Karpov Kinrade's Blog, page 9
February 4, 2014
A glimpse into a Forbidden Mind [EXCERPT]
[image error]Something cool and soft tickled my forehead. My eyes pried themselves open as my head attempted to clear itself of the drug-induced fuzziness.
Lollie had her small hand pressed against my skin. “Time to wake up. We’ll be at our destination in thirty minutes.”
She handed me a cup of orange juice and a turkey sandwich and helped me get my seat into an upright position. The rush of sweet sugary fruit gave me clarity and a burst of energy. I tackled the sandwich like a man who hadn’t eaten in a week—a common side effect of the drug.
With a few minutes to spare, I used the bathroom and brushed my teeth, then pulled my long brown hair into a bun. A quick touch-up to my lip gloss and a bit of mascara to accent my blue eyes, and I was ready to roll.
I went back to my seat and reviewed my file on the client one last time, though I knew the whole thing by heart. New last name, new identity. Each assignment we got a new name, but I didn’t actually have a last name of my own. Didn’t need one, really. The target had a son, Tommy. I hated assignments that involved kids, but what could I do? I pushed away my reservations and rehearsed my cover story in my head.
We landed at another private airstrip, where a middle-aged driver in a tux waited for us. “Sam Tinsley? Mr. Dollinger is waiting for you. Please come with me.”
I climbed into the back and Gar sat in the front with the driver. The driver told us we were in Utah. This didn’t register as anything terribly exciting for me. Once the limo hit the highway, I pulled out my new sketchbook and began drawing what I saw, which was mostly flatlands and farms, until we pulled into a wealthy neighborhood with big, lumbering mansions that looked out of place in their environment. Naturally, we beelined for the biggest, gaudiest one of them all.
A great cast iron gate with a lion’s head crest blocked our entrance into the palatial estates. Gar took a moment to confirm with the guard, and, after a grating buzz and a few groans, the lion gate opened to allow us in. All around us, bushes trimmed into lion sentries stood guard as we passed. Someone had read too much C.S. Lewis.
My breath hitched in my throat when we arrived at the front door and a tall, lean man in a suit came out to greet us. He smiled at me through the tinted windows, but the smile looked painted on, like a clown’s.
The driver opened the car door and I stepped out, straightened my spine and forced myself to meet my client’s eyes.
He played his part well and held out his arms for me. Did he want a hug? Not happening. I shifted back, slightly, but enough to get my point across. His eyes flickered a flame of anger before he smothered it with false sincerity.
“You must be Sam. I haven’t seen you since you were a baby, but your father says such great things about you. I’m sorry for everything you’re going through, but rest assured, no harm will come to you while you’re here.”
Before I could reply, a small boy of about six ran out the front door with all the enthusiasm of youth. “Is she here? Is she here yet, Uncle Henry?”
“This must be Tommy.” I raised an eyebrow. “Your nephew?”
He mussed the boy’s hair while maintaining eye contact with me. “The Beaumont’s son. We’ve been partners so long we’re practically family.”
I choked on his words. Right, family that’s ready to throw each other under the bus for a buck. I shoved the judgment deep down and played my part in this farce—this family that wasn’t a family—with as much enthusiasm as I could.
“Daddy says to say hi, and that he still remembers the night you drank too much and threw up on his date.” I giggled like a rich, ditzy teenage girl and then smiled down at the boy, who hadn’t stopped staring at me. For a moment, I let my real self come through. “Hi there. I’m Sam, what’s your name?”
All boyish boldness fled as he dropped his big brown eyes and shyly muttered, “Tommy.”
“Well, Tommy, did you know that I can draw any animal you can think of? Even animals that don’t exist?”
His cherub face lit up in the happiest smile I’d ever seen, and I instantly fell in love with the little kid. A pang of guilt hit my heart.
Tommy belonged to the Beaumonts—the family I had been hired to ruin.
Like this excerpt? Get Forbidden Mind on Amazon!
