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The blood of my enemies #SciFi #PietasFans

Origin of Pietas: Bringer of Chaos - #SciFi #SpaceOpera

In this scene from Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas, Pietas undergoes a ritual used on the planet Kaffir is summon spirits. "The blood of my enemies trickles into the pool of time," he proclaims.

My Enemies

Early on the first morning of the peace talks, Pietas entered his round bathing room. Starlight filtered through the portal overhead. Sleek silver walls reflected the cool light.

He remained at the door, content to savor its calming glow. Its beauty did not dispel the worry niggling at his mind. Not given to trusting premonitions and omens, he grounded himself with meditation. Once he centered himself and calmed his spirit, Pietas took a deep, purifying breath, and with slow deliberation, exhaled.

The blood of my enemies #SciFi #Pietas #MFRWhooks"Time to begin. Lights."

The room brightened.

He shed his silk robe and let it fall at his feet. Nude, his platinum hair streaming down his back and chest, he lifted his hands, palms up as if praying. On the planet Kaffir, warriors used this ritual to summon spirits. He used it to affirm his own superior strength and prowess.

Before a copper fire pit, he plucked one blond hair, and fed it to the fire. It singed and melted.

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

He passed a hand through the flame, and hissed at the searing heat, relishing the pain. He cupped his hand over the flame's source, and held it until the fire went out. The burns on his palm cooled and as he watched, the skin healed. 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."

Pietas thrust both hands forward, clutched his fists, and yanked them back. "I own the wind. I prevail over the breath of my enemies."

In the bathing area, he took six steps down into a waist-deep pool.

"Water submits to my presence the way enemies submit to my will." He cupped water in his hands, lifted it, and let it pour down his arms. "The blood of my enemies trickles into the pool of time, is absorbed, and forgotten."

He pushed wet fingers through his hair, and released it. "My mind is clear. I do not waver."

He submersed and rose, head thrown back, face lifted to the sparkle of stars above. "My body submits to my will. No pain defeats me. No fear touches me."

He swept his hands down his chest to his loins and the tops of his thighs. "My will is absolute."

A scratching sound alerted him to the presence of his silver-skinned android servant. The creature entered, and Pietas fixed him with a hard glare. "Why did you interrupt me?"

"Your guest is here, my lord, in the living area." He offered Pietas a towel.

"Leave it." He waved the android away.

After exiting the pool, Pietas brushed off the water and wrung out his hair. He pulled out a tray holding half a dozen clasps. He chose a silver dragon studded with six turquoise stones, twisted his wet hair, and fastened it up, out of the way.

He dried his face, gathered a brush, and picked up a pot of black face paint. Leaning in close to a freestanding mirror, he outlined a bandit's mask from beneath his eyes to over his dark eyebrows, and filled it with black.

He'd worn the mask in battle ever since defeating the First Division, a human special-ops group formed to fight Ultras. It came about because Pietas had slain an enemy, and blood splashed across his eyes. Thinking the blood belonged to Pietas, the Ultra troops had rallied to him and slaughtered the humans. The blood dried almost black.

Stories of how their "bandit king" had conquered the First Division filled the night. The name stuck. To his troops, he was First Conqueror, War Leader of the Ultras.

Pietas turned his head side to side, surveying the effect.

His body would reject foreign matter on his skin. The Ultra metabolism protected from every perceived attack, even harmless face paint. He closed his eyes and sprayed sealant over the mask to delay its disappearance by a few hours.

Satisfied with his looks, Pietas pulled on a pair of loose white lounging pants. With a deep, cleansing breath, he opened the door. Damp, shirtless, barefoot, he padded into the adjacent room.


Immortal Council member Pietas ap Lorectic, warrior leader of the Ultra race, wants nothing to do with faithless, lying humans.

The inferior race may have created his people, but they used them as slaves, not powerful beings with rights of their own. Upon discovering humans captured and tortured his people, Pietas declares humans deserve no offering of peace. They deserve conquest and elimination.

