Karpov Kinrade's Blog, page 2

Vampire Girl book 2 launches May 8… chapter teasers!

Just a few more days, and you will have Midnight Star! Is this the best Mother’s Day ever, or what? (For those who missed the announcement, book 2 of Vampire Girl is launching this Sunday, May 8, 2016. It will be available on Kindle immediately and on iBooks, B&N and Kobo as soon as they update. For those who want the print edition, it will be available in paperback within 1-2 weeks of launch.)

While you wait, we are posting the first three chapters as teasers. Are you ready? And for the Fen lovers, chapter 3 is from his point of view! NOTE: This post does NOT contain any spoilers to the first book. You have to click on a link to open the chapter teasers, so if you don’t want spoilers, you can keep reading without worry!

We’re thrilled you are so excited about this series. We love getting the emails, messages and comments on our social media sites you all have been sending. We also love seeing the Vampire Girl inspired images you are posting on our FB page! And we are so grateful for all the amazing reviews Vampire Girl has been getting on retailer sites. We love seeing the enthusiasm this series is generating in our readers, old and new! So thank you!

Some fun news you might all enjoy hearing (in case you missed the last post):

We are going to be putting out a hardcover version of Vampire Girl and subsequent books in the not too distant future!
We’ve settled on audiobook narrators for the VG series and are hoping to have the first book out sometime early July!
AND we will soon be actively pursuing ways of pitching Vampire Girl as a tv series. Cross your fingers on that one!

 

Make sure you sign up for our newsletter to get an email the moment Midnight Star launches. You can also follow our Amazon page and they will email you as well!

We also still have a giveaway going, a HUGE ONE happening over on our Facebook page. It includes signed books from other authors such as Shannon Mayer, K.F. Breene, Elizabeth Hunter, Denise Grover Swank and more, plus awesome swag. And of course, it includes signed books by us, plus major Vampire Girl swag! Go over and check out the post to find out how to enter.

NOW FOR THE TEASER CHAPTERS!

Ready to read more of Midnight Star? Here you go!

Chapter 1: Midnight Star Chapter 1

Chapter 2: Midnight Star Chapter 2

Chapter 3: Midnight Star Chapter 3

Pick up your copy of Vampire Girl today:

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Vampire Girl Book 2: Giveaway, Launch Date & Chapter 2 Teaser

I heard that maybe some of you might possibly be excited about the launch of Midnight Star, book 2 of the Vampire Girl series? Is that true?

Then you’re in luck. We FINALLY have a solid launch date for you, plus a gigantic giveaway AND another chapter teaser for those of you who like that sort of thing, or for those of you who like to torture yourself! NOTE: This post does NOT contain any spoilers to the first book. You have to click on a link to open the chapter teasers, so if you don’t want spoilers, you can keep reading without worry!

So many of you rushed over here to read chapter 1 of Midnight Star that you temporarily broke our website! Lol

We’re thrilled you are so excited about this series. We love getting the emails, messages and comments on our social media sites you all have been sending. We are so grateful for all the amazing reviews Vampire Girl has been getting on retailer sites. And we love seeing the enthusiasm this series is generating in our readers, old and new! So thank you!

Some fun news you might all enjoy hearing:

We are going to be putting out a hardcover version of Vampire Girl and subsequent books in the not too distant future!
We are also in the process of settling on narrators to turn VG and future books into audiobooks!
AND we will soon be actively pursuing ways of pitching Vampire Girl as a tv series. Cross your fingers on that one!

And now, to answer the question you ALL have been asking. When is Midnight Star launching? The official and firm launch date is May 8, 2016, on Mother’s Day! That’s just a week from Sunday. 

Many of you might know we were hoping to get it out by today. Unfortunately, we have been involved in a complicated and lengthy family court case for many months, and we are in the thick of trial right now. That means our writing time has been severely impacted, and it slowed down the launch of book 2. But you’ll have it in your hands soon. We will not have preorders for this book, because that would require submitting the final files to the distributors at least 10 days prior to launch, delaying launch by 10 days. We didn’t think you’d want that. We want to get it to you ASAP.

So mark your calendars for May 8 and be ready to download your copy of Midnight Star that day! It will be available in paperback within two weeks of launch, with hardback and audio to follow in the coming months.

Make sure you sign up for our newsletter to get an email the moment it launches. You can also follow our Amazon page and they will email you as well!

As to the giveaway, we have a HUGE ONE happening over on our Facebook page. It includes signed books from other authors such as Shannon Mayer, K.F. Breene, Elizabeth Hunter, Denise Grover Swank and more, plus awesome swag. And of course, it includes signed books by us, plus major Vampire Girl swag! Go over and check out the post to find out how to enter.

NOW FOR THE TEASER CHAPTERS!

Ready to read more of Midnight Star? Here you go!

If you need a catch up, read Midnight Star Chapter 1 here.

