Menu Close

Tag: Kayelle Allen Characters

posts with insights about characters

A #gem of a #scifi book

A gem — and charming too

Companion Dustplugs for Cellphones
Companion Dustplugs for Cellphones

I got a sweet review: “This gem of a scifi book offers tips for scifi writers, and secrets for fans of Kayelle Allen’s Tarthian Empire series.”

This is more true than you’d think. I’ve partnered with EssenTiles on Etsy to create beautiful gem-like charms of the cover, and my friend Paige created handmade glass beads (also a gem) that match the planets on the cover. She put beads and charms together to create a unique dustplug you can use with your cellphone.

Companion dustplugs in use
Companion dustplugs in use

How do they work? (in the phone image, it’s shown at the bottom. Your phone will have this jack at the top.) Insert the plastic plug into your cellphone’s audio jack and it keeps the dust out. It also makes a pretty gem dangle of bright color. I’ll give away one of these to the first five (US address only, please) who ask. You don’t have to leave personal info here. You can email me your contact info at author@kayelleallen.com and I’ll get back with you.

Paige created the beads by melting the glass and adding “frit” — fused or partially fused materials used in making glass — to create the markings on the “planets”. This ensures each bead is unique. The charms are quality glass with the image embedded inside.

fused or partially fused materials used in making glassRead more: http://www.answers.com/

I loved creating this unique gem as a giveaway, and hope you’ll enjoy using it!

About the Tarthian Empire Companion

For the science fiction writer, this volume teaches you how to build believable worlds, track details of your story, organize your writing, and lay out your story bible. Novice or experienced, you will pick up tricks and tips here. This EPIC eBook Award winning writer shares organizational tips, links to marketing sites, groups supporting writers, science fiction groups, and more. Material from the author’s 90+ page website is included.
For the science fiction fan, the Companion reveals the worldbuilding magic that makes Kayelle Allen’s Tarthian Empire tick. She shares every character in every book, 10k years of future history, offers inside peeks at scenes and stories, lays out a quick tour of the Empire, and dishes up a surfeit of secrets, all in one illustrated volume. Original art by Jamin Allen and Kayelle Allen.

Purchase

Amazon http://bit.ly/companion-az

Remember #reading the first book in a #series? #IAN1

Remember reading a series?

When you picked up the first book, it held such promise. There would be more to learn, more to see, more worlds for you to explore. When you finished it, you had a kind of “book hangover.” You were still so tied up in that book’s world that you weren’t sure you could handle another one. But the promise of seeing what happened to your new favorite characters was too strong. You succumbed and started reading the next book. And just like that — you were lost in the characters’ world again.

I am a series addict

You can recapture the world you read about in Surrender Love, and Wulf. The Empire you explored in Alitus, Jawk, At the Mercy of Her Pleasure, and For Women Only is waiting to be found in the new Tarthian Empire Companion, an illustrated World-Building Bible and Guide to Writing a Science Fiction Series.

If you loved the universe in which those original stories were set, then you’ll be glad to know the Tarthian Empire is alive and well. This new book features all the characters, places, and things that made the other stories unique.

Before writing the first book in my Tarthian Empire science fiction romance series, I wrote 10,000 years of future history. The Tarthian Empire Companion features that history, plus Earth and its colonization of the galaxy. The companion focuses on the big picture. What events drove the wars? Who won them? What made the peace so short, and the centuries of fighting so dire? Did the immortal Sempervians evolve or were they created? What do they want from mankind? What characters, places, and incidents shape the Tarthian Empire today?

Tarthian Empire Companion - create believable aliens

The Tarthian Empire Companion contains a full list of every character in every book, and peeks at books to come. This is the book I use to keep all the details straight. It’s written for readers as well as writers. If you write Scifi Romance and want to know how to keep a huge story world organized, this book is for you. I share all my details in this illustrated volume. If you love reading SF and loved my books, you’ll be able to look up details, go through the character lists, and learn inside secrets about the people and places. Always wondered what Peril, the game of the immortals, was all about? It’s in there.

The companion book is illustrated with original art and a few stock photos. My son, Jamin Allen, helped me create many of the images in this book. He’s a digital artist and began assisting me when he was in college at the Art Institute of Atlanta. In fact, he taught me how to use Photoshop. The work I’m able to do today is because of him.