When the Ultra High Council agrees to peace talks, Pietas grudgingly complies. Arriving at the space station Enderium Six, he discovers his psychic gifts are diminished and suspects a trap. A deadly fight between Pietas and altered-humans of the Ghost Corps ensues. Cornered, out of options and with his beloved mother's life at stake, Pietas surrenders.

Now a captive of the people he loathes, Pietas is left for dead on the barren planet, Sempervia. Six, a member of the Ghost Corps abandoned with him, offers food and water. Is this altered human worthy of friendship? Or is the offer of shelter a ploy to gain his own protection?

Either way, Pietas must do the one thing he detests. Trust a human...

Bringer of Chaos

Bringer of Chaos Bundle 1 - Science Fiction and Space Opera #SciFi #SpaceOpera #PietasFans

Series page: https://kayelleallen.com/chaos-series/

#SciFi #SpaceOpera

Bringer of Chaos #SciFi #SpaceOpera #PietasFans

Bringer of Chaos #SciFi #SpaceOpera #PietasFans

Bringer of Chaos #SciFi #SpaceOpera #PietasFans

Pick up the first story in the Bringer of Chaos series, Lights Out, plus an illustrated look at the series free by signing up for my newsletter
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Bringer of Chaos #SciFi #SpaceOpera #PietasFans

Bringer of Chaos #SciFi #SpaceOpera #PietasFans

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


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Pietas sings like an angel but his voice can kill #Pietas #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Pietas sings like an angel but his voice can kill #Pietas #SciFi #MFRWhooksBook 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. Pietas Sings features a scene from Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire.

The immortal Pietas plans to use his voice as a means of healing his mother, who is critically ill. His human friend, Six, is nearby. Some people are adversely affected by the tones Pietas’s voice generates, and some…die.

Pietas had killed countless humans, but he’d never sung in front of one.

The human would hear each note. However, his anti-emo chip might block the effect. Even if it did hurt Six, as much as he loved his friend, if singing returned his mother’s health, Pietas could not hold back. Six would understand.

Would it affect the panther, Pretosia?

When he sang, birds and insects took wing. He’d never sung around big cats. From what he’d gathered, these panthers had been bred as warriors. If they were like other working animals, they might appear unaware, while detecting the slightest sound, scent, and vibration.

The acoustics might be better if he sang into the cave instead of out, but even with Six behind him, he could not turn his back to the exit.

Not yet.

Had he retained his voice? He’d recovered his other gifts, as much as he could tell, and had vast improvements in his ability to speak mind-to-mind. Could he still sing? Time to find out.

To keep his voice from going too deep, Pietas placed tongue against teeth and made an extended zzz sound, then did a few lip trills. After a few deep breaths, he lifted his head and hummed. Nothing different in the feel of his throat or vocal chords. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Six. To keep from being distracted, he focused on a spot on the cave’s mouth while he continued his warm-up. Starting with middle C, he sang simple ooh sounds up and down the scale.

His mother remained still as death, a slight rise and fall of her chest revealing she breathed. Her white uniform showed less wear than what the others wore, but it was soiled and stained. How it must have chafed her pride to wear such a garment.

Pietas launched into song. The notes filled the air, their tone pure and clear. The joy of it filled him as he sang. Before the end of the first stanza, his mother opened her eyes. He continued, song after song, vocalizing each word of each line, every song he knew. Words full of victory, honor, duty, pride.

Six drew himself up, his back ramrod straight. Perhaps that chip did less good than Pietas thought.

The harmonics in his voice generated pleasure ranging from simple enjoyment to rapturous gratification. Some experienced anger, depression, or terror. His voice also possessed curative powers. Not as strong as those with the healing gift called Smooth, but enough to revive the critically ill or injured and keep them alive until help came.

No other Ultra had such a voice. Though he loved music and possessed absolute pitch, Pietas never performed in public.

He started an old battle hymn about steel and guts, iron and flesh, the wings and teeth and claws of a killing machine. Glorious for soldiers, yet his fragile, scientist mother moved her hand, keeping time with the music. She drew a long, sighing breath and released it as if she’d held it an eternity.

