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Tag Archives: Sempervians

The Ultras who were banished to Sempervia, and ultimately exiled from there.

Charon's Blade and Watch Your Six #SpaceOpera #SciFi #MFRWhooksThere 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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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.

I’m writing Watch Your Six, book three in the Bringer of Chaos series. The others are the Origin of Pietas and Forged in Fire. When you have a huge story that unfolds in sections, it’s helpful to give readers a place to start. That’s usually the job of a prologue. Sometimes, it’s a foreword or another intro of some kind.

I’m considering a bit of the story’s history by listing what humans say about the immortals they created, and compare it to what humans mean.

What Humans Say

  • We fashion creatures genetically designed for toil.
  • We make them strong, vital, robust, able to work hard.What Humans Say -- What Humans Mean @KayelleAllen #SpaceOpera #MFRWhooks
  • We ingrain them with abilities to make mundane jobs easier.
  • We create soldiers who recover from every injury.
  • Genslave scientists design more genslaves to enhance our way of life.
  • Renegade scientists design genslaves without proper safeguards.
  • Soulless rebels refuse to accept human authority.
  • These ingrates reject their proper name.
  • The so-called Ultras usurp mankind’s authority.
  • Surprisingly, genetic enhancements result in failure.
  • We purge ourselves of the taint of genetic enhancements.
  • We take back our birthright: Human Pure is our battle cry.
  • We discover ways to kill immortals and keep them from rising.
  • We wish we could turn back time and correct our folly.
  • We regret our lack of wisdom in creating such beings.

What Humans Mean

  • We create genslaves.
  • We permit them no rest.
  • We make sure they can never rise above their station.
  • We create savage warriors.
  • We hand over to slaves the means of creating more slaves.
  • Rebels overthrow the genetic shackles keeping them enslaved.
  • Renegades lead other genslaves to freedom.
  • The rebels call themselves Ultras: ultra smart, ultra strong, ultra powerful.
  • Ultras dominate every part of the galaxy.
  • Obviously, we can no longer control what we created.
  • We destroy anyone with non-human traits and enhanced sensory perceptions.
  • Anyone enhanced or genetically altered or “different” is the enemy.
  • We burn anything and anyone “unnatural.”
  • We don’t know how to undo what we’ve done.
  • We made a mistake…

Pietas

Immortal. King. Exile. All are what humans say about Pietas. None show the depth of the man known by his peers as the Bringer of Chaos. This series is military science fiction with elements of humor, a small touch of romance, a ginormous black panther “kitty”, a telepathic weapons designer, one used-to-be-human, and the most dysfunctional family since forever.

The Bringer of Chaos series focuses on Pietas and his friendship with the human, Six. In books set in different series in the far future, Pietas is king, and he terrifies everyone. I wanted to understand why his people were so steadfastly loyal to him despite that, so I started this series to find out.

If you want a good read, check out the Romance Lives Forever Reader Group. You get four free books right away and you’ll be first to know when the new book about Pietas is released.

What humans say is not what humans mean #SciFi #SpaceOpera Click To Tweet

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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.

In this scene from Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire, Pietas discovers a different sort of trouble. The good kind.


This one is Trouble

We'll call that one Trouble #MFRWhooks #SciFiJoss unfastened her hair, let it fall around her shoulders and shook it loose. The blond waves caught the fading light and gave her the soft glow of a goddess, as feminine and powerful as if she radiated sunlight. She combed her fingers through it, giving him an odd look.

Pietas coughed. “Um… What’s up?”

She gestured to herself. “You’re asking me ‘what’s up’?”

What had he missed? “Yes. Why?”

“Because I asked you what was up, and you just stared at me.”

“I did? Sorry. I was lost in thought.”

“I see.” Her coy smile said she did indeed. “So, Pietas, what’s up?

Now she was teasing him with double meanings and ambiguities. He’d love to join her in play, but until he’d learned what he needed, he ignored the temptation.

“Dessy says you’re in charge of camp security.”

“True.”

“Has my father returned, or attempted to?”

“No. I’ve kept a close watch. The twins reported no sightings. He’s laying low.” She pulled back her hair and fastened it again. “But we’re not the sole source of security. I don’t see him getting past them.”

“Them? Who is ‘them’?”

“I’ll show you.” She motioned for him to follow. “Look over there.”

On a promontory overlooking the pods, a panther sat beside a bare tree, scanning the area.

“You’re referring to the cat?”

