Dec 18 2015

RESTOREE A Fond Look Back

004 I’m not by any means a book reviewer – I like what I like, and I don’t dissect the components too much. Conversely, if I don’t like a book, it becomes a Did Not Finish and I won’t waste time talking about it either. But for a while now I’ve been wanting to pay affectionate tribute to Anne McCaffrey’s Restoree, which was probably the first true science fiction romance I ever read.

And reread. And read again. I’ve worn out three paperback copies, although I kept my original (seen to the left) for sentimental reasons. It lives on my kindle too. This is one of my favorite books of all time, people.

Andre Norton was actually my favorite science fiction author and she occasionally had hints of glimpses of glimmers of romance (squint hard) but when I found Restoree I was enchanted to have the SF and the R in one place, with no need for me to privately expand the story in my head.

I think the competent heroine Sara is every ordinary Earth girl who gets abducted by aliens, makes her way admirably through the complicated alien society, finds true love and a lofty place for herself at the center of the new civilization. (The sex was much tamer in that era though!). I LOVED that she was a librarian. I was enchanted at her modesty, not just assuming the Warlord Harlan would ever really fall in love with her. (Spoiler Alert: he does.) She has a great sense of humor too. At that age, I liked to test myself against SF heroines – could I manage to do the things they did? With Sara, I felt I could probably manage it.

I really liked the character of Harlan, and the worldbuilding of the planet Lothar, although I remember being a bit annoyed at all the politics.

I didn’t exactly understand all the “restoree” stuff when I was younger, although I get it now. I didn’t let it distract me from the story when I was a kid.

I was ALWAYS – and still – frustrated that there was never a sequel. I didn’t appreciate that Harlan disappears offstage at the end of the book, leaving the final pages covering Sara’s fight more or less alone against Monsorlit, the is-he-evil-or-not physician. (I never really was satisfied with how things turned out re Monsorlit. HE got off too lightly IMHO.)

Nowadays of course, there’d be a sequel for each of the brothers, Jokan and Jessl. There’d be a sequel for Ferrell. There might even be a sequel for one of Sara’s brothers, come to Lothar to check on her maybe, and falling in love with a Searcher of his own. Although as her brothers were described in the early going, not sure they could be made sympathetic enough. Perhaps she had a Navy SEAL cousin who could volunteer to go to Lothar to fight the Mil and check up on her…..

But it’s pretty much a little jewel of an SFR story as it is and one I’ll always have deep affection for.

Yes, I went on to become a total addict to Ms. McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern and other series, but nothing will ever take the place of Sara and Harlan in my bookloving heart.

(I never liked this cover but here it is anyway…) 002

Dec 12 2015

Into the Green Light Weekend Writing Warriors

(If you’re here for the SFRB Showcase, it can be found at this link.)

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

Switching back to science fiction romance today. Here’s an excerpt from Lady of the Star Wind, an epic portal fantasy, which is undergoing a final edit and will be released after Star Cruise: Outbreak sometime early next year.

Sandy and Mark have been transported to an unknown world after breaking the Globe of Amarkana (you may remember those excerpts earlier in the year?). They found themselves in an oasis-like area with no exit. This snippet is from quite a bit further in the novel, after Mark and Sandy have left the mysterious mountain oasis (which wasn’t a zoo after all), in the company of some new friends… Sandy is bitten by a snake:

The pain from the snakebite was intense, like she imagined being shot with a blaster might feel. Sandy heard herself screaming, understood Mark was trying to hold her, but gradually the world grayed in her vision. She felt more and more distant. The sensation was as if she stood off to the side, watching someone else slump to the floor, hitting her head on the base of a column. No anxiety, no medical urgency occurred to Sandy as she watched bright red blood pool around her own unmoving form. Someone needs to take care of the bleeding.

A compulsion pulled at her, drawing her away from where her body lay. She half turned to see a bright green light over the altar where she and Tia had placed food and drink. Curious, Sandy abandoned Mark and the spot where her body lay bleeding, and walked through the ancient temple. As she got closer to the intricately carved altar, she realized a woman stood in the center of the light, beckoning to her.

