The troublemaker was home (#SciFi Excerpt) #MFRWhooks #MFRWauthor

Kayelle Allen 03/13/2019 Immortal Empires 10 Comments

"Welcome home, Mr. Antonello."

Khyffen Antonello flinched at the disembodied android voice. He let out a frustrated sigh. "I am never going to get used to that. IdBot?"

The home security system pinged in response.

"Didn't I ask you to call me Khyff?"

"Yes, Mr. Antonello. Would you like to know the dates of your requests at this time?"

"No, I would not. Just change the greeting. Call me Khyff."

"Yes, Mr. Antonello. Greetings and welcome protocols are found in the home security system settings in the main system. Would you like to adjust them at this time?"

"No." His shoulders sagged. Talk about a troublemaker... "Remind me later. I've been away for a month, okay? I'm a little tired."

"Yes, Mr. Antonello. A reminder has been scheduled." Locks activated with an audible click, and a slight increase in pressure on his ears told Khyff the flat had been sealed. "Premises secure."

Khyff dropped his travel bag. The long commute had left him stiff, and he rolled his shoulders. In the living area, he swiped two fingers across a table and frowned at the dust. The cleaning droids had been skimping again. Not every machine was as efficient as idBot.

"Might be a good thing." Khyff stretched, working out kinks. "IdBot, play music." The blare of hard rock made Khyff jump. He clamped both hands over his ears. Drums thundered and boomed behind a wailing voice he'd heard on tour every day for the past month as security liaison for Wind and Thunder. "End music."

The silence made him groan with pleasure. "That's better." He lowered his hands. "IdBot, how did that music get on my setup?"

"Music added by roommate Senth Antonello."

"My brother is back."

"Affirmative."

The troublemaker was back. Yay.

"You could've warned me my brother was home when I got in the door."

"Yes, Mr. Antonello. Greetings and welcome protocols are found in the home security system set--"

"Never mind." Khyff rubbed his temples. A tantalizing whiff of cookies baking made his stomach growl. He entered the kitchen. The foodsynther hadn't worked since he moved in, and nothing sat on the counters.

The magnets on the fridge lit up when Khyff approached, flashing all the local specials from restaurants within their delivery area. He sniffed. None of them smelled like cookies. He'd tossed out the one from Zhkarr's. The Kin fish market restaurant might appeal to some, but Khyff gagged thinking about it. That place was for Kin, and he steered as far clear of the feline humanoids as possible.

He sniffed the air and followed the scent to his brother's bedroom door.

"Senth?" He knocked and opened the door. "Man, those cookies smell so--"

Senth grabbed at bed sheets. Beneath him, his fiancée, NarrAy Jorlan, yelped and covered herself with both arms.

"Sorry!" Khyff snapped the door shut. "Sorry!" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, man. That was more of Senth than I ever wanted to see."

In the kitchen, Khyff opened and shut cupboards, clattering cups and spoons for tea. The image of NarrAy naked burned into his thoughts and refused to go away.

His half-brother emerged from the bedroom and padded toward him, Senth's movements smooth as a cat's. He wore denim jeans but no shirt, and his tight abs gave mute evidence of his strength. Since Khyff had seen him last, the little troublemaker had put on height. Khyff was now the shorter one. Though a free man, Senth wore his curly hair even longer than he had as a slave. It fell down his back.

Senth narrowed his feline eyes. Except for his eyes and fangs, he looked human, until you got him mad.

"Sorry, Sen." Khyff stepped behind the counter, putting space between himself and the HalfKin. Khyff's stomach fluttered. "I know NarrAy's pheromones smell like butter and vanilla. I should have known it was her and not cookies, but I didn't think. I haven't seen you in nine solar months."

Senth seated himself on a stool at the island counter and played with a spoon, watching Khyff with an expectant, angry look. A low growl rumbled. The corner of Senth's mouth twitched, revealing fangs.