Flushed and sweating, Six panted as if he’d been running.

A battle song of warriors in flight came next. He sang of the scorched and blackened soil of the conquered and the poetic justice of fire raining from the sky.

Color suffused his mother’s cheeks. She took his hand.

Six turned his back, shoulders rounded, head down.

To end, Pietas chose a slow song of war in a minor key. The ancient tune was a favorite the night after battle and it suited both baritones and tenors. Forged in Fire fit them as exiles. Pietas hummed to set the key, then released the true power of his voice.

Tears filled his eyes by the time he reached his favorite stanza.

We can’t forget. We won’t forgive. We must return. We shall avenge.
We never quit. We do not sway. Our enemies–we will repay.
An Ultra’s heart is forged in fire. An Ultra’s heart is forged in fire. An Ultra’s heart is forged in fire.

When he finished, the silence was absolute.

From Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire

What if you were marooned on a barren world? What if you had no food and few survival tools? What if you’d been genetically engineered and no matter how agonizing the wound, you’d survive.

It could be worse. You could be here alone. But that’s the problem. You’re not.

You’re trapped with a ruthless enemy you’ve fought for centuries.

Talk about being forged in fire…

Available for preorder on Amazon Nov 11-Dec 28. Purchase on Dec 29, 2017
Free on Kindle Unlimited
http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI


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How do you write an angry character? #AmWriting #SciFi #MFRWhooks

How do you write an angry character? #AmWriting #SciFi #MFRWhooksWelcome to this week’s Book Hooks, a snippet or intro to a book to whet the appetite and invite you to check out more.
Anyone could show anger when they are wronged. If someone steals from you, or cheats you, you’ll be furious, and rightfully so. But what if you have a character whose nature seems to exhibit more anger than usual? This is often true of a villain, but anger can be a problem for heroes and heroines as well.

Writing an angry character

Anger often comes from environment. Hunger, abuse, neglect, poverty, unjust treatment, lack of freedom — all these can lead to anger. If you’re writing an angry character, here are some things to consider for their back-story.

How do you write an angry character? Here are some insights. #AmWriting Share on X

The Passively Angry character

While most of the time, we know quite well when we’re angry, that is not always the case. An angry character might not express anger out of fear of reprisal, or to keep from hurting someone. But they might lash out in passive ways. Here are several.

  • Apathy
  • Sarcasm
  • Meanness
  • Alienating family
  • Alienating friends
  • Self-defeating behaviors
  • Being awkward or rude in social situations
  • Failing to perform in a professional situation

Often, people experiencing passive anger do not realize it (at least at first). Others might think the character is intentionally sabotaging himself. He may not able to explain his actions. He is “out of sorts” and grumpy.

In one of my earlier books, Pietas fits this bill perfectly, and he knows it. Here’s a quote from Alitus. “What was that word you used last time? Oh yes, ‘fractious.’ What an entertaining word. ‘Likely to be troublesome.’ That was my favorite definition. It fits me, don’t you think? ‘Pietas tends to be fractious.’ A true statement. So, sister, you know I become ‘fractious’ when I’m annoyed. And you have annoyed me greatly today.”

The Aggressively Angry character

When a character expresses anger aggressively, he is fully aware of what he’s feeling. There’s no wavering. That doesn’t mean they know the root cause of their fury. If an angry character isn’t aware of why he’s so angry, he might display the following:

  • Attacking a scapegoat to deflect anger
  • Redirecting violence toward others
  • Retaliatory actions, hitting back
  • Physical damage to persons or property
  • Physical damage to himself

An aggressively angry character has not learned how to recognize his triggers. He does not manage the symptoms of anger. What are those? That’s next.

Physical Symptoms of an Angry character

If you have an angry character who has dealt with anger long-term, there are physical effects. While more than anger can cause the following symptoms, they are an indicator that something is wrong on a deeper level, beyond the physical.

