackenzie’s Mountain and re-read it. Love that book.
Very sorry for the late announcement, but we have a winner!!! Congratulations to Melissa. Email me with your address and I’ll get that book out to you.
Hmmm…………that’s a hard one to think of! I LOVED the beginning of Jennifer Crusie’s Crazy For You, and Nora Robert’s Montana Sky. While they’re both not straight romance, the beginnings stick in my mind all these years later. I can’t wait to read Impulsive!