Enter the Forbidden Mind feature week 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!
February 3, 2014
Mirrors & Monsters: Vote Your Favorite for a Chance to Win an Amazon GC
To celebrate Forbidden February, we are doing so many giveaways it’s crazy! We’ve also discounted our short story subscription, A Gathering of Tales, by 25%! With this membership, [image error]you get exclusive access to our short stories delivered straight to your email. Membership starts at less than a buck a month, with first look at our work, exclusive giveaways and more. Throughout the month, we’ll be posting some of those stories here, to whet your appetite and give you a taste of what you’ll find. We’re also doing a giveaway. Comment below with your favorite story and you’ll be automatically entered for our weekly $5 Amazon GC giveaway!
We often do prompts to get the creative juices flowing, and it’s fun to see how different (or similar) our stories end up being. We want to see if YOU can tell which of us wrote which story. So, after picking your favorite, try to guess who wrote what. Dmytry or Kimberly? This first prompt was Mirrors & Monsters.
Let the games begin! (And don’t forget to share with your friends and sign up, if you haven’t yet!)
Mirrors & Monsters (Story A)
[image error]He told me I would see clearly, that the lenses of my childlike wonder would be wiped clean and the stark reality of life would greet me in the morn.
He told me one night with him would transform the world into something new. Something previously unseen by anyone but the immortal.
He told me I’d have the eyes of a goddess, able to know the truth in all and hold that truth in my mind long after others had succumbed to their illusions.
My time had approached, the time when Princesses were married off by their fathers. Only the Diamond Aisles of my birth had fallen long ago, my parents dead to events none could recall, my life and history a mystery none could solve.
And so the night came. A full moon with an ominous circle of crimson around it, as if it leaked blood into the night sky. They called it the red moon and said it offered tidings of change.
But changes toward good or evil none could say.
I wore diamond dotted white silk with my golden hair flowing down my back in waves. One hundred strokes of the brush, my attendant had insisted. One hundred strokes to make it shine.
My cheeks were pinched into apples and my lips puckered into strawberries. My attendant giggled like a schoolgirl, despite her years of thirty and five. “You’ll be like dessert to him. Ready to be eaten.”
The other woman attending me—though she was more a girl really, with breasts still budding and hips not yet widened to child-bearing—hid a shy smile at her comment. But the third woman—the oldest of the three with hair whiter than my gown and a face lined with the map of ages—she averted her eyes and looked to her feet. She refused to face me after that.
They walked me to his bedchamber, like guardians of a treasure. The cold stone floor chilled my bare feet and bumps covered my arms. I shivered, hugging myself as we approached.
They did not knock, or speak, but the door opened as if by magic and the man stepped out. He was dark to my light, with a black cloak and hair the color of midnight hanging to his shoulders. Where my eyes were the color of the sky on a clear day, his were darker than the earth after a rain.
He looked at me as if I was already naked and I shivered again, for entirely different reasons. Heat built low in my belly at his look, at how he devoured me with those eyes.
I walked to him willingly, taking the hand he offered. The coldness of his skin ate the warmth of my own, but I did not shy away. I had been born to this, and then chosen it of free will. I would see the truth. I would know the world as only he knew it. And I would be free of the lies piled around me like garbage since my birth.
“Do you accept this gift with open eyes?” he asked in his deep voice, after my three attendants left us.
“I do.”
“Do you accept this gift with an open heart?” he asked, a smile playing on his lips.
“I do.”
“Do you accept this gift with an open soul?” he asked.
“I do.” At that last declaration, something within bent to his will.
He pulled me toward him and the opulence of his bedchamber fell away. The four post canopy bed with crimson covering, the large fireplace with inlaid gold, the terrifyingly beautiful paintings of lovers engaged in acts of violent love, all of it fell away and I fell into his eyes, the dark abyss of surrender bittersweet.
