In this scene, Senth and NarrAy have just met. She's considering whether to hire him to help her steal back the designs for a prototype her murdered parents designed. Because she's a Better, an enhanced human with addictive pheromones, she's not permitted to touch anyone skin-to-skin. Senth puts on gloves and prepares to shake her hand. All her life, she has been isolated from touch, so this moment is important to her.
NarrAy offered her hand. She'd practiced this with her father as a girl. "A gentleman doesn't try to overpower a lady's hand, NarrAy. But he isn't afraid to be firm either."
She held his gloved hand between both of hers. "I can see you're a gentleman, Mr. Antonello."
His cheeks reddened. "Just Senth, ma'am."
She squeezed Senth's hand. "And I'm NarrAy. Never Ms. Jorlan, nor ma'am. Not on this job. Understood?"
He met her gaze. "Does that mean you want me?" He blushed again and glanced down at their still-joined hands. "For the job, I mean."
She bit back a laugh. What an innocent. "So long as we're clear on who's in charge."
"When it comes to theft, I am. For everything else, you are, in every way."
He had no idea. But, he had never once looked at her body. Maybe this red dress would be okay after all.
"Come sit." She gestured toward an adjacent room. "Let's talk business."
Click covers for the buy link. Click text for the website page and excerpts.
#SciFi #Romance
You'll find these characters mentioned in multiple books in my story universe. Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.
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~ Copyright ©2025 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!
My characters may be found in multiple books in my story universe. Pietas images Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas cosplay.
Welcome to Book Hooks!
Book Hooks is a weekly cooperative meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog.
It's a chance each week for you to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors.
Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.
The Anchor of Time definitely has some fresh takes on old tropes. For one, the 'chosen one' main heroine is a hair stylist, and I for one have not read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi with a time traveling hair stylist. There is a psychic Tardigrade that changes appearances depending on who it has a psychic link with (their appearance is just a projection of what you want to see), and there is also a sentient quantum computer. Combined with dimensional shift in every chapter, as well the end is also the beginning because the story is told in a time loop.
A bundle of high-caliber authors for lovers of SF/F.
This special event showcases all subgenres of sci-fi and may include cyberpunk, dystopian, fantasy, young adult, hard scifi, military, paranormal, post-apocalyptic, robots, sci-fi romance, soft scifi, space opera, technothrillers, time travel, urban fantasy, and more.
Join us! Sci-Fi Book Event
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You'll find these characters mentioned in many books in my story universe.
Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.
Download a printable book list or a list of trigger warnings for all books. Claim your immortality by signing up for my newsletter
Immortal Reviews Rock & Rule - Join the Review Team
~ Copyright ©2025 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!
My characters may be found in multiple books in my story universe. Pietas images Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas cosplay.
A bundle of high-caliber authors for lovers of SF/F. All books are at a sale price.
This special event showcases all subgenres of sci-fi and may include cyberpunk, dystopian, fantasy, young adult, hard scifi, military, paranormal, post-apocalyptic, robots, sci-fi romance, soft scifi, space opera, technothrillers, time travel, urban fantasy, and more.
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Click covers for the buy link. Click text for the website page and excerpts.
#SciFi #SpaceOpera
Pick up the first story in the Bringer of Chaos series, Lights Out, plus an illustrated look at the series free by signing up for my newsletter
https://kayelleallen.com/immortality
You'll find these characters mentioned in multiple books in my story universe. Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.
Download a printable book list or a list of trigger warnings for all books. Claim your immortality by signing up for my newsletter
Immortal Reviews Rock & Rule - Join the Review Team
~ Copyright ©2025 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!
My characters may be found in multiple books in my story universe. Pietas images Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas cosplay.
Mongrel, a creature more wolf than man, leads a lonely life on the fringes of pack society—until the night a handsome vampire shows up with a mysterious request.
Bowie, a vampire cursed to a life of endless nights, maintains close ties with his human family. When young girls in their village go missing, he must act quickly.
But to find them, he'll need to convince the local werewolf pack to loan him their best tracker—a wolf known as the Mongrel.
Though he hates the slur, Andras is used to being called Mongrel.
When Bowie refuses to refer to him by anything but his given name, Andras can't help a flicker of unexpected trust toward the stranger.
He volunteers to help Bowie, risking banishment.
Can two tenderhearted men overcome their traumatic pasts and work together to rescue the girls before it's too late? Or will the world's most prolific killer snuff the flames of their passion along with the lives of the captives?
