Karpov Kinrade's Blog, page 7

Writing mystery. When do you know ‘whodunit’?

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Here’s the secret we’ve been hiding all along. The REAL culprit.

Every now and again we get asked questions on our FB page by our fans (or via email, etc.) and sometimes it makes more sense to answer them in a blog post. So, today we’ll be answering a question about Tell Me True (the third book in the Call Me Cat trilogy which will be coming out in the not-too-distant future) by Cindy, one of our super KK Minion Fans!

So since I have no idea how a writers mind works, I have a question. Don’t laugh at me. I’m assuming since your book is almost finished (hoping it is) That you already know ‘whodunit’. But, when did you know? Do you know when you first get the idea for a book, or somewhere mid-writing, or how does that work?

First, for those who aren’t familiar with this series, Call Me Cat, Leave Me Love and Tell Me True are the three books in a tight cliffhanger trilogy of mystery and romance. This trilogy centers around Catelyn Travis, a law school student struggling to make ends meet and forced into a job she despises in order to survive who is being stalked by the man who killed her parents years ago-The Midnight Murderer. When she meets the sexy bad boy billionaire Ashton Davenport, her life goes from complicated to crazy overnight!

And each book brings you closer (and farther) from the truth. Our KK Minion Army peeps would have you believe we are EVIL for stringing you along and torturing you in such a way. They’d be right. But they love the torture.

So, in answer to Cindy’s question, YES we do know whodunit. As for when we knew… that’s a little more complicated.

When we wrote the first chapter, just to get the feel of Catelyn and her world, we didn’t know whodunit. We didn’t know much, it was more an exploration of character. Then we brainstormed and talked and created more of their world based on the premise of “broke girl in law school with dark past takes up phone sex for work and meets sexy billionaire”. It developed from there. We knew early on the ultimate whodunit, but as the story has developed, so has the ending.

In other words, we didn’t have the second and third book totally mapped out when we wrote the first book, but we knew the direction the story was going in. And as the characters grew and developed, they showed us some extra twists that we hadn’t thought of and didn’t know when we started writing this trilogy. So it’s been a fun journey with the characters themselves revealing a more intricate plot and story than we’d first conceived.

Now keep in mind, this is just us. Other writers write differently. Some have a whole series mapped out to the nth degree before they start writing, others write completely by the seat of their pants from the very beginning. We do a combination of the two, though with a book we like to know before we’ve written too much where it’s going and how we’re going to get there.

I know you’re now thinking that this whole time we’ve known the truth and we’ve tortured you by withholding it. And you’d be right. But I promise, us telling you the ending would be SO DISAPPOINTING compared to what you’ll experience when you read it.

Thanks for the question, Cindy, and if anyone else has any questions about us or our writing, just let us know. You might find your answers here someday!

We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Want more from Karpov Kinrade? Check out our Amazon page here. New to our work? Get Seduced by Innocence FREE everywhere ebooks are sold, and find out why the Seduced Saga is a bestselling fan favorite!

The WeeKKend Recap!

Another week has come and gone. And what a week it was! Let’s go over all the awesomeness the past week contained (and a few things that it didn’t) in today’s WeeKKend Recap!

Have you read Call Me Cat or Leave Me Love?

If you’ve read either/both of the books, we would really, really, really, REALLY appreciate it if you left a review on Amazon! A star rating and a line or two about what you thought is all you need to do. We love ALL reviews, so don’t be shy! 

Leave your review for Call Me Cat here.

Leave your review for Leave Me Love here.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  

Read Chapter One of Tell Me True!

Are you just dying for the last installment of the Call Me Cat series to come out? Then you’ll definitely want to click here–it’s Chapter One!

Make sure you pick up our free books!

If you’re new to our work (and even if you’re not), you should go pick up our two bestselling fan favorites–they’re FREE everywhere ebooks are sold: Seduced by Innocence and Forbidden Mind.

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And if you’ve already downloaded and read them, leave us a review! We love and appreciate ALL reviews tremendously!

Be our Fan of the Week!

Congratulations to Flor Padilla, our KK Fan of the Week!

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Wanna get in on the action and potentially win a $5 Amazon giftcard? All you gotta do is participate and be a fan on our Facebook fan page. Comment on, like, and share ANY of the posts on the page–every comment, like, and share will automatically enter you to win a $5 Amazon giftcard and be our Fan of the Week. It’s our way of saying THANKS for being AWESOME!

We announce a new Fan of the Week every Sunday evening.

Come on and join the fun!

Phew, what a week! Here’s to another awesome week coming up…make it a great one!
We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Want more from Karpov Kinrade? Check out our Amazon page here. New to our work? Get Seduced by Innocence FREE everywhere ebooks are sold, and find out why the Seduced Saga is a bestselling fan favorite!

When is Tell Me True coming out?? (Also, here’s Chapter 1, OMG!)

Based on the emails, comments here and comments on Facebook and twitter, it seems you all want to know when Tell Me True, the last book in the Call Me Cat trilogy, is coming out. Am I right?

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I wish I could give you an exact date. The problem with exact dates is they often change based on life stuff that inevitably creeps in. We try to get you the books the minute they are ready (edited, formatted, etc) so we don’t have a lot of lead time in setting launch dates. We cut it to the wire every single time because we know you’re anxious for the next book and we want to make all our readers happy! So… we will announce the launch date of Tell Me True here, in our newsletter, on Facebook, in our KK Minion Army and on Twitter once it’s in the final stages of editing. Then we’ll know for sure that it’ll be ready.