Sweat prickled all over Khyff's skin. His stomach lurched. "It was an accident, okay?" He fought to keep his voice calm. Senth had once ripped out a man's throat with those fangs. "Didn't you hear the Wind and Thunder music come on? You left it keyed, and when I came in, it--"

A twinkle lit his brother's eyes.

Khyff slammed the flat of his hand on the counter. "You were gonna sit there and let me ramble on about how sorry I am, weren't you?"

Senth grinned. "Nah, I always knew you were sorry."

Bro, Antonello Brothers Prequel

The tech Senth is about to claim will make him invisible. Finally, the young halfbreed thief will be out of sight and far from the taunts humans throw at him. But when that tech reveals he has a human half-brother who's bound by a cruel slaver, Senth must find a way to win his brother's freedom and save him from abuse -- even though Senth is a slave himself.
When you can make yourself invisible, you reveal invisible truth.
Get Behind the Brothers, an inside look at the characters and story behind Bro. Sign up for one of Kayelle's reader groups and get this booklet, advanced notice when the book is ready, and much more. https://kayelleallen.com/readergroups/

Read more →

Steal back the designs? #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 03/06/2019 Immortal Empires 8 Comments

In this scene, Senth and NarrAy have just met. She's considering whether to hire Senth to 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. Her pheromones attract without emotional attachment on her part, so she's accustomed to being the object of unwanted attention.

Senth puts on gloves and prepares to shake her hand. All her life, NarrAy has been isolated from touch, so this moment is critical...

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 his 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."

You have no idea. She grinned at him. He had never once tried to look at her body. Maybe this dress will be okay after all.

"Come sit." She gestured toward an adjacent room. "Let's talk business."

Bro, Antonello Brothers Prequel

The tech Senth is about to claim will make him invisible. Finally, the young halfbreed thief will be out of sight and far from the taunts humans throw at him. But when that tech reveals he has a human half-brother who's bound by a cruel slaver, Senth must find a way to win his brother's freedom and save him from abuse -- even though Senth is a slave himself.
When you can make yourself invisible, you reveal invisible truth.
Get Behind the Brothers, an inside look at the characters and story behind Bro. Sign up for one of Kayelle's reader groups and get this booklet, advanced notice when the book is ready, and much more. https://kayelleallen.com/readergroups/

Read more →

Message deleted. What!? No way is that right #SciFi #MMRomance

Kayelle Allen 02/20/2019 Thieves' Guild Academy 8 Comments

Message Deleted

A buzz at Senth's wrist alerted him to a message. He withdrew his mobile and set the device to read-only mode, rather than bring it up on holovid.

The message required a password, which told Senth who had sent it. His Sen'dai--guild master--and father, Luc Saint-Cyr.

The Guild didn't accept non-humans, unless they were enslaved to a human member. No one could rise past level ten, unless related to a human member. Guild-arranged marriages and adoptions happened regularly. To keep the Guild happy, Saint-Cyr was Senth's lord and master and his adoptive father.

Could his Sen'dai send a note the way anyone else would? Of course not. No, the Man had to do it with mystery and ceremony.

Folks in this town never referred to Saint-Cyr by name. You could hear the capital letters when they called him the Man, or referred to him as the Harbinger. His father was the crime lord all the other crime lords wanted to be when they grew up.

"Ooh, big scary Man." He thumbed off the device. "Please let this be a job and not him thinking I screwed up." Senth ducked into a coffee shop and made his father's handsign to the worker behind the counter, then slipped into a back room to access the password function in private. That he had no idea what the password might be did not deter him. It took seconds to break in.

"This is prolly some test to see how fast I can break these suckers." He opened the message, and then brought the device to his ear.

"A worker at the Guild says he's met a man who claims you're family. Come home and we'll discuss it. Now." The message ended.

Senth jerked the device from his ear. "No way I heard that right." He pressed play and brought it to his ear.

"The idBot messaging system regrets that your message has been deleted. Would you like to access another message at this time?"

"No, I wouldn't like to access another message. I want to hear this message." He poked at the screen. None of the usual options showed. After several fruitless minutes, he resorted to asking for help. "IdBot, how do I replay the message?"

