Virtual Tour & #Giveaway for Avenging Kiss by Karen Tjebben

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Tour, presented by Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours, for Avenging Kiss by Karen Tjebben.  Please leave a comment or question for Karen to let her know you stopped by.  You may enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  Good Luck!3

The Nurtured Lure of Romantic Suspense Novels by Karen Tjebben

The love of literature is built in children’s early years. As toddlers, children pour over the pages, admiring the pictures that capture their attention and letting their imaginations create the story. As children grow into adolescence, books are an easy way to build connections from one world or time to another. The magical pages transport children to different times and cultures. They get to swim with mermaids or travel through rough waters in rickety boats with explorers. There is no limit to the adventures children can enjoy through books.

Who doesn’t like a little romance? Without realizing it, our culture has provided literature with hints of romance to young children for centuries. Some of the timeless classics woo young girls with the delights of love and protection. As a child, what are some of your favorite books? Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, or The Princess Bride? The underlying current of friendship and love cannot be denied in these stories, no matter how innocent and subtle. And you cannot forget the amazing effect Disney has had on children. Disney is just now creating stronger, independent female characters who don’t wait to be rescued, but who slay their own villains and overcome their problems.

Parents have used literature mingled with fear to teach their children about the dangers in the world around us. The Brothers Grimm wrote classics so troubling that they have been altered recently to soften the horror for children and lessen the nightmares that surely result. Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, and Little Red Riding Hood taught the dangers of trusting strangers and making bad decisions. And for adolescents, the riveting true events portrayed in Number the Stars and Stella by Starlight frighten and inform young adolescents of the true evils that lurk around them. There’s an excitement and rush of adrenaline that suspense or horror books provide to the thrill seekers.

It’s no surprise that the romance genre is a billion-dollar industry. People have been conditioned to love happy endings and the occasional fright. So, the blending of the romance with suspense delivers an incredible pull that keeps readers turning the pages way after lights out.  

Avenging Kiss
by Karen Tjebben
Savage Security, Book 2
Psychological Romantic/Suspense

Date Published:  December 2016

  

Some sins cannot be forgiven. Those must be avenged.

When Aditya Chopra stumbled upon the decimated camp, she vowed to hunt down the men who killed her sister. The stench of burnt flesh and the taste of death in the air haunt her dreams and power her lust for vengeance. She will show no mercy.

The men of Savage Security served their country. They’d done their time in the sandbox and now enjoy their peaceful lives in the States, far from the death and mayhem of war. Will living in peace blind them to the dangerous threat that’s poised to strike?

EXCERPT

 Logan pushed his cart around an endcap and started down another aisle. He stopped suddenly when he saw her, the woman from the bar. She looked just as good standing in the aisle in yoga pants as she had last night in her dress. She held jars of spaghetti sauce and was clearly debating between the brands.

Was it kismet that she stood in his grocery store the day after spotting her at the bar? He inhaled and worked out his plan as he approached.

“That one has a stronger garlic flavor.” Logan pointed to one of the jars in her hands. 

“The other one’s sweeter.”

Aditya turned her head to look over her shoulder at the man talking to her about pasta sauce. She liked what she saw. “Really?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn’t hide that she was checking him out. She made it obvious as her eyes raked over his body. He was cute, and he probably knew it. He had that ‘guy next door’ look about him, but his body was clearly more fit than the average Joe. “How lucky for me that I ran into a spaghetti sauce connoisseur.”

Her smile and the flirty lilt in her voice nearly undid him. She was flirting back. He could work with that. “Logan Murphy.” He held out his hand, and when her feminine fingers smoothed across his, his manhood took notice.

“Aditya Chopra,” she replied. She held up the jar in her left hand and waved it. “Garlic can be so off-putting.” She set the jar back on the shelf and eyed him again. “I prefer sweet and smooth.” She knew her lips eased into a natural smile. Spending time with this man could end up being very pleasurable.

Sweet and smooth, that was exactly how he saw her. She didn’t hide her sweet curves, and Logan had a feeling she’d be smooth under his touch. “I think I saw you last night.” Had she noticed him?

“At The Grill House?” she asked. Her eyebrows rose in recognition. “I thought you looked familiar.” She rested one arm on the shopping cart and took a more relaxed stance.

“A few men offered to buy you a drink, but you refused,” he stated. He was determined to find out if she was dating someone before he got too invested in this flirtation.

Her eyes sparkled as she understood his statement for what it was. A fishing expedition. “I was supposed to meet a friend, but he never showed,” she said with a shrug. A smart woman lets a man think she has other potential suitors. It activated some sort of primal need in men to hunt and claim what they wanted.

Logan wanted to sink his hands into the dark spiraling curls that hung below her shoulders and press his lips against hers.  Her beauty mysteriously called to him, like some siren captivating unsuspecting men. He’d watched her all night at The Grill House. He wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. “If you’re hungry, I make lasagna that will melt in your mouth.” He knew he’d melt in her mouth.

Her lips curved into a smile as her dark brown eyes shimmered with playfulness. 

“Lasagna, huh?” She inhaled deeply and caught his subtle glance at her chest. She knew she was smaller than a lot of women, but a man had never not enjoyed being with her. She understood that how one used their assets was more important than size. Some men used their manhood like battering rams, endlessly pounding furiously against a woman’s most tender spot. Sex with those men was the worst. That tender area could only take so much friction before discomfort settled in. How that wasn’t obvious was a mystery to her. She preferred the smooth glide of a firm cock caressing her, teasing and tempting her towards release.

“So,” she began, “I could bring a salad,” she paused and one side of her lips rose in a tempting smile, “or dessert?”

Logan liked the way she said dessert. Like it was something filled with possibilities that she planned to savor and enjoy. “Either would be fine.”

“Hmm,” she eyed him as she nibbled on her lip. “I don’t make a habit of going to strange men’s homes.”

“Then you’re in luck. I’m not strange.” He casually shrugged his shoulders. “You can text my address to a BFF if that makes you more comfortable.” Was that the phrase women used? “That way she’ll know where you are. I promise… I’m safe.” He pressed his hand to his chest.

“Said the spider to the fly.” She set the jar of sauce in her cart. “Curious though,” she already knew that she’d go, but she still wanted to flirt a little to see his reaction. 

“What makes you so sure that you’ll be safe with me?” She cocked her head to the side and maintained eye contact.

He knew far too well how a tiny woman could destroy a man. There was no sufficient armor to protect the heart. “I have a feeling you’re worth the risk.”

About the Author

Karen Tjebben lives in central North Carolina with her wonderful husband, twin daughters, and two hamsters. When her girls left for kindergarten, Karen discovered that she needed to fill her days with something, and that was the beginning of her writing career. She loves to create worlds filled with unique characters that she hopes will delight and raise goose bumps on her readers. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and seeing the world through her daughters' eyes.

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