Shannon here: Brenda S. Anderson shares how her first kiss with her future husband went down, with a little help from a friend. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post for a chance to win a copy of her latest Women’s Fiction title, Long Way Home. Deadline: May 19th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Brenda:
Our First Kiss!
Well, the story of our first kiss isn’t nearly as exciting as the story leading up to that kiss.
You see, Marvin (my now-husband) and I had been on a handful of dates before he tried to kiss me for the first time. Now, as someone who had never had a boyfriend before and was really, really new to dating, I backed away and told him I wasn’t ready.
Which was true. Not that I didn’t want to kiss him back—I did—but I was also a bit terrified of that first kiss. What if I did it wrong?
So, what does a terrified woman do? She seeks out a good friend to ask her how to kiss. Yes. Yes I did. I drove sixty miles to visit my friend Kelly Jo, who was newly engaged, and she gladly gave me some pointers.
I don’t remember what those pointers were, but obviously they helped because a few dates later, when my husband tried to kiss me again, well, let’s just say it lasted longer than a minute…
And our marriage has lasted thirty years!
But let me back up a tiny bit.
At our wedding reception (a year+ past that first kiss), we had a small program before the food was served. Marvin asked a gregarious friend to say a few words, as did I. That friend was Kelly Jo.
Well, little did I know that she was going to recount my jaunt up to see her to ask about kissing lessons! And given Kelly Jo is slightly given to hyperbole, she had the entire room of people in stitches, laughing. I wish I had a video of her speech—I’m sure our kids would get a kick out of it 🙂
And yes, Kelly Jo is still my very good friend!
About Brenda: Brenda S. Anderson writes gritty and authentic, life-affirming fiction. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and is Past-President of the ACFW Minnesota chapter, MN-NICE, the 2016 ACFW Chapter of the Year. When not reading or writing, she enjoys music, theater, roller coasters, and baseball (Go Twins!), and she loves watching movies with her family. She resides in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area with her husband of 30 years, their three children, and one sassy cat. Learn more and connect:
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About the book – Long Way Home:
Can she forgive the man who once bullied her,
and learn that love keeps no record of wrongs?
Having overcome the crippling insecurities of childhood bullying, Lauren Bauman is eager to start her new job 1,000 miles away, and road-tripping across the country with her brother Nate and his new friend seems to be the perfect way to celebrate the move. But her confidence is shaken when she meets Nate’s friend–the kid who’d bullied her years before, trapping her in a decade-long shell of self-doubt.
For Jet Wurm, losing his job and getting kicked out of his apartment were the best things that ever happened to him. Thanks to the friend who rescued him, he’s finally shedding the loser label he’d worn for years. Nate even invited him along on a cross-country road trip with his sister, and Jet couldn’t be more excited. But then he meets Lauren, and her fearful reaction tells him they must have met before. Where, he can’t recall, but he has no doubt he’d somehow hurt her–like he’d hurt so many others in his past. And now he’s stuck on a six-day road trip with a woman who obviously deplores him.
Though Jet is clearly not the same person who’d bullied her years before, Lauren still struggles to forgive him. But if she doesn’t find the courage to forgive, will that convince Jet he’s as worthless as he’d always been taught to believe? Or will they learn that real love keeps no record of wrongs?
Can’t wait for the drawing? Get your copy now!
Long Way Home – Print Long Way Home – Kindle
Question for the readers:
In my new release, Long Way Home, the characters take a road trip across country in a Skoolie (renovated school bus). If you could go on a road trip in a skoolie, where would you want to go?
Come back May 11th for Tina Pinson!
Thank you for hosting me again, Shannon! I always love interacting with your readers! <3
I LOVE the story leading up to your first kiss! If I could go in a skoolie, I would go either to the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Park! Thank you for a chance to win!
Both places are on my bucket list! And traveling there in a skoolie would be a blast!
What a cool idea! I think we would drive around the US! Enjoying time to read and do my photography.
Oh, wouldn’t that be fun? The US is such a beautiful country, and every state has its own unique beauty. You’d capture some amazing pics on such a journey. 🙂
Good to have you, Brenda. Kelly Jo sounds like a riot. I don’t rough it well, so it would have to be a really nice skoolie with fully functioning shower, toilet, and electrical. In that case, I’d probably say Georgia. We lived there for five years of my childhood. I have family and friends there and I haven’t seen them in a while.
Honestly, I’m with you, Shannon. My idea of roughing it is a rented condo with bedrooms, a full kitchen , a full bath (or 2), and a living room. 🙂
We just drove through Georgia this past week on a road trip to Tampa. It’s beautiful country (even though the drivers, especially through Atlanta, are scary!) Our son graduated on Saturday. Two days driving down, two days in Tampa, two days driving home. Now today Long Way Home comes out. And on Saturday our youngest graduates college! Crazy!
Thanks for sharing your story! I would love to drive out to the Grand Canyon.
Thank you for stopping by! I’d love to road-trip to the Grand Canyon too!
drive to california
I’d love to see California via road-trip! As long a someone else was driving. 🙂
I would probably go visit my sister who lives 4 hours away. I’m sure the skoolie would not be very comfortable so would like for this trip to be as comfortable as possible.
Visiting a sister would make a wonderful road trip!
Skoolie’s can be very comfortable. People jazz them up so they’re nicer than RVs–many are nicer than homes!
If I could road trip in a schoolie I would go and visit relatives. I would have to go west and east to see them all so it would be a long trip.
The book Long Way Home sounds very good. I’d like to read it.
Visiting family is the perfect reason to travel! And it sounds like you would see much of the country while visiting with them. 🙂
Utah and Arizona they are some great things to see in both those states.
I’ve briefly been in both states, but would love to spend more time in both, especially visiting the canyons! The pictures I see look breathtaking!
Someplace remote and beautiful such as Montana or
Wyoming.
Ahh, quiet places. Both would be very restful!
I live in Florida, so if I could travel in a skoolie, I’d very much want to go up to Callaway Gardens in Georgia, and then to the Appalacian Mountains, and visit Stone Mountain, then go to the Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee. My family used to take vacations “in the mountains” in Georgia, and that was a wonderful memory.
We just drove through Georgia & Tennessee this past week, but unfortunately we were on a time crunch and couldn’t take in the views. Both have breathtaking vistas!
I have to agree and second or third the comments for Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. Love the personal story!
I’d have to agree with both places. Someday!
Would love to win
Thanks for stopping by!
There are alot of places in the south that I have never been to and would love to see.
I hope you have a chance to visit all those places someday!
I would love to take a cross country trip and travel to Colorado Springs, Colorado to see my niece Leigh, who I haven’t seen in 50 years, but keep in touch through phone, Facebook and email! What a reunion that would be!
Oh wow. That’s too long! I hope you have an opportunity to see your niece someday.
I have a winner! Kathy won the drawing. She commented on Elizabeth Maddrey’s post that went in with this drawing. I appreciate Brenda for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.