This steamy love story spans the country of Hungary as Andras and Bowie journey through cities and wilderness on their quest to right a villain's wicked wrongs. Mongrel features a sweetly possessive werewolf, a cinnamon roll of a vampire, and the worst killer in history. A surprisingly fluffy MM Paranormal/Historical Romance considering the subject matter.
HEA guaranteed with loads of laughs along the way and no cliffhanger ending.
Try one on this page!
Download a printable book list or a list of trigger warnings for all books. Claim your immortality by signing up for my newsletter
Immortal Reviews Rock & Rule - Join the Review Team
~ Copyright ©2025 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!
My characters may be found in multiple books in my story universe. Pietas images Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas cosplay.
The Thieves' Guild tech Senth is about to claim will make him invisible.
There's just one problem.
It can't hide him from the truth...
In this scene, Khyff is about to bolt for freedom when his client says one word that stops him cold.
As usual, Khyff's master hadn't allowed him to eat until he'd met his quota. First up: shower, clean clothes, food. Not necessarily in that order. He kept a few stale crackers hidden in his room for emergencies. He'd satisfied his last client, and was unscheduled the rest of the day. Or at least the next six hours.
Khyff bolted toward freedom.
"So you're an Antonello."
The way the client said it drew Khyff's attention. This particular client was one of the less odious. He didn't grab or cling, he was--thankfully--clean, and he tipped well. Still, the guy was paying for sex and Khyff had no choice. Being a pleasure slave meant you serviced the clients sent to you, or you suffered for it. In Khyff's case, refusing meant risking prison.
He would never go back there, no matter what they made him do here.
Khyff clenched his teeth and pasted on a smile. "Pardon?"
"Your last name." The guy continued getting dressed, seemingly in no hurry. "It's Antonello, right?"
"Why?"
"I never noticed before. It's right here on my receipt." He picked up his mobile and turned the screen toward Khyff. "I mean I've been here what... five times now?" He poked at the screen. "Whoa! Seven. Huh. I should have a free visit after three more."
Khyff choked back a retort. His master was giving away free visits with him? It would take hundreds of client visits to earn enough in his Freedom Savings Account so Khyff could buy himself. If his master was giving him away, it would take forever.
Khyff jerked open the door.
"You don't look like the other one."
Half a step into the hall, Khyff's heart stuttered. He made a slow pivot. "Other one?"
"The other Antonello. You look different."
The world went silent. Khyff came inside, shut the door and leaned against it. "So I'm sure I heard right. You know another Antonello."
"Yeah. I saw the name, and figured you had to be related. Antonello's not common. Not on Kelthia. I'm guessing you don't have much family here."
Good guess. More than three quarters of the world's population was black-skinned. Khyff had blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin.
Could this be a link to his missing mother? Did the client know her? Khyff fought the hope that rose within him. It had been how many years? No, he would not allow himself to hope. When you hoped, people could hurt you more.
#SciFi #WriteLGBTQ #MMRomance
Download a printable book list or a list of trigger warnings for all books. Claim your immortality by signing up for my newsletter
Immortal Reviews Rock & Rule - Join the Review Team
~ Copyright ©2025 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!
My characters may be found in multiple books in my story universe. Pietas images Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas cosplay.
Try one on this page!
Pick up Wulf for $0.00 -- This book is permafree on all retailers.
Then pick up Alitus and Jawk to claim the entire Tales of the Chosen series.
These books are in the same universe as the Antonello Brothers, and Antonello Brothers: Immortal books.
Click the cover for a universal buy link.
You'll find these characters mentioned in multiple books in my story universe. Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.
Download a printable book list or a list of trigger warnings for all books. Claim your immortality by signing up for my newsletter
Immortal Reviews Rock & Rule - Join the Review Team
~ Copyright ©2025 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!
My characters may be found in multiple books in my story universe. Pietas images Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas cosplay.
My name is Rachel.
I was an ordinary high school girl when a viral plague spread across my planet. Those like me that died rose again returned as mindless zombies. Fortunately, science came to the rescue and gave me back my mind.
As a conscious zombie, I gained exceptional powers – speed, strength and more.
That, plus a secret heritage, changed my life forever.
The outside world didn't accept my kind, however, and soon I decided to join the military.
I trained to become an Army Ranger.
Now, as an elite undead killing machine, I must make a choice.
Allegiance to my kind or to the Federation.
Choose wrong and I could die…for good.
Another installment in the Seven Stars Universe by Dayne Edmondson, this is a young adult space opera adventure novel set a few years before his space opera novel "Emergence" and featuring a major character from the third book, "Ruin."
Pick up now to jump into the adventure.