His kiss undid me as his hands pulled the silk from my body, revealing my hard nipples and desperate flesh.
He dropped his cloak and laid me against the bed, pressing his hard, muscular body against mine, pressing his turgid member against my wet center.
“Do you accept me, fair maiden, no matter what you might learn upon sunrise?”
Through my breathlessness I answered him. “I do.”
And then he pushed himself into me even as his teeth extended and bit deeply into my neck. I screamed out in fear of pain, but felt only ecstasy spiral through me in waves of intense pleasure.
When we climaxed together, he kissed me, and I tasted my blood on his mouth and licked it from his teeth, then fell into a deep sleep where dreams do not exist.
I woke the next morning alone, but feeling lighter than air despite sore muscles and an ache in my neck.
Donning my nightgown, since I had no other clothes here, I use the privy and took a moment to explore his bedchamber.
As if drawn by another force, I moved aside a painting of a monster with horns and fangs subduing a reluctant girl. Behind the painting I found a mirror that shined like a pool of silver.
A face pushed out of the mirror and spoke to me. “You wish to know the truth? To see what cannot be unseen?”
“I do.”
The face faded into the pool of silver and my reflection replaced it, only as I stared, my porcelain skin turned red and scaly and my beautiful long hair shrunk into snakes. My blue eyes turned red and glowing and fangs grew from my mouth.
I gasped and jumped back, reaching for my hair and face in fear, but all felt as it should. Then arms encircled me, and when I looked up, it was my lover, but when I looked into the mirror, it was another monster like myself.
“What is this evil sorcery?” I asked.
“You wanted the truth. This is it. The truth of our souls. We are all, each one of us, descendants of demons. The fairytales and lies you’ve been fed are shed from your eyes. You can see any truth in this mirror. And last night, you became my queen.”
I fell to my knees, tears dripping down my face—my demon face. But this was it, this was my chance to learn the truth. “Show me, Mirror. Show me what happened to my family. Show me who I really am.”
And so I saw it all, and what is seen cannot be unseen. I was once the Princess of the Diamond Aisles, but I shall live forever more as the Queen of the Damned.
Mirrors & Monsters (Story B)
[image error]I found the mirrors in the attic. They were tall and long and arched in a semi-circle so you could see yourself from all angles. I stepped in between them and twirled, observing my new sunflower dress. My grandma always called me a sunflower, sweet as sweet can be and cute to boot.
My grandma knew nothing.
I didn’t want to be a sunflower, the kind boys found so friendly and cute, but only friendly and cute. I wanted to be a rose, the kind boys chased after even if it meant they’d get pricked. I wanted to be a rose for Mark Payne.
He’d always say hi to me in the hallways at school, and he helped me with homework once when we both sat in detention. But we never ate lunch together, we never met up before school or after. Mark Payne had Katie for that.
Stupid Katie. She always wore those short skirts grandma said made your soul rot inside, and those heels with their click clack against the floor. The Devil’s music, grandma called them, but I didn’t care.
What could be so bad about dressing beautiful? Why could I be sweet as sweet can be and cute to boot, but not hot and sexy like Katie? Boys liked to talk about how hot and sexy Katie was in the cafeteria. I wanted them to talk about me too, and I wanted Mark Payne to listen.
I twirled again in my sunflower dress, more orange than yellow in the dim light, but still bright, still a sunflower, amongst an attic of weaves, covered in webs, full of old discarded toys. I smiled into the mirrors, looking sweet and cute to boot.
And I tore my dress apart.
It didn’t rip as easy I imagined, and bits of it still clung to me, covering up my white undergarments. No more sunflower. No more sweet as sweet—
“Why ruin such a lovely dress?” the voice bounced around the attic, and I turned behind me, checking for grandma. The door way was empty, so I spun back to my reflection.
“Hi,” it said.
I said hi back. In the mirrors, my lips stood still. “What are you?” I asked.
“You. Me. Everyone. I am whatever you want me to be.”
