New Logo: Art, Sci Fi, Space Opera, Romance, Suspense – Kayelle Allen #MFRWhooks #SciFi #SpaceOpera

Updated on 10/12/2018 by Kayelle Allen

For years, my logo has shown four words: Art, Sci-fi, Romance, Suspense. This year, I've honed my skill with Space Opera, so I decided I needed a new logo to show it.

New Logo

Not as easy as I thought! When you update your logo, you need to put it everywhere that it was before. Which means social media, headshots, website, blog and more. I'm working on it, but it will take some time to accomplish. The art itself was a bit time consuming, because fitting in another word, even an important one, meant juggling all the others. Take a look at the new logo and you'll see how it came out.

Meanwhile, I'm focusing on writing more space opera and will soon be releasing a short story in that genre in the Expanding Universe Vol 4, edited by Craig Martelle. Lights Out tells the story of how Six, from the Bringer of Chaos series, came to be known as Six. If you like the character, you're not alone. With his dry sense of humor and sideways view of the world, he represents how many of us function in a society where we are at odds with the status quo.

More Art

I'm also using more art on the site. Of the four book set I give to my reader group members as a signup bonus, three are illustrated. I recently updated several pages on my site to feature art. Check out these: About Jamin, About Nano-Core, and About Nik. Jamin and Nano-Core are both artists -- I call them my dream team. If I can dream it up, they can visualize it and put it into images I can share. Nik is the model I've used for several years to represent Pietas, my immortal king. I'm excited to have him as part of my dream team too. He will be portraying Pietas in a live stream photo shoot, direct from Russia via Instagram. That happens on September 1, 2018. Be sure to follow Nik so you can see it.

What do you think of the new logo? Is it easy to read? Do you like the colors? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Thank you for being part of this blog hop!

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.

Posted in Blog Hop | Tagged Bringer of Chaos, Fun Stuff to Do, Immortal Heroes, Kayelle Allen, Marketing Tips, MFRW, Pietas, Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels, Sempervians, Tips and Tools, Ultras |

The galaxy will never be safe for humans #SpaceOpera #MFRWhooks

Updated on 10/10/2018 by Kayelle Allen

His people permit him no choice. He must attend insipid peace talks on Enderium Six and what's worse, be polite. To humans.

In this scene, Pietas has been betrayed and trapped, and now they're coercing him to enter a lifepod.

Humans!

The leaders of his people gathered in sleep around Pietas, sealed inside their curved, steel stasis tubes.

He folded his arms. "Feast your eyes, vultures." He lifted his chin. "You think to imprison me? You think to bring me down like a hunted animal?" He indicated the other life-pods. "I will not cower before you. I will not bow. I will not kneel. I will not serve. I will never submit. Humans were made to be ruled, not by my people, but by me."

The silhouettes above him contrasted with the bright light behind them. One by one, they slipped away, until one remained.

"Fighting us accomplishes nothing." The disembodied voice echoed in the chamber. "Enter the pod, Pietas, or we'll siphon the air. You'll die."

"I'll revive. I've died countless times. I do not fear death. Death fears me."

"So be it. Since you're so set on dying, have it your way. I told you if you didn't cooperate, I would detonate the bombs within the hostages you took aboard your ship. See for yourself."

On the opposite wall, an image of his ship sparkled into life, and a bloom of light filled the screen. A mass of debris shot in all directions.

"Your crew has ceased to exist."

"That image is a farce. You would not dare to destroy the council's flagship, and you will not destroy the council. You are cowards. You lock us away in a barren room and threaten our people. This is why humans do not deserve freedom. You are worthless, miserable liars."

"Believe me, your crew is quite dead. The universe is a safer place for it."

"Untrue. It will never be safe for humans. Especially for you."

Posted in Blog Hop | Tagged Blog Hop, Bringer of Chaos, Immortal Heroes, Kayelle Allen Characters, MFRW, Origin of Pietas, Pietas, Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels, Sempervians, Ultras |

Fighting the Dark and Dreaded King #SpaceOpera #Pietas #MFRWhooks

Updated on 10/07/2018 by Kayelle Allen

Found in almost all my other scifi stories, Pietas has always been portrayed as the dark and dreaded king no one dares to cross. How did he become such a fearsome creature? Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas reveals the origin of his journey into the bleak shadows of his soul.

In the fight scene that follows, Pietas had been given two options. Surrender or die a horrible final death by fire. Defiant even in defeat, he created a third option of his own, and that is what sets the scene.