No cover, no blurb as yet…all in good time!

Hubble-Cosmic

Dec 4 2015

Only A Pawn SFR Brigade Showcase

SFRB Showcase Once a month the Science Fiction Romance Brigade authors showcase snippets from new work, WIPs, cover reveals or other fun things. The link is here for all the participants.

Escape-from-Zulaire2x1000 I’m sharing an excerpt from my SFR Galaxy Award and National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award winning novel Escape from Zulaire, which is on sale through December for $.99. (Buy links below the excerpt)

Captain Tom Deverane is trying to persuade the very stubborn Andi Markriss to come with him and his troops:

Deverane walked closer, leaned on the table. “Have you received any communications from the office, or anyone since you came out here?”

“No, but it’s the summer slow period. Even the Loxton office is all but closed.” She gave him a challenging glare. “Look, on the basis of what you’ve said so far, I don’t appear to need rescuing. You still haven’t told me anything to justify leaving tonight, missing the reception, insulting my hosts, and driving back to the capital like a prisoner.” Wishing the deep upholstery didn’t make rising such an ungraceful process, Andi left the chair.

“You aren’t getting the picture.” Jaw clenched, he took a few steps to stand next to her. The glare from his green eyes was scorching, and Andi recoiled from the intensity. Apparently taking note of her unease, the captain gentled his voice. “Though why that should surprise me, I don’t know, considering the warnings Lord Tonkiln and the other members of the Council have ignored.”

“Warnings?” Andi took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest.

“To get their families the hell out of this isolated, indefensible spot and into safety at the capital.” Deverane took a deep breath. He walked over to stare at the carvings on the mantel. Andi got the impression from the rigid set of his broad shoulders he was trying to control his temper. After a minute, he came to sit near her again. “I was told your boss made numerous attempts to get in touch with you, right until the moment he and the rest of the Loxton staff took a ship offworld.”

“Dave left Zulaire? They’ve all gone?” Now Andi fell back into the chair, raising a small puff of dust from the plush cushion beneath her. A wave of nausea rippling through her gut, she ran a hand through her hair, looping the tendrils behind her ear. “I don’t understand any of this. Why would my boss and my co-workers leave without me? Why wouldn’t the Tonkilns tell me? You’re still not making sense.”

Deverane came to hunker down in front of her chair, caging her with his arms, invading her personal space. Inhaling sharply, she caught a whiff of musk and forest and man, threaded with some delicious spicy note. She glanced down at his hands, strong, capable, locked on the chair close to her body. As if to calm an upset child, his voice was soothing and low. “Relax. We can get you offplanet in a military transport once you’re safely in the capital.”

She lifted her head, gazing straight into his eyes. Half-formed thoughts chased each other in her mind. The longer he talked, the more nervous she got, but it was still all too much to take in. Loxton only pulled staff offworld in the most serious situations. I haven’t heard a whiff of trouble. Dave wouldn’t have left me behind. Would he?

Deverane touched her arm lightly. “There have been incidents all summer. People disappearing, vehicles abandoned on the transportway with no sign of the occupants. There have even been some small-scale massacres in isolated villages, both Obati and Shenti. The violence keeps escalating. Command thinks a full-blown war is only a breath away, waiting for some convenient incident to touch it off. Lord Tonkiln and the others have chosen to keep things quiet, leaving their families at risk out here in order to demonstrate their belief in their own supremacy. Putting on a pretense of things going along as usual. Or else they refuse to see what’s coming. Civilians.”

He might as well have said idiots.

Deverane frowned at her, three deep wrinkles marring the strong sweep of his forehead. “Are you prepared to take the same risk?”

He’s invading my personal space, damn it. I don’t intimidate that easily, pal. She pushed at his rock-hard shoulders. Standing, he moved away a pace or two, still keeping his eyes locked on her. Licking her lips, Andi smoothed down her silky skirt. “You’re insinuating my hosts have deceived me and deliberately put me in harm’s way? I find that insulting.”

