The Ax Murderers' Luncheon

You can keep reading this post.  It’s not what you think.  When I published A Rose for Sergei a few years ago I wasn’t as involved in social media as I needed to be.  I quickly learned that when you self-publish a book everything changes…social media is a necessity.  I began blogging about my book so readers could find me—as an individual and an author.  Other forms of social media soon followed.

Setting up an author page on Goodreads turned out to be a great way to connect with readers and other authors.  I quickly joined a group on that site which provided support for Indie Authors.  My friend and fellow author described what transpired from that chance introduction.

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From Brynne Asher’s Facebook page:

“I've told the story how I was a big fat chicken after writing my first book and it took me forever to get up the nerve to push publish, right?  Well, then it took me even longer to get up the nerve to be social on Goodreads.  I'm not a shy person, but I tend to be a bit social media shy.  Weird, I know.

I joined an Indie author group, thinking it would be the cure of my shyness.  I introduced myself on the thread and the next author to introduce herself was also from Northern Virginia.  We messaged a couple times back and forth.

At this point, I'm giving myself a pat on the back for not being shy and meeting new people, lalala.

Yay me.

Then her next message came through, "We should meet for lunch."

What??  But she could be an ax murderer.  Or a creepy guy who drove a white van with no windows.  Or a freaky-freaky-fan-stalker posing as an author who really wanted to cut off my thumb to keep forever because she loved my book so much and she wanted the digit off my hand that created every space between my eloquently thought out words (not really, it's not like I wrote Harry Potter).

But still, you get me.

So I went to the hubs.  He carries a badge and wields a gun to feed us and support my bargain shopping habit.  I exclaimed, "There's an ax murderer after me!"

The hubs, who's as un-dramatic as I am dramatic, said, "You should meet her for lunch.  It's a public place, what can happen?"

I asked if he would do surveillance, to make sure I was okay.

He said unless I was having lunch across from the Pentagon, then no.  But even if I was, the answer was still no.

So, I loaded my purse up with pepper spray (not really, but that would be funny now if I had) and went to lunch.  I'm so glad I did.  She was not an ax murderer and that day I made a friend for life.  Her name is K. Kidd, she's an extraordinary person who experienced a heartbreaking and incredible love story at a very young age.  Still, after many long lunches sitting across from her laughing, talking about books and everything else under the sun, I cannot believe she experienced what she did.

Her [book] is…worth the read because it's REAL.  It involves falling in love with a defected KGB agent in the early 1970's, Russia and the Cold War.  Her book even had to be approved by the Department of Defense before she could publish.  It reads like fiction and I loved it.”—Brynne Asher, Author of The Carpino Series

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My family also expressed concerns about me meeting a stranger for lunch.  I didn’t even know what Brynne looked like because she uses a photo of her book for her profile picture.  “She” could have turned out to be a “He” who might be a stalker and/or ax murderer.  She was neither of those, and is in fact a very talented and popular writer of Women’s Contemporary Fiction/Romance.

Our last ax murderers’ luncheon took place last week as Brynne Asher and her family prepare for a cross-country move.  Through our shared experiences we are truly friends for life.  That will not change with distance.  As I’ve said before…people come into your life for a reason.

Writing Book Reviews | A Rose for Sergei

Book reviews!  We love to read them before we purchase a book, but we don’t always like to write them.  I admit I was guilty of the same thing, I didn’t write reviews…that is until I wrote my first book.  Now I post a review online even if it’s only a few sentences.  I guarantee you the author will find and read it.  I also know that, for some readers, those reviews can be the deciding factor on whether or not to buy a certain book.

A book blogger recently interviewed me about A Rose for Sergei, and several of the questions pertained to book reviews.  Up until then I hadn’t given reviews a lot of thought.  I was just happy that people were finding and reading my book.  Below are my thoughts from that part of the interview:

I came to the realization that there are a lot of readers who think a book review has to be a perfectly written, play-by-play account of the story.  I’d like readers to know that posting a review online doesn’t have to be a lengthy process.  A positive book review can be just two words:  Liked It, Loved It, or Recommend It.  Of course I also enjoy reading the longer commentaries by those who love writing in-depth reviews.  I always appreciate it when someone takes the time to write any review.

