Good morning! Please welcome guest author Kayelle Allen. Though I will be away for most of the day, please feel free to leave comments for Kayelle and I will post them as soon as I return. Thank you!
~Kate
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I call myself a plotser, because I plot like crazy, and then let my characters loose within the framework I create. They sometimes change the plot in ways I hadn’t seen coming.
What do you like about writing series books?
It’s like visiting with old friends. I love seeing what they’re up to, and what new loves they’ve found. Plus I relish allowing previous little details to flourish into new stories.
Would you tell us about your latest release?
When the fate of hearts rivals the fate of worlds, victory costs everything.
The Chosen serve immortals known as Sempervians. Like any group, it has its hidden alignments, mistrust, and mistakes. It also harbors enemies and spies within its ranks — some known and tolerated, others hidden behind layers so convoluted even the ones who live forever haven’t figured them out.
CHOSEN
Called to serve
Honored to protect
Obedient to the vow
Safeguards of the truth
Enablers of life
There are three books in the series, all released together.
Wulf, Tales of the Chosen
Superstar Wulf Gabriel must depend on the one man he swore he would never trust again. The most powerful and feared man in the empire – the Harbinger. Lust. Power. Forgiveness. A Chosen loves forever.
Wulf Gabriel longs for freedom. A superstar in the Tarthian Empire, he is bound by an unscrupulous agent to a restrictive contract. With his career threatened and his life at risk, Wulf must trust the one man he swore would never again control him — Luc Saint-Cyr, the Harbinger.
For the Harbinger, saving Wulf is a simple matter of asserting his will. The enigmatic man’s legendary power makes him the most feared person in the empire. To win the heart of Wulf, Luc will have to risk baring his own.
Alitus, Tales of the Chosen
The empress asks her trusted spymaster, Alitus, to discover if a friend’s lover is having an affair. The truth could alter age-old alliances and rock the empire to its core. Passion. Submission. Loyalty. A Chosen bares his heart forever.
Alitus lives in a world full of political intrigue, and he is supremely alone. As a Better, an enhanced human, he can touch no one — his pheromones are addictive. He keeps his affair with Wulf secret, because Wulf belongs to another, a powerful man allied with the empress. When the man asks the empress to investigate whether Wulf is having an affair, Wulf’s relationship with Alitus could be exposed. Complicating matters, the empress reveals her immortality, and requires Alitus to prove his loyalty. Her test will throw him straight into Wulf’s arms, right in front of the empress and Wulf’s lover. Hiding what they are to each other has taken discipline and denial. Now, it will take a miracle.
https://books2read.com/alitus-chosen
Jawk, Tales of the Chosen
When immortal Luc Saint-Cyr arranges a ménage with Wulf and Jawk, he gets far more than he bargained for. Pleasure. Trust. Possession. A Chosen’s betrayal is forever.
Jawk works at Batchelors, a gay club in the Top Tier district of Tarth City, where he meets Luc. Luc offers Jawk a deal too good to pass up, one night showing him and his lover a good time in exchange for far more than his usual pay. But the sensual Jawk is not what he seems, and one night with him will change the immortal’s alliances forever.
https://books2read.com/jawk-chosen
What are you working on now?
There’s a character in the Chosen series named Pietas, and he’s the king of the immortals. He’s their bad boy, and he is feared by all of them. I’m doing his origin story as an illustrated book, with art by my son and me. Jamin Allen owns Nimajination Studio, and he did much of the artwork on my website. The book will (hopefully) be released late in March. It’s titled after one of Pietas’s many names (which include Soul Ripper, Impaler, Slayer of Innocents, Destroyer of Worlds, and Hound of Hell). This one is Bringer of Chaos.
Do you have an excerpt from your latest release you would like to share?
I’ll post one from Wulf. Wulf Gabriel has gotten advice from his friends Trink and Yvan that he is dead set against taking. They want him to accept help from Luc Saint-Cyr, whom Wulf has known since birth. Trink and Yvan don’t know Luc is immortal, but Wulf does.
—
“Guys.” Wulf held up both hands. “I appreciate the advice and the offer to help, but the last thing I want is to involve Luc Saint-Cyr. The Harbinger, the Man, whatever you want to call him. If I’d known you’d suggest anything that had to do with him, I never would’ve come here. No offense.” He ducked around Yvan.
The taller man leaned a hand against the door to block him, then swung around and leaned against it, arms folded.
Wulf sighed. “Don’t do this, Yvan.”
“Doin’ nothing, bro. Jes standin’. Whyn’t you talk to Trink?”