Once it’s live, we’ll announce the link to all those places again. So if you’re not following us or subscribed to our newsletter (the sure fire way to get info the moment it’s available), then I’d suggest doing so. You’ll never miss a new launch or big announcement that way! (And we don’t spam or share your info with others. Pinky swear!)

As to when it will be in the final stages of editing… I don’t have a date on that. If I did, I’d have a launch date.  All I can say is we’re working REALLY HARD on this book to get it out as fast as possible. Why is it taking so long? Well, let’s put this in perspective. Book 1, Call Me Cat, came out February 17, 2014. Book 2, Leave Me Love, came out March 24, 2014. That’s two books in just over a month. That’s fast, folks, just as an FYI. While we’d HOPED to have Tell Me True out in April, three books in three months turned out to be more than we could do with a week-long spring break, three kids, and new fitness focused challenges that we’ve engaged in. (Because sitting on our asses writing all day is great for the mind, but not so great for the body!)

Also, this last book is probably about twice as long as the other two, AND it’s wickedly twisty and fun. Which means it’s taking longer to write. It’s harder to write. And it’s EPICALLY AWESOME!

It’ll be worth the wait, however long that is. I promise. If you’ve read this far and are anxious for the last book, you won’t (we really, really hope) be disappointed.

And btw, we LOVE YOU ALL! You helped ROCK Call Me Cat and Leave Me Love into amazing #1 bestseller lists in romantic mystery and other categories and Leave Me Love spent a week in the top 100s of ALL OF AMAZON! So, THANK YOU! We couldn’t be more excited that you love this series this much. It warms the cockles of our hearts and thrills us to no end. Cat and Ash say thank you as well. xoxo

If you’re new to our work, did you know we have lots of other COMPLETE series available for your reading pleasure while you wait? You can even try a few of them for FREE!

Check out Forbidden Mind or Seduced by Innocence (Derek. Just. Yes.) for two other trilogies to sink your teeth into. And for a beautiful stand alone romance set in Paris, you might enjoy When the Heart Falls. (You’ll love Cade, I promise!)

In the meantime, here is a horribly evil teaser of the first chapter of Tell Me True.
>>>WARNING: Spoilers! Do not read if you have not read Call Me Cat and Leave Me Love! SPOILERS AHEAD! <<<
Chapter 1: Tell Me True

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People say you fall in love, like you might fall into a puddle or a ditch. I think love is a choice, mostly. There are some hormones and pheromones involved in attraction, but love, the act of loving another person, that’s a choice you have to make every day. The best kind of love is slow burning and long lasting. Which scared me, because the love I felt for Ash was blazing hot and burned so bright I worried it would burn me up in it.

My hand shook as I fiddled with the rhinestones that formed an intricate design on my one-shoulder garza wedding gown.

Bridgette slapped my hand away as she artfully arranged the curls of my dark hair around the glittering head circlet that rested in the center of my forehead with a teardrop diamond. “You look amazing. Like you just stepped out of a bridal magazine.”

I didn’t reply. My throat had gone dry and I sipped on a bottle of water through a straw so I wouldn’t mess up my lipstick or make up. It felt too caked on and the dress, while stunning, made me nervous. A custom made Vera Wang. One-of-a-kind. It had been made just for me by the most famous wedding dress designer in the world. That made my head spin and I was terrified I would spill something on it and destroy it forever.

I’d endured every fitting like a statue, scared to move for fear I’d rip the delicate silk, and now the day was here and I should be excited. I was excited. And nervous. Scared. And excited. Did I mention excited?

Twisting my engagement ring, which had been moved to my right hand for the exchange of wedding rings, I paced the dressing room of the posh Boston hotel. I didn’t dare put on my heels, also custom made to match the dress, until it was time. Nightmares of breaking my leg walking down the aisle have haunted me for weeks.

My phone beeped and I nearly tripped over my train reaching for it before Bridgette could grab it.

 You looked beautiful last night at the rehearsal dinner.

My heart skipped a beat as I erased the text. Jon shouldn’t be texting me like this. I’d have to talk to him. Again.

“Who was that? Prince Charming?” Bridgette turned her back to me so I could zip her into the pale blue bridesmaid dress she’d picked out to match her eyes.

“Um, no, it was just a text about the cake.”

“Oh, okay. Any problems?”

“Nope. But could you go and check on everything? See if people are here yet?”

She paused, scrutinizing me. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I just don’t like to be the center of attention. You know that. And we invited so many people.”

“It’s the wedding of the century. Most Eligible Bachelor marries the girl who not only survived, but ended the Midnight Murderer. You’re lucky the Davenports managed to keep the numbers as low as they did.” Bridgette smiled as if we were talking about which flavor cake to order for the wedding.

She’d helped end the Midnight Murderer too, and it had left its mark on us both. I could see it in her overly cheerful demeanor whenever anything got too serious. At least it was over. She’d gotten some help after shooting— and killing— the woman who nearly destroyed my life and nothing bad had happened in six months. We could finally move on with our lives.

Bridgette ducked out of the overly feminine room, leaving me alone and at a loss. I didn’t want to sit and wrinkle my dress, so I paced the peach floor again, scrolling through texts and deleting everything from Jon.

A knock on the door startled me and I dropped my phone. Ash came in, closing the door behind him, and picked up my phone, without taking his eyes off me.

I blushed under the attention. “Isn’t it bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?”

He stood, his broad shoulders filling out the black tux perfectly. His dark hair, always a bit disheveled, refused to stay in place, but that only made him more handsome in my book. I placed a hand on his chest, my french manicure making a nice contrast against his lapel.

He traced a line down my cheek with his finger, careful not to mess my makeup. “I had to see you first, before the rest of the world got to.” His breath hitched. “You look… angelic. I can’t believe I finally get to be your husband.”