  • Anxiety
  • Feeling of dread
  • Lethargy
  • Muscle tension
  • Headaches
  • Muscle pain
  • Memory impairment
  • Loss of concentration
  • Routine tasks become difficult
  • Rapid breathing
  • Nausea
  • Sleep deprivation

To show your angry character struggling with life, add some of these symptoms in what may seem an unrelated area. Readers will pick up on these clues. This is one way to show, not tell. That being said, it’s not wrong to name the emotion, because your character may recognize it, or recognize what he thinks he’s feeling.

However, he might not realize that the emotion he’s feeling comes from a deep-seated anger. And if he does, he might think it’s with someone other than the true person who’s angered him. The emotion might be clear and distinct, but its root is not.

Characters are people. When written true to life, they can have hidden emotions. Here's how to reveal an angry character. #Book Share on X

Excerpt: Angry Character

In this scene from Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire, the immortal Pietas is about to face his father. Though hardly a child (he’s 1900 years old), that same feeling he’d experienced since youth dogs his steps. Pietas has ducked under a small waterfall to clean up How do you write an angry character? #AmWriting #SciFi #MFRWhooksbefore joining others. His human friend, Six, joins him.

Six waded into the pond, stuck a hand under the falls, screwed up his face, and stepped beneath the water. He sprang back out and danced around, shivering and swearing.

Pietas bit his lower lip to keep from laughing out loud. “That might have been the shortest shower in the history of mankind.”

“That’s freezing! How can you stand there with liquid ice pouring over you?”

“Discipline.”

“Yeah?” Six sloshed through the pool. “I figured out something. You Ultras are supposed to be genetically enhanced. You ask me, they packed more strength genes into you by yanking out the genes for hot, cold, and sleep.” He pulled off his shirt and wrung it out. Even in the lessening light, the teal dragon tattoo across his back showed. He put the shirt back on, muttering about ice water the entire time.

Pietas stayed under the numbing flow, wishing it had the power to numb his dread. He faced every fear, ignored every pain, refused to permit regret any place in his life. But dread? Dread dogged his steps. No matter how hard he fought, dread seeped into his life, insinuated itself under his skin, and muddied his decisions.

Dread soiled him.


How have you used anger in a character’s arc? Leave a comment below. Be sure to click other links in the hop!


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It’s “Cinderella vs. Scrooge” #holidayromance Barbara White Daille @BarbaraWDaille

I’m excited to have my friend, author Barbara White Daille, visiting today. Her new book is One Week to Win Her Boss, a sweet Christmas romance. In this book, it’s Cinderella vs. Scrooge. You’ll love the story!

Cinderella vs. Scrooge

Single mom Amber Barnett loves family, kids, Christmas…and unfortunately, her boss, confirmed bachelor Michael DeFranco. It’s a crush she really needs to get over. Except, when she’s temporarily forced from her apartment, her only option is to stay at Michael’s private ski lodge, where she’s the housekeeper. No problem. Her handsome boss rarely visits Snowflake Valley unexpectedly, plus he’s spending the holidays with his family. Or so she thinks.

A stormy Christmas Eve reunion leaves Michael seeking the solitude of his lodge, where he finds Amber in residence—and in trouble. Attempting to save her from her matchmaking family, he announces they’re a couple. His good deed backfires when they’re instantly included in each and every holiday event in town. So much for solitude.

Only the more time he spends with the beautiful, cheery brunette, the more he yearns to make things real between them. But he and Amber want different things, and Michael could never be the family man she’s looking for.
Genre Sweet romance
Book heat level: PG13
Entangled Publishing https://entangledpublishing.com/one-week-to-win-her-boss.html
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076PJ7SNN
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1127274067
iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/one-week-to-win-her-boss/id1299758237
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/one-week-to-win-her-boss

Barbara White Daille Social Media

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about those subjects, too!
Barbara wrote her first short story at the age of nine, then typed “The End” to her first novel many years later…in the eighth grade. Now she’s writing contemporary romance on a daily basis. Sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest in her writing life: https://barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter.
Website https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Blog http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/blog
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Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/529361.Barbara_White_Daille
Amazon Author Page http://bit.ly/azbwd

 

A canteen of water and a friend #Pietas #SciFi #MFRWHooks

This week’s MFRW BookHooks offers a sneak peek at Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire, my upcoming military science fiction novel with romantic elements. In this scene, the not-quite-human Six offers a canteen of water to the immortal king. Four other immortals are watching. The scene is from Pietas’s point of view.