Eyes closed, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re a pawn to them.” Now he reopened his eyes and flung his arms out, hands wide open. “You mean nothing to them. If you’re going to refuse my offer of evacuation, then you’d better be ready to take care of yourself, because I guarantee you the Obati won’t.”

Blurb:
Andi Markriss hasn’t exactly enjoyed being the houseguest of the planetary high-lord, but her company sent her to represent them at a political wedding. When hotshot Sectors Special Forces Captain Tom Deverane barges in on the night of the biggest social event of the summer, Andi isn’t about to offend her high-ranking host on Deverane’s say-so—no matter how sexy he is, or how much he believes they need to leave now.

Deverane was thinking about how to spend his retirement bonus when HQ assigned him one last mission: rescue a civilian woman stranded on a planet on the verge of civil war. Someone has pulled some serious strings to get her plucked out of the hot zone. Deverane’s never met anyone so hard-headed—or so appealing. Suddenly his mission to protect this one woman has become more than just mere orders.

That mission proves more dangerous than he expected when rebel fighters attack the village and raze it to the ground.

Then Andi is captured by the rebel fighters, but Deverane has discovered that Zulaire’s so-called civil war is part of a terrifying alien race’s attempt to subjugate the entire Sector. If he pushes on to the capitol Andi will die. Deverane must decide whether to save the woman he loves, or sacrifice her to save Zulaire.

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Audiobook: Amazon itunes

Nov 14 2015

Sounds Like A Virus Weekend Writing Warriors

First of all, I have to say my prayers are with the people of Paris. Such a tragedy, so very sad….

Today I’m giving a snippet from the WIP Star Cruise: Outbreak. Dr. Emily Shane has agreed to to take a temporary position as ship’s doctor on the Nebula Zephyr luxury cruise liner. Upon arriving at the clinic, she found a young passenger waiting, along with her large retinue and strange green pet. Continuing on from last week, with Jake speaking to the doctor:

“Sometimes our guests bring their pets along with them, yes. As long as the ICC regulations about inoculations are observed, no worries.” He got down on one knee. “What seems to be the problem, your highness?”

“She sneezes and won’t play or eat or anything.”

“Sounds like a virus, what do you think, doc?” Jake gave her a look. “You’re going to have to treat the little fluff, veterinarian or not.”

Emily unbent a bit. “All right, if you can bring the animal over here to the examining table.”

There’s no blurb as yet. This is a standalone sequel to Star Cruise: Marooned, and Meg and Red will appear as secondary characters. The Nebula Zephyr is a sister ship to the Nebula Dream, although there’s no crossover of characters between the two stories. At least not yet!

Nov 7 2015

Make Her Better Weekend Writing Warriors

(If you’re here for the SFRB Showcase, it can be found at this link.)

Today I’m giving a snippet from the WIP Star Cruise: Outbreak. Dr. Emily Shane has agreed to to take a temporary position as ship’s doctor on the Nebula Zephyr luxury cruise liner. Upon arriving at the clinic, she finds a passenger waiting, along with her large retinue. Jake is the ship’s Security Chief (and he’s no red shirt!).

“I’m Dr. Shane, what are her symptoms?”

“The Hereditary Princess Falyn is quite well, thank you,” answered the oldest woman, frowning as the little girl sneezed with perfect timing.

“Then why – “

“It’s my pet, doctor, she’s sick.” Holding out a small ball of variegated green fur, the child left her chair and scooted around the bodyguard. “You must make her all better for me.”

“I’m not a veterinarian,” Emily protested. She turned to Jake. “You allow animals on board?”

Nov 6 2015

Not Going to Panic SFR Brigade Showcase

Once a month the Science Fiction Romance Brigade authors showcase snippets from new work, WIPs, cover reveals or other fun things. The link is here for all the participants.

