The Rocket Girl

The Rocket Girl

Creator: K. Hippolite

Characters

Reiki (The Rocket Girl)

Arthur Galenden

Iliara Valenus

Xandri

Eric

Hendry Galenden

Patricia Galenden

Kajo

Jude Tavenern

            Reiki is twenty years old and a rocket scientist. She has shapely legs, bordering on buxom, with long fingers ending in unpainted nails. Her roundish face, peppered in freckles, appears etched in worry and strain. Her raid hair dropped past her upper back; her dress is cut daringly three spans above her ankle. She is also a cryokinetic, which means she has the power to freeze things. Beautiful and mysterious, she is in the academy, with Rank 4 when we first meet her. Receiving news that she was passed over for the rocket to the moon, even with her genius in math and ability to remember numbers. She breaks up with her current boyfriend, Jude Tavenern because she doesn’t have feelings for him, and meets Arthur Galenden, of the House of Galenden, and is suddenly in love. However, their romance gets off to a shaky start. She does become a member of the rocket crew when her enemy arranges for her place on board the rocket to kill her. She survives, and the leader of the great city bestows a new name to her, Captain Reiki Starsong, making her the Rocket Girl.

            Kajo, the leader of the great city, had once been close to Reiki. When they were children, she told him he would one day own the city, and she would be at his side, but he told her that would not be. He did not want to own the city, and she would not be by his side. He appears to have the power to fly, wears a bright blue cape and straw hat that sets off his dark complexion.

            Iliara Valenus is the daughter of a high official in the city of Hillvale, under Kajo. She has power of lightning, able to throw bolts at her enemies. She’s also stealing money and placing it in hidden accounts. Those who discover her treachery are killed. She has long brown hair and a toothy smile, and very dangerous.

            Xandri has brown hair, tinted pink. Contacts turn her eyes an unnatural green. She’s in the Guild of prostitutes, a companion for anyone who needs her. Though musically talented, she needs money not only to survive, but to support her family back home.  Arthur Galenden

 Buys her from the Guild and puts her to work for his house, hoping she will pursue a musical career.

            Patricia Galenden, mother of Arthur, and patriarch of the House of Galenden. She rules with an iron hand, and seeks political intrigue. She manipulates people around her, even her son. She has no use for Reiki, and tries to kill her but fails. She has fair hair, filled heavily with white, and eyes dark coals and intimidating.

Arthur Galenden has short hair, middle length, straight and sandy brown.

Eric is Arthur’s friend, chauffeur and aide.

Hendry Galenden is Arthur’s cousin, who Patricia sets up for leader of Ged, which consists of five ruling families, the House of Galenden being one.

This is the second novel in the series, each has centered on different people in the author’s new universe. I’m not sure if any will make future appearances, but it’s possible. The author is building her universe with each novel. Possibly a future world, or parallel universe. People with super powers, guns, swords, and skateboards.

“I, Kwan”

“The Rocket Girl”

Denver Doll

Denver Doll

Created by: Edward Lytton Wheeler & Joseph Lovece

Characters

Denver Doll (The Queen of Detectives)

Walt Christie

Yakie Strauss

Chug

John McParland (Road Agent)

 “Yankee” Eisler (A Rounder)

Crystal Carrol (Dora Eisler)

Charles Pygmalion Jones (Bumbling Reporter)

Valentine Verner (Town Crook)

When one of Denver Doll’s three sidekicks discover what they think is a murdered woman and a crying baby, they bring the child to their mining camp at Shining Bar. Upon returning for the woman’s body they discover it is missing. The case gets more complicated when someone steals the baby from them.