“Yeah, bro.” Trink spread both hands. “Let us help.”
Pressing his lips together, Wulf concentrated on breathing through his nose, focusing on a dark spot on the wall.
“Listen, Wulf,” Trink dropped his street voice. “If you let that asshole fuck you like this you’ll kick yourself for it.”
He closed his eyes, jaw clenching. “Back off, Trink.”
“People always say that to me, Wulf, but truth is I can’t. I’m your friend. Friends help friends.”
Wulf leveled his gaze on the man’s face. “I appreciate your concern, but I’ll handle it.”
Yvan tilted his head. “We’re trying to help you.”
“Thank you. Really. Thank you.” Wulf tucked his fingertips into the front pockets of his jeans. “Now back off and let me out of here.”
Yvan stared into his eyes for a long moment, not blinking any more than Wulf. “After you tell me one thing.”
Wulf ground his teeth together. “What?”
“Why you so dead set against the Man’s help?”
“His help?” Wulf pressed his lips together, shaking his head. “I would rather die than ask that bastard’s help.”
You’d have thought he’d blasphemed. Trink crossed himself and Yvan slid aside like he expected a lightning strike.
“You think I’m crazy? How’s this? If Luc Saint-Cyr was on fire, I wouldn’t cross the street to piss on him.”
Their mouths dropped open.
“You want to know why I hate, loathe, and detest Luc Saint-Cyr?”
The guys flinched.
“When I was ten years old”– Wulf slammed one fist into the other “–he made me watch my father die.”
Wulf, Tales of the Chosen
https://books2read.com/wulf-chosen
What three words would the hero of your story use to describe his love interest?
Luc, about Wulf: Spoiled supermodel playboy.
Wulf, about Luc: Affluent alpha immortal.
If the main characters in your latest release were invited to a masquerade party, what costumes would they wear?
Luc would don a tux and a black mask, which for him, would not be much of a disguise. He rarely sees a reason to hide. However, he does habitually wear black contact lenses that completely hide the whites of his eyes, so that black mask might be a bit daunting to others.
Wulf would probably flaunt his supermodel good looks by wearing the tiniest bikini he could find, and draping a small towel around his neck. He’d go as a beach bum and wear nothing else but a bit of funky jewelry. Maybe a ring, and a braided bracelet or two. Plus it would make him Luc’s opposite, and Wulf loves to shock people.
If you could step into one of your books, which one would it be?
I’d want to visit Sempervia. It’s the world of the immortals, and it’s beautiful. It’s Earth-like, but there are only a half million people there, and they’ve made it a paradise. There is no war or famine (although there was in the past). I think it would be heavenly. But once I was there, I wouldn’t be allowed to leave. They cloak their world to prevent anyone from intruding. Truth is, they don’t want to be tempted to leave. The Reborn (as the immortals call themselves) have not resisted temptation very well in the past, so they guard against it. Their various powers make them seem godlike to less gifted races, and they have learned to withdraw, to protect themselves and others.
Would you tell us about yourself?
I’m the founder of the author-mentoring group Marketing for Romance Writers, and I manage the Romance Lives Forever blog. I’m a US Navy Veteran, and founded the graphics and eBook conversion company The Author’s Secret. I’ve been married to my own personal hero for forty years now — can you believe that? We live near Atlanta, Georgia. I have three grown children, and five grandchildren.
How long have you been writing?
All my life, really, but I’ve been published for ten years this year.
Name three fictional characters (not your own) that you find hot. They can be from books, movies, or TV.
Loki of Asgard (as played by Tom Hiddleston) for all the obvious reasons. He’s a villain with charm and panache.
Sherlock Holmes (as played by Robert Downey Jr) for his brilliant mind and quirky soul.
Jonas Blane from the TV series the Unit, (as played by Dennis Haysbert) for his noble character and devotion to duty.
Do you have any pets?
No living pets. However, I keep a little ceramic mouse on my desktop, and I stroke his little head every day, and say good-night to him when I sign out for the evening. I bought him because he looks like the pet of a character I plan to write. I’ve had him for years. One day, that book will be written. When you finally meet Dustball, maybe you’ll remember this interview.
My contacts
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Thank you for hosting me today Kate. I enjoyed visiting! I’ll check back for comments. 🙂
Thank you for being a guest, Kayelle!
Kate
Forgot to add that I love your choice of hot fictional characters. Loki and RDJ’s Holmes are two of my favs as well!
Looking forward to reading Wulf!
Kate