A lump formed in my throat. I loved this man beyond words. It had only been six months since he asked me to marry him, but in that time we’d fallen more deeply in love than I could have imagined. I’d give anything to spare him more pain and heartache in his life and I prayed that loving me wouldn’t add to his burden.

“It’s not too late to run away and have a private wedding somewhere remote,” I said with a small smile.

He laughed. “I think my family and all of our friends would have something to say about that.”

“So everyone’s here?”

“Yes. Well, except Jon. I’ve been trying to reach him. You’d think the best man would be on time to his brother’s wedding.”

I ran the pad of my finger over the worry line in his forehead. “He’ll be here. Making him the best man was the right thing to do.”

Ash leaned in to kiss me but I pushed him away. “Do you have any idea how long it took to put this face on? Bridgette will kill me if I let you ruin it.” I wanted to kiss him though. Wanted to wipe off the face and pull off the dress and lay in his arms with the sounds of a tropical rainforest as our backdrop.

Later. That would have to wait for later. First, we had a wedding to get through.

And when I caught a glimpse of us standing together, his hand around my waste, I smiled. We did look like a fairytale couple ready to live happily ever after.

Bridgette rushed back in breathless. “It’s time!”

She frowned at Ash. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“It’s my right to see my bride first.”

The three of us walked out of the hotel and toward the gardens where the ceremony would take place. Ash and I waited out of sight of the guests as Bridgette got everything and everyone in place.

Jon ran toward us from the parking lot, out of breath but smiling, his golden-boy-blond looks a stark contrast to his brother’s darker look. Two men, both so handsome and both so very different from each other in nearly every way. “I told you I’d be here on time,” he said to a frowning Ash.

“You’re not on time. You’re late. Do you have the rings?”

Jon patted his jacket. “Shit! I left them in the car. I’ll be right back.”

The wedding music began and I knew we were supposed to start walking soon, but Jon needed to be at the front before then.

Ash and I had agreed to toss aside convention and walk down the aisle together, since, one: I didn’t believe in being ‘given away’ by one man to another and found the whole notion entirely outdated, and two: I didn’t have a father to give me away. Mr. Davenport and Professor Cavin had both offered, but this felt right to Ash and me. We were entering marriage together, as equals, it made sense that we would approach the altar that way.

I peeked around the bushes we were hiding behind to admire the rows of white chairs and the towering floral arrangements of wild orchids that lined the carpeted path toward the priest who waited patiently on the small stage. It was lit with candles and made colorful by thousands of flowers. The music came from someone playing a grand piano that had been brought out just for us.

In a few minutes I would officially be Catelyn Travis-Davenport, and married to the most amazing man I’d ever known.

The explosion blasted behind us, throwing bits of metal and heat toward us.

I dropped my bouquet and spun around as a second explosion obliterated what little was left of Jon’s car.

With Jon in it.

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We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Want more from Karpov Kinrade? Check out our Amazon page here. New to our work? Get Seduced by Innocence FREE everywhere ebooks are sold, and find out why the Seduced Saga is a bestselling fan favorite!

Get this HOT and sexy mystery FREE this week only!

[image error]This week only, our newest, and maybe most popular, trilogy is rising the charts on Amazon with Call Me Cat FREE all week long! Kimberly’s birthday is this month and what better way to celebrate than to give YOU a gift! So grab your copy today of this romantic, sexy mystery that keep you guessing even after you’re done!

Get it FREE on Amazon HERE.

Get the sequel, Leave Me Love, HERE!

And watch for the final book, Tell Me True, coming early May.

For those still on the fence, here’s chapter 1 to whet your appetite. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Call Me Cat-Chapter One
One is Such a Lonely Number

THIS IS WHY I don’t date.

It had been some time since my last attempt at dating, and while not all were complete disasters, many were. I was a magnet for a certain kind of man. The kind mothers warn their daughters about.

This guy was no exception.

He stared at me with wide brown eyes, waiting for something. I didn’t know what to say, didn’t know why I agreed to visit his dorm room before we went out for coffee. He sounded so reasonable on the phone. “You swing by and we head out. I just getting out of class so I need to change.”

I found his Italian accent charming, and my best friend had assured me he was ‘hot.’ She’d set us up on a blind date, this guy from her bio-chem class, and I’d stupidly agreed because Bridgette knew me well enough after four years of undergrad to gauge my taste in men, right?

Apparently not.

He stood with his legs crossed, rainbow stripes running up his socks, one pulled all the way up his calf, the other squashed to his shoe. He wore crumpled shorts, which weren’t weird by themselves, but the entire outfit made me think of Urkel from that old sitcom Family Matters, down to the suspenders. Who wears suspenders anymore?

I cleared my throat. “May I use your restroom before we go?”

He nodded and pointed to the tiny bathroom attached to his messy dorm room. I let myself in and locked the door behind me, then checked the mirror. I so seldom wore makeup that I’d rubbed at it without realizing, making my brown eyes raccoon-like. A quick fix and another swipe of red lipstick, and I was set.

Adjusting my ponytail, catching a few dark strands of hair that got loose, I glanced at the toilet, where an empty condom floated in the water like an abandoned boat lost at sea.

I snapped a picture with my cell phone and texted Brig. THIS is who you set me up with. Thanks so much.

My phone beeped a moment later. WTF? Is that from the two of you?

Um, no! Gross. I just got here. He must have had company before me.

LOL. I’ll call you and bail you out. I’m SO sorry. He seemed nice in class. And the hair.

My fingers flew over the keypad. I’ll give you that one, he does have gorgeous hair.