Denver Doll is one of the original – if not the first – female detectives in fiction, appearing in the dime novels beginning in 1882, original written by Edward Lytton Wheeler, the author of the popular Deadwood Dick series. Joseph Lovece has rewritten the novel with a modern sensibility for current readers, bringing her back after 132 years. Denver Doll, the Queen of Detectives, is known as a tough gal, not afraid of anything, and can whip most men; she’s also a master of disguise. The young woman has presence and charisma. She is slightly taller than average, lean, but with feminine curves. Her face is fair and expressive and can change from pleasant to stern in an instant. Although older, she looks 18, and at times has the vivacity and immature romp of a 14-year old girl. Her rich brown hair fell in rippling waves half way to her waist She wore a white, plumed slouch hat, an elegant gray suit and patent leather top boots. Her boiled shirt was diamond-studded. She appears civilized and wild simultaneously.

Her three pals are also something of a curiosity. Walt Christie is a black man of African descent, while Yakie Strauss is of Dutch-German descent. And then there’s Chug, a Chinaman; these three provide the comedy element to the story – think Three Stooges or Bowery Boys, and you’ll be close. There were only four Denver Doll novels originally published in the dime novels.

Only one novel has been rewritten to-date:

“Denver Doll: The Detective Queen”

Bai Jiang

Bai Jiang

Creator: Thatcher Robinson

Characters

Bai Jiang

Lee Li

Dan

Jai

Elizabeth

Jade Kwan

Jason Lum

Uncle Tommy Hu

Inspector Kelly

Bai Jiang (pronounced Bi Chang) is 30, a souxun - tracer of lost people. She is also equal to a Chinese triad princess, once the daughter of a Shan Chu, overlord of the Sun Yee On triad in San Francisco’s Chinatown. When her parents were killed, her uncle became the Shan Chu, and raised her. Bai usually wears a black leather jacket with a black tee, black jeans and black trainers. There is a sheath sewn into the sleeve of the jacket for her knife. On occasion she can be seen in fancy clubs, however. She is tall, agile, and beautiful. Wearing a short cocktail dress that showed off her long legs. A draped bodice left one shoulder bare; a black cashmere scarf was around her neck, and black Ferragamo stilettos completed the ensemble. A knife is sheathed on the inside of her thigh.

Lee Li is Bai’s partner in her office on Grant Street. He also acts as her bodyguard and martial arts instructor. He is tall, lean, and muscular, wears tan slacks and blue cashmere sweater; he’s also gay, tongzhi. He drives a 1965 Cadillac De Vile, red with white upholstery.

Inspector Kelly, the local policeman who often interacts with them is a grizzled, fat, and over fifty with hollowed eyes, a pale round face and veined nose resembling a baby squash. He commits suicide in the second novel.

Uncle Tommy Hu is the head of the Sun Yee On triad in Chinatown. He had moved into that position with the death of Bai’s father.  In fact, he was the only father she had ever known. But she also inherited power and money. She owns the building where the Son Yee On headquarters is, as well as other properties.

Jason Lum is Bai‘s ex husband, and the father of her daughter. Though divorced, they are still close, and he would kill for her. In fact, he is the Hung Kwan, the second in line for Shan Chu, after the Fu Shan Chu. He reached his high rank because he is deadly. Bai doesn’t like the ease with which he often kills.

Elizabeth is Jason’s mother, and Bai’s mother-in-law, and takes care of Bai’s daughter when she’s off on a case.

Jade Kwan is Elizabeth’s sister. She married into the Kwan Industries, which is worth in the neighborhood of thirty billion dollars. She wants Bai to marry her son, Howard, and manage the empire after her death.

Dan is Bai’s 13-year old daughter. She’s well trained in martial arts, but has little social training.

Jai is a 15-year old girl who was sold into slavery in the first story, and was Bai’s assignment to locate. Bai rescued her from a prostitution mob, and brought her to live with her and Dan. The two girls get along well, and are learning from each other.