Slang

I’m not a fan of changing basic terms for the sake of making them sound alien. For example, we “inch” along, not “millimeter” along, so I apply the same principle in my books. Diamonds are diamonds. Water is water.

Language, however, is malleable. Considering how far in the future my own stories are, there would be few (if any) words in English that we’d recognize. Being the practical sort, I kept many current terms.

What better way to describe rock music than to call it rock? Why call a flashlight a “mobile light source” or some other phrase for the sake of sounding different? It comes across silly and pretentious instead.

People shorthand words and phrases to things like OMG, LOL, BFF, deets, and probably one of the most famous shortcuts of all — the abbreviation for “more of the same” — “etc.” I prefer to use natural, understandable language whenever possible.

If you create a language, write down the words you use and keep a definition handy. This will keep you from later misspelling or contradicting yourself. You should also create a phonogram chart (list of sounds). This will help you create a richer language.

What terms do your characters use for slang? Define these and list them so you have a ready reference for future books. List how and why the words became slang. This not only helps you maintain consistency in creation, it also helps you with creating future slang you might need.

Here is a list of Kelthian Street Slang. It’s used in limited places, and there is far more listed here than I used in my actual books. However, I wanted a big list from which to choose a term.

Kelthian Street Slang

Cobber is Kelthian street cant (characteristic language) used on Kelthia by slaves and gangs. The slang was used by Senth and Khyff in the books At the Mercy of Her Pleasure, and For Women Only. The characters Trink and Yvan (who own Batchelors) sometimes use it too.

Boastin’; mess with, put on a front, tease, etc.
Clinkers; great, fine, no worries
Going all Kin; becoming feral, unruly, wild
Hawkin’; watching from the sidelines
Junk me; pay no attention to me
Leave me sly; forgive me, let me off
Lipped; said, explained, told
No new coins; same stuff different day, nothing new
Notta boasted you clean; shouldn’t have messed with you, or shouldn’t have put on a front with you, teased you, etc.
Ride my pocket; Follow me, stay on my tail
Right clinkers; perfectly fine, totally great
Royal; excellent, top notch
Scam-butt; cheater, scam artist
Scat these taggers; get out of these clothes, undress
Screech, the; sickness of any type
Seein’ you slip; noticing you’re not doing well
Smacked; happy, pleased
Smackers; general swear word with unspecified meaning. Dang, damn, hell, etc.
Sotted; drunk
Spacin’ me; In my space, close to me
Space me; give me some room, move away
Street freak or freaks; homeless person or people
Street; the street in general. Culture of the street.
Tawkin’; looking for action
What’s down; what’s up or what’s new
You skinnin’; you’re skin and bones
Shake out those taggers; what’s under those clothes
Taggers; clothes

Tarthian Empire Companion, an illustrated World-Building Bible and Guide to Writing a Science Fiction Series by Kayelle Allen. Illustrated by Jamin Allen and Kayelle Allen.

All my books are being re-released in new formats. Surrender Love and its long-awaited sequel, Surrender Trust will come out at the same time. At the Mercy of Her Pleasure and For Women Only will be re-released with their sequel, Crystal Clear Truth, and will introduce a third Antonello brother, Darq. In the meantime, I’m sharing all the details of my world with fans.

If you not only read but also write science fiction romance, this book will guide you to build believable worlds, track details of your story, organize your writing, and lay out your story bible. My website has over 90 pages of material for my world.

Writer or reader, you’ll get a glimpse of the world building and complexity that is the Tarthian Empire.

Have questions about a character, or about writing? Leave me a comment and I’ll be glad to answer. Please sign up for my newsletter while you’re here.

Available now on Smashwords, and Amazon.

Amazon http://bit.ly/companion-az
Smashwords http://bit.ly/companion-sm
Coming soon to Barnes and Noble and CreateSpace

So You Want to Date a Gay Immortal #LGBT #MFRWauthor #Humor

Complete Set Tales of the Chosen Series #MMRomance #SciFi #WriteLGBTQIf you want to date a gay immortal, what should you consider? Here are ten tips.