He was still standing in the same place when I returned, his clothes still misaligned. “Shall we go with coffee now?”

I faked a smile and walked toward the door. “Sure.”

As he locked up, he watched me again with this expectant expression. “You not say anything?”

“About what?”

He glanced at his socks. “About these. I test you, see if you notice, but you not say anything.”

My phone rang and I answered. “Yes?”

Brig whispered like we were spies in a covert operation about to go wrong. “Meet me at the diner, and I’ll buy you lunch. It’s the least I can do after setting you up.”

“Oh my God, are you okay?” I feigned concern. “Yes, of course, I’ll be there right away.”

Brig chuckled. “Oh you’re good. If your career in law doesn’t work out, you could always try theater.”

I hung up and faced my failed date. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”

He frowned. “Everything okay?”

“An emergency. You understand? But thank you all the same. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

He hollered after me as I scurried down the hall. “I call you later.”

“Um, sure.” I made a note to block his number as I headed to the diner Brig and I had eaten at for the last five years. Burger Oil’s food lacked quality and taste, but the prices were cheap—and cheap was perfect for college.

Cool, crisp air cleared my senses as I made the long walk from Italian Dude’s dorms.

When I arrived, Brig pointed at her non-existent watch dramatically, her long blond hair hovering around her head like a halo above her pale face and ice blue eyes. “Did you crawl here?” She looked outside and back at me. “You walked? Is the Bruiser in the shop again?”

“It would be, if I could afford to take it to the shop.” The Bruiser was the nickname we coined for my piece of shit Camaro the night it died and forced us to walk to a party in high heels. Our feet were bruised from the walking, thus the name.

“You should have called. I could have picked you up.”

I shrugged. “I needed the walk.”

“Can’t you get more student loans to help?”

She’d already ordered me a cup of coffee. I added sugar and creamer and sipped. “I’m maxed out as it is.”

“What are you going to do?”

Before I could answer the waitress rescued me by asking for our order. Once she left I changed the subject. “No more dates. I’m so done with men. Besides, I’ve got a huge paper due before winter break, and I won’t get done if I don’t get started on my research.”

Brig rolled her eyes. “You’ll do fine. Your biggest concern is whether you’ll get an A+ or an A++. It’s in your blood. Are you still using your mom’s book as the springboard for your paper?”

“Yes. Her research into sociopaths and psychopaths intrigues me, and I think there’s more to uncover in relation to prosecuting them in court. But I have a long ways to go before I’m ready to formulate my own opinions on the subject.”

Our meals came and we both dug in, not talking until we finished and sipped another cup of coffee.

“I feel like I never see you anymore,” Brig said, pouting her lips like a model.

“I know. You should have come to law school with me.”

“Right,” she laughed, “because the world needs more lawyers and fewer doctors.” She tapped her fingernails on the table. “You could always move in with me. You hate your roommate, I hate mine. It’s a perfect scenario.”

“Except for the fact that my shitty apartment is half the rent of living on campus, and I’m pretty sure your parents don’t want you slumming with me.”

“Money is such a bore. We need to find a way to make you rich.” She said this with the air of someone who’s never had to worry about money, but I didn’t resent her. She tried to understand, and she’d been a good friend. My best and only friend, really. It wasn’t her fault her parents were richer than God and mine were gone.

“Thanks for the lunch,” I said, “but I’ve got to get going. This paper isn’t going to write itself.”

Brig paid the check, and we walked out together. “Let me at least drive you home.”

“Thanks, but I have to pick up some financial aid paperwork for next semester before I head back. Want to come over this weekend and do a study date? Evil Roommate will be gone, or so she says.”

Brig smiled, her cheeks dimpling. “Sure. I’ll bring dinner.”

“Sounds good. See you then.”

I walked away, sad that I couldn’t spend more time with her. I missed our undergrad days when we shared a dorm and had time for fun. Law school put new meaning to the “all work, no play” idiom.

Mrs. Hensel sat at her desk when I arrived just before closing. “Ah, Catelyn, there you are. I have your paperwork.”

She handed me the stack, and I skimmed through it, frowning as I mentally crunched the numbers. “My financial aid went down?”

Mrs. Hensel furrowed her brow. “I’m afraid so. Not just for you, dear, but for everyone. Budget cuts.”

“But tuition has gone up.” My palms started to sweat as I considered what this meant.

“At least you have a few months to work and save. Is there anyone you can call to help?”

About to cry, I shook my head and ducked out, cursing mascara and tears. I couldn’t make enough in the next few months to cover the difference. I’d spent the start of fall semester living on so much nutritionally-void Ramen Noodles it was a wonder I didn’t have scurvy. If I had to budget any more, I’d be living on water and air.

Running through the courtyard, trying to calm my brain enough to figure out a plan, I crashed into someone, and we both dropped everything. When I looked up, it was into the eyes of the sexiest man I’d ever met. He seemed a bit older than me, maybe in his late twenties or early thirties, but had the air of someone who didn’t take responsibility too seriously. He wore jeans that hung on his hips just right and a black leather jacket that gave him a bad boy vibe. He scooped up a motorcycle helmet and brushed off the dust.

I sucked in my breath and reached for my books. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching.”

“It’s my fault.” His voice was hot and cold and sent a shiver through me. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

He picked up the last of the paperwork, and we both stood. His eyes, dark and penetrating, seemed to peer right into me. His black hair flopped over his forehead in that casual “just out of bed” way that men worked hard at achieving but so rarely did. Certainly not like him.

Our fingers brushed against each other when he passed the papers back. His hands were tanned, with long fingers both strong and gentle.