This month I’m sharing another excerpt from my best selling novel Star Cruise: Marooned. This month’s follows directly from what I shared last month:

“I swear, you know as much as I do.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Drewson was boning Pirankai in the private cabin when I got to the shuttle, coms off, so if there were any bulletins, he missed them.”

“Idiot.” Red retreated a step or two, eyeing the door. “Well, nothing for it.”

“Are you going to break it down?”

Eyebrows raised, he gave her a glance. “Thanks for the compliment but it’d take a battle robo to get through this storm portal by brute force.”

“What then?”

He stepped to the keypad, flipping open the cover, and entered a series of numbers and symbols so rapidly she had no idea what the sequence might be.

“You’ve been here before?” Meg asked.

He shook his head. “Special Forces, Team Twelve. We each have a special access code enabling our entry into any door, ship, vault, or facility in the Sectors.”

The storm door jerked away from the threshold and then began to roll into the roof recess. The window shutters on all four sides of the building followed suit a moment later. Meg knew her mouth was hanging open. Biting her lip, she tried to make sense of this new information. “You’re on active military duty, but working as crew on a charter ship? Are you undercover or something?”

“Retired. Wasn’t sure my code would work, but we have a saying in the Teams—no one is ever completely released from service.” He grimaced. “Not until we die or the Mawreg have been erased from the Sectors. I should live so long.” He pushed the inner door open. “Let’s see what we have here. Stay behind me.”

The lights didn’t respond to voice command or their physical presence. “I guess the rangers powered down before departing. Shutters must be on auxiliary. I’ll have to check the situation out later,” he said, pausing on the threshold. “At least the windows let in enough ambient light for now.”

“How long do you think we’re going to be here?” Meg was disturbed by his mention of later.

“Depends on what the problem in orbit is.” He stopped, giving her a hard look. “Anything like this ever happen before?”

“No. Drewson is an idiot, but he’d never abandon us. And Captain Jonsle certainly won’t maroon us.”

“He may not have a choice. I don’t want to alarm you, but we could be in a bad situation here. I hope not, but just between the two of us, I’m not feeling too positive. Whatever spooked the TDJ captain into recalling his people had to be damn serious. I don’t want to alarm our passengers because panicked people are hard to handle. Drewson’s takeoff seems like the act of a panicked person.” He studied her face, the expression on his serious. “You’re not going to panic, are you?”

“Of course not.” She straightened her spine, irritated he would even ask.

He squeezed her shoulder. “Good. I didn’t think so. Stay here, let me check the rest of the place, and then we’ll bring Sharmali in.”

Moving so quietly she couldn’t hear his footsteps, Red left her. Meg sank onto the nearest chair, resting her head in her hands. If she and the people she was responsible for were in survival mode, even for a short time until someone sent help for them, she had to reprioritize her thoughts. By the time Red returned to the small lobby, she was on her feet, pacing, and making lists on her personal AI.

“Nothing left behind but the furniture as far as I can see,” Red reported brusquely. There’s a big conference room or maybe it’s a dining room, and a small kitchen, couple of offices.”

“Right. We’ll bring Sharmali in here, lay her on the couch. If you can’t get the power going, we can build a fire for tonight. The temperatures plummet after dark and the wind rises. There’s a fireplace in the conference room too, right?”

He nodded. “Plenty of wood stacked out back. We can do the rustic thing. Maybe the guests will enjoy the novelty of camping out tonight.”

“Hope so, as that’s their only choice. I think we leave the guests in blissful ignorance for now, until the Primary asks about missing the deadline for retrieval. It’ll dawn on them soon enough we’re marooned, if we truly are.” Meg checked his reaction. “Seem okay to you?”

His calm face betrayed nothing. “Yes, Ma’am. But eventually they’re going to get upset. Especially the Primary, Mr. Finchon. He has a short fuse.”

“He’s not in charge anymore, I am.” Meg dropped her AI into a handy pocket. “This is a survival situation and I’m the senior crew member.”

She half expected him to protest, but his eyebrows lifted in mock surprise and he agreed with enthusiasm. “Yes, you are. And I’m here to back you to the hilt.”