About the Author
Dayne Edmondson is the author of multiple books in science fiction and fantasy. He lives in southeastern Michigan with his wife and two young children, a boy and a girl. He writes part time and works a day job. He writes and reads science fiction and fantasy. Some of his favorite authors/books include Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, (almost) all the Star Wars EU books, Elizabeth Haydon, Christopher Nuttall and more.
Renegade.
New planets...new problems.
The start of an epic adventure across the galaxy.
All Captain Xiang wants to do is get back to her starship, but she's been ordered to transport supplies to a possible new ally.
When she meets a beautiful stranger, she finds herself on the run and reevaluating everything she has ever known.
Renegade is a prequel to the New Evolutions series. The series is an action-packed sci-fi, full of adventure with a light romance subplot.
Renegade is available on Amazon
Céline Glaude withdraws from reality as often as possible. She believes in magic, dragons, alternate dimensions, and aliens, and she is patiently waiting for the Doctor to take her on adventures in space and time.
She was raised on crawfish, Disney movies, musicals, epic fantasy, Star Trek, and Westerns, so creating stories seems logical to her. As a new author, she specializes in genre-hopping. Be prepared for anything from vampires to dark heroines or even elves and escapades in space.
She is from the deep South and enjoys spending as much time as possible with her family. She loves to read and is usually in the midst of three or more books at any given time. When she is not immersed in all things book-related, Céline dabbles in makeup, gardening and makes one hell of a gumbo.
In this scene, Senth has just gotten a password protected message from his father and is looking for a private place to hear it. Background - Senth is a professional thief and a student at the Thieves' Guild Academy.
Folks in this town never referred to his father by name. You heard the capital letters when they called him the Man or the Harbinger. Luc Saint-Cyr was the daddy crime lord all the baby crime lords wanted to be like when they grew up.
"Ooh, big scary Man." Senth thumbed off the device. "Please let this be a job and not him finding out I hacked Planet Fun."
He crossed the street and entered the Miraj City Bakery Café. No crowd this early, though a group of professors shared drinks at one of the tables in the back. There were no undergraduate classes this week. Cloak distribution had overturned the beehive.
A clean smell of freshly brewed coffee pulled him deeper into the room.
The android on duty rolled up to him. "Welcome. How may I serve you?"
"Like to use your storeroom a minute." He flashed his father's hand sign. "Private business."
"Of course, sir." The droid offered a keycard.
"Oh, please. I've broken into that room so many times, I prolly owe you guys rent."
On the droid's nametag, a bar of yellow lights indicated confusion. "Pardon, sir?"
"It was a joke. Owing rent for--" Senth held up both hands. "Never mind. No key needed."
He followed the maze of corridors to the back. At the door, he pulled out his lockpick and adjusted the settings. When he pointed it at the lock, the device signaled a lockout error and the tiny screen flashed nonsense letters at him.
What in the worlds did probata mean?
He twisted the tip of the pick and floated the stats as a holovid. Probata Corporation. Wasn't that the system his prof in Premium Fingersmithing ranted about? Something about useless upgrades and pointless codes. What did she say about a bypass trick?
"Think, Senth. You sat there listening to the woman fume for two solid wasted hours."
Oh, no he hadn't.
No, that was the day Senth had flaked out of classes and spent a full day at Planet Fun with his mates. He'd recorded it instead. But had he transcribed it to his code book?
Of course not. And didn't that make this encounter so much more fun? He pinched the bridge of his nose, but his father always did that so Senth stopped it at once.
Why was a lock on a coffee shop's storeroom door harder than a security system at the planet's busiest amusement park? What were they storing in there? The Empress's private coffee stash?
Curiosity over the message from his far-from-patient father burned through his mental pockets. Wait. His father. Surely, he'd have the new codes.
Yes, and then he'd want to know why Senth didn't and no way was he explaining to dear old Dad how he hacked into Planet Fun for "a planetful of fun" instead of going to class.
That fortune Dad paid for Senth to attend classes at the guild academy? Yeah, wasted a full day of it to impress a few girls, which was why he was calling needing a bail out.
And no way was he going back to the droid, stand right in front of a table full of Guild professors, and do the Hey can I borrow your key thing.
Riiight.
#SciFi #WriteLGBTQ #MMRomance
Download a printable book list or a list of trigger warnings for all books. Claim your immortality by signing up for my newsletter
Immortal Reviews Rock & Rule - Join the Review Team
~ Copyright ©2025 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!
My characters may be found in multiple books in my story universe. Pietas images Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas cosplay.
