Sempervians Archives - Page 15 of 37

Don’t make me freeze you solid #SciFi #Excerpt A Stolen Heart #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 02/02/2022 Immortal Empires 9 Comments

"Remember life when you and Dessy were that age? Genius children. Intelligence off the charts. Abilities no one had ever seen. Yet your father routinely beat and starved you both and for sixteen years kept you in isolation. Dessy for twenty. Is that harm?"

Pietas crossed his arms over his chest. "My father..." He shuddered.

"Mahikos is a brutal, bloodthirsty monster."

Pietas looked at him, naked pain in his eyes.

"You can admit what your father did to you, especially to me. More than anyone, you know what it's like to be isolated and abused. Yet that's the environment you subjected this girl to."

"Have a care, Cyken." Pietas straightened and turned aside. "Do not say that. I didn't know."

"If you'd known, would you have cared that you put a child in harm's way to get what you wanted? No, I think not. Not if you got your way."

"That's not true. I'm warning you." The air chilled. Unlike Luc's gift of Pyro, Pietas created ice, not fire. "You're pushing me."

"Pushing you? If I don't, who will? Yes, I'm pushing you, and why shouldn't I? You put that girl into an abusive situation to get what you wanted." The room's temperature dropped so fast Luc saw his own breath.

"Stop!"

"Why? Because it's cold?" When would Pietas ever see the truth? "If you don't like what you're feeling, then stop. Only you can control yourself. I'm not responsible for how you react."

"That's not true. My father made me this way."

"That's childish and you know it. You're thousands of years old, Pietas. When are you going to grow up?"

"You will not speak to me like that."

"No, I'll talk to you this way because no one else will tell you the truth. You can't face what you are. That's why you don't control yourself. Go ahead. Lose control. I'm not afraid of you. I will not back down. I refuse to allow you to misuse a child. If you aren't man enough to accept the truth, go ahead and freeze me." Luc leaned closer. "I dare you."

Face contorted, Pietas trembled. Frost coated everything within reach. "Cyken, please!"

"Go ahead! Blame your father." He threw up his hands. "That's what you do, isn't it? Condemn Mahikos for creating you with this ability, but you're the one who's ruthless. You demonize your father when it's you who's bloodthirsty."

"Stop." The wineglasses shattered. "Please."

"No! Do it!" Fists balled, Luc took two steps and planted himself in front of Pietas. "Freeze me solid. I don't care. Nothing I say or do will ever reach you, will it? No. Because you"-- He punctuated his words with a finger jab into Pietas's chest --"are just like your father."

Ice crackled over Luc's skin and frigid air leeched every vestige of heat from his lungs.

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.

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Relationships are… complicated #Relationships #Authors

Kayelle Allen 12/21/2021 Character Insights

From the interview on RelationshipsAreComplicated.com

Tell us about the characters and relationships in your stories

One theme in my books is trust. Not only of others, but of yourself. Pietas, my immortal king, at times deals with family issues with the emotional level of a teenager, and I have a three-year-old who looks at life with the wisdom of an ancient. Emotional maturity has little to do with age, and my books reflect that. I have a race of catlike people called the Kin who can smell every emotion, and it's all but impossible to lie to them. Another race, the Chiasmii, are dual gendered, telepathic and see the auras of humans. Between these two races, humans have a hard time pulling a fast one -- but being human -- they still try.

Read the entire interview

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.

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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.

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Powerful as fire — the immortal king #PietasFans #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 12/01/2021 Character Insights 3 Comments

Pietas Ritual - by Blue Crystal

The beautiful animated image of Pietas is the creative collaboration of BlueCrystal_Works, Nik Nitsvetov, and photographer Belyaeva Yuliya.

This short excerpt is part of the Ritual of Strength performed by Pietas in the Bringer of Chaos series.

"As fire has victory over life, so I have victory over my enemies."