He gazed at my books and smiled. “Law school?”

“Yes. Guess it’s pretty obvious. Do you go to school here?”

“My parents wish I did, but no. I’m just meeting my brother.”

My stomach dropped as I realized I’d likely never run into him again. “Well, I don’t want to keep you. Thanks for the help.”

He paused, as if wanting to say something, but turned to leave.

I spun away, still trying to catch my breath as I pretended to examine the ads on the student bulletin board.

One ad caught my eye, and I pulled it off and read. Do you have a nice voice? Want to double or triple your income and work from home? Call us and leave a message. If we like what we hear, we’ll call you back.

If I could double or triple my income, I could actually survive the rest of the year. I dialed the number to the telemarketing job and left a message in my most professional voice and hung up, heart racing.

With a renewed hope for the future, and not a small amount of daydreaming about Mr. Mystery Man, I headed home, completely forgetting for the first time in years what day it was.

It wasn’t until I checked the mail that I remembered.

With trembling hands I opened the card, always on the same embossed cream stationary. Always typed in Helvetica twelve-point font. Always postmarked from a different city in the country.

And always with the same message. Another year and still alone. One is such a lonely number.

I dropped the card and stood there shaking, trying to breathe. I called Brig but got her voicemail. “He found me again. The man who killed my parents. He found me.”

Keep reading…

Get it FREE on Amazon HERE.

Get the sequel, Leave Me Love, HERE!

And watch for the final book, Tell Me True, coming early May.

We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Want more from Karpov Kinrade? Check out our Amazon page here. New to our work? Get Seduced by Innocence FREE everywhere ebooks are sold, and find out why the Seduced Saga is a bestselling fan favorite!

The WeeKKend Recap!

Another week has come and gone. And what a week it was! Let’s go over all the awesomeness the past week contained (and a few things that it didn’t) in today’s WeeKKend Recap!

Call for reviews!

We’ve got a big promo on Monday for Call Me Cat and we would LOVE to have as many reviews as possible for it and for Leave Me Love on Amazon as we can before then. If you’re read either/both of the books and haven’t yet left a review, we would really, really, really, REALLY appreciate it if you did! A star rating and a line or two about what you thought is all you need to do. We love ALL reviews, so don’t be shy! 

Leave your review for Call Me Cat here.

Leave your review for Leave Me Love here.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  

Let us be your guest!

[image error]Do you have a blog? We would love to stop by your blog and spend some time sharing with your fans and readers! Fill out your information right here and we’ll be in touch to coordinate the post!

We can’t wait to hang out on your patch of internet!

Make sure you pick up our free books!

If you’re new to our work (and even if you’re not), you should go pick up our two bestselling fan favorites–they’re FREE everywhere ebooks are sold: Seduced by Innocence and Forbidden Mind.

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And if you’ve already downloaded and read them, leave us a review! We love and appreciate ALL reviews tremendously!

Be our Fan of the Week!

Congratulations to Gaylen Marie Grey, our KK Fan of the Week!

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Wanna get in on the action and potentially win a $5 Amazon giftcard? All you gotta do is participate and be a fan on our Facebook fan page. Comment on, like, and share ANY of the posts on the page–every comment, like, and share will automatically enter you to win a $5 Amazon giftcard and be our Fan of the Week. It’s our way of saying THANKS for being AWESOME!

We announce a new Fan of the Week every Sunday evening.

Come on and join the fun!

Phew, what a week! Here’s to another awesome week coming up…make it a great one!
We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Want more from Karpov Kinrade? Check out our Amazon page here. New to our work? Get Seduced by Innocence FREE everywhere ebooks are sold, and find out why the Seduced Saga is a bestselling fan favorite!

The WeeKKend Recap!

Another week has come and gone. And what a week it was! Let’s go over all the awesomeness the past week contained (and a few things that it didn’t) in today’s WeeKKend Recap!

Leave Me Love landed!

[image error]Book 2 of our sexy mystery Saving Cat trilogy, Leave Me Love, launched on the 25th, and it’s got fans FREAKING OUT:

“Omg, I can’t read fast enough!”

“UGGGHHH… I’m finished… that went too quick!!!”

“Holy guacamole! I need book three now. Its really not fair to do this to me….”

You know what this means, right? You need to go read it! Get it on Amazon–and if you need to read Call Me Cat (Book 1), you can get that on Amazon, too!

Tell Me True is coming in April!

Fans will be delighted to know that the third–and last–book in the Saving Cat trilogy, Tell Me True, will be coming out in April! We are currently working on it. It’s been a very busy March for us, and promises to be a very busy April, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We love this series, and we love how fans have embraced it.

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Need to catch up? Get Call Me Cat and Leave Me Love on Amazon! And, if you’ve read the books, we’d love it if you left a review of it on Amazon!

Make sure you’re a fan of our Facebook page and are a part of the KK Minion Army to know when exactly Tell Me True becomes available–AND to be a part of fun release-day festivities, giveaways, and perks!

Make sure you pick up our free book!

If you’re new to our work (and even if you’re not), you should go pick up our two bestselling fan favorites–they’re FREE everywhere ebooks are sold: Seduced by Innocence and Forbidden Mind.

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And if you’ve already downloaded and read them, leave us a review! We love and appreciate ALL reviews tremendously!

Come be our friend on Twitter!

Find us at @KarpovKinrade and @KimberlyKinrade. We’d love to connect there!

Be our Fan of the Week!

Congratulations to Sue Padula Salamino, our KK Fan of the Week!