“Yes. Now look over there.” She pointed in the other direction. On that side, another cat prowled beneath a tree on the trail leading to the pods. “They’ve been there all day. They switch every few hours. Every time they do, the big one that attacked your father stands on the edge of the caldera where you first saw the pods. After the cats change places, it goes away. It’s the changing of the guard. I can see what they’re doing and I’m grateful for it, but they’re so intelligent it scares me. They bump noses and then take up the position of the cat they’re replacing. I think they might be telepathic, but with each other, not me. I don’t pick up anything.”

“They’ve done this all day?”

“Like clockwork. You know what this means, don’t you?”

“Yes. I can get some sleep tonight.” A yawn overtook him.

“I was going to say we should name them.”

Pietas nudged his chin toward a cat. “We’ll call that one Trouble.”

Forged in Fire…

Love Romances Cafe Best in Science Fiction/Futuristic Nominee
When the immortal Pietas is marooned on a barren world with no food and few survival tools, he knows it could be worse. He could be alone. But that’s the problem.
He’s not.
Half a million of his people sleep in cryostasis, trapped inside their pods and it’s up to Pietas to free them. He can’t release one at a time. It’s all or nothing. He’s facing over five hundred thousand hungry, thirsty, homeless immortals who will call on him for rescue and he has no way to answer.
It’s not all bad. The beautiful telepathic warrior he’s loved for lifetimes is at his side. He’s bonded with a sentient panther. He hates humans but the one dumped on this planet with him has become a trusted friend.
Before Pietas can build shelter, figure out how to grow food, or set up a government, he must take back command from a ruthless enemy he’s fought for centuries. His brutal, merciless father.
Immortals may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever…

Warning: Contains angst, humor, sweet romance, betrayal, vengeance… a ginormous, sentient panther who wants to be Pietas’s “kitty,” and a different kind of trouble with the rest of the panther tribe…
Amazon http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI


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This book is free until 3/27/18

A ginormous, telepathic panther and an immortal king. What's not to love? #FreeBook #SpaceOpera #SciFiBringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire is free on Amazon until March 27, 2018  http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI
Coming soon to Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, and other resellers.
Science Fiction, Space Opera, Genetic Engineering, Colonization, SciFi Romance

In this scene, Pietas’ mother is critically ill and her immortal life is in danger. He’s been sitting beside the lifepod which double as a shelter, holding her hand. Pretosia, one of the sentient panthers, has adopted his mother and is lying alongside her in the pod. The telepathic panther, Tiklaus, pays a visit….

Telepathic Panther

Pietas shifted position to better see his mother. With her so gravely ill, nothing mattered more than healing her.

After a time, Pretosia’s ears flicked. The cat rose on its haunches, facing the cave entrance.

Turning to see why, Pietas found Tiklaus and two other cats approaching. He stood to greet them. “Good morning.”

Tiklaus continued alone, carrying something in its mouth. After reaching the end of the pod, the telepathic panther set down a dead rabbit.

Pretosia took a single leap and landed beside it, picked it up, and retreated deeper into the cave.

Tiklaus flicked its ears and another cat approached. After taking a rabbit from the cat’s mouth, Tiklaus flicked its ears and the other cat backed away. Tiklaus set the rabbit at the feet of Pietas and nudged it toward him.

He went down on one knee. “You hunted for me?”

The panther butted his chest, then looked back at the third cat. When it joined them, Tiklaus took the prey that cat carried and waited until it backed away. Once it had, Tiklaus swiped one massive paw at the pod and placed the second rabbit beside the first.

Gratitude swamped Pietas. It took a full minute before he trusted himself to speak. “And for my mother. Thank you. How you honor me!” He tapped a fist over his heart. “You have no idea how much I appreciate what you’ve done. I’d like to pet you, but I respect that you might not like to be touched. If I may, nudge my right hand. If not, please nudge the left.” He held them both out.

Tiklaus chose the right side and Pietas petted it.

Pretosia streaked past them and out of the cave.

While Pietas stroked the sleek back of the massive panther, the smaller Pretosia wandered back inside and sat down. It licked one paw and started cleaning its face.

“How was breakfast?” Pietas started to offer his palm to the little cat, but checked himself. A soldier did not interfere with the troops of a different commander. “Tiklaus, may I pet Pretosia?”

The panther sneezed, which Pietas took for a yes. He held out his hand to the other cat and when it nudged him, he petted it and rubbed its ears. The animal flopped down on its back with no more dignity than a housecat. He rubbed its belly.