“Why are you here?”
The reflection smiled. “I’ve always been here, but my visitors are few. What brought you up here, to this cold damp place? To this home of spiders and flies?”
“I hate my dress,” I said.
The reflection looked herself over, flicking a piece of yellow off her. “I could see that.”
“My grandma, she—”
“I know all about your grandma, child,” said the reflection. “I see many things amongst the glass.”
I stepped forward, peering in the mirrors but seeing nothing but dusty chests and old chandeliers scattered behind me. “Do you see grandma now?”
The reflection nodded, and the mirror to its side rippled like a pool, and when the ripples cleared, I could see grandma sitting on the couch, watching that soap opera she likes, the one where everyone dresses like a prom queen. How could she watch that and give me more yellow to wear?
“We have a mirror in the living room,” I said, realizing that if I were to peak through that mirror like a window, I would see grandma from the same angle. “Can you see through all mirrors?”
The reflection nodded.
“Can you touch people through them?”
The girl in the mirror tilted her head. “I can, but our worlds aren’t meant to cross. There’s a cost if they do.”
“What kind of cost?”
“Why?”
I put on my cute face out of habit, and then washed it away with a glare. “Could you do something for me?”
“What is it you want?”
“There’s a girl, Katie Lux…”
“I know of her.” The reflection lifted a hand, and the image of my grandmother changed to the image a bathroom. Katie was soaking in the tub, humming a song like some princess from a movie.
“Can you scare people?” I asked.
The reflection nodded.
“Can you scare Katie for me?”
“If you promise to stay with me.”
“I promise.”
“Then we have a deal.” The reflection lifted her arm, and it pushed out through the mirror. We shook hands.
“Now watch,” said my reflection as it disappeared.
I peered into Katie’s bathroom and saw myself enter the frame. I looked pale now, white as snow in my undergarments, a white rose full of thorns. Katie kept humming, her eyes closed, swinging her arms in the air like a composer. My reflection walked forward, looming over Katie. It reached forward.
And grabbed Katie by the neck.
Her song turned into the croak of a frog, and I laughed at the tune. She sounds so stupid, I thought. Stupid Katie. Mark Payne is mine.
The croaking stopped. This would be enough, for now. But there would be a next time, and a time after…
My reflection still held Katie by the neck.
“Enough,” I said, giggling. “Enough.”
But still she held on. Until she didn’t.
My reflection disappeared, and I saw myself in the center mirror again.
Katie lay limp in the tub, pale, pale like me.
“I’ll see you again,” I said, turning around.
“Not so fast. We had a deal.”
“I’ll stay with you, but right now I have to go.” I wanted Katie scared, but not hurt, not…
“You wanted her dead,” said my reflection. “You cannot lie to yourself. You cannot lie to me.”
“Leave me alone.” I ran for the door, but something grabbed me, pulling me back toward the mirror. I looked down. Grey, withered hands clutched at my waist. I twisted away, freeing myself, and falling on the floor.
The mirrors loomed over me, dark as night. The reflection, the thing that killed Katie, had turned grey and hollow. It’s flesh fell off in bits, revealing white bone beneath. Claws grew from its hands, and they slipped back in the mirror. “It is done,” it said.
I pushed myself up, ready to go.
And then I saw my hand. Grey and hollow, missing bits of flesh. No. I turned back to the mirror and saw the monster.
“I am you,” it said laughing.
“No!” I screamed, falling to my knees.
“I told you there would a cost.”
“But not this. Not this.”
“This is what you are,” said the monster.
~THE END~
We hope you enjoyed these two short stories. Now it’s time to pick your favorite (and why!) and see if you guess which one of us wrote them! (Dmytry Karpov or Kimberly Kinrade) Leave a comment below with your vote and be automatically entered into our Amazon GC giveaway!
Don’t forget to share with your friends, and if you haven’t yet, sign up for A Gathering of Tales to get short stories delivered straight to your inbox,
You can sign up on the website, or right here.