Canteen

A canteen of water and a friend #Pietas #SciFi #MFRWHooksSix 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 water 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.

Staggering, he swore in Spanish. “Find another name for me.”

“Tell me your mortal name then.”

“You know I can’t.” Six scratched his cheek. “Gotta protect my family. If your kind knew who they were, they’d slaughter them. You wouldn’t, but them?”

Now they were getting somewhere. “So you do trust me?”

“Pi, there’s more honor in your left big toe than your entire race combined.” He tipped up the flask but then paused. “No offense.”

“None taken. But we’re stranded, my friend. Unless a miracle happens, by the time we get off this world, your family will be long dead.” He added, “No offense.”

Six finished his drink and plugged the container. “None taken. Sorry. Can’t do it.” He lifted the strap back over his head and settled it onto his shoulder, the canteen at his back. “Seriously, Pi, your people hear you call me you-know-what, it’ll give away I was Ghost Corps. We both know what they’ll do to me.”

Admit a weakness before an enemy? Never. But this was Six. #SciFi #Pietas Share on X


Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire
What if you were marooned on a barren world? No food. Few survival tools. You’re genetically engineered. No matter how agonizing the wound, you survive. No matter how you die, you come back.
It could be worse. You could be here alone. But that’s the problem. You’re not.

Available for preorder on Amazon Nov 11-Dec 28. Purchase on Dec 29, 2017
Free on Kindle Unlimited http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI

Join the Forged in Fire tour and get free goodies! 

A canteen of water and a friend #Pietas #SciFi #MFRWHooks

 


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Tour the Galaxy with a King #Pietas #SciFi

Tour the Galaxy with a King #Pietas #SciFiThis week begins the cover reveal tour of the galaxy of blogs for my new book, Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire. Fire is science fiction with romantic elements. It has no profanity or explicit content, but it does have violence.

In my books, Pietas is an immortal king who must fight to regain his throne. He’s in nearly every book I’ve written. As king of the immortals peopling my stories, his influence is galaxy wide.

I began writing the Bringer of Chaos series to understand him better. As I’ve written and explored his psyche, I’ve learned far more than I anticipated.

How do you tour a galaxy?

It’s easy! You visit as many blogs as possible out there in the blogoverse. This Friday, Nov 10, I started a 20 day tour with Crystal Reviews to show off the cover for this new book. Although the book isn’t releasing until Dec 29th, it is available for preorder.

Exclusive Giveaway

Download Endure, a 39 page full color illustrated book of quotes by Pietas. The cover is on the right. During the tour, you don’t have to do anything or sign up for anything to get this book. Just visit during the tour. After the tour, that will change, so grab it now by visiting any of the sites on the tour.

Where is the tour?

You’ll be able to find Pietas every day by going to the tour home page. If you’d like to host the immortal king, you can sign up for that here. The tour host who gets the most comments during the tour will win a $25 Gift certificate (winner’s choice: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Starbucks).

Preorder the immortal king

You can preorder between Nov 11th and Dec 28th. http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI

Tweet the king’s galaxy tour

Click the box below to share a tweet about the king.

Tour the galaxy with an immortal king #Pietas #SciFi Share on X

Where is the immortal king today? #Pietas #SciFi #MFRWhooks

In my books, the immortal king is Pietas. He’s in nearly everything I’ve written. With good reason — as king of the immortals peopling my stories, he’s a major character even when he’s not present. His influence in my story world is galaxy wide.