For those dying for the next bite, read Vampire Girl Chapter 2 here.

Pick up your copy of Vampire Girl today:

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Vampire Girl Book 2: Midnight Star is almost here. #Teaser #Chapter1

Our heads have been spinning since the launch of Vampire Girl, book 1 in our new fantasy series. Packed with mystery, intrigue, romance and adventure, we knew this book was special. We knew our readers would love the spunky Arianna Spero, her transgender BFF, and the deliciously dark Princes of Hell.

What we didn’t know is how MANY PEOPLE would fall in love with this book. What we didn’t expect was Vampire Girl hitting the USA TODAY bestseller list its second week out. What we didn’t expect was the dozens of messages and comments EVERY DAY begging for book 2. What we didn’t expect was how many people would tell us they hadn’t read a book in years and chose our book to begin their literary journey, and now they are lifelong KK fans. What we didn’t expect was how many people who LOVED Twilight and Outlander would compare our book to those books and say they loved ours as much or more. What we didn’t expect was how many people who hated Twilight are begging us not to compare our book to that series because ours is so much better.

We even got a review from someone that didn’t like the book, but couldn’t stop reading and will read the next book.

EVEN PEOPLE WHO HATE THIS BOOK LOVE IT. I’m not sure I could imagine a higher compliment.

This has been an incredible month. We’ve never had a book launch to such sales and accolades so immediately. We thought it would take a few book in the series before the world took notice of our little vampire book.

But you, dear readers, blew our minds! You have made this the most exciting launch of our lives, and that’s saying something for writers who have been at this full time (and pretty successfully) for a few years.

SO THANK YOU. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I want you to know we are hard at work on Midnight Star, book 2 in this series, and it will be available within the next week or two. Probably the first week of May. We had hoped to get it out by the end of April (this month) but due to some unexpected family issues that will take up most of next week, it might be slightly delayed. But not by long. We are working very hard to get at least one book in this series out each month, barring major life events that interfere. We want you to get your VG fix as much as you do, promise!

Are vampires dead? And why are we giving away so much stuff? ANSWERS HERE! #VampireGirl

In case you missed the emails, Facebook posts, live Facebook events, Instagram feeds, Twitter tweets and YouTube trailer, THIS IS LAUNCH WEEK for our new book/series Vampire Girl! To say we are excited about this new series would be a HUGE understatement.

And we’ve been celebrating hard. With SO MANY GIVEAWAYS I can’t even with all of them. Seriously, I’m losing track. So this blog post will serve as the catch-all for everything #KKGiveaway.

But first, let’s talk about this book a little, okay? The response to Vampire Girl has been more amazing than we could have hoped. Each day it’s climbing the charts on Amazon, B&N and iBooks. Each day it garners more five star reviews (over 100 right now on Amazon!) Each day we get messages, emails and comments begging for book 2 and singing the praises of book 1. Seriously, we are USA TODAY bestselling authors who have been doing this full time for a few years now and never have we had this kind of response to a book or series.

And some of the reviewers are surprised by how much they enjoyed it. Based on the title, or on comparisons they’d seen to Twilight, they worried it wouldn’t be their cup of tea. And they were wrong. Check out what some of them have said:

 

OMG AMAZING….ITS WAY BETTER THAN TWILIGHT OR OUTLANDER! When is the next book coming out?!?!!? I absolutely loved this book. So much of everything and I so was not expecting the end. I have cried, laughed,and raged at this book. ~5 stars, PrincessP

Do not judge it by the title! Honestly I wasn’t sure if I would like this book because of the title. I’ve read other books by this author and the premise seemed interesting so I gave it a shot. I do not regret that decision. I had a lot of fun reading this book and cheering Arianna on. I was engaged and left wanting more. Give this book a chance. It may just surprise you. ~5 stars, Kami

When I read the title of the book I didn’t have any idea of what I was getting into, I was just hoping that it wasn’t just another Vampire book! I should have known better because it was KK that wrote the book and they did not disappoint me. I absolutely loved this book. ~5 stars, Amazon reviewer

Ah-maz-ing!!!!!! I loved this book! Normally I’m not a huge fan of vampire stories because they all start to feel the same. This was a completely different take on the legends we all know and it is wonderful! Well written, well thought out and completely hooks you from the beginning! Do yourself a favor and read it! You won’t be disappointed! ~5 stars, Amazon reviewer

It offers an amazing, original take on vampires, but more importantly it offers an addictive storyline full of intrigue and mystery. ~5 stars, Stephanie Farrant (BookwormBlogger)

Far from your generic YA fantasy romance story! Unlike your typical female heroine that sobs for pages while mindlessly ranting about her feelings and trying to find her own identity, Ari is grounded and knows who she is. She remains brave without being overzealous; emotional but not melodramatic; and a survivor, not a victim. ~5 stars, Dorisaurr

So there you have it. This book is not just appealing to die-hard vampire fans, Twilight fans, Shade of Vampire fans, etc. (Though it is appealing to those readers and we are SO GLAD!) It seems to be also appealing to people who have grown weary of vampire books but were willing to give it a shot because our name was in it, and THEY DID NOT REGRET IT. This makes us so happy. This makes us so proud of this book.