Pietas passed a hand through the flame and hissed at the searing heat, relishing the pain. Of all the elements, fire alone had power to linger on an Ultra's skin. He welcomed it as a symbol of victory.

"I am powerful, as fire is powerful."

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.

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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.

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He slept on the floor, surrounded by loss… Excerpt from Crystal Clear Truth #SciFi #Romance #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 11/24/2021 New Book 3 Comments

Crystal Clear Truth

Introducing a new book in the Antonello Brothers series, a slow-burn, forced proximity romance set in the far, far future in an empire full of treachery, mystery, and long-hidden secrets...
His entire life, Joe worked for this moment: Primary Terraforming Scientist assigned to the firestorm planet. Yet tragedy mars the day with the accidental death of both parents. Grief-stricken, he plods through family decisions and moves forward, surviving day by day. While reading his mother's handwritten diary, he discovers a folded flatpic of a teenaged girl and the cryptic words, "our son's mother." He searches for details, determined to know more.

When a friend asks Shohn to help a locate someone, she jumps at the chance. She's researching the firestorm planet for her employer, who seeks access to eyes-only information. Helping Joe might be her opportunity to uncover long-hidden secrets.

As their unexpected friendship deepens into more, each mystery they solve reveals yet another hidden layer. The truth they seek could immobilize interstellar commerce in the empire. To protect the Empire they both love, they must solve the riddle behind this elusive young woman, and trust one another.

But how can they trust when the "truth" they've been fed is a lie?

Crystal Clear Truth - Chapter One

Tarthian Empire, Kyrenie
Fenris City, Taskya District
Birit 40, 4669 Tradestandard

From the moment Joe Townsend had learned of his folks' accidental death a week ago, life had screamed past him. A banshee bearing a never-ending whirlwind of around-the-clock decisions. He leaned against the inside of his parents' front door and slid down.

Today, he'd said his formal goodbyes at their memorial. He'd smiled like a wooden soldier at the unending I'm-so-sorrys and the non-stop oh-poor-Joe-how-are-you-doings.

How did they think he was doing?

Life had plunged him into a lightless, inescapable world of sympathetic platitudes.

How could he move forward when everywhere he looked, the past held him fast?

How could he move forward when every step he took led him that much further away from the people he'd loved most?

How could he move forward and somehow lever past this pain?

There had to be a better way to handle heartbreak. A saner way.

Joe stood and dusted himself off. He should throw himself into his work. That's what his dad always...

A fresh ache swept over him as he recalled the man's sage advice.

"Whatever you can't change, accept and work through, Son. Focus on what you can do, what you have to do, and don't waste time looking back."

Joe braced an arm across his stomach. Would he ever think of his father's words of wisdom again without this foreboding sensation of loss? This sense that part of himself was missing? Or of his mother and her strength? Her abiding belief in him, encouraging him, guiding the way?

Dragging his feet, Joe staggered through the house, back to the room that had been his when he lived here as a boy, now stripped bare. His parents had put the house on the market and accepted an offer a week prior to their deaths. The new owners would arrive tomorrow.

Nothing remained of the place Joe had once called his haven.

There was no home to go to. Starting tomorrow, this place would be someone else's. Not his. Not his parents'. Not anymore.

This sterile room symbolized everything he'd lost.

He couldn't think about this tonight. Couldn't think about work, even work he'd prepared for his whole life.

Primary Terraforming Scientist assigned to the firestorm planet. Part of the elite team studying the formation of fiery tornado-like monsters that ripped across the planet Kyrenie, leaving wakes of sand crystalized in an instant. Joe had studied his whole life for the opportunity to follow in his father's footsteps. Carried three doctorates, each chosen with an eye to firestorm science.

The pride he'd felt when appointed had rivaled the thrill of working at his father's side. The joy of raw discovery, uncovering new truths while pushing the frontiers of knowledge to the nth degree.

Right this moment, science felt like a meaningless distraction.