I began writing the Bringer of Chaos series to understand him better. As I’ve written and explored his psyche, I’ve learned far more than I anticipated.

My upcoming novel about him (Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire) is science fiction with romantic elements. It has no profanity or explicit content, but it does have violence.

The book also has a ginormous “kitty” who adores Pietas and follows him everywhere. Tiklaus, the sentient panther who adopts him, protects Pietas without reservation. Although Tiklaus does not speak, they are able to communicate on a telepathic level, using limited, rudimentary language. For example, Tiklaus sends the word “do” to show a command is heard and understood. “Do” also implies “please” or “thank you” depending on the situation. Wait till you find out what Tiklaus names Pietas! The panther’s name means “loyal warrior.” The animal was great fun to write.

What is the immortal king doing?

This Friday, Nov 10, I start a 20 day tour with Crystal Reviews to show off the cover for this new book. Although the book isn’t releasing until Dec 29th, it will be available on preorder.

One of the giveaways during this tour will be an exclusive download of Endure, a 39 page full color illustrated book of quotes by Pietas. The cover is above. You don’t have to do anything or sign up for anything to get this book. Just visit during the tour.

Here are a few sample quotes from the book:
* Would you conquer? Then learn to endure.
* To forgive means to endure betrayal.
* Friends come and go. Enemies endure to the end.
* I might not prevail over adversity, but I will endure. Adversity will never prevail over me.

Track the immortal king

You’ll be able to find Pietas every day by going to the tour home page or by coming here. If you’d like to host the immortal king, you can sign up for that here. The tour host who gets the most comments during the tour will win a $25 Gift certificate (winner’s choice: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Starbucks).

Preorder the immortal king

You can preorder between Nov 11th and Dec 28th. http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI

Tweet the immortal king

Click the box below to share a tweet about the king.

Where is the immortal king today? #Pietas #SciFi Share on X

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A Wound of the Heart: Forged in Fire #MFRWhooks #SciFi #Pietas

Welcome to MFRW Book Hooks. Members of Marketing for Romance Writers holds this weekly blog hop as a way to encourage active participation in the group and with each other. A Wound of the Heart: Forged in Fire is the name of a “behind the scenes” booklet for my upcoming book, Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire, a fast-paced Sci Fi military romance set in the far future. That booklet will be out Nov 10th in time for the Forged in Fire Cover Reveal Tour. Link coming soon. 

The actual book is out Dec 29, 2017. Join the Romance Lives Forever Reader Group to be in on special events surrounding the book release.

A Wound of the Heart

From Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire 

Humans created a genetically enhanced race to defend mankind. Instead, the Ultras became humanity’s greatest threat. Traitors among them helped humans imprison half a million and exile them on an alien world.

Pietas has no tech, tools, or resources, but he vows to unite and avenge the Ultra people. First, he must regain command from a ruthless adversary he’s fought for centuries–his brutal, merciless father.

Ultras are immortal, and with few exceptions, they revive after death. Some injuries heal instantly. A few take time. But battered trust and a broken heart… That pain lasts forever.

Forged in Fire is the sequel to Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas. Forged is written in a way that lets you read it alone, yet hints at details in the first book. To get the full saga, read both. Pietas is ultra worthy of many books. In fact, he has appeared in nearly all my Tarthian Empire series stories. He even has his own Facebook page. Check out images that tell his story on the Bringer of Chaos Pinterest page, especially if you like dragons.

Look for a new Book Hooks next week.


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Easily search your computer for character mentions #MFRWhooks #SciFi

Welcome to Book Hooks! This is a blog hop with Marketing for Romance Writers authors. Click links at the end to visit the other hops. Today’s post is on character mentions. How to find any mention of a character in any of your books. It’s easier than you think.

If you’re writing a series, it’s easy to casually slip in a mention about a character from one book into another book. But what if you also mentioned that he is left handed? Or that he was born in Chicago. Or some other detail? When you’re writing yet another book, how do you go back and find all those places? Here’s a snippet from my book the Tarthian Empire Companion, to show you how.