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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!
February 2, 2014
Behind the scenes of FORBIDDEN MIND: When dreams inspire books
[image error]Some very successful books have been inspired by dreams. For example, Stephenie Meyer’s international sensation Twilight came upon her as a dream of Edward and Bella talking in a field. She knew they loved each other, and knew that he was a vampire drawn to her blood specifically. She wrote the dream down and kept writing. Once she had finished, she wrote backwards to figure out what happened before that scene in the field, and realized there was a lot of book to come before her dream had even started.
And thus, Twilight was born.
Forbidden Mind had a similar inception. Years ago I had a vivid dream about a girl named Sam (everyone always assumes this is short for Samantha, but according to her, it’s just Sam) who could read minds. She narrated the story to me, telling me about the group called Rent-A-Kid that rented her and other paranormals out as spies to the rich and powerful. She told me that her life had been pretty safe, until something horrifying happened that woke her up to her reality and changed the course of her life.
I jolted awake, transcribed her message to me and fell back asleep. That message got lost in other projects, other work, other books—until Fall 2011.
While trying to finish two other books for publication, I wanted to put out a short story that would attract readers to my paranormal writing. At that point, I had only one book out called Bits of You & Pieces of Me, a collection of short stories, poetry and essays about life, and one that really didn’t reflect the writing style I’ve since branded myself with (a process that is sometimes as painful as it sounds… but most of the time is fun).
Knowing that I needed this new brand, I set aside my other books for a few days to pen this short story called Rent-A-Kid. Ha! Yeah, right. You know what they say about how life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans? It’s true.
It wasn’t a short story. It was a novel… which turned into a trilogy… which has sense turned into a saga… and has completely taken over my life.
Forbidden Mind was published by Evolved Publishing in its original form on September 6, 2011. After Forbidden Fire, the sequel, launched in 2012, I went back and rewrote it, essentially doubling its length. (It was a VERY short novel in the first publication.) That too was published with Evolved, until now.
The rights to our series have reverted back to us, and we couldn’t be more excited to publish our first fiction series under the Daring Books imprint!
Some fun facts about Forbidden Mind!
It’s been published in two version (the original short version and the now longer version)
It’s had two covers
And it’s now had two publishers
It won the Forward National Literature Award its first month out.
Early in its publication it rose to the top of many Amazon bestseller lists
It ultimately inspired the New Adult series, Seduced.
We have been approached by producers about a possible film version of it, and we have been working on the screenplay for it, though nothing official has happened on this end yet.
Enter the Forbidden Mind feature week 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!
February 1, 2014
Forbidden February is here! Check out the events, enter giveaways, win prizes!
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We’ve got the publishing rights to our Forbidden Trilogy back, and we’re throwing it a BIG ol’ Welcome Home party all month long! Forbidden Mind, Forbidden Fire, and Forbidden Life have been officially republished under our imprint, Daring Books!
Here’s what we’re doing to celebrate:
February 1 to February 7:
WELCOME HOME, FORBIDDEN MIND!
► ► Enter the Forbidden Mind giveaway! Ends 2/7! ◄ ◄
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ON THE BLOG:
February 3: Behind the scenes: Forbidden Mind
February 5: A glimpse into a Forbidden Mind (excerpt)
February 6: Paranormal Profile – Sam (TOP SECRET!)
February 2: Add Forbidden Mind to your Goodreads “Want to Read” list (and enter to win it on ebook!)
February 4: Forbidden Mind memes galore!
February 7: Forbidden Mind winners announcement!
February 8 to February 14:
WELCOME HOME, FORBIDDEN FIRE!
Come back February 8 to see what’s happening!
February 15 to February 21:
WELCOME HOME, FORBIDDEN LIFE!
Come back February 15 to see what’s happening!
February 22 to February 28:
HOME, SWEET HOME!
Come back February 22 to see what’s happening!