Wanna get in on the action and potentially win a $5 Amazon giftcard? All you gotta do is participate and be a fan on our Facebook fan page. Comment on, like, and share ANY of the posts on the page–every comment, like, and share will automatically enter you to win a $5 Amazon giftcard and be our Fan of the Week. It’s our way of saying THANKS for being AWESOME!

We announce a new Fan of the Week every Sunday evening.

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Come on and join the fun!

Phew, what a week! Here’s to another awesome week coming up–make it a great one!
We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Want more from Karpov Kinrade? Check out our Amazon page here. New to our work? Get Seduced by Innocence FREE everywhere ebooks are sold, and find out why the Seduced Saga is a bestselling fan favorite!

The WeeKKend Recap!

Another week has come and gone. And what a week it was! Let’s go over all the awesomeness the past week contained (and a few things that it didn’t) in today’s WeeKKend Recap!

Forbidden Mind had quite a week!

The first book in our Forbidden Trilogy was featured on Pixel of Ink this week, and look what happened:

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#37! And it actually ended up going even higher, breaking into the top 20 Free in the Kindle Store! Unbelievable!

Have you gotten your copy of Forbidden Mind yet? It’s permafree on Amazon (and everywhere else ebooks are sold)! Go get yours today!

Leave Me Love is coming soon!

Fans of our sexy mystery, Call Me Cat, will be delighted to know that the second book in the trilogy, Leave Me Love, will be coming out soon! We are finishing it up, sending it off to the editors, and uploading it on Amazon very soon. And then we’ll start work on the final installment in the series, Tell Me True–and that will be out on or before April 2nd! It’s a very busy March for us, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We love this series, and we love how fans have embraced it.

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Need to catch up? Get Call Me Cat on Amazon (ebook and paperback) and everywhere else ebooks are sold! And, if you’ve read the book, we’d love it if you left a review of it on Amazon!

Make sure you’re a fan of our Facebook page and are a part of the KK Minion Army to know when exactly Tell Me True becomes available–AND to be a part of fun release-day festivities, giveaways, and perks!

And speaking of Call Me Cat…

You should really stop by our Facebook page–we’re having some fun with Call Me Cat whodunnit memes this week!

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Come be our friend on Twitter!

Find us at @KarpovKinrade and @KimberlyKinrade. We’d love to connect there!

Be our Fan of the Week!

Congratulations to Erin Lindsey Maurer-Lang, this week’s Fan of the Week!

Wanna get in on the action and potentially win a $5 Amazon giftcard? All you gotta do is participate and be a fan on our Facebook fan page. Comment on, like, and share ANY of the posts on the page–every comment, like, and share will automatically enter you to win a $5 Amazon giftcard and be our Fan of the Week. It’s our way of saying THANKS for being AWESOME!

We announce a new Fan of the Week every Sunday evening.

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Come on and join the fun!

Phew, what a week! Here’s to another awesome week coming up–make it a great one!
We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Want more from Karpov Kinrade? Check out our Amazon page here. New to our work? Get Seduced by Innocence FREE everywhere ebooks are sold, and find out why the Seduced Saga is a bestselling fan favorite!

The WeeKKend Recap!

Another week has come and gone. And what a week it was! Let’s go over all the awesomeness the past week contained (and a few things that it didn’t) in today’s WeeKKend Recap!

The Forbidden February Wrap Party rocked!

ICYMI: We had a BIG wrap party on Friday night to celebrate the end of our month-long Forbidden Trilogy celebration. It was a blast! We gave away a ton of stuff, got to hang out with our awesome fans, were very silly, and had a ton of laughs. It as so much fun that we decided to have another big FB party when the whole Call Me Cat trilogy is out!

Make sure you’re a fan of our Facebook page and are a part of the KK Minion Army to be a part of the fun, get the inside scoop, and know when all the crazy partying is going to happen!

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Call Me Cat is a hit!

The first book in our sexy mystery trilogy, Call Me Cat, came out on February 1, and has been getting RAVE reviews!

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“Funny, erotic and suspenseful.”  ~Kamilah S. Bryant

“I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys murder mysteries with spicy romance. I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book only to be left in a state of perpetual suspense.The author duo of Karpov Kinrade is one of my favorites and I look forward to all of their releases because they are brilliant and talented beyond measure.” ~Emilie E. Faye

“Once I started I could not put it down. This story has everything in it, suspense, hilarity, romance, and most of all a good story line.” ~Monique Gallegos

Get Call Me Cat on Amazon (ebook and paperback) and everywhere else ebooks are sold!

We’re hard at work on the second book in the trilogy, Tell Me True–Make sure you’re a fan of our Facebook page and are a part of the KK Minion Army to know when exactly the book becomes available–AND to be a part of fun release-day festivities, giveaways, and perks!

Help us make Forbidden Mind free!

WE NEED YOUR HELP! We’re trying to get Forbidden Mind FREE on Amazon! It only takes a few seconds and would help us out tremendously!

Here’s what you have to do:

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Go to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Mind-The-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00I76RROQ/
Scroll down and click on “tell us about a lower price.”
Then use THIS B&N link to report it free: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forbidden-mind-kimberly-kinrade/1105680777?ean=2940045701457&itm=1&usri=forbidden+mind
Then do it again–use this iBooks link to report it free: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id812341887
Then do it one last time–and use THIS link to report it free:https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/409187

The more people do it, the faster Amazon will price-match to $o.oo! Thank you so much, you wonderful fans!

Be our Fan of the Week!

Congratulations to Kathy Maritato Ranta, this week’s Fan of the Week!