  1. Go out with your gay immortal guy because you like him as a person, rather than to find The One. Face it, how many times are you going to get a date with an immortal? Even if it doesn’t work out, this will be a date to remember. Enjoy it just for the experience.
  2. Practice safe dating. Your immortal may enjoy death-defying endeavors on dates, but unlike him, you won’t live forever. Wear a seat belt, a helmet, and unless he’s immune to everything, sterile, and can prove it, use a condom.
  3. If he’s bi, accept it. If he’s lived centuries, he might have tried almost anything. It’s true that he may not have found Mr. Right yet and you may be The One. It’s also possible he’s simply in touch with his polyamorous inner lover and enjoys a wide variety of relationships. Bottom line, don’t get your heart broken — pay attention to the signs.
  4. If your gay immortal is a shapeshifter, were-creature, or undead, these attributes can add an entirely new level to your relationship. But be sure you’re ready for sex with a guy who’s really (and I do mean really) a beast.
  5. Don’t offer your guy flowers, candy, or other trinkets on the first date. Immortals are used to giving gifts, but some are uncomfortable with getting them. However, after a few dates, if you bring him flowers, he’ll be surprised, and likely touched that you took time to think of him. In a way, flowers on a first date are expected — but flowers on the fourth are not. Surprise him.
  6. Speaking of gifts, if you want something that will stun your gay immortal, why not give him the stars? Literally. Go to http://adoptastar.whitedwarf.org/ and you can adopt a star for him, get a certificate, and present it to him. If he’s from the future, he might even share memories of having visited there. Plus the money goes to help scientists with research.
  7. Get your sleep. Immortals tend to “stay up all night” if you get my drift, and you’ll want to be well rested to take advantage of that.
  8. Be on time. He might not be, depending on what era he’s from (future, past, and present sometimes run together for an immortal), and that’s something to deal with if necessary, but don’t keep him waiting. He’s spent enough time alone as it is.
  9. Dress comfortably, but well. The first date is definitely the time to break out sexy underwear. Whether you want to show it to him on the first date is another matter. But wearing it will give you a feeling of looking and feeling your best.
  10. Use the law of attraction to win his heart. This can be true with any guy, but for an immortal, it’s vital. What is this law? “You get back what you give out.” Project a positive, energetic vibe by looking for ways to make him happy, and if he responds in kind, you may have a winner. However, If you give and give, and he only takes and takes… that has nothing to do with his being a gay immortal. He’s just a jerk. Move on.

So, what are your tips for dating a gay immortal? If you’ve got one, share it in the comments.

What’s a Story Molecule? Trailing Kaiwulf by Kayelle Allen #MFRWauthor #Scifi @MelissaSnark

What's a Story Molecule? Trailing Kaiwulf by Kayelle Allen #MFRWauthor #Scifi @MelissaSnarkLike me, my friend Melissa Snark likes the TV Tropes website. What are tropes? They’re devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members’ minds and expectations. On the whole, tropes are not cliches. The word cliched means “stereotyped and trite.” In other words, dull and uninteresting. The TV Tropes site isn’t about that. It’s about the creative use of these mega-themes.

The Periodic Table of Storytelling is a site that makes good use of these themes. By putting together all the basic tropes and assigning them a range of colors and letters, it’s possible to create a “story molecule” using the themes of the story.

What's a Story Molecule? Trailing Kaiwulf by Kayelle Allen #MFRWauthor #ScifiMelissa had an idea. Why not take the TV Tropes website and figure out how to apply its amazing concepts to her own story? She hit upon an even better idea. Why not invite other authors to do the same thing? Adding icing to the cake, she contacted the TV Tropes site and asked if they’d like to take a look. They did, she did, and a group of us got together to share the idea of creating a story molecule.

Mine is the last one in the series, so I’m doing my best to make it awesome. I hope you’ll check it out. The book I’m featuring is Trailing Kaiwulf. Why not head over there and take a look? It’s amazing what she put together. Click here: http://is.gd/kaiwulf_molecule

Find an invisible man in another dimension? All in a day’s work at TRAIL.

Travel to a godforsaken planet on the outskirts of space. Check. Hold intrusive military types at bay. Check. Find an invisible man in a different dimension. Check. Finish out the vacation TRAIL yanked you back from to do it? Easier said than done.

Trailing Kaiwulf
Trailing Kaiwulf

Yanked back from their first vacation in ages, Jee and Dane get handed a top priority mission. The pay is better than any they’ve earned before as agents for the Trace, Rescue, and Identification League. With this much money, they might not need jobs. They’re the best there is, and the item, person, or secret hasn’t been invented that these two can’t recover. Until now.

