Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book? When did it come out? Where can we get it?
Bringer
of Chaos: Forged in Fire came out the last week of December last year. It's
exclusively on Amazon until the end of March. You can also get it in print.
Here's the basic premise of the story.
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...
It's in print on Amazon, and it's free on KindleUnlimited.
Great!
Is there anything which prompted Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire? Something that inspired you?
I've had
the idea rattling around since I was a teenager, but this book steps back in
time from my current story universe. I'd tried multiple times to write a book
in which Pietas was the bad guy, but no matter what I did, I couldn't make him
be bad. He kept wanting to do the right thing. Well, you can't have that with a
villain, can you? So I decided to write his story and try to figure him out.
Turns out, he isn't a bad guy. He's quite noble. I was completely taken by
surprise as I worked through his story. I created him, so you'd think I know
that. But, no. I didn't.
I understand. My characters constantly surprise me. ;)
So, when did you know you wanted to write? Or has it always been a pastime of yours?
When I
was little I would write stories with crayons. Not a pastime at all for me now.
I'm a full time writer.
Nice! I got started as a kid too.
Do you have any favorite authors yourself, Kayelle?
I'm on a
suspense kick. Reading JD Robb, Michael Connelly, Lee Child. I also love JR
Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood. But who doesn't? Those stories are wonderful.
Oh, I love the BDB series!
So...do you write in a specific place? Time of day?
I'm one
of those people who get up early. I can't help it. Once I wake, I'm up. I
cannot lie in bed. My mind is churning in the morning so I make the best of
it. I'm often downstairs in my office writing by 4:30 or so. I don't set an
alarm clock. I get a lot of writing done between then and 7:00, which is when I
get online and check email. I have a guest blog called Romance Lives Forever,
and there is always a guest to welcome and a post to share. Then I write again
later in the day. I use a desktop computer, but I do have a tablet. I take that
with me sometimes if I go out. But generally, if it's serious writing, I'm at
my desk.
Cool!
Are there any words you'd like to impart to fellow writers? Any advice?
No one
else can tell your stories. If you give up, they will be forever silenced. Don't
quit.
Such great advice!
Thank you so much for stopping
by to visit us here today at Writing in the Modern Age. It was wonderful
having you! :)
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. Over five hundred thousand hungry, thirsty, homeless immortals 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.
But 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...
Here is an excerpt from the book. Kayelle says this is one of her favorite scenes. Let's move out of the way so she can set the stage for it.
Pietas,
the immortal king, is heading down a long hill to inspect cryostasis pods
holding his people. Only a day or so before, he'd formed a telepathic bond with
Tiklaus, the alpha of a tribe of sentient panthers. The panther is helping
guard Pietas's people, so the king takes pains to show the animal proper
respect.
----
Halfway
down the twisting trail to the pods, Pietas came upon a stubby, leafless tree.
As he got closer, the thickest lower branch revealed a panther stretched out
atop it, chin on paws. The majestic animal regarded him with supreme indifference,
yet a clear challenge.
He halted,
recognizing Tiklaus. As he would with any sentry, he maintained military
protocol and kept his distance. The panther tribe deserved no less honor than
any of his troops.
"Pietas,
requesting permission to pass."
The cat
gave him a serene blink and sniffed in his direction. The telepathic link
they'd shared before re-engaged without effort. This time, a barrage of
impressions flooded his mind.
Fight. Pain. Cage. Pain. Fight. Hunger. Thirst. Pain.
Fight. Pain.
Pietas
reeled under the psychic impact. He stumbled back and bent at the waist,
sickened. These animals had endured cruelty beyond measure even before they'd
been caged and shipped away as unwanted cargo. Their captors hadn't put them in
stasis during transit. They'd been caged. Tormented. Ignored. Starved.
"Keep them hungry," echoed through his mind. One
human had fed and watered them too little, too late. When he ventured too close
to the cages, they took him down together, tore out the man's throat to silence
him, ripped him apart, then dragged chunks of him through the bars of their
cages and feasted. The connection was so strong between himself and the cat,
Pietas smelled the blood, tasted the flesh.
He choked
back bile. He, who had once bitten chunks off a hated, vile enemy.