"Message has been deleted."

"I know that, you stupid machine. Undelete it."

"IdBot is unable to comply."

Senth swore under his breath. "Why?"

"Message was delivered as hear-once-and-delete. Would you like to access another message at this time?"

"No, I wouldn't, idiotBot. Thank you not very much." Senth turned off the device and put it in his pocket. "Why is Dad sending me encrypted hear-once messages? What in the worlds is going on?"

Any of my characters mentioned on this page might be found in multiple books in my story universe. Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.

~ Copyright ©2024 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!

To experience art, sci-fi, romance, and space opera with unstoppable, unshakeable, unforgettable characters so real you'll swear you've met them, join my newsletter.

Read more →

Senth gets an invisibility cloak. Uh oh! #SciFi #MFRWhooks #MFRWorg

Kayelle Allen 02/13/2019 Thieves' Guild Academy 8 Comments

Senth plays with his toy

Once Senth stepped outside the Thieves' Guild, he proceeded down the street, gaining the required distance from the entrance. Commit thievery on the grounds and they'd blackball you so hard you'd-- He shook off the thought. After he reached the limit, he skirted around a businessman and backed away, the man's ID in hand. Senth tucked it into one of the cloak's myriad pockets. A male worker in a dirty uniform lumbered past. No trouble unclipping a debit bracelet fastened to the guy's belt.

Of course they felt nothing--his skills ensured that, but the upgraded cloak worked so well no one even looked in his direction. For fun, Senth re-clipped the bracelet on the worker, and then followed the businessman for a block before tucking the ID back into the man's pocket.

Now to see how well the cloak would let him evade after being seen. He pushed back the hood, which turned off the nightstealth, and stepped right in front of a teenaged boy.

Senth let him get a good look at his face.

The kid glared. "Watch where you're going, you half-human freak."

"Half-human? You mean HalfKin." Senth gestured to his catlike eyes. "Get it right, kid." He bared his fangs and hissed.

The punk backed off, and then darted around him. Senth tucked the guy's debit bracelet into a pocket, and then moved off the sidewalk and raised the hood, but did nothing else to hide.

The kid suddenly glanced at his empty wrist and whirled around, his gaze searching the ground. He hurried past Senth without speaking, once in one direction, and once in the other, and kept going.

"Should I return his bracelet? No, I think he should've said 'excuse me, sir.' He owes me a 'sir-charge'." He pushed back the hood and started walking.

Read more →

Deleted Scene: Is he worth paying the price? (from At The Mercy of Her Pleasure) #MFRWhooks #SciFi Romance

Kayelle Allen 01/23/2019 Deleted Scene 2 Comments

Worth Paying For?

Kelthia, Miraj City, Starhaven Leojnimaj
Coffee Shop, Concourse D

"Anything yet?" NarrAy held a cup of coffee in front of her mouth to hide her words. She wore a plain black dress with long sleeves and a lace collar, hidden beneath a black hooded cape.

"Nothing yet," Broxus answered from the south terminal.

"No sign." Encie made ticking sounds in the transmitter. "He's late."

"We'll give him two more minutes."

"You're too easy, boss." More ticking.

What was that noise? She scanned the area. "Encie, I thought you quit chewing your nails."

"I'm not chew-- Hey. How'd you know I was doing that?"

"You may be on the north side of the concourse, but I can see you slouching between the lockers." NarrAy blew on the coffee.

Her assistant straightened. "Forgot about those enhanced eyes of yours."

"It was my enhanced ears that heard you nibbling."

"Nibbling what?" Senth said behind her.

Twisting around to see him, NarrAy set down her coffee so fast it spilled. "Where did you come from?"

"Thief, remember?" He dropped into a chair and used one of her napkins to sop up the coffee. He leaned back with a smooth slide of masculine confidence, folding his hands across his waist. "If those cohorts of yours could spot me, would I be worth paying the Guild's price?"