Writing a fight means writing fast movement. The dark and dreaded king is decisive. He doesn’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to win. This section shows his incredible speed. Pietas is on the ground and the soldiers who enter are hoping he’s unconscious due to lack of air. But this immortal can hold his breath ten to fifteen times longer than a human.

Fighting the Dark and Dreaded King

Crowded as the space was between his pod and the wall, two ghosts crept into it. Six spots of light showed on the other side. Eight ghosts then. That would be a much better fight. One nudged him with a foot.

Suppressing a smile, Pietas continued to play dead.

Ghost One bent down, turned him onto his back.

Pietas let his body flop.

The guy came in closer, checked for a pulse.

He opened his eyes.

The ghost’s alarm fed Pietas energy.

He yanked him down, hard, while jamming the heel of his hand up. The ghost’s head snapped back, and Pietas felt his bones crack. He shoved him aside and went after Ghost Two.

Pietas gripped his leg and tripped him. He jammed an elbow down onto the man’s neck. Bones broke. The ghost’s stab of dying fear spiked the energy from the first, and Pietas mixed it with his gift of chaos. He flung the vortex of emotions outward, broadcasting confusion and terror.

He activated his ability called zip. The pseudo speed meant he could move at a regular pace, but humans perceived him as a blur. They could not focus on him long enough to get close. To him, everyone moved in slow motion.

He flipped onto his feet, braced both hands on his pod, and kicked Three and Four square in the chest.

He pushed off the pod, and the momentum carried him straight into the arms of Five and Six. They stumbled backward, tumbling Seven and Eight onto the floor.

Pietas rolled, grabbing Seven. One quick twist of the neck, and another down. Five to go.

Six and Eight flipped themselves to their feet. Three and Four struggled to rise.

Pietas took a running leap and crushed Three’s neck. Four raised his hands to shield his face. A swift kick to the head–gone.

Pietas dropped, rolled, came up behind Eight. Broke his neck.

The burning need for air hurt, but there were two to go.

He turned, and a fist caught him in the mouth. Thrown off balance, he danced sideways. Pietas touched his lip, and frowned at the spot of blood. He met the gaze of Ghost Six, who’d punched him.

No human had ever hit him before. Pietas gave a nod.

Five and Six rushed him.

Turning into Five’s momentum, Pietas hurled him into the wall, jamming the ghost’s head down onto his spine.

He whirled back to find Six standing beside Helia’s pod, working the code on a control panel. The ghost held up a warning hand, and poised his other over a bar with flashing red letters: Immolate.

He could kill the ghost without killing his mother. Pietas darted toward him.

Six shook his head. “Don’t make me,” he mouthed. He patted a set of wristlocks at his waist, and then pointed to the floor.

For no reason would he grovel. Not even for his mother.

Pietas considered creating an illusion, and then killing him, but they had cameras on him and would know. Illusions could not be photographed. They took energy to hold, and the dark and dreaded king was running out. Fast.

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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.

Posted in Blog Hop | Tagged Blog Hop, Bringer of Chaos, Immortal Heroes, Kayelle Allen Characters, MFRW, Origin of Pietas, Pietas, Sempervians, Ultras |

Take from an enemy? A human? Never. #SpaceOpera #MFRWhooks

Updated on 10/07/2018 by Kayelle Allen

Take from an enemy...

In this scene from Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire, the not-quite-human Six offers water to the immortal king.

Six slid their canteen off over his head and held it out to Pietas.

Accepting anything from a human, an altered one at that, had violated every instinct at first. To take from an enemy, yes. Always. Let one give you something as if you needed it? Admit a weakness before an enemy?

Never.

But this was Six.

Pietas took it.

Ultras could go days without water, but they consumed it when they had it. He wiped one dusty hand across his mouth. The satisfaction of assuaged thirst never failed to please. What simple things in life brought pleasure! In captivity, he'd dreamed of even a drop to cool his tongue. He'd sworn he'd never take water for granted again.

Six had offered it to their companions during the climb, but the entire lot refused anything a mortal's lips had touched. Yes, Six was a quasi-immortal, but to the others, that gave him even less status.

Pietas wavered on few things, but on this? Should he call the man human, mortal, quasi-immortal, or ghost? He'd elected to choose as the mood struck. But one in particular annoyed Six.

"Thanks, ghost." He thrust the canteen against Six's chest.