We all love to see good reviews, and if a reviewer leaves a not-so-good review along with a valid suggestion, it can be helpful to the author.  I actually added an addendum to my book after a reader emailed me. 

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A Rose for Sergei

Thank You Readers for the Amazon Reviews!

Mystery and Love (5 Stars)

I enjoy reading about the Cold War, spies and KGB.  These two lives were entwined in mystery and intrigue.  This book was a real page turner, keeping me on the edge of my seat.  Finding such love at the age of twenty-one was heartwarming….  I truly enjoyed this memoir and would recommend to readers of all ages.

—Barbara

I enjoyed it, but don’t tell my buds (4 Stars)

I read this kicking and screaming b/c [because] the wife made me read it--and...I enjoyed it, but don't tell my buds.  I'm a fan!

—Scribe

When the real life is wilder than fiction.....Beautiful and touching story (5 Stars)

The story has a very good premise - an American girl and a Russian bear, no - man the size and strength of the bear, with different, even opposite, mentality, background and experience, fall in love.  The Cold War period and the fact that the girl worked for the US intelligence, while the lad is ex-KGB make it even spicier and add the flavor of a spy thriller.  Yet it's a unique true love story: pure, touching and beautiful.  Craftily written with all first-hand emotions shared by one of the participants.  And then there is a twist....Something unexpected and drastic.  I don't want to spoil it, so you, guys, would have to read it yourself.  And it's worth it, believe me.

—Nik Krasno, Author of Mortal Showdown

Red Notice | Forgive Me, Sergei

I just finished reading Red Notice by Bill Browder.  His true story about high financial dealings in Russia is a real page turner.  His explanation about the fall of communism to capitalism to the rise of oligarchs is a rich history lesson.  At the end of the book, Mr. Browder writes about Russia today:  “A place where lies reign supreme.  A place where two and two is still five, white is still black, and up is still down.  A place where convictions are certain, and guilt a given….  This is Russia today.”

The end of his book made me immediately think about the documentary film Forgive Me, Sergei and the scenes that were filmed in Russia—the parts where every Russian interviewed claimed that Sergei Kourdakov was a fraud.  I was unconvinced.  Especially when Sergei’s “brother” talked about him.

Sergei Kourdakov told everyone publicly that his brother was dead.  In a quieter moment with me, he reflected that he hadn’t seen his older brother or heard from him since he was a little boy and that he was sure his brother had been killed.  Yet, in the documentary the person claiming to be Sergei’s brother never mentioned that fact.

There are some excellent parts in the documentary film.  And there are parts that should be considered carefully.  I wouldn’t write-off Sergei Kourdakov’s book “The Persecutor” based solely on the movie.

A Rose for Sergei | Book Promotion

A Rose for Sergei

by K. Kidd 

Sergei Kourdakov is a real person.  Alone at a young age, he was raised in Soviet orphanages.  In that oppressive environment, he learned that only the strong survive—leading him to become the strongest and the best at whatever he did.  Sergei’s job in the Russian police was to inflict terror on Christians.  He defected when he could no longer face the life he was leading.  He was incredibly strong and jumped ship when his Russian trawler was off the coast of Tasu Sound, Canada.  He barely survived his treacherous swim in the stormy ocean.  Sergei and I met a year later, at my Federal Government office in Washington DC, and that’s where my story begins.

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Excerpts from Reviews:

“I could feel the fear.  I could feel the love.  I could feel the heartbreak.”

—Lynn via Amazon

“I absolutely loved this story.  It is a true story.  From the very first chapter the story just grabs you and keeps your interest.  In Russia sending a red rose to someone means their heart is bleeding for you….  It is such an emotional story.  You will become attached to the characters.”

—Erin via justagirlkindling

Click Here to Purchase ebook from Amazon!

Sergei Kourdakov - They Are Looking For Me!

I was seventeen when I started working for the Federal Government in Washington DC.  My book, A Rose for Sergei, is the true story of a young woman…me, searching for independence and a career.  At age twenty-one that journey ended up surpassing my desire for mystery and intrigue when I met Sergei Kourdakov, a handsome Soviet KGB defector.