After a few moments of indulgence, Tiklaus stepped between them.

Pretosia stood and shook itself. With one leap, it landed beside his mother. Not a whisker went too close. The panther stretched out again and curled that long tail around Helia’s head, then set one paw across her legs.

Tiklaus turned and the other cats backed away. Once they had, Tiklaus licked Pietas on the face and rubbed its nose under his chin.

“Thank you.” He scratched the cat’s ears.

Without a sound, the panther turned and lumbered off, the other cats in tow.

To read this story for free until March 27th click the link http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI

Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire is a #FreeBook until Mar 27th #SciFi http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI Click To Tweet

Pietas knows what’s good for humans, and it’s not freedom. An excerpt from book one of the Bringer of Chaos series.

Humans deserve nothing

The leaders of his people gathered in sleep around him, sealed inside their curved, steel stasis tubes. Above him, humans waited for Pietas to enter the last one.

He folded his arms.

“Feast your eyes, vultures.” Pietas lifted his chin. “Humans are ruled, not obeyed. You think to imprison me? You think to bring me down like a hunted animal?” He spread his hands outward, indicating the 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 of humans above him contrasted with the bright light behind them. One by one, they slipped away, until a single silhouette remained.

“Fighting us accomplishes nothing.” The disembodied voice echoed in the chamber. “You won’t leave that room until you’re in stasis. Enter the pod or we’ll siphon the air, and let you die.”

“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 the Uurahkal 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.”
Bringer of Chaos: Origin of Pietas. He must do what he detests. Trust a human... #SciFi #Pietas #SpaceOpera Click To Tweet “That image is a farce. You would not dare to destroy the council’s flagship, and you will not destroy the council. You humans 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.”

“It will never be safe. Not for you.”


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When your nickname is “Pi” you have a day all to yourself. Except in this case, the person in question is not at all happy with the name.

There’s a long story behind the reason Pietas hates being called “Pi.” I won’t spoil the surprise by telling you here. Once you find out, you’ll see the fact that he allows Six to refer to him as Pi tells a great deal about their relationship.

In this scene, Pietas and Six have been found by a rescue party sent to bring them back to camp and the human has just been introduced.

Happy Pi Day!

Pietas’s sister marched right up to Six, looked him over head to toe. “He’s human!” The sneer in her voice matched her expression.

“Yes.” Pietas put himself between her and Six. “He is.”

“Do you know this creature?”

“He–”

“What’s he doing here? Is he your prisoner? Are there more of them? Does he have a way to reach the ship? Can he contact them?”

“Dessy!” Pietas held up both hands. “One thing at a time. Six was marooned with me. He is alone. He doesn’t have a way back, or any way to contact the vessel. And far from being my prisoner, he’s my friend.”

“He’s your– Your–” Dessy shook her head. “You’re friends…with a human? Oh, Pietas!” She touched his face. “What did they do to you? I knew you didn’t look well. What did they do to my brother?”

“Stop it, Dess. I’m fine! There’s a story to tell, but first, I want to introduce everyone.” He took her hand in his. “Six, this is my sister, Councilwoman Dessy ap Lorectic. She’s my second-in-command, and though we don’t look alike, my twin.” Pietas stroked Dessy’s dark hair and smiled at her, and then moved to the blonde beside her. “This is Councilwoman Joss Avaton.”

She gave a regal nod toward Six.

He stood between the hulking male twins. “This is Councilman Armand Mgraute and Councilman Philippe Mgraute, both of whom you’ve–” he coughed “–met.” Pietas went to Six’s side. “Everyone, this is Six.”

Six lifted a hand in greeting.

None of the Ultras moved.

Happy #PiDay We're celebrating the relationship of Six and Pi in Bringer of Chaos #SciFi #MFRWhooks Click To Tweet

“Yes, he’s human.” Pietas gestured to the others. “That doesn’t mean you can’t say hello.”

“Six.” Dessy gave the ghost a polite but indifferent smile. “Is that a nickname?”

“No, ma’am.” He bowed to Dessy. “It’s what Pi calls me.”

“Who?”

“Pi, like the number. Your brother.”

Dessy swung her head toward Pietas, mouth open. “You let him call you Pi?

“It’s not so much ‘let him’ as it is ‘can’t stop him.’ He’s–” Pietas cleared his throat “–stubborn. You’ll see when you get to know him.”

Armand, Philippe, and Joss all looked at Six with new respect.


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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 WIP or previously published book by possibly new-to-you authors.