Find character mentions on your computer

Here’s a cool trick if you have several books and you want to find out which book mentions a character. Create a separate folder and into it copy each of your books. Don’t put your originals in there. MAKE COPIES. Take out any bit at the end of the book that mentions upcoming stories (such as sneak peeks) that might contain the character’s name. You want only the actual story in these documents. Keep this folder. You’ll be surprised how handy it is for searching details when you write a series.

Now that everything is together, look at your folder menu. You’ll see something like “Tools” at the top. Your computer might call it “Organize”. Click that, and open Folder Options. Click the Search tab. Under “What to search” there are two choices. Pick the one that says “Always search file names and contents.”

When you click in the search box and type a name, the program will show you which book has the character’s name.

NOTE: It warns that this might take several minutes, but since you’ll mainly use it for searching this folder, that’s fine. I use it routinely on all folders, and it’s a great way to find info I’ve lost or a document for which I can’t remember the title. I have a 2 TB hard drive and to me, it’s not that long — maybe a few seconds. Click OK to save the option. Don’t worry. If it does prove to be too long for everyday use for you, you can easily change it back.

Think about the name before you assume the person is mentioned. For example, if you have a guy named Van Smith, both those words have other meanings. Does one character drive a van? Does the other have a Smith and Wesson? Does someone who is a smith live in Van Nuys? Be sure you know how the word was used within the document if it has shades of meaning or uses. If you aren’t sure, open the document, use CTRL+F (or CMD+F for Mac) and type the name. Then you’ll know for sure. But rather than open each document for each character, it’s super quick to type it once and search all the books at the same time.

Because I have two different versions of the same book from two different publishers, I wanted to know what/who was used in each. When deleting or adding material, it’s easy to remove a mention. So I added a copy of each version and changed the document name to include the publisher’s initials. To quickly change the name, select the document and press F2. Once the name is highlighted, make any changes needed.

I used this method when writing the Tarthian Empire Companion. The book has a listing of all my characters and place names, a history, and much more. I intended it as a companion book for fans of my various series. It quickly became my own go-to for details. Had I spelled homeworld as home world or home-world? This book is my definitive answer (It’s homeworld, btw).

Where to find the Tarthian Empire Companion

Universal Buy Link https://books2read.com/guide-tec


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The hottest kind of fire #SciFi #Pietas #MFRWhooks

This week’s BookHooks offers a sneak peek at my upcoming book, a military science fiction novel with romantic elements. What is the hottest kind of fire?

Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire

Humans created the Ultras, a genetically enhanced race, to defend mankind. Instead, Ultras became their greatest threat. With the help of traitors, humans captured half a million of the immortal warriors.

Exiled to an alien world with no tech, no tools, and no resources, their leader, Pietas must protect his people, find food and shelter and unite them. But before he can, he must regain command from a ruthless adversary he’s fought for centuries–his brutal, merciless father.

Ultras are immortal, and no matter how they die, they come back. Reviving after death isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Some wounds heal instantly and a few take time, but battered and broken trust? Immortals may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever.

In this scene, Pietas performs a ritual at the urging of his friend, Six.

Pietas’s long hair, full of static electricity from the wind and storm, settled over his shoulders and adhered to his neck. He could not lift his arms to gather it himself but he did not want the others to see he needed help nor did he want Six fretting over it.

The man blamed himself for the injury. Yes, Six had bound Pietas. It had been Six’s duty to do so. In truth, those who had placed Pietas inside the pod and refused to release him were to blame, but no matter how often he reminded Six of that, the ghost refused to relinquish his guilt.

Six dug into his pockets. “I think I have another strip.” They had torn several from a ragged shirt. Six wore the biggest piece around his neck. He set down his pack and opened it.

“Six,” Pietas hissed. He did not turn his head, but looked toward the others. “Leave it!”

The ghost glanced up at him, then the immortals, waiting ahead. “You want the women messing with your hair? Is that it?”