All through February we’ll have a BIG Forbidden Trilogy lovefest, complete with memes, giveaways, prizes, and general awesomeness! Make sure you like our Facebook page to keep up with the fun!
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!
January 31, 2014
Welcome home, Forbidden Life!
We’ve got the publishing rights to our Forbidden Trilogy back, and we’re celebrating by throwing it a BIG OL’ Welcome Home party! We’ll officially republish the Trilogy under our imprint, Daring Books, tomorrow! But, for now, we’ll be spotlighting each of the books in the Trilogy here and on our Facebook page! Check our the spotlights for Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire!
Today, please say hello to the final installment in the Trilogy: Forbidden Life!
[image error]“The road to redemption begins in darkness.”
A sinister force waits for them in darkness, ready to devour their powers and take their lives.
Sam’s baby is the key to a lock that must never be opened. To keep her child safe, Sam will do anything.
Drake might have found a way to get his powers back and save his family, but at what cost?
Luke and Lucy uncover secrets in an organization they thought they could trust, and the lives of all Rent-A-Kid children are at stake.
In this final installment of the award-winning “Forbidden Trilogy”, the secrets to Rent-A-Kid will finally be revealed.
Add Forbidden Life to your Goodreads “Want to read” shelf right here!
All through February we’ll have a BIG Forbidden Trilogy lovefest, complete with memes, giveaways, prizes, and general awesomeness! Make sure you like our Facebook page to keep up with the fun!
From February 1-7, we’ll celebrate book one, Forbidden Mind. From February 8-14, we’ll celebrate book two Forbidden Fire. From February 15-21, we’ll celebrate Forbidden Life! And we’ll end the month with a big week-long extravaganza for the whole Trilogy!
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!
January 30, 2014
Welcome home, Forbidden Fire!
We’ve got the publishing rights to our Forbidden Trilogy back, and we’re celebrating by throwing it a BIG OL’ Welcome Home party! We’ll officially republish the Trilogy under our imprint, Daring Books, on Saturday February 1st. But, for now, we’ll be spotlighting each of the books in the Trilogy here and on our Facebook page!
Today, please say hello to the second installment in the Trilogy: Forbidden Fire!
[image error]“She escaped, but she’ll never be free.”
“Time held no meaning as my mind darted in and out of memories. Past and present collided to create a full-sensory collage out of my life: playing hide-n-seek with my best friends Luke–who always cheated by walking through walls when he was about to be caught–and Lucy; Mr. Caldrin critiquing my sketches and offering ideas to make them more realistic; targets changing faces, blending into the same person, their thoughts rippling through my mind like waves. Through it all, a demon stalked me from the shadows of my memories, never quite showing its face, but crouching, waiting.
And then I dreamed….”
Sam and Drake may have escaped, but they aren’t free–not with a powerful Seeker after them. As Sam struggles with the ethics of her new powers and embraces a blossoming physical relationship with Drake, Lucy and Luke face challenges of their own.
With forces coalescing inside and outside the Rent-A-Kid dorms, it’s only a matter of time before the fire they started forces each of them to make choices they can’t undo. But will it be enough to save them?
Add Forbidden Fire to your Goodreads “Want to read” shelf right here!
All through February we’ll have a BIG Forbidden Trilogy lovefest, complete with memes, giveaways, prizes, and general awesomeness! Make sure you like our Facebook page to keep up with the fun!
From February 1-7, we’ll celebrate book one, Forbidden Mind. From February 8-14, we’ll celebrate Forbidden Fire!
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!
January 29, 2014
Welcome home, Forbidden Mind!
We’ve got the publishing rights to our Forbidden Trilogy back, and we’re celebrating by throwing it a BIG OL’ Welcome Home party! We’ll officially republish the Trilogy under our imprint, Daring Books, on Saturday February 1st. But today, tomorrow, and Friday, we’ll be spotlighting each of the books in the Trilogy here and on our Facebook page!