We’re saying thanks to our fans! With giftcards and eternal fame! Wanna get in on the action and potentially win a $5 Amazon giftcard? All you gotta do is participate and be a fan on our Facebook fan page. Comment on, like, and share ANY of the posts on the page–every comment, like, and share will automatically enter you to win a $5 Amazon giftcard and be our Fan of the Week. It’s our way of saying THANKS for being AWESOME! We announce a new Fan of the Week every Sunday evening.

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Come on and join the fun!

Phew, what a week! Here’s to another awesome week coming up–make it a great one!
We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Want more from Karpov Kinrade? Check out our Amazon page here. New to our work? Get Seduced by Innocence FREE everywhere ebooks are sold, and find out why the Seduced Saga is a bestselling fan favorite!

QUIZ: Which Forbbiden character and para-power are you? (+ giveaway!)

Are you a mind-reader? Mind-controller? Truth-seer? Take the Forbidden Quiz and find out!

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You’ve just met someone who seems suspicious and you suspect isn’t being entirely honest with you. You:

Read their minds to find out what you need, but only if they appear to be a threat to someone you love. And you feel really badly afterward.
Mind control them and force them to tell you everything. If that doesn’t work, a flex of your muscles will inspire more sharing.
You can tell if they’re lying, no problem. If they don’t spill their secrets, chances are a few minutes on your computer will reveal everything you need to know about them.
A bat of your eyelashes and a seductive smile are all you need to get someone to tell you anything and everything. No one’s ever been able to resist you.
Walk away. We all have our pasts, and not all of us feel inclined to share every secret. You’ll observe the person and in due time will know by their actions if they are trustworthy or not.

You’re at a party with a lot of people you don’t know. You:

Talk with the few friends you do know and spend some a lot of time in the bathroom ‘unwinding’.
Check out everyone briefly, but unless you find your significant other or best friend, you’d rather spend the evening with a beer on the patio enjoying the sunset.
Mingle a bit, get a sense of the crowd and hang with those closest to you. If you happen to stumble into a private office with a password protected computer, well, can you be blamed for taking a peek inside? No, you can’t.
Work the crowd, making every person of the opposite sex fall in love with you while their dates wish death upon you from afar. You have your crowd of admirers who follow you around and make sure everyone knows you are the King/Queen of this affair.
Assess the situation. If this is a required event for work, you work it like expected, pulling out the false extrovertedness you keep on reserve for such occasions. If it’s not, you’ll be polite but likely won’t stay long. There are bad guys to catch and people to save and who has time for parties anyways?

You have a day to yourself and are looking forward to doing the thing you love most. You:

Spend the day creating, whether that be writing, painting, taking pictures or making music. Your soul craves it.
Enjoy the great outdoors. Fishing, hiking, biking, surfing. Doesn’t matter as long as you can feel the sun on your back and breathe in the fresh air.
Hang with your favorite family member. If they’re not available, you’ll probably spend the day up close and personal with your other BFF: your computer.
Most assuredly do not spend it alone. You call your followers and arrange something that gets you into public and the company of the opposite sex. It’s imperative you have people fawning over you.
Check in with work and make sure you really aren’t needed. If that’s truly the case, then you spend the day training so you’re ready when you are needed. A good work out would also be in order.

On a vacation, you would rather:

Hit all the best museums. Art is everything.
Spend it in the wild. Some camping or mountain climbing would do you good.
Anything, as long as you can get some spying and espionage in on the side.
A beach. With the opposite sex. And drinks. And lots of skimpy bathing suits.
Go back to work.

Someone you see everyday makes a snide and hurtful comment to you. You:

Ignore it. It’s not worth making drama over. You might shed a few tears in the bathroom, but you’ll get over it.
Punch them. No one talks to you that way. If physical violence is too over the top, you’ll be very persuasive in getting them to leave you alone.
Reply with a snarky comment of your own and set them in their place, then walk away and not think of it again. You’re above such pettiness.
Give back ten-fold what was given and make sure to torment them mercilessly everyday thereafter. No one takes a shot at you and lives.
Laugh. It’s amusing to think someone would dare insult you, but if they did, you’d laugh and move on. Who cares what they think, anyways?

You meet the man/woman who you think might be your soul mate. You:

Establish a mind-link with them and share every thought and feeling with each other until you know each other like you know yourself.
Vow to protect them forever and do anything necessary to keep them safe and punish those who hurt them.
Flirt, spend time talking, and maybe play with their sword. Common interests are important, after all.
Make them fall in love with you by power of… well, you. What else is needed?
Stay cautious. It’s not a good idea to let people get too closer, but for the right person, you’re willing to open yourself more. You might even let them play with your sword.

RESULTS!
So, which Para-Power do you have?
If you picked mostly 1s, you are: Mind Reader / Sam

[image error]Like Sam in The Forbidden Trilogy, you always know what’s on people’s minds… literally! You are a loyal friend so you try to stay out of your friend’s thoughts, but your gift comes in handy when confronted with enemies. You’re not afraid to stand up to the worst of the worst using your mind reading, but sometimes the everyday bullies are the hardest for you to handle.

Though you strive for normality, you learn to embrace your gift and use it for the good of others.

You’re also super creative and love to make art, whatever form that is, and this helps you cope with all the clutter of knowing too much about other people.

If you picked mostly 2s, you are: Mind Controller / Drake

[image error]You know how to get what you want… and you aren’t afraid to go after it. Like Drake in The Forbidden Trilogy, you can manipulate the minds of others to get them to cooperate, and if that fails, there’s always physical coercion. But despite your powers, you have a good heart and don’t intend to hurt people. You just won’t let anyone hurt those you love.

When you’re not playing the role of protector, you love spending time outdoors, taking in some sun.