The story:

Meg Antille works long hours on the charter cruise ship Far Horizon so she can send credits home to her family. Working hard to earn a promotion to a better post (and better pay), Meg has no time for romance.

Former Special Forces soldier Red Thomsill only took the berth on the Far Horizon in hopes of getting to know Meg better, but so far she’s kept him at a polite distance. A scheduled stopover on the idyllic beach of a nature preserve planet may be his last chance to impress the girl.

But when one of the passengers is attacked by a wild animal it becomes clear that conditions on the lushly forested Dantaralon aren’t as advertised – the ranger station is deserted, the defensive perimeter is down…and then the Far Horizon’s shuttle abruptly leaves without any of them.

Marooned on the dangerous outback world, romance is the least of their concerns, and yet Meg and Red cannot help being drawn to each other once they see how well they work together. But can they survive long enough to see their romance through? Or will the wild alien planet defeat them, ending their romance and their lives before anything can really begin?

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Oct 31 2015

You Have A Lot To Learn Snippet from WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM “Titanic in space”

From Wreck of the Nebula Dream, my reimagining of the Titanic tragedy set in the far future on an interstellar cruise liner – Nick and the others are working on a plan to escape the dying ship, which involves flying a small shuttle out of the hangar deck. But – of course! – there are obstacles Nick has to deal with and the enemy is hot on their trail. Lucky for them all, Mara has unexpected skills:

Impatiently, Nick tried to direct Mara to a passenger seat, but her next words forestalled him.

“I have an intra system pilot’s license,” she said matter of factly, “You go deal with the other shuttles and the air lock, and I’ll get this baby revving.”

He stared at her, evaluating this suggestion.

“Go on,” she urged him, impatient now herself, but good-naturedly. “You have a lot to learn about me. I tried to tell you once before, up on the Observation Deck, but you were in too big a hurry to listen. Trust me – I can pilot this class of ship, okay?”

“Right.” He shook his head, assimilating this unexpected piece of luck – a qualified co-pilot. “Okay, she’s all yours – get the engines hot, stay below redline.”

The story:

Traveling unexpectedly aboard the luxury liner Nebula Dream on its maiden voyage across the galaxy, Sectors Special Forces Captain Nick Jameson is ready for ten relaxing days, and hoping to forget his last disastrous mission behind enemy lines. He figures he’ll gamble at the casino, take in the shows, maybe even have a shipboard fling with Mara Lyrae, the beautiful but reserved businesswoman he meets.

All his plans vaporize when the ship suffers a wreck of Titanicproportions. Captain and crew abandon ship, leaving the 8000 passengers stranded without enough lifeboats and drifting unarmed in enemy territory. Aided by Mara, Nick must find a way off the doomed ship for himself and several other innocent people before deadly enemy forces reach them or the ship’s malfunctioning engines finish ticking down to self destruction.

But can Nick conquer the demons from his past that tell him he’ll fail these innocent people just as he failed to save his Special Forces team? Will he outpace his own doubts to win this vital race against time?

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Oct 24 2015

Does She Outrank Me? Snippet from WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM (“Titanic in space”)

From the Archive, updated a bit, from a happy day for me as an author:

Yesterday (VS NOTE: This occured in 2015) Nalini Singh (who is one of my very favorite authors in the whole world) told me she’d enjoyed Wreck of the Nebula Dream! I was walking on air about that, so here’s a quick excerpt from the book (also known as “Titanic in space…”). The idea of my favorite author reading my book is just….well, FUN.

I was always so sad about all the Third Class children who perished on the Titanic so when I wrote my novel I made sure to have two young children who do get saved and all the adult characters make every effort to be sure it happens. Bythe way, if you’re curious to find out what happened to the kids as grownup survivors Star Cruise Return Voyage deals with Gianna’s decision to take another interstellar trip aboard a sister ship to the one that was destroyed. (See details below)

The first speaker is Paolo, an eight year old Nick has rescued, along with his little sister, from a destroyed cabin, where their mother was killed in the wreck. Their father is MIA. They’re traveling with the rest of their small party in a gravlift inside the damaged ship:

“Why do you call me trooper?”