Locating this quarry might be a bit past even their considerable skills. After all, how do you find an invisible man in another dimension? And who, exactly, is footing a bill this steep? Certainly not the archaeologist in charge. The military wants to get involved, but they have no monetary stake either. So who — or what — is behind the request to trail Kaiwulf?

Excerpt https://books2read.com/com-trailing-kaiwulfAmazon https://books2read.com/com-trailing-kaiwulfThis is a Trace, Rescue, and Identification League story.
Download the official TRAIL Facebook cover and other goodies: https://books2read.com/com-trailing-kaiwulf
Learn more about the Periodic Table of Storytelling
http://designthroughstorytelling.net/periodic/

 

 

1000 Words = 1 Image: Rah and the Sea #hot

Izzorah Loves the Ocean.

– – –

I love this photo. I created ears for him, and that was about all I had to do to make this picture of my feline humanoid Izzorah work.

In an upcoming book, Izzorah (Rah) and his lover marry and go on their honeymoon. In one scene, Luc comes up behind him at the seaside and stands quietly, taking in the beauty of his younger lover as he enjoys the splash of warm water and the cooling waves.

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever,” Keats said. That certainly fits here. Golden, tan, fit, in love with life. Who could not adore a man like that? Luc is certainly smitten.

Kayelle Allen is an award-winning, multi-published author. Her heroes and heroines include badass immortals, warriors who purr, and agents who find the unfindable–or hide it forever. She is known for unstoppable heroes, uncompromising love, and unforgettable passion.

Mind Maps or Why I am Not a Pantser

A Mind Map of my Work in Progress.

I’ve discovered (the hard way) that unless I have a solid plot my book ideas fizzle. I am not a pantser. I recently got a program called Freemind that is “mind map” software. You start with a central idea, and keep clicking to create new “bubbles” or trains of thought, writing down a bit to capture the idea and then moving to the next point. I’m not an “outliney” kind of person either, so making one never worked for me. But for some reason, this program helps me capture my racing thoughts fast enough that I can get them down before they’re gone. When I get an idea it springs whole into my head and I can’t put it on paper fast enough.


Click either image in this post to see them in a larger size.

My character Alitus Vivaldi started as a walk on part because I needed someone to deliver a bit of news to the Empress in her big scene. I kept calling him “her assistant” and after about six times, I realized I needed to name him. The moment I had his name I had all of him. His backstory, his life, his goals, everything. He ended up getting his own book and being a major player in my overall series of trilogies that link together. When things like that happen, it’s hard to record it all. This program has been a real blessing to me. Five years ago I might not have been ready for it, but now, I can’t imagine how I’d get through a plot without it. It’s literally saved me hundreds of frustrating hours of work. My current wip is in its sixth rewrite, and I think this will be its last because of the program. It’s Java based, and it’s produced by Sourceforge, which made Audacity.
One leg of the above mind map.

I used Freemind to come up with ideas for a non-fiction book I’m doing on how to write dialogue. Once I saw the possibilities, I started a mind map for my wip and within days, had mapped out the entire thing, solving my dilemma over the ending and plot problems. My editor had sent me some good info which helped, and between the two, it made a big difference. I attached a print of the dialogue thing, showing just one leg of the basic “topic” mind map. When you open the whole thing, it’s so huge you have to move it around the screen to see it all. I’m doing one for each aspect of the book, and then will work on putting down the details. This program exports as jpg, png, flash, html, java, pdf, open office, and more. I can export it as open office, then save it as rtf, and open it in Word as an outline. I’m amazed that I can write this way. I’d never have thought of doing it but came across the idea in a book I was reading and decided to Google mind map software and see what I could find. This one was free so I figured what the heck. I’ll give it a go. I’m quite visual — I’m stimulated by visual images and inspired by pictures, so this turns out to be ideal for me.
Once I start with a solid idea of where I’m going, and a purpose to accomplish, the random ideas seem to flow better. A mind map seems to be just what I need.

Want to try the product? Go here to download it. Let me know what you think! http://freemind.sourceforge.net

Kayelle Allen is an award-winning, multi-published author. Her heroes and heroines include badass immortals, warriors who purr, and agents who find the unfindable–or hide it forever. She is known for unstoppable heroes, uncompromising love, and unforgettable passion.