WHY VAMPIRES?

Maybe you’re wondering why we chose to write about vampires. Maybe you think it’s been done to death. (Or undeath? Lol) I will say, I don’t think vampires are dead. I think vampires will always hold a certain appeal and fascination with cultures worldwide. There’s an intrigue with the immortal, with the blood sucking undead who must fight to balance their inner darkness with whatever light of humanity is left in what remains of their souls. There’s a longing to understand, to know better that plight, to become part of that world with so much to offer (life, youth, foreverness and beauty), but also takes so much (your very soul, the light–in some cases quite literally, the ability to live free of the eternal torment of unquenchable thirst.)

There’s a draw to that darkness, to that solitary walk in the shadows, that speaks to our own shadow-selves–the parts of us that do not ever feel fully comfortable in the blaze of the sun. 

So no, I don’t think vampires are done. But I do think there’s  a lot of room to play in this world of myth of legends with new eyes and a new voice. That’s what I hope we’ve done with Vampire Girl. The title might sound cheesy to some, but the concept, the execution and the depth of our characters and storylines will not, I hope, sound cheesy.

I believe this book has layers, and that the series has potential for so much more. I believe that you can read this book for the fun, the escapism, the adventure, the magic, the romance… but if you want to, you can also read the layers. You can read the subtext, you can grapple with the deeper questions of truth, honor, social injustice, freedom and fairness and equality that are explored in the storyline. You can work to unravel what is the right course of action when both choices seem right and neither seems right, all at the same time. When the path is muddy and unclear and there seems no way to win, to choose, to act, without losing a piece of your soul, what do you do?

What would you do? What does Ari do? Fen? Asher? All the others whose lives get pulled into this complicated quagmire of relationships and politics and injustice and choices so very parallel to what humanity is mired in now. 

So let Vampire Girl take you on a journey. Let it be what you need it to be. Let it entertain. Let it make you fall in love. Let it force you to ask the hard questions. Let it seduce you with magic and wonder. Let it become your escape.

Begin the adventure with book 1, Vampire Girl. And continue it in a few weeks with book 2, Midnight Star.

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AND NOW FOR ALL THE GIVEAWAYS!

We have so many going on, it’s been crazy to keep track of it all. So let’s just dive right in. Some of this will expire when all the prizes have been claimed. Some will expire on a date. I’ll try to keep it updated, but just know that you might click on something that is over. Sorry about that. Some of these are also US only because of rules or restrictions or what-not, but some are international as well.

Before I give you the full list, I want to let you know about a few fun things we are doing for/with our readers! First, we have started a Facebook group for Vampire Girl fans who want a community of fellow VG readers with whom to share the journey. It’s open to everyone, just know that people will be talking about the books, so be careful what you read/see if you haven’t finished the book. You can join it HERE.

Second, I had an idea that I wanted to test out. It first came to me when I realized how much people love sharing the adventure of a new story with their friends. So I thought, what if we encouraged mini Vampire Girl book clubs around the world, and sent free swag packs to those who commit to buying and reading the book with at least four other friends? I’m going to keep this going while supplies last, and while I feel that no one is abusing this system for free stuff. It’s not cheap to buy and mail all this, so I’m really counting on reader honesty here, that you are truly buying and reading the book with your friends as stated in the sign up form. Also, because of crazy costs, I can only ship for free in the US. If you are international, I’m happy to still provide you and your friends with free swag, but you will need to cover shipping. Just make a note in the sign up form.

For those who already belong to a book club, if you want to get your club reading Vampire Girl, then sign up and you can still get the swag for this! You can read all the guidelines and sign up HERE.

And now for the giveaways!  

AMAZON KINDLE giveaway of 50 ebooks of Vampire Girl: CLICK HERE

AMAZON KINDLE giveaway of 13 ebooks of Court of Nightfall: CLICK HERE

A HUGE Fantasy Facebook giveaway where you can win signed books, swag and goodies from us and several other bestselling authors: CLICK HERE

We are also hosting a #VampireGirlPhotoContest where you could win a Vampire Swag pack! To learn more and enter: CLICK HERE

We also have a few Goodreads giveaways going for Vampire Girl and Court of Nightfall. Check them out here:

Goodreads Book Giveaway


Vampire Girl
by Karpov Kinrade

Giveaway ends May 05, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Goodreads Book Giveaway


Court of Nightfall
by Karpov Kinrade
Giveaway ends April 15, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

 

 

Vampire Girl teaser: Chapter 1: ARE YOU READY?