“Well, because the rest of us are taller than you and we outrank you, but you’re definitely one of the team, which makes you a trooper.” Nick reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair. “First class.”

“I like it.” Paolo glanced shyly at Nick as they continued to descend. “Gianna doesn’t outrank me, does she? She’s just a baby.”

Nick laughed. “No, you rank her by age; relax and watch your feet – don’t want to land wrong and twist an ankle.”

WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM

All his plans vaporize when the ship suffers a wreck of Titanic proportions. Captain and crew abandon ship, leaving the 8000 passengers stranded without enough lifeboats and drifting unarmed in enemy territory. Aided by Mara, Nick must find a way off the doomed ship for himself and several other innocent people before deadly enemy forces reach them or the ship’s malfunctioning engines finish ticking down to self destruction.

Amazon Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo

Amazon Apple Books Kobo Nook Google Play

VS: The three books are also available as a box set!

Amazon Apple Books Kobo Nook Google Play

More Reviews:

5 Star Review from Mark at The Masquerade Crew:

“What a rush!

After a little bit of set up, this story won’t let you go. It’s got action, adventure, and a dash of romance. It pays homage to it’s Titanic origins without being cheesy or overdone. The characters are not only believable but different from one another—like real people—which is sometimes hard to achieve. ”

From BOOK REVIEWERS CLUB: 5 Stars!:

“… I’d read it again… it’s an adrenaline rush ride…It has action, adventure and tension. It’s also just a little bit of romance, and it has a satisfying ending. The writing is excellent and it’s easy to read.”

See the video of the entire review at their website or on Amazon

From HAVE YOU HEARD MY BOOK REVIEW – 5 Stars!:

“Thrilling scifi action will have you enjoying this take on the Titanic story. … The twist on the story makes the time honored tale fresh and delightful. I found the characters to be lovable and strong when it comes down to do or die. I can’t imagine another disaster like the Titanic happening, but I would hope there would be a “Nick” on every ship sailing. This is an easy read and you’ll be thinking about it for days after you read it. “

Aug 22 2015

No Rush Just Routine Weekend Writing Warriors

From my new, best selling science fiction romance Star Cruise: Marooned. This is the last excerpt from the book I’ll be doing (but it’s only 99 cents, for another month LOL). I’m ready to share something else! I’ve jumped ahead, a lot has happened but basically Meg and Red have decided to lead the marooned passengers inland to a more isolated, presumably safer, facility they’ve located but had to wait out a storm first. So they’re still at the abandoned ranger station.

Meg woke at dawn and set out a buffet breakfast, Callina and Red assisting her. As the passengers ate, she said, “I’m going to get a head start on shutting down my robos. We’ll be leaving as soon as everyone’s done eating breakfast.”

“Do you need help?” Red was always attentive.

Callina crammed the remainder of her stale sandwich into her mouth, mumbling something about wanting to pitch in with the chores.

“Don’t rush, no need to choke on your food,” Meg said with a smile. “We’ve had enough emergencies for one trip. This is routine, done it a million times, but thanks for the offer of help, both of you.”

The enemy attacked just as Meg disappeared into the hallway to the kitchen.

The Story:

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Aug 20 2015

Interviewing Michelle Lovretta Creator of Killjoys

Update from Veronica, 8/22/15: Well, now that I’ve seen the season ending episode (which I enjoyed but WOW, there’d BETTER be a Season 2 is all I can say!!!), a few of my favorite supporting characters won’t exactly be going forward with us. Or for some, everything has changed! No spoilers from me though!

I’m interviewing the creator and producer of the SyFy series “Killjoys” over at USA Today Happily Ever After, and that was a fangirl, geek moment for ME. Michelle Lovretta answers quite a few questions and provides much insight into the main characters of the program – the kickass heroine Dutch, and John and D’avin, the two brothers who form her team of bounty hunters. One loves her platonically and the other loves her unplatonically and the whole program is AMAZING. So please hop over and read the full interview!