A fast-paced sci fi romance with an adorable, fun-loving hero who's half-human and half-cat and a by-the-book army captain heroine. Hired to steal back a prototype taken by the imperial armada, Senth retrieves it, but his brother is kidnapped to force Senth to surrender the device. Now he has to rescue his brother, outsmart the armada, and keep the item out of imperial hands. All doable, except for one small problem. He must do it in the company of NarrAy, a genetically altered woman whose pheromones could enhance the mission or crumble it into dust with a single siren kiss.

At the Mercy of Her Pleasure by Kayelle Allen
https://amzn.to/1f7FQ2h

Read more →

Halloween 2006: birth of a monster that rocked the writing world #MFRWauthor #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 10/31/2018 Marketing for Romance Writers 23 Comments

To be honest, I didn’t know I was birthing a monster. I thought it was only a small, innocent creature that would help writers. I had no idea it would end up changing lives, including my own.

The monster was MFRW. Marketing for Romance Writers — a peer-mentoring group open to the entire literary community has opened doors for writers, trained writers in how to handle promotion, introduced friends who would never have met any other way, and paved the way for writers to network all around the world.

I founded the group on Halloween because that year, there were no kids on my block at all and no one was ringing the doorbell. I was bored and going through my email (again) late at night.

When I saw the same marketing question from three different friends, I thought — what if I made a Yahoo group where all of us could ask a question and then whoever knew the answer could post a response? Would anyone be interested in that? I quickly set up the group, named it Marketing for Romance Writers and emailed a dozen friends.

By the end of the year, there were 100 members. Membership climbed as friends recommended the group to friends. We opened the doors to anyone in the literary community, including publishers, personal assistants, and promo companies.

The biggest thing we required was no promo. None. At. All.

Members love that. It’s the thing I’m most often thanked for when members email me. No promo to wade through. Just business-oriented questions, advice, and opportunities. If one person wants to promote a book — they ask for blog spots with other authors, and offer their own in return. If someone wants to hold a blog hop, they can announce it on the group.

MFRW Growth

Today MFRW boasts over 2400 members, and over 7000 members make up our Facebook group. We have a multiple-award-winning magazine. We have over 400 followers on Goodreads and feature our members books in the MFRW Book Place group. On Pinterest, over 1500 people follow us, we have 55 genre related boards, and almost 1000 pins. Want your book cover pinned on our site? Even if you don’t have a Pinterest account, you can take advantage of our presence there. Join our Yahoo group today and you’ll get information. Services and membership are free.

Come share your tweets on MFRW’s monthly Retweet Day. The hashtags #MFRWorg #MFRWauthor and #MFRWhooks help you promote everywhere.

If you have questions about marketing your books, join us. The MFRW motto is “seek, teach, share, learn, succeed.” Services and membership are free.

MFRW Volunteer Staff

Alice Orr, Barbara Donlon Bradley, Carmen Stefanescu, Emerald, Jessica Cale, Kayelle Allen, Libby McKinmer, Lisa Lowe, Lyncee Shillard, Michelle Davis, Mona Karel, Nicole Morgan, Paloma Beck, Reet Singh, Rochelle Weber, Tina Gayle

MFRW Online

Yahoo group (where you can get help) https://groups.io/g/marketingforromancewriters
Twitter https://twitter.com/MFRW_ORG
Kayelle Allen on Twitter https://twitter.com/kayelleallen
Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/mfrwauthors/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/161092-the-mfrw-book-place
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/mfrworg/

JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It’s a chance each week for you the reader 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.

Read more →

The Spike by Nathan Mutch @Nathan_Mutch #SpaceOpera #SciFi

Kayelle Allen 09/24/2018 New Book 2 Comments

Please tell us three things you'd like us to know.

One.

It seems like forever ago that I decided I was going to write a novel. It also seems like it was only yesterday. That's how life works sometimes.