A new kind of vampire series

Are you ready for something new? Something fun and fantasy-filled and dripping with new kinds of vampire lore? Something to sink your teeth into and get lost in? Vampire Girl is the series for you.

The premise is simple: A girl from Portland has to choose: Let her mother’s soul spend eternity in hell, or sell her own soul and marry a prince of hell, becoming a vampire in the process. Of course she picks the second option, thus setting her on an unexpected course of adventure, terror, magic, wonder, and even love. There are seven princes, each the embodiment of one of the seven deadly sins. Each with their own ambitions, their own plotting, their own dark secrets.

But Arianna Spero isn’t the typical ingenue. She doesn’t go quietly, and she doesn’t submit easily. She’s smart, crafty, clever, and strong. She’s a match for each of the princes, and they will soon learn that they can’t manipulate her future to their own ends.

Get ready for an epic adventure that will take you to other realms, other worlds, where vampires and demons and fae live at war with each other, where nothing is as it seems, and where the future is anything but certain.

Vampire Girl is the first full length novel in an ongoing saga that early readers are already raving about. Check out the trailer for this series and enjoy a sneak peek of chapter 1. Look for Vampire Girl everywhere on April 5, 2016. It’s available for preorder on iBooks, B&N and Kobo, with the print edition available for preorder on Amazon. It will be available on Kindle and Google Play on or before April 5. You can also add Vampire Girl on Goodreads and check out the reviews that are rolling in!

VAMPIRE GIRL Chapter 1

“Twilight meets Outlander”: Check out our cinematic book trailer!

Vampire Girl Trailer and Launch

We have new and exciting news that those of you who are signed up to our newsletter or follow our Facebook page probably already know! On Tuesday, April 5, 2016, we are launching a new book in a new series. Vampire Girl is a fantasy/paranormal romance series packed with suspense, intrigue, plot twists, epic magic and… you guessed it… vampires! We’d love for you to check it out. Here’s the cinematic trailer we created to entice you to the dark side.

Fun fact about the trailer. Dmytry Karpov-Kinrade composed the music and did all the sound and video editing. Any sound effects you hear (wind, thunder) were added to the video manually. Lux Karpov-Kinrade wrote the script and did the voice over. It was all in-house, and we are really proud of how it turned out. In fact, it seems there’s some confusion amongst those who watch it as to whether this is a movie, TV show or book? It’s a book, but we are open to the movie and TV show options. (Hint, hint, Hollywood!) Particularly since both of us have ambitions to write and direct movies eventually.

You can currently preorder Vampire Girl at Kobo, iBooks and B&N.

It will go live on Amazon and Google Play on April 5th, and the paperback version will be on preorder for Amazon shortly, with a release date of April 9th. You can add it to Goodreads now, and see what early reviewers are saying about. (Spoiler alert: They LOVE IT!)

Watch this site for the next few days as we offer a sneak peek of the first few chapters of Vampire Girl, and keep an eye on our Facebook page for daily giveaways leading up to launch.

In fact, go there now and check out the pinned post. Vote for the prince of hell you’d want to see king and you could win a 2016 calendar fridge Vampire Girl magnet! We’re giving out one a day through launch, and then the week of launch we’ll have an even bigger giveaway running on our page that you won’t want to miss!

ABOUT VAMPIRE GIRL

From USA TODAY bestselling author, Karpov Kinrade, comes a new series that will suck you in and leave you wanting more. For fans of Twilight, A Shade of Vampire, and Outlander comes a fantasy romance with an original twist on an old tale.

***

You think it’s safe to walk alone at night.  It’s not.

You think the only threat is other humans. It’s not.

Monsters are real. Demons are real. Vampires are real.

And I’m about to become one of them.

My name is Arianna Spero. I was an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life, until my mother lapsed into a coma.  Now, I am her only hope. She made a deal with the devil, and on my 18th birthday he came to collect. But there’s a way to save her. There’s something the princes of hell want more than my mother.

Me.

So I signed my soul away and promised to pick a prince to marry. I would take the blood oath, become one of them, and give them an heir. I would become a princess of hell, and my mother would live.

I expected fire and brimstone.  I expected pain and misery. I didn’t expect beauty.  I didn’t expect magic.

I didn’t expect love.

But the princes are keeping secrets from me.

Secrets that could shatter everything.

 

 

A New Nightfall Book is Here!

We are excited to announce a new book in The Nightfall Chronicles. Song of Kai is a short bridge novel with a unique twist. You get to read the story from the point of view of Scarlett’s best friend, Princess Corinne, as they travel to London to sing the Song of the Dead.

But there is much afoot in the future queen’s kingdom. Arranged marriages, plots to overthrow her family and terrorists threatening to destroy her people. I must admit, I was surprised at how deeply this book touched our early readers. Here is what a few of them had to say:

“I think I cried more with this book than I did with House of Ravens!”

