Before the Lightsabre…

…Came the power drill. “Babababa!” Ben yelled, running into the room with a power drill clutched in his tiny hands. “Ben Solo!” BX called, trying to muster up as much authority in his voice as his servile programming would allow. “Put that down this instant!” Ben stopped midcavort; turned, his eyes wide and watery. “Wait!” BX said. “Don’t…don’t–“ Ben opened his mouth and let out the loudest, most pitiful wail BX had ever heard. Then the boy plopped right there …

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Come Back, Dada

Ben’s little head appeared in the holo, and his eyes went wide. “Dada!” Han stepped back, and an unstoppable smile burst across his face. “Hey, kiddo! You all right?” Ben nodded then opened a toothy grin of his own. “Unca Wanwo!” “Hey, little starfighter,” Lando said. “All right,” Leia said. “I’ll let you guys go. Be safe out there.” She blew Han a kiss and waved at the other two. “Say bye, Ben.” “Come back, Dada,” Ben said, articulating each …

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Phantom Dad

“Dada?” Ben’s little head appeared in the holo, blinking. Then a smile broke out on his face. “Dada!” “Hey, little buddy,” Han said. The boy reached out and then frowned. He was still figuring out this holo thing–had probably just watched his own little hand swat through his father’s glowing image. “Come, sleep some more, Ben,” Leia cooed, pulling him close before he could get too caught up in the phantom-dad problem. (© Last Shot by Daniel José Older, Del …

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Han’s at a Loss

“I dunno, Lando. All this is a mystery to me. I never thought I’d be a husband, much less a father. None of it makes any sense. I try to spend time with the boy, he’s in tears. I go away, he’s mad I left. Kid’s barely got a personality yet and I’m already messing it up.” To my surprise, I’m really enjoying this book. The characters are fascinating and relatable and entertaining. Lando’s hilariously, obnoxiously oversexed. And I’m only …

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Buck Naked Ben

The door flew open and [two-year-old] Ben Solo, buck naked, hurtled in with a scream. “Unca Wanwo!” “There’s my little buddy!” Lando said, scooping the boy up in his arms and turning him upside down to giggles and shrieks. “Oh dear,” LC muttered, whirring along in Ben’s wake. “Terribly sorry, sirs, I was giving him a bath and he could barely contain himself when he heard that General Calrissian was here.” The droid reached out and plucked Ben out of …

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Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base

  This is from a couple years ago, but I wanted to throw it out there in case you guys haven’t seen it yet. If I’m having a bad day, this is guaranteed to make me smile. I like the bloopers even more. I listen to Collider Jedi Council almost every week, and a few months ago they had Bobby Moynihan on and he talked about making the above skit, the action figure skit, the audition spoofs (these were cut), …

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Interview with Tina Whittle (Necessary Ends)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Necessary Ends by Tina Whittle highlights Tai Randolph and Trey Seaver, detective partners and partners in life. Whittle’s writing style pulls readers into the story from page one. This novel combines an action-packed plot with great banter dialogue and a psychological aspect. Trey Seaver is haunted by the one that got away, a murder of a Hollywood producer’s wife in Atlanta during a filming. Now, about four years later it appears someone wants the …

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Jilliand by Clare Gutierrez

Title: Jilliand Author: Clare Gutierrez Series: n/a Lots of heartbreak, lots of passive voice I would like to thank Clare Gutierrez, River Grove Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I kind of had a minor breakdown while reading this. This is what I wrote at the time: This was a different kind of romance, and not the kind I like. I’m sorry, I didn’t finish it. My heart couldn’t …

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Waking Silent and Resigned

  I can’t imagine anyone singing opera in Star Wars, but just like I heard Reflections from Mulan in my head every time I thought about Rey’s mirror scene, I hear Think of Me from the Phantom of the Opera when I imagine Rey and Ben waking up after splitting the sabre. A lot of the lyrics could apply, but the part that triggered this correlation in my mind is (1:44): Think of me, think of me waking silent and …

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Interview with K. J. Howe (Skyjack)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Skyjack will elevate author K. J. Howe to a level close to Tom Clancy. She follows up her riveting debut novel, The Freedom Broker, with another gripping thriller featuring kidnap and ransom expert Thea Paris. Her assignment is to escort two orphaned African brothers, Jabari, 12, and Ayan, 9, to their new adoptive parents in London. The children had been forced into soldiering after seeing their mom and dad murdered by Boko Haram. Now …

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