Pietas, Lord of the Immortals

Pietas ap Lorectic was introduced in the book For Women Only. He’s a physically beautiful immortal male who appears young, despite being over twelve thousand years old. He and his twin sister were the only naturally conceived and born Ultras.

The name Pietas comes from the word “pieta“, meaning “representation.” A famous statue by Michelangelo called “The Pieta” represents a dramatic event in Christendom. Another word for “pieta” is “creation.” Pietas was considered (at his birth to two supposedly infertile immortals) to be the highest creation, the epitome of success. His mother, Helia hid her pregnancy from all but a close circle of others, fearful of what might happen if humans discovered she was fertile.

Unknown to Helia, she carried twins. A female child was delivered only minutes after Pietas, and she was considered a delight, and a good omen. She was named Dessy from the root word decet (dess-say) meaning good or proper. We know her today as Empress Rheyn Destoiya, or the Conqueror. She detests being called Dessy. Pietas makes a point of calling her that to irritate her.

Pietas and Dessy’s father is Mahikos. Those who’ve read Surrender Love had an opportunity to meet him. Helia will appear in an upcoming book.

Other names for Pietas in human history are Marauder, Impaler, Hammer of God, Soul Ripper, Destroyer of Worlds, Slayer of Innocents, and Hound of Hell. He is mentioned in the Tales of the Chosen series, and Surrender Love. There is a love-hate relationship between Pietas and Luc Saint-Cyr, whom Pietas insists on calling by his Sempervian name, Cyken.

Reality Quotient : My Characters’ Occupations

Luc Saint-Cyr – an extraordinary entrepreneur.
Author friends Melisse Aires and Tracey H Kitts each did blogs on what their characters do for a living. Occupations take up probably a third of our waking hours, so by default, most writers include something about what the characters do within the story. It makes it more interesting to have something unusual or unique.
I started thinking about my various heroes, what each of them does, and how well what they do fits into our current reality. Would what they do be something we do in our culture? Well… that depends on where you live and how much money you have, but here’s a quick list for you. I divided it into heroes and heroines. Because I write M/M as well as M/F, I had more names in the heroes list. To balance that, I added females who had a large part in their respective stories.
The Reality Quotient ranks from 0 (for “yer-kiddin’-me,-right?” to 3 (for “it-could-happen”).
Luc Saint-Cyr – entrepreneur. His Reality Quotient looks good if you consider only his title, but… he’s also the wealthiest man in the Tarthian Empire, owning more companies on his own than any conglomerate you can name. That doesn’t include his own conglomerate, Lucsondis Enterprises. People joke about Luc that he “could buy a planet.” Probably few — er, strike that — probably no readers out there with this kind of wealth.
Reality Quotient: 0 (Sorry, Luc, but you are one of a kind.)
Izzorah with his drums.
Izzorah Ceeow – drummer. Izzorah started out as a runaway seeking asylum on an alien world. He made his way from Felidae to Tarth, found two of his cousins, and bunked with them until he could find a way to make money. Because of music lessons his parents had provided, he knew how to play human-type drums. It was considered proper training for a young male to learn how to entertain, and because he begged hard, his parents allowed him to take up the noisy lessons. It took him years to get a gig as a permanent player with Kumwhatmay, but the group eventually hit it big.
Reality Quotient: 3 for being a drummer, 2 for the alien aspect if you apply it to Earth’s various cultures (0 if applying it to alien worlds).
In another installment of this idea, I’ll talk about other heroes and heroines.
Here are links to my friends’ posts:
What’s my personal Reality Quotient?
On the scale of 3 I’ve been a waitress (I lasted 2 entire days – LOL), and on the 0 scale, I worked on fighter aircraft in the Navy, as a member of VFP-63 (“The Eyes of the Fleet”) in San Diego — back in the day. I’ve also been a secretary, file clerk, insurance biller, full-time mom, wife, and let’s not forget author.
What kind of jobs have you held? Would they be a 0 (“yer-kiddin’-me,-right?”) on the Reality Quotient? How about a 3 (“it-could-happen”)? What have you done that’s in between?
Kayelle Allen is an award-winning, multi-published author. Her heroes and heroines include badass immortals, warriors who purr, and agents who find the unfindable–or hide it forever. She is known for unstoppable heroes, uncompromising love, and unforgettable passion.