“I hadn’t realized my depth of feelings for Kai until I read this. You did something very right when you created him.”

“Finished Song of Kai last night and I think it is my favourite so far xxx”

“OMG!!! Talk about tears!! The Princess is coming into her own! So proud of her. Kai would be proud. And he would like Jace!!”

Are you ready to meet Jace? To get into the mind of everyone’s favorite princess? To travel to future London and see where Kai, Wytt and Corinne come from? To see a little more into the mysterious King Varian’s past? Then you’re not going to want to miss SONG OF KAI, a very important installment in The Nightfall Chronicles.

Song of Kai on Amazon*

 

Available exclusively on Amazon (and FREE for Kindle Unlimited subscribers!), The Nightfall Chronicles brings together the excitement and intelligence of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Red Rising. Here’s the quick reading order:

Book 1, Court of Nightfall

Book 2, House of Ravens

Book 2.25  Night of Nyx, a novella supplement to House of Ravens

Book 2.5 Song of Kai, a short bridge novel which takes place between books 2 and 3 and is told from the point of view of Princess Corinne ofHouse Ravens

And don’t forget to check out the audiobooks for Court of Nightfall and House of Ravens, coming February 2016 and available for preorder now.

Stay tuned for Book 3, Daughter of Strife, coming this year. Make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter so you get instant access to any new book launches!

*Kindle Unlimited users can read The Nightfall Chronicles FREE! Don’t have Kindle Unlimited? Get a free 30-day trial HERE.

Court of Nightfall 1*
Court of Nightfall Audiobook*
House of Ravens 2*
House of Ravens Audiobook*
Night of Nyx 2.25*
Song of Kai 2.5*

And now for a sneak peek of SONG OF KAI. (***SPOILER ALERT*** Includes Spoilers to House of Ravens.)

SONG OF KAI

A sneak peek

I have sung the Song of the Dead before. As Crown Princess it has been my duty to usher a handful of high ranking puremen with royal blood from this life to the next in formal ceremony. But never have I sung this song for one I loved.I was too young to sing it for my mother. My father sang her song, though how he managed it I will never know. He must have buried his grief deep to make it through that night. And now, I must sing Kai’s.

My heart is heavy as we board the private jet that will fly us from Vianney to London. Wytt and Scarlett are by my side, each quiet, lost in their own thoughts. My father is already on board. Uncle Ragathon has chosen not to come. He said he’s already said his goodbyes, but I know it’s because he can’t bear to return to his former home with so much bitterness between him and my father.

The last time he went to London was for my mother’s memorial. He loved her too much to stay away, and loves her too much still to ever return.

I grip the cold steel stair railing as I climb into the jet. Scarlett raises an eyebrow when we enter, and I know she’s surprised by the opulence. I forget sometimes that she grew up a plebeian, living a life of poverty and food rations, while I dined on pheasant and duck and rich cheeses and chocolates and lived like the Queen I will someday be.

She and I had such different lives, but here we are, in the same place. We would have been sisters someday, had Kai lived. Of that I am sure. He loved her that much. She loved him too. But now, we are more than sisters by marriage. We are bound by the blood of Nephilim. She chose my life over my brother’s.

I still don’t know how to live with that knowledge. That it was to be me or him, and she chose me. I know she’s right, that he would have hated her and himself had she chosen otherwise. And I know the choice must have killed her in some small way.

But she made me an enemy of my people, of my family.

It’s only been a fortnight since that moment forever drenched in blood.

I realize I’ve stopped walking, blocking Wytt and Scarlett from entering. I move forward and take a seat by the window.

The interior is a cream mini-palace with lush leather swivel chairs and a fully stocked bar. Wytt wastes no time in pouring the three of us drinks. My father has already escaped to his private office, leaving the main cabin to us.

Scarlett sinks into the chair across from me and Wytt sits next to her. I know my twin is confused by me these past several days. He chalks it up to grief, to missing Kai, to shock and recovery, but when it doesn’t go away, when the secrets and subterfuge remain, what will I tell him? How do I keep the fact that I’m now Nephilim from the person who knows me best in the world?

Scarlett looks at me like she knows what I’m thinking. Maybe she does. Her silver-blue eyes are kind, sympathetic, and always these days full of apology. I’ve forgiven her, because she is my best friend and I love her and I don’t blame her for making the choice she did. But it won’t stop hurting. For either of us.

Wytt smiles. It doesn’t reach his purple eyes, but he’s trying. “What shall we talk about for the next hour?”

Scarlett’s eyes widen as she stares out the window. “It’s impressive how fast this flies.”

I try not to snort. She stole a military grade fighter jet and uses it as her alter ego, Nightfall. She also has her own set of wings and could fly to London faster than this. But she’s always been a pilot at heart, and this jet must seem like a dream to her.