He closed his eyes, counting to ten. To a hundred would not erase this embarrassment. “No.” When he beheld Six, the man had the discourtesy to smirk. “Don’t look at me in that tone of voice.”

The man chuckled. “We should have cut your hair before we set out.” He rummaged through his kit, which held all Six owned when he’d been abandoned on this world. Little more than survival gear.

“I never cut it except in ritual.”

“I know.” Six withdrew a boning knife used for it.

Before every battle, Pietas performed the solemn rite to affirm superior strength and prowess. The ghost had been the first human to see it carried out, albeit the first half from a distance while hiding.

Six stood. “Maybe you could perform it now.”

“How like you to see the easy solution. But there are a few elements missing. No fire. No water. No mask.” He gestured toward the oncoming storm. “No time.”

“Haven’t you ever heard of pretending?”

“One cannot ‘pretend’ a ritual.”

“What a boring childhood you must’ve had. Why not?”

Pietas opened his mouth to answer. Shut it again.

Six lifted one eyebrow. “Do you want to go into that dark hole and meet up with your people without performing it?”

“No, but there’s no time.”

“Rain’s coming.” Six jerked a thumb toward the forest. “Like I said, you have to go in there or you won’t reunite with your people. Are you going to stand out here making excuses, or do this?”

“Ghost, this ritual is important. It deserves respect.”

Blah, blah, blah. That storm is bearing down on us.” A few drops of rain splattered them both. “See? Or maybe you’d rather have your sister help you with your hair every morning.”

“Fine!” With a resigned sigh, Pietas capitulated. “How do you propose we ‘pretend’ my ritual?”

Six tucked the knife into his belt and held out his cupped hands. “This is fire.”

Pietas hesitated.

“Come on, Pi.” Six wagged his cupped hands. “This stuff is hot.”

“Of course it is.” A smile slipped onto his face and refused to leave. “It’s pretend fire. That’s the hottest kind.”

“Remember, you do this naked. Unzip your robe or whatever it is you’d wear.”

Pietas mimed removing his silk robe. He plucked one hair and laid it across Six’s hands, feeding it to the fire. “As fire has victory over life, so I have victory over my enemies.” He passed a hand through the imaginary flame. As he had in the real ritual, he hissed at the scorching heat. He cupped his hands over Six’s, a symbolic end to the flames. “I am powerful, as fire is powerful.”

“Next is air, right?”

“Yes.” He lifted both hands, made fists, and yanked them back. “I own the wind. I prevail over the breath of my enemies.”

Again, Six cupped his hands. “Water.”

“Water submits to my presence the way enemies submit to my will.” He scooped his hands into the bowl, lifted his arms and pictured the liquid dripping down them. “The blood of my enemies trickles into the pool of time, is absorbed, and forgotten.” He bent and pushed both hands through his hair. “My mind is clear. I do not waver.”

Six held his hands flat, waist high. “The pond.”

Pietas ducked as if to submerse himself, then rose, throwing back his head. “My body submits to my will. No pain defeats me. No fear touches me.” He brushed his hands down the length of his body. “My will is absolute. I am bigger than any fear. I prevail in every circumstance. I face every foe. I vanquish every enemy. I overcome. I am indomitable. I am invincible.”

“Black face paint for the mask.” Six held out his hands.

The ceremonial mask represented a splash of blood across his face received during battle. Dipping two fingers of each hand into the bowl, Pietas outlined a bandit’s mask up over his dark eyebrows to the area beneath his eyes. He brushed his fingertips over his eyelids and met Six’s gaze.

Finding a mixture of awe and respect threw him out of the moment. He faltered, unable to recall what came next.

Six offered the knife hilt first.

The man had seen the ritual performed once, from a distance, yet he’d remembered each step. Six wouldn’t have known the next part was performed by Pietas’s sister if no trusted partner or friend was at hand. The time Six had seen it done, Pietas had not yet considered him either one.

How wrong he had been. The man was more than both.

The hottest kind of fire burns within the heart. --Pietas Share on X

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