In My Words: The Power of a Kiss

“The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial one in any love story.”  ~Emil Ludwig (1881-1948), German author

My debut novel, Wish You Were Here, hangs on the question: Can the wrong kiss lead to Mr. Right?

Within the first 10 pages of the book, there’s an “oh no, we didn’t!” kiss between Allison, the bride-to-be, and Daniel, who just happens to be her fiance’s brother.

Their kiss — a mere moment in time — is enough to upend Allison’s longed for happily ever after. With that one kiss, life as she imagined it ends. The question is: Will Allison be able to find happy ever after again?

Can I be honest with you? When I first condensed Wish You Were Here down to the “Can the wrong kiss lead to Mr. Right?” question, I thought: This is one shallow book.

At the time, I was attending author Susan May Warren’s first ever pitch workshop (now called the Scrimmage). I sat and listened to other writers say what their books were about — and everyone else’s book seemed so much more meaningful than a book about a kiss gone awry.

It took me a while to realize the power of a kiss.

That kiss between Allison and Daniel? It was so much more than an “uh-oh” moment written to create tension or to surprise my readers.

Allison and Daniel’s kiss was a mistake.

I know what it’s like to make mistakes … and to be overwhelmed with “How could I have done that?” thoughts afterward. My faith also tells me that God can bring good out of my mistakes — that he can redeem them. But do I truly believe that? Or do I live like I am the sum total of my mistakes — and nothing more?

That’s the deeper question my characters wrestle with in Wish You Were Here. Yes, it’s an inspirational contemporary romance. Yes, there’s laughter (and llamas). But woven within the romance and the humor and the wrong kiss (and the right ones), there’s the question: Are mistakes irredeemable?

In Your Words: Do you believe there’s power in a kiss? Have you seen God bring good out of your mistakes?