Wytt nods his head regally. “Nothing but the best for a lady as fair as thee.”

His flirtations fall flat, and I wonder how long it will take us to get back to normal. Is there such thing anymore? Can we find a new kind of normal after all this pain?

We drink in silence, and I am surprised when my father steps out of his office and calls my name.

“Corinne, I need to speak with you.”

Scarlett and Wytt look up at me as I stand. Wytt raises an eyebrow. “Any idea what this is about?”

I shrug. “Not a one.”

My father is sitting behind a mahogany desk when I come in. I sink into the chair facing it.

He looks tired, older than his years. He’s a vibrant man, tall, muscular, fit, with long brown hair pulled back in a tie and dark purple eyes that see everything and everyone. He’s always assessing, always planning and plotting. But now the skin around his eyes is puffy, and dark bruises shadow them. His face looks drawn, as if he hasn’t slept in far too long.

He and Kai never got on well, but I know he loved my brother as much as any of us, no matter what Kai thought. I can’t imagine losing a child and still having to run a country.

“Corinne, I wanted to speak with you privately before we land in London.”

“Alright,” I say cautiously. I get the sense I am not going to like what he is about to tell me.

“You’re aware of the terrorist calling himself Nico Rex?”

“Yes, of course.” His Latin name roughly translates to Killer of Kings, though so far he has killed no royalty. Still, he’s been a problem ever since he destroyed an A-Tech factory in Sapientia.

“Good,” says Varian. “Then we shall speak briefly.” He clicks on his eGlass and the eScreen on the wall changes from a waterfall to a newscast.

A pert redhead stands in front of the burning remains of a building. “I’m on the scene at the A-Tech factory outside London, where famed terrorist Nico Rex has struck again, this time destroying the second largest A-Tech lab in the kingdom. At this time seven causalities have been reported by the Hospitallers, with many more injured and seeking medical treatment. Jace Whitman, new CEO of A-Tech since the death of his grandfather, was not present at the time of the bombing, and has not made a statement to press. We understand that King Varian will be returning to his kingdom shortly. Stay tuned for a debate on what this loss means for the King. With A-Tech currently bringing in the bulk of wealth for the kingdom, the destruction of this world-renowned company could spell the end of the Ravens’ reign.”

I watch in dismay as bodies are pulled from the wreckage on gurneys. “News of this will have already reached our enemies at Court,” I say.

He clenches his jaw at the mention of our rivals. “Yes. The Yorks and Skys make dealings behind my back. We’ll have an uprising soon. One of the lesser houses will try to overthrow us.”

I sit up straighter, the regal Princess ready perform her duty. “What would you have me do?”

He drinks deeply from his goblet before answering. “Marry. Marry the Prince of Crows and gain their allegiance.”

My chest tightens, feeling the control of loss over my own body. The choice of whom I wed was likely never going to be mine. I knew this, but still, I am not prepared.

I stare into my father’s eyes, seeing the ghost of past deeds buried there. “You really ask me of this?”

He sighs. “I know the timing is poor, but it must be done. I agreed to the marriage proposal a few minutes ago.”

“Yes, of course,” I say, clenching my sweaty hands. “Who will it be? Arion, or Norin?”

“Norin.” Not the Crown Prince, then. The one who pulled on my hair when we were little and together at Court.

“And when is this supposed marriage to take place?” I ask through gritted teeth.

My father at least has the decency to look moderately ashamed when he answers me. “Two days after Kai’s memorial.”

“What?” I stand now, anger fueling my need for movement. I fight the instinct to unleash my wings. “That’s less than a fortnight.”

“It was the only way they’d agree.”

“They would be getting a Queen out of the bargain. Can’t they wait until I’m at least out of mourning?”

“I’m sorry, Corinne. I wish there was another way.”

I walk to the door leading out of his office, then turn, my hand on the polished knob. There is another way, and I will find it.

 

Song of Kai on Amazon*

#Always #AlanRickman #RIP

I found out about the passing of Alan Rickman the way I find out most of my news these days… on Facebook before I’d fully left my bed this morning. The world is still mourning the loss of another great man, David Bowie, and now we lose someone so iconic, so brilliant… my heart felt this one a lot.

Rickman had a brilliant career in acting beyond his role in Harry Potter. sums it up well:

Rickman first came to the attention of American audiences as “Vicomte de Valmont” in “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” on Broadway in 1987 (he was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the role). Denied the role in the film version of the show, Rickman instead made his first movie appearance opposite in Die Hard (1988) as the villain, “Hans Gruber”. Rickman’s take on the urbane villain set the standard for screen villains for decades to come. Though often cited as being a master of playing villains, Rickman has actually played a wide variety of characters, such as the romantic cello-playing ghost “Jamie” in ‘s Truly Madly Deeply (1990) and the noble “Colonel Brandon” of Sense and Sensibility (1995). He’s treated audiences to his comedic abilities with films like Dogma (1999), Galaxy Quest (1999) and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), and roles like “Dr. Alfred Blalock” in Something the Lord Made (2004) and “Alex Hughes” in Snow Cake (2006), showcase his ability to play ordinary men in extraordinary situations. Rickman even conquered the daunting task of singing a part in a musical as he took on the part of “Judge Turpin” in the movie adaptation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007).