Posted in Blog Hop | Tagged Bringer of Chaos, Forged in Fire, Immortal Heroes, Kayelle Allen Characters, Pietas, Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels, Sempervians, Ultras |

Charon’s Blade and Watch Your Six #SpaceOpera #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Updated on 07/24/2018 by Kayelle Allen

There were surprises as I started putting together Bringer of Chaos: Watch Your Six. This is the final book of the Bringer of Chaos trilogy, so tying up loose ends is important. I went to great lengths to ensure everything was covered, right down to creating weapons like Charon’s Blade (shown here).

As I wrote, I got to thinking, what would humans need ghosts for with all the Ultras in exile? How many ghosts had there been? Would the Ultras who’d been captured be released? How many Ultras were there? What were the powers they imparted to the various ghosts? Why didn’t Six get much of those powers?

The biggest surprise to me was discovering Pietas’s real agenda for humans. I’d always known he wanted to destroy them, but why would he after coming to respect and love Six? And if he wanted to kill them, why hadn’t he already done it? After all, he holds the title Destroyer of Worlds. He could do it. What’s stopping him?

I wrote a spinoff short story about Ghost Corps. Lights Out will release in mid September inside The Expanding Universe Vol 4, edited by Craig Martelle. The anthology will feature multiple authors, all with stories in the sci fi and space opera genres. It’s going to be a real treat for fans of the genre.

Charon’s Blade

I hired an artist to create images of the Ghost Corps weapons. They were designed to kill Ultras, so they’re formidable (and nasty). Livius designs scifi weapons as art. I found him on DeviantArt.com. Having the images and the technical aspects of these helps me create the people who wield them.

What kind of person would carry a weapon called Charon’s Blade designed to stab and then inject the victim with poison? Why such an extreme weapon?

Considering it was designed to wound creatures who come back from the dead, it’s at least a little bit understandable. Even so, Charon was the mythical guide to the underworld in ancient mythology. This knife has quite a legacy just in its name.

I know the answers to all these questions and have the basics of the journey plotted. But as I write, this story reveals more and more. I plan many more books featuring Pietas, his family and fellow immortals.

To see all the art, join one of my reader groups. You’ll get four free books and news about books coming soon. I’ll be sharing a member-only first peek at the art, plus other inside secrets about the Ghost Corps.
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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.

Posted in Blog Hop | Tagged Blog Hop, Bringer of Chaos, Forged in Fire, Ghost Corps, Immortal Heroes, MFRW, Origin of Pietas, Pietas, Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels, Sempervians, Watch Your Six |

Heroes Using Weapons: writing a story with guns #Pietas #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Updated on 05/16/2018 by Kayelle Allen

In today’s society with arguments for and against gun control, is it smart to write a story in which weapons play a large part? What if heroes using weapons is the wrong thing to write about?

I’m working on a short story that might never see the light of day. The hero keeps hiding his motives from me, which makes it difficult to write about him. But if it does manage to burst into being, Lights Out will have a lot to do with weapons, guns, soldiers, and war. It’s the tale of a soldier who dies and is brought back to fight again.

Heroes Using Weapons

In the Bringer of Chaos series, the sidekick of the immortal hero is a human warrior who’d been killed in action and then revived.

To accomplish the rebirth, all the blood in the soldier’s body is replaced with the blood of an immortal. When he or she comes back to life, the training and natural abilities are all still present, but so are abilities of the immortal. If they were telepathic, so is the soldier. If they possessed enhanced speed, so does the soldier. There are dozens of “gifts” and each has both a benefit and a drawback. If you can hear the thoughts of others but can’t forget them, life could get uncomfortable fast.

With my heroes using weapons it meant I needed to understand what they do. As I prepared to write this new short story as well as book three in the Chaos trilogy, I had to understand how these weapons were used. To do that, I researched weapons of today and weapon concepts of the future.

I have a military background and enlisted in the Navy during the Viet Nam era. When I write a military sci fi or romance, I’m speaking from experience. My heroes using weapons is a result of that experience.

I’m going to take shooting lessons and learn how to use weapons myself. I want to write from experience with this as well.

Rather than shy away from the topic, I thought I’d see what my readers think about stories concerning guns. Do you read them? What do you think about stories concerning them? Do you look for stories that have a moral implication or do you prefer a rock-em-sock-em robot sort of tale?

Image credit: Nano-Core (commission for KayelleAllen.com)

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.