If you picked mostly 3s, you are: Truth Seer / Lucy

[image error]No one can get a lie past you and they know it. Like Lucy from The Forbidden Trilogy, you can always tell when people aren’t being totally up front, but you don’t always know what the truth is.

You may not be able to read minds, but you have other tools at your disposal. Just put a computer in your hands and you’ll find out everything you need to know.

You’re tight with what family you have and loyal to your friends, but you aren’t afraid to call a spade a spade. People shouldn’t cross you because you don’t take shit from anyone.

If you picked mostly 4s, you are: Seducer / Mary

[image error]You’re smarter than people realize, mostly because they’re too busy staring at your body. That’s okay by you. Like Mary from The Forbidden Trilogy, you know how to use your natural ‘gifts’ to get the opposite sex to do what you want. You also have an entourage of friends who admire everything from your fashion sense to your confidence. You’re the center of attention at every party and you love every second of it! You can seduce anyone to your every whim, but finding a true connection is harder for you.

Someday you hope someone will see the person lurking under the perfect smile and snarky attitude. But you’re not afraid of the haters. In the meantime, there’s always another hottie to have some fun with, and that’s not too shabby.

If you picked mostly 5s, you are: Mysterious Badass Rule Follower/Hunter

[image error]You follow the rules and keep to the code, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t a badass. You have a lot of secrets and a lot of wisdom lurking under all that sarcasm and sexiness, enough to keep the opposite sex guessing—and begging for more.

Like Hunter from Forbidden Life, your past is private and there are things you’re not interested in sharing about yourself. You figure people can learn the truth about you by seeing how you act now, not by digging through the painful relics of your past. That doesn’t mean you’re all mope. You’re quite flirtatious with the right person, and know how to woo the one you’ve set your sight on. And underneath the wit is some pretty deep wisdom. People shouldn’t underestimate you in a battle of swords or words.

Don’t forget to enter the Forbidden Trilogy feature week giveaway!

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We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Want more from Karpov Kinrade? Check out our Amazon page here. New to our work? Get Seduced by Innocence FREE everywhere ebooks are sold, and find out why the Seduced Saga is a bestselling fan favorite!

An excerpt from Forbidden Fire (and a giveaway!)

We’re celebrating the whole Forbidden Trilogy this week and, today, we have an excerpt from Book 2: Forbidden Fire!

[image error]From Forbidden Fire: Sam

I couldn’t breathe. My heart sank to my feet and waited for death to extinguish its last few remaining beats.

Drake stood there with a gorgeous Victoria Secret model-type wrapped around him like one of those little monkeys on the Discovery Channel.

A chemical reaction in my brain wiped out any thought or reason, and before I could stop myself, I knocked the woman to the ground using mind control. Her perfect yoga ass hit the sand, and her face contorted into a comical mask of shock and disbelief.

Drake looked… proud? Ugh. Not the reaction I wanted from him.

He reached out for my hand. “Sam, it’s not what it looks like. She showed up and… it just… nothing happened. Nothing was going to happen. I swear to you.” ‘Read my mind. You’ll know I’m telling the truth.’

I did. Not everything I learned helped the situation—like the fact that he’d slept with this tramp before he met me. But I also felt his revulsion. He couldn’t stand her touch or her presence, and wanted nothing to do with her.

That made two of us.

And yes, he was proud of me for using mind control on her. I squished the little demon of contention that threatened to make a bad situation worse. This wasn’t the time or place for Drake and me to debate the moral ambiguities of our powers.

Not taking the hint, the woman stood up, brushed herself off and inserted her fake double-D’s between me and my man. Was she stupid? I can destroy your mind if I choose to.

Drake barely controlled a laugh when he caught my thoughts.

I scowled at him. He was so not off the hook for this.

Drake brushed the woman aside and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Kylie, this is my girlfriend, Sam.”

Kylie’s face dropped, but then she looked down at my belly. A smirk crept onto her pretty, silicone-injected lips. “Ah, I see. Trap by baby. That explains it.” She poked her finger into my shoulder. “You think this little bundle of joy will hold Drake down? It won’t. You can’t give him what I can, in or out of the bed. It’s only a matter of time before he comes crawling back to me.”

My face went hot from rage. I pried open her mind without any of my usual subtlety and ripped into her thoughts like a college kid tearing into a bag of potato chips.

She squeezed her eyes shut as if in pain. I didn’t care.

‘Why is he with this shapeless loser when he could have me? He didn’t find out about me and Brad, did he? Is that why he stopped coming around?’

“He didn’t need to know you screwed his best friend to drop you. You never meant anything to him.”

Kylie’s eyes got so big I thought her eyeballs would pop out. Drake looked from her to me and back to her. “You and Brad? Seriously?”

“How could she know? Nobody knew. How?”

Drake’s face turned to stone, but he kept his arm around me while he addressed her. “Just leave, Kylie. Leave me alone. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

I couldn’t tell if Drake had coerced her using mind control, or if she’d left because of the tone of his voice, but at least she was gone.

I slumped in Drake’s arms and fought the tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m a horrible person.”

What kind of hypocrite am I? I can’t get over Drake using his powers against me to save my life, but I’m apparently more than willing to use mine against his old girlfriend. I basically mind-raped her, and for what? Because she had her hands on my boyfriend? Because she looks better in a swimsuit than I do?

I hung my head in shame as my tears threatened to betray me.

Like this excerpt? Get Forbidden Fire on Amazon or B&N Nook!

Enter the Forbidden Trilogy feature week giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Want more from Karpov Kinrade? Check out our Amazon page here. New to our work? Get Seduced by Innocence FREE everywhere ebooks are sold, and find out why the Seduced Saga is a bestselling fan favorite!