Today, please say hello to the story that started it all: Forbidden Mind!
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She reads minds.
He controls minds.
Together, they might get out alive.
49% of Americans believe their government officials are honest. I don’t know these officials, or their supporters, but I know their secrets, and 49% of Americans are wrong.
My employers pay me well to be right, to know things others can’t. But I don’t know why they brought that boy in, strapped to a stretcher, barely conscious. He asked me for help when I could give none.
I’m a wealthy spy, a talented artist, a martial arts black belt, and a prisoner. They tell me that on my eighteenth birthday, I will be released, free to go to the college of my dreams. It’s my eighteenth birthday, and a man in black is at my door. I know he’s not here to free me.
I know, because I can read minds.
My name is Sam, and this is my story.
So begins the tale of Sam and Drake–from the time they link minds, forging a bond that leads to an unconventional romance–to their fight for survival against the corrupt, twisted organization known as ‘Rent-A-Kid.’
“…a thrilling, dark and deeply romantic read that had me sitting on the edge of my seat and eagerly awaiting the next installment.” –Refracted Light Young Adult Book Reviews
“The plot is very ALIAS and DARK ANGEL-like with X-MEN as its backdrop (awesome combo!). Forbidden Mind BLEW my mind!” –Sour Skittles Book Blog
Winner of 2011 Forward National Literature Award
Add Forbidden Mind to your Goodreads “Want to read” shelf right here!
Stay tuned for next week, when we’ll have a BIG week-long Forbidden Mind lovefest, complete with memes, giveaways, prizes, and general awesomeness! Make sure you like our Facebook page to keep up with the fun!
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!
January 27, 2014
Write Fan Fiction for MONEY!
As some of you may know, we took this last week off of social media to focus on writing and family stuff, and it was a nice break. And now, WE’RE BACK with more ideas than ever! Today’s post is exciting because we have some new opportunities for our fans that we wanted to share. Let us know what you think, and if also let us know if there are things you’d like to see more of here or on Facebook!
Happy Reading,
~KK
KK MINION FAN FICTION FOR MONEY!
[image error]Are you a writer who loves the worlds we’ve created? Do you have a story to tell about the Forbidden kids or in the steamy world of Seduced? Would you like to write something in Paris with When the Heart Falls, or tell new tales in any of the future books and worlds we create?
We welcome fan fiction of all kinds, and we’ve created a Facebook group where you can share your fan fiction with other fans and get feedback and insight. What’s more, we will be checking in on that group from time to time, and if we come across a story that moves us, we might just contact you about giving you rights to publish it for money!
How does this work? Well, first we’ll be looking for well-written, well-edited stories in our worlds.
Second, we’ll likely be conscious of stories that don’t overlap too closely to something we might be working on for the future (which is hard to judge for you, we know, but this is highly subjective.)
Finally, if we love what you’ve written, we’ll contact you and offer you a contract for you to self-publish your story anywhere you’d like, for any amount, as long as you give us due credit as creators of the source material and world.
You can join the group here. We look forward to seeing what you come up with!
KK MINION ARMY
Our readers mean the world to us, which is why we started the KK Minion Army (a name our most loyal of fans chose!) In our Army, you get exclusive access to us, early opportunities to beta or review our books, exclusive giveaways of signed books, swag and gifts every month and so much more!
There are a lot of ways you can engage with us. We’re active on our Facebook fan page and Twitter and of course here on our website, but if you want a more intimate experience and want to help spread the word about our books, come join us in our private KK Minion Army Facebook Group!
All we ask is that you help share the books you love most with your friends and family (and random stranger you might meet on the street, and any literate pets you might happen upon… ) For that, we will reward you with literary riches! (In the form of words & swag, of course!)
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!
January 19, 2014
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 Trilogy “welcome home” party starts January 29!