In 2001, Rickman introduced himself to a whole new, and younger, generation of fans by taking on the role of “Severus Snape” in the movie versions of ‘s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001). He has continued to play the role through the eighth and last movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011).

While I have loved him in many of these roles, his most legendary to me will always be Severus Snape. In all of Harry Potter, that character touched me the most deeply with his complex backstory and layers of light and dark. In the end, the light won, as it is wont to do, and he became forevermore a character that will live on as an unlikely hero. He had the most tragic narrative, always the villain but never really the villain at all. Living a double life to save the son of the woman he loved but who didn’t love him. No one else could have brought so much to the role of Snape but Alan Rickman. He will always be Snape to me, and to so many others.

The world has lost a great talent today, and his family has lost even more. Wherever you are, whatever new adventure you find yourself on now, know this Alan Rickman: Your mark on this world will never be forgotten. You will live on always. #RIP #Always

A new epic fantasy with mystery, magic and danger!

Wow. What a year this has already been. It’s gone by so fast, but so much has happened! We are finding that fall and winter is our time to write, create and launch new epic works, and this year is no different. Last winter we brought you the first of The Nightfall Chronicles, a dystopian fantasy superhero series set in the future of a fantasy-based world like ours. We are continuing that adventure with more books and novellas in that series, so stay tuned.

But we are also bringing you something entirely new. Today we launch the first in a brand new epic fantasy series that is near and dear to our hearts. This is a series of novellas set in a unique world we’ve been creating for almost two years now. Epic fantasy was our first and most enduring love–as readers and writers–but it’s taken us a few years to actually start publishing in this genre. We’re so excited to come back to our roots with Part One in The Shattered Islands series, The Rakam. 

A few years ago we began creating a magic system that was based on gemstones charged by either the sun or the moon (or both, in some cases.) Different stones allowed the practitioner to cast different kinds of magic, and the use of those stones altered their physical appearance. Nails, eyes and hair would slowly change colors, matching the stones they were using most regularly.

As we slowly built this new world, with maps and sketches of creatures, and as we developed cultures and political structures that felt fun and interesting, we also spent many hours watching a series of classes Brandon Sanderson taught on writing epic fantasy. For those not familiar, Brandon Sanderson is one of the best epic fantasy authors of our time. His books are some of our favorites in this genre (which is saying a lot, considering how much we read in this genre), and he is a genius at world building, plotting and character development. If you haven’t read his work, we recommend starting with either Mistborn or Warbreaker. Both are great. We learned so much from his classes, and they really helped us more fully create the world in which this new series takes place.

We originally thought we’d write a full length epic fantasy, and we had some early concepts for plots centered around two sisters. While those ideas are still on our list of possibilities, we knew this summer that we wanted to start with something different. Something that would be more ‘bite-sized’ to woo our readers to a new genre (for many of you), but would also be something meaty and exciting for long-time epic fantasy fans.

This novella, while short, is packed with story and intrigue. As one reviewer put it, “It is like a big story in a little book. I think that they throw a little bit of magic in to their stories to keep you coming back for more.” ~Nancy (The Avid Reader)

While shorts are more standard in science fiction, they can work in epic fantasy as well. In fact, our other favorite epic fantasy writer, Patrick Rothfuss, won the Writers of the Future Award for a novella length piece that ended up becoming part of his wildly popular Name of the Wind series. And Hugh Howey, a NYT bestselling science fiction author we love, is killing it with his shorts, such as his international bestselling WOOL series and his latest (and incredible) BEACON series. So, we thought it would be fun to experiment with a shorter series of works following the same character in the same world. These are stand alone stories that tell a bigger story in the end. The advantage is a fast read with a compelling storyline, and because we will continue to write them, you will also benefit from being immersed in this world and this character, to ultimately enjoy the depth of story and world-building so rich in this genre.

We hope you enjoy this newest creation of ours. We certainly loved writing it. And good news, Part Two will be launching on October 22, 2015, so mark your calendars. Shells & Stones should be up on preorder any day now!

Grab your copy of The Shattered Islands: Part One: The Rakam on Amazon today for just 99cents, or get it FREE on KindleUnlimited.

Also, stay tuned for more blog posts where we will discuss the world-building of this series and share sketches of what we imagine the creatures and places we’ve created would look like! Be sure to sign up for our newsletter, if you haven’t already, as today we sent out the first of those sketches!