I was willing to give it a shot. I'd write on Tuesdays and Thursdays to begin with. I didn't know what I was doing—I'd written short pieces before, but never a full-length novel. The project gathered steam with every writing session, and before I knew it, I had a book. The Unity was published, and I immediately began work on the second book. I built the universe for my characters while I was also building a family.

Two.

It wasn't until I wrote The Spike that I truly appreciated universe building in fiction.

A character is born.

The universe is born.

The universe is broken down and reordered to suit the character.

Few things survive the reordering of the universe, so the character is reborn.

Repeat as needed.

It seems like only yesterday that I decided to write books and, in doing so, reordered my own universe.

I'm glad I survived.

Three.

The Spike is a story about the human mind. It's about the lengths a person will go to uncover the truth, but more so, it's about the addictive quality of that search.

Ultimately, we can never know why we decide against one thing in favor of another.

Is it desire or attraction?

Is it a chemically predetermined path in our synapses?

The truth beckons to us. It invigorates like the thrill of mortal danger.

The truth is a drug.

Here's an excerpt from The Spike:

"This part of the country seems to have all hell for a basement, and the only trap door appears to be Medicine Hat."

–Rudyard Kipling

"We were born to die."

John McCormack knew a thing or two about death. He also knew a thing or two about when to keep his mouth shut. We were born to die—those were the words he spoke aloud just after closing the door to his last session with the military-appointed psychologist.

John recalled what the psychologist had said during their first session—that survivor's guilt was a natural consequence, especially since he alone had survived. No one could have foreseen that their brief exposure to the crashed alien ship would be fatal—that their hazmat suits would offer no protection.

"We were born to live our lives," the shrink had said. "The other Marines lived to serve. They died performing their duty."

John shambled away from the stuffy, claustrophobic office and stayed close to the corridor wall as if he might suddenly need it to steady himself. The faces of the fallen haunted him.

John spoke the words again. He spoke as if talking to his ghosts would somehow make them sympathetic.

"We were all born to die."

A strange but familiar voice rose up from his chaotic thoughts. It was so clear that it drowned out the memories, yet the voice itself was like a memory. As odd as it seemed to have a voice in his head that John felt didn't belong to him, what happened next was stranger still. His mind made the words his own.

"You are wrong, John. You were born for a specific purpose."

John nearly turned around and marched back into the psychologist's office. He was sure he had cracked, but the thought of dealing with a headshrinker again was a great weight pressing on his chest. He kept walking and took his ghosts with him.

***

Soon after John was granted separation from the Marine Corps, he found work at an off-world mining operation with the same company that had shot down the alien spaceship—an irony few of his fellow miners failed to point out. But John didn't require reminders. He remembered perfectly.

The alien ship had entered Earth's orbit undetected by every space observation network on the planet. GISEC, the Goryeo Inter-Korean Space Exploration Conglomerate, detected the ship with an automated orbital salvage and reclamation platform and mistook it for space junk. The AI on the platform decided the ship was a danger to nearby satellites and attempted to disintegrate it. If it wasn't for GISEC, the ship might have come and gone unnoticed.

Of all the places in the world, the falling ship's trajectory sent it hurtling toward downtown Medicine Hat. In the blink of an eye, the city was leveled. The city that was built on a giant gas field—the city with hell for a basement—was destroyed by a fireball from the heavens.

Nathan Mutch Social Media

Nathan Mutch's first novel, The Unity, is the first book of a planned three-part Science Fiction series. The second book in The Unity Empire Series, A Song for the Dead, was released June 2017.
His current projects include: A prequel to the Unity series about the origins of the Ash Stone character; two co-authored books; a stand-alone fantasy novel tentatively titled, Between Realms; and of course, the third installment of The Unity Empire Series.
The first of the two co-authored books is an experimental science fiction mind-bender written (so far) entirely by correspondence. The second co-authored book delves into the Fantasy genre.
Nathan Mutch currently lives in Northern Canada with his family.
Website https://nathanmutch.com
Blog https://nathanmutch.com/blog
Newsletter https://nathanmutch.com/signup/
Twitter https://twitter.com/Nathan_Mutch
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nathanmutchbooks
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/nathanmutch

Read more →

Darkened Skies: Chancerian 3 by Drew Avera @drewavera #SciFi #SpaceOpera

Kayelle Allen 09/20/2018 New Book

Please tell us three things you'd like us to know.