We are getting all the publishing rights (both print and ebook) for our award-winning Forbidden trilogy back from the previous publisher, and are republishing them under our own imprint, Daring Books–AND we’re having a BIG welcome home party for the series! Watch out for some serious Forbidden fun–trivia, memes, giveaways, games, blog posts, swag, and so much more–all through February! We’ll start the festivities on the 29th, with a day dedicated to each book, then have a major launchfest on February 1st for the series, and finish off with weeklong awesomeness every week in February! SO EXCITED! 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 and get the inside scoop!
A new series is coming your way!
Yes, we know–so many books, so little time! But we’re super-excited about the new series we’ll be writing in between Prince of Darkness books!
Get ready to meet Cat!
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To most people who know her, Catelyn Travis is a good girl who gets good grades in law school, doesn’t date and never gets into trouble.
To her clients, she’s Cat, phone sex goddess who makes their dreams come true.
And to Asher Davenport, she’s the woman he’s spent his entire adult life looking for.
Only Cat doesn’t want to be found, and she certainly doesn’t want to meet the sexy billionaire who burns up her phone for more than just sultry words.
But when he makes her an offer she can’t refuse, she crosses a line she can’t forgive.
—–
The Saving Cat serial trilogy will come out during 2014; we don’t know exact dates yet, but look for it in between installments of our sexy urban fantasy Princes of Hell series!
HOTTIEBOWL 2014 continues!
Why settle for a single showdown a week when you can have a WHOLE MONTH of daily showdowns? Who needs the Super Bowl when you can have the HOTTIEBOWL? On our Facebook page, we’ve been pitting the hottest Hollywood has to offer in a quest to find the hottest of the them all–and having a blast!
We’ve started the Sexy Sixteen this week, and Johnny Depp and Chris Hemsworth have already moved on the Erotic Eight! Have you cast your daily vote yet?
32 hotties, 31 showdowns, one month of awesomeness!
Make sure you’ve liked our Facebook page to keep up with the daily showdowns and cast your vote!
Be our Fan of the Week!
Congratulations to Lucy Anne Smith, this week’s Karpov Kinrade 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!
This week’s favorite KK product
Stay warm AND stylish in this Prince of Darkness hoodie!
This–and all sorts of awesome KK Minion, Seduced Saga, and Naughty Live Longer gear–is available at our KK CafePress store.
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!
January 12, 2014
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 Trilogy is coming home!
We are getting all the publishing rights (both print and ebook) for our award-winning Forbidden trilogy back from our publisher, and are republishing them under our own imprint, Daring Books–AND we’re having a BIG welcome home party for the series! Watch out for some serious Forbidden fun–trivia, memes, giveaways, games, blog posts, swag, and so much more–all through February!
Kimberly was on The MAN CANDY Show!
USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Mimi Jean Pamfiloff interviewed Kimberly on The MAN CANDY show, talking all things romance, sex, and fabulous books! Want to hear the live show recording? Check out the podcast right here!
HOTTIEBOWL 2014 continues!
Why settle for a single showdown a week when you can have a WHOLE MONTH of daily showdowns? Who needs the Super Bowl when you can have the HOTTIEBOWL? On our Facebook page, we’ve been pitting the hottest Hollywood has to offer in a quest to find the hottest of the them all–and having a blast!
Click below to see all match-ups and see who’s moved on from the first-round to the Sexy Sixteen!
32 hotties, 31 showdowns, one month of awesomeness!
Make sure you’ve liked our Facebook page to keep up with the daily showdowns and cast your vote!
Be our Fan of the Week!
Congratulations to Laurie Jersey, this week’s Karpov Kinrade 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!
This week’s favorite KK product
Kind of adore this Naughty Live Longer flask!
This–and all sorts of awesome KK Minion, Seduced Saga, and Naughty Live Longer gear–is available at our KK CafePress store. We’ll be switching over to Zazzle in the near future, so stay tuned for that new link.
What you missed on the blog…
Help us help you: Calling all writers and readers!
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!
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