THE SHATTERED ISLANDS: PART ONE: THE RAKAM

I have seen a fallen ship once, heard the bone chill screams and swam in the blood red water. I have fought the rakam and lived. I have loved a woman and lost her to the waves. I have seen the black kiasheen. Now, I am on a ship I do not recognize with people I do not call friend. They ask me who I am. I tell them little…

For I am here for them.

I must find their secrets. I must speak to the woman with the blue eyes. When I am finished, perhaps I will tell them who I am, for they have heard my story, and they think they know the end.

They are wrong.

This is only the start.

And tonight, I begin.

Grab your copy of The Shattered Islands: Part One: The Rakam on Amazon today for just 99cents, or get it FREE on KindleUnlimited.

Introducing Alex Lux! (Plus some EXCLUSIVE fun goodies just for fans!)

Change is in the air. Not only are we bridging the gap between spring and summer (I can’t believe our kids only have 2.5 weeks of school left!!), but the KK branding is going through some changes as well.

You may have noticed in the last week that many of our books now have a new name. Alex Lux. It’s not a mistake, and no, we haven’t been pirated. Fear not, dear readers, it is all part of our master plan. We’ve realized since launching Court of Nightfall that it’s become difficult to balance the marketing and branding of writing both fantasy/sci fi for most ages and romance for adults. The genres, readers and overall feel are just so very different. And balancing the launch schedule between the two genres, and what kind of energy we want our website, Facebook, Twitter and newsletter to have… it just made more sense to create a pen name for our romance so we can be ALL ROMANCE with Alex, and ALL FANTASY/SCI FI with KK. It’s all VERY exciting for us!

So that’s what we’ve done. Any book we have that is sexually explicit and/or has a primarily romantic theme is now under Alex Lux. We will continue to publish romance under her name, both in paranormal romance and romantic suspense primarily–and anything we’ve written in those genres has been switched to our Alex Lux name. So you will see The Seduced Saga, the Call Me Cat trilogy, the Hitched books and When the Heart Falls as Alex Lux. Our scifi/fantasy work will continue to be under our Karpov Kinrade, and so you’ll still see The Nightfall Chronicles and The Forbidden Trilogy there.

Why the name Alex Lux? It’s special to us. Alex is the shortened version of Dmytry’s middle name and Lux comes from our Nightfall series. Lux Aeterna, Nox Aeterna. Latin for Light Eternal, Night Eternal. It’s the emblem for the Twilight Court of Sunrise and Nightfall, which those of you who have read our fantasy and scifi series will be familiar with.

We have some BIG plans for both pen names in the coming months and years, so stay tuned. Make sure you’re signed up for the KK and Alex Lux newsletters so don’t miss out on exclusive giveaways and launch announcements!

Sign up for our Karpov Kinrade newsletter here.
Sign up for our Alex Lux newsletter here.

And now for the even MORE fun stuff!

As a special limited time opportunity for our fans, we are making limited-edition, loaded “book date” packs available with the books that have Karpov Kinrade as their author name. These books are no longer in print as KK, since they’ve all been converted to Alex Lux. This is your ONLY chance to get copies of these signed books, and only while supplies last. We can’t even order anymore. They are GONE!

We’ll have TWO different options. Read about them below, and order yours HERE.

Option #1: KK Blind Book  Date and swag! ($25)

For $25, you can order a KK Blind Book Date and will receive:

1 (one) signed KK title that is now out of print and will be Alex Lux
1 KK Naughty keychain now out of circulation
1 Hitched postcard (signed)
Bookmarks for the Call Me cat Trilogy, When the Heart Falls, Seduced andHitched (signed)
A bonus hand-made swag item  (a surprise!)
1 signed Hitched poster (signed)

If you want to request a particular book, please include a note during checkout.We will try to to honor all requests, but cannot make guarantees due to the limited availability of titles. Books will be wrapped in brown paper and signed and doodled on by the two of us, so even the wrapping is a collector’s item! All of these items are limited edition now out of circulation. Available only while supplies last.

Option #2: Swagalicious Goodness! ($15)

If you just want the swag pack of signed out-of-circulation items, this one is the one for you. For $15 you can order a swag pack that includes:

1 KK Naughty keychain now out of circulation
1 Hitched postcard (signed)
Bookmarks for the Call Me cat Trilogy, When the Heart Falls, Seduced and Hitched (signed)
A bonus hand-made swag item  (a surprise!)
1 signed Hitched poster (signed)

PLEASE NOTE: This option does NOT include a signed book. All of these items are limited edition now out of circulation. Available only while supplies last.

BEST OF ALL, everyone who orders is automatically entered into a giveaway of a signed set of all Alex Lux titles: The Seduced Saga (5 books), the Call Me Cat trilogy (3 books), Hitched, Whipped and When the Heart Falls.
Order your KK Blind Book Date HERE–hurry, before they’re all gone!