Author Guest Post with Karen Hulene Bartell: Kissing Kin

Maeve Jackson is starting over after a broken engagement—and mustering out of the Army.

Welcome to the March 26th stop on the blog tour for Kissing Kin by Karen Hulene Bartell with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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Author Guest Post

Tortured Heroes vs. Alpha Males

I’m not particularly fond of alpha males. Maybe it’s because I began life as an actress and dated so many actors, but in my experience, men who appear to be alpha males are phonies that play-act at being strong, and since they’re not “real,” I can’t relate to them.

Give me a tortured hero any day, one who’s authentic and deals honestly with doubts, disappointments, and defects.

In my opinion, both bodice rippers and machismo action flicks / stories have overindulged in ego-driven male characters for far too long. I prefer complex, multifaceted male characters, not superficial cardboard cutouts that parody true males.

By the term tortured hero, I don’t mean brooding or whiny. I mean a male character, who’s emotionally mature and whose emotions run deep–a man–neither a smooth-chinned boy, nor a bearded, iron-fisted caricature of a male.

Give me a healthy dose of compassion with the passion. Instead of macho bravado, let the protagonist demonstrate valor despite his fear. Instead of swaggering bluster and brawn, let him exercise his brain to resolve his dilemma–not muscle his way through the scenarios.

I find Luke, the male protagonist in my latest paranormal romance, Kissing Kin, to be an attractive leading male. He showed an empathetic side as he tiptoed barefoot “past Maeve’s sleeping form, and her artless beauty stopped him…Her brow untroubled, she looked as vulnerable as a newborn, and a protective impulse overtook him. Good thing I happened along when I did yesterday.”

Again from Kissing Kin, Luke’s smile was tender. “Sorry I’ve been so detached the past few days. Now, what wedding plans did you want to discuss?”

A tortured hero takes responsibility for his actions and is unafraid to apologize when wrong. He has emotional intelligence and knows how to control himself—not how to control his leading lady.

Maybe I’ve only known alpha wannabes, not true alphas, but to me, alpha males smack of deep insecurities, condescension, and patriarchy. Give me a male character who’s secure enough in his own skin to seek a formidable female protagonist. That’s sexy!

About the Book

Kissing Kin
Trans-Pecos Book One
by Karen Hulene Bartell

Published 13 March 2024
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Page Count: 296
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Maeve Jackson is starting over after a broken engagement—and mustering out of the Army. No job and no prospects, she spins out on black ice and totals her car.

When struggling vintner Luke Kaylor stops to help, they discover they’re distantly related. On a shoestring budget to convert his vineyard into a winery, he makes her a deal: prune grapevines in exchange for room and board.

But forgotten diaries and a haunted cabin kickstart a five-generational mystery with ancestors that have bones to pick. As carnal urges propel them into each other’s arms, they wonder: Is their attraction physical…or metaphysical?

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Excerpt

The sky was a rich twilight blue–deepening yet crystal clear, as if clarifying the situation.

“Didn’t realize the time.”

The vineyards reflected the rusty-red tones of the late winter sunset.

Dusk. I held back a sigh as I glimpsed the winery and cozy cabin. Heartrending in its homey beauty, the scene tugged at my earliest recollections.

The child of vagabond parents, I was often on the road at dusk, just as the lights began coming on in the houses we passed. Growing up without a permanent address, I fantasized about living in one of those comfortable homes instead of viewing them through the car window.

“Gets dark early in the mountains.” He caught my gaze, did a double take, then stared.

“Is something wrong?”

“Your hair…”

“Is something on it?” I swiped at my head.

“No.” He chuckled. “The sunset captures your hair’s highlights–gives it a reddish glow.”

“Oh.” Pleasantly surprised, I gave a nervous laugh as the heat crept to my cheeks. “Thanks.”

He reached out his hand and hesitated. “May I?”

“Sure.” I quivered as his hand swept my hair behind my ear. As arousing as a caress, the gesture sent a shockwave through my body.

Then his hand molded itself just above my neck, gently supporting my head as he leaned toward me.

Without warning, I ached to feel his mouth on mine.

He leaned closer.

His warm breath tickling, I met him in a rush of hormones and adrenalin. Then lifting my lips, I closed my eyes, reveling in the give and take of his kiss.

Only Teddy’s insistent bark woke me from the daze.

About the Author

Author of the Trans-Pecos and Sacred Emblem series, Karen is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life, who writes multicultural, offbeat love stories. Born to rolling-stone parents who moved often, Bartell found her earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was her passion. Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, she began writing her first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating her own happy endings. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Karen resides in the Texas Piney Woods with her husband Peter and her “mews”—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.

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