Drew Avera joined the Navy at seventeen and has deployed four times in the last eighteen years. He is an Aviation Electricians Mate and has worked on F/A-18s for most of his career. His knowledge in naval aviation has found its way into several of his books.

He began his writing journey in 2012 and wrote his first book on his iPhone as he competed in National Novel Writing Month. That book was later published and was the first of many works by Drew.

Drew is also a musician and producer. He is currently writing and recording an album with his metal band, Obsolium. The first album, Empire of Dust, is a concept record about an alien invasion and potential destruction of mankind.

Drew Avera Social Media

Drew Avera has been a lot of things in life; a band geek, a comic book nerd, a pseudo rock star, an amateur artist, a Navy veteran, husband, and father. But beyond being a family man, his favorite is his role as the bestselling author of the space opera series, The Alorian Wars.
Getting his start with National Novel Writing Month 2012, the writing bug consumed him. Since publishing in 2013, Drew has written more than twenty books. His most notable works include The Dead Planet Series and The Alorian Wars. But there is plenty more on the way as he delves into new universes, always trying to find what ticks in his characters to bring them to life. Check out the worlds he's created by visiting his website.
Website www.drewavera.com
Twitter www.twitter.com/drewavera
Facebook www.facebook.com/authordrewavera
Amazon Author Page www.amazon.com/author/drewavera
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/drew-avera

Read more →

Define Stress: Not being allowed to throttle an idiot #Humor #MFRWhooks #SciFi

Kayelle Allen 09/19/2018 Fallen Empires 6 Comments

In this scene, Tornahdo has been chewed out for something that in the regular army would have gotten him a commendation. Even a medal. But Ghost Corps is not regular. Not one bit. He sits down to have a drink and calm himself down, but one thought leads to another.

Tornahdo's family believed him missing in action. He couldn't go out in public. Ghosts got call signs, not new identities. He'd earned his by the way he fought, which, according to those who'd been resurrected with him, was a tornado.

"No, he's Hispanic-Terran," one had said. "He'd pronounce it different. We'll call him Tornahdo."

To which he'd offered a sweeping bow. "Sí. Gracias."

If taken prisoner, the enemy wouldn't find out who his family was, or who other ghosts were. Like any cover story, the more you lived it, accepted and believed it, the more solid it became. He was Tornahdo. Every minute. Every day. Right now, he fought the urge to kick into full tornahdo rage and slam through a certain officer's quarters. On his desk, his former commander had a framed quote, hand-stitched by his wife.

"Stress: the body's reaction to not being allowed to throttle an idiot."

How many times had the man shouted that Tornahdo was stressing him out? More than he cared to admit.

But today, he knew exactly what that quote meant.

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

He can save mankind. After he does one important thing. Die.
Join the Ghost Corps, they said. You'll live forever, they said. You'll save mankind, they said. They didn't say that to do it, first he had to die.
When Tornahdo signs on the dotted line, he puts his life into the steady hands of the mighty Ghost Corps. Three grisly deaths and three agonizing resurrections later, he's assigned duty on the space station Enderium Six.
He's facing his most dangerous mission yet, the very reason the corps exists.
Do they expect him to win? Fat chance. Tornahdo and his team are already dead and this mission is codenamed "Lights Out." No, there's more to this than he can see.
To discover the truth, he must face an unbeatable, unkillable enemy, and this time--somehow--find a way to keep himself alive...
Lights Out is in the Science Fiction/Space Opera anthology The Expanding Universe Vol 4, edited by Craig Martelle out Sept 17, 2018
https://kayelleallen.com/lights-out-save-mankind/

Read more →

What if today was Lights Out? The Expanding Universe #SpaceOpera #SciFi #Military

Kayelle Allen 09/17/2018 Science Fiction Books

What if today was "lights out?"