Sadly we didn’t have room or time to discuss all the many fascinating supporting characters in the show, who add so much to the richness and complexity of the world building. Although Michelle does say:

Once I differentiated the four worlds of the Quad, I needed to create people who could breathe life into the various points of view of those trapped by (or benefitting from) the Quad’s political structure. So, The Nine, Delle Seyah, Pawter, Hills, Pree and Alvis were born. We used Warrants in season one as a way to give the audience an introductory tour of the quad, while crashing us repeatedly into these secondary characters and letting them grow.

So I’m going to share my own personal thoughts about my top 5 Killjoys supporting characters here. Trying to avoid spoilers!

Pree, played by Thom Allison: owner of the Royal, a bar on Westerley which is an informal hub for all the goings-on. I think of Pree as the self-appointed guardian of all who pass through his doors. Sure he’s got a business to run and I think he tries to stay neutral (but can’t help himself sometimes). He’s always dispensing advice, dropping hints, giving warnings…I think he knows a lot more than he’ll ever tell. I’d love to see his backstory explored. Heck, I’d like to interview the actor sometime and see what he thinks of Pree’s backstory! The man has impeccable taste and savoir faire, and is perfectly capable of functioning as the bar bouncer too if he has to. I was delighted to see him in John’s hospital room in Episode 7 because one thing this series gets very right is that the characters have a life and connections outside the needs of the script for any one scene. It was great to have the feeling that Pree and John are genuine friends. I’d want Pree as my friend!

Pawter Simms, played by Sarah Potter. This backroom doctor is complex, people. She could be the focal point of her own series and she sure deserves a big tough guy who cares just for her, no longer forced to subsist on D’avin’s spare time and John’s kindness. When Pree analyzes her attraction to the broken bad boys (as only Pree could do – Dear Abby or Ask Prudence have nothing on Pree), it was delicious and she doesn’t disagree with him. Of course she has some issues (no one from Qresh ends up on Westerley exactly by choice). I’d like Pawter as a girlfriend to go shopping at the Leith bazaar with…

Alvis the Monk, played by Morgan Kelly: I’ve grown to really like him and now I’m worried about this character, based on how he was being treated by the company goons in Episode 9. We got quite a few glimpses into his multifaceted motivations and machinations in episode 8. I think one of the keys to Alvis is when he tells John he can believe in more than one thing at a time. I believe that, and I believe pretty much anything he chooses to do has at least two purposes and maybe more. I’ve got a sneaking admiration going on for Alvis. I also like the way the actor makes Alvis’s gestures and utterances ring true as expressions of his faith.

Carleen, played by Danka Scepanovic: this girl is the epitome of cool and an even bigger STEM wizard than John, who is the resident nerd/geek of Dutch’s Killjoys team. Her expertise in fringe biotech is as astounding as her wardrobe (which I loved). I always have the feeling she knows a LOT more than she’s telling and I kinda ship her and John.

Fancy Lee, played by Sean Baek: To me this Killjoy has the vibe of Paladin from the classic TV show “Have Gun Will Travel.” Cool, does his own thing by his own moral code and standards. He really believes the warrant is all. He self identifies as the designated asshole for the entire Reclamation Agent band and points out how much they need him to exist. I was fascinated that he’s apparently quite the inventor. I want to know why he became a Killjoy. I’d love to see a drawdown between him and Khlyen.

OK that’s five but I must mention Bellus Haardy, the warrant broker for Dutch and her little team. I’m convinced Bellus has a backstory that would knock our socks off, and I think in her own rough way she’s a mother figure to Dutch. When she challenged D’avin to a fight, who had any doubt that she could actually beat him? Anyone? Bellus is TOUGH, with a teeny soft spot for Dutch and maybe a microdot of affection for John. D’avin’s on his own here. Norah McClellan, the actress who gives us Bellus puts just the right edge on every scene.