For
killing the human, the tribe had been punished the rest of the trip.
Pietas
could count the means of death he feared on one hand. Being eaten by panthers
went straight to the top. Not even an Ultra could come back from that. Perhaps
consuming Ultras was what the tribe had been created to do.
Once on
Sempervia, the panthers had been scattered, abandoned, each dropped in a
different location and left to fend for itself. Tiklaus had been released in a
forest near Pietas.
The
panther had watched him. Waited. The entire tribe had made its way here, to
this place.
No. Not
just here.
To him.
Why? How?
He hadn't known he'd be here himself.
Through
their connection, Tiklaus revealed an image of Pietas in a clearing, head back,
arms outstretched, mouth open in a silent scream.
It had
happened the night he'd learned the truth of how Ghost Corps made ghosts.
Needing time alone, he'd stormed off into the trees and released a howl of
empathic rage.
Unintentionally,
he'd alerted his people he was near. Alive. One confessed later, "It woke us all up. Even across a
mountain range. I think the whole world felt that."
The
morning after, he'd encountered Tiklaus and they'd touched each other's minds
for the first time. Panther and Ultra bonded.
That howl
had alerted the other panthers as well.
Tiklaus, was the tribe sent here to eat Ultras?
Or...me?
The
connection shut. The panther rested one front paw over the other, somber and
silent. It half-closed its green eyes.
Though his
mind churned with possibilities and questions, Pietas accepted the decision not
to answer. If there was one thing he understood, it was the importance of
giving honor where it was due. Tiklaus had revealed much. This was not the
time.
"Tiklaus,
thank you for the service you and your kind have provided for my kind. I'm
grateful. I do not take it for granted. Thank you for breakfast as well. That's
two rabbits I owe you so far."
In one
swift move, the panther rose and leaped down, landed on front feet and pushed
off with the back ones. It loped toward him.
His heart
hammered. As he did in battle, Pietas braced himself, stood his ground and
refused to flinch. In an intuitive act of trust, he relaxed his warrior's
stance, opened himself and dropped his hands at his sides.
Tiklaus
halted before him, rose on hind legs and set both paws on his shoulders. It
rubbed its nose along the side of his face, a pet happy to see him.
Pietas
rubbed the cat's head and round ears. "You're huge at a distance. Up close
you're monstrous. Scary monstrous." He gripped the animal's ruff.
"But in a good way. I'm glad you're my friend."
The
panther licked his face, dropped down to all fours and bumped into his legs. It
hooked one paw around a knee and pulled.
Pietas
tucked and rolled, ending on his back with the panther atop him.
Play. Chase. Tickle.
Pietas
laughed. "You want to play!" He set his hands on either side of the
panther's snout, leaned up and kissed the cat on the nose. "Biting is
okay, but, mind you, no drawing blood." He rocked the animal's head back
and forth.
Tiklaus
rammed its nose up under Pietas's chin. The scratchy warmth of a wet tongue
dragged along his jaw. The panther gave him two more licks and then pounced,
nothing more than a kitten with a favorite toy.
It almost
knocked the wind out of Pietas. He rolled in the dirt with Tiklaus, rubbing and
tickling, hugging when he could manage to sneak an arm around the beast. The
panther rolled onto him, which pulled one arm farther than he could move
without pain. Pietas made no sound and did not pull back.
Tiklaus
ceased all movement and sniffed his pained shoulder. The green-eyed gaze came
to his.
"It's
okay, my friend." He petted the panther. "I'm good."
Tiklaus
went back to their rough play. More than once, the beast fixed its mighty jaws
around his arm without pressure. It licked his hand and drew his thumb into its
mouth, eyes closed like a suckling kitten. The intimacy triggered a connection.
Images,
impressions, memories merged. In captivity, before the ship, a worker came
every day with food. The man played. Scratched ears. Tickled. Pet. Chased.
Aboard ship, isolated and in pain, Tiklaus longed for him. An image of the
man's face hung before him, so clear, if they ever met, Pietas would recognize
him. At the shared memory, tears filled his eyes.
Tiklaus released
his hand.
He stroked
the panther's face. "I will play with you every day. I promise."