If you knew this was your last day to live, what would you do? Would you face the end with a clear conscience? Would you fight for one more day?
Look for that person you wronged and make it right? Run away? Turn and fight? What would you do?

In Lights Out by Kayelle Allen, the hero knows his end is near. Instead of running, Tornahdo makes a choice. He will face death with a clear conscience and the knowledge that his death will serve mankind. He will join...

GHOST CORPS

He can save mankind. After he does one important thing. Die.

Join the Ghost Corps, they said. You'll live forever, they said. You'll save mankind, they said. They didn't say that to do it, first he had to die.

When Tornahdo signs on the dotted line, he puts his life into the steady hands of the mighty Ghost Corps. Three grisly deaths and three agonizing resurrections later, he's assigned duty on Enderium Six.

He's facing his most dangerous mission yet, the very reason the corps exists.

Do they expect him to win? Fat chance. Tornahdo and his team are already dead and this mission is codenamed "Lights Out." No, there's more to this than he can see.

To discover the truth, he must face an unbeatable, unkillable enemy, and this time--somehow--find a way to keep himself alive...

Excerpt, Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

The air reeked of antiseptic and starch stiffened the pillowcase. If only the mind-numbing jabbering would stop.

Tornahdo pried open his eyes. The flattened blood bag above him, stenciled equipment and gray walls screamed military hospital.

He'd died. Again.

Spanish curses slipped out. His abuela would've taken a switch to him. He made the sign of the cross and kissed his fingertips.

After yanking the tube out of his arm, he pressed a thumb over the entry point. Thankfully, this time, he wasn't writhing on the floor in agony. Well, not yet.

A faceless android in a Ghost Corps uniform loomed over a bank of equipment displaying Tornahdo's name and vitals. First impression was right. Military hospital.

The weapons-grade yapping continued.

"Did you hear?" a youthful voice bragged. "He killed six of 'em last night."

"Yeah, but they don't stay dead. They never do."

"If Ultras didn't come back to life, their plasma wouldn't bring our own people back."

The transfusion of enemy blood healed the hole in Tornahdo's arm in seconds. He thumbed off the red smear and rolled over on the gurney.

An open door led to a sink and toilet built to let gravity do its work. Which meant this was a planet. You hadn't lived until you were in space, floating in zero gravity while your body's final twitches sent your corpse spinning.

Notices on the wall confirmed this was San Xavier in the Colonies of Man. Same place he'd bought it the first time.

This was getting old.

Read more →

Tag: Kayelle Allen

The troublemaker was home (#SciFi Excerpt) #MFRWhooks #MFRWauthor

Uh oh. Trouble.

Steal back the designs? #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Message deleted. What!? No way is that right #SciFi #MMRomance

Antonello Brothers

Senth gets an invisibility cloak. Uh oh! #SciFi #MFRWhooks #MFRWorg

Bro

Deleted Scene: Is he worth paying the price? (from At The Mercy of Her Pleasure) #MFRWhooks #SciFi Romance

Worth Paying For?

Halloween 2006: birth of a monster that rocked the writing world #MFRWauthor #MFRWhooks

MFRW Growth

MFRW Volunteer Staff

MFRW Online

The Spike by Nathan Mutch @Nathan_Mutch #SpaceOpera #SciFi

Three Things About Nathan Mutch

The Spike by Nathan Mutch

Science Fiction by Nathan Mutch

Nathan Mutch Social Media

Darkened Skies: Chancerian 3 by Drew Avera @drewavera #SciFi #SpaceOpera

Three Things About Drew Avera

Drew Avera Social Media

Define Stress: Not being allowed to throttle an idiot #Humor #MFRWhooks #SciFi

Define Stress? Working with idiots...

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

What if today was Lights Out? The Expanding Universe #SpaceOpera #SciFi #Military

What if today was "lights out?"

GHOST CORPS

Excerpt, Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

Peek Inside Lights Out

Categories