Flying Saucers and Chrome Plate, the recently released fourth book in the Spaceship Mechanic series, gave me the chance to dig deeper into Beverly’s past—and into a connection that stretches across two series and nearly seventy years.
Those of you who've been here for a while either know or suspect that Beverly in Spaceship Mechanic is the same Beverly who appears in Junkyard Pirate. Thickening the plot, AJ in Junkyard Pirate is a Vietnam veteran, while Rix in Spaceship Mechanic is a World War II veteran.
How can this be the same Beverly?
Simply put, she's Beltigersk—and they live a long time.
Putting Beverly into two series ties my hands a bit as an author, but it's completely worth it. In Junkyard Pirate, Beverly takes a risk and bonds completely with AJ. In Spaceship Mechanic, some seventy years earlier, she refuses to bond with Rix as a symbiote. Instead, she rides along with the help of a really great communications setup.
One of the things I enjoyed in Junkyard Pirate was feeding Beverly's love of Earth culture and history. That fascination began back in the 1950s with Rix.
If your eyes just glazed over, my apologies. This is candy for a nut like me. I love the deep storylines and being able to keep a character across two series with as much distance between them as Spaceship Mechanic and Junkyard Pirate, not to mention the difference between humorous science fiction and military science fiction. That's just plain a whole lot of fun.
Beverly's earlier adventures continue in Flying Saucers and Chrome Plate. You can also explore the complete Spaceship Mechanic and Junkyard Pirate series.