Flipping
onto its back, belly exposed, Tiklaus huffed twice.
"You
want a belly rub." Laughing, he rubbed with one hand and stroked with the
other.
Tiklaus lolled
on its back, legs spread wide, the position trusting and submissive. The big
cat sneezed and then rocked to its feet, shaking its head. Claws retracted, the
panther batted at him, knocked Pietas onto his back and then flipped itself
down beside him. Tiklaus wrapped its front legs around his arm and gnawed at it
in gentle play while the hind feet kicked him without injury. Claws flashed,
but did no harm.
Now I know how a chew toy feels. He blew out a breath.
When the
panther draped itself over his chest, Pietas struggled to slide out from under
but could not get up. The animal weighed less than he did, but with no visible
effort, it kept Pietas from rising.
"I
concede, my friend. You win."
The
panther ignored him.
"Tiklaus,
off."
Nothing.
"Off,
please."
The panther
yawned, opening a huge maw. Fangs flashed.
Pietas
tried a signal that worked with sparring partners and asked for release by
double-tapping the panther's side.
The cat
stood at once and stepped over him. It shook from nose to tail, then sat and
groomed itself.
He stood
and brushed himself off. Standing beside Tiklaus, who reached him mid-thigh,
Pietas took pride in knowing this sweet, playful cat was also the snarling ball
of animal rage that had nailed Mahikos to the ground. His father had not seen that
coming.
Pietas
ensured no one was on the path in either direction before he knelt and
scratched the cat's ears. "Who's a good kitty?"
The animal
sneaked in a lick of his hand and face and flopped down on its back.
"My
Tiklaus, that's who. Tiklaus is a good kitty." He rubbed the smooth belly.
"Yes, you are! Such a good, big kitty. You're my kitty, aren't you? Good,
good kitty."
The
panther accepted the attention, one paw twitching. After a moment, it stood and
shook itself. A purring sound rumbled from its chest. It sat, licked one paw
and added a lick of Pietas's face as well.
He
chuckled. "Thank you for the bath." He hugged the panther's neck.
"You have as soft a heart as I do but you don't show it either. Pact, my
friend. I won't tell if you won't." He kissed Tiklaus on the nose.
The
panther bumped its head against Pietas, then bounded to a tree and up it.
Purchase Links:
Universal Amazon: https://bookgoodies.com/a/B077BRSRP4
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bringer-of-chaos-kayelle-allen/1127580844?ean=9781981328321
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781981328321
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36674112-bringer-of-chaos
For Reviewers: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/127569
☆.•°☆ GIVEAWAY! ☆°•.☆
Download a free adult coloring book you can print and share, , based on my characters. It contains original art. This one features
Pietas. If you like dragons then you'll love this. I hope you enjoy it! :)
http://bit.ly/color-pietas
Wow! Great excerpt!
It certainly sounds like an interesting book! We'll be sure to check out this science fiction tale with a touch of romance!
Author Bio
Kayelle
Allen did a tour in the US Navy, where she climbed around airplanes (on the
ground, thankfully), fixing black boxes that helped pilots find their way home.
She wrote her first science fiction novel at 18 and to
this day, it's hidden under the bed, where she vows it will remain. Gems from
it, however, launched several series in her galaxy-wide universe of stories.From childhood, Kayelle was the victim of an overactive imagination and inherited the Irish gift of gab from her mother. From her father, she got a healthy respect for mechanical things.
No wonder she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy peopled with misbehaving robots, mythic heroes, role playing immortal gamers, and warriors who purr. She's been married so long she's tenured.
Author Links:
Website: http://kayelleallen.com
Website: http://kayelleallen.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kayelleallen
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/KayelleAllen/e/B003ZRXVN8/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/710889.Kayelle_Allen
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116022131333186423293/
https://plus.google.com/collection/cym4DE
Romance Lives Forever Reader Group: http://kayelleallen.com/bro/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kayelleallen/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayelleallen/
Kayelle's Books:
Thank you for sharing my immortal king with your readers. :)
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure!
DeleteYou really have featured a great and extensive author review on your website. I checked her book online, I found it interesting. Looking forward to read it soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kevin. I hope you enjoy it!
Delete