The series is filled with fast-paced action, and deadly danger, as Bai enters mob and gang territory to rescue a missing person, or solve a mystery. There have been two novels so far from Seventh Street Books:

“White Ginger”

“Black Karma”

Jeremiah Cotton

Jeremiah Cotton

Writer: Various Authors

Characters

Jeremiah Cotton (NY Police Officer)

Philippa Decker (Special Agent G-Team)

John D. High (Head of G-Team)

Dilagio (Special Agent G-Team)

Zeerookah (Native American, Coordinates Operations G-Team)

Joe Brandenburg (Cotton’s Patrol Partner)

Sarah (Cotton’s Adopted Mother)

Samantha (Cotton’s Girlfriend)

Rashid (Black Friend)

            18-year old Jeremiah Cotton arrives in New York with his parents to visit his sister who works in the Twin Trade Towers. He’s late getting to her office when terrorists attack the buildings, killing his family along with many other innocent people. He is caught in the rubble as the building collapses, and promises if he is rescued to become a cop to help others. Years later he fulfills that promise and works as a patrolman. He’s working a late shift with his partner one night when he sees a suspicious Chinese girl enter a building with a gun. His partner has left the vehicle, so Cotton follows the girl and finds her murdered inside.

            Special Agent Philippa Decker is with the FBI G-Team, a special unit investigating the serial killing of Asian prostitutes in several States bordering New York. Wearing a cream-colored pant suit with a white cashmere sweater, low cut, she drives a white Carera Porsche, 911 GT3, with a 500 horsepower engine. At first she has Cotton arrested, then finds him a pest when he won’t let the investigation go. After a while she becomes attracted to him, and recognizes his investigative ability.

            The murdered Asian woman was Special Agent Maggie Huang. It was never learned why she was in the building where she died, though she was with the G-Team investigating the serial killer. Her car, a black Dodge Challenger, with a 426 Hemi engine, and 425 horsepower is given to Cotton when he is accepted into the G-Team as a Special Agent under Agent Decker.

            Rashid is the reason Cotton was delayed meeting his family in his sister’s office. The black lad had stolen his wallet, and Cotton chased him to down to recover it. Later, the boy visited him in the hospital when he learned of his injuries, and they became good friends.

            With the Twin Trade Towers falling apart, people were trying to get out of the building and to safety. Cotton spots an elderly lady in a wheelchair trapped in an elevator. He pulls her to safety and carries her to the lobby and safety, then returns above to help others when he is also trapped in the rubble. The elderly lady was Sarah, and she became his adopted mother.

            Cotton’s girlfriend, Samantha is never seen, only mentioned. The other Members of G-Team are John D. High, Dilagio, and Zeerookah.

            Joe Brandenburg, Cotton’s patrol partner, is an officer on the take. He’s receiving kickback from Asian prostitutes. Although Cotton doesn’t like it, there’s nothing he can do about it, and remain a cop.

            This was originally a series of Dime Novels, published in Germany, now a remake of the world famous cult series with more than one billion copies sold and appearing now as a bi-weekly, beginning January 31^st, 2014, with a self-contained story in each e-book episode. The stories have just been translated, and released in the US as epub and Kindle versions. Fourteen short novels have been released so far.

“Cotton FBI: The Beginning” by Mario Giordano (#1)

“Cotton FBI: Countdown” by Peter Menningan & Frank Keith (2)

“Cotton FBI: Hidden Shadows” by Jan Gardemann & Sharmila Cohen (#3)

“Cotton FBI: Witness Protection” by Alexander Lohmann & Sharmila Cohen (#4)

“Cotton FBI: The Infection” by Linda Budinger (#5)

“Cotton FBI: Bony Beach” by Peter Menningan (#6)

“Cotton FBI: The Kumo Cartell” by Mara Loua & Sharmila Cohen (#7)

“Cotton FBI: Killer Apps” by Peter Menningan (#8)

“Cotton FBI Deadly Games” by Alfred Bekker & Sharlima Cohen (#9)

“Cotton FBI Project Omega” by Peter Menningan (#10)

“Cotton FBI Death On Order” by Alexander Lohmann (#11)

“Cotton FBI: Survival” by Peter Menningan (#12)

“Cotton: FBI Whistle Blower” by Jurgen Benvenuti (#13)

“Cotton FBI Civil War” by Linda Budinger (#14)