Exhausted, he curled up in the middle of the floor, surrounded by nothing but loss. He'd spend one last night in this empty shell of a place he'd once considered home. Come morning, he'd walk away from his past forever.

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You'll find these characters mentioned in many books in my story universe.
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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.

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White puffy things on a stick #Smores #PietasFans #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 11/03/2021 Character Insights 4 Comments

What is your favorite meal?

Fish, cooked over an open fire, and vegetables grilled beside it.

If any, what food do you refuse to eat?

I have quite literally starved to death before. There is no food I won't eat.

Tell us about a meal or food that says "home" to you.

Fish cooked around a campfire followed by those sweetish brown crackers. You put a white puffy thing on a stick and hold it over the fire until it starts to melt, and then you put that between the crackers and chocolate. I don't know what you call them, but I call them delicious. They are the perfect end to a campfire meal shared with friends.

When you find yourself with some type of unknown food on your plate, what do you do?

I ask questions, and poke at it a bit, but inevitably, I eat it.

Have you ever eaten military style rations, and if so, what was your favorite?

For more years than I care to count. Anything that comes in a box that heats itself is a winner.

If you cook, what kind of food do you like to prepare?

I am hopeless in the kitchen, but my staff sees that I never go hungry.

Favorite alcoholic beverage?

A flavorful wine, especially one grown in vineyards owned by friends.

Favorite non-alcoholic beverage?

Clean, fresh water.

What do you grab when there's no time for a regular meal?

Whatever holds still long enough for me to put it into my mouth.

Who are your favorite people to share meals with?

The people on the High Council, and other dear friends.

Tell us what your author eats or drinks while writing about you.

Kayelle guzzles water, but she also drinks a caffeine free sugar free Coke. And coffee with cream and chocolate. Hot herbal tea in the evening. Sweet tea in the morning. Hmmm. She drinks a lot, but I've only seen her drink alcohol or wine on rare occasions.

What do you feed your pet/s?

Tiklaus is a ginormous panther who rules our home and eats whatever is put within reach. I make sure it's healthy and fresh.

Tell me in the comments what you like to eat for dinner.

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.

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Find your next read at a PNR & Fantasy #BookFair #Paranormal #Fantasy #SciFi

Kayelle Allen 11/02/2021 Fantasy Books

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.

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Artwork: Son, where is your tie? #SciFiArt #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 10/27/2021 Immortal Empires 1 Comment

The banner above was one of the first homepage images on my site. I love it! It was created for me by Laura Givens. She was the cover artist for many of my books, pre-indie. In this image, she put all the guys in tuxedos and grouped them as if they were at a party.

Everyone is either looking at Senth (on the right), or glancing at Luc on the left. Luc is giving Senth a serious look because Senth has lost his tie. In case you’re not familiar with the stories, Luc is Senth’s adoptive father, having reared him from age three.

The Kin who is just to the right of Luc is Jawk Brighton. He had a fling with Luc while Luc was still in a relationship with Wulf Gabriel (center, with a bow tie).

I really love how Laura captured Wulf's smile and personality -- he is a supermodel and always looks amazing. In one book, Luc muses that Wulf's smile is in half the dentist offices in the Empire.

In the background to the right of Jawk is Alitus Vivaldi. Alitus is the Minister of Imperial Intelligence for the Imperial Armada, and up until the book Jawk, Tales of the Chosen, had been in an exclusive relationship with Empress Rheyn Destoiya.

When Luc and Wulf had a falling out, Alitus comforted Wulf, who was also a Chosen. They became partners in spying for the empress, and much closer than friends, much to Luc’s dismay.

Between Wulf and Senth is the blond-haired and blue-eyed Khyff Antonello, Senth’s half brother. He is checking out Luc's reaction.

With the exception of Jawk, these guys are in almost every book I've written set in the Tarthian Empire.

I thought it would be fun to see this art, especially as it reveals so much about their personalities.