Rachel Bach

Rachel Bach is the author of the paradox Series, which starts with Fortune's Pawn, a fast paced, romantic adventure starring Devi Morris, a powered armor mercenary who signs on with the galaxy’s most trouble-prone space freighter in an attempt to jumpstart her career. But while Devi expected the firefights and aliens, this ship holds secrets she never could have imagined, and the greatest danger for this ship guard might just be the very people she was hired to protect.

From Bach's 2014 Q & A with Veronica Scott at USA Today:

Veronica: .... Let's talk to Rachel! What was your inspiration for the Paradox Series?

Rachel: It was a mix of a lot of things: action science-fiction movies like Aliens and Starship Troopers, the StarCraft and Warhammer 40K video games, a ton of novels, particularly Dune and Anne McCaffrey's Crystal Singer trilogy, and of course Firefly. Really, though, the whole reason I started writing the series was because I desperately wanted to read a really action-packed science-fiction romance and I simply could not find one I liked. So, being an author, I decided I'd write the book I wanted myself. My main character, Devi, appeared fully formed a few minutes later, suited up and ready to go. After that, the rest was just really fun details.

Veronica: Who was the most challenging character in the series to write?

Rachel: Believe it or not, Devi. Her voice is hands-down the easiest to write of any character I've ever had, but Devi herself was a real problem for me as a novelist because of the way the books are structured. The Paradox novels are built around the dramatic and multitiered unveiling of a complex and nuanced central mystery, and Devi is, shall we say, not a nuanced girl. Coming up with ways to keep her from getting fed up and just shooting stuff until answers fell out was a constant challenge, and I actually had several moments in the books where I sincerely regretted dropping my most bullish character into this exquisite china shop of a plot. For all that...[read on]

My Book, The Movie: Fortune's Pawn.

--Marshal Zeringue