Excerpt from A Rose for Sergei:

Fall 1972

Sergei was so different from anyone I had ever met, let alone dated.  He was a Russian defector whose past history with the KGB was nothing to take lightly.  It was serious business, and the element of danger was not lost on me.

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We grabbed our coats and headed out the door.  Before I could close and lock the door, Sergei told me to wait a minute.  As we both stood on the landing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a book of matches.

“What do you need matches for?”  I was puzzled.

“I always carry them,” Sergei informed me.  “Look, I will show you.”

He carefully pulled off a good match and then reached up and placed it at the top of the door as he slowly closed the door.  He was tall enough to easily place it there so it was barely visible.  I could not see it at all.

“This way, we will know if anyone came in while we were gone.”  He spoke under his breath, “I do this all the time.”

I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was serious, and a sense of fear slowly crept over me.

“Who is going to come in, Sergei?”  I whispered gravely.  “Who?”

“People from my country.  They are looking for me,” he said firmly.

Then he smiled down at me, threw an arm over my shoulder, and held me close as we walked down the stairs to my car.  The pit in my stomach gradually softened, but the idea of Russians breaking into my apartment did not sit well with me at all.

Blame It On The Blizzard | Investigating Sergei Kourdakov

There was a lot of snow to shovel out of our driveway this week—over 40 inches.  Snowbound for five days means extra time for internet browsing, which can be okay.  I found some books for my to-read list, and sparkly jewelry to pin on my “Have a Heart” board on Pinterest.  I blame the idle hours online on the Blizzard of 2016 (aka Snowzilla) that hit the east coast.  At least we had electricity.

That snow-stuck-at-home internet searching also led to finding some pretty harsh comments about Soviet KGB defector Sergei Kourdakov, author of The Persecutor.  Some proclaim that Sergei and his book are all a lie.  Those beliefs are exactly the reason why I wrote A Rose for Sergei.  Those beliefs are why I told a story that I kept to myself for over forty years.  Those beliefs are why I finally had to speak out.

I’ve mentioned it before in my blog—that Sergei’s background was thoroughly checked out by government agencies.  I don’t think that fact sinks in with some people, or that they fully understand what “checked out” implies.  Investigating Sergei’s background was not a simple call to the KGB to ask them to verify Sergei’s employment.  Sorry, I’m being facetious.  I wonder if people have any idea what that type of investigation entails.  The INTEL, or intelligence gathering, was ongoing and the information received corroborated Sergei’s story.  Over the course of several months the facts maintained their integrity.  Sergei Kourdakov was telling the truth.

Red Sparrow | A Rose for Sergei

I recently finished reading Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews.  It’s a fiction spy vs. spy thriller.  Mr. Matthews, a former CIA operative, gives you an inside peek at clandestine goings on in the world in his award winning first novel.  He had me at espionage.  I’ve always loved mystery and intrigue.

One of my favorite lines from Red Sparrow:

“We cannot have foreign diplomats harmed on the streets, even if they are meeting with Russian traitors,” said Egorov with a snort.  “The FBI will start mugging our officers in Georgetown if this happens again.”

—Jason Matthews

This passage caught my attention because of my own true story, A Rose for Sergei, about meeting and dating Soviet KGB defector Sergei Kourdakov.  Sergei’s cautious actions were very similar to the people in Red Sparrow.  I wasn’t completely surprised at some of the things Mr. Matthews talked about because of where I used to work.  His book, however, was an eye-opener for me concerning all the foreign agents strolling around.  My heart raced when I read how they stealthily conducted surveillance.

My take-a-way from his book?  I now realize why I never noticed anyone following Sergei and me, even though Sergei warned me.  I wasn’t trained in that area, but Sergei was.  He knew.  My heart-stopping moments when reading Red Sparrow?  I also now know why Sergei Kourdakov always insisted that I drive, and why he slid out of view in the car seat whenever we went out.

Red Sparrow is an incredible read, one that I can highly recommend.  Excellent book Mr. Matthews!  You gave this writer the chills.

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Available from Amazon!